Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Inside: Encourage your child to keep reading during school break! Here are the best middle school summer reading lists sure to get kids reading.

Best Middle School Summer Reading Lists

Please click on any title heading to see the complete post which includes book reviews. You can also click on any book to purchase at Amazon. I compiled all the book lists I have made for Middle School.

I hope these middle school summer reading lists help you find some great books to keep your child reading happily this summer and all year long. Moreover, these books can be a source for an argumentative essay writer who is improving his research skills.

My Son’s 6th Grade Recommended Reading List

My Son’s 7th Grade Recommended Reading List

Books Like Twilight and Hunger Games

My oldest (12-year-old girl) loved Hunger Games so much that she read the series 5 times. She liked Twilight also but was less devoted. When she ran out of “good books to read,” I thought it would be easy to find a similar series for her.

Alas, no. It turns out that she has very specific requirements. The vampires have to be in a MODERN SETTING was a big one. C. C. Hunter’s Born at Midnight series fits the bill perfectly and it skews a tad younger than Twilight.

Born at Midnight series by C. C. Hunter is the winner!

Picks from Our Middle School Librarian (by Genre)

Our middle school librarian created a wonderful book list by genre including Adventure/Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Humorous, Historical Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Horror/ Supernatural, Science Fiction, Biographies & Non-Fiction, and Poetry.

Summer Reading List for Ages 8 and Up

Great New-ish Books for Middle School

This great list is from the Newton Free Library system. It has great detailed book reviews if you click on the title. I found many of our favorite new books there that are middle school approved by my daughter and her friends.

My Favorite Book from 90 6th Graders

When wandering the halls of my daughter’s middle school at Parent Visiting Day, I spotted two bulletin boards with a first-day assignment each new 6th grader did in which they listed their favorite book or books. I wrote them all down in my iPhone and posted them here. It’s from the horse’s mouth!

YA Dystopian Like THE GIVER

Best Graphic Novels for Middle School 

I have become a great fan of graphic novels and these are some new favorites of ours. I could use more ideas. What graphic novels do you like?

Best Historical Fiction from The Fourth Musketeer

The Fourth Musketeer is a bloggy friend of mine who is a librarian with a great blog focusing on Historical Fiction for kids and teens. I asked her to guest post for me on her favorite books of the year — she only posts on newly published books — and this is her list.

Top 10 Best Historical Fiction

Another Top 10 Best Historical Fiction List

Top 10 Middle School Picks by My 6th Grade Daughter

This post got tons of traffic and complimentary comments. My oldest, then in 5th grade, blogs on her favorite chapter books of the year.

Best YA Title for Boys

There seems to be a real scarcity of great Young Adult books for boys which is a real shame because research shows that reading drops off for boys starting in 7th grade! Try these books if you are noticing your son is reading less.

Top 10 Diversity Chapter Books Like Percy Jackson

Thought Provoking and Downright Scary Book Recs from a Middle School Boy Wunderkind

My mother’s helper said that there was a Go To boy at her summer camp who read EVERYTHING and anyone who wanted a great book recommendation went to him. He posted this list in her summer camp newsletter and I copied it.

5 Amazing Novels in Verse

Best Multicultural Middle Grade Books

5 Books to Get Your Gamer Reading

One strategy to get kids — tweens and teens included — reading more is to match books with things they are interested in. These were the sports chapter books that stood out. What are your favorites and I’ll add to the list. Not every sport is covered so please give your suggestions!

Great March Madness YA Novel, Basketball

The Final Four is perfect for March Madness and skews young such that it’s fine for middle school.

Basketball Books for March Madness

Soccer

I would hand this chapter book to any kid who worries about making the cut.

Baseball Chapter Books

Mudville is a new classic to me. And anything about Fenway Park is popular here in Boston!

Children’s Choice Awards

If children, teens, and tweens could pick their own books to confer an award, it would be these books because KIDS are actually the judges and vote for their favorites. I’d start with this list for summer reading fun!

 Maximum Ride + Hunger Games = This Book

I’m always on the lookout for new series and these two remind me of two other favorites with both interesting character development and fast-paced adventure.

Tweens Who Read 2 to 3 Grades Below

A bloggy friend who is also a teacher requested this list and it took me several iterations to get it right, at least in terms of my kids approving. In finding books for 12-15-year-olds who read two to three grades below, I thought about the book is interesting for that age group but also fun and easy to read.

Text broken up by graphics, shorter pages, and larger font were all carefully considered. And of course, the book has to grab the reader by the first chapter.

Books for Reluctant Middle School Readers

8th Grade Diversity Picture Books

Diversity Picture Books for 7th Grade

Diversity Picture Books for 6th Grade

Worst Case Scenario Adventure Books: You Decide How the Book Ends

Choose Your Ending … or rather choose how the book goes down. Using a short reference chapter at the end of the book, the reader gets to decide at each decision point what to do when faced with danger. It’s a fun and exciting format that is particularly great for boys who want to learn as they read.

Josh in 6th Grade Shares His Favorite Books

Recommendations from peers is another great way to “sell” a book to a kid. Josh in 6th grade shares two posts of his favorite books and he has great taste!

Josh in 6th Grade Shares His Ten Favorite Books

Massachusetts Book Awards

Our 5th graders are challenged to read the entire list.

Historical Fiction of Brit Amelia Earhart

Her life reads like an action adventure book but it’s all the more fascinating because she is a real person! And she actually makes Amelia Earhart look like a girly-girl wimp.

Middle School Chapter Books from Books4YourKids

Books4YourKids knows her stuff as an indy bookstore owner. She reviews a pile of newly published books and presents her favorites here.

Top 100 Best Young Adult Books by Persnickety Snark’s Poll

This is from a few years ago, but it’s another way to see what other people like. After months of polling about YA books, these are the books in the order of how many votes they received. A fun list to check out to see if you agree or not.

Books for the Middle Grade Reluctant Reader

Some ideas for middle school readers who may be good at reading but just don’t like to read.

Multicultural Books for Middle School

If kids need to read about someone like them, try these multicultural books.

6th Grade Recommended Books

PickyKidPix 7th Grade Recommended Books

PickyKidPix 8th Grade Recommended Books

Top 10 Chapter Book Series Because They Are So Awesome

My 12-year-old posted on her favorite chapter book action-adventure series and it’s a very popular post for me.

p.s. This website has a great list of school holiday dates, make sure to stock up on some good reads for your son or daughter so they are ready for the holidays!

This group Pinterest board has great book lists and book reviews from KidLit Bloggers. Search here for more ideas of what to read with your kids.

My books:

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.