Wonder World Book Cafe'

Susan
  • 5.0 (22)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

In this cafe, I serve up books written mostly for middle school students and young adults. I'll provide enough information to help you decide if a story is right for the young readers you serve, but I won't give away all of the details just in case you want to read it, too. And, I sure hope you do.

  1. FEB 15

    123. A Year Without Home V.T. Bidania

    In this novel written in verse, Gao and her family make a harrowing escape from her beloved country, Laos, after the Vietnam War. Ending up in a Thai refugee camp, a reminder that refugees are not just headlines. They’re kids who miss their pets, families who tell jokes even when they’re scared, and people who want and deserve to be safe. Transcript here

    8 min

  2. JAN 25

    122. The Amazing Generation Haidt & Price

    Hey Gen Alpha. You're the first kids who’ve always had social media and are super tech‑savvy. That’s a major strength, and lots of screen time can make it harder to focus and hang out with friends in person. Break up with your phone? Probably not. You can make decisions to "use technology as a tool and not let technology use you." Transcript here

    6 min

  3. JAN 4

    121. Hail Mariam Huda Al-Marashi

    Meet Mariam. She’s in sixth grade and starting at a new school in a small California farm town. It’s a Catholic school, and Mariam’s Muslim. Her mom thinks it’s fine, even helpful, to learn about a different religion. Mariam? Well, she’s not so sure. Transcript here

    7 min

  4. 12/24/2025

    120. A Sea of Lemon Trees Maria Dolores Aguila

    Set in San Diego, 1931. Based on a true story about a school board and local chamber of commerce pushing segregation by creating a separate school for the Mexican children. It’s filled with families with a fighting spirit, traditions and holidays, music, food, pinatas, and plenty of Spanish phrases.

    6 min

  5. 11/29/2025

    119. Words Apart Aimee Lucido

    Sisters Mattie and Olive are inseparable but couldn't be more different. One thinks in words, and the other in pictures. This makes for a playful (yet serious) tale as each shares their part of the story differently: Mattie with doodles and drawings, graphic novel style, and Olive with free verse poetry and her specially created crossword puzzles. Transcript here

    8 min

  6. 11/16/2025

    118. Invisible The Sort of True Story of Me & My Hidden Disease David Soren

    Hilariously written about a serious topic! J.J. is living with a hidden disease, Chron's. In this story, the disease is an actual character (funny and sarcastic) named Norm--a 7 foot ogre and motorcycle gang member. Filled with tons of illustrations, middle grade readers will LOVE it. Transcript here

    9 min

  7. 10/28/2025

    117. Speechless Aaron Nels Steinke

    Mira has ONE big goal for her 6th grade year: start talking at school. A talented stop motion film producer, Mira is comfortable creating in her bedroom/studio/sanctuary. But social situations cause anxiety and the inability to speak. A serious story with many comical moments. Readers gain insight into situational mutism. Transcript here

    9 min

  8. 10/12/2025

    116. Spark Chris Baron

    Living in California, 8th graders Finn and Rabbit are not strangers to wildfire danger. It's not IF, rather WHEN. And, when one devastates their community, these two friends think they know the cause and are ready to use their voice to tell others. Will the community listen? Transcript here

    8 min
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5
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22 Ratings

About

In this cafe, I serve up books written mostly for middle school students and young adults. I'll provide enough information to help you decide if a story is right for the young readers you serve, but I won't give away all of the details just in case you want to read it, too. And, I sure hope you do.

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