I’ve had this list of middle grade romance books on my mind for so long, but held back because “isn’t middle school too young for ‘romance’?” The truth is, when I was middle-school-aged, I lived for cute crushes and tween “romances” like Mary Anne and Logan in The Babysitters’ Club books. More and more middle-schoolers (as young as sixth graders!) want books about crushes and romance.
My sixth graders are begging for romance. What else do you recommend?
— Athena McMillen (@Tweetlessmama) January 4, 2022
If your tween is one of those, they’ll love this list of tween romance books — some of which include first kisses. Of course, these are books for middle school, so the crush/romance is only a subplot and totally age-appropriate. If you’re looking for books specifically for new teens (hello 8th grade!), you’ll love this list of romance books for 8th graders.
The Best Middle Grade Romance Books
Here are some of the best books with tween-appropriate romances:
Pizza My Heart
Published: January 4, 2022
Pizza My Heart follows young Maya Reynolds whose parents are moving from Brooklyn, New York to a small town in Pennsylvania to expand their soul pizza business, Soul Slice. Having grown up in Brooklyn, Maya is devastated to have to leave her best friend and life behind for the move. In the new town, she gets off on the wrong foot with her first pizza delivery customer, who ends up being the son of her parents’ new interior decorator. Add a love for art, a new art exhibition she wants to join but may be unable to, new friends, and a potential new crush — Maya’s life quickly gets interesting.
Keep It Together, Keiko Carter
Published: May 5, 2020
Keiko is thrilled that her two BFFs, Jenna and Audrey, are reuniting with her after their first ever summer apart. But when Jenna returns from Texas, she’s doesn’t seem to fit back in seamlessly anymore — probably because they stopped texting each other after a while. It doesn’t help that Audrey seems boy-crazy and has never really gotten on too well with Jenna anyway. As Jenna and Audrey’s friendship deteriorates over the fall, Keiko feels torn between both girls. She also rekindles some old friendships that threaten her relationship with Audrey. As a result, confrontation-averse, peace-making Keiko is forced to decide whether or not she will stand up for herself in her friendship with Audrey. On top of everything else, Keiko’s family seems to be changing: her mom is working later and later, and seems to be avoiding coming home — and her little sister seems to keeping a secret. Will Keiko keep it all together?
Bubble Trouble
Published: July 18, 2023
Since her mom died during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been just Chloe and her dad. She worries about their finances, so when she has the chance to go on a school trip to Broadway, she’s hesitant to tell him. On a good note, there’s a boy she maybe likes? He works at a boba tea place in her neighborhood, and things are going well until an altercation at the shop ends with Chloe being banned from the boba tea place. What unfolds is a string of chaotic, surprising, and satisfying events, including a boba-making business, two lost lovers reuniting, and a new furry family member.
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai
Published: August 3, 2021
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is the companion title to fan favorite, Keep It Together, Keiko Carter. Jenna and Keiko have remained BFFs after their fall out with Audrey. But Jenna is having a hard time with several life issues. For one, she and her boyfriend have just broken up (but she’s still stuck in the same school newspaper as he is) and now her parents are divorcing. Jenna is coping by keeping her feelings shut in and brooding a lot — until she begins to write an investigative piece for the school newspaper contest. She also starts hanging out at a cute Broadway-themed Diner where she meets a schoolmate Rin Watanabe with whom she argues a lot but begins a tentative friendship. Can Jenna find time for all the things in her life, while addressing her hurt feelings and opening up to those who love her?
Fast Pitch
Published: August 31, 2021
Fast Pitch is a companion title to Nic Stone’s Clean Getaway, which I really enjoyed! It stars Scoob’s crush Shenice, an U12 softball team captain whose concentration is shot when she stumbles upon a decades-long family mystery. Shenice and her team are preparing to win the Fastpitch World Series, when she discovers that a crime her great-grand father was accused of — which cost him his reputation and place in the Negro leagues — may have actually been a set-up all along. And now, Shenice is the only one who can clear his name.
Sincerely Sicily
Published: January 3, 2023
Sincerely Sicily features young Panamian-American Sicily who’s dealing with a major social upheaval: she’s changing schools. After planning to coordinate first-day-of-school outfits and looking up each other’s schedules, she won’t be attending the same middle school as her best friends (the group calls themselves the Tether Squad). At the new school, Sicily, fortunately, reconnects with an old friend and decides to do her first school project on the culture of the Panamanian people. But her classmates protest the fact that she — a Black girl–can’t possibly be Latin American. Sicily is rattled. Add to that a new crush that threatens to ruin her new friendship and an Abuela who thinks her braids are “ghetto” and it’s looking like a tough year for Sicily. Thankfully, she’s also rediscovering her love for writing just in time.
Taking Up Space
Published: May 18, 2021
Sarah loves basketball more than anything. Crushing it on the court makes her feel like she matters. And it’s the only thing that helps her ignore how much it hurts when her mom forgets to feed her.
But lately Sarah can’t even play basketball right. She’s slower now and missing shots she should be able to make. Her body doesn’t feel like it’s her own anymore. She’s worried that changing herself back to how she used to be is the only way she can take control over what’s happening. When Sarah’s crush asks her to be partners in a cooking competition, she feels pulled in a million directions. She’ll have to dig deep to stand up for what she needs at home, be honest with her best friends, and accept that she doesn’t need to change to feel good about herself.
Big Apple Diaries
Published: August 17, 2021
Big Apple Diaries is Alyssa Bermudez’s graphic memoir detailing her life experiences in New York City between the 7th and 8th grades. Her middle school years also coincide with the attack on 9/11 and the book documents the impact on her and her circle. Prior to that, though, Alyssa is an average tween who attends a Catholic co-ed school, likes doodling, and has a crush on a schoolmate named Alejandro. Her parents are also divorced, so she spends time between each of their apartments in New York.
Free Throws, Friendships, 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.
Squad Goals
Published: September 19, 2021
Magic Pointdexter is her family’s “ugly duckling.” Her father is an ex-NBA player, her sister a famous cheerleader, and her late grandmother was also a ceiling-shattering cheerleader. Magic is awkward, chubbier than your typical cheerleader, and loves sweets more than anything else. But she’s decided: she’s going to cheer camp to try her hand out at becoming a Honeybee. Her best friend and child star Capricorn is coming with her (mostly for moral support — Cappie is an athletic, talented dancer). But once they arrive at camp and get sorted into teams by ability, Magic and Cappie’s friendship starts to show cracks. While Magic is bonding with the “Stumble-bees” (her cheer group) and maybe making progress with her crush, Dallas Chase, Capricorn is carried away befriending the cool girls in the camp. Magic is struggling with getting fit and flexible enough, learning stunts, dealing with the breakup of a lifelong friendship, and trying to figure out who she wants to be. Can she survive Planet Pom Poms?
The Chance to Fly
Published: April 13, 2021
Thirteen-year-old Nat Beacon has the chance to fly when she stumbles upon a group of kids putting on a production of Wicked, the musical. Nat has been paralyzed from the waist down since an accident when she was two. She’s also a wheelchair athlete whose parents have moved from California to New Jersey for her mother’s new job. Nat is obsessed with Broadway and Hamilton although she has never actually been in a musical.
Upon auditioning, she scores a role in the play and begins to bond with The Boulders, which is what the group calls themselves. The group is diverse, including Malik, an African-American boy and Reya whose Indian American. There’s also Hudson, Fig, Jacklyn, and Savannah. Nat faces several challenges because of the way some people treat her during the musical, but when the show has to be canceled after a fire in the theater, the kids have to find a way to get things up and running again.
The Braid Girls
Published: June 13, 2023
In The Braid Girls, Maggie’s summer is off to a rocky start when her parents announce that she has a half-sister—a daughter her father never knew about until now. Callie’s presence throws off soft-spoken Maggie’s dynamic with her outspoken best friend Daija, even more when Callie joins their hair-braiding business.
Glitter Gets Everywhere
Published: May 4, 2021
In Glitter Gets Everywhere, Kitty Wentworth is grappling with the grief of losing her mother to lung cancer (even though she never smoked). Her older sister Imogen seems to be coping better and her dad just seems a bit lost. Thankfully, they have their grandmother and a baking enthusiast neighbor Ms. Allison to keep their moods up and care for them. Ms. Allison is also gearing up to start filming The Great British Bake-Off as a contestant. But Kitty’s world shifts when her father gets a work opportunity in New York and wants her and Imogen to move.
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.
Maid for It
Published: September 5, 2023
After years of dealing with opioid addiction, Franny’s mom is finally sober and on the right track with a cleaning job and a cozy apartment upstairs from a laundromat. But then she gets in an accident and has to be prescribed opioids again, sending Franny into a frenzy. Franny starts doing her mom’s cleaning jobs behind her back — even blackmailing a school rival into working with her — to ensure they don’t run out of money. But she soon learns that worrying about adult problems isn’t her job.
Focused
Published: March 26, 2019
In Alyson Gerber’s sophomore novel, we meet highly motivated Clea. She’s constantly making mental to-do lists, but can’t seem to stay on top of her school work anymore. Her thoughts are always jumping from one thing to another and she finds it hard to focus when she wants to. The only time she can zone out is when she’s playing chess as a member of her school’s chess team. Clea’s inability to focus starts affecting her grades, which threatens her chess team membership. It also affects her relationships because she finds it harder to control her emotions, blurting out things in the heat of the moment, even after promising she wouldn’t. Other worries in Clea’s life include her little sister, who needs to go to speech therapy — Clea worries for her well-being and happiness — and her best friend, Red, whose family is having issues.
The Hurricane Girls
Published: August 29, 2023
Greer, Joya, and Kiki are three best friends born just after Hurricane Katrina. Now 12 years after the catastrophe, they’re dealing with personal life struggles. Greer feels responsible for an accident that left her sister paralyzed from the waist down and has stopped running track–something she loved dearly before the accident, Kiki is grappling with an absentee father, and Joya is trying to help her financially strained family. Kiki decides that the three girls will sign up for a triathlon to get Greer back into running, but the plan ends up changing all three girls’ lives.
Summer at Meadow Wood
Published: May 19, 2020
In Summer at Meadow Wood, Vic and her little brother have been sent off to summer camp for eight weeks. Although summer at Meadow Wood seems to be a regular occurrence, Vic is convinced that the reason they’ve been “shipped off” this time is different. Besides things are going poorly between her parents. As a result, she’s not excited to be there. Still, she tries to make it work, reconnecting with her friends in Yarrow camp while trying to be a good camp sister to a younger camper, Vera.
When her mom says she doesn’t have money to pay for canteen for Vic and her brother, Vic starts working at the farm with one of the camp owners, Earl. She also goes with him to the market — which she gets paid for. Eventually, Vic learns more about the state of her parents’ relationship and forms closer bonds with everyone at camp and even a certain boy at the market.
A Kind of Paradise
Published: April 30, 2019
Middle-schooler Jamie Bunn ended seventh grade with a crash. Now she’s front and center of major school scandal and has been sentenced to volunteer at her local library for the summer. In addition to her shame and guilt, she has to come to terms with eclectic library patrons, her nemesis, Trina, and her crush, Trey. Throughout her time at the library, Jamie forms new bonds with library employees Lenny and Sonia, as well as the the director, Beverly. Unfortunately, just when Jamie begins to feel at home, she discovers that the mayor has plans to shut down the library. This is a sweet middle-grade debut that pays (much-deserved) homage to libraries and all they do for people and communities.
Farther Than the Moon
Published: September 19, 2023
Houston is finally one step closer to his astronaut dreams when he gets into the Junior Astronaut Recruitment Program. He only wishes he could bring his younger brother Robbie with him. Robbie has cerebral palsy and needs to use a wheelchair, so even though Houston has always promised to take his brother to space, the odds seem unlikely now. At camp, Houston meets a group of kids he feels at home with and develops a crush on one of his teammates. But he also runs into his grandfather, who’s estranged from his mom. With all those things in the mix, can Houston honor his promise to Robbie? I care zero about space but I loved the characters in this story and the disability rep is so thoughtfully done. The audiobook is immersive and engaging throughout. Great for listeners ages 10 and up.
Keeping Pace
Published: April 9, 2024
This 5-star romance about two overachieving rivals is perfect for tweens and young teens. Grace feels like being smart is all she has. She doesn’t seem to good at social situations and can’t figure out fashion and styling like her friends. So she holds on to book smarts and finds worth in her grades — and in competing with her former best friend, Jonah. Their friendship exploded after his dad’s sudden illness and death. Now, it’s the end of 8th grade, and Jonah’s won the coveted top scholar spot, leaving Grace with no raison d’etre. She decides to compete in a half marathon that she finds out Jonah is training for, so she has one last chance to beat him, and she ends up learning a lot about what really matters in life. The romance is sweet and swoony, and Grace and Jonah’s dialogue is so authentic and left me an adult with heart eyes while feeling age-appropriate. The summer setting is the perfect backdrop and as a burgeoning runner, I so loved seeing Grace’s journey to preparing for the race.
Playing the Cards You’re Dealt
Published: October 5, 2021
Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying. There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.
Karthik Delivers
Published: April 5, 2022
14-year-old Karthik Raghavan is spending his last summer of middle school delivering groceries for his father’s Indian grocery store. When he’s not playing delivery boy, he’s hanging out with his best friends and sneaking glances at his crush whenever he runs into her. It’s the early 2000s in Boston, Massachusetts, and the recession is causing store closures. Karthik’s father’s store becomes at greater risk of closure when Juhi’s family opens an Indian restaurant (also selling pre-packaged ready-to-cook items). But the most interesting part of Karthik’s summer? A university student wants him to act as Leonard Bernstein in her play. Can Karthik deliver?
Braced
Published: March 28, 2017
Rachel Brooks has finally scored a spot as a forward on her soccer team. She just needs one more doctor’s visit to check on her scoliosis — one she hopes will be the last. Unfortunately, the doctor has bad news for her: the curve has worsened and she’ll have to wear a back brace. Worse still, she needs to be in a back brace for twenty-three hours a day. How will she still play soccer? What will her friends think? And what about Tate, the boy she’s crushing on? This is an important, realistic story of a girl dealing with scoliosis in middle school. With an immersive, charged plot, this story touches multiple themes from scoliosis, to soccer, family, the death of a parent, and even the emotions of welcoming a new sibling.
We Still Belong
Published: August 1, 2023
We Still Belong follows young Wesley on one special Indigenous People’s Day, on which she plans to ask her crush to the Tolo dance. She’s also expecting the publication of her poem about Indigenous pride in the school newspaper. But suddenly, the day is not going to plan. Instead of her crush, she has a new lab partner, her English teacher doesn’t think her poem is all that great, and things may be changing at home. This is a deeply insightful, important, and engaging book about Indigenous pride, family, and self-confidence.
Red, White, and Whole
Published: February 2, 2021
Red, White, and Whole is Rajani LaRocca’s newest middle-grade verse novel. The year is 1983 and 13-year-old Reha is caught between two cultures: her Indian family and community at home; and the all-American experience at school and with her white “school best friend.” Then her mom is diagnosed with leukemia and Reha’s life is turned upside down. Between school, family issues, and navigating her affection for a boy in her neighborhood, Reha has her plate full. This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking verse novel about mothers and daughters, the eighties, and straddling two cultures.
The Queens of New York
Published: June 6, 2023
Jia, Everett, and Ariel are high school besties whose summer plans could not be any more different. Jia is a Chinese-American helping out at her family’s restaurant in Chinatown while looking after her little sister and grandmother. Everett is a Vietnamese-American off to theater camp in Ohio, while Ariel, the genius Korean-American, is in pre-college grieving the death of her older sister months before. As the summer progresses, all three girls will need their friendship to anchor them through the waves of grief, first loves, and standing up for themselves. I LOVED the depiction of friendship in this book and the way the author brings cities and characters to life. If you loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and can’t get enough of emotional, fast-paced YA stories — this book is for you! Nearly no language and no sexual content.
This Time It’s Real
Published: February 7, 2023
Eliza Lin has never had a boyfriend and moves every couple of years because of her mother’s exec role. Now she’s a new kid again at an international school in Beijing with a viral essay about as boyfriend she doesn’t have. She convinces a classmate and famous author to fake date her until the storm blows over. And we all know how fake dating goes… This is a cute YA rom-com about identity (especially when it’s hard to put a finger on “home”), life in the spotlight, and embracing vulnerability. I liked this one just fine, and it’s the kind of YA that younger teens ages 14-16 can actually read.
Truly Madly Royally
Published: July 30, 2019
This book is SO CUTE without being eye-roll inducing. I was nervous about reading it because many reviews recommended it, but as “younger YA.” I loved it! Zora’s character is determined and community-centered. Despite running into multiple hurdles throughout the story, she perseveres.
Truly Madly Royally is a charming young adult novel featuring a positive representation of Black teens. There are also strong undercurrents of community outreach, strong female friendships, and being true to oneself. If you’re a sucker for royal romances, this one will steal your heart.
12 to 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future
Published: August 16, 2022
On her 12th half birthday, her parents surprisingly gift her their approval to post on social networks. Thrilled, Harper starts posting TikTok videos like her idol, Blake Riley. Her first video goes viral and brings her closer to the popular crew in her school who only befriend her so she can teach them her edits. Their interest in her creates a rift between Harper and her best friend Ava. In the midst of the chaos, Harper tries a TikTok filter, which, combined with a wish to be 22, suddenly makes her 22!
Unfortunately, her future is much different than she imagined. Her little sister is now a teen (aww!). She’s now working for Blake Riley (yay) and so is popular girl Celia who she’s now friends with. But she and Ava have lost touch as have she and her childhood friend and crush. This is a charming, light, feel-good story about time travel, social media, and treasuring friendships.
Sunny Makes a Splash
Published: September 21, 2021
Sunny Makes a Splash is the fourth book in the Sunny graphic novel series — and the first one in the series that I read. It’s summer and Sunny is BORED. All her friends are at summer camp or vacationing out of town. Her mom is very protective and wants Sunny as close to home as much as possible. But just when Sunny is feeling sick of babysitting and staying home in the heat, she stumbles upon a new job opportunity at the country club where a fellow classmate, Tony works. There Sunny deals with kids who won’t stop running, crazy long hot dog lines, older lifeguards flirting with each other, and maybe Tony flirting with her? The summer of 1978 is sure to be memorable.
All You Knead Is Love
Published: March 30, 2021
All You Knead Is Love follows 12-year-old Alba whose mother forces her to move from NYC to Barcelona, Spain where her grandmother lives. Alba is gender non-conforming, which means that she doesn’t like the typical “girly” dresses or frilly tops her parents often want her to wear. She’s happiest in her jeans and t-shirts. Alba’s father is physically abusive, especially towards her mother, and generally treats Alba with disregard. When Alba arrives Barcelona, she’s quickly drawn in by the vibrant city and its warm people, one of whom is her grandmother. But just when Alba begins to get comfortable, Toni’s bakery is threatened with closure because it just isn’t earning enough money. Alba needs to find a way to save the hub of her newfound community. This is a heartwarming middle grade novel about identity, family, community, and of course, food.
There they are: 35 of the best middle grade romance books. Which of these have you read? What did I miss?
More Book Lists
- Great high school romances for young teens
- Good books for 14-16 year olds
- Romance books for 8th graders
What do you think? Leave a comment