I typically read in the adult category more than kid lit, but this year I read 14 young adult and 12 middle grade books, so I thought they deserved their own post. In 2021, the books I read in these categories were primarily fiction, and the eight “5-star rating” books reviewed below (2 middle grade and 6 YA) reflect this. So without further ado …

The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead tells the story of Bea, a girl in New York whose life is complicated. She has eczema, ...