5 Middle Grade Books Starring Techie Kids

Secret Coders, (Secret Coders Series #1), by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes
This graphic novel follows Hopper, a new student at the Stately Academy, as she makes a new friend in Eni. As Eni teaches Hopper coding, they learn not all is as it seems with the janitor’s robot. It takes some serious puzzle solving and coding to solve the mystery, and readers (just like the characters) will learn all about basic logic and coding concepts. The best part is that this series starter actually introduces kids to coding concepts, and there’s an accompanying website that has simple activities for kids to learn coding.

Last Day on Mars (Chronicle of the Dark Star series #1), by Kevin Emerson
In a future in which the sun has destroyed Earth and humans are living on Mars, technology—and its potential to save the human race—is of the utmost importance. But humans’ days on Mars are numbered, and Liam struggles with the idea that he’ll have to leave his home soon. When Liam and his friend Phoebe get stuck in a tunnel under Mars, the discoveries they make change everything. Liam, the son of scientists who have spent their life developing terraforming technology for when humanity must find a new habitable planet, relies on advanced technology (including his robot JEFF) to help him survive. This sci-fi, space adventure is perfect for any kids interested in the future of technology and how it could shape our lives.

See You in the Cosmos, by Jack Cheng
You could say that Alex is obsessed with rockets. But he doesn’t just read about them—at eleven years old he’s already built a rocket that he hopes will win at a rocket festival. Wanting to emulate the great Carl Sagan and the Golden Record he launched into space in 1977, Alex decides to record his thoughts about life, science, and the human condition on a golden iPod he plans to launch into space. The chapters are transcripts of these recordings, so what the reader gets is a sense of Alex’s unending curiosity and optimism. His love for science and space (and basically everything else he sees in the world) is infectious and will inspire readers to use technology to follow the stars.

Tesla’s Attic (The Accelerati Trilogy #1), by Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman
Sometimes technology just feels like magic—and nothing captures that quite like this series, which prominently features the unbelievable and magical inventions of Nikola Tesla. There’s a voice recorder that captures what you think (not what you say), a toaster that causes an electrical storm, and a camera that takes pictures 24 hours in the future. And all this crazy tech is in the hands of fourteen-year-old Nick Slate, who finds it in his attic. Or it was in his hands—until he sold it at a garage sale. Now he must get it all back before a dangerous secret society gets its hands on it. Perfectly blending technology with magic, this series is pure fun and impossible to put down.

The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat, by Paul Tobin and Thierry Lafontaine 
Nate is not only a genius, he’s an inventor. While he’s normally very smart, on Friday the 13th he likes to pencil three not-so-smart things into his schedule. You know, just to keep things interesting. And this year, he’s taking his friend Delphine along for the ride. He’s accidentally made his cat giant and invisible, and he needs Delphine’s help to catch her before she destroys the town. Armed with a talking dog, a tricked-out car, and plenty more of Nate’s inventions, they race to stop the cat. It should be easy, but then Nate’s nemesis, the Red Death Tea Society, gets involved, and it’s a race all the way to the end. Fun and full of adventure, this is the perfect book for any aspiring inventor.