Curt Casetta
Kids of Willow Lane
A solid, low-stakes sibling story that captures the specific chaos of being the older kid without relying on heavy fantasy or peril.
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Double act
by Jacqueline Wilson
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 730L · 1996
The dual-POV structure is genuinely clever (and kids notice); Wilson's take on twin identity and divorce manages to be tender without being maudlin.
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.
The Noonday Friends
by Mary Stolz
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L
A quiet, character-driven book about what friendship actually means to kids—not drama or loyalty tests, but presence and attention during lunch hour; it trusts readers to care about ordinary moments.