7 Books for Middle Schoolers We Enjoyed this Year

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Middle Schoolers Can Be Super Picky

But then, aren’t most people picky about what they read? I will deliberate for 5 minutes, put a book down, pick up another, change my mind, go back to book A, put it down, and then finally decide on a different book altogether. The older I get the pickier I seem to be.

When I go to the library to pick out books for my middle school boys, I am always overwhelmed by the choices. It seems like endless stacks of Rick Riordan wannabe books. My oldest son was a big fan of the Percy Jackson series, but that does not mean that he wants to continue to read endless books about dragons or fighting mythological gods and creatures. He has sort of a been there/done that attitude, and now he would rather read new things. I cannot for the life of me pick out a book for him from the middle schooler section of the library because it seems to be all about monsters and such, and that is not his interest.

I have one son who likes compilation-type books about sports facts. My other middle school son likes books that are funny and relatable. Neither of them are that into fantasy, and the whole middle school section is fantasy galore. It is a challenge.

The books in this list are all books that the boys read willingly, with no coercion from Mom.

#1. The Action Bible

This Bible is written in full graphic novel form, like a comic book for the Bible. It is written for readers ages 9 and up. One of my boys has already read through the whole thing twice, and I only bought it a month ago. This one was a big hit.

#2. A Dog Like Daisy, by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

This book is told through the eyes of a shelter dog who is adopted and is training to become a service dog. There is only one word for this book: HILARIOUS. The boys laughed so hard at this one.

#3. I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis

Believe it or not, the molasses flood was a real thing that happened, and people actually died. It was in Boston in 1919, and this was even better than some of the other I Survived books. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

#4. Spider-Man The Lifeline Tablet Saga

This is a thick book-form collection of Spiderman comic books written by Stan Lee and Fabian Nicieza, published as a compilation in 2017. The comics in it were originally written in 1963. This puts together Amazing Spider-man #68-75 and Spider-Man: Lifeline #1-3.

I did not read it, but I did consult with the clerk at the comic book store about which ones were appropriate for middle school boys, as opposed to older teen/ adult comics. Spiderman has a wholesome “friendly neighborhood spiderman” feel to it. I did not read the book, but the boys seemed to enjoy it.

#5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Wrecking Ball, by Jeff Kinney

Wrecking Ball is the most recent installment of the famous series. When I worked at the library I noticed that almost every child reads these at least once. My kids have read them over and over again. When they run out of reading material, they revisit these funny tales of the ever-relatable Greg Heffley.

#6. Year in Sports 2020, by James Buckley, Jr.

One funny thing about these books is that the title is misleading, the year part that is. The very fact that 2020’s year is already published shows you that the facts cannot actually be the best of 2020. This whole series is a year ahead in title as opposed to material. The facts inside reflect the happenings of 2018 and 2019. My sons that follow sports LOVE these. My other sons do not, so like all books, it definitely depends on the interests of your children.

The boys have owned each year of these for as long as I can remember, and I just opened it up and read some of it for the first time. It was surprisingly interesting.

#7. The Far Side Gallery 3, by Gary Larson

My husband’s parents own the whole series of Far Side Galleries. Every summer and Christmas when we are visiting them, the boys dive into these classic comic collections. The boys managed to sneak #3 home, I think, unless we actually owned one. I am not sure.. Sorry Nonna! We may owe you a Far Side book. Check and see if you have #3. This is another one they have read over and over again because obviously The Far Side was always enjoyable.

They also get a kick out of Calvin and Hobbes collections, though they have not read any recently.

I hope this list gives you some ideas for books for your middle schoolers. If you are anything like me, I am always looking for new books that they will actually read. Sadly, I cannot tell you how many times we have bought them or checked out books that they would not read. Feel free to add more suggestions for good books in the comments below!