Recommendations based on Hard Luckby Jeff Kinney

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Long Haul

    by Jeff Kinney
    The Heffley family takes a cross-country road trip, learning the importance of family bonds.

    As Greg Heffley's summer vacation begins, his mother announces that the family will be going on a surprise road trip. As they pack their suitcases for the trip, Greg's father brings his old boat, ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Third Wheel

    by Jeff Kinney
    A middle schooler's misadventures as he navigates the ups and downs of growing up.

    Greg recalls several anecdotes from the time of his conception to his preschool years, notable ones include how his mother read to him before bed, how his parents’ excessive kissing supposedly led to ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Old School

    by Jeff Kinney
    A middle school student's misadventures as he navigates the tricky social and academic world of school.

    Life was better in the old days. Or was it? That’s the question Greg Heffley is asking as his town voluntarily unplugs and goes electronics-free. But modern life has its conveniences, and Greg isn’t ... (Goodreads)

  4. Big Nate Flips Out

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Sixth-grader Nate Wright faces new challenges, including a crush, a new teacher, and a rival comic strip.

    Francis is annoyed that Nate is messy and calls him a slob. Nate then accuses Francis of having color coded underwear, and wedgies him. Later, Nate and his friends go to the yearbook meeting, ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Tales from a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Nikki's heart is broken when her crush starts dating her arch-nemesis. She tries to move on, but drama ensues.

    It’s , ,, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , ,, for girls in this hilarious novel!,, It’s the biggest dance of the year and I am HOPING my crush, Brandon, (shhhh!!) wants to be my date. But time is running out. ... (Goodreads)

  6. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

    by James Patterson
    Rafe Khatchadorian's hilarious journey through middle school, breaking every rule in the book to make it more bearable.

    Rafe is bored at Hills Village Middle School with sixth grade at first, but he and his friend Leonardo the Silent invent "Operation R.A.F.E." (stands for "rules aren't for everyone"), a challenge to ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Tales from a Not-So-Glam TV Star

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Nikki lands a role on a TV show, but struggles to balance fame with her friendships and family.

    Everyone’s been rooting for Nikki Maxwell and her crush, Brandon—and fans will finally learn if they had their first kiss in this seventh book of the New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series! ... (Barnes & Noble)

  8. Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Follow the hilarious misadventures of sixth-grader Nate Wright as he navigates school, friends, and family.

    Nate Wright is dreaming when he wakes up to another ordinary morning of his life: breakfast of lumpy raisin oatmeal, his older sister, Ellen, and school. Believing that there will be a test that day ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Tonight on the Titanic

    by Mary Pope Osborne
    A young girl and her brother travel back in time to the fateful night of the Titanic's sinking.

    Jack and Annie are in for an exciting, scary, and sad adventure when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the decks of the "Titanic." Is there anything they can do to help the ill-fated ship? ... (Goodreads)

  10. Big Nate on a Roll

    by Lincoln Peirce
    Sixth-grader Nate Wright navigates middle school life with his friends, teachers, and family.

    Nate Wright is in detention, as earlier his art teacher Mr. Rosa asks him to hold a ladder for his rival Artur, so that he can paint the scenery for the school play. He recalls Artur dripping paint ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

    by Rachel Renée Russell
    Middle school drama queen, Nikki Maxwell, navigates the ups and downs of friendships, crushes, and embarrassing family members.

    It’s , ,, Diary of a Wimpy Kid , ,, for girls in this hilarious novel!,, Meet Nikki Maxwell! She's starting eighth grade at a new school—and her very first diary packed with hilarious stories and art ... (Goodreads)

  12. Sisters

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A graphic novel about the ups and downs of sisterhood, as two siblings navigate family, friendship, and growing up together.

    Three weeks. Two sisters. One car. A True Story Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, ... (Goodreads)

  13. Flat Stanley

    by Jeff Brown
    An imaginative adventure of a boy who is flattened by a bulletin board and must rely on his wits to navigate the world.

    When Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning, his brother, Arthur, is yelling. A bulletin board fell on Stanley during the night, and now he is only half an inch thick! Amazing things begin happening ... (Goodreads)

  14. Smile

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A young girl navigates the challenges of middle school and braces, overcoming obstacles with the help of her friends.

    For fans both new and old, Smile is now available with fifteen pages of never-before-seen content exclusively at B&N. Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she ... (Barnes & Noble)

  15. Spy School

    by Stuart Gibbs
    Ben Ripley is recruited to attend a secret spy school, where he must use his wits to solve a dangerous mystery.

    Can an undercover nerd become a superstar agent? Ben Ripley sure hopes so—and his life may depend on it! Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. The Stonekeeper

    by Kazu Kibuishi
    A young boy embarks on a magical journey to rescue his mother who has been kidnapped by an evil force.

    Two years after a car accident that killed her husband, Karen has difficulties as a single mother. She and her children, Emily and Navin, move to the old house of Karen's grandfather Silas near San ... (Wikipedia)

  17. I Funny: A Middle School Story

    by James Patterson
    A hilarious and heartwarming story of a middle schooler with dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian despite his disability.

    Jamie Grimm is a middle schooler on a mission: he wants to become the world's greatest standup comedian–even if he doesn't have a lot to laugh about these days. He's new in town and stuck living with ... (Goodreads)

  18. Darth Paper Strikes Back

    by Tom Angleberger
    A group of friends create a new origami character, Darth Paper, to fight against their strict school principal.

    The second case file of the, New York Times, bestselling Origami Yoda series from Tom Angleberger! Not such a long time ago, in a middle school not so far away . . . . . . Something amazing happened. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. Blood Beast

    by Darren Shan
    A young half-vampire boy must confront his inner demons and fight against a powerful bloodthirsty creature.

    Blood Beast takes place about a year after the events recounted in Slawter . Grubbs Grady is back in Carcery Vale. His life seems to have settled down at last. He's getting on well with Dervish. ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Drama

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A young girl discovers her passion for theatre while navigating her own personal journey.

    PLACES, EVERYONE! Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi , she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Reptile Room

    by Lemony Snicket
    The story of the Baudelaire orphans, who must outwit the cunning Count Olaf to survive.

    The three Baudelaire orphans have been placed under the care of their closest living relative, herpetologist Dr. Montgomery Montgomery. "Uncle Monty", as he prefers to be called, is a short, chubby ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Captain Underpants and the Big Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers

    by Dav Pilkey
    George and Harold must stop the evil Dr. Diaper and his army of robot boogers from taking over the world.

    At demonstration speech day, George and Harold show off the "Squishy"; two ketchup packets under a toilet seat. But Melvin forces everyone to watch his demonstration, the "Combine-o-Tron 2000", which ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Wide Window

    by Lemony Snicket
    A young girl's adventures in a strange and mysterious world, filled with unexpected surprises.

    Mr. Poe puts the Baudelaire orphans, Klaus Baudelaire , Sunny Baudelaire and Violet Baudelaire under the care of Aunt Josephine, who lives in a house atop a hill overlooking Lake Lachrymose, a lake ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Vacation Under the Volcano

    by Mary Pope Osborne
    A magical adventure of two siblings, travelling through time to save an ancient civilization from an impending disaster.

    Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House! Who wants to vacation next to a volcano? Jack and Annie are about to find out ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Miserable Mill

    by Lemony Snicket
    A young boy faces danger and misfortune at a sinister mill in a mysterious town.

    Violet , Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire are traveling on a train heading for Paltryville, the location of the children's new home, the Lucky Smells Lumbermill. Upon arrival, the children learn that they ... (Wikipedia)

  26. Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets

    by Dav Pilkey
    Two pranksters must save their school from an army of evil talking toilets created by a mad scientist.

    JH Elementary School is planning on hosting its second annual Invention Convention . Upon seeing the poster for it, George and Harold think to themselves what it would be like to be principals for ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Freak the Mighty

    by Rodman Philbrick
    The story of two unlikely friends, united by a shared sense of bravery and courage.

    The novel is set in a version of Portsmouth, New Hampshire . , In the beginning of the book, Maxwell Kane is a young boy with low self-esteem . He lives with his grandfather, Grim, and grandmother, ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Bone: Quest for the Spark, Vol. 1

    by Tom Sniegoski
    Three creatures embark on a perilous journey to find the Spark and save their homeland.

    A return to the enthralling world of BONE with book one in this gripping spin-off novel trilogy, illustrated in four-color!,Twelve-year-old Tom Elm is just an ordinary turnip farmer from the Valley, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Knight at Dawn

    by Mary Pope Osborne
    An adventure to a magical past, where two children outsmart a mean nobleman.

    Peacocks for dinner and boys in skirts?, That's what Jack and Annie find when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the Middle Ages for another wild adventure. In the Great Gall of the castle, a ... (Goodreads)

  30. The Julian Chapter

    by R.J. Palacio
    A young boy learns to confront his fears by talking to an imaginary figure of his enemy.

    Over 1 million people have read Wonder and have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. Now readers will have a chance to hear from the book's most ... (Goodreads)