5 Great Chapter Books

For Upper Elementary or Middle School Readers

Does your child struggle to find chapter books that interest them for independent reading? Or maybe they are avid readers and have run out of books to read? Here is a list of 5 great chapter books for your elementary or middle school reader that will have your child excited to read! They are listed with recommended ages and grades supplied by Amazon.com. Some contain mature content, so you may want to check them out on a website like Common Sense Media to be sure they are appropriate for your child.

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel

By Firoozeh Dumas
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Suggested Ages 10-12
Suggested Grades 5-7
384 pages
American Life | Celebrates Diversity | Funny | Historical Fiction

It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel is the heart-warming story of 11-year-old Zomorod Yousefzadeh, but she’d prefer it if you just call her Cindy. She’s an Iranian-American whose family moves a lot, which makes it hard to make friends. But what makes it even harder is that it is the 1970’s, when reports of Iranian protests, revolution, and American hostages blanket American news. Growing anti-Iranian sentiment is making it even more difficult for Cindy to fit in than usual. 

The Secret Lake

By Karen Inglis
Well Said Press
Suggested Ages 8-12
Suggested Grades 2-6
124 pages
Adventure | Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Mystery  

What’s better than a mystery wrapped up in an exciting time-traveling adventure? Your child will love following brother-sister team Tom and Stella as they investigate the mysteries surrounding their new London home and its expansive gardens. Tom and Stella desperately try to solve the riddle of a missing dog, a hidden time tunnel, and an alternate universe awaiting them on the other side of the secret lake.

One Crazy Summer

By Rita Williams-Garcia
Quill Tree Books
Suggested Ages 8-12
Suggested Grades 3-7
228 pages
American Life | Award Winner | Celebrates Diversity | Funny | Historical Fiction | Mature Topics

Follow the adventures of 11-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, as they travel from New York City to Oakland, California, to meet Cecile, their mother who abandoned them. Set in 1968, the story follows Delphine and her sisters as they get more than they bargained for when they learn that Cecile works with the Black Panthers. They go on adventures and gain an education in racism, inequality, and what it means to be family during their month-long visit with the emotionally distant Cecile. 

The Westing Game

By Ellen Raskin
Puffin Modern Classics
Suggested Ages 8-12
Suggested Grades 3-7
204 pages
American Life | Award Winner | Funny | Mystery

Sixteen people are invited to live in the luxurious and exclusive Sunset Towers by the mysterious Barney Northrup. But why were they selected? The tenants quickly discover that they are all potential heirs to the Westing fortune following the seemingly untimely death of Samuel Westing, the paper baron with a tragic past. The heirs use Samuel Westing’s Last Will and Testament and the curious clues given to them as they pair up to solve the mystery and claim the fortune.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

By William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Dial Books
Suggested Ages 10-12
Suggested Grades 5-6
306 pages
Celebrates Diversity | Based on a True Story

Based on a true story, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind tells the tale of William Kamkwamba and his family’s farm in his tiny village in Malawi. After a devastating drought, William and his family lose an entire season’s crops, leaving them without food to eat themselves or sell to others. William comes up with a plan and builds a windmill out of old bicycle parts and discarded scrap metal that pumps water to the farm, saving both the farm and his family.

With these amazing chapter books for your elementary- and middle-school reader, your child will be excited about independent reading!

Joyfully,
Heather Wood

Heather Wood is a certified classroom teacher and tutor with more than 10 years of experience and a tutor/teacher for TestingMom.com. She is the mother of her 10-year-old daughter, who attends public school, and the mother of her 8-year-old son, who has special needs and is homeschooled.