INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

Greetings, everyone. In this post, I’ll do something different from my usual fare and suggest some fantastic books for middle grade readers. My love for middle grade books is no secret to anyone who knows me well. I’ve been asked for book suggestions, and this seems like an excellent opportunity to recommend a few of my favorites.

If you’re wondering who this woman is and why she’s trying to promote middle grade novels, allow me to fill you in. To introduce myself, my name is Maham. Pagesofscarlett, and I am especially fond of middle grade. I am a voracious reader of middle grade literature. I’m constantly looking for an excellent middle grade book with virtually anything I’d like to add to my library. I also appreciate middle grade novels as much as anything else. Even though I am well into my twenties, I still read numerous books written for middle grade readers.

The reason for curating this reading recommendation is for the aspiring readers out there wondering where to start. For instance, if I recommend a fantasy novel to someone who despises it, my recommendation will not be helpful to them.

Broadening your reading interests and sampling a little bit of everything is essential. Still, I also appreciate personalizing my recommendations so that if someone wants a piece of advice, I am presenting them with something that will be incredibly valuable to them.

For example, if someone approaches me and asks for a book recommendation, I’d first reply, “Sure, what’s the book you love?” If I recommend a fantasy book because I love fantasy and they loathe it, my recommendation will not help them.

Categorical Recommendations for Middle-Grade Books

To make navigating the recommendations easier, I’ve sorted the middle-grade books into categories. If you know you prefer sci-fi, you can read the suggestions under “sci-fi.” If you’ve never read fantasy but want to, you may read the recommendations under “fantasy.” You can find them in the table of contents provided at the beginning of this post, according to your preferences.

Science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, and contemporary are some of the genres that we will be exploring in this post.

MIDDLE GRADE MYSTERY BOOKS

Without further ado, let us finally get started. So let us begin with the middle-grade mystery. An excellent middle-grade novel is fun, and I enjoy reading it. Therefore, the two I recommend to you are Green Glass House by Kate Milford and The Weston Game by Ellen Raskinnow.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game. Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game is about 16 people who come together for an odd cause. They have gathered to hear Mr. Samuel Westing’s will. The eccentric millionaire, who died under unexplained circumstances, has given a large portion of his money to one of the 16 strangers present. As a result, it becomes a race to solve this strange game at the Westing House to see who will receive all of their money.

I had read a bit of this book in school, but when I learned about it through my favorite blogger, I knew immediately that I needed to read it. You’ll adore this book and follow it almost from the first chapter. It was written in 1978, yet it doesn’t feel antiquated and has held up well over time. It features a varied cast, something I didn’t appreciate as a youngster since I didn’t know any better, but I now value it highly. Much of it is written in small vignettes, making it easy to pick up and put down.

A well-written, twisting mystery conundrum loaded with brilliant clues, intriguing characters, and several red herrings. Turtle Wexler will always be one of my heroes. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a fantastic mystery that amazes me with its brilliance. I kept forgetting that I was reading a novel since it appeared more like a puzzle, and the writing style could have been better. I suggest this to young readers and those who enjoy middle grade books.

Rating: ★★★★

Greenglass House

My second book is one of my all-time favorites, Greenglass House. I adore this book. It wasn’t until later that I came upon this book; I’ve been wholly engrossed. I suggest it to everyone, even if you’re not interested in mysteries like mine. This story follows Milo, a little kid who lives with his parents in Smugglers Inn, often known as Greenglass House.

It’s a hotel for crooks, and every year on Christmas Eve, a slew of them show up at the same place. There’s something ominous going on at Greenglass House with its unannounced overnight guests, all of whom seem to know each other. So Milo resolves to discover what’s going on before any of them, and this is his narrative. It’s fantastic.

Rating: ★★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE HUMANITY BOOKS

Following that, I’d like to recommend a few novels that I believe are amusing and fall under the middle-grade humor genre. If you’re searching for a book series that you know a middle grader will like, I suggest this one.

The Name Of This Book Is A Secret

The title of this book is The Name of This Book Is A Secret, and it is lovely. This book is excellent not only because the narrative is fast-paced and engaging but also because the narration style is humorous. This story is about two students who become friends and stumble into an unexpected mystery. It occurs when an adorable girl and a very handsome man are discussing something massive and confidential, and they are seeking something, and they appear to be up to no good.

This friendship duo must try to discover what is going on and whether these folks are friendly or evil. That may appear hazy. I need to be more specific with the overview because it’s easy to ruin some beautiful things in this, but it’s incredibly fantastic. If you’re searching for something amusing, look no further.

Rating: ★★★★★

Middle Grade Fantasy Books

The next category will be middle-grade fantasy. This specific category is my favorite genre of all. The first book I’d like to suggest in the fantasy genre is titled “…

The Girl Who Drank The Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon: This, of course, won the Newbery, and it’s excellent. I know it’s a favorite among middle grade readers. It’s one of my personal favorites. It’s adorable and flawless. This story is about a swamp witch who steals abandoned children from Hamlet. They are transported through the marsh to another hamlet, where they are adopted. One of the children she falls in love with mistakenly feeds the moonlight, causing the child to become magical.

As a result, the swamp witch chooses to adopt her as a kid. It’s about their adventure, family, and magical swamp life. There is so much exciting and informed analysis of what is going on in the two distinct communities. This book is a middle-grade one that I consider a crossover middle-grade, which means that children will like it and adults will appreciate it as well. It’s so clever and humorous, with some intense topics that are essential and entertaining to explore. If you’re searching for a fantasy, this is a good pick.

Rating: ★★★★

Nevermore

The next one is an all-time favorite of mine. It’s Nevermore. What are you doing if you still need to read this? I’m smitten with this great middle grade novel. Morgan Crowe is the protagonist of this novel. Morgan is cursed and will die on her birthday. On her birthday, however, a guy named Jupiter North swoops up Morgan Crowe and enrolls her in these mystery trials in which she may or may not be qualified for something called the Wondrous Society. It’s beautiful, whimsical, and everything I adore about middle grade. It’s ideal, and if you choose one of these books, I’d recommend that one.

Rating: ★★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE SELF-ACCEPTANCE BOOKS

Now, the genre I have falls under the category of a challenging thing, or what is termed middle grade self-acceptance. I wanted to add this because I believe it is necessary to talk about difficult things in middle school, such as mental health, how to treat others, how to be a better person, and so on. I believe it’s essential, and I think middle grade does an excellent job of not letting down their readers while telling a tale and demonstrating compassion and how to be a better human through action. Let’s start with the two books I have for complex things.

Wonder

The first book, Wonder, is such an essential work that it should be obligatory reading for all humans. The protagonist, a kid named Augie, has a facial abnormality that the audience doesn’t know about until the movie’s end. Augie has been homeschooled his entire childhood and has only begun attending a public school lately, although it isn’t stated directly. It’s fascinating to follow his experiences there, including his interactions with peers, his encounters with bullies, and his ability to overcome adversity. This book contains excellent commentary on how to be a better human being, and it’s vital.

It demonstrates that inner beauty is essential, and being a good friend and having empathy for others is crucial. It contains so many beautiful sentiments. It’s an incredible book, and I highly, very, greatly recommend it. The fact that Wonder is now available in an illustrated edition is fantastic news.

Rating: ★★★★★

Some Kind of Happiness

The next book is Some Kind of Happiness. This book explicitly discusses middle grade mental health, which is essential and rarely handled in middle grade literature. This tale is about a child whose parents are going through a divorce. They’re bickering a lot, and she’s been taken away to live with her grandmother. We get to witness how she’s surviving, how she’s dealing with the process of her parents fighting, and how she’s internalizing things.

There is some magic involved since she escapes this by creating another universe and traveling to it. I’m still determining how much of what happens in this book is made up and how much is true. I believe depression is a theme in this work, but it is handled delicately and beautifully. That’s what I’ve heard; I know it’s gotten excellent ratings from many people I trust. I’m thrilled to get started on this.

Rating: ★★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE HORROR BOOKS

The next genre I have here is middle grade horror or thrillers. It’s not the category I expected to be interested in because I am a scared cat, but I enjoy middle-grade thrillers. I believe it’s precisely the right mix for me to manage it while still being a little terrified. So I’m pretty thrilled to talk about both of these novels, since I adore them both.

Coraline

Coraline is the first novel in this category. Coraline is the story of a tiny girl named Coraline who discovers a portal in her apartment and enters it to find an entirely different realm. That’s exactly like hers, only her parents have buttons for eyes. Many twisted things happen here, but it’s not too frightening; it’s appropriate, and I liked both the book and the film.

I saw the movie with my friends, and we had a fantastic time watching it together, but I preferred the book, as I do with most of these book-to-film adaptations.

Rating: ★★★★

Small Spaces

Small Spaces is up next. This novel will be discussed, but there will be no spoilers. It’s the story of Ollie, an eleven-year-old kid who seeks refuge in books after experiencing a sad loss. So when Ollie sees a mad person by the river threatening to toss a book into the water, she doesn’t ponder; she immediately acts, snatching the book and walking away.

Following this event, Ollie learns a bizarre story of a girl named Beth, two brothers who cherished her, and a mystery arrangement struck with “the smiling man,” a terrifying ghost that granted your most passionate wish but only at the ultimate cost. I found it scary, disturbing, and fantastic. And believe me, I was horrified. I wasn’t this terrified when reading Coraline; I thought it was a terrible thriller. Katherine Arden nailed it in the terror department because it’s scary.

Small Spaces is Katherine Arden’s first middle grade novel, and I immensely enjoyed it. Many of you know that The Bear and the Nightingale is one of my all-time favorite novels, and even though these stories have nothing in common, the gorgeous language, fantastic characters, and vital themes show through. I was expecting a fun and terrifying read (which it was), but instead got a great love letter about losing, despairing, and surviving in a world that has taken away someone you feel you can’t live with.

This narrative is about healing, friendship, and learning to let go, but never totally. This book is about escapism and how books have some of the most potent therapeutic properties. And this is a book about recovering at your own pace.

Rating: ★★★★★ (a masterpiece)

MIDDLE GRADE SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS

Now I have some sci-fi for you; I’m not a big fan of science fiction, but I did appreciate both of these pieces, and I hope you do as well.

The Wild Robot

The first is a classic, The Wild Robot. This book was excellent and well-written. The Wild Robot is a fascinating story about a ‘robot nature trip.’ Roz is a crazy robot and a mother, lovely, kind, brilliant, bright, and caring! Climate change and human-caused environmental damage are also mentioned in this story.

The short chapters and the fantastic narrative make it an enjoyable and quick read. I don’t know anybody who hasn’t fallen in love with it; even if you don’t like sci-fi like me, this is one of the novels you should read because it’s a fantastic and incredible middle-grade story. I can’t sing this book’s praises loudly enough.

Rating: ★★★★★

A Problematic Paradox

The following book is A Problematic Paradox. It chronicles the story of Nikola Kross, who has abandoned her attempts to fit in with her classmates and irritated teachers in favor of dabbling in experimental chemistry. Her father has kept many secrets from her, including the genius school where she has been hidden. She discovers the truth when he is abducted by aliens who want to enlist her in their service.

A place where subjects like Practical Quantum Mechanics are shared, and students go to class through wormholes. Making friends is Nikola’s most challenging component of the school, mainly because the student body needs to be (entirely) human. Nikola is the most perplexing puzzle because she possesses unique talents that no one understands—abilities that put her whole school in more peril than she could have imagined. This book was fantastic!

So much joy, hilarity, odd technologies, and the opponents, well, just wait. I’m not going to ruin it for you. Nikola is one of my favorite characters of all time. I was vigilant and attentive, yet utterly calm and assured. This book will appeal to adults as well. It’s like seeing a well-crafted animated picture in which half of the gags are aimed at adults but presented to the children so they believe they understand. I’m interested in seeing where it goes.

Rating: ★★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE CONTEMPORARY BOOKS

Middle-grade contemporary is up next. You’ll agree that the two I’ve listed are among the best.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

The first is Amal Unbound. This middle-grade tale draws attention to various issues apart from life in our cozy small village. The emphasis on education (and what others go through to attend a class) sparked heated debates in my family. As the scenario needed, the strong, intelligent female lead was well-drawn and appeared older and wiser than her years. My child reads slowly. She struggled with the names throughout the novel, often stumbling over or mispronouncing them, but she still loved them, which says a lot. I, too, was surprised when I found myself weeping at the end.

Rating: ★★★★★ (a must-read)

The Line Tender

The Line Tender, the final one here, struck a deep chord with me immediately. This middle-grade story of loss, grieving, and healing after a death features a second tragedy early in the storyline that arrives too soon, leaves me feeling tricked, and drives the book to the top of the list. The author’s intention behind this decision made sense to me (it provides closure to the deceased’s loved ones after five years).

However, my heart felt that the second tragedy, coming so early in work, didn’t give me enough time and investment in the object of my sadness. There’s still much to recommend here, and I’ll look for Allen’s next book. Beautiful cover with unique seaside art. A touching tale about Lucy Everheart and her father: Lucy was seven when her mother died. Her marine biologist mother’s love of the sea and all things shark endures.

Lucy’s intentions for a lovely, leisurely summer with her friend Fred unexpectedly change when a great white shark is trapped in the water. The book’s cover and summary gave me a clear idea of what I was getting into, not in terms of plot but more of the overall impression. It’s a quiet and finally poignant story that’s both sad and hopeful.

Rating: ★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC BOOKS

The next genre is middle grade graphics. Some people would argue that graphic novels are not actual books, and I firmly disagree with them. As pictures are the most convenient and quick read ever,

Amulet Series

The first graphic novel I have here is Amulet. This is not the first novel in the series. It features two siblings, Navin and Emilie, and their mother, who all relocate to their grandfather’s estate when their father dies. Unfortunately, their grandfather has been missing for years, and they only recently decided to move in to discover a doorway to another planet. One night, their mother is taken by a monster, which is fantastic since it merges creation with magic and seems like steampunk.

The graphics by Kazu Kibuishi are stunning; it has some Howl’s Moving Castle vibes—it’s dark, terrifying, and mysterious, yet it’s fast-paced and overall a tremendous adventure.

Rating: ★★★★

The Tea Dragon Society

The following book is a personal favorite of mine. The Tea Dragon Society is one of my favorite books, and I recommend it to all my friends. I know it looks like a picture book, but it’s not. Here are some pictures. It has a paneling style, and it’s fantastic. This ball is about a girl who discovers a mini dragon and returns him to this tea shop where he belongs, and she finds the Tea Dragon Society, where they take care of baby dragons. It is the most wholesome and charming fable about dragons harnessing tea leaves on their backs.

There’s a great relationship here, a bit of a crush, and it’s the most beautiful, wholesome, charming novel. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this book; it’s lovely and ideal in every aspect. Pick up this book if you’re having a horrible day. It will make you highly pleased, just like it always does for me.

Rating: ★★★★★

MIDDLE GRADE MAGICAL REALISM BOOKS

The last category includes two of my most recent favorite middle grade books. I wanted to include this since many people have asked me about my favorite middle-grade novels, so here are two from my ever-growing stacks.

A Pinch Of Magic by Michelle Harrison

The first book I’ll suggest in the middle grade fantasy category is A Pinch of Magic. I read this last year, and it was my absolute favorite middle grade novel. It is the most whimsical, amusing, and lovely middle-grade book ever written. The same thing that captivated my heart will delight yours. It’s similar to my ideal novel. A Pinch of Magic features three Widdershins sisters, Fliss, Betty, and Charlie, who are cursed to dwell on Crowstone forever. They will perish by the following sunset if they venture any further. This is merely the start of their fantastic, miraculous journey. They have to cooperate to make it out of this alive.

These three sisters get along so well, and witnessing their connection in this way is genuine and adds to the beauty of the story. The plot is the most exciting part for me. When it comes to middle grade literature, Harrison creates the most perfectly evocative passages I’ve ever read. Everything is vividly portrayed in the language. The narrative also takes unexpected twists since I had no idea how the sisters would triumph; it caught me off, guard.

Consider this an adventure tale. In addition, there is the high-stakes factor of not being allowed to leave the island to embark on this trip. Throw in some crooks, sorcery, and one of the most potent sisterly ties I’ve ever read in a book. I rate this among the best children’s novels I’ve ever read. The sequel, A Sprinkle of Sorcery, is much better!

Rating: ★★★★★

The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

The final book from today’s recommendation list is The House With Chicken Legs. It was recommended as a novel that would be just my style and did not disappoint me. In case you didn’t know, I am a big fan of Russian folklore-inspired stories; something about them appeals to my reading preferences.

This story is about Marinka, a twelve-year-old girl living in a modest house with her grandmother, like many other girls in folk and fairy tales. On the other hand, Marinka’s grandmother is a Yaga, a facilitator who assists the deceased in passing through the Gate and returning to the stars. She’s also teaching her how to be one. Marinka cares for the bone barrier that keeps the living safe, and every night she lights the skulls to entice the dead to the home, where they have their final celebration before passing on.

She’d rather be a regular young girl who goes to school and associates with the living than with the dead. Marinka craves a buddy more than anything else. But, just as she finds someone who appears to be interested in hanging out with her, the house stands up on its chicken legs and flees, taking Marinka and her grandmother with it. This book is filled with genuine enchantment, wonder, beauty, and heart, and I adored it.

Marinka’s heartbreaking loneliness initially broke my heart, but reading until the incredible finale delighted me. What a fantastic middle grade fantasy book it is! I can’t wait to see what Sophie Anderson comes up with next.

Rating: ★★★★★

CONCLUSION TO MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

There you have it—some of the best middle grade books of all time for you. I hope you find something you’ll enjoy—something that speaks to you. If you’d like me to do another one of these, please leave a list of the topics you’d like me to cover in the comments area. I will try my best to accommodate you. That’s all for now, book lovers. Till next time. Until then, retreat to your realm of books.

What is your favorite book of all time? I would love to discover new books and interact with my audience.

If you enjoyed this, then you can read related articles here