20 Best Middle Grade Books of 2025 (So Far)

The Trouble with Heroes written by Kate Messner
REALISTIC / VERSE
From the incredibly authentic first-person voice to the compelling verse and multimodal format, this is one of the best middle grade books of 2025, if not ever. We meet Finn after his angry rage that knocked over a tombstone, resulting in an unusual punishment–he must climb the 47 Adirondack high peaks during the summer. Not only that, he’s supposed to complete a poetry assignment focused on heroes or he’ll flunk English. He hates both his assignments. And he’s mad about his first responder dad’s death, among other things. This heartfelt story explores the healing power of nature, poetry, and dogs as a boy’s anger and grief turn into something else. I cried at the end– and predict that you will, too.

Blood in the Water written by Tiffany Jackson
MURDER MYSTERY
If your readers like tight writing with action, adventure, and mystery, this middle grade book is unputdownable! When Kaylani stays for the summer with her incarcerated dad’s rich former employers as a summer charity case, you can imagine how well it’s going to go. Snide remarks and rudeness are the worst of it. . . until an older teenage boy gets murdered! Now the strange-acting older sister in the family is a suspect. Kaylani decides to solve the mystery herself which leads to new friends, alliances with the frenemy sister, and before long–danger. Because someone doesn’t want her to find out the truth. And will kill anyone who gets in their way . . .

No Purchase Necessary written by Maria Marianayagam
REALISTIC
Ajay is a lonely boy with Tamil parents who loves karate and the Hardy Boys. At his school, he’s peer pressured to steal a candy bar, and his actions lead to a lie that leads to another lie until the lies are out of control. Ajay feels guilty and desperately wants to fix his mistakes. But how? With middle school pressures, moral quandaries, and family complexity, this powerful story of redemption, friendship, and growing up is a mesmerizing read –and great for discussion. (Book club, anyone!?)

Please Pay Attention written by Jamie Sumner
REALISTIC / VERSE
A powerful and moving middle grade novel in verse about gun violence, disability, trauma, and horse therapy. Bea, a main character who has CP and rolls in a wheelchair, shares her life story before and after a school shooting in a captivating narrative. After it happens, Bea can’t forget that she was the only student who couldn’t take cover, all because of her wheelchair. Now she can’t sleep because of nightmares, and she doesn’t want to go to back to school. Her mom puts Bea in her horse therapy which helps Bea begin the slow process of recovery and healing. I loved every second of this heartfelt, important story.

Will’s Race for Home written by Jewell Parker Rhodes
HISTORICAL FICTION / WESTERN EXPANSION
It’s 1889. Will’s dad and grandfather are freed slaves still working someone else’s land. But when they learn of a land opportunity in Oklahoma, Will and his dad journey to claim their own land. Along the way, they meet a Black former Union soldier named Caesar who becomes a good friend to them both. But Caesar is targeted by bitter former Confederate soldiers and when he gets shot, it slows them down significantly. Will they be too late for the land rush? Or can Will bravely ride Caesar’s horse and claim the land by himself? The suspense mounts and we see Will growing from a boy into a young man, facing dangerous snakes, men, and racism, and wrestling with big issues of morality. The author’s note is essential reading as it explains the history of the land grab — land forcefully taken from the Native tribes — and raises important questions about land ownership.

Bridget Vanderpuff Baked Escape written by Martin Stewart, illustrated by David Habben
FANTASY / HUMOR
I LOVE everything about this story: the writing, the quirky, brave inventor orphan main character, Bridget, the exciting adventures, the humor, and the loving found family– this will be a HUGE hit with kids! Bridget escapes the horrible orphanage and the meanie headmistress when Mr. Vanderpuff, the baker, adopts her. At the bakery, Bridget gets her own room with a big bed, meets the bakery’s elf Pascal, and is fed delicious baked goods that the kindhearted Mr. Vanderpuff bakes. But whenever Bridget tries to bake, her attempts go wrong every time, whether she’s cracking eggs or making buttercream. Then the worst thing happens — Mr. Vanderpuff is kidnapped! Bridget must use her ailed baking attempts and bravery to save him. But will it work?

Old School written by Gordon Korman
REALISTIC
Once again, Korman has written a unique story about kindness, humanity, and growing up. Dexter is a boy raised and homeschooled at an old folks home with his grandma until he’s forced to go to public school. Maybe because he dresses like he’s 90 or because he always tries to fix stuff, but the school situation is a disaster ending up with expulsion for bringing a Swiss Army knife to school. Before long, his newspaper writing champion starts visiting, his former bully asks for tutoring, and other classmates join the older folks for shuffleboard and tea. Before Dexter knows it, the whole student body is rallying around his return to school. But does he want to return?

Into the Rapids written by Ann Braden
REALISTIC
What a moving middle grade story about fear, friendships, survival, bravery, and grief! Addy’s been existing on the sidelines from other kids and taking care of her mom who’s been deep in her grief since Addy’s dad died years ago. When Addy’s town experiences a power outage, she’s worried she won’t be able to go to the survival camp where her parents met. Trying to get cell service, she encounters an enemy classmate named Caleb more than once. Each time they see each other, their relationship changes into a tentative alliance with Caleb helping her reach the camp despite the downed bridge. What happens next is a test of Addy’s survival skills and bravery — and it changes everything.

The Secret of Honeycake written by Kimberly Newton Fusco
HISTORICAL FICTION
Shy Hurricane lets her older sister do everything until her older sister gets tuberculosis, the disease that killed their mom, and Hurricane is sent to live with her prim and proper Aunt Claire.Their time together will change them both as Hurricane befriends the kindhearted cook with PTSD, a fish monger boy, and a feral kitten. If you like stories about found family, the love of animals, finding your voice, the power of writing, and friendship, you won’t want to miss this gentle historical fiction novel!

Safe Harbor written by Padma Venkatraman
REALISTIC / VERSE / IMMIGRANT LIFE
Geetha and her mom move to the United States after her parent’s divorce where everything is new– apartment, school, people, food. She’s struggling but since her mom is, too, she doesn’t talk about the bully at school or her sadness and anger about the divorce, not to mention the trash all over the beach. When she and her new neighbor friend, Miguel, save a baby harp seal, Geetha connects with the seal and its journey. This is a beautifully written novel in verse about climate change, moving, identity, family, love, and the power of music!

Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls written by Judith Rossell
ADVENTURE
I love a book where kids save the day and do heroic things. To her surprise, Maggie is sent to an orphanage where the girls aren’t mistreated. Instead, they are trained to fight bad guys and solve mysteries. Maggie is in a younger age groups tasked with helping the older girls find a missing woman. Even though their group is the most inexperienced, they make the biggest impact in finding the suspects and the kidnapped woman. This is an exciting illustrated adventure of helping others, empowering children, and discovering a found family.

Same Page written by Elly Swartz
REALISTIC / BOOK BANNING
With her usual brilliant storytelling, Elly Swartz gives us fully developed three dimensional characters, a plot with perfect pacing, and a big hot-topic issue that matters, book banning. When Bess becomes 6th grade president, she organizes a book vending machine. But one mother complains about the book selections, and the school removes books from the vending machine. Bess is upset about the censorship and mad at her friend who doesn’t stand up to her censoring mom. When Bess’s Book Warriors group asks Bess to speak at a school board meeting, I wanted to stand up and cheer. A layered and powerful story that shows that kids can handle hard stuff!

Racing the Clouds by Sydney Dunlap
REALISTIC FICTION
I could not put this book down — it’s so well written with exceptional character development and plotting! Sage, a 13-year-old girl stuffing her emotions of guilt while memories of the past continue to haunt her. She hopes that going to visit the grandparents she’s never met will fix what’s wrong. But it doesn’t turn out how she’d hoped, at least not at first. The only thing good about her visit is her new friend from the airplane and the stray dog she rescues. This hopeful, heartfelt story deals with feelings, growing up, addiction, and the healing power of a dog. The back matter is particularly helpful with more in-depth information and a discussion guide.

What Fell From the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas
HISTORICAL FICTION / SCI-FI
In the small town of Soledad, Texas, 1952, soldiers parachuted in and took the town in a secret (but actually historically true) military op. Simultaneously, a group of friends find an alien whose parents are prisoners of the military operation. Pineda, who is half Cuban, is treated differently than the white kids in his town, so he can relate to the alien’s experiences. Pineda and his three friends work with a Black soldier to save their new alien friend and her missing parents in this excellent, thought-provoking story. The story draws parallels between the otherness of space aliens and the otherness of immigrants in a profound, non-didactic way.

Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates written and illustrated by Cassandra Federman
REALISTIC GRAPHIC NOVEL
Anyone with a sibling will LOVE these sister dynamics and this sweet story about storytelling, family, and communication. Hilarious and sweet, this is a must-read gem about sisters Kennedy and Devon, whose main language is bickering. When their baby sister wakes them up crying during the night, the sisters decide to get her back to sleep with a made-up fairy tale, hoping that this will make their parents happy enough to return their taken-away devices. But, of course, the sisters have VERY different ideas about how the story should go. In the end, they compromise on an exciting princess-pirate-adventure-fantasy with garbage trucks and spiders…and baby sister goes to sleep!

One Wrong Step written by Jennifer A. Nielsen
HISTORICAL FICTION
Wow–this is a suspenseful, exciting, well-written story that started slow but hooked me BAM! about 30% through and I couldn’t put it down. Just as England is about to enter WWII, a 12-year-old boy named Atlas narrates the journey he and his father take when they climb Mount Everest, which no one has summited before, although Atlas isn’t allowed to go beyond a certain point. I don’t want to give too much away about the story, but I promise, it’s a compelling story about growing up, man vs. nature, man vs. self, and of course, climbing the hardest, tallest mountain in the world. I love the maps of their progress and that each chapter begins with an important vocabulary word related to climbing or the chapter’s content.

Octopus Moon written by Bobbie Pyron
REALISTIC / VERSE
Pearl shares her experience with depression in first person voice. As someone who has had depression, this story feels true in a raw, powerful way, which makes me want to cry for anyone who has felt this darkness in their lives. Pearl can’t muster up the energy to care or pretend anymore, which leads her to therapy. She learns about depression and that it often runs in her family, which she notices with her grandfather and his “headaches”. Pearl feels hopeless, but she learns the only way through is through. She learns depression lies and tries to do small goals. She also stands up to her dad, who doesn’t think, like many people, that depression is an illness.

Creature Clinic written and illustrated by Gavin Aung Than
FANTASY / GRAPHIC NOVEL
In this fantasy world, the wounded and sick mystical creatures go to the Creature Clinic run by Kara’s mom. Kara is an orc doctor-in-training at the clinic who discovers a human stuck to the bottom of a giant’s boot. But her mom, who hates humans, says to dump the human. Kara doesn’t. Instead, she nurses the human back to health. But what will happen when he helps the Giant and Kara’s mom finds out the truth? This is a heartwarming, magical story about family, friendship, and kindness with interesting creatures and situations created by the Zen Pencils creator.

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