Celebrate National Superhero Day with Middle Grade Books!
Superheroes, unite! Is your costume clean? Have you polished your super tools? Made plans with your sidekick? Because it's time…
April 28 is National Superhero Day!
How are you going to celebrate? How about using one of your superpowers…reading. When you think about it, being able to read is pretty amazing. Looking at marks on a page can open the door to a whole new world in your imagination. How awesome is that?
Since it's National Superhero Day, it only makes sense to read about superheroes, right? So here's a list of superhero middle grade books for you. A bunch of them are brand-new, while a couple have been around for a few years, but I think you'll enjoy every single one of them.
P.S. I bet reading is not your only superpower! Take my quiz, Which Gracie Dix Character Are You?, and find out!
What if there was a superhero with the power to reverse global warming? Now there is, and her name is EcoQueen. Actually, her name is Kora. With help from her autistic twin brother Río, Kora learns to control her gifts and sets out on a mission to protect people and ecosystems threatened by rising sea levels, catastrophic weather events, droughts, and wildfires across the globe. And she must also solve the mystery of the miraculous sacred seeds, which may just hold the secret to stopping global warming once and for all.
There are humans, and then there are Elementalists (a species capable of wielding elements like light, fire, and water). Minisc's dad is the legendary Hero of Light, so no pressure there! Minisc just wants to make his mother's dying wish come true: peace between humans and Elementalists. But when he heads to Elemental Academy to hone his ability, he uncovers a dangerous threat to that peace. Together with friends Lily and Jules, Minisc must become the hero he has long shunned, or both species may be doomed.
I know, I know…It is my own book. But, let’s imagine four-year-old twins…with superpowers! Once their family realizes little Jessica and Oliver Fletcher have powers, their lives will never be the same. This charming prequel follows young Jess and Oliver as they try to hide their powers at school, battle living room décor, and so much more. Full of family love, sibling sarcasm, and pure superhero heart.
This action-packed journey of friendship, hardship, and humor follows Oliver, Jess, and their friends on a mission to destroy the power-hungry, evil villains of Vork. The kids have Powers (Flight, Morphing, Invisibility, Mind Reading, and more) but will that be enough? The heroes will be pushed to their limits as they face everything from dinosaurs to dragons, but the hardest thing to overcome may be their own doubts and painful pasts.
The long-awaited sequel is here! Let the games begin! Team HOPE is invited to guest star on Unleash Your Wild Side, a thrilling live TV game show. They'll face their most extreme fears in front of the whole world, test their powers in an Environmental Dome, and learn more about each other's greatest strengths and deepest doubts than they'd ever imagined. But is this really just a game? When the villainous VORK employs the most evil demon of all to manipulate Team HOPE behind the scenes, they start to wonder: are they participants or prey? An action-packed, fast-paced adventure full of friendship, loyalty, humor, and heart.
Why should superheroes get all the credit? High schooler Sawyer William Vincent (yes, it does sound like three first names) is the Red Raptor, “partner” (not sidekick!) to the legendary Black Harrier. He works with the Black Harrier to bring down the city's most dangerous villains, until the Black Harrier gets a mysterious note and disappears. Now the Red Raptor is on his own. But it'll be fine. He's got this. Piece of cake. Right?
As if high school wasn't tough enough, Adam comes home to find his house swarming with government agents. Turns out his dad was a secret government scientist who got caught performing illegal experiments, including genetically modifying Adam's DNA! Now his dad is missing and the genetic tinkering is starting to take effect. Adam must find a traitor within the agency and hope his father can find a cure…before it's too late.
8. Dear Hero
Told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages, this creative book lets you spy on the conversation between a superhero and a supervillain. Teen superhero Cortex is on top of the world, until his villain dumps him. Meanwhile, the villainous Vortex needs a steady enemy she won't kill in round one. Enter Meta-Match, a nemesis pairing site. They match right away, but who are the real heroes and villains? A wonderfully original and witty read.
High school sophomore Charisa O'Dell has enough on her plate with homework, karate, and an upcoming school dance. But when she is accidentally endowed with superhuman powers, she adds one more thing to the list: crime fighting. Crime is a lot more complicated than her comics make it seem, and she finds herself relying on the mysterious Villain Hunter, who somehow shares several of her powers. Will she survive her attempt to save the day?
Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green just moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey, new school, new friends, and, of course, she has to hide her tail. Doreen has the powers of a squirrel! When she uses her powers and becomes the talk of the school, she takes the obvious next step: becoming Squirrel Girl, your friendly neighborhood superhero. Until a real-life supervillain appears and declares her his archenemy. Can she balance being a teenager and a superhero? Or will she go… NUTS?
There you have it: ten books (plus sequels!) to celebrate National Superhero Day.
I hope you enjoy them all! Don't forget to head over to my Instagram page for special announcements as well! Happy reading, superheroes! 🦸♂️🦸♀️