Books In the Middle Podcast Tasha Squires

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter

So it turns out that Evan is actually of royal blood. As in, she is the child of the reigning King of England. But she is a secret child, because he father had an affair. Yikes. How can you be a secret royal? Well, Evan finds out it is really hard to be one, especially once it comes out! And then someone dies and things start to get really messy!

Recommended for grades 8 and up. 

* The word "hell" is read in this podcast. 

Heroes by Alan Gratz

Frank worries constantly about all the bad things that could happen to him. To is family, to his friends, and everywhere he looks he sees potential disaster just waiting to happen. Until a real disaster does happen. Frank and his best friend, Stanley, find themselves in the middle of the attack on Pearl Harbor and Frank is left wondering if he can ever step up and do the right thing when it counts the most. 

Recommended for grades 7 and up. 

Girl Forgotten by April Henry

It all started out as a new podcast on an old unsolved mystery involving a girl who was murdered. But what Piper doesn’t realize is that by digging into the past, some people in the present take notice and don’t like where her digging might lead. 
Recommended for grades 8 and up. 

This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg

Poppy and her family are on the run, from something, or someone? Maybe the police? Poppy honestly doesn't know. She's never known. All she does know is she and her family have been running since, well, forever. Her whole life at least. So when they pack up and leave again, while it isn't great, she isn't surprised. Just surprised that she keeps making the mistake of thinking her life could be a bit normal, if just for long enough to graduate from high school. 

But this latest move, things are different. Her mom especially seems different. The house is different and Poppy realizes that if she is going to get answers, she is going to have to start looking more closely than she has ever done before. 

Recommended for 8th grade and up due to some mature content. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Welcome to the world of the Grisha, where magical powers are real, everyday occurrences, even if some people don't think they should be! Inej is part of the Dreggs, which is a gang that runs part of Ketterdam, but not all of it, since a bunch of other groups are vying for it as well. Still when Kaz - the second in command of the Dreggs, for lack of a better term, gets the opportunity to pull off the heist of a lifetime, with just as great a reward, he can't say no. And neither can some of his most trusted members. But it is a job that could very well get them all killed. 

Recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

Five teens went into the woods for an overnight camping experience. But it turns out, one of them has an agenda that hasn't been shared. The night ends in terror for all of them, and a possible death for one of them. As the four who make it out of the woods begin to tell their story to law enforcement, some of what they say matches, and some of it takes a turn.

Recommended for 8th grade and up.