Whether the kid in your life is a fan of realistic stories or science fiction tales, books with an element of time travel often hold broad appeal because they tap into a universal curiosity — learning what life was like in the past (or will be like in the future). In some cases, time travel alters the course of our personal history. These books for middle grade and young adult readers run the gamut — from love stories and family dramas to adventures and horror tales that explore new eras and other realities.
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Time Traveling with a Hamster
Buy from:Fans of Back to the Future will adore this story of a boy sent on a mission to save his father’s life. (Yes, you read that right.) When Al Chaudhury receives a letter from his dead father on his birthday, it leads him to the basement of his old house, where a time machine made from an ancient computer and a tin bucket awaits. Following the instructions, Al returns to 1984 to prevent the go-kart incident that will kill his father. Hilarious and heartfelt, this one is great for bookworms and reluctant readers alike.
(Ages 8+)Buy from: -
A Spoonful of Time
Buy from:Maya and her grandmother get transported back in time after eating a magical bite of food. As they travel through Maya’s grandmother’s memories, Maya learns more about history, her family, and long-held secrets. This delectable time travel book contains recipes to try and is perfect for young readers who enjoy heartfelt stories.
(Ages 8 - 12)Buy from: -
Rewind
Buy from:When McKinley attends her town’s 90s-themed party, she never expects to be transported back in time. Now, McKinley is stuck in 1993 and must figure out how to get home again. This sweet time travel novel is about choices, destiny, and self-discovery.
(Ages 8 - 12)Buy from: -
The Retake
Buy from:Middle school has never been easy, but it’s more complicated than ever in the age of social media. Zoe's best friend Laura seems to be slipping away. She fails to return Zoe’s texts, and Zoe ends up watching Laura’s exciting new life through her phone screen. The solution comes in the form of a magical app that allows her to travel back in time to figure out where their friendship went wrong. But Zoe learns that maybe second chances don't always fix things.
(Ages 8 -12)Buy from: -
Lost Time
Buy from:When Evie gets lost in time, she finds herself in the Cretaceous Period. At first, each day is a challenge, but she refuses to give up. She struggles for survival, raises a baby pterosaur, and searches for a way home again. This gorgeously illustrated graphic novel is perfect for young readers who like dinosaurs, time travel, and adventure.
(Ages 8 - 12)Buy from: -
Time Chasers #3
Buy from:Longtime fans of the Area 51 Interns series and new readers alike will love this time-traveling installment. To save her long-lost father, Viv and her friends use the time machines in Area 51 to look for him. What starts as a simple father-saving venture quickly turns perilous as the kids dodge meteors, dinosaurs, and strange creatures. This series is excellent for readers interested in technology, government secrets, and time travel.
(Ages 8 - 12)Buy from: -
Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time
Buy from:Emily Windsnap travels to the future in the ninth installment of this New York Times bestselling series. A magic stone sends Emily decades into the future, and she realizes that the ocean and the earth are both headed for a grim fate. With the help of her friends, Emily sets out to change the earth’s destiny.
(Ages 8 - 12)Buy from: -
Julie and the Blue Guitar: American Girl Mysteries Across Time
Buy from:Tweens who love their American Girl Dolls and time travel will enjoy this mystery graphic novel. In 2024, Emma stumbles across the diary of a girl named Julie from 1977. As Emma reads the journal, she gets pulled into Julie’s writing, and both girls work to piece together the clues surrounding a missing blue guitar.
(Ages 9 - 12)Buy from: -
Time Traveler Tales
Buy from:Follow Oliver as he hurtles through time, unaware of what triggers his journeys. While Oliver jumps to various times throughout history, a stranger with a villainous plan follows every move he makes. This vibrant book contains the first five comics in the popular series by Karl Jacobs.
(Ages 10 - 14)Buy from: -
Charlotte Sometimes
Buy from:When Charlotte goes to sleep on her first night at boarding school, she doesn't expect to wake up forty years earlier. She has gone back in time from 1958 to 1918. It’s hard enough to get used to a new school, let alone a whole new time in history. Despite the unbelievable circumstances Charlotte faces, this is ultimately a story about figuring out who you are in adolescence.
(Ages 12 - 14)Buy from: -
23 Minutes
Buy from:Everyone thinks Zoe Mahar won't amount to much — including herself. But when she ducks into a bank to avoid the rain, she witnesses a terrifying robbery. Zoe can rewind time and repeat events in 23-minute increments, but the results finalize after ten tries. As she jumps back in time and tries to alter the robbery's outcome, Zoe learns that she has more to offer than she ever realized.
(Ages 12 - 14)Buy from: -
Neverworld Wake
Buy from:When Beatrice meets up with her high school friends, the five of them get caught in a bizarre time loop where they endlessly repeat the same day. The only way to get out of the time loop is to choose one survivor — everyone else must die. Keep the lights on because this high-stakes psychological thriller will keep you reading well past midnight!
(Ages 12+)Buy from: -
Sixteen Minutes
Buy from:Suspense, romance, and mystery combine in this unputdownable YA novel. Nell, Cole, and Stevie B have been inseparable forever. A new girl named Charlotte moves in, and secrets and jealousy threaten to pull their trio apart. But when they learn that Charlotte is from the future and insists that time travel is real and necessary, the friends must make the biggest decision of their lives.
(Ages 12+)Buy from: -
How to Survive Your Murder
Buy from:Murder and time travel — what’s not to love? Horror novel enthusiasts will obsess over this book about a girl trying to stop a murder from happening. Before testifying at her sister’s murderer’s trial, Alice takes a nasty fall and bumps her head. She wakes up on the night of the murder and must race against the clock to outsmart the killer and save her sister from her gruesome fate.
(Ages 12+)Buy from: -
Time Travel for Love and Profit
Nephele is a math genius, but she has a difficult time making friends. What’s the point of her amazing brain if she can’t solve her social life? When she invents an app that lets her travel back in time, she gets stuck in a time loop and repeats the 9th grade ten times. Just when she figures out how to return to her own time, she makes her first real connection.
(Ages 13+) -
Costumes for Time Travelers
Buy from:Time travel meets fashion in this young adult novel from the author of The Heartbreak Bakery and The Lost Coast. Calisto lives in Pocket, a town where every time traveler stops before moving on to their destination. Although Calisto doesn’t want to travel through time, they can’t help falling for a seasoned traveler named Fawkes. When a threat to time travelers everywhere arises, the two teens join forces to save their way of life.
(Ages 14+)Buy from:
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2025.