On or around the third Monday of the month, I’ll be highlighting recent middle grade reads that I’ve enjoyed. I am so happy working part time in a school library – it’s wonderful to be with kids and books, and my reading life is so much richer! I read the following middle grade books between September 20, 2025 to October 20, 2025.

The Liars Society (The Liars Society #1) by Alyson Gerber

An intense middle grade mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. Start of a series and includes so many secrets, rich people behaving badly and a page-turning plot. I felt like I was reading a younger version of the Inheritance Games.

The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer

Gahhh! I loved this with my whole heart and inhaled it in a day! It’s 438 pages and I wished it were longer. Why did I wait so long? If you love books, wish you could drop into fairy tales (literally), and love to see siblings sticking together against the odds, run, don’t walk. I loved loved loved this. It’s a hugging book! PS It gave me the same vibes as Tilly and the Bookwanders!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie (The Great Peach Experiment #1) by Erin Soderberg Downing

Five glowing stars for this absolutely loveable middle grade book. If you loved the Vanderbeekers, grab this series. I wanted to hug them all (ok, not the mice) and sometimes shake the dad, but gosh it is just delightful. So many thoughtful details (and the booklists and the letters – be still my heart) – I finished this a while ago and I’m still thinking about it. And yes, I’m reading book two right now. This would be a great book to read at the start of summer vacation.

The Peach Pit (The Great Peach Experiment #2) by Erin Soderberg Downing

Loved this one just as much as I loved the first book (and yes, I have both books three and four waiting for me on my night stand). 

“Great Aunt Lucinda drops a big surprise on them: She wants to gift them her historic mansion. But there are conditions: they’re to turn it into a cozy and welcoming bed-and-breakfast, something the Peach kids’ mom always dreamed of before she passed away. And they only have until Thanksgiving to do the renovations and prove they can make the business work. It looks like it’s a new chapter of The Great Peach Experiment.” 

I love the Peach family so much. Each character is so real and unique and loveable in their own way. This is funny and thoughtful and full of so much heart. I love a house rehab story and it’s even better when characters grow and change too. So much love for this wonderful series. 

Ms. Pennypickle’s Puzzle Quest by Chris Grabenstein

Here it is! You’re next favorite middle grade mystery! I inhaled this in two days, loving not just the puzzles at the center of the story, but also the story of brothers reconnecting – Benjamin and Ethan Broderick. Ben is 12 and into arcade games and Ethan is an athlete ready to head off to college. The last thing either of them wants to do is spend part of their summer together on a cross country road trip, but here they are. Their first stop, though, is a quirky diner and the two brothers are given a clue leading to a giant puzzle race with a million-dollar prize! Along with five other families, the Brodericks are thrust into a high-stakes competition along the famous Route 66.

This is so much fun in so many ways! First the trip along Route 66 is the perfect armchair travel, and I found myself googling the stops along the way. How fun would it be to plan a trip like this in real life?! As a St Louisian, I knew some spots mentioned which made for extra exciting connections.

The puzzles are tricky fun for readers (I’m not skilled like Ben is!). And there’s great humor along the way as well – this would be a fun read aloud, just give everyone a chance to study the puzzles! And most importantly, my heart felt so full watching Ben and Ethan reconnect. Five glowing stars!

Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life Is a Joke (Jacky Ha-Ha #2) by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

If you haven’t read (or listened to) book one, Jacky Ha-Ha, go ahead and stop what you’re doing and download both book one and two because trust me – you’ll want to! A continuation of all the greatness in book one, book two is also funny and thoughtful and real. Wonderful kids figuring out life stuff, adults trying to make the best decisions, and a group of sisters I wanted to hang out with. (I also super enjoyed that it was set in the 90s. That was a fun trip down memory lane). Here we have more theater and a mystery of sorts. Jacky is like a modern day Ramona, and I love her!