Ferris
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 680L · 2024
A charming, low-stakes companion to Mercy Watson that captures the chaotic joy of a dog's perspective without any real peril.
For a reader who just finished
Books like Champ and Major
after Champ and Major by Joy McCullough · ages 8–12
Middle grade · grades 3–7 · 680L
A hilarious, low-stakes read about the gap between what you want in a pet and what you actually get — perfect for kids who think they're ready for a dog but haven't met one yet.
Same style
Elf Dog and Owl Head
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L · 2023
Anderson's trademark wordplay and absurdist humor makes this a delightful middle-grade romp that doesn't talk down to readers—kids and parents both find something to laugh at.
Romeo and/or Juliet: A Choosable-Path Adventure
by Ryan North
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L · 2016
A brilliant deconstruction of R&J that uses the choosable-path format to teach that stories aren't inevitable—you rebuild the play as comedy, tragedy, absurdist adventure, or romance, depending on your choices.
Stretch them up
Jacob Have I Loved
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 820L · 2009
A Newbery winner that actually deserves it—Paterson writes sibling resentment and reconciliation with such honesty that kids recognize their own families, and the 1941 Chesapeake setting carries real historical weight without preaching.
The Lions' Run
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 820L
Pennypacker writes a protagonist who is disabled without apology or inspiration-porn—the lions matter as much as the girl, and both demand respect.
The Long Winter
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 740L · 2003
The most gripping book in the series—a taut survival narrative that doesn't sentimentalize hardship, and kids emerge understanding both pioneer resourcefulness and genuine historical vulnerability.
Complementing on naming feelings
Laughing out Loud, I Fly: Poems in English and Spanish
Verse novel · ages 6–10 · grades 1–5 · 520L · 1998
A masterwork of bilingual wordplay that reads aloud with infectious energy—kids feel seen in the code-switching, and the poems actively teach that two languages in one mind is a superpower, not a problem.
Bridge to Terabithia
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 740L · 1999
A watershed book for most kids who read it—not because it's cheerful, but because it takes grief seriously and shows that imagination can be both escape and source of real connection.
Locomotion
Verse novel · ages 9–12 · grades 4–7 · 680L · 2003
A masterwork of grief told in verse — Woodson's spare, exact language lets kids name loss they may not have words for, and the ending models hope without erasure.
We'd skip — for now
The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To
by DC Pierson
A step up — ages 12–15 · grades 7–10
Skip it if your child has unmedicated ADHD and finds books about hyperactive protagonists overstimulating — Darren's racing mind might feel too familiar in a difficult way.