The following books and series are middle-grade fiction, ideal for students entering grades 4-6. Check them out at the public library or your local bookstore!
Realistic fiction
Blended by Sharon M. Draper
Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy
Front Desk By Kelly Yang
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
Holes by Louis Sachar
Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre
Jigsaw Jungle by Kristen Levine
Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donaghue
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Not All Heroes by Josephine Cameron
Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Scheerger
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
Rain Reign by Ann. M. Martin
Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
Restart by Gordon Korman
Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez
The Great Upending by Beth Kephart
The Lemonade War (series) by Jacqueline Davies
The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Three Keys by Kelly Yang
Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
Fantasy & Adventure fiction
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Fablehaven (series) by Brandon Mull
Floors (series) by Patrick Carman
Gregor the Overlander (series) by Suzanne Collins
Keeper of the Lost Cities (series) by Shannon Messenger
Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigon Crow series by Jessica Townsend
Peter Nimble by Jonathan Auxier
Rump: the True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Regan Barnhill
The Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brallie
The Lost Girl by Anna Ursu
The Nightmare Thief by Nicole Lesperance
Tuesdays at the Castle series by Jessica Day George
Unwanteds (series) by Lisa McCann
Mystery fiction
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
A Spy on History Book (series) by Enigma Alberti
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet
Funjungle (series) by Stuart Gibbs
Lemons by Melissa Savage
Sammy Keyes (series) by Wendelin Van Draanen
Enola Holmes (series) by Nancy Springer
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
West Meadow Detectives by Liam O’Donnell
Historical fiction
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Chains (series) by Laurie Halse Anderson
Dear America, and My Name is America (series) by various authors
Dogs of World War II (series) by Kirby Larson
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Island War by Patricia Reilly Giff
Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman
Stella By Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman
Horror fiction
Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera
The Clackity by Lora Senf
Lockwood & Co. series by Jonathan Stroud
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker
Nature/science fiction
Pax by Sara Pennypacker
The One and Only Ivan AND The One and Only Bob, both by Katherine Applegate
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Humorous fiction
Dorko the Magnificent by Andrea Beaty
Katt vs. Dogg by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Slacker by Gordan Korman
The 13-Story Treehouse (series) by Andy Griffiths
The Misadventures of Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
Timmy Failure (series) by Stephen Pastis
Tom Gates (series) by L. Pichon
Science fiction
5 Worlds (series) by Mark Siegel
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
Greystone Secrets (series by) Margaret Peterson Haddix
Masterminds (series) by Gordan Korman
Pi in the Sky by Wendy Mass
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
The Battle for Wondla by Toni DiTerlizzi
The Mysterious Benedict Society (series) by Trenton Lee Stewart