Skip to content
Account Login Winnipeg Toll-Free: 1-800-561-1833 SK Toll-Free: 1-877-506-7456 Contact & Locations

Sort by

Middle Grade Books

Middle-grade books for 8 to 12-year-olds, diverse in genres and themes, encouraging young readers to discover new interests and dig deeper into favourite themes.

Into the Bewilderness

- Gus Gordon

Children's paperback $19.99
Reader Reward Price: $17.99

Perfect for fans of The Wild Robot, Gus Gordon's graphic novel debut follows two furry friends on a clever and cozy adventure when they embark on a journey to the Big City for the first time.

In the Bewilderness, life is good.

Best friends Luis (the large furry one) and Pablo (the small furry one) spend their days wandering through nature, playing songs on the guitar, and eating Slow Joe McNally's pinecone porridge with their neighbors.

When dreamer Luis receives an unexpected invitation to attend a performance of The Weary Mermaid in the big, bustling city, he finds it hard to ignore the allure of the bright lights.

Luckily, he doesn't have to go it alone--and it's a good thing, because it's a long journey through the Bewilderness, and Luis has many questions. Will they meet laser-eyed gargoyles, zombie chickens, or tyrannical cow rulers? Will they get there on time? Why is quicksand so slow if it's called quicksand? Thankfully, with his grumpy but loyal best friend by his side, they'll soon find out.

. . . Or will they?

Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom

- Jessixa Bagley

Children's hardcover $19.99
Reader Reward Price: $17.99

"Whimsy abounds in this playful" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade graphic novel about a young witch who struggles to fit in--perfect for fans of The Okay Witch and Hooky!

In her town full of witches, Jazzy's always been a little bit different. She's not excited about magic. She forgets the steps to spells. And even though her parents run the town's broom shop, she doesn't want to fly.

Then, one day, she discovers what she was born to do: cycling! Now she just has to find a way to get a bicycle...and learn how to ride it. But will her new passion come between her and her best friend--and possibly get her in big trouble?

Princess Academy

- Shannon Hale

Children's paperback $12.99
Reader Reward Price: $11.69

A Newbery Honor Winner
A New York Times Bestseller

This deluxe twentieth anniversary edition of the beloved modern classic, Princess Academy, will feature stunning sprayed edges, a brand new cover, and a letter from the author!

What if you had a chance to become a Princess?

Miri lives high atop a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life, working in the quarry. But everything changes when word arrives that the prince of the kingdom will choose his princess from among the village girls.

A makeshift academy is set up on the mountain and every eligible girl must attend and learn how to become a proper princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Being chosen could give her everything she ever wanted, but does Miri really want to leave her home and family behind for a royal life?

Sabrena Swept Away

- Karuna Riazi

Children's hardcover $23.99
Reader Reward Price: $21.59

JLG Gold Standard Selection

This lush reimagining of the classic characters from The One Thousand and One Nights is for fans of The Last MapmakerMañanaland, and Graciela in the Abyss. Sabrena's family has always claimed they are descended from the legendary sailor Sinbad. But when the sea calls Sabrena to a whole new world, she'll have to fight for her own story.

Sabrena's destiny--her qadr--is strong. Or so her family has always said. After all, according to her dad, they are the descendants of the legendary Sinbad the sailor, who sailed the seven seas in The One Thousand and One Nights. But Sabrena has felt anything but strong lately. Mostly, she has felt worried. Worried about being the new girl in a school everyone else has attended since kindergarten, worried about Grandma's memory failing and her stories getting more outlandish, worried about Mom deciding that Grandma can't even live at home anymore. Worried about the strange--almost fantastical--things that keep happening whenever she's around water.

And then, one day, the sea's call will not be denied. It floods into her life and sweeps her away, to be fished out of an ocean both strange and oddly familiar. It only takes her a moment to realize that she's in the stories spun by the legendary queen Scheherazade. Yet no one has ever heard of Sinbad, nothing seems to be going quite as it does in the tales as she knows them, and a frightening jinn is terrorizing the kingdom. Can Sabrena find the courage to claim her destiny before it's too late?

Snoop

- Gordon Korman

Children's hardcover $24.99
Reader Reward Price: $22.49

From Gordon Korman, the bestselling author of Restart, the story of a boy who's stuck at home with two broken legs... and who starts using cameras and a drone to spy on his classmates, neighbors, and a possible criminal who's come to town.

If Carter hadn't been checking his phone, he might have seen his brother coming down the ski slopes in his direction. And if Carter had seen his brother in time and avoided the crash, he might not have two broken legs right now.

Oops.

Now Carter is stuck at home for weeks, with both his legs in casts. Bored, he starts checking out the live feeds from police cams around his town. Before he knows it, he's obsessed -- watching his classmates when they don't know he's looking, and discovering some other VERY STRANGE things going on that no one else is noticing.

But what happens when Carter is found out... and the people he's watching know where he lives?

Tyger

- SF Said, Dave McKean

Children's paperback $13.99
Reader Reward Price: $12.59

In this thrilling fantasy, two kids and a mystical tyger must save a divided world on the brink of destruction. A thought-provoking alternate history adventure with the epic sweep and imaginative wonder of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.

2023 British Book Awards Children's Fiction Book of the Year

There are three doors that I may show you. You will find a different kind of power behind each one...

Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A tyger. And the tyger is in danger.

Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction. Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late?

With stunning black-and-white illustrations from award-winning illustrator Dave McKean, this compelling and thoughtful story is set in an alternate world where the British Empire still exists.

You Were Made for This World

- Stephanie Sinclair , Sara Sinclair

Children's hardcover $28.99
Reader Reward Price: $26.09

A joyful, proud and groundbreaking collection of letters and art for young people, You Were Made for This World brings together celebrated Indigenous voices from across Turtle Island.

Every young person deserves the chance to feel like they belong, that they are recognized, that they matter. In the spirit of A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, You Were Made for This World brings together forty Indigenous writers, artists, activists, athletes, scholars and thinkers with a joint purpose: to celebrate the potential of young people, to share a sense of joy and pride in language, traditional and personal stories and teachings, and shared experiences, and to honor young people for who they are and what they dream of.

Including contributions from activist Autumn Peltier, singer/songwriter Tanya Tagaq, hockey player Ethan Bear, Governor General's Award-winning author David A. Robertson, artists Chief Lady Bird and Christi Belcourt, illustrator Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, and dozens of others, this beautifully collaborative collection urges readers to think about who they are, where they come from and where they're going, with a warm familiarity that will inspire you to see yourself and your community with proud eyes.

Also includes a ribbon bookmark.

Zoom Out Natural World

- Owen Davey

Children's hardcover $29.99
Reader Reward Price: $26.99

Get ready to meet some of our planet's most iconic animals and discover their roles in our ecosystems.

From polar bears to penguins, salmon to solitary bees, tigers to turtles - meet the world's most notable animals up close and discover fascinating details about each of these intriguing species. Then turn the page to zoom out and explore their incredible ecosystems!

Learn about your favorite animals and the environments they inhabit:Developed in collaboration with a team of WWF scientists and conservationists, Zoom Out: Natural World is a factually accurate and scientifically based glimpse into the planet's wildlife habitats.Gorgeous illustrations from award-winning illustrator Owen Davey offer stylish representations of striking animals and their lush habitats.Introduce kids to the wonderful world of science, and help them understand why conservation matters.
Zoom Out: Natural World is a celebration of the wonder and interconnectedness of our planet's most interesting ecosystems, beautifully illustrated by award-winning illustrator Owen Davey.

Featuring conservation success stories that combat climate anxiety and emphasize that small changes can make big waves, this beautiful book is guaranteed to enchant both children and adults.

Confessions of a Junior Spy

- Rosaria Munda

Children's paperback $11.99
Reader Reward Price: $10.79

Raised in a sanctuary hotel for spies, the daughter of one of its top agents is determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and use her hard-won spy skills to help others in Confessions of a Junior Spy, a fun, fast-paced, middle grade series opener by Rosaria Munda.

Bea dreams of becoming a spy like her mom. Growing up in the Pangean Hotel, a secret sanctuary for spies, she spends her time studying self-defense, languages, codebreaking, and field medicine, preparing for the day when she can follow in her mother's footsteps. But her mom has a different plan for Bea: She wants Bea to attend boarding school like one of the normal folk. Bea can't think of a worse fate, the Life is all she's ever known. But you do not say no to the Pangean League's top spy.

While Bea is juggling test prep and applications with desperate plans to avoid going to normal school at all costs, a new girl moves into the hotel with her family. Chantal's family is clearly on the run, and Bea and her best friend Tommy are certain they can use their skills and knowledge to help her.... If boarding school doesn't get in the way first.

Ilustra

- Tori Tadiar

Children's paperback $20.49
Reader Reward Price: $18.44

Mika always thought the gods and goddesses of the Philippines were no more than legend--until she wakes one and discovers a destiny she never imagined.

This middle-grade graphic novel series starter by an award-winning Filipina artist, inspired by the folklore of the Philippines, is perfect for readers of Amulet and Percy Jackson.


"Amulet meets a Filipino Percy Jackson."
--Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times best-selling author

Though Mika Mirasol's boarding school classmates tease her for clinging to the stories of legendary beings her lola raised her on, she can't help but love them--those myths are all she has left of her guardian.

That is, until a year after Lola's death, when a moth speaks to Mika in the old woman's voice. Mika experiences a burst of inexplicable power, and in her panic, she accidentally casts a spell and binds herself to two eavesdropping classmates.

Literally stuck together, Mika, Halle, and Teo grudgingly set out to find a countercurse in ancient Filipino beliefs. But the more they learn, the more it seems that Lola's tales were all true--and that Mika is destined to play a role in them.

The mythology of the Philippine Islands comes to life in this funny, warm, and enchanting graphic novel about making friends, learning to let go, and finding your place in the world.

Deeply Dave

- Michael Grover

Children's hardcover $19.99
Reader Reward Price: $17.99

Based on an Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated webcomic

"Funny and mysterious. Mike Grover is a talent to watch." -Kazu Kibuishi, New York Times-bestselling creator of the Amulet series

"One of the most original and entertaining graphic novels I've read in a while." -Mike Lowery New York Times-bestselling creator of the Bug Scouts and Everything Awesome series

For fans of Adventure Time, Deeply Dave is a madcap, hilarious adventure graphic novel about a young deep sea diver who heroically plunges into the abyss to save his astronaut mom from the monsters that lurk below.


Immerse yourself in this unique reading experience, where you flip the pages up and read downward as you descend into the ocean's depths!

Dave's mom is missing...and he's going after her.

She's lost somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, stranded in the wreckage of her sunken spaceship. Only Dave can save her from the alien monsters and bizarre sea creatures that lurk in the depths.

So Dave is going deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...
and deeper...

Unico

- Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin, Gurihiru

Children's paperback $16.99
Reader Reward Price: $15.29



Still hunted by Venus, Unico befriends a sickly girl imprisoned by an evil robotic machine.

Lost in space and time, Unico awakens in an abandoned factory town. Saved by the resourceful mouse, Garapachi, Unico befriends Chiko, a human girl. But he soon learns that a sinister force is at work in the town's factory, bent on killing all living things. Meanwhile, Venus unleashes a fierce hunter who will stop at nothing to find Unico. Can Unico save Chiko? Can the West Wind save Unico?

Conceived anew by Eisner-nominated author Samuel Sattin and Eisner-winning artist team Gurihiru, and developed in collaboration with Tezuka Productions, UNICO: Hunted is the second volume in a groundbreaking reboot of a beloved manga by Astro Boy creator Osamu Tezuka, the "God of Manga." With striking full-color artwork and reading left to right in the Western comics style to match the original manga, UNICO is a brilliant series featuring storytelling at its best. Join Unico on an unforgettable journey!

The League of Littles

- Casey Lyall , Sara Faber

Children's paperback $19.99
Reader Reward Price: $17.99

"Chock-full of heart and laughs." --Publishers Weekly

The League of Littles defends youngest siblings around the globe. But are three eager trainees ready for their first mission--finding a missing pet? A hilarious, action-packed young middle grade graphic novel about friendship, school, and siblings for fans of the Bad Guys and Babymouse.

From an ordinary school, in an ordinary town, a distress signal is sent. Help me, League of Littles, you're my only hope!

The League of Littles is an international organization that protects and supports the needs of youngest siblings--and trainees Lexi, Mo, and Eli are finally ready for their first mission. Another student at their elementary school has lost her big sister's hamster, Chester, after she borrowed him for show and tell without permission. Gabi needs the L.O.L.'s help to find Chester before the Band of Bigs (protecting and supporting the needs of--you guessed it--oldest siblings) find out that Chester is missing.

This hilarious young middle grade graphic novel combines humor, action, friendship, school, pets--and of course, sibling relationships. It is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Babymouse, Lunch Lady, and the Bad Guys.

Silverborn

- Jessica Townsend

Children's hardcover $24.99
Reader Reward Price: $22.49



USA TODAY bestseller!

In the magical city of Nevermoor, long-buried secrets are coming to light, and Morrigan Crow's life is about to turn upside down.

 
When Morrigan is invited into Nevermoor's wealthy Silver District, she discovers a world of extravagance and a family mystery she's eager to unravel. She could never imagine where it will lead: a white wedding, a golden dragon and a red pool of blood.
 
Embroiled in suspicion and danger, Morrigan leaps head first into a murder investigation, while also grappling with her ever-growing Wundersmith powers. And although her friends are there to help, she fears that could change if they learn she's keeping a terrible secret of her own.
 
As shadowy forces awaken in Nevermoor, can Morrigan find a killer and solve the mystery in her own past ... before the clock strikes midnight?
 
Jessica Townsend weaves a spellbinding tale of magic and mystery in this thrilling new installment of the Nevermoor series.

Smoke & Mirrors

- Rosalyn Ransaw

Children's hardcover $23.99
Reader Reward Price: $21.59

An exciting and twisty middle-grade debut mystery novel--perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington and The Parker Inheritance--about the disappearance of a famous magician, and one boy's quest to find the truth

Spending the summer with his aunt as the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town was bad enough, but now Andy Carter's summer has been effectively ruined.

His dad's parole hearing is postponed, he misses his friends, and--when an old barn burns down--he's stuck taking the blame. Andy is sentenced with helping the barn's owner, a cantankerous old man, renovate his crumbling mansion--a mansion that hides a mystery.

It was once owned by the famous magician the Red Knave. In 1954, the Knave was a wanted suspect in the town's most infamous murder before disappearing without a trace.

The whole town is sure the Red Knave is guilty, but to Andy, things just don't add up. Investigating a mystery from the '50s isn't the same as spending time with his dad, but Andy can't help but be drawn into the Red Knave's exciting world of magic and illusion. To solve the Knave's final vanishing act, Andy teams up with another boy he doesn't quite trust. Secret by secret, they try to uncover the Red Knave's identity and learn why his last performance came to such a tragic end.

With a gripping combination of hidden doors, shocking twists, and deep emotional heart, Smoke & Mirrors asks the question: How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?

This is a selection of our current Middle Grade Books titles. To find other titles or authors, or just to browse, please use the search box.