15 Middle Grade Books That Wow-ed Me in 2024

Weatherby is a new kid at the Boston School on a sailing scholarship and is immediately thrust into a world she knows nothing about. Old school phone booths, scrambled phone service at school, friends with kids who go to the country club.. and a boy who seems to hate her guts. It is told from two perspectives, Weatherby’s and Jack Hunt’s, a rich kid at the school who is also on the sailing team. When Jack, Weatherby, and their friends Pres, Iris, and Harper are contacted by what they think is the school’s famed secret society, they get sucked into a mission, only to unravel a deep secret about the Hunt family that involves Weatherby. This is an intriguing, fast-paced, and tightly-plotted middle-grade mystery for younger middle-school readers who are hungry for some thrilling, suspenseful mysteries but aren’t old enough for traditional YA. Ages 10+

Jo (aka Josephine, named after Jo March) is still reeling from her parents’ divorce and her father’s decision to leave them for his girlfriend and her family. To prove that she and her mom can handle life without him, Jo and her mom embark on the Lake Superior hike to do 100+ miles to the Lutsen Gondola with their backpacks, dehydrated food, tents, and a book (for Jo). As the two weather hilly terrain, minor injuries, wild animals, new friendships, disappointments, and adverse weather, they learn to find their inner strength to move on and to forgive Tim, Jo’s father. Just Keep Walking is a triumphant celebration of adventure, perseverance, and the healing power of the outdoors. Ages 9+

I LOVED this verse novel told from the perspective of young Lettie, her mother Sylvie, and a teenage teacher, Philomena, about their perilous journey from 1870s Mississippi to Nebraska during the Great Migration. With narrators of varying ages, this suspenseful, at times heartbreaking story has plenty to offer readers between the ages of 9 and 13 and would make a great read-aloud for families with older kids.

Sweet Michael Rosario is shy and anxious about Y2K. The only bright spot in his life besides his doting but BUSY (working three jobs) single mother is his babysitter, Gibby, whom he might have a crush on. One day, Gibby and Michael spot an unusually dressed teenager hanging around their housing complex, and after a confrontation, they realize he’s a time traveler from the future named Ridge. This is a brilliant, highly readable middle grade book from the QUEEN of character-driven middle grade literature. This expansive sci-fi feels at once introspective and cinematic, leaping off the page like something made for a movie. Entrada is gifted at conjuring fully formed characters whose fears and inner lives are wholly and sensitively rendered. Ages 10+

Fern and her mother have been living on The Ranch under the thumb of a charismatic leader named Ben. One day, Fern’s mom sneaks herself and Fern across the country from NY to CA, where they live in a motel in her mother’s teenage neighborhood. Although readers will know that Fern and her mom were in a cult, Fern is confused, misses the stability of living a regimented life, and worries about returning to the unstable lifestyle she and her mother had before The Ranch. Fern feels so real and relatable, and all the characters in this story feel well-rounded. Set largely in the atmospheric Driftbay area, this propulsive story of a girl learning to trust her inner voice is unforgettable and has excellent discussion potential in the classroom. Ages 10+

Half-marathon training brings overachieving friends-turned-rivals Grace and Jonah together during one life-changing summer. This young romance is swoony with authentic dialogue and a powerful message about perfectionism and ambition. Ages 10+

In this compulsively readable book, Mavis and her siblings return from a dream vacation to a nightmare as FBI agents seize their assets and her mother absconds, leaving their dad to fend for them. Stuck in Somewhere, Illinois, Mavis starts a babysitting business and is torn between loving and hating her mom, especially as postcards from exotic destinations start to arrive from her mother. Miller presents the socioeconomic divide and the impact of race and class in an accessible way for young audiences. Mavis’s struggles with starting a business, friendship betrayals, and sibling relationships will be relatable to young readers, and the arc of her father reuniting with his sister is so sweet. Ages 9+

When hyperactive kid CJ gets into his fourth-grade class, he’s terrified of Ms. Crane, his new teacher, thanks to all the rumors he’s heard about her and the huge red mark on her face. But Ms. Crane turns out to be refreshingly different than he expected. She’s nice to him and doesn’t get frustrated when he interrupts, blurts answers, or can’t sit still. So when he discovers that some teachers are trying to get Ms. Crane to leave the school, CJ decides to stand up for her.Carter Avery’s Tricky Fourth Grade Year is a heartwarming book about community and the power of a teacher who believes in you. Ages 9+

What if Nazi Germany won WWII? That’s the chilling question this time-travel thriller explores. Two sets of a friendship trio — one in 2023 and the other in 1944 — discover that they can communicate over a radio device present in both timelines. As the two groups figure out the differences in their timelines while trying to avoid making any changes to history, they discover that they’ve unwittingly made an enormously impactful change with shocking consequences. Westfallen is a chilling exploration of a terrifying alternate reality for fans of high-action time travel fiction. Ages 10+

Hank Hooperman has been alone with his 3-year-old sister Boo since their mother left the house a week ago. Armed with the name of someone his mother wrote as her emergency contact on his field trip form, Hank takes the bus to Lou Adler’s doorstep. There, he and his sister start to find some sort of normalcy until Hank’s 10th mistake threatens to cost him everything that means something to him. Hank is a character to love and truly one to root for every step of the way! Ages 10+

This story is about Evan, a moody middle schooler whose days consist of trying to figure out why his mom is always grumpy, defending his besties from the school bully, and trying to bond with his artist father. Until he meets a dog, or rather, the dog finds him. Told from the perspectives of Evan and the dog, a clever border collie with a love for running, this soaring, heartwarming adventure about friendship, family, and the healing power of dogs is perfect for fans of Silvey’s The Underdogs of Upson Downs. Ages 9+

Ingrid is most comfortable with online interactions, posting on her website and gaming with her long-distance bestie, whom she met online. When a new kid moves into her neighborhood, and her only in-person friendship crumbles, Ingrid is relieved to add a new friend and maybe crush to her list of online friends. But things take a romantic and surprising turn as she learns to stand up for herself. This book is warm, cozy, sweet, and romantic. I also love that it’s told partly in text messages and truly captures the upper middle schooler vibe as Ingrid and her friends are 8th graders. Ages 11+

When Skye’s brother, who’s been missing for the past couple of years, returns, Skye isn’t convinced that the boy in their home is Finn. He can’t seem to remember memories they shared when they were younger or the special sibling code words they made up. So Skye decides to investigate for herself, and the results are both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is a richly drawn, introspective mystery about an unbreakable sibling bond and a fractured family in repair.

I ADORED this story of two friends making their way back after a massive falling out. We go back in time with alternating past and present chapters, following the girls through the last 5 summers and the present one to see how their relationship fell apart. Swinarski’s writing brings summer camp — and a musical theater one, no less — to life so vividly. You can feel the mosquitoes, see the lake, hear the warm-up drills, and the kid’s laughter in this sun-drenched summer camp book. Yet this book tackles so many issues like wealth, privilege, class, grief, friendship, and jealousy in friendship. The mystery element as we slowly peel back the layers behind Jules and Eowyn’s friendship with WICKED as a parallel event in their lives is just gorgeously done. There’s also plenty going on in the side characters’ lives that they all come to life brilliantly. Ages 10+

I was skeptical (as I am of all superhero stories) of this book, especially because I thought it was more supernatural than sci-fi. But I’m happy to report that I was hooked from the very first chapter of its audiobook. Coal is a foster kid taken in by the boisterous McKay family when his foster parent has a mental breakdown. Not long after, he realizes that his skin has camouflaging abilities, essentially making him invisible. This is more than a superhero origin story with plenty of family humor (for fans of The Vanderbeekers), lots of male friendship banter, musings on the foster care system, and a heartwarming ode to Black history and culture. I can’t wait for book two, and I expect young, hesitant readers to love this if they crack open the first couple of pages. Ages 11+