Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.
The beginning of summer is the perfect time to dive into some cozy middle grade books. These books are warm, welcoming, and inviting. They have humor, friendship, and occasionally a crush or two. But while they have enough conflict and stakes to be entertaining, they won’t stress readers out or break their hearts.
The five books on this list range from realistic stories to fantasy romps to one book in between. They include funny fairytale reimaginings, a summer camp story, a magical bakery run by Mexican-American brujas, and a girl trying to appease a friendly but sad ghost. Whether you or the young reader in your life loves graphic novels, dogs, myths and legends, cooking, or witty satire, there is something on this list that will help any reader check out of the real world and get lost in a great story.
Read on to find the perfect cozy middle grade book and get ready to smile, laugh, and perhaps forget about the stressful things in your life for at least a little bit.
Camp Frenemies by Liz Montague
This graphic novel tells the story of Beatrice, Roxy, and Virginia, who are all going to sleepaway camp for the first time in the summer before 7th grade. Each girl has a reason she doesn’t want to be there. And it definitely isn’t friendship at first sight. But eventually these frenemies turn into friends, supporting each other through first crushes, family troubles, bullying, feeling left out, and more. I had a particular soft spot for Beatrice, who still plays with stuffed animals and brings her stuffed bunny Roger with her everywhere. As someone who played with Barbies into my early teens and brought my stuffed bear Cinnamon to college with me, I felt so seen while reading about her now. I wish I’d been able to read this sweet story when I was in middle school.
Love Sugar Magic: Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Leonora is the youngest of five sisters who all work at the family bakery in a small Texas town. And with Dia de los Muertos coming up, there is a lot of work to do. But Leo feels left out by her family, who tell her she’s too young to help them with the baking. When Leo sneaks out of school, she finds out why. Her mother, aunt, and sisters are all brujas who put a little bit of magic into each baked good they sell. Leo also has magical abilities that are passed down through her family tree of witches from Mexico. She’s determined to work on her magic in secret to prove she can work at the bakery with her sisters.
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The Wizard’s Dog by Eric Kahn Gale
Puppy lovers should get ready to laugh when reading this King Arthur retelling from the perspective of Merlin’s dog, Nosewise. A special stone makes Nosewise able to talk, along with many other new abilities. When Merlin and his apprentice Morgana are kidnapped, the dog teams up with a young Arthur and Guinevere to get them back. Along the way, they face magic-eating worms, a quest for the sword Excalibur, and a battle with the fae. But Nosewise is a loyal pup, and there’s nothing he won’t do for his “pack mates” in need.
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
Does anyone write middle grade stories better than Kate DiCamillo? I personally don’t think so. Entering the world of this book is like snuggling under a fuzzy blanket or having a sip of hot tea. Ferris is juggling multiple family dramas, including her grandmother seeing an unhappy ghost that Ferris needs to help. But how can she do that with everything else going on in her life? This story has big ideas and big feelings. But a soft light and the theme of love are woven throughout each storyline.
The Princess Protection Program by Alex London
Rosamund is supposed to be happy when a prince kisses her to wake her up from her sleeping spell. But honestly, the whole thing is kind of creepy. And instead of feeling fireworks, the kiss itself is kind of … gross. So she flees her story, and ends up in a princess re-education program that prepares reluctant fairytale princesses for life in the real world. There, along with an ex-mermaid, a princess fleeing a frog, and other familiar storybook characters, Rosamund will try to adjust to a world filled with cell phones and social media instead of magic potions and glass slippers. But when she starts to question the motivations of her new headmistress, Rosamund will have to make some hard choices in order to write her own story.
I hope you find the perfect reading spot to escape the world with one of these delightful books. And if you find yourself looking for more middle grade book recommendations, you might want to try a sci-fi novel or get lost in a mystery.
English (US) · 