Middle-Grade March is upon us!
What is Middle-Grade March? Thank you for asking! It’s a month where grown-ups make it a point to read books written and marketed to kids aged 8-12 (middle-grades).
I know not everyone is down for a month of reading books written for kids, but I like it and have participated for the last several years.
You might be asking, “Why?”
The answer is threefold. It helps me bond with my girls when we read the same books, helps me give them good recommendations when I read something I think they’d like too, and it’s just fun. Even when they deal with hard topics, books for this age group tend to have a lighter tone, leaving you with a quick, easy, often uplifting read. Who doesn’t need that from time to time?
Some of my favorites from past Middle-Grade Marches include Amari and the Night Brothers, The Wild Robot, and Harry Potter. That’s right, I didn’t read HP until I picked it up in March of 2020 at nearly 30 years of age, and I swiftly read the whole series with alacrity, as many people of all ages have before me. Let that be a reassurance to you, in case you were wondering if children’s books will bore you.
Also be reassured by the fact that you don’t have to commit to only reading middle-grade books this month in order to participate. I certainly will not be doing that! I hope to get through all eight books on this list, but that will only make up about half to two-thirds of my reading this month so there will be plenty of adult books being enjoyed also. So, if you want to dip a toe in and pick just one middle-grade book to read this month, go for it! This is a no-book-judgment zone.
So without further ado, let’s get into the books I’ll be reading for Middle-Grade March 2025!
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Middle-Grade March 2025 Reading List
It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren’t terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died. But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer?
It’s a preposterous plan, but off they go– keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets, and the hollowness of empty stomachs. But at least they find comfort in the village lending library– a cozy shelter from the harshness of everyday life, filled with favorite stories and the quiet company of Nora Müller, the kind librarian. The children wonder if Nora could be the family they’ve been searching for. . . . But the shadow of the war and the unknown whereabouts of Nora’s German husband complicate matters.
This WWII historical fiction novel has won multiple awards and comes with my 12-year-old’s highest praise. She loved this book, and I hope that I’ll enjoy it as much as she did. If nothing else, we’ll be able to discuss it together. I’ll be reading her physical copy of this one.
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. The Igibys hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
This book has great reviews and sounds like it will be a fun fantasy/action/adventure story with pirates and characters with special abilities. I’ll be reading the physical copy of this one off my daughter’s shelf and giving her my encouragement for or against when I’m done since she hasn’t read it yet.
The world would be a better place without math or messy roommates. At least, that’s what Ella Hunter believes. Life is about keeping order and avoiding long division, fractions, or really anything with an equal sign. As the end of the school year approaches, the fifth-grade teachers at Victor Waldo Elementary conclude there’s not enough time to complete a new math unit before summer break. Great news for math-phobic Ella, right?
Wrong! The teachers decide instead to have their students host the first-ever Math Fair. And the fair project is worth two major math grades. Add in one dead possum plus two horrible roommates who come to stay while their house is being renovated, and you have an equation for disaster. Ella is headed for summer school and math tutoring for sure. Can she stop her troubles from multiplying before it’s too late?
Y’all, I can’t with this cover and title. I’m expecting to be entertained and amused by this short book about friendship and hating math (because that’s relatable at any age). This is also one I’ll be reading as a physical copy borrowed from my daughter, and I think she’ll probably read it as soon as I’m done.
When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
This one is on the upper end of the age range (Amazon says 11+) but I remember reading it about twenty years ago when I was an early teen and loving it. I’m hoping—since I recall zero details and only the most general storyline—that I’ll enjoy it like I’m reading it for the first time, and I also hope to ascertain if this is one my daughter would enjoy. I’ll be getting this one from Libby as either an ebook or maybe on audio.
In a discontented kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
I can’t remember where I heard about this book (I think maybe on a podcast?) but it sounds great with promises of impersonation, a dangerous competition, and deceitful royalty. This is another one I’ll be getting from Libby and hope to recommend to my daughter if it seems like something she’d like.
Thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy hits—and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, Mibs Beaumont is eager to see what she gets. But just before the big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. And now all Mibs wants is a savvy that will save him. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get a powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus with her sibling and the preacher’s kids in tow. After this extraordinary adventure—full of talking tattoos and a kidnapping—not a soul on board will ever be the same.
People—especially kids—with special abilities are catnip for me. My daughter assures me that I’ll love this one, so I’ll be borrowing her physical copy and seeing if her judgment is accurate.
Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms―most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?
Magical buildings are also a big draw for me. This urban fantasy book has been on my radar for a long time, so I’m glad to finally get a chance to read it! I also love the cover with all the details and people looking out the windows of the house. I’ll be reading my daughter’s physical copy of this one as well.
Zander Olinga’s grandmother is the owner of the fabled Number Nine Plaza, the spectacular nineteen-story skyscraper. The Nine, as it’s called, has everything imaginable, including a massive Ferris wheel on its rooftop, monorail tracks suspended from its ceiling, and twenty-five glass elevators. But there’s something evil looming in the shadows, and strange accidents start befalling the guests. When Zander and his friend Natasha come across a series of inscriptions hidden throughout the walls of The Nine, they discover that the clues will lead them to a magical object which protects the store’s very existence. With the future of The Nine on the line, the pair are determined to recover the mysterious object before the luxury plaza and its many guests are destroyed.
By the same author as Winterhouse (listed above), this book hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as his previous ones, despite the gorgeous cover. The few reviews it has are good, though, so I’m going to give it a try in hopes that it’s an under-the-radar gem, in which case I’ll spread the word and try to help it get the recognition it deserves. If it’s stinky, I’ll just quietly walk away…
I’ll be borrowing this as an ebook from Libby.
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