First Chapter Friday Books

Books intended for 8-12-year-olds

Updated February 23, 2024
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Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone
Keller, Tae
Paper Book
In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal for When You Trap a Tiger, Tae Keller offers a gripping and emotional story about friendship, bullying, and the possiblity that there's more in the universe than just us. Sometimes middle school can make you feel like...
Dinosaurs before dark
Osborne, Mary Pope.
Paper Book
Read the #1 bestselling chapter book that started it all! Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Get whisked back in time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie! Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them...
Glitter Gets Everywhere
Clark, Yvette
Paper Book
This debut novel is a poignant exploration of grief, change, and hope, perfect for fans of Lisa Graff and Lindsey Stoddard. After Kitty's mother dies on an inappropriately sunny Tuesday, all Kitty wants is for her life to go back to "normal"--whatever that will mean without...
The house with chicken legs
Anderson, Sophie
Paper Book
An extraordinary retelling of the Baba Yaga myth, this debut novel will wrap itself around your heart and never let go.All 12-year-old Marinka wants is a friend. A real friend. Not like her house with chicken legs. Sure, the house can play games like tag and hide-and-seek, but Marinka longs for a...
The cure for dreaming
Winters, Cat
Paper Book
Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl - a suffragist - in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It's 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia's father, concerned that she's headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an...
Artemis Fowl
Colfer, Eoin
Paper Book
Now an original movie on Disney+, here is the book that started it all, the international bestseller about a teenage criminal mastermind and his siege against dangerous, tech-savvy fairies. Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered...
The mouse and the motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly.
Paper Book
A young mouse named Ralph looked out Of his mousehole in Room 215 of the Mountain View Inn. The new tenant of the room, a boy, was playing with a little motorcycle just the right size for a mouse. Ralph could hardly wait till the boy left the room. Hurriedly he scrambled up the telephone cord to the...
From the desk of Zoe Washington
Marks, Janae
Paper Book
#1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews * Bank Street Best...
Charlotte's web
White, E. B.
Paper Book
Don't miss one of America's top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS's The Great American Read. This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that is "just about perfect." This hardcover edition includes...
City of ghosts
Schwab, Victoria
Paper Book
From #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.A New York Times bestseller!Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't...
The Wild Robot
Brown, Peter
Ebook
Now a DreamWorks movie available on Prime Video! This #1 New York Times bestselling illustrated middle grade novel from a Caldecott Honor winner tells an extraordinary story full of action and thought-provoking questions as a robot learns to survive--and live--in the...
The Book of Stolen Dreams
Farr, David
Paper Book
An exhilarating, wondrous middle grade debut about a brother and sister on a quest that "swoops from thrilling to terrifying to heartwarming and back again" (BookPage) to defeat a tyrannical ruler and protect a magical book. "[W]ill appeal to readers of Kelly Barnhill and Lemony Snicket" (...
Amari and the night brothers
Alston, B. B.
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller! Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a series filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor. Amari Peters has...
Maizy Chen's Last Chance
Yee, Lisa
Paper Book
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER . NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST . ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE Twelve year-old Maizy discovers her family's Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family. NAMED...
The Jules Verne Prophecy
Schwarz, Larry
Paper Book
When a mysterious book by the legendary writer Jules Verne falls into the hands of three unlikely friends, it sets off a treasure hunt like no other-get ready for a modern-day reimagining of The Goonies! Owen Godfrey is spending his summer in Paris studying science...
The world according to Humphrey
Birney, Betty G.
Paper Book
The first in the series about everyone's favorite classroom pet! You can learn a lot about life by observing another species. That's what Humphrey was told when he was first brought to Room 26. And boy is it true! There are always adventures in the classroom and each weekend he gets to...
Whale Done
Gibbs, Stuart
Paper Book
In the eighth novel in New York Times bestselling Stuart Gibbs's FunJungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle's resident sleuth to find the culprits behind a blown-up whale and a string of beach sand thefts. After an escaped kangaroo starts a fire that burns down...
The star outside my window
Raúf, Onjali Q.
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE DIVERSITY BOOK AWARDS, CHILDREN (UK) 2020 'I've always wanted to be a Star Hunter... But I don't want to be the kind that looks for old stars that have already been burning for millions of years. I want to find the new ones - the ones that...
The outsiders
Hinton, S. E.
Paper Book
Over 50 years of an iconic classic! This international bestseller and inspiration for a beloved movie is a heroic story of friendship and belonging. No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he's got things figured out. He knows that he can count...
Lalani of the distant sea
Kelly, Erin Entrada
Paper Book
"A lush and mysterious fable, full of beauty, full of wonder."--Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly's debut fantasy novel is a gorgeous, literary adventure about bravery, friendship, self-reliance, and the...
The Ogress and the Orphans
Barnhill, Kelly
Paper Book
The first new novel from Kelly Barnhill since her bestselling Newbery Medal-winning The Girl Who Drank the Moon The once-lovely town of Stone-in-the-Glen has fallen on hard times. After relentless fires, floods, and other calamities, they've lost their library, their school, their park,...
Unplugged
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
King of middle-grade Gordon Korman's new standalone novel full of mystery, humour, friendship . . . and alligators! Jett Baranov is Silicon Valley's number one spoiled brat. The son of a billionaire tech genius, he has everything money can buy, which means he's in the habit of getting into...
A Snow Day for Plum!
Phelan, Matt
Paper Book
"Lively fun with animal friends."--Kirkus Reviews The animals of the Athensville Zoo are thrilled to be visiting a local school to star in a presentation--everyone except for a very nervous peacock named Plum. And then an unexpected blizzard strands the animals at the elementary school...
The Field Guide
DiTerlizzi, Tony
Paper Book
The Grace children discover the faerie world is closer than you think in this repackage of the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles. After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they've just moved...
Doll bones
Black, Holly.
Paper Book
Discover the Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones, from Holly Black, the cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book. A School Library Journal Best Book. A Booklist Editor's Choice Books for Youth. A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book. A...
Kenny & the book of beasts
DiTerlizzi, Tony
Paper Book
In this highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning author Tony DiTerlizzi's Kenny and the Dragon, Kenny must cope with many changes in his life--including the fear that he's losing his best friend. What can come between two...
The lightning thief
Riordan, Rick
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times Bestseller | Now a series on Disney+ 12-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is the son of Poseidon in the opener to the hilarious, fast-paced adventure fantasy series for young readers ages 10 and up The hardcover edition of the...
Mr. Popper's penguins
Atwater, Richard.
Paper Book
The classic Newbery Honor book that inspired the hilarious Jim Carrey movie--and a childhood favorite book for generations. Mr. Popper's Penguins is one of the handful of American books for children that has attained the status of a classic. A humble...
Fish in a tree
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller . An emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in. "Fans of R.J. Palacio's Wonder will appreciate this feel-good story of friendship...
Holes
Sachar, Louis
Paper Book
10th Anniversary Edition Louis Sachar received great recognition for his groundbreaking story of Stanley Yelnats - a boy with a history of bad luck. AsSchool Library Journalpredicted in their starred review of the book when it was first published, "Kids will loveHoles." A...
Skunk and Badger
Timberlake, Amy
Paper Book
The first title in a warm and witty illustrated chapter-book series from Newbery Honor-winner Amy Timberlake and superstar illustrator Jon Klassen, about a pair of unlikely animal friends Analytical and set in his ways, Badger is taken aback when jolly, easygoing Skunk rings the doorbell...
Aru Shah and the end of time
Chokshi, Roshani
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan introduces this fantasy adventure by New York Times best-selling author, Roshani Chokshi, inspired by the great epics she grew up on. Named one of 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine! Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a...
Root magic
Royce, Eden
Paper Book
"A poignant, necessary entry into the children's literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!" --Justina Ireland, New York...
Matilda
Dahl, Roald.
Paper Book
"A true genius . . . Roald Dahl is my hero" - David Walliams "So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting...
Code Name Kingfisher
Kessler, Liz
Paper Book
"A stirring story that will give any reader a boost of bravery in the face of adversity." --Booklist A young girl learns of her grandmother and great-aunt's involvement in the Dutch Resistance during World War II in this "intense story, gorgeously told" (School...
Ferris
DiCamillo, Kate
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! The beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie has outdone herself with a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up. It's the summer before fifth grade, and for...
Bunny and Clyde
McDonald, Megan
Paper Book
Two New York Times best-selling creators--Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, and lauded illustrator Scott Nash--team up for a droll comedy about an endearingly inept pair of outlaws. Get ready for a wild ride with Bunny and Clyde! These by-the-rules buddies,...
The sky over Rebecca
Fox, Matthew
Paper Book
In this breath-taking debut novel, two worlds--and timelines--collide when ten-year-old Kara discovers mysterious footprints in the snow that lead her to another place entirely, perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Echo.    When...
The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura
Brown, Waka T.
Paper Book
In this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale "The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku," one girl must save herself--and her loved ones--from a deceitful demon she befriended. Melony Yoshimura's parents have always been overprotective. They...
Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Secret Letters
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Paper Book
In this page-turning middle grade series by New York Times bestseller Margaret Peterson Haddix, Colin and Nevaeh, whose parents own rival junk-removal businesses, uncover mysteries hidden in attics and basements and discover how trash can become treasure. In The Secret Letters, Colin and Nevaeh...
Ragweed
Avi
Paper Book
The first book in the beloved Poppy series by Newbery Medal-winning author Avi, with illustrations from Caldecott Medal-winning artist Brian Floca A mouse has to do what a mouse has to do. Ragweed is determined to see the world. He leaves his family and cozy country home and sets off by...
Finding Serendipity
Banks, Angelica
Paper Book
A magical journey into the land where stories come from "[A] sweet-toned, summer-fun story." --The New York Times Book Review When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday's mother--the famous author Serendipity Smith-...
Kwame Crashes the Underworld
Farmer, Craig Kofi
Paper Book
Winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award Discover a stunning middle grade fantasy about a boy hurled into the Ghanaian underworld to help his grandmother save humanity, perfect for fans of Tristan Strong and Amari and the Night Brothers.

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