ANN Manga and Novel Summer Reading List 2026

Middle Grade (Ages 8-12)

It is my totally unbiased opinion that some of the most interesting things happening in publishing are going on in middle-grade fiction. All of our old genre friends are there, but they're being used in creative ways that speak to imaginative minds—both from authors and readers. Below are five books in genre fiction aimed at an audience of eight- to twelve-year-olds, but are absolutely enjoyable no matter how old you are.

Horror Collector

Interconnected short stories follow Fushigi and his human-faced dog, Jimmy, as they try to stop Fushigi's sister, Himitsu, from bringing urban legends to terrifying life. Each story touches on a familiar urban legend, either from the internet (one story is inspired by Slender Man) or folklore (lost mountain villages), and hits just the right level of creepy for middle-grade readers. If you or your reader likes Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Mary Downing Hahn's books, this is a good bet—and it has an upcoming anime adaptation.

The Village Beyond the Mist

When Lina's father sends her to a strange mountain village for the summer, she finds herself in a world outside of time and reality, an inspiration for the Ghibli film Spirited Away. Lina's adventures are exquisitely written (and translated), and the entire book has the feel of classic children's literature from authors like E. Nesbit or Edgar Eager. It's like reading a dream you once had, and it's sure to inspire budding fantasy fans.

Your Letter

When Sori finds a letter taped to the bottom of her desk at her new school, she embarks on a scavenger hunt to find its author in this story about finding your place in the world. Bittersweet in places and brimming with magic realism, this is the perfect blend of fantasy and realistic fiction. If you've ever had a hard time fitting in at school or felt on the outside, Sori's story will touch your heart—and the gorgeous full-color artwork enhances that.

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura

Princess Sakura is the granddaughter of a famous demon slayer, and when she breaks the taboo against gazing at the full moon one night, she learns what that means for her in this Heian-era magical girl tale. No one quite writes a magical girl story like Arina Tanemura, and this is one of her more unusual ones. Cloaked in folklore and fairy tales, it takes the beating heart of the genre—that there's hope, no matter what—and explores it from the angle of what it meant to be noble in a long-ago time.

Phantom Busters

A ragtag group of students, three of whom have complementary spiritual powers, starts a club to exorcise ghosts… trial and error is a valid method, right? Well, it had better be, because these kids are determined to help not only the people who need ghosts, er, phantoms busted, but also each other. Often very funny, this series lampoons classic shounen trends even as it plays with the tried-and-true action/adventure/power-of-friendship fun.