Big Brother's Book Recommendations

Last updated: January 24, 2026

Middle School Reader (Tween Years)

Big Brother loves to read and can almost always be found with a book in hand. It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical book, his Kindle, or a manga—if there’s a spare moment, he’s reading.

Below are some of his favorite book series from his middle school years (or, as I like to call them, the tween years). Every recommendation listed here is a series he has actually read and enjoyed—no half-finished books, no forced picks.

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Top 3 Favorites

1. Keeper of the Lost Cities

2. The Unwanteds

3. Spy School

   
   

The Unwanteds Series

“It has an almost Harry Potter feeling with a school of magic, but instead of being on Earth, it takes place in a fictional world.”— Big Brother Bird

Series Overview: A fantasy adventure about kids labeled as “unwanted” who discover a hidden world where creativity fuels powerful magic and determines their future.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–4

🔗 Start the series:https://amzn.to/4jrlm6M

🔗 Continue the series:https://amzn.to/4aIT9WL

Keeper of the Lost Cities Series

“I really enjoyed this one. You can feel sympathy for the main character, and I think the plot is really well designed.” - Big Brother Bird

Series Overview: A fast-paced fantasy series following a girl who discovers she belongs to a hidden world filled with elves, secrets, and danger.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–4

🔗 Start the series:https://amzn.to/4juhbHy

🔗 Continue the series:https://amzn.to/3Z0mMLX

Spy School Series

“I enjoyed how thrilling it was and how it wasn’t always super tense.” - Big Brother Bird

Series Overview: An action-packed spy series about students recruited into a secret intelligence academy, where training missions often turn dangerously real.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–13 (entire series so far)

🔗 Start with Book 1:https://amzn.to/49C65wx

🔗 Next in the series:https://amzn.to/4qGQRfD

Moon Base Alpha Trilogy

“It was really enjoyable to read, and the plot wraps up quite nicely.” - Big Brother Bird

Series Overview: A science fiction mystery set on the moon, where survival is fragile and everyone is a suspect.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–3 (complete trilogy)

🔗 Start the trilogy:https://amzn.to/494jk95

Skandar Series

“I really liked that the main character is actually aiming for something useful, unlike a lot of stories where the main character just has a banned power. (Major con: the unicorns are basically dragons.)” - Big Brother Bird

Series Overview: A darker fantasy series set in a world where dangerous unicorns bond with riders and power comes at a cost.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–5

🔗 Start the series:https://amzn.to/4plsbIe

City Spies Series

“Really good at the start but grows weaker toward the end. I really enjoyed books 1–4. Books 5 and 6 were harder to read, and I might have lost interest because I started something else I liked more.” - Big Brother

Series Overview: A globe-trotting spy series featuring elite teen operatives tackling high-stakes missions around the world.

Books Big Brother Has Read:

✔ Books 1–4(Books 5–6 read but not favorites)

🔗 Start the series:https://amzn.to/49pDaL2