Funny and Heartwarming Books for Young Readers

Middle School: Dog’s Best Friend, by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
Rafe Khatchadorian is just getting the hang of middle school, and his life is even starting to feel a bit more normal, when he sees his grandmother standing in line at the soup kitchen. In order to raise money for his family, Rafe decides to start a dog-walking business—which, in typical Rafe Khatchadorian-ian fashion, soon turns into a neighborhood dog-walking empire. Rafe is already planning on what he’ll do with all that extra cash when competition shows up. Oh, and did I mention that his younger sister has skipped a grade so now she’s in all of his classes? What was that again about life starting to feel a bit more normal?

Return to the Isle of the Lost (Descendants series #2 B&N Exclusive Edition), by Melissa de la Cruz
Author Melissa de la Cruz is returning to Disney’s Isle of the Lost with this stellar second book in the Descendants series. Now living in Auradon and dating King Ben, Mal thought she had left her villainous roots behind her. But she and her friends Evie, Carlos, and Jay have all received menacing messages demanding they return to the Isle of the Lost—and they suspect that their parents are the ones sending them. Maleficent, Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar won’t rest until their kids are back in their clutches and Auradon is destroyed, so the teens are sneaking back to the island to put a stop to it. But will Mal discover she’s still wicked at her core, or has she truly turned over a new leaf?

Spy Ski School, by Stuart Gibbs (B&N Exclusive)
In the fourth novel in the Spy School series, 13-year-old Ben Ripley is now 11 months into his spy training, and he’s being sent on his first official mission. Along with several of his classmates from the CIA’s Academy of Espionage, Ben is headed to Vail, Colorado, to gather information on Chinese billionaire Leo Shang. The plan is simple: befriend Leo’s daughter, Jessica. But when a friend from home shows up and threatens to blow Ben’s cover, Ben once again finds himself wondering if he’s really cut out for this spy business.

Gravity Falls: Journal 3, by Alex Hirsch, Rob Renzetti, Andy Gonsalves, and Stephanie Ramirez
Fans of Dipper and Mabel and their adventures in the delightfully eccentric and spooky Gravity Falls will love the 3rd journal based on the hit show. Gravity Falls: Journal 3 features every page fans have seen on the show, plus all new pages of course, chock-full of monsters, mystery, and mayhem. Best of all? The book jacket doubles as an exclusive poster, so this little beauty is two gifts in one!

The BFG, by Roald Dahl
Snatched from her bed in the middle of the night, Sophie is certain she’s moments away from being dropped into a frying pan for breakfast. Instead of eating her, however, the Big Friendly Giant (BFG) colludes with her! Sophie not only finds out what the giants in the world are responsible for, but also that they aren’t all bad. This Dahl classic is a must-read for fans of The Witches and Matilda.

Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal, by DanTDM
Celebrity YouTuber DanTDM brings to life a new graphic novel series for Minecraft fans. When a crystal falls to earth and shatters, sending its five pieces in five far-and-away different directions, one of the shards is found by DanTDM and Trayaurus. The two quickly realize the piece they hold possesses great power—but they’re not the only ones who now hold that power, and not everybody intends to use the shards for good. It’s up to DanTDM and Trayaurus to collect every piece of the crystal before it’s too late.

The Secret Keepers, by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society author brings middle grade readers a thrilling new adventure, about 12-year-old Reuben Pedley and his life-changing discovery of an extraordinary antique watch. Reuben finds himself suddenly plunged into a world of dark secrets surrounding the watch, and unwittingly attracting the attention of New Umbra’s mysterious ruler, the Smoke, and his minions, the Directions. He’ll need the help of Penny and Jack Meyers, descendants of one of the watch’s original owners, to outsmart the Smoke and the Directions in this exciting page-turner.

Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier (B&N Exclusive Edition)
Raina Telgemeier is back with her signature graphic novel style in this new fictional tale about teenager Catrina, who is moving with her family to a coastal town in Northern California in hopes that the new setting will help her sick little sister. Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from Bahía de la Luna’s sea air. But as the sisters soon learn, the weather isn’t the only creepy thing about this town—there are ghosts! Maya really wants to meet one, but Catrina wants no part of it. Can she push past her fears to help her sister?