The 16 Best Middle Grade Books of 2024 So Far
This post may contain affiliate links.
It’s halfway through 2024 and a great time for those of you who are librarians and teachers to order the best 2024 middle grade books for your school libraries and classrooms.
Here are the most outstanding middle grade books I’ve read highly recommend. I think they all belong on your bookshelves and know they will be popular with your readers — no matter their interests or genre preferences.
As you know, I’m a former elementary teacher, a parent of two, and a children’s book expert who has been writing book reviews for 15+ years, reading hundreds of books each year.
I recommend books that are well-written with zippy pacing, interesting characters, and surprising plots.
There are books that didn’t make my cut because they’re good but not great in terms of one or all of these essentials. Many times, it’s the pacing. I often think if those books just had a better editor, they’d move from good to great, but that’s a post for another day.
On this list, you’ll find emotional, realistic stories, exciting fantasy adventures, and meaningful historical fiction tales.
The Best Middle Grade Books of 2024 So Far
MYSTERY
The Liar’s Society written by Alyson Gerber
THRILLER / MYSTERY
304 pages
Wetherby is a girl whose sailing skills land her a scholarship at the prestigious Boston School, the school her deceased father attended Boston School. But she gets in on a lie. At the school, Jack is a rich kid whose driven, perfectionist father owns everything, including an island. He and Weatherby get paired up in a sailing team. Both kids are invited to be part of a secret society, which turns out to be made up of other kids who’ve lied, cheated, and stolen, like Jack and Wetherby. Is it the school’s infamous secret society? Excellent pacing, a compelling story, and rising tension make this a page-turner filled with secrets, truths, and danger. A must-read!
BUY ON AMAZON
BUY ON BOOKSHOP
REALISTIC
Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston
REALISTIC FICTION
304 pages
A deeply moving story of 12-year-old Sharkita, who has been in and out of foster care since she was three and is the primary parent for her two younger siblings, one of whom has special needs. Returning home from foster care, Sharkita hopes things will be different but is waiting for her mama to be herself again, leaving them alone for days and drinking too much. When her best friend convinces Sharkita to go out for twirling with the cool new Vice Principal coach, it’s the first time she’s done something for herself and not her siblings. Then, when the unthinkable happens, Sharkita’s life of constant crisis and debilitating anxiety is revealed…and maybe the worst thing ever will lead to something better.
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
REALISTIC VERSE
528 pages
This verse story pulls us into Jake’s body sensations, his mind’s thoughts, and his everyday experiences. In other words, it’s an immersive reading experience that adds up to be profound on so many levels. After facing relentless bullying, middle schooler Jake’s mean Voice is the loudest thing he hears. Soon, Jake trusts the Voice and listens to it when it tells him he needs to be thinner, he shouldn’t eat, he shouldn’t trust anyone, and nobody loves him. His anorexia gets so bad that he’s hospitalized for weeks and months. And it isn’t an easy fix because the VOICE won’t stop pushing Jake to starve himself. Jake struggles and struggles. He’s in and out of the hospital, with the Voice sabotaging him every step of the way. Jake doesn’t find an easy answer or a quick fix, but he does find a glimmer of hope that things could be different with his grandma’s last request to take care of her boy (Jake,) an actual friend from the hospital, art therapy, and the surprising glimpse of a world with other kids who also like poetry and drama like he does. The writing is exquisite — every word, every line break, every capitalization, every bit of dialogue brings us on this painful journey.
And Then Boom by Lisa Fipps
REALISTIC / POVERTY / VERSE
256 pages
Joe experiences so many bad things that his first person narration takes us on an emotional, difficult journey that sometimes is hard to read. And then, boom! Even more bad things happen. (IKR?) When his mom abandons him again, he lives with his grandma in her trailer home, where he’s happy and finally has food. Until,… I’m not going to spoil it for you. But Joe finds kindness from his friends, the manager of the trailer park, and the dog that he rescues. Written in first person verse, And Then, Boom! takes readers on an emotional journey of heartbreak to hope about poverty, friendship, family, kindness, and love.
The Wrong Way Home written by Kate O’Shaughnessy
REALISTIC / LEAVING A CULT
336 pages
Fern (who used to be called Frankie) and her mom live on a ranch where Dr Ben is the authority over everything. When Fern’s mom drives them away in the middle of the night to California, Fern only wants to go back to the Ranch. Enrolling in middle school exposes the gaps in her education since she didn’t go to school on the ranch– like not knowing who George Washington was or how to use a computer. She works for money to hire a private investigator to find the ranch’s address so she can go return home. Then, her new friend from school suggests that Fern/Frankie was in a cult. Fern/Frankie gets so mad that she stops being friends with her but she does slowly start to question and research what a cult even is. This story fascinated me — both the leaving a cult story itself and because of the incredible writing. The character development and character arcs are incredibly done with compassion and tenderness.
Breaking Into Sunlight written by John Cochran
REALISTIC – DRUG ABUSE
304 pages
Reese is a 7th-grade boy whose dad has an addiction problem. One day, Reese arrives home to find his dad overdosed and near death. When his dad refuses to get treatment, Reese’s mom moves them to a trailer at a friend’s farm, where Reese meets siblings whose parents have both died, one with Down’s Syndrome. Reese blames his mom for breaking up their family and continues to hold out hope for his dad until his ruined 13th birthday. Reese’s emotional journey is realistic — understanding addiction is no easy thing and realizing that you can’t change someone is the hardest truth to accept. The author’s note is one of the BEST author’s notes I’ve ever read with compassionate information and suggestions. This is a beautifully written powerful story about family, substance abuse, emotions, and boundaries that you won’t be able to put down. I HIGHLY recommend this important novel.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman written by Gennifer Gholdenko
REALISTIC – FOSTER CARE
320 pages
In this heart-wrenching story about children caretaking siblings, found family, and kindness, when 11-year-old Hank’s mom leaves them alone again, after a week, he takes his three-year-old sister Boo to his deceased grandmother’s best friend, a grumpy and bossy woman named Lou Ann. Lou Ann falls in love with Boo but does not like Hank. Luckily, Hank meets a kind neighbor named Ray, who helps him learn to play basketball and shows him kindness while Hank is trying to find his mom. Hank starts to make friends at his new school and wants to try out for the basketball team, but his mom shows up and fails him again, and he’s separated from his sister and sent to a group home. Don’t worry; there is a beautiful redemption arc that will restore your faith in humanity, but I won’t tell you what it is. READ THIS BOOK. It’s gorgeous, heartfelt writing.
Sing It Like Celia written by Mónica Mancillas
REALISTIC / LATINE
240 pages
I loved this book so much! When Salva’s mom doesn’t come home, her dad brings her to a campground on his work trip, where he’s reporting on a woman who is imprisoned because she’s undocumented. Salva feels sad, mad, and scared not knowing about her mom and living with a dad she barely knows. Even still, she meets friends and gets the chance to sing in a band. Like Celia, who keeps on singing even when she’s nervous and afraid, Salva stands up to a mean girl, faces the difficult truth about what happened to her mom, and fights for justice for the incarcerated mom. The writing is outstanding, the emotional arc is moving, and the ending is perfection.
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
HISTORICAL FICTION
288 pages
When the French in Paris round up the Jews for Nazi prison camps, Miri and her neighbor’s baby escape with the help of a Catholic nun. To help them survive, Miri is renamed and sent to a Catholic school for safety and her “baby sister” is adopted by a Catholic family. At the school, Miri begins to help other Jews flee Nazi-controlled France and is helped by the complicated ghost of Catherine de Medici, who thinks Miri is her gardener. But when Miri finds out that her little sister is about to be baptized, she plans their escape for the next day. Miri is a heroic main character with an emotionally compelling story.
Across So Many Seas written by Ruth Behar
HISTORICAL FICTION
272 pages
I love this profoundly moving, gorgeous generational story that begins with a 12-year-old girl’s Sephardic Jewish family forcibly leaving Spain. It continues with another generation in Turkey, where this 12-year-old girl is disowned and sent to Cuba for an arranged marriage. When the next generation of 12-year-old girls faces Fidel’s revolutionary violence, the daughter is sent to the United States for safety. The thread uniting this family is one of faith, music, Ladino language, and love. Do not miss this gem!
BUY ON AMAZON
BUY ON BOOKSHOP
Plague Thieves written by Caroline Fernandez
HISTORICAL FICTION / SHORT MIDDLE GRADE
200 pages
If you’re like me and you love Thieves essential oil and historical fiction, then you will LOVE this fascinating historical fiction story about the origin of Thieves during the Bubonic Plague in London. Rose’s dad owns a spice shop in London in 1665, but he and her mom suddenly die of the plague. Her dad gives Rose instructions to make a spice and oil blend that will protect Rose and her older brother. He sends them into the streets to steal and survive, burning their building as to not spread the disease. Rose is abandoned by her gambling addict brother, and she lives under a bridge with other street kids– but she’s hunted because adults are desperate to get their hands on her so-called cure. It’s a harrowing time of hunger, suspicion, survival, and death, but the engaging story is written in an age-appropriate way and recommended for 9 to 12-year-olds.
Code Name Kingfisher written by Liz Kessler
HISTORICAL FICTION WWII
336 pages
Written from four points of view (which WHAT A FEAT!), this middle grade historical fiction novel is moving, well-written, and fascinating. In the present day, Liv gets a school assignment to research her family history, but her Bubbe, who is in a nursing home, won’t talk about her past. When Liv and her classmate clean out Bubbe’s attic, they discover pieces of Bubbe’s secret past. In the past, Bubbe aka. Mila is a Jewish girl in Holland sent with her sister to live with a Christian family for safety. Mila’s sister writes diary entries about joining the resistance and taking dangerous risks to save Jewish children. Learning about her heritage and how her Bubbe and her sister stood up to the Nazi bullies gives Liv the courage to do the same in the present day. Incredible.
Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II written by Adam Gidwitz
HISTORICAL FANTASY SPY ADVENTURE
336 pages
Max in the House of Spies is exceptional, with suspense, excitement, and danger. Max is a super-smart Jewish boy living in Germany during World War II. He loves his family and tinkering with radios. Then, his parents send Max to safety on the Kindertransport. He’s joined by two personality-filled (grumpy) mythical creatures, a dybbuk and a kobold, living on his shoulders. Once in England, Max’s sole focus is returning to Germany to help his parents.
But first, he must stand up to the antisemitic bullies at school and then convince his foster family uncle to train him as a spy. His clever tactics impress the British spies, and the government agrees to recruit Max if he can pass their rigorous spy training. But the mythical creatures DON’T want to return to Germany, so they try to thwart Max’s spy training efforts. The story’s ending is the perfect setup for book two.
BUY ON AMAZON
BUY ON BOOKSHOP
FANTASY / SCARY
Medusa (The Myth of Monsters, 1) written by Katherine Marsh
FANTASY / MYTHOLOGY
288 pages
Ava and her brother are forced to attend a special boarding school, Accademia del Forte, for descendants of the Greek monsters meant to reform them and the other monstrous students. When the school takes away Ava’s new friend Fia’s voice, Ava, a descendant of Medusa, starts to question who the monsters really are…and if the stories of the gods and goddesses are true. To help her friend Fia get back her voice, Ava and their fury friend Arnold travel to meet Medusa, then Hecate, Hestia, and Metis. They learn that Zeus retold the stories to favor him and to oppress powerful women. Get ready for a twisty, exciting feminist mythological adventure that will make you think twice about accepting the stories you are told.
Boo Hag Flex written by Justina Ireland
SCARY / SHORT MIDDLE GRADE
208 pages
In a story within a story, after Tasha’s mom dies, she’s sent to stay with her grandmother and deadbeat dad. Mostly Tasha hangs out with her new friend Ellie. The girls soon realize that a boo hag is killing the old folks at the trailer park and Tasha’s grandmother is next. They read in a hoodoo legends book how to stop the boo hag but they could never imagine who the boo hag is. Tasha will need her wits and bravery to save her grandmother and stop the murderous creature trying to live forever. Thankfully, this was not as scary as I thought it would be (I did save it for daytime reading), but still is a bit creepy. It’s a quick read with an interesting plot and believable, likable characters.
Kingdom Riders created by Shannon Eric Denton and Marcus To
FANTASY GRAPHIC NOVEL / SHORT MIDDLE GRADE
208 pages
The exquisite illustrations in this exciting fantasy adventure graphic novel feel cinematic. The story is about a poor, low-born girl named Kayla who wants to earn enough money to buy her best friend’s freedom. She and her frog steed enter a race that earns enough money to get her friend out of servitude and earn a spot on a team for the kingdom’s race to the death. Filled with unique magic, danger and betrayal, cool creatures, and a sinister ruler, this is a must-read epic fantasy starring a heroic main character whose kindness toward others shocks the kingdom and inspires her team.
