Happy 2026!

With the start of a new year, people turn their focus to resolutions, self-improvement, and positive change in the world around them. Those concepts aren’t exclusive to adults, and they also aren’t exclusive to January. Here are six books for middle schoolers’ 2026 reading list that highlight youths and families striving to change their selves and/or communities for the better.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen: This 2003 Newbery Honor book follows main character Roy as he adapts to living in a new state and attending a new school in Florida. He befriends a rebellious young vandal who is trying to stop a restaurant chain from building a new location at a site where endangered owls have their nest. Roy and his fellow seventh-graders join the crusade to save the owls.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park: A young Sudanese boy named Salva is displaced during a civil war and flees with a group of other people seeking refuge. He leads the group on their journey across Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and deserts, until he is eventually is brought to the United States as a refugee. Meanwhile, a young Sudanese girl named Nya has to walk miles each day to collect water for her community and carry the water home. After years of performing the difficult task, she learns that a well is being dug in her town that will offer fresh, clean water close to home, and a school is being built. It turns out Salva returned to his home country to help build infrastructure and facilities to improve their lives.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang: Mia Tang and her family are Chinese immigrants who begin a new life in California. They live and work at the Calivista Motel, where they secretly allow other immigrant families to stay for free. When Mr. Yao, the owner of the Calivista, decides to sell it, Mia’s family and friends work toward buying the motel so they can preserve the home and community they’ve built together. In addition to themes of building a stronger and supportive community, this book tackles larger social themes of immigration, poverty, and racism.

The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill by Julie Stroebel Barichello: Twelve-year-old Dempsey Molehill lives in Pickettstown, Illinois, where a member of the Picketts family has always served as mayor. When Mayor Jim Picketts tries to enact an overbearing “property uniformity” law to stop a man from painting his house green, Dempey’s dad decides to run for mayor in an effort to unseat Mayor Jim and allow the residents of Pickettstown to express themselves freely. What follows is a year of divisive small-town politics casting a spotlight on Dempsey and his four siblings, who have an unfortunate tendency to cause mischief despite their best intentions. But even the most chaotic of circumstances can lead to positive change.

The Umbrella House by Colleen Nelson: Roxy Markowski plans to be a journalist someday, and she’s already training herself by making YouTube videos documenting life in East Village of New York City. The life she knows in East Village is under threat when a real estate mogul plans to buy Umbrella House, the apartment building where she lives. When a media outlet hosts a Young Voices video competition, Roxy puts her video experience and journalism aspirations to work by creating an immersive entry about the people, community, and history of Umbrella House.

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez: When Malú enrolls in a new school in Chicago, it’s a rocky start that puts her in opposition of the most popular girl and the school principal. Her punk rock style and attitude make her a misfit, but instead of shrinking herself to conform, she collects a band of fellow misfits to create an actual band. Together with her newfound kindred spirits, she stands up to the school administration to express—and be—herself. Because that’s the first rule of punk: Be yourself.