Middle-grade Books about Coping with Trauma
In the last post, I said that I prefer my books to be happy escapes (as opposed to the horror genre), but that doesn’t mean I don’t read sad and touching books. This week’s post has six amazing books about kids going through terrible things. From grief and abuse to surviving a school shooting, these six tackle horrors of a different sort. Each does so with intelligence and grace — never overwhelming or scaring the reader. I hope these books find those kids who are experiencing trauma so they know they are not alone. But also know that these books are amazingly good reads for anyone.
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2013)
Willow has an IQ off the charts. When she aced a standardized test, she is accused of cheating and sent to counseling. Her counselor Dell isn’t great, but she makes a friend in the sister of another patient. When her parents are killed in a car crash, her world is turned upside down. Mai and her family, with help from Dell and a taxi driver named Jairo, find ways to protect and support Willow through her grief, fighting to keep her out of foster care and with those who love her.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds (2016)
Part of Reynold’s excellent Track series, Ghost tells of a kid who loves to run and loves Guiness World Records. Ghost’s father threatened and tried to kill him and his mother. That trauma is still haunting him. Joining a track team and running from his demons seems to be working — and could turn him until a record holder himself. When Coach shares his own story of negligent parents with Ghost and explains that you can’t run from yourself, he begins to heal.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore (2017)
Lolly’s brother was killed in a gang-related shooting. He and his mother are still grieving, and Lolly doesn’t know how he can resist the lure and protection of joining a gang himself. He turns to his love of Lego, and, with the help of a community center, starts a project to rebuild his life. Lolly finds a kindred spirit at the center in Big Rose. The two explore the architecture of the city and compete to see who can build the tallest structure.
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (2019)
Della and her sister Suki are the victims of sexual abuse by their mother’s boyfriend. Brubaker Bradley has created a sensitive and important book that gives the reader time to prepare for the hard revelations the story has. When their mother is imprisoned, the siblings move in with a foster mother. The adjustment is hard on both of them, and Suki attempts suicide. As Suki heals, Della find the courage to speak up to bring their abuser to justice.
King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender (2020)
King’s older brother Khalid died. King believes that his brother has turned into a dragonfly, whom he visits in the bayou. King often runs into his sometimes friend Sandy at the bayou. Before his deaht, Khalid told King to stay away from Sandy because he is gay. When Sandy is beaten by his father, he runs away from home. King helps him hide even though he knows that Khalid wouldn’t approve.
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (2023)
Bow slowly reveals information about the school shooting that Simon survived. It’s not until about the halfway point of the book that you get all the details. Since that event, Simon and his parents have moved to Grin and Bear It, Nebraska, a place where no one can have internet because of the scientific observations looking for signs of alien life. Simon is thrilled that no one at his new school will be able to Google him. He can start over. When that doesn’t work out, he leans on the support of his parents and new friends to accept his past.