47 Books for Middle Schoolers Our Kids Adored

Katniss Everdeen is a teenage girl living in one of 12 districts in what was once North America, under the rule of a Capitol that requires one boy and one girl from each district to participate in an annual "Hunger Games," where the children must fight to the death as punishment for a long-ago rebellion. An absolutely gripping story with wonderful characters you won't soon forget.

Alexandra F. said:  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.

Sophie is a 12-year-old girl whose life is upended when she discovers she is an elf and has to leave home to join elven society. If that weren't hard enough (elves are practically immortal and have special abilities like telepathy), she also learns she is at the center of a scheme to destroy the elven world, and has to find a way to stop it.

Alexandra F. said:  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!

Alexandra F. said:  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.

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.

Alexandra F. said:  My 7th grader just read this classic Agatha Christie mystery book for junior high and is OBSESSED. She absolutely loved the intriguing story about 10 strangers trapped together on an island who mysteriously begin to die, one by one. Who is the murderer?? Will anyone be left alive? She could barely keep herself from reading ahead. A great mystery book for kids who are a little older, up through adults!

Kelly R said:  I'm not kidding when I say I need to pry these books out of my 6th grader's hands when it's time to send them back to the library. He's a history lover and will read them over and over again. I recommend every single book in the series...he's loved them all. They are educational, funny, and filled with fascinating detail - great for repeat reading.

Alexandra F. said:  This has been one of my teen's favorite book series since she picked it up in middle school. It is an exciting fantasy adventure story about a kingdom at the brink of civil war, and a plot to place an impersonator on the throne as a puppet prince. The main character is probably one of my daughter's favorite book characters of all time, and the unexpected plot twists have kept her hooked since first picking up the series.

A series by Rick Riordan about kids who find out that they are the descendants of Greek gods, and face off against various mythological monsters as they learn to hone their skills.

Katie G. said:  My son LOVED this series! He is going around the house telling us all about Zeus, Poseidon, Athena and all the other Greek gods. I didn't think anything could top Harry Potter, but I think this one has.

When Jonah and Chip begin receiving strange anonymous letters, they have no idea of the mind-blowing mystery they are about to uncover.

Vanessa M. said:  If your tween has never read anything by Margaret Peterson Haddix before, they are in for a real treat! Haddix is a master of suspense and plot twists, and Found and the rest of The Missing series are good books for middle schoolers because they will keep them on the edge of their seats.

In this superhero fantasy trilogy, Melissa Meyers introduces us to a society struggling to stay afloat years after an uprising by villains with extraordinary powers. A group of superheroes has stepped up as protectors and leaders after defeating these villains, but not everyone is happy about how little power those without super abilities have in this new world.

Alexandra F. said:  Our family enjoyed this series by Marissa Meyer so much that the release of the third book in the trilogy was a much-anticipated event at our house. Lots of adventure (and a touch of high school romance) in an interesting story about a world where many people have super powers, but are struggling to figure out what role these super heroes should play in society. The two main characters are teenagers who each have super powers, and fall on opposite sides of the prevailing viewpoints. But, secrets and betrayals abound, making for a fun and twisty plot!

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 said:  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. said:  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. said:  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.