Books for Ages 8-12

The best chapter books and middle grade novels for ages 8–12 — classics, award-winners, and diverse voices.

76 books

Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web

E.B. White

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Matilda

Matilda

Roald Dahl

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Roald Dahl

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The BFG

The BFG

Roald Dahl

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Stuart Little

Stuart Little

E.B. White

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Trumpet of the Swan

The Trumpet of the Swan

E.B. White

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Beverly Cleary

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Beverly Cleary

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Paterson

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

E.L. Konigsburg

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

Katherine Applegate

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

Holes

Holes

Louis Sachar

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O'Dell

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux

Kate DiCamillo

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie

Kate DiCamillo

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Number the Stars

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Giver

The Giver

Lois Lowry

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Wonder

Wonder

R.J. Palacio

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

C.S. Lewis

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Hobbit

The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Where the Red Fern Grows

Where the Red Fern Grows

Wilson Rawls

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

The Cricket in Times Square

The Cricket in Times Square

George Selden

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Robert C. O'Brien

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Pippi Longstocking

Pippi Longstocking

Astrid Lindgren

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Witches

The Witches

Roald Dahl

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting

Natalie Babbitt

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

The Indian in the Cupboard

The Indian in the Cupboard

Lynne Reid Banks

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Hatchet

Hatchet

Gary Paulsen

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

My Side of the Mountain

My Side of the Mountain

Jean Craighead George

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Borrowers

The Borrowers

Mary Norton

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted

Gail Carson Levine

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

Shiloh

Shiloh

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Boxcar Children

The Boxcar Children

Gertrude Chandler Warner

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Little Prince

The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Kenneth Grahame

Ages 8-12Advanced ReaderMiddle Grade

Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy

Louise Fitzhugh

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Incredible Journey

The Incredible Journey

Sheila Burnford

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Patricia MacLachlan

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderChapter Book

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Jeff Kinney

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot

Peter Brown

Ages 8-12Independent ReaderMiddle Grade

New Kid

New Kid

Jerry Craft

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Front Desk

Front Desk

Kelly Yang

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Crossover

The Crossover

Kwame Alexander

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Mildred D. Taylor

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons

Sharon Creech

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

Christopher Paul Curtis

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Christopher Paul Curtis

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee

Jerry Spinelli

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again

Thanhha Lai

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising

Pam Muñoz Ryan

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Ghost

Ghost

Jason Reynolds

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The City of Ember

The City of Ember

Jeanne DuPrau

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water

Linda Sue Park

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Frindle

Frindle

Andrew Clements

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderEarly Reader

Gathering Blue

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Among the Hidden

Among the Hidden

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander

Suzanne Collins

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Hundred Dresses

The Hundred Dresses

Eleanor Estes

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderEarly Reader

My Father's Dragon

My Father's Dragon

Ruth Stiles Gannett

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderEarly Reader

The Egypt Game

The Egypt Game

Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Sounder

Sounder

William H. Armstrong

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Johnny Tremain

Johnny Tremain

Esther Forbes

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Avi

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Brian Selznick

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Savvy

Savvy

Ingrid Law

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Report Card

The Report Card

Andrew Clements

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

Genesis Begins Again

Genesis Begins Again

Alicia D. Williams

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Twenty-One Balloons

The Twenty-One Balloons

William Pène du Bois

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade

The Pushcart War

The Pushcart War

Jean Merrill

Ages 8-12Proficient ReaderMiddle Grade