Best Books for Middle School Kids
My oldest daughter is lucky in that she has the best Middle School librarian who really cares about finding books that make kids excited to read. He posted this list on our school eNewsletter which is how I found it. I think that by Middle School, students pretty have a good sense of the types of chapter books that they like to read so his list, by genre, is particularly helpful. His list includes: Adventure/Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Humorous, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror/Supernatural, Science Fiction, Biographies/Non-Fiction, and Poetry. There is something for any tween or teen on his list!
What is your tween/teen enjoying? Please share! And what is your librarian recommending? They always have great recommendations!
Adventure/Mystery
The Girl Is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw
The Secret of ROVER by Rachel Wildavsky
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Realistic Fiction
Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams
Humorous
The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Withering Tights by Louise Rennison
The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander
Historical Fiction
City of Orphans by Avi
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
Jefferson’s Sons: A Founding Father’s Secret Children by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Five 4ths of July by Pat Raccio Hughes
Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pickney
Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whelan
Graphic Novels
Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
Around the World by Matt Phelan
Bad Island by Doug Tennapel
I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang
The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen
Fantasy
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Horror/ Supernatural
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
Flip by Martyn Bedford
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
This Dark Endeavour: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales by Chris Vall Allsburg
Science Fiction
Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
Invasion: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel by Jon S. Lewis
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by Kelly and G. Grant Link
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Biographies & Non-Fiction
Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man by Katherine Kirkpatrick
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by Sue Macy
How to Cook: Delicious Dishes by Maggie Mayhew
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air by Stewart Ross
Wideness and Wonder: The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin
Poetry
Hidden by Helen Frost
Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Orchards by Holly Thompson
Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf
To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
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Related posts:
Best Books for Middle School Kids from Actual Middle School Students
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Best Books for Tweens by Middle School Boy
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Top 10: Best Native American Middle School Books
Best Chapter Books for Middle School Girls
Top 10: Best Middle School Books for Summer Reading
What a great list! Thanks for posting!!! A great librarian can really make a difference especially for some children!
To Ann,
I feel so fortunate that our middle school librarian is so wonderful and genuinely cares about getting the kids reading!
vanita
great list! my 14 and 15 year old girls will love it. they are book lovers just like their mama! thanks for sharing. oh and by the way, i got THE email! thank you so much for recommending me for such a wonderful opportunity.
To Vanita,
Let me know which books your girls love (and hate!). Thanks! And so glad that it worked out with Retrofit. They are thrilled to have you!
hi Mia,
sending this to my newly minted middle schooler now, thanks!
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Hi Linda,
I also have a list of favorite books from 90 brand new 6th graders. The kids in my daughter’s group all filled out this form on the first day of school to get to know each other better and I took all their books and made it into a post: https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2011/10/favorite-book-90-6th-graders/
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