But I Hate Him
Genuinely funny story about two kids learning to be friends that doesn't talk down to readers—the humor lands for both kids and parents, and the repair arc feels earned rather than preachy.
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The Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Middle grade · ages 9–12 · 750L · 2020
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by Sarah Dessen
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 780L · 2026
Dessen's trademark warmth applied to a younger protagonist — realistic without being dreary, genuinely funny about the small betrayals of middle school friendship, and lands the emotional beats without preaching.
In Zanesville
by Jo Ann Beard
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 760L · 2011
A quietly devastating friendship story that hits different on rereads; the narrator's voice is so smart and wry that kids don't realize they're reading about real social pain until it lands.