10 Excellent Middle-Grade Books That Adults Will Love, Too
The preteen years are fraught with emotion and change, and a lot of us forget just how much we learn, encounter and confront between the ages of eight and twelve. Middle-grade authors have the task of writing books that are compelling to young—but maturing—readers while also taking those readers, and their lives and emotions, seriously.
Crossover hits like the Percy Jackson Lightning Thief series have proven that adults can be fans of middle-grade fiction, too, and I often recommend middle-grade books to adults trying to jumpstart their reading because they are short and easy to devour in just a few sittings. But it can also be very healing to read about tough topics through the eyes of a young person.
Parents can remind themselves what it’s like to grow up and get some insight into how best to help their kids through those challenges. And everyone can revel in the nostalgia for childhood. These books also present opportunities to confront some of the demons of our past—I personally found Barbara Dee’s book about harassment and bullying extremely relatable, and Nicole Melleby’s description of preteen depression made my inner youth feel seen.
If you’re looking for easy-to-read books that don’t shy away from tough topics but are quick to digest, engaging and fun, this list will point you toward some of the best middle-grade fiction out today. Sure, they’re geared toward younger readers, but they’re still compelling page-turners for adults.
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Lily has always looked up to her grandmother—her halmoni—and is excited for them to move to her home in the forest. But now her halmoni is sick, and when Lily digs into her grandmother’s Korean folklore–inspired stories, she discovers that the key to fixing everything might lie in making a deal with a trickster, the tiger, while finding her own inner courage. Will she, and her new friend Ricky, be able to deal with everything before it’s all too late?
Borders by Thomas King
An Indigenous young boy and his mother are on their way to visit his sister in Salt Lake City, but when they’re stopped at the border and asked whether they’re Canadian or American, the boy’s mother says they’re Blackfoot. That simple answer unspools into an entire situation, as border security refuses to recognize their citizenship. This graphic novel, illustrated by award-winning Métis artist Natasha Donovan, is short but thought-provoking.
How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
Pluto used to love a lot of things. The planetarium. The boardwalk. Her friends. But depression has opened a black hole in her chest, and she doesn’t know how to explain what she’s feeling anymore. When her dad threatens to make her leave her New Jersey home and move with him to the big city, she decides that she needs to do all the things “normal” Pluto would do to prove that she’s actually okay. This powerful and moving middle-grade story offers up honest, emotional depictions of clinical depression, as well as a cozy setting and a bonus queer crush.
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
Young Pakistani American Amina has an amazing singing voice, but she’s too scared to use it. Even when her friend, Soojin, starts to act weird—talking about changing her name to something “more American” or hanging out with her old frenemy, Emily. Her ultra-conservative uncle suggests to her father that she should give up her music lessons, but in this short book, Amina finds her voice (in a multitude of ways) while dealing with the issues that come with being a Muslim girl in the U.S.
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
This heartbreaking middle-grade novel starts with a bang: 12-year-old Jerome has been shot by a white police officer who thought he had a real gun. To Jerome, it was just a toy, but now he’s a ghost, haunting his family, his trial and the police officer’s daughter as he tries to figure out what it means to be dead. Rhodes deals with an extremely difficult topic that, unfortunately, does disproportionately affect young Black boys in a poetic but honest voice and with a rich cast of characters.
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
Young artist Ivy is just trying to figure out what it means that she might like girls more than boys when her life gets even more complicated after a tornado destroys her family’s home. Suddenly, in all the chaos, she feels like her family doesn’t need her anymore. Even worse, her notebook has gone missing, and it has proof in it that she likes girls. Could someone she knows have it? This book juggles so many themes, but it does it so easily, with the complexity of an adult contemporary novel, yet all told from Ivy’s relatable, genuine point of view.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Seventh-grader Tristan Strong is in Alabama, mourning after an accident where he felt like he failed a friend, when he opens a portal into the MidPass, a place rooted in Black folklore. With legends such as John Henry and Brer Rabbit at his side, Tristan will have to try and get the Weaver, Anansi, to come down and save the world in this middle-grade fantasy-adventure novel that’s the first in a series. One of the books that’s come out of Rick Riordan’s imprint, it highlights cultures and mythologies from around the world.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
When I was a kid, I struggled deeply with weight issues and the bullying and insecurities that came with them, and simply seeing the book cover on this novel about Ellie, a 12-year-old who is bullied about her weight, was healing for me. We follow her on her quest to establish her own rules and find a way to own her body as it is—a lesson so many of us adults still need to learn.
Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu
Sami is 13 years old, and his life is pretty normal. He wears the newest Air Jordans, plays on his PlayStation and wants a new pair of cleats for soccer practice. But when the mall is bombed, his family decides it’s time to leave Damascus and Syria behind. What follows is a truthful, emotional story of how quickly a regular family can become refugees on a perilous journey fraught with danger, trauma and prejudice.
Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee
I could have used this one when I was younger! Seventh-grader Mila is starting to feel uncomfortable. What started with one unwanted hug is turning into a competition of sorts for the boys in her grade. They won’t leave her alone, and it’s ruining everything, and her friends keep downplaying how serious it all is. But with the help of a fellow student and a new karate class, Mila slowly learns how to speak up for herself and feel confident in her own voice.