5 of Our Favorite Middle Grade Evil Geniuses

I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President, by Josh Lieb
Twelve-year-old Oliver is, as he puts it, “the greatest genius in the history of the universe.” Granted, this kid read Fahrenheit 451 when he was only 2. Plus, he’s “unceasingly, unreservedly, unspeakably evil” and is the world’s third-richest person. However, he’s fooled his teachers, classmates, and family into thinking he’s a below-average dimwit. But even with all of his power, he can’t seem to get the approval of his father, who also happens to be his archnemesis. Naturally, Oliver figures the best way to get his dad’s attention isn’t through world domination, but by winning the middle school class election. Written by Daily Show alum and executive producer of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Josh Lieb, this hilarious debut novel combines sci-fi, comedy, and funny black-and-white photos to entertain even the most reluctant of readers.

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
A millionaire, a genius, a criminal mastermind—and he’s only 12 years old. That’s Artemis Fowl. Described by author Eoin Colfer as “Die Hard with fairies,” this first book in the series introduces the titular character, who is determined to restore his crumbling crime family’s former glory by kidnapping a fairy and waiting for the fairy gold ransom to roll in. Of course there’s a catch—the feisty fairy he captures is Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) Unit. And the fairies in this book aren’t the sweet, glittery creatures of bedtime tales; they’re prepared to fight and will stop at nothing to get Holly back from the wily Artemis in this clever and fast-paced read.

H.I.V.E. (Higher Institute for Villainous Education #1), by Mark Walden
Thirteen-year-old Otto awakens one day aboard a helicopter in the middle of the ocean—the boy-genius has a splitting headache and no memory of how he got there. Following a clever prank he pulled involving England’s prime minister, he was kidnapped from his orphanage by the Higher Institute for Villainous Education and taken, along with a group of other mischievously gifted teens, to a secret school for kids with “a special talent for the supremely villainous.” Oh, and the school is in a volcano on a secluded island. While there, the teens study things like Villainy Studies and Stealth and Evasion. Once Otto and some of his new friends realize that leaving the six-year program is not an option, they plot an escape. This suspenseful page-turner has lots of unexpected twists and turns that’ll keep readers hooked for the next book in the series.

Little Miss Evil, by Bryce Leung and Kristy Shen
Fiona wants a normal life, but living in a volcano, taking a helicopter to school, having a father who’s an evil genius, and getting a portable flamethrower for her 13th birthday don’t exactly add up to teenage normalcy. Unfortunately her plans to steer clear of the family business are thrown off track when her dad is kidnapped by another super-villain wanting to take control of a nuclear bomb Fiona’s father built, which could destroy the city. So while she may not be a natural evil genius, she’s armed with determination to save her father and their city. And having that flamethrower certainly comes in handy in this fun, quick read.

Dark Lord: The Early Years, by Jamie Thomson
What would be the ultimate nightmare for a truly dastardly evil genius from another world? Why, having to navigate middle school as a human boy in our world, of course. And that’s precisely the predicament in which the villainous Dark Lord finds himself. Inexplicably exiled from his home of Darklands, he ends up on Earth incarnated as an ordinary 12-year-old boy called Dirk Lloyd. Based on his story, police officers who find him in a supermarket parking lot assume he must be an orphan having some sort of psychotic break. He’s sent to live in a foster home and must start seventh grade with the other human kids—unthinkable for the Dark Lord, who is intent on finding a way to get back to his real home. But is he really the powerful Dark Lord from Darklands, or just a confused and fanciful boy?
Who’s your favorite middle grade evil genius?