Jasmine Is Haunted
A sharp, funny take on cultural identity that uses the 'haunted' trope to explore family dynamics without being preachy.
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The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science
by Kate McKinnon
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2024
Kate McKinnon's voice is hilarious and irreverent, and the setup—etiquette school meets mad-science academy—lands the absurdist premise without feeling forced; smart kids who like weird humor will reread it.
Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable-Path Adventure
by Ryan North
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2016
A brilliant deconstruction of R&J that uses the choosable-path format to teach that stories aren't inevitable—you rebuild the play as comedy, tragedy, absurdist adventure, or romance, depending on your choices.
All I Want Is Everything
by Cecily von Ziegesar
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2003
Peak tween social comedy—sharp observations about clique behavior and status anxiety, but the moral education is thin; kids eat it up, parents might cringe at the materialism.