100+ Books for 9 and 10 Year Old Girls

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
The girls and I listened to this fun audiobook a few years ago and I’ve heard from SO MANY families that have loved this one too. And now with the movie out, it’s a great one to read the book and watch the movie!

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Ella come home from school saying one of her friends was raving about this series. Happily, I happened to have a copy and Ella devoured this book about Sophie doesn’t fit in at school or in her family, in part because she can read minds. Then she meets a boy who has the same powers she does and it turns out there are a lot of secrets about herself and the world around her that she doesn’t know. But she’s going to find out pretty quickly!

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
This is the book that shot Kate DiCamillo to stardom, and it’s so sweet about a little girl who finds a dog that needs a home.

Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Alex and Conner, sister-brother twins, open up a beloved book of stories only to find themselves sucked into the book. In a mysterious land where magic runs rampant, they find themselves interacting with fairy tale characters they’ve heard about all their lives. The real question is. . . can they ever get home? This series has been especially popular in my house!

Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
I love when a series is inspired by the author’s own life, and this one comes straight from Henry Winkler’s childhood with undiagnosed dyslexia. The books follow Hank, a funny, big-hearted kid whose different way of thinking leads to all kinds of misadventures. In the first book, his “brilliant” science project (taking apart the family cable box) takes a wild turn when his sister’s iguana decides to lay eighteen eggs inside it.

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
This historical fiction title absolutely charmed me and it’s been one of my favorite read-alouds in the past couple of years. Three young children lose their grandmother, leaving them orphans and no place to go. Her lawyer suggests that, since so many children are being shipped out to the English countryside during the bombings, they might join the exodus and conveniently not mention that they don’t actually have a family. And just maybe the family that temporarily takes them in will want to keep them forever. This book has all the feelings of a classic and I definitely shed some tears at the end.

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
This middle grade fantasy fiction is a gripping tale about seven dragon tribes that have been at war for generations. A plot is hatched to finally bring an end to the fighting but the five dragonets that are at the heart have a different plan. This series is WILDLY popular!

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Candymakers is just the kind of book I wish my school libraries had been full of. Funny, mysterious, and clever. Four kids trying to invent a new candy, all of them harboring secrets? This book is a winner. (Full review here)

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowl
Ella listened to this whole series and loved every second of it. My sister has three boys and they are obsessed with it too. There are 13 books in the series and these stories of Vikings and dragons are fast paced and delightful.

Framed by James Ponti
Another book by James Ponti and Ella blew through this series in a week! This book follows Florian Bates who is the only kid that the FBI Director has on speed dial (and a kid that a whole lot of criminals want taken care of). After a move to DC, Florian and his new friend Margaret uncover a mystery that involves a major crime ring, the FBI and the National Gallery. It’s up to them to solve the mystery AND get their homework done.

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R. A. Spratt, illustrated by Dan Santat
I can’t even remember how we discovered Nanny Piggins, but Ella read it several years ago and then insisted I immediately read it too. And it was just as good as she promised – I laughed my way through every page of this ridiculous story about a family that hires a pig as a nanny.

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg
We listened to this one as a family when we went to Las Vegas for a summer trip. It’s set during the Great Depression and Trip’s family has moved to Alaska as part of FDR’s New Deal projects. The whole family is settling in to their new home except Trip’s mother. Can Trip convince her that Alaska is the place to be?  (The audiobook is narrated by the same narrator as The Penderwicks, so my girls were immediately on board!)

CatWad by Jim Benton
This series has many of the same elements that readers love about Dog Man – full color graphic novel, animals, and lots of hijinks.

39 Clues Series by Rick Riordan
Grace Cahill, the last matriarch of the world’s most powerful family, is on her deathbed and makes a quick decision to change her will. Those inheriting anything have to choose between taking a clue or one million dollars. The 39 clues are hidden around the world to reveal the family’s secret to their source of power. Can Dan and Amy put all of the clues together or will they abandon the mission completely to discover what happened to their parents? This series has each book written by a different popular author.

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
I love this book, and the sequel, A Year Down Yonder, about a brother and sister that go to spend the summer and then a full year with their unusual grandmother in the country. (Full review here)

Dragon Slayer’s Academy by Kate McMullan
Regardless of whether I enjoy fantasy, I have recommended so many middle grade dragon books over the years, but this isn’t one I had heard of. When a wandering minstrel predicts Wiglaf’s heroic future, he eagerly enrolls at the Dragon Slayers’ Academy. The only problem? He faints at the sight of blood…hardly ideal for a would-be dragon slayer!

The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick
Strange things are happening at the Clarksville City Zoo, and when Megan disappears, her brother Noah and their friends are determined to track her down. Their search leads them past zoo the gates after dark – where the zoo’s biggest secrets are waiting to be uncovered.

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
I read this one years ago when I was a school librarian and it was SO popular with my students. Two siblings, Evan and Jessie, are both smart, but in different ways – one is people smart, while one is more math smart. When they each bring their talents to a competition to sell the most lemonade, it’s going to be an all-out battle.

Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom by Matthew Swanson
When Ben cracks open a fortune cookie that warns today could be his last day on Earth, he panics – then decides to go out in style with the ultimate bucket list. From tackling a 1,000-piece Taj Mahal model to eating an entire cake, his hilarious misadventures show that even scary moments can turn into sweet surprises.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
I know I read this one as a child, but I have almost zero memory of it (I read a bunch of The Black Stallion books when I was young, and it’s hard for me to separate them in my memory). Ella was entranced by this story of an English horse and after she finished it, she got it on CD from the library and she and Ani listened to it on repeat. Bart and the girls also watched the movie version when I was out of town.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
I’d read this one as a child, but couldn’t remember a thing about it except that he gets a penguin in the mail. Now I’ve read it multiple times to my girls and it was so fun to watch the story play out when none of us knew how it was going to turn out.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
I read this nearly a decade ago and then again for the Everyday Reading Book Club a couple of years ago and LOVED it so much both times! Ella is also such a huge fan that she begged Bart to listen to it after she finished and had the best time listening to him make predictions about the story.

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
Ben Ripley’s dream job is to work for the CIA, but since he’s only a middle schooler, it’s going to be a tough sell.  Then he is recruited for a special STEM school program, but to his shock and delight the program is actually a front for a junior CIA! Which sounds terrific until he realizes how dangerous spy school really is!

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
I have such vivid memories of reading this book in grad school (not for school. . . .just when I needed a little break from my data heavy courses).

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
This is one of those middle grade novels that took the world by storm – it has been SO popular and for good reason. Mr. Lemoncello is a world-famous game maker AND he’s designed the new city library. And on opening night, there will be a lock-in for kids where they have to solve the puzzles to find the hidden escape route. (You can see why it spent 100 weeks on the NYT Bestseller List). (Full review here)

The Sugar Creek Gang series by Paul Hutchens
This series of mysteries are more than fifty years old and reading the reviews of them make me think my Boxcar Children-obsessed girls would really like these.

The Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon
I don’t know that I ever read a single Hardy Boys book growing up – I was more of a Nancy Drew girl myself, but you really can’t go wrong following Frank and Joe Hardy around while they find clues and solve mysteries!

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
This fun story follows five siblings who are about to lost their beloved brownstone home in Harlem, thanks to a cantankerous (and mysterious) landlord who refuses to budge.

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
I read and re-read these books as a child and loved trying to figure out the mysteries before flipping to the back to check out the answer. Also, I just really want an encyclopedic memory. Each mystery is only a few pages long which is perfect!

The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Hatford brothers are ready for new boys to move in across the river, but instead, three clever Malloy sisters show up, and war is officially declared. From dead fish to floating cakes, the pranks fly fast. This middle grade fiction is laugh-out-loud where no trick is off-limits.

Dragon Masters by Tracey West
This fantasy adventure is perfect for any child who loves dragons, kings, wizards, and magic! My girls have listened to this series a million times over the past few years – it’s definitely on the younger side (the books are more like 100 pages), so they’re perfect for a child to read solo if they’ve been listening to Wings of Fire or for a child who wants to be like an older sibling! 

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
I heard nothing but great things about this book and it really was terrific. It is told from the point of view of seven different fifth graders, as they begin a new school year with Mr. Terupt (a new teacher). Each of them come with their own baggage and respond to Mr. Terupt differently and he, in turn, deals with each of them differently. And then a big event at school changes everything for these students and their teacher. (Duhn, Duhn, Duhn. . . ).

Ranger in Time Series by Kate Messner
Ranger is a trained search and rescue dog, but when he can’t pass the test to become an official search and rescue dog, he still finds a way to save the day – by time traveling! This is a fun historical fiction book with a brave golden retriever.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
I was obsessed with this chapter book series growing up and read probably a hundred of them. I like that the mysteries aren’t too scary and I really love that they showcase siblings that like each other, get along, and work together to solve problems.

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I grew up on these books (I lived in Wisconsin until I was almost 7 and we went to the rebuilt Little House in the Big Woods which I still remember very clearly) and waited my whole life to have children of my own to read them to. When Ella was in kindergarten, we read the first four books together and my girls have listened to the audio dozens of times since then.

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
Four book in the series and four siblings getting into mischief to keep your 4th or 5th grade son entertained nonstop. These hilarious books turn an ordinary day into quite the adventure for the Moffat clan.

Max and the MidKnights by Lincoln Pierce
If you have a son who wants to read chapter books, but still wants a few pictures throughout – this series is a great one to pick up. Max’s dream of becoming a knight is very, very unlikely. However, he’s forced into action when his Uncle is kidnapped by the evil King.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
I pretty much don’t care for animals (I know) and I STILL think this is one of the best kids books ever, Newbery winner or not. When a book is this sweet, funny, and well-written, who cares if it’s narrated by a gorilla? Not me. (Full review here) 

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I have a long history of loving Harry Potter. When my mom started reading the first one to me and my sisters, we only made it through one chapter before we were completely hooked. I also have some very happy memories of snuggling my nursing baby in the my in-laws’ basement, reading the British versions of several of the books. I have read the entire series multiple times, seen all the movies, and I still never get tired of this story.

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordin
I grabbed my mother-in-law’s copy of this book when we were living there and I suddenly found myself without a next book to read to the girls and they are SO INTO it. Seriously, there were shrieks of despair every night when I finished for the evening. I read it back in 2008 and it’s fun to revisit – I enjoyed it MUCH more as a read aloud than I did when I read it solo! (Full review here).

The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
I’ve never had a child particularly interested in the Magic Tree House books until Tally who has really taken a shine to them and listens to them nearly every night as she goes to bed.

I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis
If you have a non-fiction lover, these short middle grade books about big historical events are really fun and high action. They’re a perfect fit for reluctant readers, especially those with low patience for made up stories.

The Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Coming from the view of a big read oak tree, this book is touching and deep. People in the town write their wishes down and place them in the branches of the wishtree, allowing the tree to see most everyone’s desires and troubles.

Wish by Barbara O’Connor
Eleven-year-old Charlie has been wishing for the same thing every day since fourth grade, using every quirky method she can think of – even making a wish off of the pointing end of pie! But when she’s sent to live with distant family in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a scrappy stray dog and a surprising neighbor boy show her that what she really needs might be very different from what she’s been wishing for.

Peter and the Star Catchers by Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson
Whenever someone tells me they just finished listening to Harry Potter, I always recommend this audiobook. The story isn’t very similar (it’s a Peter Pan story, brilliantly and hilariously reimagined), but it’s full of magic AND it’s narrated by Jim Dale, who reads the Harry Potter audiobooks. This is a do not miss. Also there are also five books in the series, so you won’t be running out of listening material anytime soon. (Full review here)

A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy, illustrated by John Steven Gurney
This was the perfect mystery book series for Ella. She’s gone on to read all of this series as well as the Calendar Mysteries and often revisits both when she’s out of new books.


 

The Ghost in the Noonday Sun by Sid Fleischman
Believe it or not, this novel was written in the 1970s, but any kid who loves ruthless pirates and hidden treasure will still be hooked. Twelve-year-old Oliver Finch dreams of whaling adventures, but ends up snatched up by the red-bearded Captain Harry Scratch, who needs Oliver’s ghost-seeing powers to track down a long-lost pirate treasure. It’s Treasure Island…but with ghosts, disappearing-ink maps and high-seas mischief!

Half Upon a Time by James Riley
My oldest really enjoyed this trilogy! It follows Jack, who is the son of the infamous Jack and the Beanstalk, and he’s hoping to restore his family’s reputation in hero training (which he’s doing a poor job at). He lives in fairy land and when May, a girl from the real world, lands in front of him, he thinks this is his chance to redeem the family name with a successful princess rescue. Of course, you can already guess that things are NOT going to go according to plan.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson
This is a series that really should be listened to since the audio versions are truly hilarious. We discovered them when I was maybe 11 or 12 on a road trip and I woke up late at night to hear my mom listening to them as she drove through the night, laughing out loud. Hank thinks he’s brilliant (and of course, handsome and charming) while the reader knows that. . . the truth is possibly a little different.

The School Mouse by Dick King-Smith
I adore all his books, but this one about a little mouse living in a Kindergarten classroom closet sounds so sweet! Once Flora the mouse learns to read, she’s determined to join the first graders and prove she’s ready for the next big adventure.

Puggleton Park by Deanna Kizis
I am absolutely obsessed with this premise – a pug as the main character, set in Regency-era London! Excuse me while I disappear into this two-book series ASAP!

The Bark of the Bog Owl (The Wilderking Trilogy) by Jonathan Rogers
Think, pre King David, middle-grade adventure fantasy, all with a strong sense of the American South. Plus, it’s all based around the biblical story David and Goliath.

The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz 
This one I actually didn’t read aloud – we listened to it together in the car over the summer as we drove around. We all liked this one (and it’s included in Audible Plus so it’s free with your membership).

Scare School Diaries by Jarrett Learner
Bash the ghost isn’t exactly nailing the whole “ghost thing,” and now he’s off to the scary-hard Scare School – yikes! Between tough classes, tricky teachers, and his famous older sister’s shadow looming over him, Bash has to figure out how to survive without getting kicked out.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
This beloved Newbery Honor book is about a girl named Wanda who is mocked at school for wearing the same old blue dress every day. She claims that at home she has 100 beautiful dresses, but her classmates know she’s lying.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
This is a Newbery winner about three different characters – a tiny mouse, a rat who loves the light, and a little girl who wants to be a princess. And niiiiice short chapters. (Full review here)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
In 1994, when the Winona Ryder and Christian Bale version of Little Women came out, my mom told me that if I read the book, she’d take me to see the movie. I read the book in a few days and loved every second of it (I went on to read Little Men and Jo’s Boys a bunch of times too). An all-time classic, it’s just so good!

Legends of Lotus Island by Christina Soontornvat
First off, I’ve never met a Christina Soontornvat book I didn’t adore! Now, imagine a school where kids can transform into magical animals – yep, that’s Guardian Academy! Plum is excited to join, but when her powers won’t show up, she faces losing not just her shot at adventure, but the first real friends she’s ever made.

Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas
This is a super well done graphic novel, with beautiful illustrations, great characters, and a fun storyline. It’s a definite winner! Bree is excited for her first day at her new middle school, until she finds out that the only elective left open is swim team. But how can she tell her friends and coach she doesn’t know how to swim?

Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow was born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, and thus lives a cursed life. As she awaits her fate, she is whisked away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. She learns that to stay in the safety of Nevermoor she has to compete in four difficult trials and discover her own extraordinary talent- or have to leave the city and face her deadly fate.

My Weird School by Dan Gutman
This is a silly series reminds me of the Wayside School series. This series is geared more for beginning readers, but all the adults at Ella Mentry School are just a little bit weird…maybe REALLY weird! 

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
This is one of those books I meant to read for years, and I’m so glad I finally did! Alcatraz is an unhappy foster kid shuffled from house to house. He has a troublesome habit of leaving things around him completely destroyed. His previously unknown grandfather shows up and tells him the world isn’t what it seems and that it is actually controlled by a group of evil librarians. This is a quick read with a fun sense of humor and great characters. This is the first of a five book series. (Full review here)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
This was a GREAT book about a little girl, Minli, who sets out on a quest to find the Old Man on the Moon so she can find a fortune for her poor family. It was especially fun for my girls who are in a Mandarin Chinese immersion program at school. It’s full of little side stories that weave wonderfully into the main plot and gorgeous illustrations. Highly recommend.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I first read Wonder about a decade ago and was blown away by how good it is. And, of course, I wasn’t the only one – it’s been a wildly popular book almost since the moment it was first released, both with parents and teachers and with young readers. My girls and I listened to it a few years ago and we all really loved it.

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker
It may not be the full on Disney version, but this one is a classic! Princess Emma suddenly finds herself a frog after kissing a frog prince. They both set off to find a way to become human again.

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
My girls started listening to this fantasy series and all three of the older girls were SUPER into them. The first in the Castle Glower series is all about Tuesdays, which is Princess Celie’s favorite day. Because every Tuesday a new room appears in the Castle and Princess Celie has taken it upon herself to map out the ever-growing castle. Which will come in handy when disaster strikes the royal family. And fun fact, Jessica Day George was one of my father-in-law’s students – she took Old Norse from him and mentions him in the acknowledgements of one of her books!

Upside Down Magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins 
This series is perfect for your littlest Harry Potter lovers who aren’t quite ready for some of the deeper themes in the later Harry Potter books. My girls listened to this series non-stop and they loved the funny stories of children with magical powers that aren’t quite regular. Basically if there is magic? My kids are in.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
My girls have been SUPER into this series. Ella has read them all multiple times and my younger girls love listening to the audio version of this girl who discovers that she is half mermaid.

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable
Katie is trying to earn money for camp, but she fails at every job she tries. When she gets a job cat-sitting for her neighbor, she’s a little suspicious. One, Madeline has 217 cats, who has that many cats? And two, every time Madeline leaves, the towns most notorious villain commits another crime! Could Madeline really be a super villain? Or is this all a big misunderstanding?

Whatever After by Sarah Mylnowski
This is one of my kids’ FAVORITE series, and although it’s not high-brow literature, it’s a fun series of fractured fairy tales. The’ve listened to them ALL multiple times and I listened to the first one at my oldest daughter’s request.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
My girls have listened non-stop to every Ramona book. There’s a reason they’re still so popular, all these years later. We listened to one of them on a road trip several years ago and Bart turned to me and said, “She is just SUCH a good writer.” Couldn’t agree more.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
I’m pretty sure I’ve checked this one out from the library but never actually cracked it open (story of my life). Emily has moved to San Francisco and can’t wait to meet Garrison Griswold who created Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden around the country and there are clues to locate them. But when she discovers that Griswold is in a coma after an attack, she takes it on herself to figure out what Griswold’s newest game was going to be.

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
During World War II, four siblings are sent to the countryside of London where they are to be kept safe from the war. One of the children finds a wardrobe that has the ability to transport them to a completely different world called Narnia. This series is full of excitement and adventure and has been beloved for generations. 

El Deafo by Cece Bell
This Newbery Honor title is based on the author’s experience moving to a new school. And it’s an extra tricky transition for Cece who is deaf. But when she realizes that her super-powerful hearing aid lets her hear everything her teacher says – not just in the classroom – Cece starts to feel like a superhero!

The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton
When their elderly owner goes to the hospital, an unlikely group of pets plan a robbery to support themselves, and avoid being sent to the pound.

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Ella got hooked on the Nancy Drew series because there were some included on the Amazon FreeTime Unlimited books on her new Kindle and then she discovered we had a whole set of them on my bookshelf. I grew up with Nancy Drew (my mom bought a huge set of the original yellow hardcovers from a friend for $5 or $10!). And, of course, don’t forget the equally beloved Hardy Boy series.

Cupcake Diaries by Coco Simon
Katie Brown feels left out when her best friend joins the Popular Girls Club, but she soon finds sweet new friendships with Mia, Emma, and Alexis. Together they create the Cupcake Club! There is also a graphic novel version of this series too!

Julia on the Go by Angela Ahn
Julia Nam lives for swimming with the Vipers, but just before Personal Best Day, an ear infection threatens to keep her out of the pool. Desperate to compete, she makes a risky choice that spirals into a sticky situation—one that might take her whole community to fix.

Dragon Girls by Maddy Mara
Dragon girls Azima, Willa, and Naomi find out they have secret abilities. And to protect the Magic Forest from evil, they will need to use their newfound powers. This series does not skimp on adventure or magic!

 

Best Wishes by Sarah Mlynowski
Picture this: a mysterious box shows up on your doorstep, and inside is a bracelet that grants wishes. That’s exactly what happens to Becca – her wish for friends comes true, but soon she begins to wonder if this magical gift is more of a curse.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
I read this years ago and it just about ripped my heart out – then I read it aloud to my kids and we blew through it because we were all so into it. Melody is born with some severe handicaps and many people believe she has no mental abilities at all, but she’s actually extremely bright, just unable to communicate much. When she finally gets a computer that allows her to express her thoughts, her whole world is opened up, but she quickly realizes that her peers might not be as thrilled as she is that she can now speak.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
This one scored a Newbery Honor so I knew I had to read it! Astrid falls in love with roller derby and decides to go to derby camp over the summer, while her best friend Nicole – uninterested in  roller derby – heads off for dance camp. It’s a huge change for Astrid who has spent her whole life doing things with Nicole.

The Tapper Twins by Geoff Rodkey
Twins Claudia and Reese dive into a prank war that spirals from their school cafeteria to an online video game universe—leaving them to wonder if winning is worth the cost. I love that this one is not your average book – it captures middle school life in a digital world, told through photos, texts, and screenshots.

City Spies by James Ponti
This book was on my 2020 Summer Reading Guide and I’m delighted that Ella enjoyed it too. City Spies is the story of five kids from all over the world brought together to operate out of a secret MI6 base in Scotland, working on cases that adults can’t get anywhere near. It’s clever and funny and fast-paced and a total kid pleaser.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
This series is pretty recent (in the last ten years), but it has the feel of a classic and we all loved these stories about four sisters and their summer vacation. There’s a reason these books are BELOVED. We’ve listened to many of the books in the series on road trips and we all just love them.

Isla of Adventures by Dela Costa
Eight-year-old Isla Verde loves her island home of Sol, where adventures with her best friend, a gecko named Fitz, are never far away. But keeping her big secret (she can talk to animals!) gets tricky when a new neighbor moves in.

Ratnip series by Cam Higgins
I’m always on the lookout for great chapter books and this one has been a huge hit in our home! Not only do they love them, they also laughed their way through them. These have good-sized text and an illustration on each page.

The Baby-Sitters Club by Raina Telgemeier
I sometimes feel like the only girl who grew up in the 90s that didn’t read 10,000 Babysitter Club books, but after 1 or 2, I didn’t really have all that much interest (Sweet Valley Kids was more my style). And then Ella discovered there were graphic novel version and  . . . surprise. She was all in. These super fun books follow four girls as they start their own club for babysitting and make new friends along the way. Each book is based on one of the original books.

The Bookwanderers by Anna James
This is another one that’s popped up on my radar a bunch in the past few months and I thought the girls would really enjoy. It’s the first in a series and generally I read aloud the first one and then let them read or listen to the remaining books on their own, although that’s not a hard and fast rule and if we’re all VERY into it, I’ll make an exception.

The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley
I first heard about this series nearly a decade ago from my mother-in-law who read it with one of my nieces and Ella spent a year blazing through the ten books of the series. Two orphaned sisters are sent to live with their grandmother (who they didn’t even know existed) in a strange little town called Ferryport Landing. When they arrive they soon learn that they have descended from the Brothers Grimm and the book of fairy tales those brothers wrote? Is actually history. And as one fairy tale mystery after another pops up in their town, it’s up to the sisters to solve the mysteries. This series is just DANG fun, with all the characters from every fairy tale you know popping up. The question is, who can they trust and who is trying to take them down?

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
The sci-fi Newbery winner has a been a classic for ages and for good reason. My dad loved this one but it was too scary for me as a child. When I listened as an adult, I fell in love with it! (Full review here)

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Bean and Ivy didn’t mean to be friends – but then they accidentally become best friends and get into all sorts of fun adventures. Ella listened to the whole series last year and still checks out the books from the library when she sees them on the shelf.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine
This clever, funny, and sweet retelling of Cinderella might be one of my top five all-time favorite books! Ella was cursed shortly after birth to obey any order given to her and there doesn’t seem to be any way for her to break the curse on her own. Which means she’ll need to track down the elusive fairy that cursed her in the first place and convince her to remove the curse.

Heartwood Hotel by Kallie George, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin I’m always on the lookout for chapter books with lots of illustrations for the middle elementary crowd. This one is about a little mouse who stumbles into a hotel in a storm and takes a job as a maid. (Full review here)

Through Rosalie Colored Glasses by Carrie J 
This book is told from five different characters, Rosalie and her classmates (an athlete, a bully, twin sisters, and a wise newcomer). Throughout the story each discovers courage, forgiveness, and the power of friendship. Plus, this one is filled with gorgeous full-color illustrations.

Odder by Katherine Applegate
Odder is all about a little otter who comes face to face with a shark, and how that fateful day changes her life forever. This one is written in verse, just like her most well-known book, The One and Only Ivan.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I read this classic series so many times as a child and was delighted to see it show up at this event – I read it aloud to my girls a few years ago and they loved it as much as I do. A pure delight!

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
I read this book back when I was a school librarian and have been a fan ever since. We listened to the whole 13+ hour audiobook in the car and my two older girls both LOVED it. As soon as we finished, Ella checked out the rest of the series and listened to them in a week (oh, to have that much listening time. . . ). The book begins with a strange ad in the newspaper asking super smart children to apply and when four children pass the test put before them. Now their job is to go on a secret mission at a mysterious school called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, and puzzles, tests, and riddles will be everywhere they turn.

The Marvelous Magic of Miss Mabel by Natasha Lowe
If you are looking for a non-scary but festive Halloween pick, this one is perfect! Mabel is left on a doorstep as a baby and the widow who finds her takes her and raises her as her own child. When Mabel is quite young, they discover that she has magical abilities and she wins a place at a prestigious witch school. But it’s not all that Mabel hopes – way too much tradition and far too little experimenting with interesting magic. We all loved it!

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