Middle Grade Must Reads – August 2026 (Part Three)

Scarlet: Defender of the Universe

Are you sitting comfortably? Are you fantasising about bamboo? Do you have black and white fur? Are you huge and cute and cuddly-looking? Well, put this book down, because you are a panda, and this is not a book for pandas.

This is a story about a girl called Scarlet. She’s nine years old, just like you, if you’re nine. If you’re not nine, then she’s more like someone else who is nine. She has red hair, just like you, unless your hair is brown. She is 127 centimetres tall, just like you, unless you’re taller or shorter. Her favourite colour is green, just like you, unless your favourite colour is grey, although that seems highly unlikely. And she is as smart as a shiny button, just like you.

Scarlet only responds to the advert at the back of the Beano for the role of Defender of the Universe to prove to her annoying younger brother that it’s not a real thing… so she’s a little surprised to be told that she’s got the job and is now responsible for the safety of the entire galaxy. Along with her co-Defender Jasper, Pom-Pom, the cutest alien in existence, and Bot, the cleverest AI robot that’s ever been invented, Scarlet is thrown into a whirlwind adventure that takes her to the furthest reaches of the cosmos and back again, on a mission to prevent the destruction of planet Earth by an alien species who will do anything for a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Before I go on about what a great book this is, I need to point out that this is a debut book, yes unbelievably so.

This is by far one of the most hilarious books I’ve read this year, it was so funny and every word was so entertaining.

This adventure can only be described as a whirlwind madcapped adventure. The action just didn’t stop, we have talking dolphins, a world obsession of hot chocolate, a sidekick Jasper (my personal favourite) who seems to spend the entire time eating fruit.

There are unpredictable twists, hilarious natural dialogue and madcapped events that will have you laughing out loud. And there’s nothing dull at all.

But there is a serious side to this book, and that is a child dealing with a special needs sibling who takes all the adults attention.There are serious moments that will make you realise what life is like for that child, and how difficult it can be.

And the author leaves us with a kind of cliffhanger that hopefully will lead to a series..

Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime

I love nothing better than a MG book that gives the reader a history lesson, and with this book I was able to go back to one of my favourite eras – the Ancient Greeks.

A mysterious labyrinth. A desperate king. A rebellious princess. Being stuck in a crumbling old villa in Crete with her annoying, history-obsessed little brother Remy isn’t exactly Netta’s idea of a fun summer holiday. But before she can even get bored, Netta starts having very real dreams where she is dragged back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Here, King Minos is preparing for the opening of his precious labyrinth, and there are rumours that a monster lurks inside. As Netta becomes more drawn to the past, her present-day self starts slipping away. Netta and Remy must figure out what is pulling her back before they run out of time – and if they don’t solve the puzzle soon, Netta might just become history herself.

This is an interesting take on Minos, Minotaur with Theseus and  Zeus thrown in. It was interesting that the author chose MInos as a main character as I haven’t read any MG books with him in it.

But what shone through more than anything is the sibling relationship in this book, how to start with they aren’t really close but as the book goes on you witness the relationship grow.

Personally I’d love a brother like Remy. I already have book 2 waiting to go and I will be interested in what part of history we will read about next.

My Teacher is a Diamond Thief!

If I was to look at my library statistics, do you know who the most read author in my school would be?

Jeff KInney – No

Roald Dahl – No

J.K Rowling – No

The actual answer is Pamela Butchart

The kids absolutely love her books, and the copies in the library need 

Replacing a couple times of year.

I think she is so popular because the books are set in a school, the cast is made up mostly of children and the adventures are so madcapped.

And it wasn’t long before the adventures started and of course all the misunderstandings.

Nothing is quite as it seems for Izzy and her friends, and the drama is always off the scale!

When Izzy and friends get a new teacher, they are immediately suspicious. Why does she have two computers set up on her desk? Why does she speak Spanish when they’re supposed to be doing maths? Why does she have a pink wig and sunglasses in her car?

And WHY DOES SHE HAVE A DRAWER FULL OF DIAMONDS? Because she’s an international jewel thief, of course, and MUST BE STOPPED!

I swear this series is getting better and better. I can’t believe that this is book 15 in the series.

Of course as adults we can see how wrong these children are, it always amazes me children see the world around them.

This is just a fun read. A perfect book for sharing

Superquester Mission Desert Danger

Join the fearless SuperQuesters on their latest mission to stop a rogue archaeologist from destroying Questland’s entire desert.

Best friends Lilli, Leo and Bea are having an exciting day at the beach. They have everything they need for fun, including their Questland game and their special amulets. During their sandcastle competition, they spot a message in a bottle. It shows strange hieroglyphs and one clear word: Help! At that moment, their amulets glow and, in a flash, they are back in Questland.

Transformed into the SuperQuesters – Lillicorn, Leo Zoom and Bea Bumble – they arrive on the banks of a dried up river in the desert. As they gaze at a towering pyramid, they meet Arid the Sand Sprite, who is very upset. Skitter the scarab beetle tells them that Arid’s brother, Rainveil the River Sprite, has been captured by the sneaky archaeologist Professor Vortec along with his beetle friends. The professor plans to destroy the desert in pursuit of ancient treasure.

The SuperQuesters leap into action. Working with Arid and Skitter, they discover the professor intends to steal the cursed treasure using an ancient spell. Can the friends use their STEM skills and courage to crack secret codes, dive for treasure, navigate the dunes and defeat giant mummybots in a race against time to stop the professor?

I have been lucky enough to have read the entire series, and this is again another fabulous book in the series. The  story, a mix of STEM, history and magic, has enough to keep the reader engaged, and the author explains all the terminology so well, he has managed to simplify all the technical parts. And the fun facts are so fun. 

The illustrations are a marvelous addition that bring everything to life. I just love how the reader is learning without them realising it. Even us adults can learn a thing or 2.

One of my absolute favourite parts is the experiments, and I have found myself trying one or two of them throughout the series.

This series just gets better and better.