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Middle-Grade Books to Add to Your TBR

Three illustrated characters reading books, wearing colorful outfits. Text: Middle-Grade Books to Add to Your TBR. Playful mood.

Curated by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books)


I'm a planner. That means that I'm always looking ahead to what I might want to read next and what we might want to cover on the podcast (either in an episode or on the website or as a buddy read). Since it's January, that means that I'm looking ahead to middle-grade March, so I thought I'd highlight a few middle-grade reads we've loved over the years (in case some of our readers might be planners, too!). Here are some great books to add to your TBR:



"I absolutely loved this brilliant book, B. B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, so much! It was fast-paced and compelling with excellent world building and an outstanding protagonist. I loved Amari right from the start, and I found her motivation, her desire to find her older brother Quinton who had disappeared, to be powerful and authentic. When the book begins, we quickly learn that Amari's brother was legendary in Rosewood, their family's low-income neighborhood, because he had been selected to attend an elite 'summer camp' where he received specialized training, and eventually turned down Ivy League school opportunities because he got a very prestigious job that he described to her as being a bit like the CIA.


"And then he disappeared." Click to read the full review.



"Katherine Applegate's Wishtree (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) has been on my shelf for years—I love Applegate's work, and this book, whose protagonist is a tree, sounded charming. (It's also perfect for the "Book with an Unusual Point of View" category in this year's Reading Challenge!)


"Two things prompted me to pick up the book this month: the first is the #clearyourshelfchallenge ('a book that takes place in spring'). The second, sadly, was an article about the book being banned in my home state. I don't want to dwell on the latter, but I did want to mention it since I think remaining aware of this book-banning trend is absolutely vital. (Applegate's response, which you can find in her Instagram highlights for Wishtree, is well worth reading.)" Click to read the full review.



"This book, Kacen Callender's King and the Dragonflies (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), captivated my attention from the second I started it, and I was so compelled to find out what was going to happen. I listened to this one on audio, and the narration by Ron Butler was outstanding. This was a strong five-star read for me, and as I write this, I'm regretting not including it on my list for favorites from 2021!


"In this story, Kingston James is a middle school student reeling from the recent loss of his older brother, Khalid, who died abruptly as a teenager. Although King doesn't tell anyone, he knows that his brother has transformed into a dragonfly, and he finds himself going daily to a field where there are lots of dragonflies, where he searches in vain for his dragonfly brother. He also waits for Khalid to visit him in his dreams." Click to read the full review.



"Have you read a middle grade novel in verse for the Unabridged Challenge yet? If you haven't (or if you're looking for a brilliant book in general!), pick up Lisa Fipps' Starfish (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). This quick read has a strong impact, and you will not be disappointed.


"We meet Ellie, a twelve-year-old girl who loves spending time in the pool and hanging out with friends. But Ellie is also plagued by bullying and judgment because of her body size. From the time she jumped into the pool at her fifth birthday party and was called 'Splash,' she's been marked by that cruel nickname and has been bullied both at school and at home." Click to read the full review.


Here are a few of our other posts and book club episodes from previous years:







(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)


Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.


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