Recommendations based on Middle School: The Worst Years of My Lifeby James Patterson

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Cabin Fever

    by Jeff Kinney
    A group of friends embark on a mischievous adventure, encountering hilarious hijinks along the way.

    Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of. The authorities are closing in, but when a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. I Funny: A Middle School Story

    by James Patterson
    A hilarious and heartwarming story of a middle schooler with dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian despite his disability.

    Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian–even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with ... (Goodreads)

  3. Hard Luck

    by Jeff Kinney
    A young boy’s adventures as he navigates life’s challenges and strives to overcome his bad luck.

    Hard Luck is the eighth installment of the, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book series . The series follows a middle school student named Greg Heffley and the various problems he encounters. The book is ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Ugly Truth

    by Jeff Kinney
    Greg Heffley navigates the ups and downs of middle school, including crushes, friendships, and embarrassing moments.

    Greg Heffley has always been in a hurry to grow up. But is getting older really all it’s cracked up to be? Greg suddenly finds himself dealing with the pressures of boy-girl parties, increased ... (Goodreads)

  5. Big Nate on a Roll

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Sixth-grader Nate Wright navigates middle school life with his friends, teachers, and family.

    Nate Wright is in detention, as earlier his art teacher Mr. Rosa asks him to hold a ladder for his rival Artur, so that he can paint the scenery for the school play. He recalls Artur dripping paint ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Follow the hilarious misadventures of sixth-grader Nate Wright as he navigates school, friends, and family.

    Nate Wright is dreaming when he wakes up to another ordinary morning of his life: breakfast of lumpy raisin oatmeal, his older sister, Ellen, and school. Believing that there will be a test that day ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Big Nate Strikes Again

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Sixth-grader Nate Wright navigates middle school life with his friends and family, often getting into trouble along the way.

    As Nate Wright and his friends Francis and Teddy look at a bulletin board that had baby pictures of the entire sixth grade, Nate points out one picture that he believes is Jenny, but it turns out to ... (Wikipedia)

  8. The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

    by Liz Pichon
    Follow Tom Gates as he navigates school, family, and friends with his doodles, jokes, and creative imagination.

    “Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney’s Greg Heffley.” —,Publishers Weekly,Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber

    by L.A. Meyer
    A young girl's thrilling journey across the high seas, encountering danger and adventure.

    After leaving Lawson Peabody, a boarding school in Boston , Jacky joins the whaling ship, the Pequod , as a companion to the Captain's wife, a teacher for the Captain's son, and as the cook's helper. ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Sunny Side Up

    by Jennifer L. Holm
    Sunny spends the summer of 1976 with her grandfather in Florida, uncovering family secrets and learning about life.

    When is a summer vacation not really a summer vacation? Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer. At first she thought Florida might be fun – it is the ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Angel Experiment

    by James Patterson
    A group of genetically engineered children on the run from a dangerous government agency.

    Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But ... (Goodreads)

  12. Witch & Wizard

    by James Patterson
    Siblings Wisty and Whit are torn from their normal lives and accused of being witches and wizards in a dystopian world ruled by a totalitarian government.

    The world is changing—the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For fifteen-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when ... (Goodreads)

  13. Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Nikki's adventures continue as she tries to navigate the social hierarchy of middle school and plan the ultimate party.

    It’s , ,, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , ,, for girls in this hilarious novel!,, Recipe for disaster: 4 parties. Add 2 friends and 1 crush. Divide by 1 mean girl out to RUIN Nikki. Mix well, put fingers over ... (Goodreads)

  14. Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Nikki Maxwell navigates the ups and downs of middle school while pursuing her dream of becoming a pop star.

    It’s , ,, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , ,, for girls in this hilarious novel!,, Nikki’s Road to Stardom Checklist:,[Tick] Diva showdown,[Tick] BFF feud,[Tick] Talented entourage to back up VIP (Very ... (Goodreads)

  15. Bloody Jack

    by L.A. Meyer
    A young orphan girl disguises herself as a boy to escape a life of poverty and join the British Navy.

    Mary Faber is a member of Rooster Charlie's orphan gang in Cheapside, London, during the late 1790s. After Charlie is murdered by a grave robber, she disguises herself as a boy and seeks passage on ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Ghosts

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery as she navigates her family's secrets, cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs.

    The novel opens as the family is ordering at the drive-through of an fictional Double-Back Burger (the colors and logos of which are based on In-N-Out Burger ) before leaving southern California for ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Vile Village

    by Lemony Snicket
    A group of children escape a village of criminals and uncover a dark conspiracy.

    The book begins with the Baudelaires awaiting a new guardian. Their new guardians name was Count Olaf which is an actor, villain and a murderer. Mr Poe gives a brochure to the Baudelaire orphans ... (Wikipedia)

  18. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

    by Tom Angleberger
    A group of sixth-grade friends use the advice of an origami Yoda to navigate their lives.

    Dwight is a sixth grader at McQuarrie Middle School who is considered quite weird. One day, Dwight folds an origami finger puppet of Yoda , a popular, Star Wars, figure. Through an imitation voice , ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Island of the Blue Dolphins

    by Scott O'Dell
    A young girl is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive on her own.

    The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo, whose curiosity usually leads to trouble, and a sister named Ulape. Her people ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Wonderstruck

    by Brian Selznick
    Two stories from different eras intertwine, revealing hidden connections between a deaf girl and a runaway boy.

    Ben’s story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in June 1977. He was born deaf in his left ear. Ben’s mom, Elaine, was the town librarian, but died in a car crash. He now lives with his aunt and uncle ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Reptile Room

    by Lemony Snicket
    The story of the Baudelaire orphans, who must outwit the cunning Count Olaf to survive.

    The three Baudelaire orphans have been placed under the care of their closest living relative, herpetologist Dr. Montgomery Montgomery. "Uncle Monty", as he prefers to be called, is a short, chubby ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Windfall

    by Jennifer E. Smith
    A teenage girl wins the lottery and must navigate newfound wealth and its impact on her relationships.

    Let luck find you. Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth ... (Goodreads)

  23. Fallen

    by Laury Falter
    A forbidden love story between a fallen angel and a mortal girl, with dangerous consequences.

    Maggie is unaware of the terrifying fate that awaits her. It isn't until she lands in New Orleans for a full year at a private high school and her unknown enemies find her does she realize that her ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. The Grim Grotto

    by Lemony Snicket
    A trio of orphans navigate a treacherous journey to unlock the secrets of an elusive organization.

    Klaus examined the tidal charts to estimate the location of the sugar bowl relative to the water cycle . He suspects it to be in the Gorgonian Grotto. An octopus -shaped submarine, captained by Count ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Nikki lands a role on a TV show, but struggles to balance fame with her friendships and family.

    Everyone’s been rooting for Nikki Maxwell and her crush, Brandon—and fans will finally learn if they had their first kiss in this seventh book of the New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series! ... (Barnes & Noble)

  26. Taken

    by Erin Bowman
    In a dystopian society, Gray Weathersby must navigate a dangerous world to rescue his kidnapped brother.

    Fans of Incarceron by Catherine Fisher and Variant by Robison Wells won't want to miss this magnetic first book in a gripping dystopian sci-fi series. Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. The Green Mile

    by Stephen King
    A prison guard discovers the power of redemption, and miracles, when he meets a mysterious inmate.

    Featuring a first-person narrative told by Paul Edgecombe, the novel switches between Paul as an old man in the Georgia Pines nursing home writing down his story in 1996, and his time in 1932 as the ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Under the Dome: Part 1

    by Stephen King
    A small town is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible dome, causing chaos and revealing dark secrets.

    At 11:44 a.m. on October 21, 2017, the small Maine town of Chester's Mill is abruptly and gruesomely separated from the outside world by an invisible, semipermeable barrier of unknown origin. The ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Ghost and the Goth

    by Stacey Kade
    A ghost and a goth form an unlikely friendship and help each other navigate high school drama and personal struggles.

    Alona Dare was the most popular girl in school, at least she was until she was hit by a bus. Returning to the scene of her death as a ghost , she expects everyone to be upset over her death, but her ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

    by William Steig
    A young donkey's journey of adventure as he uses a magic pebble to protect himself from danger.

    Sylvester, a donkey from the fictional community of Oatsdale, collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color." One day he finds a pebble that grants wishes. Immediately afterward, a lion scares ... (Wikipedia)