Once Upon an Adventure

A Middle-Grade Collection

Jun 28, 2023

These days, it takes a lot to hook a pre-teen to a typical novel. This collection features the best contemporary middle-grade adventure novels to get your kids excited about reading, great for boys or girls in grades 5-7 looking for action-based stories. Each title in this list will sweep readers away with a broader, more imaginative plot alongside real emotion and character building.

But here’s a little secret: these aren’t just for kids! The simple vocabulary is just a deception in a middle-grade book done right, hiding layers of nuance and big ideas. These quick and easy reads are a great escape, bringing us entertainment from a simpler time.

Mystery and Crime

I asked Yonah Klein, author of Power Plays, Face2Face, and many comic books - Middle-grade books put pre-teen kids front and center, doing things that might be less than realistic for their age. Somehow, the lack of realism doesn't disrupt the story, but gives it a somewhat magical tone. Why do you think that is?
Every children's story has to start by pulling the kid out of the typical situation where the obvious step would solve their problem. How am I going to create a situation where calling the police is not the obvious or effective answer? How do I keep going past that point? Otherwise you don't have a story.
99% of conflicts children have are things they should bring to their parents. If we have a kid get hold of the nuclear codes, not tell his parents, and then everything works out because he's so smart, what are you telling kids? It would be irresponsible, as authors, to send the message that that’s a smart move. So you have to create the distance where it doesn't help for them to go to an adult. The kid gets lost, there's no adults present, the adults don't believe them, or you’re writing a story where a kid doesn't take it to his parents and the story shows that he made a mistake.

Power Plays, Yonah Klein - When their scientist father suddenly disappears, everything turns upside down for the Kleins as they scramble to get to the bottom of his disappearance. Reuven is determined to advance his father’s science experiments that were left over and find a way to save his cousin from the terrible illness that’s rapidly getting worse. But his tinkering quickly stirs up more trouble for the family, and holding the burden alone becomes too much for him. Without knowing what caused his father’s disappearance, who can be trusted? An engaging blend of intrigue, surprises, and touching emotion. (Great read for adults.)
No. 186, Meir Stein - A sharply suspenseful thriller for kids that takes us into the underbelly of the IDF, a “Yonah Sapir-style novel” for kids. Two frum teens find themselves selected to join a secret army unit and arrive in a training center located on a ship in the center of the Mediterranean. On day one, a challenge is issued: discover the pretend infiltrator among them, at any cost. But as Shmaryahu Ziskind cements his spot within the group and learns who’s truly running things, he begins to doubt: is the infiltrator really just pretending?
Glixman in a Fix, Rebbecca Klempner - Despite his classmates’ suspicions and teasing, Mendel won’t bring friends home to see his embarrassing family. When his aunt suddenly goes into hiding to protect her risky work from the government, he’s forced to ask his friends for help and finds how much lighter the burden is once shared. He’s been appointed to safeguard the last key to his aunt’s dangerous work, but as things get more suspicious and uncertain, the lines blur, and Mendel and his friends wonder who’s really on the bad side. A heartwarming story of family and friends combines with a perplexing mystery for a relatable and suspenseful adventure.

Cops and Robbers, Brocha Rosman - When a new family moves to the block, Yanky is thrilled to have a neighbor his age to hang out with. His new friend seems to be having trouble at school and is repeatedly accused of stealing, but Yanky immediately believes his friend’s version of the story. A chance encounter with a stolen briefcase throws them into terrible trouble together as they become targets of dangerous thieves hunting down their missing goods. As the terrifying chase heats up and the boys are desperate to escape, whose version of the story is real, and who is covering up for who?
Ramoni Manor Series, YM Hodgbi - Eli Mink’s exclusive invite to the secluded Yeshiva Kesser Dan unveils an eerie new world of secrets, mansions, and midgets. In Secrets of Ramoni Manor, Eli arrives at the mansion and faces a list of rules. The attic is strictly off-limits, but its peculiar activities are calling to be investigated. Eli digs deeper and uncovers countless questions about the school’s staff and grounds. But as he gets closer to the answers, he gets closer to the danger that’s been hiding there all along. In Danger at Ramoni Manor, the yeshiva’s kind-hearted Nissan Bakerman has been arrested. Armed with a magical map, Eli and his friends traverse treacherous terrain in their hunt for Nissan and a missing treasure, dodging vengeful criminals and creepy teachers. Far from realistic or a typical whodunit, the boys’ escapades take the reader into a spine-tingling and mysterious atmosphere.

Futuristic/Science Fiction

I asked Yonah Klein - Why do kids gravitate toward plots that push the boundaries creatively or emotionally?
When I write, I imagine writing for adults, just with material that is hopefully appealing to kids. I think that we can trust kids to handle it. The goal of fiction is to create painful situations and then solve them. The power and enjoyment of the resolution comes from amount of raw pain in the conflict.
We tell our children all of the true stories that happened in our history. Violent details about the Makkos, the betrayal of Mechiras Yosef, stories from the Holocaust, and our children eat it up and are capable of digesting the message. But then when it’s time for us to give them a story to entertain them, it's so soft that it just doesn't even register. There are kids that grow up with the holocaust in the family, and then you want to tell them that the stakes are high because little Moishy can't pass his Chumash test?

Mission Control to Mars, CB Gavant - The future of his planet is at stake; there’s no time for making friends. Effy Biderman is on Earth for the first time in years, leaving his family behind in their protective bubble on Mars. When he discovers the terrible danger hurtling through space toward his parent’s home, he’s desperate to do something about it, but no one takes it seriously. With heightening suspense as the inhabitants of the red planet await terrible destruction, can Effy do something in time to save his family? A perfectly balanced drama between danger, mystery, and plain old friend stuff.
Eureka, Dina Nueman - Sundale seems like a boring place to spend the summer, but shortly after the Schorr kids arrive, things aren’t very typical anymore. A snoopy neighbor is suspiciously interested in their father’s classified science experiments, and the big old house they’ve been sent to is full of frightening surprises. Being hurled back through time by secret trapdoors is exciting for science-minded Alex, but remaining stuck in the 1400’s is a terrifying prospect for down-to-earth Racheli. Eureka is a story that doesn’t fit any existing box and is quirky, sarcastic, fantastical, and suspenseful. (Great read for adults.)

Read our conversation with Dina Nueman here.

Among the Stars, Tova Shkedi - In the far away future, a spaceship transports thousands of people, together with 200 frum families bringing Torah to a new world. Each family is making a brand new start, but it seems like nothing’s changed. Kobi and Gavriel are surrounded by the coolest technology and are determined to get in on the action. When they can’t resist their curiosity to join a special shuttle mission, their risky escapade, plus an imposter determined to sabotage the journey, threatens the survival of the whole shuttle. A dramatic, futuristic story that slowly builds up to high-intensity suspense.
A Bridge in Time, Susie Garber - History meets science through a compelling time travel story with high stakes. When two curious siblings step onto the Brooklyn Bridge during a lightning strike, they’re terrified to find that they’ve crossed a time channel into the 1800s. They must replicate the scenario in order to return, but the Brooklyn Bridge hasn’t been fully built yet. They’re determined to help the bridge reach completion, but a murky conspiracy threatens the whole project. Will they get back onto the bridge before it’s too late?

Adventure

Walled Secrets, Dina Nueman - Dina Nueman brings her signature personality, wit, and emotion to a baffling mystery that reaches far back in time. The Cohen kids are reluctant and wary when their family suddenly picks up and moves to Israel. To make things worse, the apartment they arrive at is nothing like they expected and carries a mysterious threat that’s been chasing residents out for decades. Twins Nechama and Yechiel are committed to getting to the bottom of it. As their siblings find their place in their wild and incredible new home, they slowly begin peeling back the layers of a 2,000-year-old mystery.
Alone in Africa, Avigail Sharer (aka Leah Gebber) - The Fein kids’ innocent visit to their grandparents in South Africa goes awry when their flight lands suddenly in the middle of Africa's jungles, leaving them behind. Nesanel, Penina, and Chezky are nothing alike and can’t seem to agree on anything, but somehow they must work together to survive in this hostile environment until they are found. A fast-paced and dramatic story of survival in a colorful and adventurous setting.
Mastermind, MC Millman - One snowy morning, Zevy finds his way into the brain that controls his entire school. His adventurous friend Shragi is immediately running away with the possibilities. With that kind of power, who knows what kind of problems they can solve? Zevi isn’t sure about the whole thing, until he discovers how they can solve his own issues at school, too. A hilarious and exciting tale of two boys, loads of possibilities, and one angry principal.

Find more recommendations for kids - 4-5th grade girls, and 2-3rd grade girls and boys: