Now that school is on the horizon, here are some books that take place in a school setting. Read about children who find themsleves making friends with a refugee, standing up against racism, coping with a disability, dealing with the problems of being an 11-year-old genius in high school, or being a trans kid who isn't out, along with many other situations.

The story may take place in: a school for learning magic, a boarding school for Native American children, a fancy boarding school in Britain, or a regular school where students ride a yellow bus, and learn regular things like math and science (no magic lessons!). Wherever it is, children will be having adventures, making friends, coping with bullies, overcoming obstacles, and learning about themselves, and about life.

Some of these stories will make you laugh, some will make you laugh and cry, but they will all delight you as you enjoy the triumphs of ordinary children in extraordinary situations.

 The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf

There used to be an empty chair at the back of Mrs. Khan's classroom, but on the third Tuesday of the school year a new kid fills it: nine-year-old Ahmet, a Syrian refugee. The whole class is curious about this new boy—he doesn't seem to smile, and he doesn't talk much. But after learning that Ahmet fled a Very Real War and was separated from his family along the way, a determined group of his classmates bands together to concoct the Greatest Idea in the World—a magnificent plan to reunite Ahmet with his loved ones.

Focused by Alyson Gerber

Twelve-year-old Clea wants to do her homework, follow instructions, pay attention in school, and play chess on the school team, but somehow she cannot focus on whatever is in front of her, and the other kids at school are starting to notice and make fun of her. When her worried parents take her to be tested, she finds out that she has ADHD (only without the hyperactivity)—and with help from the psychiatrist who seems to really understand her, she is determined to learn how to focus.

 A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée

After attending a powerful protest, Shayla starts wearing an armband to school to support the Black Lives Matter movement, but when the school gives her an ultimatum, she is forced to choose between her education and her identity.

The Girl with a Glass Bird by Esme Kerr

Driven by a series of strange coincidences to a privileged boarding school where she is required to spy on a fragile classmate, a young orphan becomes best friends with the girl and discovers an ominous plot that puts both their lives in danger.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

I'm Ok by Patti Kim

Ok Lee knows it's his responsibility to help pay the bills. If only he could win the cash prize at the school talent contest! But he can't sing or dance, and has no magic up his sleeves, so he tries the next best thing: a hair braiding business. It's too bad the girls at school can't pay him much, and he's being befriended against his will by Mickey McDonald, the unusual girl with a larger-than-life personality. Then there's Asa Banks, the most popular boy in their grade, who's got it out for Ok. But when the pushy deacon at their Korean church starts wooing Ok's mom, it's the last straw. Ok has to come up with an exit strategy—fast.

Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandre Clare

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial. Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail. All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him. So he tries his best to do his worst—and fails at failing. Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future. The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come .

Jada Sly Artist and Spy by Sherri Winston

Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Mya in the Middle by Crystal Allen

Things have changed in the Tibbs house, and Mya isn't happy about it. She's stuck in the middle between an exceptionally cute baby sister and an exceptionally smart older brother. And her tired parents seem to only notice the "exceptional" kids in the house. So when a class project lassoes Mya into starting her own school newspaper, she's sure this will earn her the star status she wants from her parents. But the same project also gives Mya's archenemy, Naomi Jackson, a chance to prove she is a better friend to the twins, Skye and Starr, than Mya is ... and soon Mya feels caught in the middle again, just like at home.

Martin McLean Middle School Queen by Alyssa Zaczek

Martin McLean has always been surrounded by people who can express themselves, but he's not great at speaking up unless he's at a Mathletes competition. Then his Tío Billy introduces him to the world of drag, inspiring Martin to create a fabulous drag queen alter ego. When Martin discovers that his first-ever drag show is the same night as an important Mathletes tournament, he realizes that he can only pull off both appearances by revealing his true self to his friends'and channeling his inner drag superstar.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don't have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci's school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna's jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci's grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she's left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school.

Millicent Min Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

Millicent Min is having a bad summer. Her fellow high school students hate her for setting the curve. Her fellow 11-year-olds hate her for going to high school. And her mother has arranged for her to tutor Stanford Wong, the poster boy for Chinese geekdom. But then Millie meets Emily. Emily doesn't know Millicent's IQ score. She actually thinks Millie is cool. And if Millie can hide her awards, ignore her grandmother's advice, swear her parents to silence, blackmail Stanford, and keep all her lies straight, she just might make her first friend.What's it going to take? Sheer genius.

Ms. Rapscott's Girls  by Elise Primavera

Nestled inside a lighthouse, Great Rapscott School for the Daughters of Busy Parents takes its motto from Amelia Earhart: Adventure is worthwhile in itself. Headmistress Ms. Rapscott couldn’t agree more, but her students, who are shipped to the school in boxes, could use a little convincing. Still, despite their initial reluctance, the students are soon soaring through the sky and getting lost on purpose. In addition to learning what birthday cakes are and how best to approach a bumbershoot tree, the students also manage to learn a little something about strength and bravery.

The Only Girl in School by Natalie Standiford

When Claire's best friend, Bess, moves away, she becomes the only girl left in her entire school. It's never easy being the only one—and over the course of a wacky school year, Claire is going to have to make it through challenges big and small. The boys may think they rule the school, but when it comes to thinking on your feet, Claire's got them outnumbered.

The Pants Project by Cat Clarke

Eleven-year-old Liv fights to change the middle school dress code requiring girls to wear a skirt and, along the way, finds the courage to tell his moms he is meant to be a boy.

Roll with It by Jamie Sumner

Ellie's a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she's going to be all sunshine and cuddles. The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer's for dinner, but one day she's going to be a professional baker. If she's not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she's practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother. But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school.

Something to Hold  by Katherine Schlick Noe

In the early 1960s, Kitty is one of only two white children in her class on Warm Springs Reservation, Oregon, where her father is a government forester, and although past injustices and pain are still very much alive there, she eventually finds friendships and opportunities to make a difference.

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Returning after a week-long suspension from his 1960s Queens school, Julian accepts an offer from his English teacher to keep a journal and writes about the incident, which involved blowing up homemade fireworks, maintaining his record as the fastest kid in school, and writing a disastrous love letter for a friend.

Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac

In 1932, twelve-year-old Cal must stop being a hobo with his father and go to a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, where he begins learning about his history and heritage as a Creek Indian.

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks.  They have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117. Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement.The Unteachables never thought they'd find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction, and maybe even a shot at redemption.

Up for Air by Laurie Morrison

Thirteen-year-old Annabelle struggles in school, no matter how hard she tries. But as soon as she dives into the pool, she’s unstoppable. She’s the fastest girl on the middle school swim team, and when she’s asked to join the high school team over the summer, everything changes. Suddenly, she’s got new friends, and a high school boy starts treating her like she’s somebody special—and Annabelle thinks she’ll finally stand out in a good way. She’ll do anything to fit in and help the team make it to the Labor Day Invitational, even if it means blowing off her old friends. But after a prank goes wrong, Annabelle is abandoned by the older boy and can’t swim. Who is she without the one thing she’s good at?

Wink by Rob Harrell

Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to "the cancer kid." But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table. Based on Rob Harrell's real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life's weirdness.

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.