School Library Journal Best Books - Middle Grade (Awarded by School Library Journal)

Awards List

2023

The Lost Year
(*)
Katherine Marsh

Run for Your Life
(*)
Jane Mitchell

What Happened to Rachel Riley?
(*)
Claire Swinarski

World Made of Glass
(*)
Ami Polonsky

Simon Sort of Says
(*)
Erin Bow

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In
(*)
Jasminne Mendez

Dear Mothman
(*)
Robin Gow

Finally Seen
(*)
Kelly Yang

The Girl from Earth's End
(*)
Tara Dairman

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
(*)
Hanna Alkaf

Leeva at Last
(*)
Sara Pennypacker

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams
(*)
Daniel Nayeri

What Stays Buried
(*)
Suzanne Young

Good Different
(*)
Meg Eden Kuyatt

The Manifestor Prophecy
(*)
Angie Thomas

A Spoonful of Time
(*)
Flora Ahn

Ellie Engle Saves Herself
(*)
Leah Johnson

Opinions and Opossums
(*)
Ann Braden

Lei and the Fire Goddess
(*)
Malia Maunakea

Will on the Inside
(*)
Andrew Eliopulos

The World Behind The Door
(*)
Pari Thomson

The Probability of Everything
(*)
Sarah Everett

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura
(*)
Waka T. Brown

No Place Like Home
(*)
James Bird

We Still Belong
(*)
Christine Day

It Found Us
(*)
Lindsay Currie

2022

Northwind
(*)
Gary Paulsen

Maizy Chen's Last Chance
(*)
Lisa Yee

This Last Adventure
(*)
Ryan Dalton

Air
(*)
Monica Roe

Drew Leclair Gets a Clue
(*)
Katryn Bury

Ellen Outside the Lines
(*)
A.J. Sass

Step
(*)
Deborah Ellis

Those Kids from Fawn Creek
(*)
Erin Entrada Kelly

The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls
(*)
James Bird

Wave
(*)
Diana Farid

Answers in the Pages
(*)
David Levithan

Caprice
(*)
Coe Booth

In the Key of Us
(*)
Mariama J. Lockington

The Marvellers
(*)
Dhonielle Clayton

The Science of Being Angry
(*)
Nicole Melleby

Shine On, Luz Veliz!
(*)
Rebecca Balcarcel

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl
(*)
Julie Kagawa

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
(*)
Tola Okogwu

Small Town Pride
(*)
Phil Stamper

Chester Keene Cracks the Code
(*)
Kekla Magoon

Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena
(*)
Julie C. Dao

This Appearing House
(*)
Ally Malinenko

Moonflower
(*)
Kacen Callender

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet
(*)
Barbara Dee

The Last Hope in Hopetown
(*)
Maria Tureaud

2021

Amari and the Night Brothers
(*)
B.B. Alston

Root Magic
(*)
Eden Royce

The Sea in Winter
(*)
Christine Day

The Ash House
(*)
Angharad Walker

One Jar of Magic
(*)
Corey Ann Haydu

Red, White, and Whole
(*)
Rajani LaRocca

Take Back the Block
(*)
Chrystal D. Giles

Soul Lanterns
(*)
Shaw Kuzki

Starfish
(*)
Lisa Fipps

Summer of Brave
(*)
Amy Noelle Parks

Too Bright to See
(*)
Kyle Lukoff

The Shape of Thunder
(*)
Jasmine Warga

Thanks a Lot, Universe
(*)
Chad Lucas

The Magical Imperfect
(*)
Chris Baron

Rez Dogs
(*)
Joseph Bruchac

Josephine Against the Sea
(*)
Shakirah Bourne

Maya and the Robot
(*)
Eve L. Ewing

Black Boy Joy
(*)
Kwame Mbalia

The Many Meanings of Meilan
(*)
Andrea Wang

Born Behind Bars
(*)
Padma Venkatraman

What Lives in the Woods
(*)
Lindsay Currie

Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero
(*)
Saadia Faruqi

Barakah Beats
(*)
Maleeha Siddiqui

The Beatryce Prophecy
(*)
Kate DiCamillo

The Last Cuentista
(*)
Donna Barba Higuera

Violets Are Blue
(*)
Barbara Dee

2020

Clean Getaway
(*)
Nic Stone

From the Desk of Zoe Washington
(*)
Janae Marks

Chirp
(*)
Kate Messner

King and the Dragonflies
(*)
Kacen Callender

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street
(*)
Lauren Oliver

When You Trap a Tiger
(*)
Tae Keller

The Only Black Girls in Town
(*)
Brandy Colbert

Show Me a Sign
(*)
Ann Clare LeZotte

A Wish in the Dark
(*)
Christina Soontornvat

Echo Mountain
(*)
Lauren Wolk

Efren Divided
(*)
Ernesto Cisneros

Twilight Hauntings
(*)
Angie Sage

What Lane?
(*)
Torrey Maldonado

Any Day with You
(*)
Mae Respicio

Ways to Make Sunshine
(*)
Renee Watson

We Dream of Space
(*)
Erin Entrada Kelly

American as Paneer Pie
(*)
Supriya Kelkar

The Brave
(*)
James Bird

Fighting Words
(*)
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Fly on the Wall
(*)
Remy Lai

Land of the Cranes
(*)
Aida Salazar

Maya and the Rising Dark
(*)
Rena Barron

Tune It Out
(*)
Jamie Sumner

Loretta Little Looks Back
(*)
Andrea Davis Pinkney / Andrea Pinkney

Award Categories

Chapter Books

Graphic Novels

Middle Grade

Picture Books

Young Adult

Award Years

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019