20 Middle Grade Books Packed with Action and Adventure

Twelve-year-old Sara Martinez is a hacker bouncing from foster home to foster home in Brooklyn, New York. After getting arrested for hacking into the NYC foster care system to expose her foster parents as criminals, she meets a man named Mother, who gets her to join a team of kid spies operating out of a base in Scotland. As Sara adjusts, the team prepares for their first mission in Paris, France, even as Mother is working hard to find his two kids lost as a consequence of a previous mission. This is an excellent start to an exciting mystery series that both kids and adults can enjoy. Ages 9+

Timothy Strickland, aka Pumpsie, is the often-ignored, almost-last child of his family. He loves baseball, and while he isn’t naturally talented, he works hard to overcome his fears. When a storm leads to Pumpsie getting forgotten and locked alone inside the stadium with a dog and two suspicious men. Pumpsie uses his smart thinking to keep the men away and uncover their sinister plan while trying to stay safe until the morning. The best way to describe this book is Home Alone, but make it Alone in the Park. Peak wish fulfillment with lots of sports and cultural details. It absolutely flew by for me. Kids who enjoy sports and large families in their stories will love this one! Ages 8+

Charlie Thorne is a genius tween recruited by the CIA to help stop a terrorist group from accessing a potentially destructive equation by Albert Einstein. Full of globetrotting, high suspense and spy hijinks, it’s fabulous on audio and great for mature 5th graders and middle schoolers. Ages 9+

Yared Heywat lives in Addis Prime, a rundown reimagined Ethiopian city. Yared is a frequent competitor in an augmented reality game set in the city, sometimes ditching school — much to Uncle Moti’s chagrin. But just when he seems to be getting the upper hand, the game rules change and Yared has to sign in using his real name. Halfway through the game Yared is suddenly being pursued by real-life law enforcement simply for being Yared. Forced to join forces with his rival, a girl called the Ibis, Yared and his pet bionic lioness have to get to the bottom of the attack and in the process learn some shocking information about Yared’s identity. Last Gate of the Emperor is a propulsive sci-fi adventure set in an Afrofuturistic city, perfect for fans of The Black Panther‘s Wakanda. Ages 9+

William “Scoob” Lamar is hoping to make a clean getaway with his white G-ma. Especially because his dad is mad at him after an unpleasant school incident and subsequent suspension. At first he’s happy to be spending time with this G-ma, but soon, he realizes that this isn’t quite the trip he expected. As Scoob and G-ma travel through the US South, G-ma lets him into family history: his grandfather’s life, G-ma’s misdeeds and what life was like when Black people needed the Green Book to move through the US. This is a fast-paced, clever story full of twists and a sense of adventure. Ages 9+

Averil’s mom and several parents of kids in her school and neighborhood use an app called Ruby Slippers to track their kids’ location, request video and photos from them on demand, and generally monitor their behavior and actions all day and Averil and Max, another classmate, are sick of it. Especially when they find out that the app will be updated soon to let parents remotely turn on their kids’ cameras at will. Both kids make a plot to ditch a camping trip and spend the weekend hunting down the original app developer, Rider Wollybeck, in hopes of asking him to rescind the update. Averil Offline is a clever, outside-the-box mystery-adventure story about childhood autonomy and women in STEM (coding). Ages 9+

12-year-old Jolene has a tough life. Her mom is misusing opioids and can barely care for her. She’s mocked at school for wearing too-small clothing and looking haggard. Jolene’s only bright spot is a tween pilot she watches via livestream at the library, “Addie Earhart.” Addie and Jolene gradually form a warm friendship and encourage each other through life’s hardships. But one day during the livestream, Addie crashes her plane. No one but Jolene is watching the stream, and Addie’s mom doesn’t know she even flies planes. It’s up to Jolene to save her. This is a heart-pounding middle grade novel about self-worth, friendships, and the struggle of a parent with addiction. It features a strong-willed heroine willing to sacrifice her wellbeing to save a friend, even when other people don’t believe her. Ages 10+

In this gorgeous graphic novel, tweens Myunghee and Yunho’s paths intersect the day before they both escape the communist regime and converge again in China, where Yunho’s mother takes Myunghee in and along on their arduous, perilous escape plan.The Other Side of Tomorrow is a breathtaking, suspenseful, and gorgeously illustrated graphic novel about two kids escaping North Korea. Ages 9+

When 7th grader Sarah is faced with the prospect of losing her home, she decides to team up with her two friends, who are also escape room fans, to crack the codes and break out of a 1950s fun house. Suspense, adventure, riddles, puzzles, thrills, and, surprisingly, a lot of heart make this story a winner for young readers. Although Sarah and her friends are older, this is a great story that will work for readers as young as the 4th or 5th grade. Kids who like books with puzzle solving or an escape room setting will love this one. Ages 9+