It’s finally that time of the year again when I share the best middle grade books of my reading year! This year was pretty good for middle grade books. I had many 4 and 5-star reads. Still, like with my best teen list, the books you’ll see here aren’t on this list for their star ratings. I chose stories that felt fresh (yet nostalgic, reminiscent of the middle grade books of my time), changed my view of life, and those I wanted to hug right after finishing them. So far, this year, I’ve read 250 books, 140 of which were middle grade books. These are my favorites of the bunch!
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The Top 15 Middle Grade Books of 2023
Here are the 15 best middle grade books of 2023:
Ready Set Dough!
Published: October 17, 2023
Ambitious sixth grader Zoe Sparks loves to write and enjoys brainstorming ideas for her journalism class. There’s only one problem: Her at-home computer is so unreliable that it just stops working one day. Fortunately, her school is organizing a cookie dough fundraiser, and guess what the top seller prize is? A WordPro laptop — and orange (her favorite color) at that! Zoe is determined to outsell everyone, especially her nemesis Amaya. But soon, her ambition begins to impact her balance and her friendship with her BFF Felix. I adored the voice in this one and finished it in one day. Good for ages 9+ and also UNDER 200 pages! (The audiobook is narrated by Bahni Turpin!)
Lasagna Means I Love You
Published: February 21, 2023
11-year-old Mo has lost her Nan (and sole guardian). So, Mo’s entering the foster care system. She ends up with a well-to-do couple who seem delighted to have her. There, Mo tries recipes and even starts a website for all the family recipes she’s been collecting. But then, Mo’s world is turned upside down again. An achingly tender portrait of a girl searching — through food and recipes —for a family.
Dogtown
Published: September 19, 2023
Chance is a three-legged dog at the Dogtown shelter, where able-bodied and robot dogs compete for attention. Thankfully, management has adopted her as the house dog. Things start to change when a new robot dog, Metal Head, comes to the pound. First off, he’s determined to run away (return home). So he hatches a plan with Chance and her mouse best friend to help an older dog get adopted in exchange for helping him escape. But things do not go to plan, and Chance, her mouse friend, and Metal Head spend a night on the streets on an emotional adventure. As someone who isn’t into animal books, I’m shocked by how much I liked this one. It’s charming, beautifully plotted, and full of suspense, heartwarming characters, and plenty of heart. It also has sweet illustrations and concise chapters. The audiobook is fantastic, with a jingle to introduce each chapter.
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
Published: November 14, 2023
Orthodox Jew Shaindy lives in a tight-knit Jewish community but feels invisible and socially inept. No one at school particularly dislikes her, but no one tries to befriend or return her friendliness. She envies her next-door neighbor, Gayil who is beloved and excels academically, but she also wants to befriend and be Gayil. So when Gayil invites her to set up pranks on several students and teachers at their school, Shaindy is happy to be in the inner circle. Unfortunately, the mischief quickly turns into something malicious as Shaindy realizes that Gayil’s pranks are designed to hurt her targets, and Shaindy is on the list of targets. This is an intricately plotted, strongly character-driven story about the inner lives of tween girls and the human emotions of envy. Although sometimes bogged down by detailed portrayals of Jewish tradition, this book is exceptionally engaging and unique.
The Winterton Deception 1: Final Word
Published: October 31, 2023
Meet 13-year-old twins Hope and Gordon. They’ve just discovered that their dad was Brandon Winterton (of the wealthy dictionary magnate family). Unfortunately, Hope can’t stand rich people, especially since the twins and their mom barely make ends meet and live in a motel. But their fortune is about to change. When Gordon enters the family into the Winterton Bee, they’re thrust into the midst of the family’s secrets, with a deadly enemy and a scavenger hunt set up by the family’s dead matriarch. This is a fast-paced mystery with plenty to gnaw on between the twin relationship, family drama, character development, and flashbacks that help readers learn more about the Winterton family. This one does touch a bit on addiction, and there’s a scene where the kids’ lives are in danger, but all ends well! Great for ages 10 and up.
Jawbreaker
Published: October 24, 2023
I LOVED this book and found it impressive, especially for a debut novel. Wyman’s writing feels so genuine, probably because it’s based on her experience with jaw malocclusion in childhood. I read all 300+ pages in one sitting and was breathless at the end. Max is getting bullied by kids at school for her jaw problems, and her kid sister is one of the bullies. Her parents’ relationship is strained. Her dad works nights and is an alcoholic, and her mom is a chain smoker. Yet, they do their best for the kids, and it’s the kids’ normal. Eventually, Max finds her voice and stands up to her bullies in the best way.
Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up
Published: October 24, 2023
When Rory moves to Cincinnati, Ohio, with her dad after her parents’ separation, she meets Abby, a tall fellow basketball lover, and the two become fast friends. Imagine their shock when they find out that their dads can’t stand each other — and not because they coach the city’s rival basketball teams but because of something that happened years ago when THEY were middle schoolers. Bishop takes us through the girls’ lives as they dig into what happened between their dads, telling the story from multiple perspectives: the girls’, their dads’, and a ball-playing nun in their lives. Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up is a fast-paced and compelling book about true friendships, family secrets, forgiveness, and basketball.
Ginny Off the Map
Published: June 20, 2023
Ginny’s summer is thrown off when her dad gets a surprise redeployment in the middle of their family’s moving to another city. Then, her geography camp gets canceled. Her sister seems to be making new friends, but no one appears to like Ginny–even when she starts her own geography camp. This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter.
The Lost Year
Published: January 17, 2023
It’s 2020, and Matthew is sick of being inside with the pandemic raging outside. While reluctantly helping his great-grandmother sort through her belongings, he finds a picture of two girls. As she shares her experience during the Ukrainian famine, the story alternates between three narrators: Matthew, Helena, and Mila. A powerful, unforgettable account of historical events.
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
Published: July 11, 2023
Maudie is a sweet, autistic girl spending the summer with her dad. When her dad’s home is razed in a California wildfire, they move to the small beach town where her father grew up. Throughout the summer, as Maudie makes new friends, starts learning to surf, and enters a surfing contest, a secret tugs at her–one her mother has asked her to keep from her dad. The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn is a vivid, triumphant, and authentic coming-of-age story about discovering one’s inner strength.
The First Magnificent Summer
Published: May 30, 2023
It’s the 90s, and Tori (Victoria) Reeves is planning the first magnificent summer with her father since he left their family over two years ago. He now has a new partner and two kids but is taking Victoria and her two siblings with his new family camping in Ohio. As the trip progresses, Victoria and her siblings realize that their father hasn’t changed much from the emotionally abusive parent he was. But will he stop Victoria from writing her own story? The First Magnificent Summer is a vivid, heartwrenching, and emotionally resonant book about dealing with difficult parents and navigating a first period.
A First Time for Everything
Published: February 28, 2023
A First Time for Everything is Dan Santat’s new graphic memoir about his school trip to Europe at the end of middle school. Middle school Dan is shy and socially awkward. He spends most of his time helping his mom, who has Lupus, and gets made fun of a bit by some girls in his grade. Thankfully, his parents are determined that he sees the world, and they support his Europe trip. As they visit Germany, France, Switzerland, and England, Dan is swept up in many, many firsts, making for a life-changing trip. This National Book Award winner s a stellar, relatable graphic novel about growing up, wading through the awkward tween years, and finding one’s voice.
Duel
Published: November 7, 2023
Since their father died, sisters Gigi and Lucy haven’t seen eye to eye. Their mother is worn out by her grief and her demanding job and can’t deal with their constant bickering. Now, Lucy is a new 6th grader at the school where Gigi is the 8th grade Queen Bee, and on Lucy’s first day, the girls get into an altercation that ends with Lucy challenging her sister (and school fencing champion) to a duel. What follows are chapters alternating between each girl’s first-person narration as they go between the past and present, exploring their relationship, where it went wrong, and planning their fencing duel. This story has sports, friendship, sisterhood, family, grief, and even a grandparent relationship, lending it some major kid and adult appeal! It’s a spectacular debut and perfect for readers ages nine and up.
What Happened to Rachel Riley?
Published: January 10, 2023
When Anna Hunt moves from Chicago to Wisconsin for her mother’s new job, she soon realizes something about her new eighth-grade class is off. One student, Rachel Riley, who was once popular, is now treated as a social pariah. So when their English teacher assigns them an un-essay — an exploration of a topic in any other format besides an essay — Anna decides to investigate the question: What happened to Rachel Riley? Of course, the teacher rejects Anna’s topic despite her lawyer mom’s protests. But with some hesitant help from Rachel and other schoolmates, Anna pieces together the mystery. This is a stellar middle grade mystery about sexual harassment, creativity, and standing up for something.
The Widely Unknown Myth of Apple and Dorothy
Published: September 19, 2023
Apple and Dorothy are half-gods, descendants of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera and Pandora, respectively. When Dorothy’s mother refuses to return to Olympus one solstice, she becomes a full human and is soon killed in a car accident, leaving Dorothy and her father grieving. Motivated by a promise she made to Dorothy’s mother, Apple befriends Dorothy. But when the gods rule that all half-gods must return home to Olympus and take their place as gods or remain human, Dorothy chooses Earth, to Apple’s dismay. Apple’s fear of losing Dorothy leads her to make a decision with terrible consequences. As a non-fantasy reader, I loved this book — how clever, creative, and profound it is, especially in the way it approaches friendship and grief. I think fans of Greek mythology will love it.
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There they are: 15 of the best middle grade books I read this year! Each of these stories has a unique appeal and I hope you find one of them to match your current reading needs. I loved so many other middle grade books this year; you can see more in my reviews section.
More Best of the Year Lists
Claire says
Love this list! Thank you for putting it together 🙂
Afoma Umesi says
It was my pleasure, thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂