Some Favorite Middle Grade Books

The links to the books below are not affiliate links, and I am not paid to mention any of these resources. I link to each author’s website whenever possible. 💫

Bookish confession: I used to give side-eye to other adult readers who regularly read middle grade fiction.

Then I actually picked one up (Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend), realized I was completely wrong, and now consider middle grade one of my favorite genres.

The great thing about middle grade fiction is that it can meet you where you’re at. Whether you’re looking for a comfort read, a fast plotted mystery, a fantastical world, or an accessible approach to difficult issues or subjects, you can find a solid choice. And as a sensitive reader, this checks so many boxes for me.

I only have one nonfiction pick on this list, but I absolutely loved it and hope that middle grade narrative nonfiction is a subgenre we will start seeing a lot more of in the future.

If you want a magical world:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

If you want historical fiction:

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

If you want a cozy paranormal mystery:

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

If you want a magical school:

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

If you want to feel like you’re in Edinburgh (but with ghosts):

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

If you want a bookish mystery / scavenger hunt:

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bergman

If you want a quirky, British murder mystery:

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

If you want a cryptid-centric horror (that even this scaredy-cat could handle):

It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell

If you want narrative nonfiction:

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day

If you want sci-fi with a mystery element:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

What middle grade books would you add to the recommendation list? Let me know in the comments!