Battle of the Books 2026: 9th -12th Grade Booklist

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace but when she attracts the attentions of the handsome eunuch Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster, Maomao finds herself back to brewing potions–and solving palace mysteries.

In the summer of 1995, almost-fifteen-year-old Almudena is sent to live with her estranged Spanish-speaking father, and together they renovate a brownstone and build a relationship while Almudena navigates the Latin American side of her heritage for the first time.

The last thing on Soup’s to-do list is to make waves at the restaurant she works at, but when she discovers her boss’s villainous grip over her beloved town, she decides it’s time to dismantle his power–and what better way than a cooking competition? This graphic novel is an empowering story about taking risks, finding your voice, and being brave enough to stand up for friends.

Becoming prime suspects in the murder of their principal known for doling out extreme discipline, three Urban Promise Prep School students team up to catch the real killer and clear their names.

After millions of people died during World War I and from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the popularity of spiritualism soared. Desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones, the bereaved fell prey to extortion by fraudulent mediums and fortune-tellers. But magician Harry Houdini wasn’t fooled. He recognized the scammers’ methods as no more than conjurer tricks. Angered by the way people were exploited, Houdini set out to expose the ghost hoaxes. His head secret agent was a young New York private detective and disguise expert, Rose Mackenberg—a woman who continued her ghost-busting career for decades, long after Houdini’s death in 1926.

When eighteen-year-old Tilly goes to London to intern for her sister’s company, she begins to unmask her ADHD and connects with Oliver, another neurodivergent intern.