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Favorite Middle Grades Books

What is a “Middle Grades” book?

A Middle Grades book is classified as one that is written for children ages 8-12. (simple, right?)

Anyone who knows me knows I love to read! It’s definitely my favorite pastime and I’ve logged over 100 books read annually for the past several years. I’ve passed on this love of reading to my son who just turned eleven. With that being said...we’ve spent countless hours reading together.

My son falls right in the middle of that 8-12 range - not only does he love middle grades books, but I do, too!

Favorite Middle Grades Books

C.S. Lewis once said

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” 

With that quote in mind, we’ve tried to find books that we both he, as an eleven year old, and I, as a...well much older than eleven year old, can enjoy together.  

The #bookstagram community on Instagram dedicates March to Middle Grades book reading.  We thought this would be the perfect time to share some of our favorites with you.  Many you may already be familiar with, but we hope we can add a few new titles to your TBR (To Be Read) stack as well.

(You can also follow me on Instagram, and also Mary’s book account, Homegrown Book Picks!)

Favorite Middle Grades Classics

These first few will come as no surprise to any reader of Middle Grades books.  They are tried and true and are considered “classics” for a reason. 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne is a precocious young orphan who is taken in by Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew on Prince Edward Island, Canada.  She is, in my opinion, one of the most loveable heroines in all of literature.  She’s never quiet, fiercely emotional and always into mischief. 

If you haven’t read Anne yet, try the Audible original audio version read by Rachel McAdams.  It’s sure to be a delightful experience. 

Old Yeller by Frank Gipson

Be ready for the tissues with this one and know that the ending is pretty emotionally charged if your middle graders aren’t quite ready for that yet.  With that said, this is a great book for boys growing up and taking on more responsibility.  Travis becomes the man of the house when his father leaves on a long cattle drive.  He takes on the responsibility of his family, while also taking care of the ugly, rascal of a dog that shows up whom they affectionately call Yeller.  My son loved this one and it fostered great conversation between us. 

We followed this one up with a family movie night to watch the 1957 Disney classic movie.  You can also follow it up with the movie Savage Sam that is a sequel to Old Yeller.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women follows the March family of four daughters and their mother as they navigate the years of the Civil War with their father away. The sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth’s personalities are as varied and different as they could possibly be. The first reading of this novel is a cherished treasure that only gets better upon subsequent readings. The March girls become family and Marmee, their mother, is so full of wisdom and guidance. Follow this up with a number of movie versions and it will prove to be a wonderful family experience with your older middle-grade children.

Favorite Middle Grades Series

When you read a great book only to find out it’s part of a larger series, what a gift!  Here are some series we’ve come to love. 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that first and foremost that this is beyond a doubt our favorite series!  These books follow young wizard Harry Potter and his friends on their journey to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort and save the wizarding world.  My son and I spent countless hours...117 to be exact...listening to the complete series during the 2020 Coronavirus Quarantine.

We looked forward to an hour (or two or three) each day when we could get away from little sister and ride around with the windows down listening to Jim Dale transport us to Hogwarts. If you’ve only read the books yourself and never listened to Jim Dale narrate them you are missing out on a treat! The voices he gives to the beloved characters are just spot on.

These books can also be followed up with a movie marathon, just know that the movies get progressively darker and more sinister so judge for your own kiddos when they are ready for the movies.

Favorite Middle Grades Books

Percy Jackson: by Rick Riordan

After finishing up the Harry Potter series my son was looking for another series and I suggested this one.  I’d read Percy Jackson years ago as I’m a sucker for anything Mythology based.  This series follows Percy Jackson, the demigod son of Poseidon, as he learns about his powers and the mythical world he never knew existed.  They are packed with action as Percy and his friends go on multiple quests to fight evil. 

The audio versions of these books are good as well, although not as captivating as listening to Jim Dale.  The first movie was a great accompaniment, however, it doesn't follow the book exactly. 

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

These could be considered a classic as well.  Written in the 1940s about Maud’s life in Minnesota during the late 1800s.  These books begin when young Betsy and Tacy are only five years old.  You see them grow and change all the way through the last book that is Betsy’s Wedding. 

Much like the classics, these girls become personal friends and their shenanigans are lighthearted and lovely.  This book transports you to a simpler time and makes you wish for days gone by singing around the piano with friends and snacking on fudge.  I first read these as an adult, but wish I could go back and read them as a young girl! 

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood

If you haven’t met the wolf children of Ashton Place you are missing out!  This is a six-book series following three siblings who have been raised by wolves and found by Lord Ashton on his estate.  Penelope Lumley is hired to be their governess and to try to teach them to act like humans. 

The mysteries surrounding the children abound from the very beginning.  Each book gets you a little closer to figuring out their true identity as well as Penelope’s. 

My son and I were both enthralled with these audiobooks read by Katherine Kellgren.  She immediately sucks you in with her British accent and makes it a very pleasurable listening experience.


Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I couldn’t write a post on favorite middle grades books without including the Little House series. These could be included in the classics section as well. This series begins in the 1870s and follows Laura Ingalls and her family as they move west and strive to make it on the American frontier as a pioneer family.

The audio versions of these books read by Cherry Jones are fantastic. Her voice is perfect for narrating the pioneer life and the fiddle playing in the audio versions brings Pa’s playing to life. These are sure to enthrall even younger listeners as well. Our personal favorite to listen to is The Long Winter which has become a re-read for us during the cold winter months each year.

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

My son and I read the first book in this series for school this year, and I had to see what happened to the family in the next four books.  Follow along as this Jewish family of five sisters grow up in New York City’s Lower East Side at the turn of the century.  Their unique personalities and the mischief they get into will keep you enthralled.

Favorite Historical Fiction

My son and I use historical novels to supplement what he’s learning in school. 

These have been some of our favorites!

The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr

The year is 1860 and Simon Green has just finished the third grade for the fourth time and decides he’s done with school.  He uses what street smarts he has to try to earn a fortune by walking 1,000 turkeys from Missouri to Denver to sell at a great price.  I had a blast reading aloud with my best rendition of Simon’s dialect.  My son got a kick out of it as well!

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie is a tomboy.  She’d rather be outdoors with her brothers than indoors with the girls sewing and cooking.  She is brave and bold and she’s based on the author’s grandmother.  My son loved reading about the mishaps she gets herself into with the Indians.  She’s spirited and fun and will make you laugh and remember her as a fond friend. 

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

What a listening treat!  This book follows a harmonica as it makes its way through the lives of three very different children during very different circumstances.  Each facing daunting challenges, the harmonica brings something into their lives that help them to bear the burdens they must. 

The harmonica playing on the audio version makes it a must.

Honorable Mention

I couldn’t end this post without mentioning the books by James Herriot. He’s written so many wonderful books on his time as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930’s and on. My son is a major animal lover and the heart that James Herriot puts into his books would make even a non-animal lover fall in love with them.

While not expressly Middle Grades, these books have appealed to our entire family. From James Herriot’s Treasury for Children to his Favorite Dog Stories, Cat Stories, and Animal Stories, you will be transported to a different place and time. With quirky farmers and their farm animals and pets, to his life with his veterinary partner and the goings-on of the town, you will be enthralled.

To go along with this experience you can watch PBS’s new show All Creatures Great and Small. Our entire family loved it and can’t wait for them to make season 2!

Favorite Middle Grades Books

More Middle-Grade Reading Ideas:


If you’re unsure about other Middle Grades books or any book recommendations for your children, don’t hesitate to check out Sarah Mackenzie’s The Read-Aloud Family.  Sarah, host of the Read-Aloud Revival Podcast, breaks her book into ages and gives great recommendations for each age level.  It’s an invaluable resource.  

Also, you can see look at the following posts from Mary here at Homegrown Learners:

Happy Reading!

Leave me a comment below with YOUR favorite Middle Grades book!

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This post is from our contributing writer, Allison. Follow her on Instagram to see the adventures of a book loving mom new to homeschooling














































Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children

My older boys have been on a reading bonanza over the last few months and my homeschooling teacher's heart could burst from happiness!

Recently they have plunged head-first into the world of graphic novels. Just this week we had to take two trips to the library to swap out their books for the remaining Dog Man and the last of The Bad Guys series.

Are these the examples of high-quality literature that I would pick out for my boys? Not exactly.

But honestly, I don’t mind at all because in the library check-out line their arms were also full of the Indian in the Cupboard, multiple books by Roald Dahl, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and Flora & Ulysses.

Right now they are choosing to have well-rounded reading lives and I think a big part of that is due to the influence of ongoing quality literature studies.

Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children

Let’s Talk About A “Literature Study”

To be honest, the term “literature study” sounds kind of formidable. Boring. Like something that is going to take a lot of time, work, and planning.

I assure you that a literature study does not have to be any of those things and in my experience, my children look forward to them! I really try to keep ours simple but memorable.

My boys are ages 9, 7, and 5. While they love books, I keep each study short and sweet so they don’t lose interest.

Our studies always begin with me reading the book aloud, usually, while they are eating lunch or before bed, but always outside of our regular school day. Their only job is to sit back, enjoy the story, and absorb the beautiful language.

(You know you have selected a good one when they beg for just one more chapter!)

After we finish the book, I have taken a few different approaches on how to dig deeper.

Five Favorite Literature Studies

Charlotte’s Web

Much of our Charlotte’s Web study was inspired by the Brave Writer “Quiver of Arrows” curriculum (now called “Darts”). The Dart includes passages from the book to use for copy work and to teach short and sweet mini-lessons by examining the author’s words.

Through E. B. White’s first sentence we noticed the impact of a writer’s “opening hook” and marveled over how he nailed it with, “Where’s Papa going with that ax?”.

In another mini-lesson, I copied the passage onto big chart paper and my kids loved using colorful highlighter tape to identify examples of alliteration.

Favorite LIterature Studies for Young Children

Can there even be a Charlotte’s Web study without watching the movie?!

Our movie watching conversation was full of incredulous outbursts of “That’s not what he said!” and “That’s not how it happened!” They LOVED pointing out when the movie got it wrong and the ways the book and movie were different!

Two of MY most memorable moments were not even planned events. One day I discovered that they had used their Lincoln Logs and Little People figures to recreate the Arable’s Farm complete with Lurvy, Mr. Arable, Fern, the barn, and pig pen with Wilbur in the mud!

Another day, all three of them came running up to me, screaming that I had to come with them right this
second! They pulled me outside to show me a spider web full of sparkling dewdrops that looked like jewels, just like Charlotte’s!

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Our Mouse and the Motorcycle study was another one mostly inspired by a Brave Writer Dart.

This time the curriculum guided us to pay close attention to dialogue and quotation marks. I wrote the passage on chart paper and we took turns reading it aloud and using our hands to make Pac Man mouths.

When someone was speaking we would make our hands “talk” but when the dialogue ended, we made our hands still and “quiet”. They also used the highlighter tape again to identify proper nouns. These lessons are a great way to make so many connections between our reading and writing lives.

After the study, I cut a mouse hole shape out of black construction paper and taped it to the bottom of a wall in our main hallway, and labeled it “Ralph’s House.” My boys were beyond excited when they discovered it and are still so excited to show people when they come over to our house!

Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children

Fairy Tales

I highly recommend a fairy tale study for all ages but our family has especially enjoyed it because even my youngest can fully participate. This project came from another Brave Writer curriculum, Jot It Down.

We started with Rapunzel and we read the original version by the Brother’s Grimm several times over a few days.

Next, my older boys used their retelling skills to write down the story with as much detail as they could from memory. My 5 year old retold the story to me while I recorded his words. After this, each child made his own visual representation of the story. For Rapunzel, I gave them yellow yarn for her hair and construction
paper to create her tower.

After this, each child made his own visual representation of the story. For Rapunzel, I gave them yellow yarn for her hair and construction paper to create her tower.

So far we have also explored The Frog Prince and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I have plans to keep going with several more.

For each tale that we cover, the boys are writing a retelling of the story in their own words, creating a visual representation using different materials, and last we will put them all together to create a book.

Fairy Tales are great for teaching about “the rule of 3,” good versus evil, and great vocabulary. My middle son told my oldest son to “stop being so foolhardy” one day while they were playing. He definitely learned that from one of our fairy tales!

Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children

There are so many different versions of the original fairy tale classics, some even in comic book style! We have checked out countless books from the library like The Stinky Cheese Man and Goldilocks and the Three Hares.

There are also different versions of fairy tales from other countries and cultures like Leola and the Honeybears an African American retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora where Rapunzel has dreadlocks and lives in Africa.

The Cricket in Times Square

My boys fell in love with the characters in The Cricket in Times Square! My oldest couldn’t wait to read the sequel, Tucker’s Countryside, and he loved finding out what the animals got into after our study ended.

(There was a Brave Writer Arrow on this book but it is no longer available in their store.) One of our lessons focused on powerful sound words using a passage describing the Times Square Subway Station. I pulled up a video on YouTube of the subway station in action and we watched the Times Square Webcam so that they could see the Jumbotrons, bright lights, news tickers, and billboards.

I also showed them pictures of what a newsstand looked like during Mario’s time and compared it to the newsstands of today. We had excellent conversations about how much our news sources have changed over time and why.

George Selden’s words gave us great examples of similes and onomatopoeia and inspired us to create charts that we can continue to add on to as we find more. The boys are so proud to bring a book that they are reading to me and point out a simile or example of onomatopoeia that they have discovered.

Five Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain is our current study and one that we are doing a little differently. I found wonderful Study Guides from Progeny Press for many books on all grade levels.

I like that the guide is divided into sections that cover a couple of chapters at a time. Instead of reading the entire book before we begin the study, we have been working through the provided vocabulary work and open-ended discussion questions after we read the specified chapters.

The guide provides lots of opportunities for writing but our homeschool days already include quite a bit of writing so I have opted to use the study to guide our discussion and use the vocabulary practice to sharpen their dictionary skills by looking up the words.

The main character, Jonathon, often mentions feeding and watching the animals of the forest. We have hung a bird feeder right outside our living room window and my oldest son has taken ownership in making sure it is full. Our entire family has had all kinds of entertainment watching the antics of the squirrels trying to get into the feeder and the boys enjoy reporting what new bird visitors we have each day.

We were also lucky enough to witness a visit by a red-headed woodpecker that we have only ever seen from way in the top of a very tall tree in our neighbor’s yard.

Jonathon’s mom makes cookies several times in the book. Once we are finished reading, we are going to make our own cookies, and also on our agenda is to go on a nature walk and see how many animal tracks we can find to identify.

The right books can be such useful and valuable tools to expand our children’s vocabulary, promote empathy in life situations, teach about cultures different from our own, and give an understanding of historical periods that facts alone just can’t convey.

Here list of the books/movies that were mentioned in the post:


What has been your favorite literature study?

What was your favorite activity to go along with the book?

Five Favorite Literature Studies for Young Children - by contributor Kristen