RI Middle School Book Awards

2024 RIMSBA Winner

Frizzy by Claribel Ortega 
Marlene has a hard time going to the salon with her mom every weekend to straighten her "unpresentable" curly hair. With her aunt's help, she learns to embrace the curl, care for her hair, and discovers that all hair is good hair.

2025 RIMSBA Nominees

Buzzing By Samuel Sattin
Isaac, who suffers from OCD, meets a group of new friends at school who introduce him to role-playing games which lead to a journey of self discovery and growth.

The Clackity by Lora Senf
Evie Von Rathe makes a deal with the Clackity to save her aunt from the ghost of a murderer. Evie must face her fears in an otherworld full of monsters, ghosts, and witches. 

Crash from Outer Space: Unraveling the Mystery of Flying Saucers, Alien Beings, and Roswell by Candace Fleming
Do you ever think about life on other planets? Do you wonder if aliens have already visited Earth? What really happened at Roswell? Separate fact from fiction in this non-fiction book all about UFOs and interplanetary visitors.

Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson
Ellie Engle is comfortable between the pages of her comic books as long as her best friend (and crush), Abby, is by her side. The challenges of everyday life in middle school are not enough to defeat her until an earthquake leads to Ellie gaining superpowers. The secret doesn't last long when an influencer at her school exposes her. What will she do next? 

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
In this graphic memoir, author and illustrator Dan Santat tells the story of his class trip to Europe, taken the summer after eighth grade. Three weeks, a bus full of middle schoolers, and minimal adult supervision? This trip will either be the adventure of a lifetime, or a disaster of epic proportions - maybe, a little of both.

Ghosts of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevas
Rafa is sent away to Rancho Espanto in New Mexico after stealing the school cafeteria's slushie machine with his friends during a role playing game. Life on the ranch isn't as bad as Rafa thought it would be until someone starts sabotaging Rafa's work, and he begins to see a mysterious man around the ranch. As Rafa and his new ranch friends begin to investigate, events on the ranch become weirder and more destructive, and Rafa begins to realize he may know more about the man than he ever thought possible.

Hoops by Matt Tavares
Based on a true story, this graphic novel tells the story of the Lady Bears-Wilkins Regional High School’s first girl’s basketball team. It is 1975, and girls are finally allowed to play sports in school. But they still need to prove themselves if they want their school to take them seriously. Does this group of athletes have what it takes to become champions?

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D Schmidt
7th grader Hercules Beal has to figure out how to complete his teacher's assignment of performing the 12 labors of Hercules in real life, and he discovers the importance of friendship, community and himself along the way.

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
As Matthew helps his great grandmother during the COVID lockdown of 2020, he discovers a clue to a hidden chapter of her past, one that will lead to a life-shattering family secret. Set in alternating timelines that connect the present-day to the 1930s and the US to the USSR, Matthew’s family story reaches back to the terrible famine that devastated Ukraine.

The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans
River is haunted by the creatures in the dark corners we can't see, so you can imagine when their friend is dragged away by that thing in broad daylight they are scared. Stepping into The Otherwoods where nightmares speak and smiles sting, River might make it through a hot dark night surrounded by moss, forest, and- did that just blink at me? 

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge & Lauren Tamaki
During WWII, more than 112,000 Japanese Americans were taken from their homes and forced by the government to live out the war in remote camps. This book tells their stories through their words and in the images captured by three photographers who worked inside the camps.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
Moving to a town with no internet access might seem like a terrible fate to the average middle schooler. For twelve-year-old Simon, the chance to start over in a place where no one can Google him might offer him the chance to start healing after surviving a terrible tragedy.

The Supervillain's Guide to Being a Fat Kid by Matt Wallace
Max has just started Middle School and it’s not going well. He’s constantly tormented by an eighth grade bully just because he’s fat. But when Max writes to his favorite Supervillain, Master Plan, Master Plan offers to help Max change the way the other kids at school see him. Fantasy

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln
This book is a murder mystery with word play, quirky characters and their creepy, sometimes mean, relatives. This old English family hosts a reunion in their huge decaying mansion. While most family members are looking for Grand-Uncle Vile’s supposed hidden treasure, Shenanigan Swift is looking for a murderer.

The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters
Logan notices odd things about new foster parents, and learns that they are actually superheroes. Logan is caught in the middle of a battle between forces, with the fate of the world at stake. Can Logan help save the day and his new family?

Vivian Lantz's Second Chances by Kathryn Ormsbee
Have you ever really wished you could have a do-over? Vivian’s first day of school has always been a disaster. Vivian had a plan from what to wear to where to go and who to see that would make her first day of 8th grade perfect. Alas, this 1st day was no different from others. But, like in the movie Groundhog Day, Vivian finds she is caught in a time loop which gives her the chance to do this first day over & over again. Will she get it right? Perhaps the mix of laughter, drama, a crush, a little magic, and some new choices will save this not so perfect day.

What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski
Podcasting enthusiast, Anna, is new to East Middle School, and when she starts 8th grade she notices something strange- Last year, Rachel Riley was one of the most popular girls in school. But this year, no one will talk to, or about her. Anna decides to take on the case, and creates her own podcast to answer the question:What happened to Rachel Riley? 

What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young
Seven days before her thirteenth birthday Calista meets the ghost dragging kids into the hidden corners of her small town. Five days before it's in the other room. Three days before it takes over her house. One day until Calista loses her ability to speak with it. Every thriller has a mystery, but do all of them have monsters like this one?

Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White
The Sinister-Winterbottom twins, Alexander and Theodora (Theo) are in for a strange summer. After their parents pack them off to their eccentric Aunt Saffronia in the middle of the night, the twins and their older sister Wil are tasked with investigating the Fathoms of Fun gothic-themed water park, where the employees might be real ghosts, the changing rooms are shaped like mausoleums, and people keep mysteriously disappearing.

You Are Here: Connecting Flights edited by Ellen Oh
In one day at the Chicago International airport, the lives of twelve Asian-American kids overlap. Told through short stories by various authors, each story is a glimpse into the life of a different kid and what they’re going through both on that day, and overall in their lives.

For more information about the award, please visit RI Middle School Book Award Home Page