OMG, these are THE best authors, seriously. ok.
Scott Westerfeld: author of Uglies, Pretties, Specials, So Yesterday, Peeps, all great books, i recomend
Margeret Peterson Haddix: the Among The Hidden Series, really good ones
Stephenie Meyer: author of the books: Twilight(they are making a movie of it, bt the book is remakable, the sequel and third, New Moon and Eclipse. and soon to be 4th, Breaking Dawn, i think is what its called.
Will Hobbs: Downriver, and River Thunder
Gennifer Choldenko: Al Capone Does My Shirts
Mike Lupica: Heat, great great baseball book, best ive ever read.
and many others that i cant come up with on the spot, but if you need more i can whip out my master list of fav books and authors and can tell you all the best books for middle schoolers, mostly alot of 7th and 6th grade books though. i HIGHLY reccomend all the books i mentioned above, they are the best of the best.