Fast Five Fiction: My Top 5 Middle Grade Series of 2024

There were a lot of really great books published in 2024. Over the next few weeks we'll be counting down some of my favorite reads from last year. I had a great reading year and read 331 books across all different age groups and genres. I'm continually impressed, year after year, with the amount of quality literature that is being published. If you want to follow along with my 2025 reading adventures, you can follow me on Goodreads for even more reading recommendations. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

My 5 favorite Middle Grade Series (or first book in a new series) read in 2024 (in no particular order):

The Delta Games by Lindsay Currie

Crack the codes. Find the treasure. Escape the house. From the acclaimed author of Scritch Scratch and What Lives in the Woods comes a action-packed adventure novel about three friends who team up to find a hidden treasure in an abandoned 1950's funhouse. Twelve-year-old Sarah Greene wants nothing more from her seventh-grade year than to beat the hardest escape room left in her town with her best friends, West, and Hannah. But when a foreclosure notice shows up on Sarah's front door, everything changes. Since her father became ill two years ago, things have been bad, but not lose your house bad...until now. Sarah feels helpless until the day Hannah mentions a treasure rumored to be hidden in the walls of an abandoned funhouse. According to legend, Hans, Stefan, and Karl Stein were orphaned at eight years old and lived with different families until they were able to reunite as adults. Their dream was to build the most epic funhouse in existence. They wanted their experience to be more than mirror mazes and optical illusions, so they not only created elaborate riddles and secret passages, but they also claimed to have hidden a treasure inside the funhouse. Once in, Sarah, West, and Hannah realize the house is unlike any escape room they've attempted. There are challenges, yes, but they feel personal. Like the triplets knew who would get in. It seems impossible, but so does everything about the house. As soon as they're in she immediately worries that attempting the funhouse is a bad idea but Sarah has no choice but to continue, since her future is at stake.

The Moonwind Mysteries series by Johan Rundberg

Mika is not your average orphan—and she’s about to prove it.

It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he?

Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on.

Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive—the gruff Detective Hoff unwittingly recruits her to help him with his investigation into a gruesome murder. Mika knows she should stay far, far away, and yet…with such little hope for her future, could this be an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe, this is Mika’s chance to be someone who matters.

The Campground Kids by C.R. Fulton

Adventure starts here! Explore National Park stories perfect for young readers. 

The Campground Kids" book series follows the adventures of three cousins, Isaiah, Sadie, and Ethan, as they explore various National Parks across the United States, encountering exciting mysteries, thrilling challenges, and captivating outdoor adventures in each location, often learning valuable lessons about teamwork, resilience, and respect for nature along the way.

The Sherlock Society by James Ponti 

In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book in the action-packed and funny Sherlock Society middle grade series from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author James Ponti!

Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe's retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases.

The group's first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami. Their investigation into the local doings of famed gangster Al Capone leads them to a remote island in the middle of the Everglades where they find alarming evidence hinting at corporate corruption.

Together with Grandpa's know-how and the kids' intelligence--plus some really slick gadgets--can the Sherlock Society root out the conspiracy?

The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber

The Inheritance Games and One of Us is Lying for middle grade -- beloved author Alyson Gerber's new series is an unforgettable mystery featuring a secret society, a mysterious island, and dangerous family secrets.

Weatherby is a fish out of water. When she lands a scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, she's excited to be in the same world as her dad, whom she's never met, and make real friends. But Weatherby has a secret she'll risk everything to protect, one that could destroy her new life.

Every member of Jack's wealthy and privileged family has made their mark at the Boston School. Everyone, that is, except for Jack, who is entirely mediocre. He's desperate to prove his worth to his influential father. But Jack has a secret of his own . . . one with the power to ruin everything.

When the money for their school trip to a private island--exclusive to Boston students--is stolen, Jack and Weatherby are invited to play a high-stakes game and solve the mystery of the missing money. If they win, they'll be selected to join the oldest, most powerful secret society in the world--and they'll be Boston royalty forever. If they lose . . . well, they better not lose.

Beloved author Alyson Gerber crafts an unforgettable mystery that asks--are some secrets and lies impossible to overcome?

Happy Friday, and happy reading!