Only a few days left in December, so it’s time to take a look back over twelve incredible months of children’s publishing before we enter 2025. A few weeks ago, we gave you our picks for the 10 Best New Picture Books of 2024, and now we’re back with our favorite middle grade novels that were released this year. From epic stories of grand adventure and mystery to powerful coming-of-age tales, these books represent our picks for the very best of the genre.
Trigger Warning: This article discusses books that address sexual assault, child abuse and death, racism, transphobia, bigotry, addiction, bullying, mental health, and suicidal ideation, the mention of which may be triggering for some readers. Please engage in self-care as you read.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, Illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie
An absolute stunner of a series kickoff, Impossible Creatures throws the practical and kindhearted Christopher into the impromptu rescue of a baby griffin, an act that will forever change his understanding of his world. He soon joins forces with the clever and courageous Mal, a girl on the run from a killer, and the two race to save an entire ecosystem of magical creatures from powers beyond their control.
Rundell offers some impeccable worldbuilding, utilizing popular fantasy motifs in a way that feels familiar yet fresh, and the world of the Archipelago is given even more life through MacKenzie’s detailed illustrations and bestiary entries. Yet perhaps what makes this title most entrancing is the mix of heart-racing adventure and drama with universally hilarious wit — when a book begins with the sentence “It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him,” the reader knows they’re in for a ride.
Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen
Quentin “Quagmire” Tiarello is 14, he’s starting high school next year, and he doesn’t need anybody’s help with anything, thank you very much. Yes, the home life that he keeps incredibly private can be a little unpredictable at times. Yes, his mother — who has undiagnosed bipolar disorder — occasionally disappears for a few days and he has to fend for himself. But Quag is a survivor: he keeps to himself so people don’t look into his mother’s absences, and if he has to occasionally dumpster dive for food, well, so what? It’s no one’s business but his.
Quag’s story is a poignant look at the struggles that surround mental illness, especially for kids who end up shouldering adult responsibilities when they affect family stability. Yet Quag’s mother is never treated as a villain, and readers can understand why Quag is trying to protect her … but also why he needs to give up control when he can’t protect her any longer. Larsen expertly weaves these heavy subjects with wry humor and an important lesson on how to build a support system, leaving the reader with optimism for Quag’s future.
Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston
Due to some dental issues, 12-year-old Sharkita Hayes has an unfortunate nickname at school: Shark Teeth. Ironic, because Kita feels like she’s the one always treading water as sharks circle her, waiting for the next thing to go wrong. For her mom to start drinking again, or lose her job; for her and her siblings to be separated and put in foster care like last summer; for her sleep paralysis nightmares or anxiety to overwhelm her. Yet like a shark, Kita has to keep swimming — or she’ll drown.
Shark Teeth is a tough yet important read, especially for anyone who was or is forced into caregiving for younger siblings as a child. Kita’s story revolves heavily around the realization that she is missing the experience of childhood due to her mother’s alcoholism, neglect, and verbal abuse. Yet readers will empathize deeply with her desire to protect her younger siblings amid her own turmoil. Themes of Black community and authentic depictions of foster care give rise to rich supporting characters, and while the ending is realistically complex, it is shaded with the hope Kita deserves.
Jamie by L. D. Lapinski
While there’s been a growing representation of trans characters in children’s literature over the last decade, nonbinary characters are few and far between. Enter Jamie, an 11-year-old living in England who had been proudly and openly enby for several years, with the support of their friends, family, and community. That is until it comes time to enroll in one of the middle schools, which are separated by binary gender. Suddenly, their allies begin to drop off as they are told to stop seeking attention and just pick.
Lapinski does a phenomenal job of mixing humor and heart into an important (and all-too-familiar) tale of the nonbinary experience. Queer and trans readers of all ages may flinch as Jamie’s friends and family accuse them of inventing problems for themselves, but these moments lead to important conversations about identity and allyship. Most importantly, Jamie’s identity is never questioned from the reader’s perspective, affirming and validating nonbinary trans identities for young readers.
Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr., Illustrated by Jes & Cin Wibowo
This stunning, gut-wrenching debut from Weaver is already well on its way to becoming a modern classic, having been met with glowing and well-deserved praise since its release in September. An autobiographical graphic novel of Weaver at 11 years old, it details how his love of comic books, anime, and video games led to severe bullying from his peers. Feeling constantly trapped and isolated by his social environment, Tony’s mental health worsens until he attempts to take his own life.
Fortunately, Tony’s attempt is unsuccessful and he reluctantly begins therapy as part of his recovery. Entering a new school and finding an unexpected community of fellow Black “weirdos,” Tony begins an empowering journey of self-acceptance. The artwork by Jes & Cin Wibowo ties perfectly into the narrative, reinforcing the theme that anyone can become the hero of their own story.
The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon
After the passing of her grandfather, biracial 11-year-old Delilah “Dally” Peteharrington is struggling with the loss of his accepting and encouraging presence in her life. Her mother is grieving in her own way, becoming distant and controlling of Dally’s time and interests. Needing to escape her mother’s rigidity and feel connected to her grandfather again, she steals an envelope that he had left for her … and inadvertently opens up a world she could not have imagined.
The conceit of the book is one that will charm any book lover or amateur historian: a secret archive of books, each one opening to a particular point in time that Dally can travel to. As Dally unravels the mysteries of her family’s past and gains a deeper understanding of herself and her identity, Magoon’s sparkling writing crafts detailed worlds and characters that transport the reader alongside the main character, all leading to a critical choice that will allow Dally to determine her own fate.
Deer Run Home by Ann Clare LeZotte
12-year-old Effie and her older sister have recently moved into their father’s trailer after their mother sent them away. Effie is Deaf and understands ASL, yet her family never attempted to learn it; instead, her father communicates by stomping, pointing, and making cruel jokes. Deprived of language and falling behind in school, Effie learns to express herself in poetry, leading to revelations that may help her find a true home.
Fair warning: there are moments in this book that will absolutely shatter the reader. Through Effie’s narrative poems, the reader viscerally experiences her frustration, isolation, and neglect, and then the gradual realization that she is a survivor of sexual abuse. Yet LeZotte — herself Deaf — never paints Effie as a tragedy, but as a girl with reclaimed agency and a determination to endure and thrive. While often heartbreaking, Effie’s story is ultimately one of kindness, friendship, and hope that will stick with readers for a long, long time.
The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho, Illustrated by Deb JJ Lee
At the start of this graphic novel set in 2013 North Korea, the main characters — 10-year-old Yunho and 11-year-old Myunghee — have lost most of their families to the effects of the country’s dictatorial regime, including via execution. When the two are thrown into each other’s path by a life-or-death event, they decide to unite to work towards their common goal: escaping their government by illegally crossing the border into China.
Every moment of this story is pulse-pounding and meaningfully captures the constant fear and anxiety of living under extreme oppression and the constant threat of capture or death, never mind doing so as a young child. Yunho and Myunghee are believably courageous and resourceful, however, and the reader is on tenterhooks until the final page to find out if their treacherous journey is successful. Lee’s art perfectly captures both the frigid cold of the children’s harsh environment, as well as the growing warmth of their found family, blending with Cho’s powerful words to weave a soul-stirring story of survival.
Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan
Summer (Cree/Apache) treasures her yearly trips with her parents and brother to visit her maternal grandparents in Alberta on the Cree reservation. For years, they have been relaxed and filled with leisurely summer activities, but this year feels … different. First, 12-year-old Summer begins having vivid and disturbing dreams of an Indigenous girl named Buffalo Dreamer fleeing through the night. Then, she learns that the unmarked graves of children were unearthed at the former site of a nearby residential school, tearing open the long-hidden wounds of the local Cree community.
Drawing from her own family’s history and experiences, Duncan (Kehewin Cree/Taino) provides an age-accessible account of the horrific history surrounding Indigenous residential “schools” that pulls no punches. Still, her story doesn’t linger on that pain, focusing instead on how the Nation comes together to help each other heal from their shared traumatic past. It’s a deeply gripping read that shines a light on a shadowed corner of the past and encourages Indigenous children to reclaim their people’s narrative.
Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar
At 13 years old, Elio Solis has fallen in love for the first time. Camelia makes Elio’s world burst into ultraviolet technicolor, but for a newly-minted teenager experiencing love and sexual urges for the first time, he is at a loss for how to manage these emotions. The messages he receives from social media, peers, family, and his Latine community couldn’t be more mixed: how can Elios decide what kind of man he wants to be when manhood appears in so many conflicting forms?
Salazar’s lyrical verse is a sensitive, honest testament to the complicated state of modern masculinity, and how difficult it can be for young men to navigate it. Elio is consistently confronted by messages of toxic masculinity — including from his father — while also trying to embody the feminist values that his mother has instilled. The topics covered are both timely and evergreen: consent, peer pressure, and the complicated relationships between fathers and sons. Yet what is most striking is how Salazar allows the young characters to get things wrong, grounding them in realism. Elio and Camelia are not perfect; they’re 13-year-olds making mistakes and figuring things out, yet learning and growing from their experiences in a way that feels authentic and genuine.
2024 has been an incredible year for middle-grade fiction, and this list was incredibly difficult to narrow down to only ten titles. These were the ones that moved us: made us laugh, made us cry, and opened our hearts and minds to new perspectives. We hope that you and the young readers in your life enjoy them, and we can’t wait to see what the next year of children’s literature brings.
To see more of our favorite children’s literature from the last year, check out our article on The Best Picture Books of 2024.
To see more of our sci-fi and fantasy recommendations for young readers, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
