Middle Grades Book List

The books below have a lot of overlap with the 5th-6th grade book list, but we have also included some more mature titles. We feel that every book on this list is worth reading; indeed many 4th and 5th graders would enjoy them. However, they tend to contain some messy elements and/or topics that will promote a bit more discussion. You certainly do not need to read all the books on this list. But by now your child probably gravitates to one or more genres (and avoids one or more). Encourage them to read broadly!

Alpha by author; most are in juvenile fiction section of local library. Literaritea reviewed titles are linked.

QUITE similar to Middle Grades list; this list includes some titles that more mature middle schoolers might find too juvenile; similarly, the Middle Grades list includes some titles that are on the more mature end of "middle school." List is broken down into genres because many kids by this point have particular genre interests and/or you may need a particular category to round out your school list!

Fantasy
Alexander, Lloyd. The Book of Three (series). High Fantasy
Auxier, Jonathan. Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes. 2011. FantasyBillingsley, Franny. The Folk Keeper 2000. Fantasy.
Boston, L.M. The Children of Green Knowe. 1955. Fantasy. 
Brooks, Walter. Freddy the Pig (series) Talking animal fantasy

Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. Nonsense/Fantasy.
Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass. Nonsense/Fantasy.
Coombs, Kate. The Runaway Princess. 2006. Princess/Dragon Fantasy
Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Talking animal fantasy.
Jacques, Brian. Redwall (series) Talking animals/fantasy.
Juster, Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Fantasy
Kendall, Carol. The Gammage Cup. 1959. High Fantasy 
L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. Science Fiction
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Fantasy (distopian)
MacDonald, George. At the Back of the North Wind. Fantasy.
MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin. High Fantasy.
Morpurgo, Michael. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. 2004. Arthurian Legend.
Morris, Gerald. The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great. 2008. Arthurian Legend. 
Morris, Gerald. Sir Gawain the True. 2011. Arthurian Legend. 
Norton, Mary. The Borrowers. Fantasy.
Sharp, Margery. The Rescuers. 1959. Talking animal fantasy.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit. High Fantasy.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. High Fantasy.
Turner, Megan Whalen. Conspiracy of Kings. 2010. MG/YA. Fantasy.
Turner, Megan Whalen. King of Attolia. 2006. MG/YA. Fantasy.
Turner, Megan Whalen. Queen of Attolia. 2000. MG/YA. Fantasy.
Turner, Megan Whalen. The Thief. 1996. MG/YA. NH. Fantasy.
White, John. Archives of Anthropos         
Wilson, N. D. 100 Cupboards. (series) High Fantasy 
Wilson, N. D. Dragon's Tooth (series; book 2 is coming out in 2012)


Unrealistic Fiction  (because we can't classify them any other place ☺; mostly "realistic")
Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. 2012. Talking animals (but very realistic) 
Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting   
Dahl, Roald. Danny, Champion of the World  

Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More    
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. 2002.
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls. 2011. MG.

Sachar, Louis. Holes     

Snicket, Lemony. A Series of Unfortunate Events       
Wood, Maryrose. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1: The Mysterious Howling. 2010.



Realistic Fiction

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. 2000. upper MG/YA.
Birdsall, Jeanne. The Penderwicks. 2005.
Cheaney, J. B. The Middle of Somewhere
Henkes, Kevin. Olive's Ocean. 2005. Palacio, R. J. Wonder. 2012.  
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia     





Historical Fiction (really, anything 1980s or earlier!)
 
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. 2008. MG/YA. NBA. Scott O'Dell Award. Revolutionary war/slavery. 
Arrington, Frances. Prairie Whispers   
Cheaney, J. B. My Friend, the Enemy. (WWII/Japanese-American)
Cheaney, J. B. The Playmaker and The True Prince (Shakespearean England)
Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher. My Brother Sam Is Dead
Cushman, Karen. Rodzina
Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. 2011. (1960's setting. )Ibbotson, Eva. Journey to the River Sea    

Karr, Kathleen. The Great Turkey Walk. 1998. (1860 setting)
Konigsburg, E. L. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. 1967. (1960's setting.)
Konigsburg, E. L. The View From Saturday. 1997. (1990's setting.)
Lai, Thanha. Inside Out and Back Again. 2011. (Vietnam War setting) 
Lenski, Lois. Indian Captive. 2011 (1750s. )
Levine, Kristen. The Lions of Little Rock 2012. (Civil Rights era)
Little, Jean. From Anna    
McSwigan, Marie. Snow Treasure (Nazi era)
Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I Loved
Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago    
Peck, Richard. A Year Down Yonder     
Peck, Richard. Here Lies the Librarian. (early 20th c/automobiles)
Peck, Richard. The Teacher's Funeral.
Porter, Eleanor. Polyanna. 1913. (Early 20th century (or maybe late 19th?) )
Reiss, Johanna. The Upstairs Room      historical fiction
Schmidt, Gary. Okay for Now. 2011. MG.
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Witch of Blackbird Pond.
Streatfield, Noel. The Magic Summer. 1966.  Old-fashioned realistic fiction.
Taylor, Mildred. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. 1976. (Early 20th century. )
Vanderpool, Clare. Moon Over Manifest. 2010. (WWI/Depression jointly.) 
Wiles, Deborah. Countdown. 2010. (Cuban Missile Crisis)

Adventure/Mystery/Survival
Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Cosmic. 2010.  Adventure (with a hint of sci-fi).
Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. 2007. Mystery.
Holl, Kristi. Fading Tracks (a FaithGirlz boarding school mystery). 2008. 
Montgomery, Hugh. Voyage of the Arctic Tern      Adventure Ballad
O’Dell, Scott. Island of the Blue Dolphins  Survival
Wilson, N.D. Leepike Ridge. 2007. Adventure novel.


Nonfiction
Dash, Joan. The Longitude Prize  

Eamer, Claire. The World in Your Lunchbox. 2012. 
Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost. 2011. 
Menzel, Peter. What the World Eats.
Nelson, Kadir. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans. 2011. (told from a fictional character's perspective, but a history lesson, nonetheless).
Wilson, Douglas. Beyond Stateliest Marble: The Passionate Femininity of Anne Bradstreet
 

"Classics"
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (and others)
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre
Orwell, George. Animal Farm

Short Stories/Poetry/Anthologies
Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Henry, O. Collected Stories

























***Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More     Magical Realism