Quirk Holiday Mall 2024: The Children’s Book Place (Gifts for Kids Ages 8-12)

Find your middle grader’s new favorite book below!

Kid Musicians

By Robin Stevenson

Inspiring, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of musicians, including Taylor Swift, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Styles, Mariah Carey, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul McCartney, and 10 other influential performers.

Every superstar musician started out as a kid—and many discovered their love of music early on. Before leaving their mark on the world, these groundbreaking performers, songwriters, and musicians were regular kids.

Featuring kid-friendly text and full-color illustrations, Kid Musicians will inspire readers to express themselves and march to the beat of their own drum.

Kid Olympians: Summer

By Robin Stevenson

Triumphant, relatable, and totally true biographies tell the childhood stories of a diverse group of international athletes who have captured the world’s attention at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, like Simone Biles, Jesse Owens, Naomi Osaka, Tatyana McFadden, and 12 other incredible olympians.

Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics—and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! The diverse and inspiring group also includes Michael Phelps, Yusra Mardini, Dick Fosbury, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Nadia Comaneci, Ellie Simmonds, Tommie Smith, Wilma Rudolph, and Megan Rapinoe.

Download the educators’ guide and these trading cards for more fun!

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook for Kids!

by David Borgenicht and Justin Heimberg

The best-selling (and wildly hilarious) Worst-Case Scenario series is back with 40 extreme survival tips for kids ages 8 to 12, great for adventurous fans of the I Survived series.

Erupting volcanoes. Ravenous sharks. Pooping in the woods.

The great outdoors is a weird, wonderful, and scare-your-pants-off terrifying place. Whether you’re freezing in the Arctic, escaping quicksand in the jungle, or befriending tarantulas in the desert, this guide has you covered. (Figuratively, not literally. We didn’t have the budget for a blanket-sized book.)

It might be scary, but you’ve got this indispensable, laugh-out-loud survival guide. So what are you waiting for? Get out there!

Hanging with Vampires

By Insha Fitzpatrick

Discover everything about vampires in this laugh-out-loud nonfiction handbook packed with spooky legends, fascinating history, and weird facts perfect for middle-grade readers and mythology fans!

Are vampires real? Who was Vlad the Impaler? Do vampire bats ever feed on humans? Find out in Hanging with Vampires, a field guide for the curious and the adventurous.

Hanging with Vampires is the first book in the Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural series, a hilarious and haunting exploration of how myths and legends shape our lives. Sink your fangs into vampire lore and literature with enchanting illustrations and fun activities, like making garlic bread. It’s a spooky world out there–grab your guide, and let’s go!

Chilling with Ghosts

By Insha Fitzpatrick

Discover everything about ghosts in this fun handbook packed with spooky tales, engrossing science, and fascinating history–perfect for middle grade readers and mythology fans!

Boo! Do you believe in ghosts? What’s up with haunted houses? And how exactly do you bust a ghost? Uncover the spooky and spectacular world of ghosts in Chilling with Ghosts, a field guide for the curious and the adventurous.

Chilling with Ghosts is the second book in the Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural series, a hilarious and haunting exploration of how myths and legends shape our lives. Get to know ghost lore with enchanting illustrations and hands-on activities, like brewing homemade ectoslime. It’s a spooky world out there—grab your guide, and let’s go!

Sightseeing with Aliens: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural

By Insha Fitzpatrick

Discover everything about aliens in this funny and informative handbook packed with weird science, fascinating history, and plenty of trivia—perfect for curious and adventurous readers ages 8–12.

Are aliens out there? What’s the deal with Area 51? Can outer space support human life? Engaging, offbeat, and educational, Sightseeing with Aliens is an illustrated exploration of the unknown and how it can shape our lives. The whole galaxy is out there—grab your guide, and let’s go!

A Brush with Magic

By Flora Ahn

What if an ancient ink brush, oceans away in Korea, could unlock long-buried family secrets?

A heartfelt, magical middle grade adventure—inspired by Korean folklore and set in modern-day Seoul—about sisterhood and belonging, perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Janae Marks.

Check out Flora Ahn’s other middle grade adventure, A Spoonful of Time!

Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab

By “Science Bob” Plfugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Solve mysteries using DIY science projects with twin sleuths Nick and Tesla in this zany, action-packed middle grade adventure by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder!

Summer break is about to get weird. After their parents disappear, twins Nick and Tesla are sent to live with their Uncle Newt, an eccentric inventor with his very own science lab. Soon, the young sleuths find themselves investigating a mysterious family right in their own neighborhood. As they race to uncover the truth, Nick and Tesla must build a bottle rocket launcher, a 9-volt battery burglar alarm, and an electromagnet picker-upper to save the day.

Now in paperback, the first book in the popular Nick and Tesla series features laugh-out-loud jokes, fun illustrations, and five DIY science projects with step-by-step instructions for readers to try at home.

Take me back to the Quirk Books Holiday Mall!