The GateCrashers Library is officially open! Ever wonder what your favorite GateCrashers are reading or what they’d recommend? The GC Library will have a monthly theme or genre and all our writers have the opportunity to provide their favorite titles. For July, we’ll be listing all our favorite Young Adult and Middle Grade stand-alones. No library card needed, just browse our titles and find your next favorite read.
Middle Grade Graphic Novels
“I loved Jo & Rus because it’s a book about growing up and all the fears that come with it; how will I manage to do what I want? Will I have to do it alone? The characters deal with serious issues that most people have, but the book never stops believing that life can also be magical sometimes!”
— Gabrielle
Jo & Rus written & illustrated by Audra Winslow
“Superman Smashes the Klan uses its bright, expressive art to tell a nuanced story about alienation and prejudice for kids without sacrificing any depth for older readers. Everyone should read this book.”
— Rook
Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang & illustrated by Gurihiru
Long Distance by Whitney Gardner
“A fun and funny comic that takes the tropes of princess stories and turns them on their head as Princess Max puts her budding detective skills to the test, along with her wise-cracking pony Justine, to find her missing brother.”
— Jimmy
Mega Princess by Kelly Thompson & illustrated by Brianne Drouhard
Young Adult Graphic Novels
Harley Quinn: Breaking the Glass by Mariko Tamaki & illustrated by Steve Pugh
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe by Ryan North & illustrated by Erica Henderson
“You Brought Me The Ocean is an amazing coming-of-age story about a boy named Jake Hyde who has to deal with his sexuality, his emerging superpowers, and his fear of losing his closest friend by leaving for college as he must balance his fear of the unknown and his desire to keep those close to him safe.”
— Simon
You Bought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez & illustrated by Julie Maroh
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
“A fun and beautiful retelling of Cassandra Cain’s backstory that treats both her heritage and disability as important facets of her life.”
— Isabel
Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn & illustrated by Nicole Goux
Eat, and Love Yourself by Sweeney Boo & illustrated by Lilian Klepakowsky
The Prince and The Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Middle Grade Novel
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
“Stanley Yelnats has the worst luck. Sent to the desert for a crime he didn’t commit, he is forced to dig a hole every day at Camp Green Lake. This is where the fun begins. I recommend this book to those who consider reading a chore because that’s how I felt, until I read this.”
— RJ
Holes by Louis Sachar
Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing by Briana McDonald
What If a Fish by Anika Fajardo
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
“If you’re a fan of time travel, snobby Italian painter rivalries, or curious orange cats, DaVinci’s Cat is a lovely middle grade novel for any reader looking for adventure.”
— Katie
Da Vinci’s Cat by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
A Song Only I Can Hear by Barry Jonsberg
Young Adult Novels
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
“Meddling Kids takes the Scooby-Doo tropes everyone knows and loves and completely turns them on their head, resulting in a genuinely thrilling Lovecraftian horror novel.”
— Jon
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
Disney Twisted Tales: Reflection by Elizabeth Lim
Disney Twisted Tales: So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
“When I first read Some Quiet Place, the novel haunted me, changed how I think about emotional portrayals in literature, and possesses gorgeous prose that completely influenced my own writing style.”
— Katie
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Fake ID by Lamar Giles
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
“A spunky kid in 1940s Brooklyn forms an unlikely friendship with an up and coming baseball player in the backdrop of an ensuing World War. It is laugh out loud funny, heartwarming, and possibly heartbreaking. This is one of those books that will be re-read every summer!”
— RJ
The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Game Changer by Neal Shusterman
Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman
Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
“In our current era where abusers are starting to be held accountable for their horrific actions, Grown sharply resonates, proving a difficult but vital read about mistreatment of young women in the music industry.”
— Katie
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam
This Is My America by Kim Johnson
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Bruised by Tanya Boteju
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson
The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch
When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
Indestructible Object by Mary McCoy
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell & Katie Cotugno
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
One reply on “The GateCrasher’s Library: YA & MG Standalones”
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