Author
Gary D. Schmidt
3 books here
Orbiting Jupiter
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 820L · 2021
Schmidt's quietest, deepest work—a book about the arithmetic of belonging that rewards rereading and breaks open in conversation with kids who've felt like outsiders.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 780L · 2013
A sobering, beautifully written lesson in what friendship and conscience actually cost — and why they matter anyway; the historical racism is depicted unflinchingly but not voyeuristically.
The Wednesday Wars
Middle grade · ages 9–12 · 780L · 2008
A Newbery Honor book that earns it: funny, linguistically rich, and genuinely moving without ever feeling precious — seventh graders and adults reread it.