TL;DR: The Quick List
- The Main Event: The Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix — A high-stakes mystery about "glitches" in time and family secrets.
- The "If They Liked This" List:
- Among the Hidden (Classic Haddix dystopian vibes)
- The Missing Series (For kids who want more time-travel puzzles)
- Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (If they want something a bit creepier)
- The Screen Alternative: Perfect for fans of Stranger Things or Wednesday who need a break from the "auto-play" cycle.
We’ve all seen it: that specific glazed-over look our kids get after forty-five minutes of scrolling TikTok or watching someone else play Minecraft on YouTube. It’s not that the content is always "bad," but sometimes you just want them to engage with a story that requires a little more... internal processing power.
Enter Margaret Peterson Haddix. If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, you might remember her name from the Shadow Children series. She’s the undisputed queen of the "middle-grade page-turner." Her 2019 novel, The Remarkables, is exactly what we’re looking for when we talk about "Netflix alternatives." It has the cliffhangers, the supernatural mystery, and the "what is actually going on?" energy of a prestige streaming show, but in a format that builds literacy and empathy instead of just draining the battery.
The story follows Marin, a girl who has just moved to a new town (the classic "new kid" setup). While hanging out in her backyard, she sees something impossible: a group of people who appear in the woods, re-enact a specific, joyous scene, and then vanish. They’re like living ghosts, or as she calls them, "The Remarkables."
Marin eventually teams up with her neighbor, Charley, whose family is deeply—and painfully—connected to these figures. What starts as a "ghost story" quickly pivots into a complex mystery about time-slips, past mistakes, and whether or not you can (or should) change the past to fix the present.
Kids in the 8-12 age range are currently obsessed with "glitch in the matrix" stories and "liminal space" aesthetics (think The Backrooms or certain Roblox horror games). The Remarkables taps into that exact vibe. It feels modern and slightly eerie without being a full-blown horror novel.
It also speaks to the "detective" brain. Haddix is a master of the slow-drip reveal. Just when a kid thinks they’ve figured out why these people are appearing in the woods, she pulls the rug out. It’s the literary equivalent of a "just one more episode" binge-watch session.
Ask our chatbot for more books that feel like a "glitch in the matrix"
We talk a lot about "brain rot" in digital wellness circles—that low-effort, high-stimulation content like Skibidi Toilet or generic gaming "let's plays." The problem isn't just the weirdness; it's the passivity.
The Remarkables is the opposite of passive. It handles heavy-hitting themes that many "kid" shows shy away from:
- The weight of secrets: How keeping things hidden can erode a family from the inside.
- Accountability: What happens when a "good" person does something that causes harm?
- Bullying and social dynamics: It looks at the long-term effects of how we treat people in middle school.
Haddix treats her readers like they are smart enough to handle nuance. She doesn’t give easy answers, which makes it a fantastic bridge for kids who are starting to outgrow "little kid" media but aren't quite ready for the heavy romance or graphic violence of Young Adult (YA) novels.
Target Age: 9 to 13 (Grades 4-8)
While the protagonist is 11, the themes are sophisticated enough to keep a 7th or 8th grader interested.
Content Warnings (The "No-BS" Version):
- Emotional Intensity: There is a heavy focus on a past tragedy involving a fire. It’s not described in a "slasher movie" way, but the emotional aftermath is central to the plot.
- Parental Mistakes: One of the refreshing (and potentially challenging) parts of the book is that the adults are flawed. They’ve made big mistakes and kept secrets. For some kids, seeing parents as fallible human beings can be a bit of a "wait, what?" moment.
- Bullying: There are depictions of social exclusion and mean-girl behavior that feel very "real world."
Learn more about how to vet middle-grade books for sensitive kids
If your kid picks this up, you’ve got a golden opportunity for some actual conversation that goes deeper than "how was school?" Here are a few "pickup line" style questions to throw out:
- "If you could see a 'Remarkable' version of me or your dad from ten years ago, what do you think we’d be doing?" (This gets them thinking about the time-slip mechanic in a personal way).
- "Do you think Charley was right to try and change what happened, or do some things just have to stay in the past?" (This is a classic ethics debate wrapped in a book discussion).
- "Marin feels like an outsider because she's the 'new kid.' Is that how it feels at your school when someone new joins the class?"
If you’re trying to swap out some digital time for reading time, The Remarkables is a great "gateway" book. Here’s how it compares to common digital draws:
- Instead of Roblox Mystery Games: It offers a much more satisfying and logical "solve" than the often-glitchy user-generated stories on gaming platforms.
- Instead of Netflix "Brain Rot": It provides character depth that you just won't find in a 10-minute "challenge" video.
- Instead of TikTok POV Trends: The book is written in a very accessible, first-person-adjacent style that mirrors the "POV" storytelling kids are already used to online.
The Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a winner because it doesn't lecture. It’s a twisty, fast-paced mystery first, and a lesson in empathy and accountability second. In a world where kids are constantly over-stimulated by "Ohio" memes and MrBeast giveaways, a book that makes them slow down and solve a puzzle is a massive win for their digital (and mental) wellness.
Next Steps:
- Grab a copy from the library or check out the audiobook version for the next car ride.
- If they fly through it, point them toward The Missing series.
- Ask our chatbot for a personalized reading list based on your kid's favorite video games
Parenting in 2026 is a balancing act. We don't have to ban the screens, but we do have to offer something better to compete with them. This book is "the something better."