Time travel might be the most universally appealing premise in middle grade fiction. Going back in history, meeting figures from textbooks, getting stuck in the wrong century — it's irresistible for tween readers, especially ones who love history. Browse all middle grade time travel books in our catalog or start with these favorites — the best time travel books and series for tweens ages 8–13.
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
The series that introduces most kids to time travel fiction. Jack and Annie find a magic tree house full of books, and every book they touch transports them to a different time and place. The franchise includes the original Magic Tree House novels, Merlin Missions for older readers, and dozens of Fact Tracker research guides — spanning ancient Egypt to dinosaurs to the moon. Best as a starting point for younger readers, but tweens often loop back for the later research-heavy entries.
📖 Browse the full Magic Tree House reading order → · 📚 Find Magic Tree House on Amazon →
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Sixth-grader Miranda starts getting mysterious notes from someone who seems to know the future. A Newbery Medal-winning time-travel mystery that doesn't even reveal it's a time-travel story until you're well into it. Quiet, smart, and one of the best-written middle grade novels of the last twenty years.
Calista Chase Time Sleuth by Thomas Lockhaven
Calista's grandmother Martha is a celebrated archaeologist in Beaufort, North Carolina — until the town turns on her and accuses her of being a thief. With time travel on her side, Calista has to chase the truth across history to clear her grandmother's name. The first book, Blackbeard's Treasure, drops her into pirate-era waters chasing the legend of Queen Anne's Revenge. A great pick for tweens who want history, adventure, and detective work in one series.
📖 Browse the Calista Chase reading order → · 📚 Find Calista Chase on Amazon →
The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
Louise tries on a vintage dress and finds herself transported into the body of a passenger on the Titanic. The series sends her into different historical moments through different vintage outfits — the Titanic, the court of Marie Antoinette, the reign of Cleopatra. Three books total.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Technically space-time travel, not just time travel, but the tesseract that whisks Meg Murry across dimensions is exactly the kind of cosmic shortcut that defines the genre. Newbery winner. The Wrinkle in Time quintet remains the gold standard for cosmic-scale middle grade adventure.
📖 Browse the Wrinkle in Time series → · 📚 Find A Wrinkle in Time on Amazon →
The Seven Wonders series by Peter Lerangis
Four 13-year-olds discover they share a genetic mutation that gives them special abilities — but will kill them at fourteen unless they find the lost magical relics hidden in the seven wonders of the ancient world. Five main novels plus three prequel novellas. The Colossus Rises is the place to start.
📖 Browse the Seven Wonders reading order → · 📚 Find The Seven Wonders on Amazon →
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix (The Missing series)
Thirty-six babies appear on an airplane out of nowhere — and decades later, the adopted kids learn they were taken from history. The series sends them back to fix the timeline. Eight books total: Found, Sent, Sabotaged, Torn, Caught, Risked, Revealed, Redeemed.
📖 Browse The Missing series → · 📚 Find The Missing series on Amazon →
The Infinity Ring series by James Dashner and others
A multi-author collaborative series (like The 39 Clues) where three kids time-travel to fix history's "breaks." James Dashner kicks off the series with A Mutiny in Time; later authors include Jennifer A. Nielsen, Lisa McMann, and Matthew J. Kirby. Seven books, accessible and quick.
Why time travel works so well for tweens
The premise lets the author teach history without it feeling like teaching — the reader gets dropped into the past alongside characters their own age, sees how people actually lived, and has to figure out the rules of a new world the same way the protagonist does. The best time travel books for middle grade readers respect the history they visit while keeping the adventure firmly the point.
⏳ Browse all time travel books in our catalog, or explore all our reading guides.