I love learning via middle grade books! All Thirteen was probably my favorite book of the whole year. The Goodreads reviews for the other four on this list all begin with "Wow."
All Thirteen -
3:30 p.m. - pick up book from library. A little disappointed with the format -- the book is so large (width, height) that it almost looks like a textbook
before bed that night - open it up and read a few chapters. Pulls me in right away.
6:30 a.m. the next day - start reading again after my morning Jesus time while everyone's still asleep. Should be getting read to go to family Christmas celebration
1:00 p.m. - after meal and presents, I park myself on the couch in the middle of family time and keep reading, even if I'm interrupted every other sentence. I even carry the book with me while I walk across the room to pick up some oreo balls. I even tear up on more than one occasion (even though the title is kind of a spoiler).
7:30 p.m. - neglect family back at home, hurry through bedtimes so that I can return to finish the book (I eventually locked the door to stop from being interrupted).
In other words, I devoured this book. Best book I've read in awhile. I didn't realize it was classified as middle grade (probably a little too technical and detail-y for my 5th grade son, but I'll have him read it eventually), but I loved all the charts and details and science and profiles of some of the thousands of volunteers and here-are-the-million-reasons-why-this-was-an-almost-impossible-rescue. Having been to northern Thailand added to the allure for me. Wow. I'm planning on watching the documentary and the Netflix movie.
I also was intrigued with the boy named Adul, who was the only Christian (the rest were Buddhists) and the only one who spoke English. I’ve read some articles about him and am looking forward someday to meeting this brother in the Lord.
Starfish - Wow. Powerful. Challenging. Thought-provoking. I was enthralled in joining Ellie on her journey of self-advocacy. And it helped me walk (swim? at least imagine?) a bit in her shoes. My eyes are officially opened. (Note: this is technically fiction but reads almost like a memoir from the author's experiences)
Ground Zero - Wow. Intense. After scrolling through the list of potential audiobooks on Hoopla, I settled on this one because I liked Refugee so much. I listened to all 7+ hours in a matter of 2 days. So thought-provoking. Helps you see both sides of the war. Woven together so masterfully. Like Refugee, each chapter ends on a cliffhanger, but then you have to go back to the other person before you can return to the cliffhanger. This was definitely for more of a mature reader with the violence and some language. I would not recommend it for elementary students unless very mature. So, so good, though, and a reminder that I need to read more of Gratz's books!
Stamped - Wow—incredibly eye-opening, heart-breaking, and perspective-shifting. Loved listening to it and would eventually like to read the full version. (Note: this is probably technically considered Young Adult, not Middle Grade)
Lifeboat 12 - Wow -- this is excellent and gripping! Like many others, I hadn't heard of this story. I'm impressed with all the author's research. It makes me thirsty just thinking about how they rationed their water.
(A few other excellent nonfiction/historical books are listed in other lists:
graphic novels -Cold War Correspondent, Becoming RBG,
audiobooks- When Stars are Scattered, A Long Walk to Water)
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