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8 Exciting Middle Grade Novels
Gathered here in one exclusive multi-author collection are EIGHT full-length middle grade novels that showcase action, fantasy, science fiction, and everything in between for FREE.
Many of the novels are the first in a series, so if you like these stories, you’ll be able to click through to the sequels. Whether you're aged 9-12 or an adult that just loves a good story, we hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them.
The Mystery of Smugglers Cove by Paul Moxham
When twelve year old Joe and his two younger sisters visit Smugglers Cove for the summer holidays, they get caught up in a thrilling adventure that is beyond their wildest imagination.
B: or How the Bogeyman Didn't Save Christmas by Jessie G Talbot
Christmas is steamrolling the holidays and they're angry. Then Santa really makes trouble. It's up to the Bogeyman to save the right jolly old elf, three innocent families, and Christmas itself in his own fantastic way. Or, y'know, not...
The Fisherman’s Son by Marilyn Peake
A fantasy novel about the adventures of Wiley O’Mara. On the back of a magical dolphin, the twelve-year-old rescues six boys trapped in an ancient city under the sea. Along the way, he fights both The Beast in the Forest and a Fire Beast guarding the city of old.
The Emerald Quest by Renee Pawlish
A long-lost emerald, a missing treasure map, and a wealthy villain combine for an action-packed adventure!
Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid by Lee Winter
As a free range kid, Angus is allowed to do things other kids his age aren’t. But when he’s accused of stealing an iPhone from school, Angus must use everything he’s got to catch the real thief, clear his name, and outwit the seriously bad dudes hot on his tail!
Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds by Dale Kutzera
When aliens invade, Andy McBean is a kid on the run! Join Andy in this modern retelling of the science fiction classic as he rescues his friends, meets an alien, finds his family, and saves the world.
Angels Club by Courtney Vail
When a malnourished horse shows up as a rescue, Jacinda, a bullied girl takes it on as a project horse, and the horse's sweet nature inspires her to spread kindness around to make a positive difference in the world.
Fire by David L Dawson
What happens when a girl without magic, in a world brimming with it, has the chance to be the person she always wanted to be? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure for fans of Harry Potter and Peter Jackson.
Many of the novels are the first in a series, so if you like these stories, you’ll be able to click through to the sequels. Whether you're aged 9-12 or an adult that just loves a good story, we hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them.
The Mystery of Smugglers Cove by Paul Moxham
When twelve year old Joe and his two younger sisters visit Smugglers Cove for the summer holidays, they get caught up in a thrilling adventure that is beyond their wildest imagination.
B: or How the Bogeyman Didn't Save Christmas by Jessie G Talbot
Christmas is steamrolling the holidays and they're angry. Then Santa really makes trouble. It's up to the Bogeyman to save the right jolly old elf, three innocent families, and Christmas itself in his own fantastic way. Or, y'know, not...
The Fisherman’s Son by Marilyn Peake
A fantasy novel about the adventures of Wiley O’Mara. On the back of a magical dolphin, the twelve-year-old rescues six boys trapped in an ancient city under the sea. Along the way, he fights both The Beast in the Forest and a Fire Beast guarding the city of old.
The Emerald Quest by Renee Pawlish
A long-lost emerald, a missing treasure map, and a wealthy villain combine for an action-packed adventure!
Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid by Lee Winter
As a free range kid, Angus is allowed to do things other kids his age aren’t. But when he’s accused of stealing an iPhone from school, Angus must use everything he’s got to catch the real thief, clear his name, and outwit the seriously bad dudes hot on his tail!
Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds by Dale Kutzera
When aliens invade, Andy McBean is a kid on the run! Join Andy in this modern retelling of the science fiction classic as he rescues his friends, meets an alien, finds his family, and saves the world.
Angels Club by Courtney Vail
When a malnourished horse shows up as a rescue, Jacinda, a bullied girl takes it on as a project horse, and the horse's sweet nature inspires her to spread kindness around to make a positive difference in the world.
Fire by David L Dawson
What happens when a girl without magic, in a world brimming with it, has the chance to be the person she always wanted to be? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure for fans of Harry Potter and Peter Jackson.
- GenresChildrens
1196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2015
191 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Paul Moxham
84 books102 followersPaul Moxham hails from Melbourne, Australia. He's best known for his children's mystery series which follows Joe, Amy, Sarah, and Will as they have adventures in 1950's Britain.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 5, 2018
8 Exciting Middle Grade Novels -- Published by Paul Moxham, various authors. 7/18/17-1/4/18 (page counts are ebook versions)
I gave short reviews here. Longer reviews are under individual book names.
Stories:
1) The Mystery of Smuggers Cove -- Paul Moxham (26 chapters) This is written like an old timey children's mystery. Good, "wholesome" fun. (330 pages)
2) B: or How the Bogeyman Didn't Save Christmas -- Jessie G Talbot (15 chapters + At The End) This one didn't do anything for me, I DNF, skipped. (327 pages)
3) The Fisherman's Son -- Marilyn Peak (28 chapters) This one was a very well written, woven story that will appeal to all ages. It was more of a fantasy; was well paced and kept this much older reader attentive. I really enjoyed the story. (234 pages)
4) The Emerald Quest: A Noah Winter Adventure -- Renee Pawlish (17 titled chapters) This was also a very well written story that can also be enjoyed by older readers. The plot was tight, chapters ended perfectly, and the author utilized great foreshadowing and circled back around with events that happened earlier in the. It was a page turner. Reading this story after the last one made me even gladder to I restarted the collection. [Note: I have read one adult story by this author that I did not rate high. But this middle school story was written a lot better. I would read more YA stories by her.] (315 pages)
5) Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid -- Lee M Winter (23 titled chapters) This is also another very well written adventure/mystery story. There are a couple of strong female protagonists in the story too, as an added bonus. There are Australian words in this story, so keep that in mind while reading. (222 pages)
6) Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds -- Dale Kutzera (37 titled chapters + Prologue and Epilogue) This story not only has an adventure involving aliens, it also has a sub-story that carries a great message about perceived weaknesses. Also includes a female protagonist that is fighting her own issues, and a token goofball best friend. Another story that can be enjoyed by all ages. (485 pages)
7) Angels Club -- Courtney Vail (23 chapters) This is a girly adventure, but it's not as adventurey as I would have hoped it would've been. The story centers around a group of young girls raising money for people in need and nursing a rescue horse back from near starvation. It was hard for me to get through this story, though I liked the characters. (A bonus was the protagonist liking Priscilla the Great , one of my all time favorite middle grades series!) (415 page)
8) Fire (The Book of Fire Trilogy 1) -- David L Dawson (35 chapters) This is a fantasy story, with a female protagonist and a male BFF. The story has some nice humor in it, but it ends on a cliffhanger, which sadden me. (381 pages)
I did not read the teaser descriptions before I read the book, which was started in the middle of 2017, and finished in the first few days of the new year 2018. The main reason that it took me so long to read this fairly decent collection of stories was when I started to read the second story, I became so discouraged by the second story, I DNF it and ended up avoiding the other stories for many months. However, when I set my goal to finish all the books on my currently reading list before Dec. 31, 2017, I got right after this one. (Unfortunately, family issues didn’t allow me to finish it then, but I did finish at the end of holiday break.) I'm glad I decided to pick this book up again. There really is something for everyone in this collection. I feared this would be male protagonist heavy, but there are female protagonists in some of these as well, which is a nice surprise. Therefore, I think both male and female middle schoolers will find something they like here, and older adults who enjoy the younger crowd stories will like these too. This was marked as a 16 hour read, Kobo tracked it out to 14.1. If you want your middle schooler/young adult to be engaged in contemporarily written adventure stories, this collection is ideal. Perfect for vacations and breaks, it is sure to keep them engaged and entertained!
Four stars.
I gave short reviews here. Longer reviews are under individual book names.
Stories:
1) The Mystery of Smuggers Cove -- Paul Moxham (26 chapters) This is written like an old timey children's mystery. Good, "wholesome" fun. (330 pages)
2) B: or How the Bogeyman Didn't Save Christmas -- Jessie G Talbot (15 chapters + At The End) This one didn't do anything for me, I DNF, skipped. (327 pages)
3) The Fisherman's Son -- Marilyn Peak (28 chapters) This one was a very well written, woven story that will appeal to all ages. It was more of a fantasy; was well paced and kept this much older reader attentive. I really enjoyed the story. (234 pages)
4) The Emerald Quest: A Noah Winter Adventure -- Renee Pawlish (17 titled chapters) This was also a very well written story that can also be enjoyed by older readers. The plot was tight, chapters ended perfectly, and the author utilized great foreshadowing and circled back around with events that happened earlier in the. It was a page turner. Reading this story after the last one made me even gladder to I restarted the collection. [Note: I have read one adult story by this author that I did not rate high. But this middle school story was written a lot better. I would read more YA stories by her.] (315 pages)
5) Angus Adams: The Adventures of a Free-Range Kid -- Lee M Winter (23 titled chapters) This is also another very well written adventure/mystery story. There are a couple of strong female protagonists in the story too, as an added bonus. There are Australian words in this story, so keep that in mind while reading. (222 pages)
6) Andy McBean and the War of the Worlds -- Dale Kutzera (37 titled chapters + Prologue and Epilogue) This story not only has an adventure involving aliens, it also has a sub-story that carries a great message about perceived weaknesses. Also includes a female protagonist that is fighting her own issues, and a token goofball best friend. Another story that can be enjoyed by all ages. (485 pages)
7) Angels Club -- Courtney Vail (23 chapters) This is a girly adventure, but it's not as adventurey as I would have hoped it would've been. The story centers around a group of young girls raising money for people in need and nursing a rescue horse back from near starvation. It was hard for me to get through this story, though I liked the characters. (A bonus was the protagonist liking Priscilla the Great , one of my all time favorite middle grades series!) (415 page)
8) Fire (The Book of Fire Trilogy 1) -- David L Dawson (35 chapters) This is a fantasy story, with a female protagonist and a male BFF. The story has some nice humor in it, but it ends on a cliffhanger, which sadden me. (381 pages)
I did not read the teaser descriptions before I read the book, which was started in the middle of 2017, and finished in the first few days of the new year 2018. The main reason that it took me so long to read this fairly decent collection of stories was when I started to read the second story, I became so discouraged by the second story, I DNF it and ended up avoiding the other stories for many months. However, when I set my goal to finish all the books on my currently reading list before Dec. 31, 2017, I got right after this one. (Unfortunately, family issues didn’t allow me to finish it then, but I did finish at the end of holiday break.) I'm glad I decided to pick this book up again. There really is something for everyone in this collection. I feared this would be male protagonist heavy, but there are female protagonists in some of these as well, which is a nice surprise. Therefore, I think both male and female middle schoolers will find something they like here, and older adults who enjoy the younger crowd stories will like these too. This was marked as a 16 hour read, Kobo tracked it out to 14.1. If you want your middle schooler/young adult to be engaged in contemporarily written adventure stories, this collection is ideal. Perfect for vacations and breaks, it is sure to keep them engaged and entertained!
Four stars.
June 3, 2020
The Mystery of Smuggler's Cove by Paul Moxham
What I like about this book is that there is one brother and two sisters and they meet Will who knows a lot about the locale.
He shows them the caves and one day Joe goes by himself to investigate. Lucky the girls help rescue him later in the day..
When they go with Will another day they go far into the caves-reminds me a bit about game of thrones as they have caves and tunnels under the castles.
This one they learn is where men meet and bring boxes in and will go during night hours to bring the goods to the boats to sell to others.
Very scary that they are only kids. Almost like a Hardy Boys mystery so am enjoying it.
Reminds me also of our local rum runner smugglers off the beach via the drain pipes that are big enough to walk through.
Brave kids and like what they find out and where...
What I like about this book is that there is one brother and two sisters and they meet Will who knows a lot about the locale.
He shows them the caves and one day Joe goes by himself to investigate. Lucky the girls help rescue him later in the day..
When they go with Will another day they go far into the caves-reminds me a bit about game of thrones as they have caves and tunnels under the castles.
This one they learn is where men meet and bring boxes in and will go during night hours to bring the goods to the boats to sell to others.
Very scary that they are only kids. Almost like a Hardy Boys mystery so am enjoying it.
Reminds me also of our local rum runner smugglers off the beach via the drain pipes that are big enough to walk through.
Brave kids and like what they find out and where...
January 1, 2021
My kids enjoyed a couple of the novels in here but not as much as I had hoped. For free you can't pass it up even if they only liked one book out of the bunch but overall neither my kids or I would read them again any time soon.
November 7, 2023
Each book is so very different from the next. It was very entertaining.
I'm old but still enjoyed them.
I'm old but still enjoyed them.
July 2, 2016
From good to needs a sixth grade editor.
It's eight books, some were good, even funny, while others needed an elementary school teacher to mark it up in red ink.
It's eight books, some were good, even funny, while others needed an elementary school teacher to mark it up in red ink.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews