Tall, athletic Isaac and short, geeky Marco are unlikely friends who have each other’s backs as they start middle school. A touching story about basketball, friendship, family, and self-acceptance.

Illustrated by Jonathan Nelson | Kara and Amanda are best friends and cousins who wonder if their friendship will survive when Kara moves back to the Rez. Captures the bond between cousins.

Dat moves to a new country, and everything around him is alien and confusing, especially the language. How can you make friends when everyone is speaking gibberish? Dat’s fear, uncertainty, and isolation is made visual to readers.

Friends help friends no matter what. In this fun and fast-paced read, DJ comes out of “retirement” to execute one last heist—acquiring 100,000 arcade tickets—in order to help his best friend from being targeted by the school bully.

Andi feels lost after her mother’s death. Zora feels pressured to be the perfect daughter. After a rocky start at music camp, a friendship blossoms between the two girls as they share their fears and dreams on their road to self-discovery.

Illustrated by Anna Cunha | On Indigo Beach, a young girl dreams of her distant relatives on the shores of Africa and beyond. Pastels add a gentle touch of this tale between two girls linked by customs and traditions.

Mallory understands the rules of middle school, while Jennifer couldn’t care less about the rules. When Jennifer goes missing, Mallory investigates her disappearance and finds out more about herself than she bargained for.

In this feel-good read, incredibly shy Jillian comes out of her shell with the help of her friends and begins to believe in herself, learning about the rewards that can come from speaking up.

Meet Gravity, a streetball legend who could jump so high that the team could go for ice cream before he came back down. Can he learn to be a team player, so his squad can reach new heights together?

Illustrated by Ani Bushry | Marya Khan wants her eighth birthday party to be over the top, so it rivals the ones her classmate and neighbor Alexa has every year. Can Marya convince her parents to throw her the party of all parties?

Illustrated by Wayne Spencer | Miles loves all things science. He’s eager to learn about the physics of ice-skating on his school trip but is less than thrilled when his friend makes a bet that he can’t skate without falling.

Illustrated by Vali Mintzi | With the Syrian War raging around them, Nour and her friends find refuge, solace, and promise in their basement library and their collection of books gathered from abandoned buildings.

Illustrated by Pascal Campion | Jae is a young immigrant from South Korea who moves into a new apartment, where his new friend Rosa helps him feel right at home. When Rosa moves, Jae takes on the role to befriend and welcome new children.

Yasmeen’s friendship with Ayelet has made her move from Detroit to Texas a little easier. Yasmeen’s family is from Palestine and Ayelet’s is from Israel—can they make their parents understand they have more similarities than differences?

Illustrated by Wastana Haikal | When a new girl moves into town, Zara finds that she has competition as queen of the neighborhood. Can she find a fair and fun way to work with her friends, siblings, and new neighborhood foe?