Charlotte's Web
E. B. White; illustrated by Garth Williams · 1952
Wilbur the pig is saved from slaughter by his friend Charlotte, a spider who writes words in her web.
Books by topic
Middle Grade
Middle-grade books are written for readers of roughly eight to twelve. The category covers a very wide range — from gentle stories about friendship and family to novels that deal directly with war, injustice or grief — so it is worth reading the content notes on each book page.
Verse novels, graphic novels and memoirs all belong here. Many families keep reading aloud through these years, which lets children enjoy books slightly above their independent level and gives adults a natural way to talk about difficult themes.
- Picture Books
- Early Readers
- Chapter Books
- Middle Grade
- Graphic Novels
- Nonfiction & Biography
- Science & Nature
- History & Biography
- Fantasy & Imagination
- Diverse Books
- Feelings & Social-Emotional Learning
- Classroom Favorites
- Teen Reading
34 books
Sorted from youngest suggested age. Age ranges are editorial estimates.
Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo · 2000
Ten-year-old Opal adopts a stray dog in a Florida town, and the dog helps her make friends and learn about her absent mother.
El Deafo
Cece Bell · 2014
Cece Bell's graphic memoir about losing her hearing as a child and using a powerful hearing aid that makes her feel like a superhero.
Flora & Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by K. G. Campbell · 2013
Cynical Flora rescues a squirrel who gains superpowers — including the ability to write poetry — after an encounter with a vacuum cleaner.
Front Desk
Kelly Yang · 2018
Ten-year-old Mia Tang runs the front desk of the motel her immigrant family manages, while dealing with an unfair owner and injustice toward guests.
Smile
Raina Telgemeier · 2010
Raina Telgemeier's graphic memoir about a dental injury in sixth grade, braces, and navigating changing friendships.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster; illustrated by Jules Feiffer · 1961
Bored Milo drives through a mysterious tollbooth into a land where words and numbers come alive.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown · 2016
A robot washes ashore on a wild island and learns to survive by learning from — and caring for — the animals.
Wonder
R. J. Palacio · 2012
August Pullman, born with a facial difference, attends school for the first time in fifth grade; the story is told from several viewpoints.
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson · 1977
Jess and his new friend Leslie create an imaginary kingdom in the woods; the story contains a sudden death.
Charlie Collier, Snoop for Hire
John V. Madormo · 2012
Middle-schooler Charlie Collier sets up as a private detective and takes on his first case.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Muñoz Ryan · 2000
Esperanza and her mother leave a privileged life in Mexico for a farm labor camp in California during the Great Depression.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
E. L. Konigsburg · 1967
Claudia and her brother run away and hide in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they investigate a mysterious statue.
Harriet the Spy
Louise Fitzhugh · 1964
Eleven-year-old Harriet keeps a notebook of blunt observations about everyone in her Manhattan neighborhood, until her classmates read it.
Holes
Louis Sachar · 1998
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile detention camp where boys dig holes all day, and he uncovers a mystery linked to his family's past.
Inside Out & Back Again
Thanhha Lai · 2011
A verse novel about ten-year-old Hà, who flees Vietnam with her family in 1975 and resettles in Alabama.
Merci Suárez Changes Gears
Meg Medina · 2018
Sixth-grader Merci navigates a private school as a scholarship student while her grandfather's memory begins to change.
New Kid
Jerry Craft · 2019
Jordan Banks, who wants to go to art school, instead starts seventh grade at a mostly white private school and navigates two worlds.
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry · 1989
In occupied Denmark in 1943, Annemarie's family helps her Jewish best friend Ellen escape to safety.
One Crazy Summer
Rita Williams-Garcia · 2010
In 1968, three sisters travel to Oakland to spend the summer with the mother who left them, and attend a Black Panther summer camp.
The Crossover
Kwame Alexander · 2014
Twin brothers Josh and Jordan are basketball stars, but their bond and their family are tested; told in verse.
The Real Boy
Anne Ursu · 2013
Oscar, a shy apprentice to a magician, must find courage when a sickness strikes the children of a nearby city.
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead · 2009
Miranda, a sixth-grader on Manhattan's Upper West Side, receives mysterious notes that seem to predict the future.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle · 1962
Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin travel through space to rescue Meg's father from a dark force.
Brown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson · 2014
Jacqueline Woodson's memoir in verse about growing up in South Carolina and Brooklyn in the 1960s and 1970s and finding her voice as a writer.
Echo
Pam Muñoz Ryan · 2015
A magical harmonica connects three children in Germany, Pennsylvania, and California before and during World War II.
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen · 1987
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian must survive alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet.
Okay for Now
Gary D. Schmidt · 2011
In 1968, eighth-grader Doug Swieteck moves to a small town and finds new purpose through Audubon's bird paintings at the local library.
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm
Nancy Farmer · 1994
In a futuristic Zimbabwe, three children escape their protected home and are pursued through the city by three mutant detectives.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill · 2016
A witch accidentally feeds moonlight to a baby, filling her with magic; years later, the girl's powers and a town's sorrow converge.
The Last Cuentista
Donna Barba Higuera · 2021
Petra, one of the last humans to leave Earth, wakes on a new planet to find that a collective has erased memories — except hers and her stories.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Christopher Paul Curtis · 1995
A funny family road trip from Michigan to Alabama turns serious when the family witnesses the aftermath of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.
The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin · 1978
Sixteen heirs are paired up to solve a puzzle left by an eccentric millionaire, whose will promises his fortune to the winner.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Mildred D. Taylor · 1976
Cassie Logan's family fights to keep their land and dignity in Depression-era Mississippi amid racism and violence.
Related guides
Books for Ages 9 to 12: A Guide to Middle Grade Reading
What middle grade means, the wide range of maturity within it, graphic and verse novels as real reading, heavier themes, and why read-aloud still matters.
How to Run a Middle-Grade Book Club for Ages 9–12: Agendas, Norms and Question Sets
Run a book club for ages 9–12: choosing titles with students, roles, pacing, norms, a sample agenda, questions for three novels, and handling sensitive content.
Verse Novels for Young Readers: Stories Told in Poems
What novels in verse are, why they can suit hesitant readers, how to read them aloud, and verse novels for middle-grade readers and teens.