Books for Younger Readers
This is a fantastic novel about two boys: the injured son of a farmer, and a boy chosen from the orphan train to take on the work he can no longer do. It is one of my all-time favorite books. It is perfect for teaching about theme, the history of the orphan train and range wars of the late 1800's, and that all people have value, regardless of their background, current circumstances, or disability. Perfect for lower middle grades to read on their own, but also a quick, enjoyable read for those who are older. (Reading Level: 4.5 / Middle Grades)
This book is just packed with action and mystery. Set in the Middle Ages, it tells the story of a boy who is chosen along with three others to compete for the chance to be passed off as the newly found long-lost prince. Not only is it a fantastic read, but it is the first book in a trilogy, so the good stuff just keeps coming. (Reading Level: 5.1 / Middle Grades)
This is the first book in a very funny series that follows a boy on his ridiculously absurd adventures through 19th century England. Although the reading level is quite high for a book intended for middle grade readers, it also quite short, making it more than manageable. (Reading Level: 6.3 / Middle Grades)
Here is another super funny book that readers of all ages will love. It is told by a boy who remembers all the crazy things that happened every summer during the 1930's when he and his sister would visit their larger-than-life grandmother. Although it is probably intended for readers in, say, the 5th grade, my son read it in his second grade class at school and loved it. I read it at the same time and loved it as well. And guess what? There are two companion books that are just as funny as this first one! (Reading Level: 5.0 / Middle Grades)
This is another fun book that is part one in a series. It is about a boy who has to move Alcatraz because his dad gets a job there. Part history, part humor, part the story of a boy growing up with an autistic sister, this book has a lot going for it. Add to that the pretty low reading level, and it should be a winner for even the most reluctant reader out there. (Reading Level: 3.5 / Middle Grades)
I'm starting to see a pattern here, as this is the sixth historical fiction book I'm recommending. (What can I say? Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants type stuff just isn't my thing!) This one takes place during WWII and is about a boy being a boy in 1940's New York, and also about his plan to save his teacher from being fired. I liked it so much I bought a copy for my home library. (Reading Level: 3.8 / Middle Grades)
This is another one of my all-time favorites for younger readers. It was very popular in the early 2000's - I taught it at school and it was even made into a movie. It is a super original tale of a boy who gets sent to a juvenile correctional facility where all they do all day is dig giant holes. The reason for the madness is slowly revealed in seemingly unrelated interspersed chapters that take place in the past, and the reader gets the joy and excitement of putting together the clues until the final AHA! moment when everything is tied together. (Reading Level: 4.6 / Middle Grades)
Finally, a book with nothing whatsoever to do with history! Instead, this one is about a boy with superpowers who is a secret sidekick to a super hero. It's a great action/adventure story intended for middle grade readers, but at 384 pages it is a full-blown novel, not just the fluff you get in a lot of the series out there. Guaranteed to please anyone who picks it up. (Reading Level: 5.4 / Middle Grades)
This is a super funny book about the caveman who supposedly invented language, leading to all sorts of new things for humanity. Although this book get a recommended age level of Middle Grade on the Accelerated Reader website, the two things that make it so funny are the use of English term like 'past participle,' as well as they way it describes the emergence of all the things familiar to modern society (like science, fashion fads, political power struggles and money), so younger readers might not appreciate the humor as much as someone a bit older. In fact, I would wager that most adults would get a total kick out of reading it, so maybe this would be a good one to read with your kids (if you have them). (Reading Level: 5.9 / Middle Grades)
This is another book that is recommended for the middle grades, but that I think would be more appreciated by someone with a few more years under their belt. Jam packed with humor, it tells the story of Vospop "Voss" Vsklzwczdztwczky, an Eastern European immigrant, who has all kinds of crazy adventures immigrating to America. It has a hilarious way of helping us hear the character's accent: 'We have smoggled ourselves aboard a great big sheep . . . [and] are headed for dip dip trobble." (I imagine the accent like this clip of some guys from Moldova) Too, too funny. (Reading Level: 4.0 / Middle Grades)
This is a quick, action-packed read about a teenage boy who finds out that he is actually a survivor of a war on another planet. On top of that, his enemies are out there trying to find and kill him. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking to myself, Wow, they ought to make this into a movie! Well, it turns out they did, although I've heard that it wasn't all that great (go figure). The book IS great, though, and there are six more in the series, (some with male main characters and some not) so if action and adventure is what you're looking for, this is the perfect book to pick up and read. (Reading Level: 4.4 / Middle Grade+)
This is a historical fantasy novel about the 16 year old son of Odysseus who decides to go searching for his long-lost father. The great thing about this being told in a historical fantasy format is that it presents all the mythological aspects of Homer's story as being real (the guy's best friend is a centaur), all while presenting the story as a plausible speculative history. Barrett's writing, as usual, doesn't disappoint, and at part adventure, part coming of age, there is not a boring part to be found. (Reading Level: 5.5 / Middle Grade+)
I read this book years and years ago, not longer after I stopped teaching at an inner-city middle school. It really resonated with me - I could see so many of my former students in the main character. Written in the form of a journal, complete with notes from his teacher, it tells the story of a bully who is sentenced to a protracted series of daily detentions, and given the task of writing to pass the time. Honest, enlightening, and funny, the character's amazingly authentic voice makes this a book that is definitely worth reading. (Reading Level: 4.3 / Middle Grade+)
Books for Older Readers
The first book in a trilogy, this one follows a teenage assassin as he attempts to complete one of his missions. Fast paced and full of action, this is another book that reads like a movie. And with the low reading level, it is perfect for reluctant readers or anyone who doesn't have a lot of time or wants to finish it quickly. (Reading Level: 3.6 / Upper Grades)
According to this novel, a doppelganger is not just someone who looks just like someone else, it is actually a monster who kills and then takes the skin of that person. This amazing story follows a teenage doppelganger as he goes out into the world for the first time. It isn't just a story about violence, however. It is deep, and poignant, with soul-searching and the examination of what it really means to be a monster. Riveting. Fantastic. Read it. (Reading Level: 4.5 / Upper Grades)
This is the first book in a two-book series abut a boy who has grown up in foster care who gets a scholarship to an elite boarding school. When he gets to the school, however, he finds out that, not only are there no adults, but the students are actually being held prisoner. This is an interesting, fast-paced thriller that, although it isn't a mystery per se, is chock full of characters trying to figure out what the heck is really going on. (Reading Level: 4.5 / Upper Grades)
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
This book follows a group of teenagers who are on a school bus when the world as they know it comes to an end. The bus driver crashes them into a big box store, where they hole up and not only have to survive on their own, but they have to take care of the little kids who just so happened to be on the bus with them. There are actually three books in the series, with the third having the narration split between two characters, one of which is a boy. It is post-apocalyptic survival at its finest, so if you like that sort of thing you should definitely read this one. (Reading Level: 4.0 / Upper Grades)
This is a super original science fiction story about a 16 year old boy who, when dying of cancer, agrees to have his head frozen until the time when science figures out how to do head transplants. Of course, everyone thought this would come YEARS into the future, but after only five years they bring the kid back. There is plenty of humor in the book as the boy tries to get used to his new body, but there is also some more serious stuff going on with everybody else (parents, former girlfriend, best friend) who have spent the past five years mourning and moving on. A nice, well-rounded novel I think most would enjoy. (Reading Level: 4.5 / Upper Grades)
Rotters by Daniel Kraus
This is a fantastic book - one of the few that I have rated with higher than three stars. I read it like eight or nine years ago, so I don't remember a lot of the details, but I do remember being blown away by it, mostly because it is so incredibly original. I can't really tell you what it's about, other than it is about a teenage boy who's mother dies, and he has to go live with his father, who he does not know. And then his life gets turned completely upside down. That's all I can say. Except that it has an evil dwarf. Goodreads labels this novel as Horror, but I don't think it really fits into that genre. I think it pretty much needs its own genre. Just to warn you, it is quite long (448 pages), but this is one of those books that you get to the end of and still actually wish it was longer. (Reading Level: 5.7 / Upper Grades)
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
This is another book that I loved for its originality. It is about a teenage boy who is actually a Changeling raised by a human family. Although he has tried his whole life to fit in as human, when his friend's little sister goes missing, he has to go into the underworld/otherworld from which he came to try to get her back. If you read the numerous reviews of this book that other readers have posted online, you will see that a lot of people hated it, a lot of people loved it, and a lot of people just thought it was mediocre. So. If you've found that you seem to like the same books that I do, then I think you will really, really like this one. (Reading Level: 5.2 / Upper Grades)
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