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Books I Read & Loved in Middle School: The Y2K thru 2011 YA Bookworm's Nostalgia List
13
items Any other 90s babies feeling nostalgic for Y2K and the early 2010s? Want to share a part of your childhood with your kiddos? Check these must-reads out. Links all go to the wonderful bookshop.org which supports local independent book stores. Keep reading!
Sections
5
Paranormal +/- Romance
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Realistic Fiction
Dystopia / Post-Apocalypse
Paranormal +/- Romance
Paranormal romance was my jam back in middle and high school. I was obsessed with ghosts, psychic powers, etc. These books (and the amount thereof) will reflect that obsession.
I loved this series and pretty much all Meg Cabot books. This series is about a girl who can see and talk to ghosts. She moves with her family and finds that there is a ghost living in her bedroom. There's a lot of adventure and friendship with some ...here.
The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot
Anna Dressed in Blood is a ghost story/paranormal romance duology (two book series) written by the lovely Kendare Blake. I actually won one of her contests back in about 2012 and was able to talk to her via email. It was a huge highlight of my k-12 l...
This book is about Cas, a boy who, like his father before him, kills the dead. Ghosts, I mean. Basically, most ghosts in this book lose their personality - their humanity - when they die, leaving just an angry spirit who wants revenge or whatever. So...Goodreads.
This book is about Cas, a boy who, like his father before him, kills the dead. Ghosts, I mean. Basically, most ghosts in this book lose their personality - their humanity - when they die, leaving just an angry spirit who wants revenge or whatever. So...Goodreads.
Anna Dressed in Blood a book by Kendare Blake
This book, while a bit young for my middle school self, was my childhood introduction to ghost stories and the horror (ish) genre. Wait till Helen Comes is a kid appropriate ghost story that's equal measure spooky and life lesson-y.
Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story book by Mary Downing Hahn
Goosebumps, while, yeah, it's more Elementary school than Middle school, is a classic 90s kid friendly horror anthology series full of spooks, ghosts, and nasties. Plenty of fun for the teen reader too.
Goosebumps 25th Anniversary Retro Set a book by R L Stine
The last book in the Mediator series by Meg Cabot! I haven't personally read this yet since I just found out about it but its on my TBR.
Remembrance a book by Meg Cabot
Sci-Fi
Science Fiction was a blooming interest of mine at this point so I won't have a very diverse selection for this period. I think I started really getting into Sci-Fi with my introduction to Doctor Who.
Linked is the first book of the AMAZING Maximum Ride fantasy YA series. Highly rec buying all at once so your kid (or you) can binge. I was obsessed with these books for YEARS. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Maximum Ride is about a grou...
The Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson
LOVED THIS SERIES. About a girl who is struck by lightning and suddenly knows where missing people are. Excerpt of my review circa 2016: Wow, this book was great. Like, 4 stars out of 5 great! I didn't really like that it was written as the MC writin...
The 1-800-Where-R-You series by Meg Cabot
Fantasy
Fantasy honestly was a bit too young for me in middle school so I didn't read much of it. I finished series I started in elementary school, and a couple recs from friends, but that's about it.
This series is about two orphan sisters who move in with their long lost grandma and find themselves thrown into the world of fairy tale shenanigans. They make lots of friends, a couple enemies, and learn a lot about their family.
The Sisters Grimm Series by Michael Buckley
It's about a princess who is turned into a frog for some reason I can't actually remember. This was recommended to me by a friend back then and it was pretty good at the time!
The Frog Princess (Tales of the Frog Princess 1)
Realistic Fiction
I've never been a RF fan in all honesty: they tend to be sad and I read for a fun escape from life. These books managed to get past my filters and were thoroughly enjoyed.
If you're looking for a good cry, this book is for you. I read this in 2013 and hated/loved it. It was a bit too mature for me in middle school but beautiful nonetheless. TW: Sex, Death
Looking for Alaska
Another good cry. Ends in death. Think cancer. The book is better than the movies 100%. TW: Death
The Fault in Our Stars: a book by John Green
Dystopia / Post-Apocalypse
The Hunger Games was my gateway drug to the wonderful world of dystopia/post-apocalypse reading. I loved the end of the world vibe of this genre, and the idea that one person can incite change and help shape the future.
Great series with great movies. behind it. I read these back in the day when they came out and absolutely devoured them. Katniss' devotion to her sister, Peeta's protectiveness over Katniss, Gale being Gale, oof. Love this series and would highly rec...
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games, Book One): Volume 1 a book by Suzanne Collins
You guys this was my favorite book in MS/HS. Just avoid the last book it doesn't exist.
Divergent (Divergent Series, 1)