Top 15 in Children's Middle Grade
Week of July 20, 2026
by R. J. Palacio
Meet Auggie Pullman, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face—who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are. This modern classic inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and countless conversations about empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro
New York Times #1 best-selling authors Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro collaborate again on a new adventure in which Nico di Angelo teams up with his half-sister Hazel Levesque to protect . . . monsters? A few months after returning from the depths of Tartarus, demigods Nico di Angelo and Will Solace agree to join Nico's half-sister Hazel Levesque at Camp Jupiter on the West Coast. She needs their help in managing a situation that the boys inadvertently brought about: the demigods showed the monsters of the Underworld that they have options; they don't have to be evil. Now some of those monsters have taken up residence at Camp Jupiter to seek refuge. Nico and Will are on site assisting Hazel when one by one monsters start disappearing from camp. A mysterious dark force is at work, and its plan is to punish all monsters for their past crimes. Things only get worse when Nico, Will, and Hazel learn that they're all connected to it . . .
by Jen Calonita
The game is far from over. In fact, it's only just begun. Having finally reached the Isle of Ever, Everly "Benny" Benedict thinks she's won the game of clues her ancestor Evelyn Terry set out for her in her will. Only she can't prove it yet--not until her new friends are safe from the curse that has kept them trapped for centuries! And now there's a new game. It turns out that Evelyn has more secrets in her diary and another task for Benny: to find the lost piece of pirate treasure needed to break the curse once and for all. It won't be easy. One of her best friends has betrayed her; the kids from the island are just discovering twenty-first- century life, and a mysterious stranger mentioned in Evelyn's diary has somehow turned up in present-day Greenport. Benny has to figure it all out in just a few days. If time runs out, someone else can claim the inheritance, and the Isle of Ever will disappear again for another two hundred years!
by Micah Johnson
Blast off into a sci-fi adventure in this electrifying middle grade debut starring Aku—the groundbreaking 3D character who graced the cover of TIME Magazine. This stellar hardcover edition features a special poster printed on the back of the book jacket, plus endpapers featuring Aku fan art from kids around the world. Aku has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut. It’s easier to picture life among the stars than deal with the bully at school—or the pain of his grandfather’s mysterious disappearance. But when a strange space helmet shows up in his basement, Aku is pulled into something far bigger than he ever imagined. The space helmet doesn’t just look cool—it teleports him to Ibra, a distant planet under siege. There, precious Lunaberries are being stolen by a ruthless space militia, and Aku’s grandfather may be the key to stopping them. With the help of his best friends and a few unlikely allies, Aku must dream bigger than ever before, find the courage to lead, and discover that bravery isn’t about having no fear—it’s about rising above it. This thrilling first installment in the Aku series is a cosmic coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Tristan Strong.
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg and The Free State of Jax comes the harrowing story of the fight for survival during the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and the desperate race to find survivors. San Francisco, 1906. When Cora leaves her house in the early morning hours of April 18th, she expects trouble to find her, like it somehow always does. But as she makes her way to the San Francisco docks to look for her father, the earth begins to shake and suddenly, Cora realizes that she's not just in trouble--she's in danger. Soon after, the last thing Cora remembers seeing is a tall building swaying overhead, before everything goes dark. When Cora wakes up, she's trapped underground with Zhi, whom she met by accident on the way to the docks. They're running short on air and time, when miraculously, Cora's friend Oliver pulls them from the rubble. Once she's above ground again, Cora is shocked to find herself in a city that has been decimated by a massive earthquake. Together, Cora, Zhi, and Oliver begin a desperate search for their families, all the while trying to evade terrifying fires that are tearing through the wreckage and a gang of thieves who are pursuing Cora and a valuable secret she holds. From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling, suspenseful story about courage, friendship, and the strength it takes to survive one of the most terrible natural disasters this country has ever seen.
by Chanel Miller
What's the deal with middle school, anyway? Newbery Honor-winning author and artist Chanel Miller explores the glorious mess that is middle school—and the way growing up, finding friends, and discovering who you are can be both awkward and empowering. At the beginning of seventh grade, Luna knows who she is: an observant, quiet girl who loves writing and making zines with her best friend, Scott. But when one of their zines takes off, somehow Luna is swept up into the popular group and learns just how much of herself she's going to have to compromise to stay there. Will she give up her writing? Her best friend? What about her own beliefs about who she is and what she stands for? In a contemporary novel that feels like today’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Newbery Honor winner and bestselling author Chanel Miller explores what it means to lose and then find yourself again in the middle of middle school.
by Alan Gratz
A tour de force from the acclaimed author of "Prisoner B-3087, " this timely and powerful novel tells the story of three different children seeking refuge. Although they are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections tie their stories together in the end.
by Beth Ferry
An unlikely team of talkative plants, a curious spider, and a grumpy goldfish use their newfound magical abilities to defend their family from a greedy human in this charming middle grade novel from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry, with illustrations from the award-winning Fan brothers. Ivy is the beloved houseplant of young Jillian Tupper of Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, much to the constant dismay of Toasty the goldfish, who is technically the family pet—swimming in his special place of honor, the antique octagonal fish tank—and should be the most loved. It seems that’s how the cookie (or cheese puffs, in Toasty’s case) crumbles in the curious Tupper household, but soon a sequence of thrilling and magical events challenges that way of life forever. First, there’s the arrival of Arthur, a knowledgeable spider with a broken leg and a curious mind, hidden in an old typewriter. Then Jillian throws everyone for a loop when she brings home dear, sweet Ollie, a school houseplant who just wants to be friends and sing. When Toasty splashes the plants with his tank water out of frustration, the friends learn that they can do magical things—like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible! It turns out Toasty’s fishtank isn’t just for fish; it was made by a curious inventor who gave it special powers that, in the wrong hands, could disrupt everything forever. And a curious man with purple shoes just so happens to want that tank at any cost. Can Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie grow to be friends in time to work together to save their beloved Tupper family from utter ruin?
by Katherine Applegate
From #1 New York Times bestelling author, Katherine Applegate, here is a stunning tale of kindness and second chances. For fans of Odder, Wishtree, Willodeen, and The One and Only Ivan. Thimble-born from tip to toe, Pocket Bear remembers every moment of his becoming: the glimmering needle, the silken thread, the tender hands as each careful stitch brought him closer to himself. Born during the throes of WWI, he was designed to fit into the pocket of a soldier’s jacket, eyes sewn a bit higher than normal so that he always gazed upward. That way, glancing at his pocket, a soldier would see an endearing token of love from someone back home, and, hopefully, a good luck charm. Now, over a century later, Pocket serves as unofficial mayor of Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured, where stuffed toy animals are refurbished and given a fresh opportunity to be loved. He and his best feline friend Zephyrina, known far and wide as “The Cat Burglar,” have seen it all, and then some. An unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness, Pocket reminds us all that love comes in many forms (sometimes filled with fluff), and that second chances are always possible.
by Aaron Reynolds
From the team behind the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal-winning Creepy Carrots! and its sequels comes the first entry in a spin-off chapter book series in which Jasper Rabbit tells the story of a young marmot whose tonsils get the better of him. Jasper the Rabbit is back! A little older and wiser, he collects creepy stories to share as cautionary tales. If you're ready for some chills and chuckles alike, tune in as Jasper weaves the yarn of Charlie Marmot and the particular pickle he found himself in. See, Charlie here has a problem: his tonsils have become infected and have to come out. No biggie, right? But when he decides he wants to keep them in a jar for show and tell, things get creepy... First, strange slurping sounds in his room keep Charlie awake the night before his surgery. Then, he goes to the doctor only to be told his tonsils are already gone! Could it be they're out for revenge? Join Jasper and Charlie in this first Creepy Tale chapter book and learn from Charlie's mistakes before it's too late!
by America's Test Kitchen Kids (COR), America's Test Kitchen
"100+ recipes that you'll love to cook and eat!"--Front cover.
by Sara Pennypacker
The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of Pax delivers an historical novel about an orphan during WWII who discovers unexpected courage within himself when he becomes involved with the Resistance. Petit éclair. That’s what the other boys at the orphanage call Lucas DuBois. Lucas is tired of his cowardly reputation, just as he’s tired of the war and the Nazi occupation of his French village. He longs to show how brave he can be. He gets the chance when he saves a litter of kittens from cruel boys and brings them to an abandoned stable to care for them. There he comes upon a stranger who is none too happy to see him: Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer, who is hiding her filly from German soldiers. Soon Lucas begins to realize they are not the only ones in the village with secrets. The housekeeper at the German maternity home and a priest at the orphanage pass coded messages; a young mother at the home makes dangerous plans to keep her baby from forced adoption; and a neighbor in town may be harboring a Jewish family. Emboldened by the unlikely heroes all around him, Lucas is forced to decide how much he is willing to risk to make the most courageous rescue of all. Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz, Ruta Sepetys, and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, this accessible novel, told in short chapters, illuminates a little-known aspect of World War II history.
by Tracy Wolff
Penelope and her twin brother attend Anaximander's Academy where she discovers her true destiny as the Myth Weaver with the ability to change stories.
by Aaron Reynolds
From the team behind the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal–winning Creepy Carrots! and its sequels comes the second entry in a spin-off chapter book series in which Jasper Rabbit tells the story of a badger who discovers broccoli can bite back! Jasper the Rabbit is back! A little older and wiser, he collects creepy stories to share as cautionary tales. If you’re ready for some chills and chuckles alike, tune in as Jasper weaves the yarn of Thadeus Badger and the sticky situation he found himself in. Now, Thadeus is a typical badger. He and his best friend, Oliver Possum, love burgers as much as they dislike exercise. And they hate eating veggies even more. But when they make a deal with Oliver’s parents to eat an entire salad…well let’s just say the chompers might soon become the chomped. This is a creepy tale after all and even the healthiest things can turn on you. Join Jasper and Thadeus in this second Creepy Tale chapter book and learn from Thadeus’s mistakes before it’s too late!
