Dork Diaries Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
Rachel Renee Russell
Nikki Maxwell is starting at a new school and is absolutely determined not to be a dork. Rachel Renee Russell's illustrated diary series is a perfect companion for girls who love Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson discovers he is a demigod — son of Poseidon — and has been accused of stealing Zeus's master lightning bolt. Rick Riordan's fast, funny, brilliantly inventive series has turned more reluctant readers into book lovers than almost any other series of the past twenty years.
Inside Out and Back Again
Thanhha Lai
It is 1975 and ten-year-old Hà is fleeing Saigon with her family to start over in Alabama. Thanhha Lai's Newbery Honor verse novel captures the disorientation, grief, and growing resilience of a child who must rebuild her entire world in a language she doesn't yet speak.
Auggie and Me
R J Palacio
Three perspectives on the events of Wonder — from Auggie's classmates Julian, Christopher, and Charlotte — adding new layers to a story readers thought they knew.
9–12 yrsThe Reptile Room
Lemony Snicket
The Baudelaires find a brief respite with their kind Uncle Monty — but Count Olaf is never far behind. Darkly funny and emotionally richer than the first.
9–12 yrsAlmost American Girl
Robin Ha
Chuna moves from Korea to Alabama with her mother, knows no English, and feels completely invisible — until she discovers comics. Robin Ha's graphic novel memoir is a love letter to finding your people through the things you love, and one of the most honest accounts of adolescent anxiety in the format.
9–12 yrsHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J K Rowling
A dangerous prisoner has escaped from Azkaban and is said to be heading for Hogwarts. The third Harry Potter book is widely considered the point where the series truly comes into its own.
9–12 yrsThe Sea of Monsters
Rick Riordan
Percy and his friends must rescue their satyr friend Grover from the Sea of Monsters — a modern-day reworking of the Odyssey that is even more exciting than it sounds.
9–12 yrsHatchet
Gary Paulsen
Brian survives a plane crash and finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet. Gary Paulsen's spare, gripping novel about survival, resourcefulness, and what you discover about yourself when you have no one else to rely on.
9–12 yrsNew Kid
Jerry Craft
Jordan Banks would rather go to art school, but he ends up at a fancy private school where he feels like he never quite fits in. A Newbery-winning graphic novel about identity, belonging, and the courage to be yourself.
9–12 yrsDrama
Raina Telgemeier
Callie loves theatre more than anything. Stage-managing the school musical means navigating crushes, crew conflicts, and her own big feelings. Raina Telgemeier's graphic novel is the most popular middle grade series of the past decade for good reason: she draws feelings in a way words alone cannot.
9–12 yrsBridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Jess and Leslie become best friends and create a magical kingdom called Terabithia in the woods. Then something happens that changes everything. One of the most important books about grief and friendship ever written for children.
9–12 yrsThe Benefits of Being an Octopus
Ann Braden
Zoey lives in a trailer with her mum's boyfriend and his kids, babysits constantly, and just wants to get through school. When she joins the debate club, she discovers that her life might look different from the outside. Ann Braden's fierce, tender novel about poverty, voice, and self-determination.
9–12 yrsThe True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Avi
In 1832, thirteen-year-old Charlotte boards a ship as the only passenger among a rough crew — and finds herself drawn into a mutiny. Avi's gripping adventure is about a proper young lady who discovers she is far braver and far less proper than she thought.
9–12 yrsIt's Not the End of the World
Judy Blume
Karen Newman's parents are getting divorced, and she is determined to get them back together. Judy Blume's honest, quietly devastating novel follows Karen through the disbelief, bargaining, and slow acceptance that children of divorce experience — without sentimentality or easy resolution.
9–12 yrsThe Titan's Curse
Rick Riordan
Percy and his friends must rescue the goddess Artemis and a new half-blood who has gone missing. The stakes get higher and more personal in this third Percy Jackson adventure.
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