UFOs, Aliens, and Flying Saucers - Books About the Roswell Incident for Middle Grade Readers

This fun little bibliography was inspired by a recent trip to New Mexico. The original plan was to fly into El Paso, Texas, and drive a loop to visit three national parks: Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands, but I later decided it would be fun to add a day in Roswell, New Mexico, to see all the kitschy alien stuff as well, and it was! 

Since this little detour was inspired by having recently read a really good middle-grade book with a fictitious story about the Roswell incident, I decided to put together a few other titles of fiction and non-fiction related to the Roswell Incident, flying saucers, and other UFOs. This bibliography would be perfect for those intrigued by UFOs, those who enjoy science fiction, or those who may also be planning a visit to Roswell.

Non-Fiction 

What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident?
Ben Hubbard (author) & Andrew Thompson (illustrator
WhoHQ, Penguin/Random House, 2023, 112 p.
Ages: 8-12

The Roswell Incident and subsequent myths and hoaxes related to it is really too complex of a topic for this series to tackle, and results in a superficial and over-simplified story. While a more simple overview of topics and biographies is the hallmark of the WhoHQ brand and is more appropriate for the intended audience of younger middle-grade readers, in this case it results in a less than clear distinction of fact from fiction that may leave some readers confused about what really happened. 

However, it is one of very few books on the subject for younger readers, and would be ideal for lessons in critical thinking and information literacy, with adult guidance and discussion. Though reportedly for ages 8-12, with its larger font, greater amount of white space, and illustrations, it is more likely to appeal to ages 8-10.

⭐Crash from Outer Space:
Unraveling the Mystery of Flying Saucers, Alien Beings, and Roswell.
Candace Fleming (author)
Scholastic Focus, 2022, 288 p.
Ages 8-12

Fleming does an excellent job of presenting all the various stories, alleged evidence, and the social, political, and technological conditions that led to the development and spread of tales of flying saucers and alien beings that began with the Roswell incident in 1947, and how they have been de-bunked. This book does a much better job of separating fact from fiction that the one above, as to be expected since it is approximately three times as long and written at a higher level. The text is supplemented by numerous photographs to help maintain interest and support the information in the text. Fleming also supplies a lengthy bibliography divided into primary and secondary sources, as well as source notes by chapter and photo/illustration credits.

Due to the length and higher reading level, I would recommend this book for ages 10 and up; it would also be good for teens or adults who are interested in reading an objective, fact-based account of the Roswell Incident and subsequent saucer-mania, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories. Highly recommend! 

Fiction 

⭐Eyes On the Sky
J. Kasper Kramer (author)
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024, 256p.
Ages 8-12

This a story of historical science fiction, set in 1947 outside of Roswell, New Mexico, and has strong themes of family and friendship. And flying saucers! 

Dorothy lives with her older brother on a small ranch outside of the small, decidedly boring town of Roswell where nothing ever happens. Until it does. A budding scientist with a particular interest in rockets, Dorothy keeps herself busy with various scientific experiments. One stormy night there is an explosion in the sky, which Dorothy fears may have been the giant weather balloon she had just launched. Fearful of getting in trouble and being removed from her brother's custody, Dorothy urgently searches for the remains of her balloon, hoping to find them before authorities do, and instead discovers a flying saucer and alien life-forms!

This is a fun, sometimes suspenseful, read with a great plot twist perfect for older middle-grade readers who are interested in UFO's and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Highly recommend!

Out There
Seaerra Miller (author/illustrator)
Little Brown Ink, 2023, 232 p.
Ages 8-12

Julia is going on a road trip to Roswell, New Mexico, with her father to attend the 75th Anniversary UFO festival, but not just for laughs. Julia's father believes he was abducted by aliens, and is looking for answers. Why was he abducted? For what purpose? Why him? Though initially Jules accepts her father's story of alien abduction without question, over the course of the trip she begins to have doubts.

This graphic novel weaves a story about family bonds, loyalty, and realizing parents are only human. The format will allow readers to experience some of the sights of the southwest and the saucer-mania of Roswell along with Julia, and the story portrays the complexity of family relationships  with humor and sensitivity. I would suggest this is more appropriate for ages 10 and up in most cases.

The Area 51 Files 
Julie Buxbaum (author), Lavanya Naidu (illustrator)
Delacort Press, 2022, 304 p.
Ages 8-12

After Sky's grandmother dies, she is sent to live with an uncle she barely knows. Imagine her surprise when she finds herself living in Area 51 [the site in Nevada where the mythical saucer and alien bodies from the Roswell incident are supposedly kept], a top-secret military base that is so classified, not even the President knows its secrets! Namely, that it is full of aliens! As Sky begins to adjust to her new surroundings and get to know her unusual neighbors, a mystery develops that threatens them all.

This is a light-hearted, illustrated, fun sci-fi adventure inspired by the lore and theories surrounding the mysterious Area 51 that is perfect for leisure reading and will likely appeal to fans of The Last Kids on Earth, Eerie Elementary, Notebook of Doom, etc. This is the first book of a series which currently has three volumes, with the fourth to be released in July, 2025. 

Roswell Johnson Saves the World!
Chris Colfer (author)
Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2024, 464p.
Ages 8-12

Roswell Johnson is obsessed with UFOs, extraterrestrial life, and government conspiracies, which is no surprise considering he was named after a city famous for its alleged flying saucer crash. But after a disappointing response to his UFO-themed science fair project, Roswell swears he is done with believing in aliens. That is, until he is accidentally abducted by a pair of friendly alien life forms and finds out the earth is in danger of being invaded by a very unfriendly alien species! 

This light-hearted adventure is the first of a duology, with the second book, Roswell Johnson Saves the Galaxy, due to be released in September, 2025. This series will appeal to readers who like light-hearted, but fast-paced adventures and are not intimidated by longer books. Note there are also illustrations sprinkled throughout to help bring the story to life. 

We Are Not Alone
Katryn Bury (author)
HarperCollins, 2024, 320 p.
Ages 8-12

This is a more serious story that doesn't specifically relate to Roswell, but is included since one of the themes that helps tie all the characters together is an interest in UFOs, and it is a recent publication. Sam is a cancer survivor, but dealing with grief and survivor guilt after the death of his best friend Oscar, and having trouble fitting in back at school after someone spreads a rumor that he lied about having cancer. He finds an unexpected friendship with popular girl Cat, who also has an interest in UFOs, an interest he had shared with Oscar. Their search for information leads them to a surprising connection to the past.

This book packs a lot into one story - being yourself, making friends, cancer, loss, survivor guilt, and of course, UFOs - and does it very well. It is all well-integrated into the story, and nothing feels extraneous or forced. While it does deal with some heavy topics, it doesn't feel like a heavy read overall. Because of the varied themes, I think this book could appeal to a wide range of middle-grade readers who enjoy or are open to realistic fiction. 

For more informational books about aliens and UFOs, check the beginning of the non-fiction section at your local library, in the 001.942s. For books about astronomy and space, look in the 520s, and for vehicles used in space exploration try the 629.4s. For fictional stories, try searching the catalog for the following: Roswell, aliens, UFO, extraterrestrials, flying saucers, space, spaceships, or astronauts; or ask a librarian!

If you do have the opportunity to visit Roswell, be sure to check out the International UFO Museum and Research Center (complete with research library) and other fun attractions and shops in town, and walk and drive around to see how many aliens and murals you can spot! The collage below features just a few of the ones I saw during my visit. 👽🛸

Where Are the Younger Middle-Grade Books?

In December I aired my Festivus grievance against the lack of really good, engaging, and developmentally appropriate books for toddlers, particularly those that would be good for group read-alouds, i.e. toddler storytime. But that is not my only frustration with kid-lit. In the last year I have come to realize how challenging it is to find *new* middle-grade fiction for the younger end of middle-grade after a restructuring changed my collection development focus from birth through teen to birth through age 11, and expanded the teen department to include upper middle-grade, which used to be included in the juvenile collection.

That has left me with quite the conundrum. "Middle Grade" is generally considered ages 8-12 (though that range varies depending on who you ask, and many erroneously conflate "middle grade" to mean "middle school"), and this re-structuring resulted in middle-grade being split between two locations and two selectors.  As I shifted my focus to the younger end of middle-grade and tried to search out books that were for elementary ages and had protagonists that were closer to 10, I had a really hard time finding anything beyond beginner/transitional chapter books and graphic novels/comics.

Apparently, there is an unwritten rule that middle-grade protagonists must be 12 years old and in 7th grade. I really didn't realize just how consistent it was until I began purposefully looking for books for the younger end with younger protagonists. Lists of hot and upcoming middle-grade books are predominantly for the older end of the range, almost always with 12-year old characters and frequently featuring subjects and situations that are a little mature or complex for elementary kids. Using the "ages 9-11" audience filter on the vendor site yields, once again, books with 12 year-old protagonists and often more mature/complex subject matter, but when I use the "ages 8-9" filter, I generally get few results and more of the really short, highly illustrated transitional and beginning chapter books, and even still get books more for middle schoolers.

Of course I know kids generally like to read about kids slightly older than themselves, but can an 8 year old in 3rd grade *really* relate that well to a 12-year old seventh-grader dealing with all the angst of changing friendships, peer pressure, and budding romances of middle school? That's a big difference in development and life experience. And while there are books with 12-year old characters that are clearly written for a younger audience, they can often be difficult to find and identify. I feel like it shouldn't be so hard to find "meatier" MG fiction, something beyond transitional/beginner chapter books, that is truly written for the younger middle grade audience of strong readers.

It hasn't always been that way, has it? I can think of a number of great middle-grade classics, many of which are still popular, that are for the younger end of the MG range. Beverly Cleary's Ramona series follows Ramona from age 5 to age 10, Henry Huggins ranges from age 8-11, and Keith is 8 years old at the beginning of The Mouse and the Motorcycle series. Fern in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web is also eight, and Peter from Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is 9, while Margaret from If You're There, God... is 11. Dorothy's age is never explicitly stated in The Wizard of Oz series, but can be extrapolated from comparison to another character to be 11. 

While there are some more contemporary middle-grade fiction books for younger readers, they seem to be few and far between and often have non-human main characters. Some that come to mind are A Boy Called Bat by Elana Arnold, Katherine Applegate's The One and Only... series, Odder, Dogtown, and Crenshaw; and Peter Brown's The Wild Robot series. Gordan Korman's books typically have older characters, but appeal to a younger audience, as do series like The Last Kids on Earth, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Dork Diaries. I know there are others I'm forgetting, but I could easily throw out dozens of titles and series for the top end of MG fiction without have to think too hard or browse the collection. 

So, what's going on? I can only speculate, but I'm sure part of it is that I just haven't figured out the best way to find what I'm looking for. I also think part of it is that previously there were not enough transitional and beginning chapter books, and to meet that demand the focus shifted from publishing short novels for the younger end of middle grade to the much shorter, highly illustrated transitional books. In addition, the rapid rise in popularity of graphic novels combined with parents and teachers becoming more accepting of this format further shifted focus away from prose to graphic formats. And finally, I suspect that publishers know kids are more likely to read about characters older than themselves than younger, and therefore decided to set the age of all middle-grade characters at the top end of the age range, figuring younger readers would still read about 12-year olds, but the 12-year olds aren't going to read about a 10 year old. 

Has anyone else found selecting new fiction that is not graphic novels or transitional books for older elementary kids to be a challenge, or is it just me? Know of any great books to fill this niche that have been published in the last year, or will be published this year?