Flowchart: What Books to Give a Middle-Grader

I had a lot of fun with this one. So much so, that even though it was supposed to be posted on here yesterday (Thursday being my normal middle-grade book day), I spent a few more hours tweaking it and posted it now (obviously). So—without further ado!—a flowchart of middle-grade book recommendations!

Turns out it's hard to narrow down recommendations. This could have been SO much longer (heaven forbid). But hey, it works. So I'm hanging it in my library (see it here!). If you want to, too, here's the link to the .pdf printable in Google Drive.

If you want a full list of what books are on the flowchart, continue on, muchachos.

Class Clown

• Sideways Stories from Wayside Schoolby Louis Sachar
• I Funny: A Middle School Storyby James Patterson
• The Terrible Twoby Mac Barnett & Jory John
• The Ellie McDoodle Diaries: New Kid in Schoolby Ruth McNally Barshaw
• Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anythingby Steve Cotler
• Star Wars: Jedi Academyby Jeffrey Brown

Gamer
-Video Gamer:

• The Quest for the Diamond Sword: An Unofficial Gamer's Adventureby Winter Morgan
• 39 Clues: The Maze of Bonesby Rick Riordin

-Puzzle Solver:

• The Mysterious Benedict Societyby Trenton Lee Stewart
• Book Scavengerby Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Libraryby Chris Grabenstein
• Greenglass Houseby Kate Milford

-Athlete:

• QB 1by Mike Lupica
• Lost Boyby Tim Green
• The Crossoverby Kwame Alexander
• Roller Girlby Victoria Jamieson

Drama Queen

• Goodbye Strangerby Rebecca Stead
• How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untiedby Jess Keating
• From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princessby Meg Cabot
• The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Changby Amy Ignatow
• Dramaby Raina Telgemeier
• The School for Good and Evilby Soman Chainani

Day Dreamer
-Fairy Tale Fanatic:

• Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzelby Megan Morrison
• West of the Moonby Margi Preus

-Magic Believer:

• All the Answersby Kate Messner
• A Snicker of Magicby Natalie Lloyd
• Circus Mirandusby Cassie Beasley

-Adventurer:

• Five Kingdoms: Sky Raidersby Brandon Mull
• The Iron Trialby Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
• The Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlanby John A. Flanagan

-Ghost Hunter:

• Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircaseby Jonathan Stroud
• Doll Bonesby Holly Black
• The Night Gardenerby Jonathan Auxier

History Buff

• Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weaponby Steve Sheinkin
• The War that Saved My Lifeby Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
• Echoby Pam Muñoz Ryan
• The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eelby Deborah Hopkinson
• Chasing Secretsby Gennifer Choldenko

Career Planner
-Doctor: (see last two of History Buff)
-Scientist:

• Fuzzy Mudby Louis Sachar
• The Fourteenth Goldfishby Jennifer L. Holm

-Lawyer:

• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyerby John Grisham
• Three Times Luckyby Sheila Turnage

-Teacher:

• Fish in a Treeby Linda Mullaly Hunt
• 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Preceptsby R. J. Polacio

All-Around Good Kid

• The Secret Hum of a Daisyby Tracy Holczer
• Counting by 7sby Holly Goldberg Sloan
• El Deafoby Cece Bell
• Rain Reignby Ann M. Martin
• Brown Girl Dreamingby Jacqueline Woodson
• Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventuresby Kate DiCamillo