16 Incredible New Middle Grade Books, September 2024
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Get ready for the BEST month of middle grade books of 2024! You’ll find several excellent spooky books, two books with unreliable narrators, three that will make you cry, and books in the genres of magical realism, mystery, humor, and fantasy.
I haven’t even read half the books out this month but here’s what I’ve read and recommend. If I find any more, I’ll add them to next month’s list.
I think you will most of these books for your schools, libraries, and homes! Happy reading!!
New Middle Grade September 2024
Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night written by Steven Banbury 
PARANORMAL / SPOOKY
226 pages
One of the best middle grade books of 2024, this is an exciting, tender, and creative story about a plucky orphan named Eve escaping a horrible orphanage again. While she’s running away from the dogs and guards, she’s found by the Pumpkin King, who adopts her as his daughter and takes her to his world. But Eve is the only living creature in the land, and some of the creatures (werewolves and vampires) want to banish her. The Pumpkin King fights for her right to stay. In fact, he takes his new dad job seriously, which is everything Eve has always wanted. (A FAMILY!) He’s sweet and caring and even reads parenting books! Then, someone chains the sun, hurting the Pumpkin King and the whole land. It’s up to Eve and her friends to investigate and save the world before it’s too late.
Deer Run Home written by Ann Clare LeZotte
REALISTIC / VERSE / DISABILITY
224 pages
Drop everything and read this profoundly moving story in verse about a d/Deaf girl whose home life is filled with abuse and neglect, including a complete lack of communication! Neither Effie’s (divorced) parents nor her sister have learned ASL, so they communicate with stomps, slaps, and gestures. Now at her alcoholic father’s trailer home with a big secret, she’s repeating 5th grade. Her kind ASL interpreter and tutor sees what’s happening at home and petitions for custody of Effie. When Effie feels safe enough in her new home, she finally tells her big secret. Speaking the truth helps Effie find her strength…so does a new friend, writing poetry, and her guardian’s love. Based on a true story and the author’s own life experiences, this heartbreaking and hopeful story will change your life. Content warning: Sexual abuse is mentioned briefly.
Tig written by Heather Smith
REALISTIC / LGBTQ+ / FOUND FAMILY
160 pages
Tig and her brother Peter are abandoned by their mom again. Eventually, after months of living on their own, social services finds out and sends them to Uncle Scott and his partner’s house. There, Tig is angry and mean. She refuses to get close to her uncles, so she’s surprised when she asks for a dog, they get her one! That’s when we see her start to change and the healing power of a dog’s love. This story is sad, wonderful, and powerful as we watch Tig open herself to love and begin to trust again.
Elephant Touch written by Susan R. Greenway
REALISTIC / GRIEF
146 pages
I cried most of the way through this book because it touched my heart so deeply. Quinn is a girl whose mom has recently died. Now, she’s at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand with her aunt. She helps save an orphan elephant by connecting the baby with an elephant auntie in hopes that the new connection will help the baby elephant eat and drink again. Seeing their surprising and powerful connection helps heal Quinn’s grieving heart. It’s a special, memorable story about grief and the healing power of animals.
Puppet written by David Almond, illustrated by Lizzy Stewart
MAGICAL REALISM
240 pages
This gentle story about an old puppet maker delves into what it means to be alive. When the puppet maker Silvester makes one last puppet…it comes to life! Puppet can say two things, “E-O” and “jam” and learns to walk. Silvester takes Puppet outside, where they befriend a girl named Fleur and her mother, bonding over puppets, tea, and stories and becoming the best of friends. But all things come to an end, even Puppets and old men. When it does end, you’ll cry and rejoice for the time you had together. The black and white illustrations in cartoon panels are perfect additions to this quiet yet poignant story. I loved every second of this middle grade book and highly recommend it for your next read aloud or middle grade book club!
Monster Tree written by Sarah Allen
SPOOKY / GRIEF
272 pages
With brilliant character development, exciting suspense, and a bizarre mystery that even scaredy-cat readers like me can’t put down, you won’t want to miss this heartfelt and mesmerizing middle-grade novel. After his dad’s death, Linus and his mom move to a new house. Outside his window is a spooky tree in his neighbor Maude’s yard that changes into different shapes and grows weird fruit. Even worse, sinister monsters are living in the tree. One gets into Linus’s room and leaves claw marks on his bedroom door. Then, when a person and a cat go missing, Linus and his two friends are determined to find out the truth about the tree and Maude’s wicked motivations. It’s up to the kids to stop the monsters and Maude. But how?
Impossible Creatures written by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Ashley MacKenzie
FANTASY
358 pages
When Christopher visits his grandfather, he treks up the forbidden hill where he’s stampeded by magical creatures. After he saves a baby griffin, Christopher learns that he’s the guardian of the portal and that to save the last griffin of its kind, he must travel to another world with a girl from that world named Mal. In this world, they search for the answers that will save the magic and the magical creatures from dying–or being controlled by someone evil. It’s a compelling story perfect for readers who love fantasy creatures, heroic main characters, and friendship stories.
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall written by Jasmine Warga
MYSTERY
224 pages
If you’re looking for an excellent, heartwarming mystery with lovable characters who don’t want to be invisible anymore, read this book next. Rami’s single mom is in charge of the cleaning crew at an art museum when a painting gets stolen, and now she’s a suspect. Rami and his new friend Veda decide they must prove his mom is innocent. As they start to investigate, they meet a floating girl, maybe a ghost, and realize that it’s the girl from the stolen painting. They follow clues to find the culprit but get help from someone surprising — the turtle who lives in the garden.
Sherlock Society by James Ponti
MYSTERY
352 pages
Set in Miami, Alex and his older sister’s summer turns into a dangerous adventure. It all starts when the siblings, along with two other friends and their grandfather, create a detective agency. They research one of their journalist grandfather’s cold cases– the missing treasure of Al Capone. While they’re investigating, they discover another mystery – the illegal dumping of hazardous waste. This leads them to a nefarious, wealthy businessman. While investigating the businessman, they may or may not take some big risks…and they get arrested! (Good thing their mom is a lawyer.) I liked the mystery, the sibling bond, and that the grandfather was such an important character.
Pablo and Splash written and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
FUNNY GRAPHIC NOVEL
240 pages
Get ready for your next favorite funny graphic novel! This is a hilarious book about two penguin friends in Antarctica, one who is an impulsive dreamer and one who is a serious planner. One of them wants to go on vacation to a warm spot, but they accidentally fall into a scientist’s lair and get trapped! To escape, they go into a time machine that takes them to a BURNING HOT place that might just kill them. (Can you guess where it is?) This is a silly adventure that is 100% entertaining!
The School for Wicked Witches written by Will Taylor
FANTASY
256 pages
Ava comes from a large, poor brick moss farming family, so when she gets sent to the West Oz Witch Academy, she’s excited. But not for long, because the school, she’s dubbed “wicked” after her magic gets out of control and sent to the school for wicked witches. She and her roommate who is also good, decide to escape the school that won’t let them leave– at least not for many years. After I got about 3/4 of the way through, I noticed the echoes of the original story, which I loved. Ava knows what she wants but will she get it — and will it be everything she’s hoped?
Nancy Spector: The Case of the Missing Spot written by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Linh Pham
FANTASY GRAPHIC NOVELS
208 pages
The invisible man has lost his invisible dog, so 8-year-old detective Nancy and her dog Jinx take the case! Where is Spot? Get ready for chipmunk unicorns, dragons, monsters, and a hamster funeral! This is an entertaining, adventurous mystery with beautiful art.
Sports Superheroes Stephen Curry written by Josh Bycel and Rich Korson, illustrated by Damion Scott
INFORMATIONAL FICTION GRAPHIC NOVEL SPORTS
112 pages
When they’re at a basketball game, Maya and Jesse get a text that leads them to a secret throne room of sports superheroes. The masked and hooded judges ask Maya and Jessee to help them decide on who will be the next generation of sports superheroes. With humor and excitement, the kids and the heroes talk about Stephen Curry’s life and career, including his defining moments, stats, being an underdog and underrated who was overlooked in high school and college, his habits and practices, joining the NBA, marriage, and kids. It’s informative, funny (farts and butts included), and excellent!
Dungeon Runners written by Kieran Larwood, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton
FANTASY
224 pages
There are underdogs, and then there are under-underdogs –small, young, and inexperienced! Two kid gnorfs (dwarf gnomes) and a vampire enter as a team in the Dungeon Running League. The other teams are experienced, older, and well-trained. Their new team has no training, skills, or even height. What could go wrong –besides everything? Readers will love cheering on this hapless team whose kindness, teamwork, and luck might just make all the difference!
Lola written by Karla Arenas Valenti
MAGICAL REALISM
256 pages
Lola and her older brother Alex live in a house in Mexico City whose yard has a magical tree that blooms all year round, with different colored blooms for the seasons. But the tree and nearby plants have areas that are brown and dead… and whatever it is infects Alex, too. Lola learns that she must travel to another world to save her brother and the tree. Accompanied by a chaneque, Lola embarks on an amazing adventure in a magical land with unexpected results. This is a heartfelt story of bravery, adventure, family, and grief with a plot twist you won’t see coming!
My Vampire vs. Your Werewolf written by Paul Tobin
PARANORMAL
272 pages
I zipped through this unusual story. The unique premise is that certain kids must track down monsters for monster battles. Which is kind of weird, honestly but I think I liked it mostly. Supposedly, the monster battles will help the monsters’ mental health and will help the kids get their wishes fulfilled after they get three monster medallions. Isn’t that a weird premise? I kept expecting a twist, but that was it– no twist.
