Fiction Books

These books are all fiction, for ages ranging from 9 – 14

Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling 

These are some of the best books I ever read. They are about a kid who finds out he is a wizard and goes to a school for it. They mix adventure, fantasy, and a little bit of mystery in every book. You do have to read these books in order.

Holes, by Louis Sachar. 

Many people liked this book but I did not. I thought it was sad and confusing. It kept jumping in between two different stories that would be confusing on their own, but in this format it is even more confusing. Skip this one- but it’s not like I hated it.

My Brother is a Superhero, by David Solomons 

I enjoyed these two books. They were both exciting. They both mixed a superhero story with a funny story of a kid in middle school. There are more books in this series, but they are only printed in Europe, and I don’t like the British editions.

By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman 

This book takes place during the California Gold Rush. It has some facts in it but it is mostly fiction. If you want to read an adventurous story, while learning a little about history, this is the right book.

The Last Musketeer series, by Stuart Gibbs 

These books take place in 1615 and are about the Three Musketeers. It has some true historical information about France and life in 1615. Aside from the interesting true information, it is a great book with adventure, mystery, and magic. You do have to read these in order.

The Perfect Score, by Rob Buyea 

I picked up these books because it was by the same author as the Mr. Terrupt series, and I really liked those. The Perfect Score series is about a group of kids trying to reunite their two teachers with mysterious pasts, getting through dramatic personal events in their family lives. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, like the book Wonder. You have to read these in order.

The 13 Story Tree house, by Andy Griffiths 

These books look like they are for younger kids but I enjoy them. They are funny and kind of silly. They have things that don’t really make sense but the reader just has to go along with it. You don’t have to read these in order, so feel free to start reading any number.

Spy School, by Stuart Gibbs 

This is one of my favorite book series. It is about a kid that goes to a school for spies. I liked these books because I like adventure, sci-fi books. They are a mix of adventure, mystery, and sci-fi. Stuart Gibbs is one of my favorite authors and this series was my first introduction to him. Definitely read these books in order to get the most out of the series.

The Hypnotists, by Gordon Korman 

These books are about a kid who discovers he has superpowers and goes to a school for kids like him. Although there is some killing in this book but I didn’t find it to be too dark. I picked up these these books because I read other Gordon Korman books and liked them. You have to read these in order.

The Martian, by Andy Weir 

This book is about an astronaut that gets stranded on Mars alone. Its is adventurous and I enjoyed it. This book is for more advanced/older readers. The book does have some bad language in it.

Treasure Hunters, by James Patterson 

These books are about a family of treasure hunters, trying to find their missing parents. The series is adventurous and mysterious. The writing was not so sophisticated. I felt it had too many pictures. I found them because James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. Even though it’s simplistic, you have to read these in order for it to make the most sense and to get the most out of the stories.

Fahrenheit 451, by ray Bradbury 

This book is about a time in the future when books are illegal. I liked it, but it is a little advanced. Certain parts were hard to understand because it was written a long time ago and some of the slang words are outdated. Other parts of the book were a bit dated- there is a part in the book where they listen to music in a tiny ear piece- I’m sure many years ago that would have been considered an amazing cool sci-fi gadget, but for us today that’s just how we listen to music. This is for MUCH older readers. Also, it is a little scary but I still HIGHLY recommend this read.

The Last Shot, by John Feinstein. 

These books are about two kids trying to solve mysteries at sports games. The books are a lot of fun. I liked these books because they mixed sports, journalism, and mystery. I liked Vanishing Act best. I do recommend reading the books in order and not just starting with your favorite sport because the characters in the books are the same throughout- you will miss out on some of the backstory and relationships of the characters if you skip around.

FunJungle, by Stuart Gibbs 

These books are about a boy who grew up in Africa, and went to live in a zoo where his parents worked. They mix mystery with true facts about animals. Each of the books revolve around a mystery of either who killed, or who stole, an animal. There are clues in the books along the way making it fun to try and figure out “who done it.” I originally picked up this first book because Stuart Gibbs is one of my favorite authors.

The Fourth Stall, by Chris Rylander 

I enjoyed this book. It is about a kid that runs a secret business inside his school. It is a lot like the movie The Godfather except more appropriate for kids, and it has many references to the movie. It has some mystery and I think you will like it. You have to read these in order.

Middle School, by James Patterson 

This book is about a trouble-making kid in middle school. It is funny, but the writing was not so sophisticated. I felt it had too many pictures. It may be better for younger readers who prefer to look rather than read words. I found this book because James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. You have to read these in order.

The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly, by Rebecca K.S. Ansari 

This is a fantasy book about a kid looking for his missing brother that, mysteriously, no one remembers. This book is exciting, a little scary, and very spooky. If you like books that are a little scary, than this one is good, but I did not like it very much because I don’t like my books this scary, spooky and sad.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing , by Judy Blume 

This book is about a kid in fourth grade that feels eclipsed by his crazy younger brother. Although his brother does some nutty things, everyone immediately forgives him, except his older brother. This book is funny and I’ve read it several times. I read the first one when I was in second grade but I still enjoy them. I liked Fudge a Mania best.

Codename Zero, by Chris Rylander 

These books are about a kid living in North Dakota that becomes a spy. It is adventurous, science fiction, and mysterious. I love spy books but this one was a little on the boring side. I still read all three in the series because even a mediocre spy book is better than no spy book.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins 

This book is about a girl in a dystopia who has to fight to survive on television. It is a little scary and dark. It is very gory. I liked it; it is definitely for older readers. You have to read these in order. I liked the first one best.

The Genius Files, by Dan Gutman 

This book is about two kids accepted into a secret government project. It is a little advanced. It is very adventurous and a little mysterious. You have to read these in order. I liked the last one best.

Baseball Card Adventures, by Dan Gutman 

These books are about a kid who can travel through time to meet famous baseball players. In each one, he gets caught up in some adventure. Although it is fiction, they have some real facts about the history of baseball. I liked them because I like baseball- if you aren’t a baseball fan I can’t promise you’ll love it though. I recommend reading these in order. I liked the first one best.

House of Robots, by James Patterson, 

This book is about a kid who lives with robots, and goes to school with one. It is not so advanced and has a lot of pictures. It is for readers a little younger, although I enjoyed it. You have to read these in order. I liked the first one best.

The Losers’ Club, by Andrew Clements 

This book is about a kid who likes to read, who hast to go to an after-school program where they do not let him read. This is a story of a kid just trying to get through middle school. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t great.

The Terrible Two, by Mac Barnett and Jory John 

This book is about two grade school pranksters. It is not very advanced and has a lot of pictures. It was okay but not great. You do not have to read these in order; they are stand alone books.

Kid Normal, by Greg James and Chris Smith 

This book is about a normal kid who goes to a school for superheroes. It has pictures, but not so many. It has some references to comic book superheroes. It was not my favorite book but I liked it. You have to read these in order.

NERDS, by Michael Buckley

These books are about a group of kids given superpowers by a secret government agency. Throughout the book, there are different puzzles that the reader can solve, given by the narrator. The books are not so advanced and have pictures. Some of them are kind of weird.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan 

These books are about a world where the Greek gods still exist today. They are a fun mix of true facts about Greek mythology, and a superhero-like story. I also liked that there are many plot twists. All of the monsters in the book are real monsters in Greek mythology. If you liked books like Harry Potter than you will like this.

Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan 

This series is the sequel to the Percy Jackson series. In these books, Greek and Roman gods meet for the first time, and unite to defeat a common enemy. I liked how these books have true facts about Greek and Roman mythology. If you liked books liked Percy Jackson then these will be good for you too.

The Trials of Apollo, by Rick Riordan

This is the sequel to the Heroes of Olympus series. These books are about the god Apollo falling to earth as a human, as punishment from Zeus. Although there is no new mythology introduced in this series that was not in other Rick Riordan books, I still enjoyed it. I thought they did a good job of closing the Percy Jackson story.

City Spies, by James Ponti 

These books are about a group of kids from all around the world, each with a different skill set, selected to be spies on an elite team for the MI6. These book were adventurous and fast-paced. In the books, the reader gets glimpses of each of the character’s mysterious backstory. If you like spy books, you will enjoy these.

The Kane Chronicles, by Rick Riordan 

These books are a spin-off of the Percy Jackson series. They are about two kids who find out they are children of Egyptian magicians, and have to learn how to use their powers to stop and ancient monster from escaping his prison and destroying the world. The main characters of the books, Carter and Sadie Kane, switch off narrating chapters. These books take on a different tone than the other Rick Riordan books, and not all the books have such happy endings. I enjoyed this series, although not as much as the Percy Jackson series.

Greyson Gray: Camp Legend, by B. C. Tweedt 

These books are about a kid whose dad recently died, going to a summer camp. There he stumbles upon a terrorist’s plan to launch a missile at the camp. These books are very adventurous and have a lot of suspense. I liked the first book more than the others.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, by Rick Riordan 

These books are a spin-off of the Percy Jackson series. They are about a homeless kid who finds out he is the son of a Norse god, and dies and goes to Norse heaven. He is then tasked with stopping an evil god from bringing doomsday. These books have many diverse characters from different backgrounds, more than other Rick Riordan books. Although they are not as good as the Percy Jackson series, I still enjoyed them.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams 

These books are about a man who escaped Earth seconds before it was destroyed and his adventurers through space and time. Although I enjoyed it, this book can be very confusing. It has a lot of bad jokes and constantly makes fun of itself. This book is for much more advanced readers.

Jedi Academy, by Jeffrey Brown 

These books are about a young boy who finds out he is a Jedi and moves to a Jedi boarding school. These books are written like comic books and have many pictures and not many words on a page. These book are for younger readers. They are a fun mix of Star Wars and Dog Man.

The Lemonade War, by Jacqueline Davis 

These books are about a brother and sister with divorced parents that start a competition to see who could sell the most lemonade. The competition gets way out of hand with unexpected results. Each book is about a different career that the sister tries her hand at such as business owner, lawyer, and journalist. These books are good for younger kids.

King of the Bench, by Steve Moore 

These books are about a kid who is not very good at sports trying out for different school sports teams. Each book is about a different sport. These books are very funny. They do have pictures, but not as many as books like Dog Man. If you liked Timmy Failure or My Life Is a Video Game you will like these books.

The Wayside School, by Louis Sachar 

These books are about a school where nothing makes sense. They are kind of like the My Weird School books, but for slightly older readers. They are very funny and although they are meant for younger readers, I still enjoy them today. I enjoyed these books much better than Holes, which was also by this author.

In Due Time, by Nicholas O. Time 

These books are about a select number of kids who are chosen by their school librarian to go back in time. Each time they go back to a different time period and tell you a few facts about it. These books are short and for younger readers.

Big Nate, by Lincoln Peirce 

These books follow Nate, a 6th grader who likes to draw cartoons. These books are similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books but a little longer and have a little more words on a page. There are also many Big Nate comic books.

Ballpark Mysteries, by David A. Kelly, 

These books are about a brother and sister that go to baseball stadiums around the country solving mysteries. They tell true facts about each stadium. These books are for younger readers and have pictures on some pages. they are similar to the A-Z Mysteries books.

Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja, by Marcus Emerson 

These books are about a kid who goes to a new school where there is a secret society of ninjas. There are a few pictures and many words on a page. They aren’t the best written books, but I enjoyed them. There is also a spin-off series of Secret Agent 6th Grader.

The Ranger’s Apprentice, by John Flanagan

This book series is about a boy named Will living in Medieval times, who is recruited to join an elite force of spies. These books are very well written and I really enjoyed them. If you like Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, you will like this.

Alex Rider, by Anthony Horowitz

These books are about a British boy who works for the MI6. They are action-packed books. There is a twist at the end of every book, but I was able to predict most of them. Although I enjoyed them, they are not my favorite books. Some content may be a little mature for younger readers.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

This book is about a group of schoolboys who crash land on an island and set up a version of society. After a while, the boys slowly turn savage. This book is very violent and gruesome. It is not for younger readers.