Middle Grade Must Reads – September 2026 (Part One)

Riley Wright is Always Wrong

• Written by Mel Taylor-Bessent
• Published by Farshore

Riley Wright is starting at Heverton Junior School with one awkward her MAJORLY embarrassing dad is the new head teacher 

New school, new friends (hopefully!). Riley Wright has to figure out how to fit in, pin down a talent for the talent show, look out for her unpredictable new BFF Emmie and face down super mean girl Harper … As someone who gets a lot of stuff wrong, when will Riley finally get something RIGHT?

The first thing that grabs you is the bright pink bubble gum colour of the cover, this will instantly grab your attention.

This is the first book in what promises to be an excellent series, this is told in the form of a highly illustrated journal.

Aimed at 7 – 9 year old girls this is perfect for newly independent readers. The font contains speech bubbles, doodles and fun tyrographics

The main character Riley is instantly likeable and engaging, unfortunately she is the headmaster’s daughter and they are both starting a new school together.Riley is awkward and accident prone, and unsure of herself. This is a funny warm hearted story that will put a smile on your face.

The plot is full of friendship, mishaps and laughter, which will leave the reader looking forward to book 2

I was lucky enough to have been sent a proof copy and while it does have hilarious illustrations the finished copy promises so much more.

While only 135 pages long, the author has managed to pack in an entire story while leaving the reader wanting more from these characters.

Cara the Shimmer Wings Capybara

• Written by Emma Young
• Published by Scholastic

Cara the Capybara can’t help but get herself into trouble… The world is just so exciting!

So when Cara is given some strawberry cake to look after for the family picnic it’s no surprise that – uh, oh! – a bite goes missing.

Her dad takes her to Clover Creek Meadow, where there’s a cafe to buy more cake. If only Cara can find the cafe… Instead, instead, she falls down a tree into … Capybara Kingdom!

It’s AMAZING.

There are upside-down forests and a very special cafe, indeed. A capybara cafe.

And, Cara has … WINGS!

There’s so much to explore and new creatures to meet. When she meets new friend capybara Ava, she learns her birthday party is turning out to be a disaster.

Can Cara use her newfound wings to help save the day and give Ava the Capy birthday of her dreams without causing chaos?

For me one of the things that gives me pleasure in my job is witnessing a child choose their first chapter book. They spend ages looking at the books in what in school is known as the year 2 bookcase, there I have got a large selection of books perfect for the reader who is leaving picture books behind and going on to short chapter books, these books are short to read, larger font, loads of illustrations, and easy to read.

And this book is heading there.

This is a great read,first a huge shout out for the map – I do like a map.

The story is fun with engaging characters, mad capped adventure. And with this being the first in the series things are only going to get better and more mad.

• Perfect for reluctant readers and those looking for shorter reads.

The Winter Snow Goose

This is book 4 in the very popular The Island Vet series.

As autumn turns to winter on Gull Haven Island, a snow goose crash-lands amidst a storm. Tia and Nat jump to the rescue. 

The arrival of a rare snow goose heralds the start of a very harsh winter for the Haven Islanders. They have to deal with long power cuts, and when the boats can’t make it over from the mainland, they start to run out of food and other supplies.

In this dark time, Tia and Nat find a creative way to bring the islanders together in a celebration of light and community that will help see them through to the better days ahead.

What a great addition to the series.

This time the author takes a look at the changing of seasons. This book also looks at the reasons why the change of seasons is a good thing and what there is to celebrate.

The illustrations are very detailed.

Escape

• Written by Sophie McKenzie
• Illustrations by Melinia Badosa
• Published by Barrington Stoke

This was my first book by Sophie Mckenzie, and it won’t be my last.

When her school trip to the aquarium takes a perilous turn, Bernice must channel all of her knowledge to survive. 

A dream school trip to a sea-life sanctuary turns into a nightmare for Bernice when she finds herself in a race against the tide.

When her friends’ reckless behaviour plunges them all into the freezing waters of Shark Bay, Bernice has to confront her fears and summon all her knowledge of marine life to find a way to safety.

But in shark-infested waters, can she act quickly enough to save the day?

This was such an interesting read, with an amazing environmental message. I just wanted to keep reading and was disappointed when I came to the end of the book.

The illustrations were very detailed.