WNDMG: Let’s Talk Books with Children’s Librarian Althea Martinez

School’s back in session! WNDMG chats with Althea Martinez, the children’s librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library, Baldwin Hills branch. She shares her thoughts about what middle graders are reading and exciting books for the fall.

Tell me about your background as a librarian. How long have you been a children’s librarian? Did you always want to be a librarian, if so, why? If not, how did you get into it? I’ve been a children’s librarian officially for almost two years, but before that, I worked in libraries intermittently since 2019. I’ve always wanted to be a librarian! I love the intersection of literature and community involvement and working in libraries has really opened up my world to different populations and local organizations.

What was your favorite middle-grade book as a child or even now? I have always loved Harriet the Spy because of how fun it seemed to wander around a big city and observe people. I also envied that Harriet had a chef, and she got to eat chocolate cake every day after coming home from school.

Share five diverse books coming out in the fall that you are excited to get on your shelf for middle-grade readers and why.

No Place on Earth by Andrea Beatriz Arango

This book features the concept of communicating through dreams. I really enjoy children’s books with spiritual elements, like Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. They have longevity because children can still appreciate them as they get older.

Shook by Julian Randall

This is a great title! Shook is a novel in verse about a basketball player who injures his ankle. People with athletic talents often have a hard time finding an outlet when they are forced to take time off from sports, and I think the poetry format of this book will be an interesting emotional expression of that journey.

Paloma Joins the Circus by Lupe Ruiz-Flores

I love the idea of a cultural circus and being born into a family of performers. This novel takes place in Texas in the 1930s and features a Mexican-American protagonist. Historical fiction featuring Mexican-American characters is always interesting to me because it makes me curious if my grandparents might have had similar experiences.

Level Up by Daka Hermon

Imagine Invasion of the Body Snatchers, It, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but updated for kids with smartphones. As a lot of elementary and high schools impose on-campus technology rules, I’m interested to see if children’s feelings about their devices change, and if this book presents a no screens or pro screens perspective.

Ghost in the Night by Tiffany D. Jackson

Mysteries that are also ghost stories are super engaging. This novel features a protagonist trying to determine if a photo she took is a ghost or a hoax, which reminds me of the Cottingley Fairies in England in 1917, an interesting case of belief in the supernatural but also impressive creative feats by children. This is a relevant topic because learning to discern real photos from doctored images is also a challenge that children are facing with AI.

What books/subject matter do middle-graders typically ask for in your branch? A lot of kids like to read fantasy series like Wings of Fire, but of course, graphic novels like Dogman are also very popular. Series that center around young girls like Ivy + Bean are favorites too.

Have you noticed any changes in the reading habits of middle-graders over the past few years? I find it interesting that kids still ask for books like A Series of Unfortunate Events, since that was a series that kids were reading when I was in elementary school. Wings of Fire has taken the place of books like Harry Potter, but fantasy is still an element that children enjoy. I also get kids who ask me for scary books, but not too scary, so Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol is another favorite.

If you could recommend one middle-grade book for parents to suggest for their kids, what would it be – past or present? Dawn Raid by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith is a really interesting novel that taught me about indigenous groups in New Zealand in the 1970s. I think it’s important for children to learn about civil rights in other nations. This book is a very accessible introduction to the way Samoan and Maori groups were mistreated at that time. Kids can compare these struggles with civil rights issues they may be learning about in history classes, in addition to building empathy and knowledge about other cultures.

Sibylla Nash

A dedicated bookworm and storyteller, Sibylla Nash works as a Los Angeles-based freelance writer. Her work has appeared in various publications, including Parents, Lit Hub, Essence magazine, and The Chicago Tribune.

She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Otis College of Art and Design and her BA in Journalism from the University of Southern California. Her early reader, "Juneteenth," part of the "Robin Hill School" series (Simon & Schuster '26) is out now.