Happy Middle-Grade March!
It’s the month when everybody, no matter how old they are, is encouraged to read at least one middle-grade book. To help you decide what to read, here’s a list of books that came out over the last year that you might have missed. I think you’ll love them! Stop by my Instagram page to let me know which one you liked best or to recommend a book you think I’d like.
Want even more books to read?
Check out my Middle Grade March list from last year.
Follow me on Instagram for daily Middle Grade book recommendations all month long!
10 Must Read Books for Middle Grade March
1. Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Amari’s brother, Quinton, is missing. The police say he’s dead but Amari doesn’t believe it. And when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs she knows this must be a clue. Now Amari has to a) wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens and so on and b) compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. But if she doesn’t stick it out, she may never find Quinton.
2. The Magical Reality of Nadia by Bassem Youssef and Catherine R. Daley
Sixth-grader Nadia moved from Egypt to America when she was six years old. She collects bobbleheads, wears an ancient hippo amulet—as in it’s literally from ancient Egypt—and is determined to win the contest to design a new exhibit at the local museum. Because how cool would that be?! Then a new kid shows up and starts making fun of Nadia’s Egyptian heritage and her amulet starts glowing. Wait until you learn the hippo’s secret!
3. The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
The Mystwick School of Musicraft is where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic. Amelia has always dreamed of attending…until she botches her audition. When the school agrees to give her a trial period, Amelia is determined to prove herself, vowing to do whatever it takes to become the perfect musician. Even if it means pretending to be someone she isn’t. But when a mysterious storm threatens the school, the only way to save it is for Amelia to find the courage to be herself.
4. Orphan Eleven by Gennifer Choldenko
Orphans, a circus, elephants and a mystery: this one has it all! Lucy used to talk and sing, but she doesn’t anymore. Nobody knows why. She and three other orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. The orphans land jobs at a traveling circus where Lucy loves looking after the elephants, but she needs to be able to speak to them and warn others when there’s danger. If she can’t find her voice, the circus will leave her behind when they go on tour. Meanwhile, people are looking for Lucy… This book is set in the 1930’s and parts of it are based on a true story!
5. Welcome to Superhero School by Gracie Dix
This action-packed journey of friendship, hardship, and humor follows Oliver, Jess, and their friends on a mission to destroy the power-hungry, evil villains of Vork. The kids have Powers—Flight, Morphing, Invisibility, Mind Reading, and more—but will that be enough for them to overcome Vork? The heroes will be pushed to their limits as they face everything from dinosaurs to dragons, but the hardest thing to overcome may be their own doubts and painful pasts.
6. The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman
Kate and younger brother Tom lead boring lives with their boring parents. Kate never gets to have adventures. Until her uncle—who she’s never even met—surprises her with the most unexpected, amazing, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow. Before you know it, Kate and Tom set off on this magical train full of talking animals(!) on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and they just might end up saving the world.
7. Glitch by Laura Martin
Regan Fitz and Elliot Mason have been enemies since they started training to become Glitchers—people who travel through time to preserve important historical events. But everything changes when they find a letter from Regan’s future self, warning them about an impending disaster that threatens them and everyone they know. Will they be able to set aside their past in order to save the future? (Amazon description)
8. My Dad is a Mad Scientist (The Adventures of Ubergirl Book 1) by Matthew S. Cox
Kelly is small and smart, so she’s a perfect target for bullies, but at least she has her comic books for comfort. Then aliens bombard the earth with gigantic glowing red crystals (it’s actually a good thing…sort of) and suddenly Kelly’s wildest fantasy has come true. She has superpowers! Yes! Kelly’s adopts the superhero identity of Übergirl. There’s just one problem: Her dad’s turning into a mad scientist—and not the good kind. It’s hard to be a hero, especially when your father’s a bad guy.
9. Life in the Balance by Jen Petro-Roy
Veronica Conway has been looking forward to trying out for the All-Star softball team forever. She’s practically been playing the game since she was a baby. She’s a shoe-in. Except right before tryouts Veronica finds out they may not be able to afford the team fees. So she decides to enter a talent show to make money, which leads her to a new hobby, and now…does she really love softball as much as she thought? And is that okay?
10. The Exceptional Maggie Chowder by Renee Beauregard Lute
Maggie’s role model is her favorite comic superhero, the Exceptional Eagirl. So when her dad loses his job and the family has to move into a small apartment, Maggie tries to make the best of things. But that’s hard when her best friend gets to move into a big house and gets a puppy. It’s even harder when Maggie’s Grandma comes to stay. (Grandma Barrel hates comic books.) It’ll take an unforgettable trip to Comic Con to help Maggie learn what “home” really means and how friendships don’t have to change just because life does.
Which of these middle-grade books are you going to read this March?
Come over to my Instagram and let me know!