The preteen years are so full of emotions and changes that many of us forget how much we learn, encounter, and face between the ages of eight and twelve. The task of middle grade writers is to write books that appeal to young but mature readers while taking seriously those readers and their lives and emotions.
Crossover hits like “Percy Jackson” Lightning Thief The series has proven that adults can be fans of middle grade novels, and I often recommend middle grade books to adults trying to start reading quickly because they are short and easy to finish in a few reads. But reading about difficult topics through the eyes of young people can also be very therapeutic.
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Parents can remind themselves what it’s like to grow up and gain insight into how to best help their children cope with these challenges. Everyone can revel in the nostalgia of childhood. These books also offer the opportunity to confront some of the demons of our past – I personally found Barbara Dee’s book on harassment and bullying very relevant, while Nicole Melleby’s book on The description of pre-teen depression made me feel like my inner youth was being seen.
If you’re looking for easy-to-read books that don’t shy away from tough topics but are quickly digestible, engaging, and entertaining, this list will point you toward some of the best middle grade novels available today. Sure, they’re aimed at younger readers, but they’re still engaging for adults.
when you trap a tiger by Ty Keller
Lily had always looked up to her grandmother – her Harmony – and was delighted that they had moved to her home in the forest. But now her Harmony is ill, and as Lily delves into her grandmother’s Korean folklore tales, she discovers the key to solving it all may lie in making a deal with Trickster Tiger while finding the courage within herself. Can she and her new friend Ricky handle everything before it’s too late?
frame thomas king
A young Aboriginal boy and his mother were traveling to Salt Lake City to visit his sister, but when they were stopped at the border and asked if they were Canadian or American, the boy’s mother said they were Blackfeet. This simple answer started the whole situation because border security refused to recognize their citizenship. Illustrated by award-winning Métis artist Natasha Donovan, this graphic novel is brief but thought-provoking.
How to become a planet by Nicole Melerby
Pluto used to like a lot of things. Planetarium. Boardwalk. her friends. But depression opened a dark hole in her chest and she didn’t know how to explain what she was feeling. When her father threatens to have her leave her home in New Jersey and move to the big city with him, she decides she needs to do all the things “normal” Pluto would do to prove that she’s actually fine. This powerful and moving middle-grade story offers an honest, emotional account of clinical depression with a comfortable setting and an extra dose of queer fascination.
Amina’s voice by Hena Khan
Young Pakistani-American Amina has an amazing singing voice, but she’s afraid to use it. Even her friend Soo-jin starts acting weird – talking about changing her name to something “more American” or hanging out with her old friend Emily. Her ultraconservative uncle advises her father to give up music lessons, but in this little book, Amina finds her voice (in more ways than one) while dealing with the issues she faces as a Muslim girl in America
ghost boy Author: Jewel Parker Rhodes
This heartbreaking middle-school novel begins with a bang: 12-year-old Jerome is shot and killed 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 death means. Rhodes tackles an extremely difficult topic that unfortunately does have a disproportionate impact on young black boys with a poetic yet honest voice and rich characters.
Ivy Aberdeen’s letter to the world by Ashley Herring Black
Young artist Ivy is just trying to figure out what it means when a tornado destroys her family’s house and her life becomes more complicated, and she might like girls more than boys. Suddenly, in the midst of the chaos, she felt like her family no longer wanted her. To make matters worse, her notebook is missing, which contained evidence that she liked girls. Could someone she knew possibly have it? This book juggles so many themes, and yet it does so so effortlessly, with the complexity of contemporary adult fiction, but all told from Ivey’s relatable, authentic perspective.
Tristan Strong punches a hole in the sky By Kwame Mbalya
Tristan Strong, a seventh-grader who felt he had let down a friend after an accident in Alabama, opened the portal to MidPass, It’s a place rooted in black folklore. In this first in a series of middle-grade fantasy adventure novels, Tristan, with legends like John Henry and Brother Rabbit by his side, must try to get Anansi the Weaver to come down and save the world. This is Rick Riordan’s legacy, a book that highlights cultures and myths from around the world.
starfish by Lisa Phipps
When I was a kid, I struggled deeply with weight issues and the bullying and insecurities that came with it, and it only took reading this book about Ellie, a 12-year-old girl who was bullied because of her weight. Bullying) novel cover, I was cured. We follow her as she explores establishing her own rules and finding a way to own her body for who it is—a lesson many of us adults still need to learn.
Boy, everywhere By AM Dasu
Sammy is 13 years old and his life is normal. He wears the latest Air Jordans, plays games on his PlayStation, and wants a new pair for soccer practice. But when the shopping mall was bombed, his family decided it was time to leave Damascus and Syria. What follows is a true and moving story of how an ordinary family quickly becomes refugees, embarking on a perilous journey fraught with danger, trauma and prejudice.
Maybe he just likes you by Barbara Dee
I could use this when I was younger! Mila, a seventh grader, started to feel sick. What started as a reluctant hug has now turned into a competition among boys in the same grade. They wouldn’t leave her alone, which ruined everything, and her friends kept downplaying the seriousness of it all. But with the help of classmates and a new karate class, Mila slowly learned how to speak up for herself and gained confidence in her voice.
