There’s a special kind of wonder in magical middle grade stories set in the real world – where everyday streets, schools, and backyards shimmer with the thrilling possibility that something extraordinary might be hiding just out of sight.

Summer of L.U.C.K.  By Laura Segal Stegman

Three children at summer camp discover a magical carnival in an abandoned warehouse. They must help the ghost of the carnival's owner revive the carnival before the summer ends, which also helps them find their own voices. 

The Miraculous. By Jess Redman

Eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis once believed wholeheartedly in “miracles,” recording every odd and wondrous moment in his journal until the sudden death of his infant sister shatters his faith. Then, alongside the feisty Faye and a mysterious old woman dwelling in an abandoned house, he’s drawn into a strange adventure that challenges his grief, rebuilds his hope, and reminds him that miracles might be found even in the darkest places.

Sticks & Stones. By Abby Cooper

Twelve-year-old Elyse has lived her life with a peculiar “disease” – whenever someone says something about her, that word appears on her arms and legs, from sweet labels like “cute” to hurtful ones like “loser.” As she starts middle school, navigates shifting friendships and an anonymous note, she discovers that the words others cling to don’t have to define her and begins the journey of accepting her true self.

The Mummy in the Attic by Mitch Mitchell

When Tom’s dad vanishes without a trace, Tom and his best friend Stevie uncover a creepy ancient Egyptian mummy in a dusty attic – only for Tom to gain unexpected invisibility powers. Using his new power, Tom must dodge the school bully, unravel his dad’s disappearance, and figure out what role the mummy (and his odd new cat) play in everything.

Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts  By Dianne K. Salerni

Set in an alternate 1898 New York where ghosts are real and regularly regulated, cousins thirteen-year-old Eleanor and fourteen-year-old Alice Roosevelt reluctantly team up when a mischievous spirit takes up residence in their aunt’s house, threatening their family home. As they dig into the house’s hidden past and confront a darker “vengeful” ghost in Alice’s birthplace – the house where her mother died – the two very different girls learn to trust each other and face not just supernatural danger but their own family’s losses and secrets