Best New Middle School Books 2023
Step into the captivating world of the Best New Middle School Books of 2023!
From thrilling adventures and gripping mysteries to heartwarming tales of friendship and self-discovery, this year’s selection is sure to keep young readers on the edge of their seats.
Whether they’re exploring magical realms, navigating the complexities of growing up, or embarking on epic quests, these top picks promise to ignite imaginations and inspire countless hours of reading enjoyment.
You can find these new middle school books at your local library or through the links provided for your convenience. To see winners from past years and other age groups, visit the Best New Books for Kids.
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Join us as we dive into the pages of these exciting new releases and embark on unforgettable literary adventures together!
And for more reading adventures, the Ultimate Middle School Book List will steer you in the right direction!
Best New Books for Middle School 2023
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Publishers Weekly * School Library Journal * Booklist * Kirkus Reviews * NPR * and MORE!
A thriller for middle-grade readers about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world — and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all.
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars,in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life—and makes discoveries about friendship, community, and himself along the way.
From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’, comes a hilarious and creepy middle grade summer camp story that takes a bite out of fat camp and diet culture.
Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, Booklist and More!
Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, Tiger Daughter is an award-winning novel about finding your voice amidst the pressures of growing up in an immigrant home told from the perspective of a remarkable young Chinese girl.
From beloved powerhouse author Katherine Applegate comes The One and Only Ruby, starring the adorable baby elephant from the Newbery Medal-winning modern classic The One and Only Ivan and its bestselling sequel, The One and Only Bob.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a “involving, realistic” (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about a young girl who leaves China to live with her parents and sister, after five years apart, and learns about family, friendship, and the power of being finally seen.
Amazon Best Children's Book of 2023
From beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations from Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a forever home in readers’ hearts.
Newbery Honor Award Winner
An unforgettable graphic memoir about a Mexican American boy’s family and their adventure-filled road trip to bring their abuelito back from Mexico.
The Secret Garden meets A Wrinkle in Time in Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, the first book in the most extraordinary new fantasy series.
Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself.
Abeni's Song by award-winning author P. Djèlí Clark is the enchanting beginning of an epic West African and African Diaspora-inspired fantasy adventure for middle-grade readers about a reluctant apprentice to magic and the stolen villagers she sets out to save.
Skandar’s adventure among the warrior unicorns continues in this spectacular sequel to the instant New York Times and international bestseller Skandar and the Unicorn Thief.
A USA Today bestseller perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile, this refreshingly honest middle-grade debut novel is about toxic sibling rivalry, socioeconomic disparity, and dental drama.
The New York Times bestselling The Wild Robot series returns, taking Roz on an action-packed under-the-ocean journey to save her beloved island!
An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year!
Perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Coco, and Ghosts comes a spooky fantasy graphic novel about the friendship between a girl who can see ghosts and a boy who is stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic.
A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important.
Newbery Medal Winner
A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.
Wrecker needs to deal with smugglers, grave robbers, and pooping iguanas — just as soon as he finishes Zoom school. Welcome to another wild adventure in Carl Hiaasen's Florida!
The original heroes from The Lightning Thief are reunited for their biggest challenge yet: getting Percy to college when the gods are standing in his way.
National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson brings readers a powerful story that delves deeply into life’s burning questions about time and memory and what we take with us into the future.
Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass.
It’s about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you).