The Accidental Apprentice
The Accidental Apprentice is a real middle grades charmer, and I’m delighted it’s the first in a series. Kids who love Pokemon, How to Train Your Dragon, and Fablehaven will appreciate the secret magical world inhabited by Lore Keepers, who bond with and train the world’s magical creatures.
by AMANDA FOODY
All Barclay wants is to be like everybody else. Orphaned in an attack by one of the fantastic beasts that roam the Woods, he knows his only shot at a family and a normal life is to apprentice himself to one of the villagers — and if the only person willing to take him on is a mushroom farmer, well then, Barclay is going to be the best darn mushroom farmer Dullshire's ever seen. When he slips into the woods and accidentally bonds with a magical beast, things get complicated, and Barclay discovers that the only way to get out of this new adventure and get his normal life back is to come in first in the Lore Keepers’ apprentice exhibition. Unfortunately, some of the Lore Keepers are up to no good, and they, too, are pinning their plans on the apprentice exhibition.
The Accidental Apprentice is a real middle grades charmer, and I’m delighted it’s the first in a series. Kids who love Pokemon, How to Train Your Dragon, and Fablehaven will appreciate the secret magical world inhabited by Lore Keepers, who bond with and train the world’s magical creatures. It’s a great magical world with thoughtful organization, peopled with interesting characters and creatures. I also like Barclay as a reluctant hero — a kid who’s worked so hard to be “normal” doesn’t let go of that desire easily, even when there are fantastic storm hounds and tiny dragons around. His bond with his Beast feels real — he pushes against it at first, but he can’t help feeling a connection to the magical creature who chose him in the Woods.
If you’re looking for a new magical world to explore, this one’s worth visiting. I really enjoyed it.
Fearless
Fearless is a fun middle grades read for any kid with Broadway dreams: 12-year-old Monica Garcia has scored the opportunity every theater kid dreams of — an understudy gig in a new Broadway musical at the historic Ethel Merman Theater. With her abuela as her chaperone and a NYC hotel as her new home base, Monica quickly befriends her fellow kid cast-mates and can’t wait for opening night. But there’s a curse on the Ethel Merman Theater, and if Monica and her new friends can’t figure out how to break it, their theater dreams may crash before they have a chance to start.
by Mandy Gonzalez
Fearless is a fun middle grades read for any kid with Broadway dreams: 12-year-old Monica Garcia has scored the opportunity every theater kid dreams of — an understudy gig in a new Broadway musical at the historic Ethel Merman Theater. With her abuela as her chaperone and a NYC hotel as her new home base, Monica quickly befriends her fellow kid cast-mates and can’t wait for opening night. But there’s a curse on the Ethel Merman Theater, and if Monica and her new friends can’t figure out how to break it, their theater dreams may crash before they have a chance to start.
This isn’t the best middle grades book you’ll ever read, but it’s a lot of fun, especially for kids with a passion for theater. It’s a little bit ghost story, a little bit magical realism, and a little bit drama kid, which is a weird combo that works if you’re into those things. Monica is a fun heroine to hang out with — I love her confidence and her close connection to her family — and there’s a lot of fun Broadway backstory, especially around backstage traditions. If all this sounds up your alley, you’ll probably find it an enjoyable read — maybe get it from the library instead of buying your own copy.
Sixteen Scandals
My fellow Georgette Heyer fans will enjoy this irreverent YA romance, in which Primrose Ainsworth decides to launch herself into society on her sixteenth birthday, regardless of her parents’ decision to hold off her debut until her sister lands a husband. She sneaks out with her best friend to the notorious Vauxhall Gardens to celebrate and finds plenty of adventure and romance in the sparkling London wonderland.
by Sophie Jordan
My fellow Georgette Heyer fans will enjoy this irreverent YA romance, in which Primrose Ainsworth decides to launch herself into society on her sixteenth birthday, regardless of her parents’ decision to hold off her debut until her sister lands a husband. She sneaks out with her best friend to the notorious Vauxhall Gardens to celebrate and finds plenty of adventure and romance in the sparkling London wonderland.
This is exactly what it sounds like — a fun, fluffy Regency romance with a happy ending and all the loose ends tied up. Which, OK, may not make for literary greatness but which definitely makes the perfect poolside reading. Of course it’s ridiculous that a well-brought-up young lady could break all the social rules so thoroughly and not end up a social pariah, but that’s part of the fun of historical romances — that we can bend some of the ridiculous social rules and ask “what if?” If this is your jam — and it is my jam — it is a fun, fast read that will probably make you laugh if you don’t try to take it too seriously.
(The title, in case you didn’t notice, is a riff on the teen movie classic Sixteen Candles. So there’s that, too!)
The Last Fallen Star
Sure, it’s hard to be magic in a family of Muggles, but it’s even harder to be a saram (a person without magic) in a clan of powerful Korean witches. In The Last Falling Star, Riley’s life has revolved around the Korean magical community ever since a Gom clan family adopted her when she was a baby, and even though she’s memorized every spell she can get her hands on, she’s resigned herself to an unmagical life — until her sister comes up with a crazy idea. Hattie is about to earn her Gi bracelet — and her place in the adult magical community — but she’s found a spell that would let her share her magic with Riley. If Hattie performs the spell at her initiation ceremony, Riley will get half her magic — and the sisters will triumphantly enter the magical community together.
Only it doesn’t go as expected. It turns out, Riley’s history is way more complicated than she knew. Now, with Hattie’s life hanging in the balance, Riley and her best friend Emmett (my favorite character!) have to complete a quest to find the last fallen star — whatever that is — so they can restore order to the universe and save Hattie. Along the way, they’ll find a library full of birds, ghosts who need a little help moving on to the afterlife, a secret magical community run by a banished clan, and the best bulgogi tacos with kimchi salsa in town.
The Rick Riordan imprint tends to be hit-or-miss for me, but this is one is definitely a hit. I found the folklore of the gifted Korean clans and the Godrealm fascinating — I didn’t know much about it going in, so I learned a lot as I read. (I kept having to pause to look stuff up because I wanted to know more!) If you’ve got a middle grades mythology lover, you’ll want to add The Last Fallen Star to your library list.
Karma Moon, Ghost Hunter
This is a fun, spooky-not-scary book with a likable protagonist coping well with ongoing anxiety. (I love that she has therapist-recommended coping strategies for anxiety that she and other characters refer to matter-of-factly.) The books is also full of haunted history, including lots about Harry Houdini, which has made me want to do a whole Houdini unit study. Don’t let the Scooby Doo vibe fool you — there’s complex character growth happening in this story, as well as madcap haunted house hijinks. It’s definitely going on my middle grades must-read list.
by Melissa Savage
Karma Moon, Ghost Hunter is a middle grades Ghost Hunters, and I’m here for it.
After years of trying, her dad’s film crew finally has its first big break: Netflix wants them to shoot a pilot for a ghost hunting docu-series on location at the very spooky Stanley Hotel. If the pilot shoot is a success, the series gets the green light — and Karma and her dad get a major life upgrade. They could use one — life hasn’t been easy since Karma’s mom took off for Florida one day and never came back, leaving Karma with some serious anxiety and her dad with too many bills.
Karma’s convinced this is their big break, though, and with her best friend Mags along for support, she dives into her newly created position as head of research, learning everything she can about the hotel’s haunted history. She’s expecting spooky happenings like she’s seen in Poltergeist, Ghostbusters, and The Shining, and she’s not disappointed — something weird is definitely going on at the Stanley Hotel.
This is a fun, spooky-not-scary book with a likable protagonist coping well with ongoing anxiety. (I love that she has therapist-recommended coping strategies for anxiety that she and other characters refer to matter-of-factly.) The books is also full of haunted history, including lots about Harry Houdini, which has made me want to do a whole Houdini unit study. Don’t let the Scooby Doo vibe fool you — there’s complex character growth happening in this story, as well as madcap haunted house hijinks. It’s definitely going on my middle grades must-read list.
The Inheritance Games
There’s a big mysterious house full of hidden passages and secret codes. There’s a complicated family that is full of people who are Up To Something. There are Mysteries From the Past coming to light in the present. And there’s a reasonably satisfying conclusion. I’ll forgive it the love triangle and occasional plot hole for the sheer fun it was to read. This is a perfect summer book.
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Several people recommended The Inheritance Games to me, and I totally see why: It’s a fun, fast-paced read full of puzzles and surprises. Is it the best book I ever read? No. Did it make the perfect poolside reading pleasure? Totally.
Avery has no idea why she’s named in the will of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne — or why her inheritance depends on her making his enormous Texas estate her home for one year. (This is complicated by the fact that Hawthorne’s family, who have been disinherited by the same will, will be living in the house with Avery.)
Still, after being broke since her mom died a few years ago, Avery is up for the challenge. This inheritance could be her ticket to college and a life where she doesn’t have to wait tables to keep the lights on. But it quickly becomes obvious that Tobias Hawthorne is up to something, and his will is just the beginning of a long game. With help and hinderance from Hawthorne’s four grandsons, the media stalking her every move, and an estate full of secrets, Avery is going to have do some quick thinking and careful strategizing to figure out why a wealthy stranger made her his heir and what secret the Hawthorne estate is hiding. Luckily, Hawthorne picked the right girl for the job. Avery was born for this challenge.
There’s a big mysterious house full of hidden passages and secret codes. There’s a complicated family that is full of people who are Up To Something. There are Mysteries From the Past coming to light in the present. And there’s a reasonably satisfying conclusion. I’ll forgive it the love triangle and occasional plot hole for the sheer fun it was to read. This is a perfect summer book.
Down to Earth
Down to Earth is a quirky middle grades gem. Homeschooler Henry is obsessed with rocks, so of course he’s excited when a meteorite lands in his family’s field. He’s practically memorized all the rocks in his R volume of the encyclopedia, but he’s not prepared for this rock’s mysterious powers: It’s got some weird connection to the local water that causes floods and droughts to happen. So Henry does what any good homeschooler does when confronted with a Big Question: He does research, and he connects with experts in the field.
by Betty Culley
Down to Earth is a quirky middle grades gem. Homeschooler Henry is obsessed with rocks, so of course he’s excited when a meteorite lands in his family’s field. He’s practically memorized all the rocks in his R volume of the encyclopedia, but he’s not prepared for this rock’s mysterious powers: It’s got some weird connection to the local water that causes floods and droughts to happen. So Henry does what any good homeschooler does when confronted with a Big Question: He does research, and he connects with experts in the field.
I’m always looking for good books with homeschooled main characters, so I was happy to discover this one, and I really loved that Henry’s curiosity feels authentic — he’s a bright kid with a deep interest in geology, and his homeschool experience felt totally relatable. I always have a soft spot for magical realism, and I liked how gently this book nudges the edges of the scientifically possible, reminding readers that science and magic have been tangled together throughout history. It’s also nice to have a male tween-age character who is intelligent, emotionally adjusted, and has healthy family and social connections — and I loved the scientist (tracking the meteor) who befriends him.
I think this book is just delightful. Recommended for middle grades readers, kids who love science (especially geology), homeschoolers in search of a book with a character who learns like them, and anyone looking for a genre-bending story that blends science and magic.
The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy
Dragomir Academy, hidden away in the distant mountains, is where bad girls go. If they’re lucky (and learn to mind their manners), Dragomir grads can end up working as support staff for important sorcerers. If they’re not — well, at least they can’t cause trouble miles away from civilized society. At first, Marya is determined to follow all the rules and show that she’s not trouble after all. Gradually, though, she realizes that the men in power are hiding dangerous secrets and that sometimes good trouble is worth the risk.
by Anne Ursu
It’s hard to be a girl in the patriarchal world Marya has grown up in. While her brother Luka is on the fast track to become a sorcerer (and one of the nation’s elite protectors), Marya is constantly in trouble.
Dragomir Academy, hidden away in the distant mountains, is where bad girls go. If they’re lucky (and learn to mind their manners), Dragomir grads can end up working as support staff for important sorcerers. If they’re not — well, at least they can’t cause trouble miles away from civilized society. At first, Marya is determined to follow all the rules and show that she’s not trouble after all. Gradually, though, she realizes that the men in power are hiding dangerous secrets and that sometimes good trouble is worth the risk.
I am clearly the target audience for a middle grades boarding school novel about taking down the patriarchy through education and fabric crafting, so I am happy to say I really enjoyed this lovely little fantasy. I recommend it.
Watch the Sky
It’s hard, sometimes, to capture the experience of growing up in a post-9/11 world, that feeling of not being safe in our own skin, much less in our own houses. I really liked the way that this book dealt with those kinds of fears, in the character of Caleb, obviously, but also with Jory. In the end, Caleb may be right — the world may be on the brink of disaster at any given moment. But living — fully and richly — in spite of that fear may prepare us for whatever lies ahead at least as well as bomb shelters and combat boots.
by Kirsten Hubbard
Jory’s stepfather Caleb is waiting for the end of the world, and everything — from the color of leaves in spring to the direction fish swim in an aquarium — is a sign, telling him that end is coming soon.
I love the way that this middle school-ish book turns the whole post-apocalyptic/dystopian genre on its head. Because the terrifying collapse of civilization is only in Caleb’s head, but that doesn’t make it any less scary or less real — for Caleb or his adopted family, which includes Kit, a runaway they found in the pumpkin patch, and Jory’s little half-brother Ansel. When Caleb decides that his family has to spend their nights digging the equivalent of a bomb shelter in the canyon in their backyard, he’s obviously doing it to protect them. Jory’s been living with Caleb’s fears since his anxiety-ridden mom married Caleb when Jory was just a kid — he can’t remember life when he wasn’t watching for signs and waiting for the end, trying to stay off the grid and avoid any attention from the authorities.
All that changes when Jory goes to school, which Caleb thinks will distract the Officials from the family’s plans while they’re preparing for the coming crisis. At school, Jory meets kids who play computer games instead of digging tunnels, and parents who worry about what to put on hamburgers rather than about the end of days. The more time Jory spends in the outside world, the more he starts to question Caleb’s plans for their family.
What works so well about this book is how matter-of-fact it is about Caleb’s paranoia. Jory doesn’t totally buy into Caleb’s fear mongering — and he’s more and more skeptical of it as the book progresses — but it never occurs to him (or to anyone in the family) to question Caleb’s plans. Indeed, Caleb’s paranoia is on the extreme side, but it doesn’t feel that far away from the kind of worry that just watching the news or reading the paper can create. Jory doesn’t have a single brilliant moment of realization; instead, his time in the outside world slowly opens him up to the possibility that Caleb’s way isn’t the only way. There’s a lot in the book that hinges on Jory’s “sister” Kit, the little girl they found in the family pumpkin patch and “adopted.” Kit doesn’t speak, and Jory has developed a system of signs and expressions to communicate with her. Their relationship is really sweet.
It’s hard, sometimes, to capture the experience of growing up in a post-9/11 world, that feeling of not being safe in our own skin, much less in our own houses. I really liked the way that this book dealt with those kinds of fears, in the character of Caleb, obviously, but also with Jory. In the end, Caleb may be right — the world may be on the brink of disaster at any given moment. But living — fully and richly — in spite of that fear may prepare us for whatever lies ahead at least as well as bomb shelters and combat boots.
The Door by the Staircase
The Door by the Staircase is an engaging middle grades fantasy book that deeply explores what makes a family.
by Katherine Marsh
Life at the orphanage is pretty horrible for 12-year-old Mary, so she’s thrilled when a super-nice lady appears, insisting that Mary is the only girl for her. Mary’s even more thrilled when it seems that the super-nice lady only wants to feed her delicious food, buy her pretty clothes, and give her plenty of time to read and play. It seems almost too good to be true. And, of course, it is. Or, at least, it might be.
With the help of her new friend, a magician’s son, Mary discovers that kindly Madame Z is really the notorious Baba Yaga of Russian folktales—and that Mary is likely to end up on Baba Yaga’s dinner table any day now. Mary knows she should fight back, but she’s torn—Madame Z is the first person to be truly kind to her since her brother and mother died in a terrible fire, and Mary can’t help thinking that Madame Z must love her a little bit, too. Not sure what to do, Mary enlists aid from Jacob and a talking cat to escape from Baba Yaga’s grasp, even though part of her has begun to think of that chicken-legged hut as her home.
The Door by the Staircase is an engaging middle grades fantasy book that deeply explores what makes a family. There are some scary parts—Baba Yaga is, as mentioned, fairly notorious—and some sad parts, especially the story of how Mary’s family died, leaving her in that lonely orphanage. It’s maybe a little spoiler-y to go into it knowing that Madame Z is Baba Yaga in disguise, but it seemed pretty obvious from the get-go, so I don’t think you lose anything knowing it in advance. It’s a little slow to pick up speed, but once the book gets going, it’s hard to put down—and Mary and Jacob are genuinely likable, complicated protagonists whose friendship grows and develops in a realistic way. Marsh does a good job of painting Madame Z so that we can understand both why Mary would want to get as far away from her as humanly possible and why she might want to stay with her forever.
The Goblin’s Puzzle
Take one boy without a name who may or may not be a slave. Add a girl named Alice who wants to be a sage but can’t seem to break into the smart boys’ club and a girl named Alice who happens to be a princess. Mix in a goblin with fondness for puzzles, a mind-controlled dragon who does his hunting by name, and a nefarious Duke scheming to overthrow a kingdom, and you’ve got all the ingredients for The Goblin’s Puzzle, a really clever middle grades fantasy that raises questions about slavery and women’s rights, absolute versus relative truth, heroism, and more.
by Andrew S. Chilton
“That was the trouble with fate. When you were sure what everyone’s fate was, everything worked nicely. When you were not, things got confusing fast.”
Take one boy without a name who may or may not be a slave. Add a girl named Alice who wants to be a sage but can’t seem to break into the smart boys’ club and a girl named Alice who happens to be a princess. Mix in a goblin with fondness for puzzles, a mind-controlled dragon who does his hunting by name, and a nefarious Duke scheming to overthrow a kingdom, and you’ve got all the ingredients for The Goblin’s Puzzle, a really clever middle grades fantasy that raises questions about slavery and women’s rights, absolute versus relative truth, heroism, and more.
The book starts with the boy, a slave without a name, who—through a series of unfortunate events—finds himself in possession of an-almost-all-knowing-but-certainly-not-telling goblin and in pursuit of Just Alice, who’s been captured by a dragon who’s confused her with the princess because they have the same name. But rescuing Just Alice—who desperately wants the chance to prove that she’s as wise as any sage her age—is just the beginning of the boy’s adventures, which take him across a kingdom on the brink of war and which, the goblin implies, will lead him to the truth of his origins and the discovery that he is not really a slave after all.
This book has a Roald Dahl/Lemony Snicket irreverence and a twisty-turny plot that make it perfect for a readaloud. (I also kept finding parallels to The Horse and His Boy, though the books are completely different.) I could quibble that Princess Alice deserves a more nuanced character development (she does) and that the villainous duke is a bit two-dimensional (he is), but these are small issues in an otherwise excellent book. Add this one to your library list.