Father-child relationships can be incredibly impactful for kids. Unfortunately, like all parent relationships, some fathers do more harm than good. For this list of middle grade books about fathers, I’ve curated books with healthy relationships and some with more complicated relationships. No matter what kind of tween father-dad story you need, you’ll find the right one on this list.
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Heartwarming Father-Child Relationships
These stories feature sweet, heartwarming depictions of father-child relationships:
Ruby Finley vs. the Interstellar Invasion
Published: September 27, 2022
Ruby is an 11-year-old future entomologist who loves studying insects and playing video games with her neighborhood friends. When she sees a strange bug in her bedroom and shares a picture of it on social media, suspicious agents appear at her door to re-capture the now missing insect. Soon, all the metal in her neighborhood begins to disappear as Ruby and her friends realize there’s more to the strange bug.
This was a lot of fun and will appeal to fans of STEM stories and books about robots. Through all the hijinks, her dad is there to speak up for her when a teacher won’t let her do her chosen science project and when her life is threatened.
Bea Is for Blended
Published: August 23, 2022
Bea’s mother has married her school arch-nemesis’s father. Bryce (her arch-nemesis) is friends with bullies in Bea’s class and they always make fun of her best friend, Maximillian. Now, as if it wasn’t bad enough that Bea and Bryce share the exact same birth date, now they’ll also share a house and blended family. I loved the way Bea’s stepfather embraces his role as her dad.
Control Freaks
Published: June 13, 2023
As the kids in Benjamin Banneker College Prep compete in their STEAM contest, two of the boys navigate complicated familial changes. Doug and T.W. are sorta brothers. Doug’s dad is T.W.’s stepfather, and Doug has a stepdad of his own too. Both boys will need to build a relationship on their own even as Doug learns to balance having two different kinds of dads. This book offers not just strong STEAM depictions, but a heartwarming examination of the challenges some blended families face.
Ginny Off the Map
Published: June 20, 2023
Ginny’s two favorite things in the world are her dad and geography. Her 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. It was so sweet to see how Ginny and her dad maintained their relationship even as he was deployed thousands of miles away.
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.
It’s obvious that Maudie and her dad share more than their autism and their bond warmed my heart. Despite tackling serious issues like physical abuse and autism acceptance, this triumphant story feels infused with the lightness of summer as a girl discovers that she’s braver than she ever thought.
Related: Author Interview: The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
Ten Thousand Tries
Published: July 13, 2021
Golden Macaroni is having a tough year. First, he really wants to get bigger and become the captain of his middle school soccer team. As a dedicated Messi fan, he’s working on putting in ten thousand hours of soccer practice so that he can become as good as Messi. His former-soccer-star father has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Despite his dad’s obvious deterioration, Golden stubbornly believes that his dad will get better.
This book artfully manages the delicate balance of real-life suffering with the humor we can find lurking in small, mundane moments. Most importantly, the father-son love shines through brightly.
Half Moon Summer
Published: June 6, 2023
Drew and Mia were born on the same day, but their lives have taken different paths. When Mia returns to the town where Drew still lives, both kids start training for a half-marathon together for different reasons. Mia, to solve her family’s housing issues; Drew, for his dad, who’s received a crushing diagnosis. Written in alternating verse and prose chapters, this book is incredibly moving.
Miracle
Published: March 28, 2023
After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Amie’s Ba-ba (with whom she had a close relationship) dies, leaving her with the mother she feels disconnected from. After his death, Amie can’t seem to find her way back to playing the violin — something that connected her with her dad. The book chronicles her path through grief and finding her way back to music, and building a new connection with her mom.
The Braid Girls
Published: June 13, 2023
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. I love how the girls’ dad finds a way to make Callie feel welcome while reassuring Maggie of his love.
Aniana Del Mar Jumps In
Published: March 14, 2023
Aniana is a child of Dominican parents growing up on Galveston, an island in the state of Texas. Her mom has undiagnosed PTSD from the death of her (Aniana’s mother’s) brother years ago in a storm back in their home country, so she doesn’t want her daughter near the water. Aniana’s father wants his daughter to pursue her passion and takes her to swim meets without her mother’s knowledge. But when Aniana wakes up one day with painfully swollen joints and other weird symptoms after swimming, their secret is exposed, and Aniana is faced with a new diagnosis that may threaten the one sport she loves.
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 for a family. Mo’s relationship with her different foster dads are sweet and heartwarming.
The Rhythm of Time
Published: April 18, 2023
When Rahim’s friend Kasia gifts him her newest invention, he has no idea that it’s a time travel device. Rahim ends up in 1997 meeting his father as a tween before he became the strict dad he is. Can Kasia get him back in time for dinner–and before his actions change the future? This takes a drastically different look at a father-son relationship. Hand this funny, suspense-filled sci-fi release to fans of time travel stories.
Morning Sun in Wuhan
Published: November 8, 2022
13-year-old Mei loves cooking and playing a cooking video game with two of her friends. She lives with her physician dad and is still grieving the loss of her mother. Her life suddenly turns upside down when a new virus starts killing people in her hometown Wuhan. Her dad is stuck working at the hospital and leaves Mei at home when the city is locked down. Mei and her dad aren’t the closest at the start of the story, but the pandemic helps them appreciate each other more.
Smart Cookie
Published: January 30, 2018
Frankie Green is on the hunt for a mom. It’s been years since her mom died, and her dad hasn’t even dated anyone yet (to her knowledge, at least). So she sets up a dating website profile for him and begins to interview the women behind his back, hoping to find just the right fit.
So far, she hasn’t had much success. Her best friend is keeping her busy with his investigations into the presence of ghosts in her family’s BnB, and Frankie is forced to do a school project with a former friend. As if that isn’t enough, she can’t help feeling like her Gram and Dad are hiding secrets. Is Frankie enough of a smart cookie to figure things out? This is a cozy, charming story with a father-daughter relationship you’ll love.
Honestly Elliot
Published: March 1, 2022
Elliot has ADHD and loves to cook. He lives with his mom and spends time with his dad and step-mom regularly. His step-mom is pregnant, and Elliot feels a bit threatened since his dad already seems disappointed in his seemingly scatter-brained behavior and the fact that he’s not an A+ student. I liked the growth in Elliot and his dad’s relationship as the story progressed–it went from frustrating to satisfying. Plus, the story features a baking contest (gluten-free goodies) and an unlikely friendship.
The Unforgettable Logan Foster
Published: January 18, 2022
Logan is a foster kid at a boys’ foster home. He’s on the autism spectrum, has a photographic memory, and isn’t the best at picking up on social cues. But just when Logan is sure that he’ll never be adopted, a new couple Margie and Gil show up.
After a rocky start, Logan is settling in with his new foster parents when he starts noticing some weird things. Gil never seems to eat and are Margie’s tears silver? He’s only processing the fact that his new parents might be superheroes when they get kidnapped by a supervillain and it’s up to Logan to save them. This is a really exciting story and Logan really bonds with his foster parents.
The Aquanaut
Published: March 1, 2022
Sophia has been hanging out in Aqualand, the marine theme park her late father and uncle started. Her uncle is doing his best to finish Sophia’s late father’s marine project and Sophia seems to have little or no zest for school work. Imagine her shock when a diving suit controlled by sea creatures appears in Aqualand.
It turns out the suit is controlled by sea creatures who’ve come to Aqualand looking for a place to call home. Unfortunately, they discover that Aqualand doesn’t treat sea creatures in the best way. Now, they’ll need Sophia and her uncle to help them find their way to safety.
Author and illustrator, Dan Santat has crafted a deeply personal (see his Author’s Note) story inspired by his relationship with his father and the care that went into this work is palpable throughout the story.
Complicated Father-Child Relationships
The stories in this section feature tough father-child relationships and sometimes, the kids realize they’re better off without their dads:
Tumble
Published: August 16, 2022
12-year-old Addie, who lives with her pregnant mom and stepdad. Her stepdad wants to adopt her (but only if she wants), and Addie loves him but can’t shake her curiosity about her biological father, especially because her mom is so hush-hush about it. While investigating, she discovers that her father is part of a famous wrestling family living on a nearby New Mexico ranch. As Addy gets to know her father, Manny, her cousins, grandparents, and uncles, she learns that family can be complicated.
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?
Meet Me Halfway
Published: September 13, 2022
This heartwarming, adventurous romp follows two sisters who reconnect with each other and their estranged father, while discovering more about themselves and their families. New kid Mattie realizes that her classmate Mercedes is practically her doppelganger, but she quickly finds out that there’s more to the resemblance.
While working on a project together, Mattie discovers that she and Mercedes share the same Colombian dad who left both of them for a life as an anthropologist in Colombia. But now he’s teaching at a university in their town, so they hatch a plan to meet him without their families knowing.
How to Win a Slime War
Published: September 14, 2021
Alex Manalo and his father have moved from Silicon Valley to Sacramento, where his dad is taking over his Lolo and Lola’s grocery store. His grandparents have retired, and his dad is tired of Silicon Valley living and wants to revamp the family’s Filipino Market. Alex is struggling to adjust to a new place and also feeling burdened by his father’s expectations of him — that he cut his hair short, play more sports, and make less slime.
This one tugged at my heartstrings. Alex is a sweet boy who knows what he likes, but also desperately wants his single father’s approval. Unfortunately, his dad is caught in that trap parents can find themselves in: wanting their kids to be clones of them. Thankfully, he finds his way back to the right mentality.
Clues to the Universe
Published: January 12, 2021
Ro and Benji become lab partners and form a pact to help each other achieve their goals. For Ro, that’s building the rocket she and her dad always meant to build before he died a year ago. And for Benji, it’s not getting a failing grade in science by tacking on to Ro’s science project. But when Benji discovers that a popular comic artist is his estranged father, Ro insists on helping Benji reunite with his father.
Ro’s father was killed by a drunk driver and the wife of a neighbor has also died from cancer. Benji on the other hand feels a deep sense of loss over the time spent away from his father. I loved seeing how the story came together in the end.
A Song Called Home
Published: March 15, 2022
This story follows Lou as her mom remarries a man named Steve. Lou and her sister Casey have to move from the city to the suburbs to live with Steve, leaving behind their old schools and Lou’s best friend Beth Tsai. Forming this new family is hard on Lou and Casey for different reasons. Lou feels like she’s leaving their alcoholic father behind and Casey worries that Steve is being too nice and the “real Steve” will show up soon.
On the day before their move (which is also Lou’s birthday) Lou finds a guitar right outside their old apartment addressed to her. Convinced it’s from her dad, she starts learning to play guitar to maintain that bond with him. As they all navigate the blending of their families, Lou learns about herself and what family truly means.
Sardines
Published: October 18, 2022
Five kids form an unlikely friend group at the start of a new school year with surprising results. Lucas is processing his older brother’s death and his mom leaving his dad and him, Robbie is the group goofball with his own challenges, Finn is the walking encyclopedia, Cat is the star athlete, and Anna is the popular girl whose drawn to the group.
As the kids play sardines (reverse hide-and-seek), they learn about each other’s most wanted wishes and plot to help each one get them. But when it’s Lucas’s turn, he’s afraid to bare his soul. Can he get past the fear and make his own wish come true? Lucas and his dad build a great relationship throughout the story.
Falling Short
Published: March 15, 2022
In Falling Short, we meet Marco and Isaac. They’ve been besties for as long as they can remember and now they share one pain in common: both their dads aren’t in their lives as they’d like. Isaac’s dad is attentive but currently struggling with alcoholism. Marco’s dad wishes Marco were more athletic, instead of nerdy.
At the start of middle school, both boys decide to help each other reach their goals. For Isaac, it’s getting better at more than just basketball — getting better grades and being more responsible. And for Marco, it’s learning a sport: basketball. Can they reach their goals? And will their friendship survive it?
There they are: 25 of my favorite middle grade books about dads! Which of these books have you read and loved? What did I miss?
More Book Lists
Pin This Post – Middle Grade Books About Dads
I love this list! Garvey’s Choice, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and The Crossover are a few other examples that might fit your list.