We are living in the golden age of middle grade fiction. Despite everything else that’s going on in the world, if you’re a young reader, this is a wonderful time to be alive.
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And if you’re an adult, be aware that, despite the name, middle grade fiction isn’t just for tweens. You’ll certainly find it enjoyable as well.
When I write a middle grade book, no matter which of my series it’s in: Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne or Once Upon a Tim, I never write down to my readers. This is for two reasons: 1) tweens don’t want to be written down to, and 2) I know that a lot of parents might be reading these books with their kids, and I want them to enjoy them just as much.
So I don’t shy away from heavy subjects or big words that might send someone off to find a dictionary. (Frankly, everyone ought to know what a “borborygmus” is.) But most importantly, I try to make my tween characters as dynamic and fascinating as any character written in books for adults.
The twelfth book in my Spy School series, Spy School Goes Wild, is out this week. I believe that the key to the longevity of this series (or any series, for that matter) is the richness of the characters. Readers get invested in them and return to see how they grow and develop in each book. Even though each book centers on a spy mission, the core idea is always about character development.
In Goes Wild, fourteen-year-old spy-in-training Ben Ripley faces his greatest challenge yet when his latest mission goes horribly wrong and he finds himself stranded in the wilderness without any of his regular team—but with his nemesis, Murray Hill. This set-up allows me to explore the complex relationship between these characters in a way that I’ve never been able to do before, as well as pushing Ben to his limits while also delving deeper into Murray’s psyche (and finally hearing from him why he turned evil).
My fellow authors in the middle grade space are all centering their books around equally thoughtful and intriguing heroes. The books I’m listing below all have great plots, excellent writing—but most of all, they have marvelous characters. Feel free to recommend any one of them to a young reader you know. Or better yet, sit down with that young reader and enjoy the book together.
Here is just a small sampling of the many, many wonderful books with amazing characters for tweens.
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James Ponti, Framed!
In this excellent mystery series, young Florian Bates ends up working with the FBI, thanks to his Sherlock Holmes-esque ability to solve crimes. (The first book, Framed!, deals with the devious theft of a painting from the national Portrait Gallery.)
But while the mysteries themselves are clever and brilliantly-plotted, the heart of each book is Florian’s relationship with his best friend Margaret, which is always thoughtful and touching. (In addition, Ponti’s City Spies series and his upcoming Sherlock Society are also excellent.)
Christina Soontornvat, A Wish in the Dark
This Newbery Medal Honor book follows the adventures of Pong, a poor young boy who is shackled with a bad reputation from the moment he is born in prison. When Pong escapes, the warden’s daughter Nok is determined to bring him to justice.
The game of cat-and-mouse plays out between the two of them in a wonderful mystical world influenced by Soontornvat’s Thai heritage, and the setting, characters and story are all delightful from start to finish.
Karina Yan Glaser, The Vanderbeekers
This series doesn’t have just one great kid character: It has five. The Vanderbeeker siblings rent a brownstone in Harlem, a quirky home which is practically a character itself. (Not to mention the Vanderbeekers’ menagerie of pets).
The Vanderbeekers is a gentle series, where the family deals with the sorts of problems real families might face (in book one, their landlord is threatening not to renew their lease) and the ways they deal with the issues are at once believable but also inventive and engaging.
Alyson Gerber, The Liars Society
I tore through this book in a single sitting. There’s plenty of mystery, adventure and intrigue, all set in the awesome location of an exclusive New England boarding school. The tale switches from the perspectives of Weatherby, a girl who finds herself mysteriously accepted to the school, and Jack, an entitled boy whose family expects him to attend.
Weatherby is the sort of character that I always enjoy: a whip-smart girl with plenty of surprising talents—but I was surprised by how Gerber got me to care for Jack as well.
Julie Buxbaum, The Area 51 Files
Buxbaum originally wrote touching and thoughtful Young Adult romances, but recently switched to middle grade mystery/comedy—and she has started off with a bang. Area 51 tells the story of Sky Patel, who has to move to Area 51 after a tragedy and finds herself in a place far more bizarre than she could ever have imagined.
Aliens are real—and for the most part, they’re ridiculous, particularly Sky’s new best friend, Elvis. Together, they (along with Sky’s pet hedgehog) team up to solve mysteries and protect the earth from the threat of plummeting space toilets. It’s really funny—and wonderfully illustrated by Lavanya Naidu.
Sarah Mlynowski, Whatever After
When Abby and her brother Jonah find a mysterious mirror in the basement of their new home, it transports them to the world of fairy tales and a series of wild adventures begin. Other people have fractured fairy tales before, but Mlynowski’s brilliant conceit is that they all needed this to happen.
(In the first book, Abby and Jonah feel bad about accidentally preventing Snow White from eating the poison apple, until they—and Snow herself—realize that the old version of the story wasn’t very empowering for a woman.) The whole series is thought-provoking and often hilarious.
Gordon Korman, War Stories
How is anyone to select a single great Gordon Korman book—or series? Since publishing his first book at the age of fourteen, Korman has now published a hundred and four books—and counting. The sheer number of great ideas he’s had is impressive, but even more impressive is the fact that every one is so good.
But I’m going to pick War Stories, which pulls off an impressive feat: Telling the story of a great character at two different times in his life: as a young soldier during World War II, and as a grandfather traveling with his own young grandson to revisit the scenes of battle decades later. And there’s an intriguing mystery at the heart of it all.
Max Brallier, The Last Kids on Earth (illus. Douglas Holgate)
After the Monster Apocalypse, thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has to put together a team in order to survive: his best friend, Quint; ex-bully Dirk; and his crush, June. All of them make for a screwball team as they battle an onslaught of menacing (but often funny) monsters.
The setting might sound dark, but it’s played for laughs in the best way possible. Jack makes for an amusing, relatable hero, and the others are all intriguing characters as well. (In fact, June gets her own stand-alone book later in the series.) Illustrated by Douglas Holgate.
Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Concealed
This book won the prestigious Edgar Award for best mystery, and it’s easy to see why when you read it. Katrina and her family are in the Federal Witness Protection Program—although Karina hasn’t ever been told why.
But when their location is leaked and her parents suddenly disappear, Karina is suddenly in a race to find the answers—and her parents as well. This is a taut, page-turning thriller that I’m very, very jealous of.
Jen Calonita, The Isle of Ever
The only bad thing about this book is that you’ll have to wait a few more months to read it: It doesn’t come out until March 2025. But I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy—and I’m so glad I did. Twelve-year-old Everly “Benny” Benedict finds she’s the heir to a mysterious fortune, but before she can collect it, she has to win a devious game.
Following clues an ancestor somehow knew to leave her, she must locate a mysterious island that hasn’t been seen in two hundred years. There’s great character, mystery, action—and pirates. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it!
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Spy School Goes Wild by Stuart Gibbs is available via Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
