Wonder World Book Cafe'

Sena's life on his farm in Ghana is difficult, and he'd do anything to help his family. A story of survival, human trafficking (a world-wide crisis), filled with adventure and anguish, heartbreak, and hope. Transcript here

 Geetha's important story will be loved by middle grade readers with its relatable topics such as immigrating to a new and very different country (from India to the U.S.), bullying, friendship, music, the healing power of nature, and young people who strive to make an incredible difference in their community .  Transcript here

Celebrating 100 episodes with Alice Hoffman's When We Flew Away A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary. In this fictional account grounded in historical accuracy, middle grade readers meet Anne, a bright, hopeful young girl living freely in a world without fear, before the world starts to unravel, urgently. Start with this novel, then read The Diary of Anne Frank. Transcript here

Rex Ogle's memoir, Free Lunch , is his first of three. Here, as a sixth grader, Rex endures domestic abuse. School is safer, yet not without the struggles that come from living in poverty. Rex's honest account of tough topics with glimmers of hope make this a favorite of many readers. Transcript here

12 year-old Effie is deaf and uses ASL (American Sign Language), but nobody in her family knows ASL, nor do they care to learn. Effie is courageous and through trusted people, friendship, poetry, and deer, she comes to know herself. Transcript here

Best friends, Ariel and Tomah, live in intertribal housing in the heart of a city. Ariel's auntie becomes an all too common, devastating statistic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Their powerful story, written in verse, is one of tradition and healing. Transcript here

This middle grade novel, Popcorn , bring readers preteen, Andrew who suffers from serious anxiety and OCD. These serious topics are combined with plenty of doses of relatable mishaps and hilarious moments! Quick moving with plenty of illustrations throughout. Transcript here

Through the eyes of 12 year old cousins enjoying summertime fun on a Cree Reservation in Northern Alberta, Canada, middle grade readers learn about the atrocities of Indian Residential Schools, history not widely known in Canada and the United States. Transcript here

An unlikely friendship between 12 year old Alex and 107 year old Josey. Alex has done something terrible. Josey has lived through the Holocaust. How can these two possibly support each other? Storytelling at its finest! Transcript here

12 year-old Valeria (AKA Magic) plays soccer on an elite all-boys team. On the field she's strong, rebellious even, and the top-scorer. When the coach (her grumpy abuelo) cuts her from the team, she has tough decisions to make. The Beautiful Game addresses topics so relatable for middle school students: family drama, young crushes, social media issues, sports’ team parties, and females navigating...

A foster family welcomes 8th grader, Joseph into their family despite knowing he was incarcerated and has an infant daughter he's never met and longs to know. When readers request a "shorter book" this is a GO TO! Plus, the sequel is now out!! Pair Orbiting Jupiter with Jupiter Rising! Transcript here

2016. 7th grader Kareem is a Muslim, Syrian American desperate to be on the football team. He's caught between his faith, language, culture, and having integrity OR being on the team. Kareem and his family are sidelined when his mama and ill grandfather are stranded in Syria. Kareem is sure he's 100% responsible. Transcript here

Malcolm is a first generation Hmong living in Minnesota longing for a sense of safety, a stronger sense of his identity, and a connection with his ancestors. This middle grade novel is storytelling at its finest. Transcript here

I’m From Here Too brings us a middle grade story of friendship, prejudice, senseless bullying, hope, and Anoop, a first generation American Indian Sikh. Transcript here

Break to You  is set in a juvenile detention facility, and is told from alternating teen perspectives: Adriana’s and Jon’s. The authors hope to shed light on the often overlooked world of juvenile detention institutions. Transcript here

Release date 10/8/24. Jakob, 19, works the night shift at Bletchley, near London, with other brilliant minds and complex machines all working toward deciphering German messages during WWII. While his sister, Lizzie, 14, is deciphering messages potentially written by their mother proving Lizzie's belief that their mother is still alive despite being told she died in a bomb blast. Timing is ever...

Hello! With season six on the way, here I reintroduce myself as Wonder World Book Cafe's podcast host! You can look forward to episode 87 in the very (very) near future!

Joe Oak can rely on math and his grandmum; both are consistent. He cannot rely on food or his mom; both are inconsistent. Joe knows and experiences things kids shouldn't have to, yet being a survivor is his superpower. Transcript here

The deep devotion and respect Syrians have for their ancestral homeland is deeply moving and so beautiful. This is a story of history and hope, dreams and believing in a different future. Transcript here

Jude, her parents, and her favorite person in the whole world–her older brother–are  living in Syria. With political unrest and safety concerns, Jude’s parents decide it’s time for Jude and her expectant mother to move to the United States. (One of my favorites from 2019 and still so relevant today.) Transcript here

In and out of foster care, twelve-year old Kita's story is heavy and hopeful. It won’t take but a few pages before readers become Kita’s biggest supporter.  

In this graphic memoir, Pan lives with what he calls “The Puzzle.” This unwelcome, relentless Puzzle impacts nearly every part of his life. After nearly a decade, Pan finally discovers he has OCD and candidly explains living with and treatment for this condition. Transcript here

13 year-old Jake needs to quiet his inner-bully, the voice in his head so he can begin recovering from disordered eating. Based on the author's own experiences, this story is raw, honest, and necessary. Transcript here

Mia Tang is back in book 5 of the Front Desk Series. Readers will enjoy Mia at 13 years old while she explores San Francisco’s Chinatown and attends journalism camp. Transcript here

What does it mean to win? Explore this with Grace and Jonah, two highly competitive students, on their way to high school. Keeping Pace has plenty of relatable woes and joys, and heartbreaks and happinesses when it comes to friendships and first love.