Middle-grade Books for the Adventurous
There’s nothing the middle-grade reader loves more than adventure stories. Non-stop action gets kids enveloped in stories, and, you know, it works for me, too. I’ve picked up a bunch of exciting and suspenseful middle-grade novels lately that I’m sure will delight many readers. Let me know your favorite adventure stories.
Darkmouth series by Shane Hegarty and James de la Rue (started 2015)
Finn is the last in a long line of Legend hunters, except he’s not very good at it. His dad, Hugo the Great, is trying to train him to stop the monsters who came through from the Infested World into the village of Darkmouth. Honestly, Finn would rather become a vet and help creatures not defeat them. When a new kid arrives in town, Finn finds himself trying to impress her with daring feats. But when it turns out that someone on this side may be working with the Legends, he needs to step up and become the hero everyone expects.
Relic Hamilton series by Joseph Coelho and Hyun Song We (started 2026)
Relic Hamilton lives with his grandfather in London. When helping in the basement of the antique shop, he accidentally awakens an evil genie. Relic must then rescue his grandfather or lose the only family he has left. With the help of a community of genie hunters, he aims to stop the genie, find his grandfather, and save the world. Fun gadgets, zany characters, and a mix of good and evil genies makes this book a gem.
Berserkers by M.A. Larson (2026)
Although not a fantasy book like the others on this list, this novel is no less exciting a read. Danny loves life in small town Minnesota, and he doesn’t like how people feel that they have to move away to do anything exciting. Luckily for Danny, excitement comes to him when his history teacher disappears. In trying to find out what happened, Danny and friends find clues to a treasure hidden in the town’s subterranean caves. But can they discover the treasure before a nefarious descendant of a Spanish conquistador does? For those who love The Goonies, you will love this book. For those who don’t care about The Goonies, you will also love this book.
Nell O’Dell Hates Quests by Emily B. Martin (2026)
Nell and her former questing parents run an inn at a crossroads and help parties of adventurers prepare for their journeys. Everyone thinks that Nell should become a quester and follow in her parents’ footsteps, but all Nell wants it to rebuild the chicken coop and take care of her garden. When the ownership of the inn is threatened, though, Nell sets off to the city to solve the problem. When her travels don’t go as smoothly as hoped, she is lucky to have loyal companion Midge with her and a cast of new acquaintances they meet along the way. Maybe questing isn’t as bad as Nell thought.