I will always have a special place in my heart for picture books. But since my younger son is heavily into chapter books, middle grade books are my jam these days! I’ve read so many diverse, anti-bias, and social justice books for kids ages 8 – 14 this year. In this post, I share 13 of the best middle grade books of 2022, including non-fiction, fantasy, realistic fiction, and more.
This post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional charge to you. The publishers of the following books provided me free review copies: Morning Sun in Wuhan, Undercover Latina, and The View from the Very Best House in Town. All opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Best middle grade books of 2022: Realistic fiction
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution by Sherri Winston
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Seventh grader Lotus Bloom is an accomplished violinist, a girl with a passion for 1970s styles, and someone who will do just about anything to avoid conflict. This year she’s starting at the Atlantis School, a brand-new performing arts school in her community, which her best friend Rebel isn’t happy about.
Rebel is adamant that the new magnet school is taking away resources from the schools in their Black neighborhood, and that means Lotus is a traitor by attending there. While Lotus doesn’t like Rebel being mad at her, she’s thrilled to be attending a school that can help her refine her musical gifts.
But when Lotus is unexpectedly made concertmaster of the school orchestra over an older boy whose family has special influence in the school, she becomes the target of racist bullying. Soon, school officials are blaming Lotus for having a “distracting” afro instead of the boys who are flying paper airplanes into her hairdo.
Neither of Lotus’ parents really understand what is happening. Rebel is pushing her to join a very public protest against Atlantis School. All Lotus wants to do is focus on her music, but will that mean having to stand up for herself in a way that won’t go unnoticed? (Recommended for ages 10 – 14. Black author.)
Related post: 15 books for kids and teens to understand Black Lives Matter
New from Here by Kelly Yang
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When COVID-19 arrives in Hong Kong, ten-year-old Knox finds himself moving to the United States with his mother and siblings with just two days’ notice, while his father, the only one who understands Knox’s impulsivity issues, stays behind.
As Knox and his older brother Bowen face anti-Asian racism, Knox learns how to speak out, while also speaking up to his family about how they respond to his ADHD. Meanwhile, the children cook up an elaborate plot to get their father to the United States before flights from Asia shut down.
Based on the real-life experience of Yang’s family, this important novel doesn’t shy away from how scary and painful the early pandemic was for kids like Knox, yet the deeply engaging story is eventually filled with plenty of laughs as well. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Chinese-American author.)
Related post: 17 children’s books about systemic racism
Tumble by Celia C. Pérez
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The magical cover art of Tumble is just one reason why I’ve chosen it as one of the best middle grade books of 2022. The realistic portrayal of a complex family is another, along with the fact that the main character Addie is so relatable.
When Addie’s stepfather Alex asks if he can formally adopt her, it brings up old questions about the father she’s never known. Why does her mother refuse to talk about him? She and her best friend Cy decide that investigating is the only way they can find out the truth (even if her mother would see it as snooping.)
A huge wrestling fan, Addie is shocked and delighted to discover that her father is part of the Bravo family, many of whom are legendary luchadores. As she pushes her Mom to let her develop her own relationship with the Bravos, Addie has to confront her own truths and illusions about who her father is. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Mexican-Cuban-American author.)
Related post: 12 middle grade books about Latine heritage
Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine
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I expected a book about the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China to make me sad, but not hungry and hopeful. Drawing on the experiences of her own family members in Wuhan, Chang Compestine guides readers into that frightening time in an age-appropriate way.
As the book opens, thirteen-year-old Mei is still grieving her mother, who died a year ago in a car accident. Her physician father is gone long hours at the hospital, and Mei spends most of her free time following her passion for cooking. She perfects her cooking skills through a multiplayer video game called Chop Chop, as well as making the dishes from her favorite restaurant. (One of my favorite features of the book are Mei’s recipes, written at a level for beginning cooks.)
When a strange virus begins to appear in the city, Mei’s father must stay at the hospital. He warns her to always wear a mask and not go out, even though the government is saying that the virus can’t be spread from person to person. When lockdown begins, Mei at first feels helpless as her neighbors run low on food and a friend’s grandmother falls ill.
Mei soon realizes that her cooking skills, and her ability to bring people together, can make a difference in her apartment complex, and perhaps even throughout Wuhan. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Chinese-American author.)
Best middle grade books of 2022: mystery/spy thriller
Undercover Latina by Aya de León
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I knew within just the first few chapters that this unique approach to a spy novel would land on my best middle grade books of 2022 list. Fourteen-year-old Andréa and her parents are part of “the Factory,” an international intelligence network focused on protecting People of Color. When a white supremacist terrorist seems on the verge of striking at a big public event, Andréa is asked to take on the role of lead spy in the case. Her assignment is to befriend Kyle, the man’s estranged son, to find any information on where the terrorist is hiding out.
Andréa will have to pass as white, telling people her name is ANN-drea, straightening her hair, and avoiding speaking Spanish. While Andréa finds a way in with Kyle through Triángulo, an elaborate tabletop roleplaying game, she also falls for her friend Ramón, who can’t know that she’s Latina.
This complex novel addresses issues of colorism, passing, white supremacy, sexism and racism in gaming culture, and so much more, all while keeping readers guessing about how the Factory will stop the terrorist. (Recommended for ages 11-15. Afro-Latine author.)
Related post: 21 powerful books for children and teens about race and racism
Best middle grade books of 2022: fantasy
The View from the Very Best House in Town by Meera Trehan
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Asha and Sam have been best friends since they were little, with their strengths and interests complementing each other. But all that falls apart when Sam is accepted into the elite Castleton Academy.
After the principal labels Sam an autistic “Miracle Boy” in a first day of school assembly, Sam longs to get through the school day unnoticed. When snobbish Prestyn, Asha’s long-time tormenter, seems to befriend him, Sam leaves Asha behind. What’s worse is that Prestyn lives in Donnybrooke, a mansion that Asha is obsessed with, but forbidden to enter.
The story is told in three voices: Asha, Sam, and Donnybrooke. The house’s perspective gradually changes from superior to more compassionate than the residents of the house are when Sam becomes Prestyn’s next target.
Trehan skillfully navigates how fragile and complicated middle school friendships can be, especially when the added factors of bullying and ableism are at play.(Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Indian-American, non-autistic author.)
Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang
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In this wide-ranging graphic novel, heroine Nana loves storytelling and wants to be a journalist. The problem is that no one believes her stories, especially the one about circus squirrels stealing her teacher’s toupee.
When her parents decide she should spend the summer in Ghana with her grandmother and extended family instead of going to storytelling camp, Nana is not thrilled. Her cousin Tiwaa always seems frustrated with her, and she even has to go to school because Ghanian schools are on a different schedule than American ones.
The one bright spot is that her grandmother encourages her storytelling, explaining that since Ananse the spider has scattered the world’s stories, people cannot learn wisdom unless stories are told. Before long, Nana and Tiwaa have the chance to find out just how true this is from Ananse himself as they fight to protect his forest home. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Ghanian-American author.)
Related post: Diverse fantasy books for ages 7 – 14
Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua
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Freddie Ruiz isn’t just accident prone; he’s cursed. Even though his parents don’t believe it, Apong Rosing (his great grandmother) has told him that generations of Ruizes have been cursed. Freddie knows he’ll never be able to make friends and take everyday risks until he can rid himself of the curse, so when he discovers an anting-anting (amulet) in his garage, he’s thrilled.
But it turns out the “good luck” charm actually contains the argumentative spirit of his great-grand-uncle Ramon. The fast-paced story will draw in adventure fans, while readers with a more philosophical bent will appreciate the questions raised about how much is determined by luck, and how much by our own actions. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Filipino-American author.)
Related post: 14 Filipino children’s books for all ages
Wildseed Witch by Marti Dumas
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Hasani has two main goals for the summer: to grow her makeup tutorial YouTube channel, and to reunite her parents. But her summer plans change dramatically after her father reveals that his girlfriend Sandy has moved in with him.
Unbeknowst to Hasani, her rage over this news causes vines to grow all over a major New Orleans bridge, stopping traffic. Through satellite technology, Les Belles Demoiselles, a charm school for witches, observes Hasani’s magical act. When they offer her a scholarship to their coveted program for the summer, Hasani and her mother are both delighted.
But it turns out that almost all the other students have been guided by witches in their families for generations, while Hasani is frequently snubbed because she’s a “wildseed.” Will Hasani learn to refine and control her magical abilities in time to graduate, or will she be the only witch left behind? (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Black author.)
Best middle grade books of 2022: Historical fiction
Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann
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Set in the early 1980s in Brooklyn and written in two voices, Moonwalking is a novel-in-verse that explores the unlikely friendship between two middle school boys facing enormous obstacles at home and at school.
Pie is a talented Afro-Boricuan artist obsessed with Jean-Michel Basquiat, who’s constantly underestimated by teachers. At home, he tries to be the man of the house as his mother battles mental illness and her boyfriend responds with cruelty.
JJ has recently moved to Brooklyn after his father lost his job when President Reagan broke the PATCO union strike. JJ is as quiet as a ghost, doing anything to avoid being noticed at school, while also dodging his father’s abuse at home. He’s obsessed with punk rock and the courage of Lech Walęsa and the Solidarity movement in his grandparents’ home country, Poland.
The boys cautiously build a friendship through their mutual love of art and political issues, but this isn’t a typical feel-good tale about cross-racial friendships. The realities of systemic racism and family crises, and their effects on a relationship that was fragile to begin with, aren’t minimized. (Recommended for ages 11 – 14. Black author – Elliott. White, autistic author – Miller-Lachmann.)
Best middle grade books of 2022: Non-fiction
The Antiracist Kid: A Book about Identity, Justice, and Activism by Tiffany Jewell. Illustrated by Nicole Miles.
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This book is a must-have for older elementary children that unpacks key concepts of social justice and antiracism in straightforward ways.
Jewell explains where the idea of race came from, how it’s related to ethnicity and culture, and what racism and discrimination look like at both the personal and systemic levels. Young readers will also explore which parts of their identity will remain the same throughout life and which may change.
In the “justice” section of the book, Jewell dives into the difference between justice and equality, microaggressions, how to repair harm, and what the important word “antiracist” means.
Finally children will learn about various avenues for activism and advocacy, on their own or with others. There is so much fantastic content packed into this book that it’s best read a bit at a time, to give space for children to absorb what they’re learning. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12. Black biracial author.)
Related post: How to talk to white children about race
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Adapted by Monique Gray Smith. Illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt.
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Robin Wall Kimmerer is a ground-breaking botanist who combines Indigenous teachings with scientific knowledge to explore the complicated web of the plant world. She also once considered becoming a poet, which is evident in this gorgeously-written book that blends memoir, Indigenous understandings of nature’s gift economy, and detailed information about plant life.
Both photographs and evocative sketches help bring the text to life in this young people’s edition. This book is a must-read for any young person who wants to restore, preserve, and protect the natural world from the many threats the planet faces. (Recommended for ages 12+. Potawatomi author – Wall Kimmerer. Cree, Lakota, and Scottish author – Gray Smith.)
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How to Fight Racism: Young Reader’s Edition by Jemar Tisby with Josh Mosey
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This practical guide for Christian youth to understanding racism and pushing back against it is organized around a model of awareness, relationships, and commitment.
The awareness chapters teach young people about the history of racism in the United States and the many people who have fought against it. Many of the examples given involve young people, such as the murder of Emmett Till and the activism of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade.
The relationships section focuses on not only on individual friendships, but also on communal relationships and what the often-used phrase of “racial reconciliation” must really include to be authentic.
Chapters in the commitment section focus on the many different ways young people can take an active stance against racism, as individuals and with others.
There are thoughtful questions throughout the book, as well as a short guide for parents who want to support their children’s journey in fighting racism. (Recommended for ages 12+. Black Christian author.)
Related post: Four activism guides for tweens and teens
