Whether they’re starting at a school where they don’t know anyone else, have embarrassed themselves by dropping their lunch on the very first day of the year, or are feeling like their friends and they don’t share the same interests anymore, there’s a middle grade character who has been there. In this list, you’ll find a great group of kids ready to help middle grades take the next step into a new school year. Looking for more great middle grade reads? Check out these 2022 middle grade books and the rest of our middle grade archives.