11 Exceptional Middle Grade Books, August 2025

How to Talk to Your Succulent by Zoe Persico
REALISTIC GRAPHIC NOVEL
review written by Jemma Taylor
This is a gorgeous, heartwarming story about Adara, a girl who recently lost her mom and is moving to a new state. Her mom always used to talk to plants, and suddenly, Adara can too! Navigating new friends, her avoidant dad, and the struggle to please a parent, Adara’s journey is an excellent portrayal of the work you need to put into all kinds of relationships… including plants!

Girl in the Walls written by Meg Eden Kuyatt
VERSE / GHOST STORY
Stunning writing in verse and masterful character development hook you in this layered story about an autistic girl named V, spending the summer at her critical grandmother JoJo’s house full of secrets. But JoJo is judgmental about V’s art, socks, name, diagnosis– even V’s cousin moved out because of JoJo’s criticisms. Miserable and angry with the situation, V discovers a ghost girl living in the walls who enlists V for revenge pranks on JoJo. Despite feeling *slightly* guilty, V goes along with the pranks. And the ghost grows more powerful until the consequences are terrifying. I LOVED this book because it was so much about growing up, feeling your emotions, empathy, and relationships. Unputdownable!

Maker Girl and Professor Smarts written and illustrated by Jasmine Florentine
GRAPHIC NOVEL SUPERHERO
Even though friends Yaya and Chuy didn’t get superpowers from the comet like many others, they still can be superheroes through science and engineering. What are their powers? Making stuff and knowing stuff! And that’s how they defeat the villainous Mr. Antifreeze, who is melting everyone’s ice cream! Funny and fun.

Molly and the Bear Campers Beware written and illustrated by Bob Scott and Vicki Scott
HUMOR GRAPHIC NOVEL
Full of humor and heart, everything is GREAT for Molly except that her dad doesn’t like Bear. So Molly recommends that Bear use the four-step process to make friends with her dad. Of course, this goes hilariously wrong most of the time. When camping as a family, Molly’s dad gets more annoyed and resentful of Bear because Bear gets more of Molly’s time and attention. (Growing up isn’t just hard for kids, is it!?)
You’ll love the funny camping shenanigans, including a scaredy-cat Bear in the woods and real bears who steal everything from the family’s cabin! Don’t worry, the ending gives us a heartwarming resolution in this second book that is just as delightful to read as the first one.

Candle Island written by Lauren Wolk
REALISTIC
I cried at the end because it was so beautiful and perfect…Lucretia and her mom move to a small island where the townies aren’t welcoming and the vacationers aren’t either, especially one group of teenage bullies. Lucretia makes one friend, a boy named Bastian, who she thinks has a secret like she does. She shares one small secret with him–she’s rescued a wounded osprey chick and is illegally caring for it. But she and her mother will do everything possible to protect their other secret. This incredible story is not just about growing up but about a metamorphosis, living with grief, and learning to fly free.

Double Booking: When and Where Wolf? written by Chas! Pangburn and Kim Shearer, art by Nic Touris
ADVENTURE 2:1 GRAPHIC NOVEL
**Read my interview with Chas! and Kim**
When the siblings visit their captain dad on his ship, their dad is sick and acting very strangely. One side of the book tells Otto’s version of events. Then flip it over to read Nan’s perspective. Otto suspects his dad is a werewolf until he meets the real werewolf–a kid like Otto and searching for an important, magical necklace that happens to be what their siblings’ dad is wearing! How will they get off the necklace? A magical and exciting adventure with themes of growing up, transformation, family, and relationships, this is a fast-paced, fun read!

Deepwater Creek written and illustrated by Michael Regina
HORROR GRAPHIC NOVEL
Vibey-dark gray and blue artwork set the tone for the eerie adventure these four kids take after a fishing trip gone terribly wrong. In that first fishing trip, one brother goes overboard and sees a terrifying monster in the depths of the river. He’s rescued but is a terrified shell of himself. In order ot help, the older brother and their two friends decide to return to the spot where the accident happened. They imagine that catching the monster will fix everything. But that’s not what happens, and soon they’re all fighting to survive not one but two terrifying monsters. This is an intense, mesmerizing story of family, friendship, bravery, love, and survival — I couldn’t put it down.

Snoop written by Gordon Korman
REALISTIC
After he breaks both legs and is confined to his home and wheelchair, Carter uses the public cameras to check out his crush’s activities, but the cameras reveal a restaurant war, a potential jewel thief, and an endangered animal ring. Since the police believe he’s a crank caller and he doesn’t want to reveal he’s hacked a few unpublic networks, Carter is stuck. Then, one of the endangered animals gets loose and endangers his classmates, even with two broken legs, Carter knows he must take action. A few moral quandaries, a kid with curiosity and determination, and an interesting premise make this a fun read.

The Library of Unruly Treasures written by Jeanne Birdsall, illustrated by Matt Phelan
MAGICAL REALISM
**Read my interview with Jeanne Birdsall**
From the author of The Penderwicks comes an illustrated story about families, fears, bravery, helping others, and imagination. Used to switching between her divorced, disinterested parents, this summer, Gwen’s been shipped off to her great-uncle Matthew’s house, where she’s treated like she’s loved. Not only that, Gwen makes a wonderful discovery at the local library…she meets the Lahdukan, who are small winged creatures that live in the library and are only seen by children. They explain to Gwen that she’s the chosen one, prophesied to protect them. And they need her now — it’s a dangerous time of library demolition and construction. But Gwen’s dad wants her to return in a week, and she has many difficult and dangerous tasks to complete before then if she’ll be able to help the Lahdukan.

Library of Curiosities written by Jenny Lundquist 
FANTASY
Rowan, expelled from yet another boarding school, returns to live with her grandfather, where she’s shown the family legacy — a library of magical curiosities. But it takes finding friends and searching on her own to make her grandfather tell her the truth about their family secrets and the terrible truth about their family’s enemy, Silverjack, and a mysterious, malfunctioning artifact called the Everheart

The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham written by Ryan James Black
HISTORICAL FANTASY HORROR
It’s WWII in London during the Blitz. Nim, an orphan turned street rat, breaks into an abandoned house looking for food or something he can sell. Instead, he accidentally frees a shadow monster who attacks Nim’s beloved dog, other kids, and even random adults, putting them in a vegetative-like state. Determined to save his dog, Nim confronts the house’s owner, Allistair, who refuses to reveal how to stop the monster. It’s a mesmerizing, fast-paced, and inventive historical adventure about bravery, friendship, and found family, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat.