Favorite Middle Grade Dinosaur Books with Content Notes
- K.L. Miracle
- Aug 14, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 4
Looking for low-gore, no language, dinosaur books appropriate for ages 6 - 12? From a mouse traveling back in time to dinosaurs going to war against knights, we've got book recommendations for all kinds of middle grade readers! The best part? We include content guides with each book we review!
This is a living post. Check back occasionally as we will continue to update this list.
Middle Grade Dinosaur Books (Quick List)
Click to jump
Geronimo Stilton: Journey Through Time
"I, Geronimo Stilton, never expected to set paw inside a time machine. But when Professor Paws von Volt invited me to travel with him, I had to accept! My family came along to help us discover how the dinosaurs became extinct, how the Great Pyramid of Giza was built, and what life was like at King Arthur's court. Along the way I was chased by a Tyrannosaurus rex, almost eaten by a crocodile in the Nile, and asked to save a maiden from an evil knight's castle. Holey cheese! It was an adventure through history!"
Content note: None, these are very light and kid friendly books. No language, no gore.
Jurassic Jeff Series by Royden Lepp
Jeff, an alien cadet, has finally found a mission that will prove to his other space cadets that he belongs in the program. He's going to take over the planet: Earth. There's only one problem with this mission: prehistoric Earth is terrifying! Now, with the help of some talking dinos, Jeff must take over Earth and return to his home...but could there be more important things than conquering planets? Friendships are tested, fish grow legs, and dinosaurs face extinction in this hilarious graphic novel for middle grades.
Content note: Some evolution humor but light on violence, no language, no gore.
Magic Tree house: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Jenny Laird and Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie find a mysterious tree house that send them back in time to the age of dinosaurs! Now they must figure out a way home in this graphic novel perfect for younger kids.
Content note: Light on violence, no language, no gore.
Iggy & Oz: The Plastic Dinos of Doom by JJ Johnson
2020 Realm Award Winner, Middle Grade Fiction. What if hundreds of plastic toy dinosaurs suddenly came to life- Could you find a way to stop them...?
Iggy Risner is your typical wise-cracking twelve year old. When his younger brother, Oz, wakes him in the middle of the night claiming he heard a monster in the attic, Iggy takes him upstairs to prove him wrong. But instead of a flesh-eating beast, they discover hundreds of their toy plastic dinosaurs that have mysteriously come to life.
When the dinos escape the attic and start terrorizing young kids in the neighborhood, and trampling flower beds, somehow Iggy, Oz, and their friends must catch the plastic dinos of doom before the damage escalates. But what do you do when your parent's doubt your story, and a group of clueless neighborhood bullies stand in the way? For Iggy & Oz- Catching the little beast may prove to be easier said, than done.
Content note: Written by a Christian Author! Light on violence, no language, no gore.
Dinotopia by James Gurney
When James Gurney's Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time first appeared in 1992, it was immediately hailed as a fully imagined world of the caliber of J. R. R. Tolkien's. Gurney's premise — of an undiscovered island where a race of mystical humans co-exists in harmony with intelligent dinosaurs — has been since reiterated over and over in numerous films and by scores of other writers.
Content note: Light on violence, no language, no gore.
Knights vs Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan
When a knight begins bragging about his exploits, Merlin decides to send him (and a group that volunteers to join him) on an adventure that will (hopefully) teach them all a bit of humility. Their desitantion? Prehistoric times to face the most ferocious lizards of all time.
Content note: There is some violence in the comic book style fight scenes. There is magic used at the beginning and end. We DNF this series due to 'summoning monsters' in the second book. Read details in our review.
Could You Survive The Jurassic Period? by Matt Doeden
You've just been sucked back in time millions of years! Grasses sway higher than your head. Huge insects swarm the skies and fearsome dinosaurs rule the landscape. Do you think have what it takes to survive in the Jurassic Period? Turn the pages to find out!
Content Note: The main character can be eaten, as can the friends, but it is not graphic. No language. No gore.
Edge of Extinction: The Ark Files by Laura Martin
"One hundred and fifty years ago, the first dinosaurs were cloned. Soon after, they replaced humans at the top of the food chain. The only way to survive was to move into underground compounds. . . .
Five years ago, Sky Mundy’s father vanished from North Compound without a trace. Now she has just stumbled on a clue that not only suggests his disappearance is just the tip of an even larger mystery, but also points directly to the surface. To find her dad—and possibly even save the world—Sky and her best friend, Shawn, must break out of their underground home and venture topside to a land reclaimed by nature and ruled by dinosaurs." - From Amazon
Content note: Characters perish. Violence and injuries. Check out our detailed content guide in our review.
Have a book you'd like to recommend for our next recommendations list? Let us know in the comments!
Comments