47 Books for Middle Schoolers Our Kids Adored

Alexandra F.:  This dystopian trilogy had everyone in our family absolutely hooked from the moment we each started it. They are good middle school books, but equally great reads for older teens and adults, too.

Alexandra F.:  There's a lot about this bestselling series that would appeal to anyone looking for more books like Harry Potter. Like our favorite boy wizard, the main character also suddenly discovers her place in a fantastical world that secretly co-exists with our non-magical one, and her subsequent adventures are filled with magic, danger and friendship, mostly starring teen protagonists with special powers. Our family started reading these as part of a family book club when our kids were nine and 11, and have been hooked ever since!

Stanley Yelnats, wrongly accused of stealing, is sent to a juvenile detention camp where he befriends a ragtag group of boys who dig holes all day. But what are they looking for?

This award winner by Lois Lowry is a great book for middle schoolers, and brings the terror of the Holocaust in a way that is age appropriate and accessible for young readers.

Dawn Denning:  My son recently started reading this series and he LOVES it...and so do I. Written by Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel from Glee), these are are good books for middle schoolers and older elementary school kids about the adventures of a set of twins that leave our world and travel into the world of fairytales. The fairytale worlds include Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose and more! The stories are engaging, suspenseful and funny, so my son and I both look forward to reading time!

Vanessa M.:  This is an outstanding, award winning novel that grants its readers permission to begin questioning their culture and values, an important step for middle schoolers. When 12-year-old Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memories for his utopian society, he glances behind the veil and discovers its fragility.

Gina I.:  13-year-old Brian's plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, leaving him alone with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet. He struggles to make shelter, find food and survive. This and the rest of the books in the Brian's Saga series are stories your kid won't soon forget.

Juan L.:  One of the best historical fiction books for middle schoolers, a young girl in World War II Germany tries to make the best of her bleak situation by cultivating a love of books and an optimistic outlook on life despite the destruction around her. Her family takes in a Jewish boy in hiding and their friendship becomes the stuff of legend.

Vanessa M.:   This is a popular book for middle schoolers as it does an excellent job helping kids look past the wheelchair to see the real person. Readers get a look at the inner life of a young girl with cerebral palsy who struggles to overcome her obstacles with humor and determination.

Alexandra F.:  Harry Potter is a personal favorite (which I first read in college!), so we introduced it when our kids were pretty young, in early elementary school. I love that it can be enjoyed (and read and reread) at all ages, though, so that my kids loved it as much in middle school as they did in third grade, and as much as I do as an adult.

Vanessa M.:  10-year-old Ada Smith discovers her own freedom in spite of living in war-ravaged England. Born with a clubbed foot and kept inside her whole life by her mother, Ada jumps at the chance to escape her home life and the war by relocating to the countryside along with the rest of London's children. With complex characters and an uplifting story, this book appeals to tweens on many different levels!

Juan L.:  This young adult classic tells the story of Ponyboy and his fellow greasers in their hard-knock life outside of regular society. This book is perfect for middle schoolers and a great book for teens, too, as they enter into the broader world, with themes about principles, loyalty, and doing the right thing.

Vanessa M.:  When a troublemaker is accidentally placed in the gifted school, he encounters a number of laughable yet poignant experiences as he attempts to fit in with young geniuses. This is a great middle school book for reluctant readers, as it is easy and fun to read with a rewarding ending.

Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that leaves him looking a lot different than the other kids, and Wonder chronicles his first experience attending school.

Beth Wood:  This graphic novel for kids has been read and re-read numerous times by my fifth grader.