Back to School Books for Middle Grade

Get ready for a new school year with these novels for grades 3-8.

Updated July 6, 2023
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Amelia Gray is almost okay
Brody, Jessica
Paper Book
When you can choose to be anyone, how do you know who you really are? From the author of Better You Than Me and I Speak Boy comes another fun and relatable book about new experiences and how staying true to yourself is the best way to be okay. Twelve-year-old Amelia...
New kid
Craft, Jerry
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature!  Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low...
The unteachables
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
Gordon Korman's newest stand-alone novel, featuring Greenwich Middle School's class of outcasts and miscreants -- The Unteachables! In the multiple-narrator format that Gordon perfected in Ungifted and Supergifted, this book tells the story of Greenwich Middle School's class SCS-8, a.k.a...
Hummingbird
Lloyd, Natalie
Paper Book
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book From the bestselling author of A Snicker of Magic comes a heartfelt story about a girl who -- armed with her trusty, snazzy wheelchair -- refuses to let her brittle bone disease stand in the way of adventure Twelve...
The Wednesday wars
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
In this Newbery Honor-winning novel, Gary D. Schmidt tells the witty and compelling story of a teenage boy who feels that fate has it in for him. Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood isn't happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Throughout the school year,...
Genesis begins again
Williams, Alicia
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book Winner of the Correta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award A Morris Award Finalist An NPR Favorite Book of 2019 A School Library Journal Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Kirkus Reviews...
Finally seen
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a "involving, realistic" (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about a young girl who leaves China to live with her parents and sister, after five years apart, and learns about family, friendship, and the...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.