I’ve been reading to my girls since they were babies. I could quote The Very Busy Spider by heart by the time my oldest was six months old, and we’ve always enjoyed books in our house. There’s a significant age gap between my oldest and youngest, but I wanted to share some of our favorites. For this list, I’ll be focusing on middle grade books. I’ve read most of them aloud to my girls, but I’ve read all of them personally. Each book has a young girl protagonist and a string of qualities that makes it extra special. I’ve ranked each book and will list them in reverse order below. Here are five great middle grade books for girls.
#5 Zoe in Wonderland by Brenda Woods
Zoe’s father runs a garden shop, and it’s her favorite place. The story settles in with Zoe as she explores the shop with her best friend. It’s imaginative and adventurous, and an easy read. Zoe is shy and doesn’t care for the size of her feet, but I love the messages in the story, particularly the positive reinforcement that she’s just fine, from her glasses and feet to her obsession with plants.
#4 The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Lucy’s going through a lot of change in this story. Her sister goes off to college, and Lucy finally gets her own room. Or so she thinks. When her aunt Po comes to visit, Lucy is forced to cohabitate with her. What I love about this story is that it doesn’t shy away from discomfort. It’s so relatable, especially to girls in this age demographic. Sharing space is hard. Change is hard. And Lucy makes some poor decisions. But the lessons on empathy within the story make it a great read. It’s also pretty funny, and angsty without being cringey, which made it easy to read aloud.
#3 Front Desk by Kelly Yang
When I read this one, my oldest was still a bit too young for middle grade books, so I read it on my own and absolutely loved it. The main character is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, helping them to manage a hotel while juggling school and the general struggles of adolescence. What I love most about her character is her quiet determination. She reasons with the simplicity of a child, but she’s passionate and willing to fight for what’s right.
#2 Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Amari is an intelligent girl whose life is upended by her brother’s disappearance. She’s invited to attend the school he attended, which turns out to be a special school for those with magical abilities. I really enjoyed reading this book out loud. The chapters ran a bit longer than my poor throat enjoyed, but the story itself is so engaging. My daughter enjoyed listening to it, had questions about certain moments in the plot, and shared her thoughts on Amari’s actions and thought processes. It’s a discussion-worthy story about finding your place, standing up for yourself, taking risks, and growing up in general. Amari’s character is spunky and appropriately immature. She tries, fails, learns, and grows in the story, and I love it. The fantasy aspect was pretty cool, too, and I appreciated that it wasn’t too technical for my daughter to enjoy. I also really appreciated the way the author balanced the complexities of Amari’s home life. Her family struggles, and the realities of that struggle, are touched on in a way that doesn’t caricaturize the black and brown experience.
#1 From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
This one is, hands down, our favorite book of 2023, and a story both my girls enjoyed. Zoe Washington is a twelve year old girl headed to middle school in the fall. But during the summer, she receives a letter from her imprisoned father and begins corresponding with him. It is a fantastic book and an introduction to the criminal justice system and how it has a real life impact on our communities. I highly recommend it, and though there were some hard moments in the story, both of my girls clapped at the end. It is a delightful choice.
I’m always on the lookout for great books for my girls, and these are all excellent choices. Whether your kids read independently or you read to them out loud, I highly recommend these five books. What are some of your favorite reads?
