GREAT BOOKS ABOUT BEING THE NEW KID

Here are some titles where the protagonist is the new kid, with all of the heartache, excitement, and emotional tumult that is involved. 

Let’s Pretend We Never Met by Melissa Walker- For Grades 4-7

Mattie Markham thinks it should be illegal to change schools in the middle of the school year, but when she meets her neighbor Agnes, Mattie pushes aside her worries. But when she starts school, Mattie learns that Agnes is known as the weird girl who no one likes, and must decide if fitting in and being popular is worth ending their friendship.

THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER BY BEN PHILIPPE- FOR Grades 8-12

When Norris Kaplan, a Black French Canadian teen, moves to Austin, Texas, it’s like stepping into a different world. Norris makes sense of his new home by viewing it through an anthropological lens, and categorizing all of the types of teens he encounters into jocks, cheerleaders, loners, misfits, and more. But a curious thing happens: The more time Norris spends with his new classmates, the more they seem to become real people to him. And when he makes a big mistake, he’ll have to scramble to make things right with the people he’s come to call friends

Nothing But Trouble by Jacqueline Davies-For grades 4-7

Maggie has always felt that her tiny town of Odawahaka is too small, too predictable, too boring. But when creative and mischief-loving Lena moves in next door, Maggie suddenly has a partner in crime to help liven things up one prank at a time. For the first time ever, Maggie begins to wonder if there might be more to Odawahaka than she ever thought possible.

GEORGIA PEACHES AND OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT BY JAYE ROBIN BROWN- for Grades 9-12

Joanna’s preacher father has just remarried and is relocating them from Atlanta to a small town in Georgia. When they arrive, her father makes a big request: Please keep her sexuality on the down low. Joanna isn’t really thrilled to be going back into the closet, but for the sake of her dad, new extended family, and the small conservative town, she agrees. The only problem? Mary Carlson, the intriguing girl at her new school. Joanna can’t stop thinking about her…and wondering if maybe Mary Carlson could ever feel the same way about her.

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish- For grades 4-7

Ethan and his family move to a small beachside town in Georgia, where he starts at a new school, away from the rumors surrounding the loss of his best friend. But when he makes friends with Coralee, a girl with a big personality and even bigger stories, he realizes he might not be the only one with secrets and struggling to come to terms with something.

Posted by John David Anderson- For grades 4-7

When new girl Rose Holland takes a seat at the misfit table for lunch, the D&D playing guys there aren’t quite sure what to make of her. Rose’s presence awakens some previously ignored tensions within the group, but she soon becomes their champion — taking on the bullies and teaching them to stand up for themselves and each other.

Out of Place by Jennifer Blecher- For grades 4-7

Twelve-year-old Cove’s year stinks. First Cove’s best friend moves away, then Cove becomes the target of a school-wide bullying campaign. Only two things seem to be going well: if Cove wins a kids-only design competition, she may be able to fight her way to her best friend, and the school’s new kid, Jack, doesn’t seem to pay attention to the mean things the other kids are saying about Cove. Then Cove makes a HUGE mistake. Can she turn her year around for good?

~Enjoy!