30+ Lovely Middle Grade Books for 4th Graders

Maggie loves animals and has been waiting patiently to get a dog, only to discover that she’s allergic. She’s also dealing with a changing family in which she feels less and less like she belongs. Her two little brothers are seemingly obsessed with each other and couldn’t care less about her. Her mother is heavily pregnant and excited for the new baby. Things appear to be looking up when Maggie meets Claire, an only child living with her single dad, who indulges her every whim. Claire is one grade above Maggie, but the two become fast friends — until Claire gets a dog. This is a sweet, realistic depiction of what it’s like to suffer from allergies.

When hyperactive kid CJ gets into his fourth-grade class, he’s terrified of Ms. Crane, his new teacher, thanks to all the rumors he’s heard about her. But Ms. Crane turns out to be refreshingly different than he expected. She’s nice to him and doesn’t get frustrated when he interrupts, blurts answers, or can’t sit still. So when he discovers that some teachers are trying to get Ms. Crane to leave the school, CJ decides to stand up for her. This book about community and the power of a teacher who believes in you is SO SWEET and will make for a terrific class readaloud (although it is on the longer side at just over 300 pages).

Set in 1930s New York, where a tuberculosis epidemic is raging, it follows Halle, whose mother is diagnosed with the disease and sent off to JN Adams Sanatarium in Perrysburg. There, everyone, including people of all races, is welcome, and patients are treated with exposure to light and air. Soon, Halle ends up there to treat pneumonia. This book is accessible, plain-spoken, and truly written for kids without dumbing down or info dumping. The characters are richly drawn, and the subject matter is intriguing and rarely explored in books for kids. It’s impressive that the author has created a book all about tuberculosis with a rich, moving, adventurous, and tender plot balancing friendship, family, mystery, and history all at once.

This quirky middle grade graphic for fans of Victoria Jamieson is all about Elena, the only female baseball player on her team. Elena likes baseball, but her mother is obsessed with it and obsessed with Elena playing because she didn’t have the chance to play the sport as a teen. Elena’s brother on the other hand, shuns competitive sports, preferring Live Action Role Playing (LARP-ing) with his friends, which Elena can’t grasp (who plays pretend?!). But when she gets injured, she’s forced to take a break from baseball and learn what it means to play for fun, not for sport. Hand to 4th graders who love role-playing, Dungeons and Dragons, or could stand to learn a thing or two about having FUN and being open to new paths.

Vega is a precocious tween with plenty of strong opinions, determination, and a fierce love for her family. Her cousin Mila is timid, anxious, and after an incident, is spending the summer with Vega’s family in the California desert. When a meteoroid blazes through the sky one night, landing in Vega’s community. Enter Jasper and his dad, two rock hunters who come to town to find a piece of the meteoroid. In a turn of events, Mila, Jasper, and Vega end up searching at night and have to navigate getting lost, injury, getting stuck in a flash flood, and warding off coyotes, among other dangers, during their hunt with surprising results — unlikely friendships, close cousin bond, and maybe a piece of the sky? This is a good blend of STEM and survival with just enough relationship dynamics (which this author is best known for) to keep readers going, creating a truly intriguing, suspenseful story told from the perspectives of all three kids.

The Peach family is embarking on The Great Peach Experiment, their first one: making and selling pies out of a food truck! Oh, and they’ll be road-tripping the whole summer too. Lucy, Freddie, and Herb have spent more time with each other than with their father since their mom died. But now one of their mom’s inventions has sold for a lot of money and their dad has bought a food truck and wants them to spend the summer traveling through the country as a family. The family plans to also enter a food truck contest at the end of their trip to compete for $10,000. But along the way, they learn a lot about what really matters. This is a wonderful introduction to a new middle-grade series for fans of The Vanderbeekers. 

Farah Hajjar (her last name means “rocks”) is a smart fifth-grader who’s looking forward to sixth grade. She’s in advanced classes with her “Official Best Friend” Allie Liu and attends school with her little brother Samir. Samir was born premature and as a result, has extra challenges. He has issues, for example, with speaking clearly and writing his letters. She’s working toward attending Magnet Academy — a STEM-focused public school — with her best friend for middle-school. But her dreams begin to change when a new girl begins to bully her brother at school. What a refreshing chapter book debut! Farah Rocks Fifth Grade is a much-needed representation of a Palestinian-American protagonist in early readers.

Peter is obsessed with dinosaurs. He wants to be a paleontologist when he’s older and is constantly digging in the sandpit at his grandparents’ (Haji and Hammy) house. Peter also plays soccer and is super tall for an 11-year-old Korean boy. On and off the pitch, he’s constantly harassed by an obnoxious classmate, Ryan. Although Peter does a good job of standing up to Ryan, Ryan is quite annoying. In the summer, the family takes a trip to Drumheller for a dinosaur expedition, which ends up being a bust for Peter. To cap it off, his Hammy is forgetful and seems dazed from time to time. Then, he discovers that his parents are planning to send Hammy to a care facility. Can Peter fix the situation? This is a sweet, adventurous middle grade novel set in Canada.

This second book in the Book Uncle series takes us back to India as bird lover Reeni attempts to partake in a bird count in her city with her best friend Yasmin, but faces some obstacles. The two girls have to work hard to make their voices heard despite the mayor’s seeming disinterest in their cause. Reeni also tackles some friendship issues, including having differing interests from one of her best friends, and she goes behind her parents’ backs to use a cellphone belonging to their school bus driver. This book transported me to India and is perfect for fans of books set in Asia, birding-related books, and friendship stories — and you don’t need to have read the first book to follow the plot.

This is an entertaining graphic novel about cousins Maya and Riley (Black and Muscogee), who end up living with their grandmother when Maya’s parents are deployed, and Riley’s parents move back in with her grandmother. The two girls get off to a rough start, exacerbated by their personality differences. Maya is reserved, studious, and science-focused, while Riley is outgoing, friendly, and artsy. At school, the girls quickly realize that their vice principal is suspicious, slashing arts, robotics, and any budgets possible in favor of increasing the number of detention classrooms. With their grandmother’s advice about using their voices firm in their mind, the girls hatch a plan to expose VP Balderdash’s schemes. I loved many things about this series starter, including the natural, subtle way both girls share about their heritage and the way they find home and community with their grandmother. This is also super short (under 200 pages), and the superhero and planning scenes feel like something out of a Spy Kids movie.

Olive is excited to be going to summer camp this year, especially since her best friend Willow is also going. She’s looking forward to doing camp things and making new friends. As soon as the girls arrive, Olive jumps right into the friend-making and activities, but Willow is as adept as making friends and instead wants to follow Olive everywhere. Worse still, she tries to hold Olive back from making other friends or joining different activities, becoming sulky and giving her the silent treatment when she does.At first, Olive handles things well, making compromises and forgoing opportunities to hang out with other campers just to keep Willow happy. Eventually, though, things start to get to her and the girls’ friendship becomes strained. Will this ruin camp for both girls? This is a realistic portrayal of a common friendship issue: clinginess.

Mystery on Magnolia Circle begins with what seems to be the worst summer ever. Ivy’s summer plans are disrupted when she breaks her leg at the start of the summer before fifth grade. Her best friend Teddy is having it any easier as his dog is diagnosed with a terminal illness and has to be put down. But while Ivy is standing at her window, trying to make the best of the summer, she witnesses a possible burglary and that both kids off on a summer of solving a mystery — or is it? This is a young middle grade book (with a few illustrations) about a summer of solving a neighborhood mystery.

Jillian is a shy fifth grader put to the test when her teacher suggests she join the Mind Bender quiz competition. Her class is also learning about chick development and incubating a few too! As Jillian works to improve her mindset and use her voice, she also has to deal with the grief of losing her grandmother, her mom’s lupus flares, and helping out a friend dealing with his own family challenges. Will Jillian get it right? This is a sweet young middle grade debut that elementary and middle schoolers alike will love.

Fourth grader Mya Tibbs is excited for Spirit Week! She has made plans to partner with her best friend Naomi Jackson. Mya’s life seems pretty good with her brother Nugget, his best friend affectionately known as Fish, and her other friends, identical twins Starr and Skye. The one scary part is Mean Connie Tate, who everyone knows is the biggest fourth-grade bully. So, you can imagine Mya’s terror when she’s partnered with Connie and Connie refuses to trade partners. But as Mya works with Connie, she realizes that things aren’t as she’s thought. This is a sweet, realistic story of friendship, family, and forgiveness. Although this early middle-grade book is perfect for younger audiences (the protagonist is in fourth grade), it handles themes like bullying, peer pressure, and toxic friendships in a mature, positive way.

Stef Soto is a middle-schooler whose family owns a taco truck, Tia Perla. Like most kids her age would be, Stef finds Tia Perla embarrassing, especially as her once-best-friend Julia won’t stop teasing her about smelling like tacos.When new food truck regulations threaten her family’s business, Stef realizes just how much Tia Perla means to her. She also learns to be proud of who she is and to appreciate the good friends in her life. I loved Stef Soto, Taco Queen and would highly recommend for food lovers, readers who enjoy books about the immigrant experience, and anyone whose parents have worked hard so they can pursue their dreams.

Meet the Vanderbeekers! They’re a biracial family living in Harlem, New York. With five kids, including a pair of twin girls, there are plenty of characters for each kid to identify with. This series is warm and cozy and each installment features the Vanderbeeker kids trying to accomplish a unique goal. The first book is all about getting their grumpy neighbor to warm up to them. 

Willa has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which means, among other things, that she’s extra sensitive to certain normal sounds and textures. She’s also very clumsy and does not handle change well. Her parents are divorced, and her mom has already remarried. Things are going fairly smoothly for Willa as she’s getting better at managing her SPD with her therapist’s help. Willa is also happy to have a best friend she gets along with — Ruby — and is looking forward to moving on to middle school. However, when her father announces to her and Ruby that he and Ruby’s mother have been dating for over a year, Willa is distraught. She doesn’t want anything about her friendship with Ruby to change. She also doesn’t want her relationship with her dad and brother to change. This middle-grade novel about a girl with sensory processing disorder is captivating and very realistic. 

Utterly delicious and delightful book about a middle-school food aficionado who becomes a food critic. Enjoyed all the mouth-watering food descriptions (always read this one with a plate of food by your side!).

Isaiah’s father has died, leaving behind Isaiah, his mom, and his younger sister, Charlie. Isaiah’s mom is so depressed she’s lost her job — and started drinking too many bottles of wine. Isaiah realizes that they need money if they’ll ever move out of the motel where they’ve had to live since being unable to pay for their home. Thankfully, Isaiah has his father’s books of poems (even if his own words won’t come anymore), his best friend Sneaky, who sells candy at school (and lets Isaiah be his business partner), and the kind people who look out for him once they realize he’s in need. In the end, will Isaiah be the hero of his story? This is a moving, realistic portrayal of the poverty and housing insecurity that can impact a family after the death of a parent.

SAVE ME A SEAT is the story of two seemingly different boys — one Indian, one American. When Ravi’s family moves to America, he is shocked at how different things are. The things he liked about himself seem to neither impress nor be appreciated by his American classmates and teachers. Joe is a quiet, sensitive American who is regularly bullied by his classmates. The story follows both boys as they find a way to a solid friendship despite their differences. With a major focus on bullying, culture, food, and respecting differences, SAVE ME A SEAT is delightful, funny, and inspiring. A fantastic middle grade pick for teaching young boys and girls -everyone, really – empathy. Oh, and if you can, do the audiobook! It’s narrated by two different voices, one of whom is Indian, and really brings Ravi’s character to life.

A cute story about twin sisters separated at birth and adopted by different families. Aviva is adopted by a Jewish family. Her father is Black and converted to Judaism to marry her mother, so she has black siblings. Holly was adopted by a single mother who is Christian and lives with her Gramps and mom. The two girls meet at a home for seniors where Aviva’s Bubbe lives, and Holly’s mom is hoping to house Gramps, who’s been having some falls lately. They soon hatch a plan to switch houses a la The Parent Trap and get to know about each other’s families. This story is a comfortingly cozy, Hallmark channel-y collaboration, with some musings about Hanukkah vs Christmas, being adopted, being Black and Jewish, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Meet the Bin family, a trio of raccoons in the risky business of dumpster diving for all their needs. With Dusty’s brains, ReRe’s muscle, and Scraps’s gadgets (please don’t tell him he’s almost definitely an opossum), the Binses are determined to leave no garbage bin unturned in their pursuit of the tastiest, most delicious trash they can find. When the family discovers a new upscale grocery store that’s throwing away their perfectly good food at the end of each day, the Binses hatch a heist so daring it’ll have them rolling in garbage all winter long. But a critter-despising CEO, Jeff Beans, and the high-tech defense system he’s installed means liberating that trash is going to take all the skills the Racc Pack have…and maybe some help from a cat burglar with a mysterious past.

Fern’s family runs a whale-watching tour company in Washington State, where they live. She and the son of her family’s rival business are sworn enemies, but when she sees an ad for photography content that summer when her best friend Ivy is changing, she’s forced to combine forces with Jasper Roy, her sworn enemy. As the two hunt the perfect picture of killer whales, they realize that they don’t actually hate each other. I loved the setting of this story; it’s cozy and feels authentic in terms of the relationships between the kids. I loved Fern’s relationship with her bookworm brother Hamish and the air of adventure throughout the story. There are some slightly weightier life issues, like Fern and Ivy each losing one parent in death, Jasper’s sister having multiple sclerosis, and Ivy’s dad beginning to date again. Still, this is a great summer story for environmental activists, fans of friendship stories, kids who love animals, and photography fans.

When a new family moves into a neighborhood and gets a hateful message from one of their neighbors, a tree, animal friends, and another neighbor help to make them feel welcome, even as the tree is in danger of being cut down. I listened to this classic on audio and I enjoyed the “everyone is welcome” message and the historical addition with the stories of neighbors from the past. I think this will be a hit for younger readers, especially as a readaloud for grades. 2-4 who still have a strong sense of whimsy. 

When Caleb and his older brother meet a 16-year-old wise-cracking, smart-mouthed Styx Malone in their small town, they are enthralled with the young man and begin to look up to him. Even when Styx’s actions are questionable including lying, swindling, and petty theft, verging on illegal, Caleb and Bobby Gene continue to follow him, much to their parents’ concerns. As their summer adventure to raise enough money to buy a fancy motorcycle takes a turn, all three boys are surprised by how much they come to care for each other. This is a funny, insightful summer story about male friendships, stranger danger, and foster care.

Deena is an anxious artist with two best friends, Lucia and Nisha. She’s also close to her cousin Parisa who loves social media, makeup, and being famous. Deena doesn’t know it yet, but the knot in her stomach and nausea she feels every morning is thanks to anxiety. One of the main sources of her anxiety is her parents’ bickering about financial issues. When Deena has an idea to promote her mom’s business on social media and help them earn more, she hopes it will reduce her parents’ bickering. But her social media use comes with its unique issues, even as Deena realizes she needs more support for her anxiety. Drawing Deena is an inspiring, feel-good story about a young artist surmounting creative challenges and managing anxiety.

Andie Gladman is just trying to make it through elementary school in her small town while avoiding the class bully. She likes poetry but hasn’t felt brave enough to write hers. Until one day, a man named Hans Christian Andersen moves in next door. Andie is convinced he is THE Hans Christian Andersen. She’s suddenly inspired to write poetry inspired by his fairy tales and shares them with him, and her world starts to brighten, but when she brings him to school for show and tell, she’s in for a rude awakening. Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door is a funny, quirky story about mistaken identity, friendship, and finding the courage to be oneself.

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself, and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant, and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that, their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better, and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner). Lolo Weaver Swims Upstream is a charming story about persistence, unlikely friendships, and the enduring love for a grandparent despite the odds.

Charlie is the new kid for the umpteenth time, but this time things will be different. Her dad is no longer in the military, and this is a more permanent home, so she feels more pressure to find and impress some new friends. When she meets a cool group of Black girls with varying interests, she decides to hide her “babyish” style and hobbies to befriend them. But she soon learns that with true friends, you can be your whole self. Curlfriends: New In Town is the cute first book in a new graphic novel series about Black hair, girlfriends, fashion, and adjusting to change.

In Leeva at Last, we meet Leeva, a child who’s been kept indoors and put to work by her famous parents. Her mom is the Mayor, and her dad is the Treasurer. They both only care about fame and money, respectively, but not about their daughter or townspeople. They don’t even send her to school, and Leeva learns new words from a vocabulary section of the newspaper and teaches herself to read. But when Leeva finds her way to the town library one day, her eyes are opened to the world around her, and she finds the answer to a question that’s been on her mind forever: “What are people for?”Leeva at Last is a funny, charming, and whimsical young middle grade book about what it means to care about others.

Selah knows there’s something different about her. She’s uncomfortable with overstimulation and can’t seem to instinctively figure out social cues, so she follows the rules; does what others do/expect her to do in those situations. But when she’s home, she practically crashes, needing to recover from shapeshifting all day. She’s doing okay, until one day she hits a fellow student who keeps trying to braid Selah’s hair. This leads to a series of events ending in an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis and the realization that although she’s different, it’s good different.Good Different is a powerful verse exploration of life on the autism spectrum and the illuminating experience of finally understanding oneself.

udrey Covington Breaks the Rules is Karina Evans sophomore middle grade novel. It features young Audrey who’s graduating from elementary school and struggling with having overprotective parents. She notices that her friends seem uninterested in hanging out with her (because she can’t do many of the things their parents allow them to — getting ice cream together alone, watching non PG movies alone, and more). The breaking point comes when they officially uninvite from their much-anticipated graduation sleepover. Deeply upset, Audrey takes the opportunity to abscond with her celebrity grandmother (who’s desperate to get away for her own reasons). From escaping security on movie lots to crashing celebrity parties, the two have a hijinks-filled day. But how long can Audrey keep breaking the rules?Audrey Covington Breaks the Rules is an exciting, escapist, and insightful middle grade book about identity and finding balanced freedom as a tween.

In Frizzy, young Marlene hates the salon where her mom takes her to get her natural curls straightened weekly. Marlene’s mom and some in their circle/family believe that “good hair” is straight hair. Marlene’s mom wants her to focus on school and look “tidy” by having her hair straight and slick. But Marlene isn’t so sure. She sees an internet influencer and her favorite aunt, Tia Ruby rocking their curls and is eager to try. But her first attempt fails woefully. With Tia Ruby’s hair, Marlene learns to care for her natural hair better and embrace her curls.Frizzy is a delightful, thought-provoking graphic novel about natural hair, self-acceptance, and body image.

Ratty Barclay turned into a rat minutes after he was born, causing his parents to run away from him, leaving him in the care of his Uncle Max. But now, Max is 13 and ready to undo the curse, so he convinces his uncle Max to take him back to Fairweather Island, the home of the Barclay family where Ratty is convinced he can reverse the curse. Unfortunately, Max and Ratty meet Edweena, the rat-obsessed daughter of their caretaker whose ancestor invented the rat catcher. Edweena was bitten by a rat as a baby and wants to kill every rat in existence to prevent it from hurting anyone else. Ratty and his uncle must hide Ratty from Edweena as Ratty learns about the Barclay family history and their curse and figures out how to fix things. This was gripping from the beginning with strong classic fairy tale feels. I was worried about Ratty the whole way through and was fully invested in the story. My only quibble is that it’s obvious this whole book is about getting readers to view rats in a different light. I wish the author hadn’t let the message-y vibe ruin the story’s satisfaction.

I loved this story! Kylie has three besties who are all different but love to do stuff together. All her friends think she’s such a baby because sensitive and quick to tears and while they’re all excited about 7th grade, Kylie is worried she isn’t mature enough and they’ll leave her behind as they start wearing bras and getting their periods so she decides to do an experiment where she’ll do everything everyone is doing for the whole summer. In time, she learns that she’s enough and she doesn’t have to mature at the same pace or in the same way her friends are. She also learns what it really means to be mature. I loved the flow of this story, the short chapters, the nuance, the family dynamics, and that feel of summer on every page. Heads up for some hard issues like parental divorce, parents working away from home, growing faster or slower than your peers, and having stricter parents than your peers, as well as peer pressure, shoplifting, and lying.