This children’s literature classic is the quintessential science fiction/fantasy kid-lit book. Meg Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin are thrust into magical adventures through the universe, guided by three quirky and supernatural women, to rescue their father.

I must admit: I was not one of the child readers enraptured by this book. My tastes as a kid, though, did not veer toward fantasy or science fiction. I’m curious how this would hold up for my kids–it’s on our list to try.

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the troublemaker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

When 11-year-old Hazel's former best friend, Jack, stops talking to her completely, she discovers a dark truth: his heart has been frozen. Hazel needs to save him, but will the Jack she saves be the same Jack she once knew? This enchanting novel inspired by "The Snow Queen" is a story of friendship and growing up that my young reader loved.

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 PickThe Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his...

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a mall with his friends, Stella (an elephant) and Bob (a stray dog). Ivan and Stella are attractions at the failing mall. He spends his day making art (which is later sold), watching TV, and watching the people who watch him. When Ruby, a baby elephant, arrives at the mall, Ivan feels a new urgency and suddenly has a mission. My daughter and I just loved Ivan’s voice and observations about humans.

Keeper of the Lost Cities has been the series among my fifth grader's reader friends--a worthy successor to both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. These huge books about a girl and boy with telepathic powers have captivated middle grade readers with epic storytelling, a complex world, and fully developed characters. My own bookworm is eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Each of Hale's Books of Bayern gives us the perspective of a new character--one who was a supporting character in the previous books. This third book brings us the story of Razo, everyone's favorite snarky friend, short in stature but big on charm. As one of the King's Own soldiers, Razo is part of a diplomatic mission in Tira, following the end of the brutal war that Bayern won in Enna Burning. The convoy is there to secure peace between the two countries, but relations are tenuous and someone seems bent on restarting the war. With the help of his new friend, Dasha, Razo is determined to find out who is sabotaging peace.

Shannon Hale is one of our favorite middle-grade authors to read aloud together. Her books are smart, complex, and filled with nature-oriented magic. The characters are vivid, and many have snarky smarts that delight my fifth grader. I love how Hale weaves complex politics and international relations into her riveting narratives. While the nuances are not always easy for a young reader to understand, her books have spurred many discussions that are applicable to our modern world. I highly recommend this series for magic-loving, curious middle-grade readers.

Wildwood is a middle grade fantasy-adventure story written by Colin Meloy, the lead singer of the Decemberists. Twelve-year old Prue’s baby brother has been snatched by crows and taken into the forest near Portland, where no one ever goes, known as the Impassable Wilderness. Prue and her friend Curtis venture into the forest to save Mac and encounter talking animals, magic, and a divided kingdom falling into war. The hardcover is beautiful, with a lovely cover and illustrations. While the book suffers a bit from heavy description (my mind wandered at times) and some familial relationships that rang false to me, the book gained speed at the end and piqued my interest enough to continue with the second in the trilogy, which reviews say is darker. Knowing that, I would recommend this for older middle-grade readers—maybe 11 and up.

I loved this book for the perspective I so rarely see in books: that of a modern Native American. Junior is a talented cartoonist who decides to leave his school on "the rez" and attend a nearby all-white high school. The story is both funny and poignant. It follows Junior through his difficulties navigating two worlds and feeling pulled by the expectations and sacred traditions of his tribe and world outside of the reservation that offers the future he dreams of.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Colfer's newest series is set in the same universe as The Land of Stories, so if you loved that, you'll definitely want to try this series. When a teen discovers a book hidden in the library that teaches her forbidden magic, she is whisked off to--you guessed it--a magical school where she will learn to be a fairy. Again, all is not as it seems. Despite following many standard magical tropes, Colfer's fans will appreciate his expansive storytelling and ability to explore different areas of the enchanting universe he's created.

Anne is well-known, well-loved, and never at a loss for words. When Anne, an orphan, is mistakenly sent to Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, an elderly brother and sister who wanted a boy to help with the farm, she shakes up their lives and the lives of others in Avonlea with her sense of adventure and optimistic spirit. I re-read Anne in 2017 and have been enjoying the Netflix series Anne with an E for a little darker, more grown-up perspective on Anne.

Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances-because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero. Told in a series of vignettes – sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous – it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. 

This is a favorite of both my daughters. Again set at a magical boarding school where the students are separated by their type of magical gift--plus one group of misfits who can't quite control their gifts--this series has a much lighter touch than Harry Potter. They love discussing the magical creatures in these books and the books aren’t as scary for my youngest child who is more sensitive to darker stories. They also love the Upside-Down Magic Disney movie.

I picked this up at a library sale with the intention of keeping it for my daughters’ library, but I started it one rare quiet day and finished it in a few hours. This story of Jess and Leslie's friendship and their magical forest kingdom is as wonderful—and heartbreaking—now as it was when I was 10.

After years of homeschooling, August Pullman is going to a mainstream school for the first time. He was born with a facial difference that required several surgeries per year since his birth, and while he is now quite healthy, his face always stands out in a crowd. In the 5th grade, when cliques are forming and image is becoming increasingly important, these differences are not treated kindly. August finds himself the object of ridicule and fear, even as he strives to make friends and treat others with kindness. Soon his class is divided between those who accept August and those who don't--and the numbers aren't in his favor.

This middle grade book does an excellent job of putting the reader in August's shoes and showing what it's like to be the person who is always stared at, or avoided, or whispered about. And it's not just kids who do these things--it's adults as well. This is a sweet book that I recommend for any kid and their parents. I plan to read this with my daughter when she is in third or fourth grade.

Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books. With The Birchbark House, award-winning author Louise Erdrich's first novel for young readers, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior's Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak of smallpox overtook the island. 

Set in the same magical world of Enchantsia as the Fairy Tale Reform School series, this series turns from the villains to focus on the royals. Again, the setting is a boarding school, this time where young royal-borns learn to lead the kingdom. Of course, there is more than meets the eye at this fairy tale school. Light, fun, and fast-paced magical reading.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the much-loved classic about a young girl, Francie Nolan, growing up in poverty in turn-of-century Brooklyn. Francie is a bookish, resourceful child, caught between her dreamer of a father and her work-worn, practical mother. Francie is self-aware and a keen observer of people and the life around her, a heroine who manages to continue to seek beauty even as it seems determined to elude her. I finally read this in 2017 and it made my list of best books of the year.

Love this book? Read more books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. 

When young Louisiana Elefante's granny hustles her out the door in the middle of the night, she doesn't initially realize her granny's intentions: to leave Florida and never return. They make it as far as a small Georgia town before they are sidelined by Granny's debilitating toothache. While Granny recovers after having all her teeth pulled, Louisiana schemes to return home and tries to stay above the suspicions of the townspeople.

But charming Louisiana is soon a part of the lives of the people she meets, and they too have worked their way into her heart. When she learns some devastating news about her past, she must determine: what defines a person? A family? A home?

Southern charm abounds in this book, made all the better by the audio narration. Quirky characters and a heartfelt story make Louisiana's Way Home a book that both kids and adults will enjoy. This is the sequel to Raymie Nightingale, which I haven't read, but I had no problem reading this as a stand-alone.

Disney itself brings these reimaginings of its own fairy tale tellings into an expansive series with twisted endings. Multiple authors tackle favorites such as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White (shown here with Mirror, Mirror), and many more. Some reviewers say these are much darker than the happily ever afters of the Disney movies, so be aware of that. If your kids enjoyed the darker film retellings such as Maleficent, they may appreciate this series.

What is there to say about Harry Potter that hasn't been said? I read the first two books on my own years ago, but when my daughter was born six years ago, I decided to wait and read them with her. We got the illustrated version of the book (the first two, actually), and I’m hoping all of the books will eventually have illustrated versions so we can have a full collection. The books are beautiful, and she enjoyed the illustrations and asked a lot of questions about them. We’re waiting to read the second book—I think age five was just a little young for Harry Potter—but when I remembered to read slowly and take the time to discuss the story, she was eager to read it and seemed to follow most of the story.

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.
 
Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.
  

Amal is a young Pakistani girl, and she is happy. She loves school, she enjoys her family and helping out at home, and she has high hopes for her future as a teacher. School is put on hold when she has to stay home to help out after the birth of a new baby, but the pause is meant to be temporary. It becomes more permanent when, after a brief flare of temper directed at the wrong man in the market, Amal is pressed into servitude at the home of her village's corrupt landlord to pay off her debt.

Hopeless, helpless, and lonely, Amal sees the future she dreamed of slipping away. Life in the Khan house is fearful and filled with small deceits, but Amal also finds friendship in some of the others who work there. But as she learns more about the Khans, she must make difficult decisions that could have far-reaching affects on herself, her new friends, and all of the people in her village.

This was such a wonderful middle grade book, introducing young readers to the life of a girl in Pakistan, with all its hopes and limitations. While Amal doesn't face the same dangers as Malala Youszafzai (who the author briefly discusses in a lovely note at the end), she still has to learn to stand up for herself and others, and find her own bravery, at a young age.

I confess that it didn't really register with me that fairy tale retellings were such a phenomenon until I saw The Land of Stories series, but my daughter is all in on them. Jen Calonita has spun up the concept in a number of ways, and the Fairy Tale Reform School series puts ex-fairy tale villains in charge of heading off children in danger of becoming villains. This series seems a little lighter than some others with more high-minded undertones, but still includes themes of good and evil and believing in yourself that younger readers will enjoy.

Wolf Hollow is a middle grade book that made my list of favorite books of 2017. A Newbery Honor winner, this novel blew me away with its spare but insightful, searing writing--especially in the first few chapters, so I was hooked from the start. Twelve-year-old Annabelle is content with her life in school and on her family farm until Betty shows up in town. Betty quickly proves herself a cruel bully who has it out for Annabelle and anyone near her, including Toby, a reclusive World War I veteran who has befriended Annabelle and her family. As the stakes rise, Annabelle's strength and compassion are put to the test.

Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all.
Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.

My third grader (and her whole class) LOVES these books. They are thrilling books and great way to introduce major historical events--particularly those that can be difficult to talk about with younger kids, like 9/11. I haven't read all of these yet, but I like how they don't gloss over the scary realities of the events (without being too frightening), and they highlight the heroes and the survivors.

It's a classic for a reason. My fifth grader loved traveling through the wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia. Unforgettable characters and an epic battle between good and evil make this an essential childhood read for fantasy lovers.

The second in the Harry Potter series has turned my six-year-old into a full-on Harry Potter superfan. We had a blast reading and discussing Harry's second year in the world of Hogwarts and who could have opened the Chamber of Secrets. The illustrated versions of these books are beautiful; she examines each one carefully so she understands which character or scene is being shown. We of course followed this up by viewing the movie, which is also wonderful.

I still remember one of my elementary school teachers reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes aloud to us. It brought so many things to light: the aftermath of the atomic bombs in Japan, children battling fatal illnesses, a peek at life and culture in Japan. This short novel based on a true story brings history, empathy, and culture into one moving story that you (or your kids) will always remember.

This is the latest addition to the illustrated series, but the whole set is a beautiful addition to any Harry Potter lover's shelves. They're also a great option for kids who are new to Hogwarts; we loved looking at the illustrations when we read the Harry Potter books aloud.

You know a book is good when kids are pressing it into one another's hands, urging them to read it so they can discuss it. That's what happened when a neighbor friend recommended The Girl Who Drank the Moon. My ten-year-old couldn't stop talking about this mystical fantasy about people who leave their babies for an evil witch in the forest, hoping their sacrifice will keep them safe--but the witch is actually good and gives the babies to loving families. One night, she accidentally feeds a baby moonlight and gives her magical abilities, prompting her to raise the baby as her own.

I debated whether to start the illustrated version of this book yet with my six-year-old, thinking it might be too scary, but ultimately she was too excited to wait. There were definitely scary parts, and the time travel was very confusing (we talked through it several times), but we both loved this book. It really felt like Harry's story moved forward even as he gained a deeper understanding of his past. My daughter has even suggested that we go ahead with the next book, even though the illustrated version isn't out yet--she'd previously been adamant about waiting for them, so it's clear she's gotten very invested in the story and characters.

A beautiful, powerful collection of poems about Woodson's upbringing in South Carolina and Brooklyn in the 1960s. She feels torn between the two places and tells of their differences and her loyalties to both. We learn of her awakening to the civil rights movement, her love of her family, and her burgeoning drive to write. Wonderfully narrated by the author.

Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, and Extremely Upper Management has just tasked him with visiting an orphanage on a remote island–filled with children who have terrifying abilities. Charged with determining whether the children are being properly cared for (by the charismatic Arthur Parnassus) and whether they might bring about the end of the world, Linus is scared. But he has a job to do, and he will do it well–even in the face of the Antichrist.

This magical book took me a while to get into–it is pretty over-the-top and out of my wheelhouse–but eventually the charm took hold. It has a wonderful message of acceptance and creating family, and it was also quite funny. Pick it up when you’re in the mood for something really different that’s sure to make you smile.

Any book about a magical school is a must-read for my magic-loving bookworm! This book about a girl trying to navigate her school for evil witches--when she really wants to be a good witch--is a great choice for kids who enjoy reading about friendships but also like a fantastical spin on their stories.

This graphic novel is a memoir of the author's own experience navigating elementary school as a deaf child who uses hearing aids. Cece wants more than anything to find a true friend, but she feels like her hearing aids and her deafness create a barrier between herself and the other kids. They either treat her too differently or forget to speak so she can lip read and understand. Cece soon realizes that she may have differences, but they can be good and even give her superpowers. This is an excellent book to share with kids to discuss the feelings of people who have differing abilities, and how they can view their own differences positively.

Tuck Everlasting is one of my favorite books that I read in school. Ten-year-old Winnie Foster is enchanted when she meets the Tuck family, who are unlike anyone she's ever met. She soon discovers their secret: they cannot die. After drinking from a magic spring many years before, they found that they never aged. Now they move through life, trying to remain inconspicuous and find purpose in lives that never end, and Winnie must decide if she wants to follow the same path. This is a classic middle grade book that prompts discussions about family, choices, and mortality. It's one of the first books that come to mind when I think of excellent middle grade writing: artistic but straightforward, and above all, respectful of the reader's abilities to wrestle with difficult questions.

Siblings Cash, Fitch, and Bird are each wrestling with their own struggles. Cash is trying to make sure he doesn’t fail seventh grade again. Fitch fights his own anger. And Bird wants only to go to space–if only to escape the world while carving her place in it. In addition to their individual struggles, their volatile home life weighs heavy on each of them.

Their teacher, Ms. Solonga, pushes her students to figuratively put themselves on the upcoming Challenger launch with a class simulation. She herself applied for the Teacher in Space program, and her enthusiasm wasn’t dimmed by not winning the spot. Bird latches on to the dream, idolizing astronaut Judith Resnick and dreaming of the day she would be on the shuttle. And then the worst happens.

I was a little young to remember much about the Challenger explosion, but this lovely book brought me back to the 80s, to wonderful teachers (I later had a high school teacher who had also applied for Teacher in Space, and who did an excellent space simulation project with us), and to big childhood dreams. A wonderful audiobook listen.

This middle-grade book is perfect for fans of Harry Potter. When a 13-year-old stumbles on a strange bookstore and finds himself the owner of a magical sorcery book, he gets more than the ability to take on school bullies. He and some new friends are drawn into a centuries-old war in which the existence of magic is at stake. Full of fun, adventure, and snark that older middle-grade kids and adults will appreciate. You'll want the physical copies of this one and the sequel, Cryptozoology for Beginners--they are both works of art.

Melody is an eleven-year-old girl who has never walked, fed herself, or gotten herself dressed. She has also never spoken a word, though her head is filled with them. Melody has cerebral palsy, and many of the most basic aspects of her life present a challenge. But what she longs for most is the ability to communicate and show the world that the person inside is smart and feeling.

Her world is changed when she learns of a machine that can help her communicate, in much the same way we've all seen Stephen Hawking speak. When she starts to show her smarts in school and in a high-stakes trivia competition, will her classmates allow her to become a full-fledged member of the team? This book wasn't perfect, but it was inspiring, insightful, and emotional. I especially recommend it for any children who may have classmates with cerebral palsy or other disabilities.

Between the past, recent, and upcoming screen adaptations, plus Geraldine Brooks' recent March, interest in Little Women has never really waned. The story of four very different sisters and their steadfast mother living in genteel poverty in Concord, Massachusetts, while Mr. March is away as a chaplain in the Civil War continues to enchant. That Louisa May Alcott herself didn't much like the story is beside the point. Jo stands as a rebellious feminist icon, while the dramas, joys, griefs, and relationships of the sisters stand as enduring symbols of comfort, devotion, and perseverance.

Lauren Wolk writes fantastic middle-grade fiction that I love as an adult reader, and Echo Mountain lived up to my high expectations. After losing everything during the Depression, Ellie and her family move to Echo Mountain in the wilds of Maine. Ellie loves it; she finds freedom in the woods and nature and thrives on the challenges of survival. Her mother and sister resist it. Ellie's joy in the mountain is short-lived when an accident leaves her father in a coma--an accident that Ellie blamed for. Ellie desperately tries outlandish schemes to wake him, and ultimately takes to the mountain in search of an old woman healer known as "the hag."

Wolk's writing is delicious--she has an amazing talent for evoking nature and setting a scene, and she writes children with such sensitivity. Her characters tend to be wise beyond their years, but she never forgets they are children, and she affords them the naivete and innocence they deserve. I loved listening.

Ada has never seen the world beyond the dirty London street that she sees outside of her window. She's never seen grass or trees, and she's not exactly sure how old she is (she guesses nine). Her abusive mother has kept Ada locked inside her entire life, ashamed of her club foot.

When her brother Jamie is to be evacuated to the countryside to avoid the anticipated bombings of World War II, Ada steels herself and sneaks away from her mother. They find themselves in Kent, placed with Susan Smith, a woman who lives alone and does not want children.

Despite her unwillingness and her grief over her deceased partner (hinted at in the book, but not discussed in detail), Susan cares for the children, seeing to both their health and education.

Ada finds solace in a pony, crutches, and a physical freedom she'd never had, all while building relationships and a new confidence. But she struggles with the trauma of her past. Is she worthy of being loved? Will she be rejected again, or forced to go back to her mother? Could her foot ever be fixed?

These uncertainties weigh, until the war comes to their doorstep and the stakes are raised. This was an amazing middle grade book, full of history and realistic, flawed characters. I was enthralled and I loved the sequel just as much.

A dark mansion. Mysterious wailing through the corridors. A beautiful walled garden with no entrance. These are just a few of the mysteries that kept me reading this book over and over as a kid. It was also one of my first introductions to unlikeable characters. Mary Lennox is a surly child, with few redeeming qualities (and several other characters aren't much better). But the settings themselves emerge as characters: the manor, the moors, and especially the garden, which serves as respite, friend, and healer. My only disappointment with this book, on attempting a reread with my daughter, is Mary's hateful and racist language at the beginning. Though fitting for the story and character, like the Little House books it's something that requires further discussions with young readers.

The Witches of Orkney series is the current nighttime read-aloud for my fifth-grade daughter and me and we are loving it. She was thrilled when the publisher sent the series for review--with witches, Norse mythology, and a magical school, it's filled with so many elements she loves. This is a prequel series, set in the same world as The Legends of Orkney. The fourth book in this series is out October 12, 2021.

In this sequel to The War that Saved My Life, Ada Smith has surgery to fix her club foot. But the surgery was the easy part; getting over the trauma of the years of shame and captivity wrought by her cruel mother is harder. When her mother is killed in the Blitz, her feelings are even more complicated. Accepting that she is safe from her mother and loved by Susan Smith, her adoptive mother, doesn't come easy--particularly when safety is far from guaranteed in World War II England. As she struggles with her own demons, she realizes that she is not the only one struggling. The close quarters brought about by the war also bring Ada to a new definition of family--one she may finally be able to accept.

To say I love these books is an understatement; this sequel was just as good as the first book. Ada is a character you want to thrive, in spite of her faults, and Susan is so wonderfully patient in the face of Ada's difficulties--even while dealing with her own. Bradley presents the realities of World War II in a straightforward way, without getting too graphic about some of the horrors--just the right level for a middle grade audience. I'm not sure where the story could go from here, but I'd love a third in the series, just to spend more time with these characters.

Everyone says that it was an accident... that sometimes things "just happen". But Suzy won't believe it. Ever. After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy was a rare jellyfish sting. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door.

The Books of Bayern series has been a fantastic, immersive read-aloud. The fictional kingdom of Bayern feels historical, with the addition of people with magical abilities to communicate with nature. In The Goose Girl, Ani is a princess who is sent to Bayern to marry the prince and cement peace between two kingdoms, but she is betrayed and forced to hide and tend geese to survive.

Hale's books are smart and enjoyable for both kids and adults. There is some violence, but the political maneuverings depicted in the books raised a lot of great discussions.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas tells the story of Bruno, a young boy whose father works at Auschwitz. Bruno knows very little about Auschwitz or what his father does; he only knows that he is separated from all of the people behind the fence. He strikes up a friendship with another boy on the other side of the fence, which provides much-needed companionship for them both. This book is told solely from Bruno's relentlessly innocent perspective, which is frustrating for the wise reader who wants him to face the reality of what's happening. It's unflinching, and you won't be able to turn away, even as you can see what's going to happen. I don't recommend this for younger readers, but it will be impactful for pre-teens or young teens who can handle it.

This 1945 Newbery Honor winner is a classic and powerful novel about the effects of bullying. When students begin targeting a classmate who wears the same dress to school each day, she claims that she has 100 dresses at home. The bullying intensifies until the girl is pulled from school. The students are remorseful, but they realize they've lost their chance to apologize. This book is somewhat subtle, but readers who pay attention will be prompted to think about regrets and standing up for what's right.

My daughter and I weren't sure about this book when we first started--she is not into princesses--but it was recommended by a trusted friend so we dove in. We were not disappointed. Hale's series about a mountain community divined as the source of the prince's bride is intelligent and complex. The series is filled with politics, economics, and of course a little magic, wrapped in a riveting story led by a strong female character.

In this follow-on to The Blue Witch, Abigail is beginning her second year at the Tarkana Witch Academy. But things are not going well. The evil spellbook continues to tempt her with dark magic, and the school is buzzing about the Rubicus Prophecy; could she be the one chosen to break Odin's curse? When Abigail and her friends are pulled into a quest to retrieve a crucial item, they end up in the catacombs beneath the Academy, fighting for their lives.

The Witches of Orkney is a fun series to read aloud with kids, with plenty of adventure, magic, and mythology. These are not as complex as some of the big names in middle-grade magic and mythology series (you know the ones), but they are excellent options for kids who love a bit of magic but may not want doorstopper books. I also love that these are set on Orkney. I visited a number of years ago and it is a fascinating place, filled with mysterious ancient historical sites that Adams brings to life.

The story of Billy and his two hunting dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, was one of my favorites growing up. I read it multiple times--and sobbed every time. Many readers don't like how sad this story is, but I always loved the bond between Billy and the dogs, as well as the bond between the dogs. It's worth reading for the way it depicts respect for nature and animals, as well as life in poverty in the Ozarks.

When Claudia and her brother, Jamie decide to run away, they don't just run anywhere: they make their home in the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York. While there, they sleep in opulent beds, bathe in the fountain, and stumble on an art mystery that captures their imaginations. I adored this book as a kid and I think it's one I would still love as an adult. I loved the kids' resourcefulness, the fantasy of camping out in an amazing place like a museum, and I loved the idea that kids could be enthralled by--and potentially solve--a mystery that rocks the art world.

This series about a set of twins who fall into a fairy tale world captured my daughter's imagination and kicked off her love of fairy tale retellings. She's read and reread these books and frequently details what's happening in the story. (For my part, I like to show her videos of the multi-talented Colfer singing in Glee. She's not quite sure what to make of that.)

In the village of Perchance, screechers have long been reviled, while the adorable hummingbears are the lifeblood of the economy, drawing tourists for the hummingbear festival each year. Eleven-year-old Willodeen loves all animals, but especially the stinky screechers that everyone else hates. When they are hunted almost to extinction, she is the only one who is worried. More widely concerning is that the hummingbears have also not made their annual migration to Perchance. Willodeen is determined to stand up for the screechers before it's too late--and she might even discover the answer to the disappearing hummingbears along the way.

We adore Katherine Applegate around here (The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and Wishtree are some of our favorites), and she has again hit it out of the park with a lovely story on the delicate balance of nature and the dangers of human disruption. This is a beautiful blend of magic and science--after finishing this book, my science-loving second-grader started a nature observation notebook, just like Willodeen's.