The Best Middle Grade & Chapter Books of 2025
by Janssen Bradshaw
2025 was a banner year for books, and these are some of the best middle grade and chapter books for readers from 3rd-6th grade.
Here you will find graphic novels, realistic fiction, fantasy, books in a series, and books that will have your young reader laughing their head off. Grab a bookmark and get ready to read!
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The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls
Buy from:Send your reader on a mystery-solving adventure with the students at the Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls. Maggie never expected to become a mystery-solving, bad-guy-catching detective, but that’s precisely what she learns to do at the institute. When a woman vanishes, Maggie and her new friends set out to solve the case. This funny and adventurous novel is sure to become a favorite among young readers!
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Dragonborn
Buy from:Alex’s life is about to change more than she ever expected. Frustrated with her mother’s overbearing strictness, Alex lets out a heated scream and discovers she can transform into a fiery dragon! Now, at a school for kids like her, Alex must learn to harness her new abilities and defend the human world against a growing threat.
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Whale Eyes
Buy from:Are you looking for a middle grade book that isn’t the regular run-of-the-mill? This is the one. It is a memoir told through stories and interactive visuals, allowing readers to see the world through the author’s disabling eye conditions. This unique book is perfect for book lovers who want an interactive experience.
Ages 10+Buy from: -
Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship
Buy from:When Amina moves with her family from Syria to Indiana, she comes up with the perfect formula to make friends at her new school. But starting over in a new place is more difficult than she anticipated. Spunky, determined, and lovable, this STEM-loving girl is perfect for fans of series like Jada Jones and Yasmin.
Ages 6 - 9Buy from: -
The Green Kingdom
Buy from:International, award-winning, and New York Times best-selling children’s author of The Inkheart Trilogy Cornelia Funke pens a story about twelve-year-old Caspia who has to spend the entire summer with her parents in Brooklyn. She hates big cities, especially New York – too many people, too loud, too dirty. When she discovers mysterious, old letters from a girl who traveled the world with her botanist father, each one opening with a puzzle, Caspia soon finds herself on a quest to solve them all.
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
The Poisoned King
Buy from:The Impossible Creatures series started with a bang, and this sequel is just as amazing! Christopher and Anya have a new, very large problem! Poison is spreading across the Archipelago, and they must figure out where it’s coming from. To do that, they face some pretty hairy, dangerous challenges.
Ages 10+Buy from: -
Cassi and the House of Memories: A Graphic Novel
Buy from:Cassi and her grandfather are very close and love spending time together. So, when her grandfather goes missing from the backyard, Cassi is determined to figure out what happened to him. To find him, Cassi ventures into a world filled with memories of which she has no recollection.
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
A Copycat Conundrum (The Misfits)
Buy from:The Misfits may be an awkward group of kids fighting crime, but they pass with flying colors whenever they receive a new mission. However, Zeke, the nicest kid in the school, receives some threatening notes while earthquakes send ripples through San Francisco. Do the two things correlate, or is it a coincidence?
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Creaky Acres: A Graphic Novel
Buy from:Nora is used to living in her suburban area with her close group of friends. But her world is turned upside down when her mom accepts a job in a poor, rural area. She must adjust to being the new kid at school and attending a new barn called Creaky Acres, where she continues her horseback riding hobby.
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation
Buy from:Gonzalo feels apprehensive about going on a nationwide tour with his estranged author grandfather, yet his mom gives him no choice. Soon after the dreaded trip begins, Gonzalo realizes that the things he thought were fantasy might be real. Suddenly, Gonzalo finds himself on an unexpected and thrilling adventure with his grandfather!
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
A World Without Summer
Buy from:Nicholas Day writes terrific middle grade non-fiction that kids find irresistible (don’t miss his book The Mona Lisa Vanishes). This new title about the catastrophic eruption of Tambora in Indonesia covers everything from the eruption itself to the lasting impact. It’s perfect for non-fiction lovers who want to know what happened during the event.
Ages 10 - 14Buy from: -
Earl & Worm #1: The Bad Idea and Other Stories
Buy from:You can’t read a Greg Pizzoli book without laughing! This story follows the most unlikely pair — a bird and a worm, as they deal with each other's very different likes and dislikes. Will they ever become friends? (Spoiler: yes, they will!)
Ages 4 - 8Buy from: -
How to Say Goodbye in Cuban
Buy from:After living his entire life in the countryside, Carlos finds himself in the city when his father wins the lottery. But money doesn’t fix everything, especially when Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba and Carlos’s father mysteriously disappears. Can his family escape to America, where his father is supposedly living?
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
The Library of Unruly Treasures
Buy from:Penderwick lovers rejoice! The beloved author is back with a brand new book starring Gwen MacKinnon, who has truly dreadful parents. They’re so awful that she’s thrilled to stay with her Uncle Matthew, even though she’s never met him. And like any great children’s classic, with the parents out of the way, magical things happen!
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape #1
Buy from:If you are looking for something wacky, full of imagination, adventure, and fun, this is the middle grade book to grab. Bridget is the last orphan at her orphanage until Mr. Vanderpuff, the local baker, wants to become Bridget’s guardian. But naturally, there are some bizarre and rib-tickling bumps in the road!
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet
Buy from:If your child loves a good mystery, don’t miss this start to a new series where Maya Mendoza pays close attention to everything that goes on at her middle school. And it’s a good thing, too, because when the Contraband Closet gets robbed, it’s up to her to solve the case!
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
Buy from:Twelve-year-old twins, Pearl and Patrick, are brilliant young inventors. They have invented all sorts of outlandish things, and recently discovered time travel! After returning from Egypt, where Pearl killed a mosquito, they realize that even a simple action can alter history as we know it!
Ages 10+Buy from: -
School Dance
Buy from:The newest installment in the Brinkley Yearbooks graphic novels series is here! This book follows Milo, who feels nervous about the school dance because he’s cursed. That’s right — whenever he tries to dance, things go horribly wrong. He needs some help from his best friends and abuela to break the curse.
Ages 8 - 12Buy from: -
Murray the Knight
Buy from:If you have a Dog Man lover in your home, you don’t want to miss this read-alike illustrated series. This first book follows a cat and a bunny who end up in a jousting competition! Silly, hilarious, and chock full of fantastic illustrations, your young reader will fall head over heels for this one!
Ages 6 - 9Buy from: -
The Burning Season
Buy from:Opal has a secret: she is deathly afraid of fire. That’s a big problem because she’s training to become a fourth-generation lookout on Wolf Mountain. Opal, her mom, and her grandmother live atop a fire tower watching for any sign of smoke so they can prevent wildfires from burning out of control. When she is left alone and must sound the wildfire alarm, will she be brave enough to face her fears?
Ages 10+Buy from: -
Candle Island
Buy from:Lauren Wolk has established herself as an incredible historical fiction writer, and her newest book is exceptional. Lucretia and her mother escape to a tiny island in Maine to avoid journalists and the memory of the car crash that killed Lucretia’s father. But the island has secrets too, and she soon finds herself pulled into a mystery.
Ages 10+Buy from:
