March is the month bibliophiles celebrate Middle Grade books thanks to a readathon created by some clever booktubers / bookstagrammers, aptly called Middle Grade March. There are a few prompts, a group read and some reading sprints, but mostly they encourage readers to rediscover their first bookish loves and meet some new MG books during the month of March. I’ve participated for a few years, often revisiting some old favourites but also discovering what’s new and popular in the middle grade genre.
Anyway, this year, I got to thinking about how my reading tastes haven’t really veered from my childhood loves. I can actually trace almost all of my most read genres to books that sparked a life long interest from waaaaaaaayyyyy back when I was a young bookworm. š I started making what we call in the biz ‘text-to-text’ connections between the children’s lit I devoured as a preteen and early teen and the books I gravitate towards as an adult.
So, I thought it would be fun to share our reading foundations. Are we still attracted to the same type of books? Or have our tastes changed as we have matured? Mostly I’ve just switched from MG to ‘grown-up’ books in the same genres and covering the same themes. I am consistently loyal (or perhaps boringly predictable?) in my reading habits, I guess.
I’ll go first (obviously!) so…tada!…here are some of the Middle Grade books that shaped my reading future:
Historical Romance
My love of historical novels began with The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett but my love of historical romance started with Kit’s experiences in a Connecticut Puritan colony. She was raised in the Caribbean, but orphaned and shipped off to relatives she’d never met. Talk about culture shock that leads to her being suspected of witchcraft! Of course there’s a young sailor friend and, voila, I discovered the joys of historical romance!
World War II Fiction
The Silver Sword was my first experience with WWII fiction. It’s based on a true story about four displaced children banding together to survive in occupied Warsaw and their quest to find their parents after the war. This made such an impact on me and began my emotional connection to WWII and Holocaust novels.
Mystery
Santa left this book at the end of my bed one eventful Christmas and created a mystery reading monster! When I found out this was the third book in a series about kids who solve mysteries, belong to a secret club dedicated to good works, “ride, swim, go to parties with the best friends in the world” well, I needed to read them all! We were a financially struggling immigrant family but my dad managed to buy me one Trixie Belden book a month. I still have them. Still read them. Still hug them and smell them and pour over the sweet pictures. Happy sigh. Haven’t stopped reading mysteries since.
Mystery with a Gothic Flare
My love of Gothic mysteries in exotic settings started with the mysteries Phyllis A. Whitney wrote for children. I still remember the thrill that shot through me when I discovered that she wrote similar mysteries for adults when I was in my late teens! I still get a thrill when I come across Gothic mysteries today.
K-9 Centric Stories
I have been dog obsessed since I fell out of my pram trying to reach a dog. My mum had to harness me because I’d lunge after every canine that crossed our paths. Personally I think my being leashed naturally bonded me to all the dogs who were also on leashes. So it was only natural that the first novel I read on my own was a book about a girl and her dog. I still have my battered old library discard copy with this exact cover.
Rom/Coms With Heart
I’m sure that Ramona has made an impression on millions of girls across multiple generations by now. Her antics never get old and the rich family dynamics are so comforting. Her personal dilemmas so relatable. The perfect blend of humour and heart and my stepping stone into my current appreciation for rom/coms.
Fantasy
I was a huge fantasy reader as a child sparked by my discovery of E. Nesbitt – Five Children and It is still my favourite. Set at the turn of the century where children discover a sand fairy who grants wishes only the wishes never go as expected. This book opened my reading world to the fantastical – Narnia (of course!) Edward Eager’s droll magic books, Catherine Anthony Clark’s Canadian Native legends, Carbonel and the Kingdom of Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh…oh, there were so many! I read fantasy for years and then…well, I didn’t! I’m just now getting back into the genre thanks to some Best Reads encouragement! and It feels like getting a bit of my childhood back!
I could talk books all daybed now it’s your turn…and time for the Giveaway Announcement!
Giveaway Opportunity:
Share a book from your childhood that has influenced (for good or bad!) your adult reading choices. Then share the title of a book you would like to add to your toppling TBR pile and, if your name is drawn, that is the book you will win.
Remember:
- Books must be Christian Fiction or Clean, Closed Door Fiction
- Books must already be released
- Remember to check availability — I’ve noticed some older books are no longer in print (if it’s a physical book you’re after.)
Winner announced on Saturday March 21 2026
Kav's Best Reads 
Another fun one!
So, Iāve mentioned this before, but some of my childhood favorites are books that I still read (like the Baby-Sitters Club) and I wouldnāt have made this connection without your question, but I do like books about female friendships.
Another definite person worth mentioning is Margaret Peterson Haddix, who I still read. I see some definite parallels with another of my favorites, Ted Dekker, in that they both do genre-crossing with some weird elements and brilliant twists. So good!
And, last but not leastā¦ allegories!! The Lord met me in multiple absolutely beautiful series from a young age. Narnia, of course, but another of my favorites is the Archives of Anthropos. Anyone read those? I crave these so much although my options are much fewer and further between as far as adult books. But, I was blessed to discover Joanna Davidson Politano a few years back and her books fit that niche for me. I just read āFinding Lady Enderlyā this week.
As far as a giveaway entry (thank you, as always for this delightful opportunity!), Iām going to go for a Haddix title. (Does that work? Not explicitly Christian but for sure clean) Among the Hidden, from her Shadow Children series.
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The Babysitters Club has such a huge following that also spans generations. Friendships through thick and thin are something I appreciate in my fiction as well. Trixie was my Babysitters Club equivalent for that, I think.
Margaret Peterson Haddix books are so different! I’ve read a number of them but am in no ways current. I usually pick up one during Middle Grade March, but I haven’t yet this year. Thanks for the reminder. And I can see the parallels between her books and Ted Dekker’s.
I thought I wasn’t a fan of allegories but now that you mention Narnia, I guess I have to rethink that. Plus I’ve read a few that I really enjoyed lately. I guess I don’t like the preachy, moral-in-your-face kind. š I just checked out Archives of Anthropos — it sounds kinda Narnia-esque? I’ll have to see if I can track it down.
And yes, I think I Among the Hidden fits into this giveaway quite nicely. I’ve heard great things about that series. Just checked out an audible copy from my library! š Good luck, Stephanie!
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Oh, P.S. in November, I listened to an audiobook omninbus of the Ramona Quimby books. What fun! And how dear and precious your Trixie Belden books must be! I donāt think I read those, but I did grow up on Nancy Drew.
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The audio books would be fun! And yes, I punctuated my Trixie Belden reading with Nancy Drew. Some Hardy Boys too. š
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I never thought about how our middle grade reading may affect our adult choices, interesting! We didn’t have a library nearby and my mom didn’t drive so my only access to books was during the school year. I loved library day and always checked out the 2 book limit.
And then…one Spring the Scholastic Book Fair came to town, and I could by my own book to keep, such a thrill for me. That began my love of owning and collecting my own books. I still have that first book I bought when I was 11, the fictionalized book, The Story of Helen Keller by Lorena Hickok. It has a price of 50 cents.
I remember one MG book that wasn’t necessarily “bad” but one that shocked me. My first experience with cover love. I saw a book on library day with a pretty cover and the main characters name was Tracey, so I checked it out. Imagine my surprise as I got into it and found out the story was about the main character being mentally challenged and her sister having to be her protector and defender at school. That may have been my first experience with understanding how others are treated because they are different.
I don’t remember all the books/titles I read in those early years, but I do know I gravitated towards fiction. Isn’t it amazing how much we can learn about life through story. I love that Jesus taught through parables and story too.
After so many great reviews and then your review saying it was on your top ten books for 2026, I have got to read The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep. Thanks for the fun topic and the giveaway Kav! tracey14567 atgmail.com
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Ack! I can’t imagine not having a library nearby. This city kid could walk to two (one was quite a hike, but dedicated book nerds will prevail!) I always checked out the maximum number of books – 10 – and carted them home clutched to my chest in a bear hug! š Love your Scholastic Book Fair memories – as someone who ran 40+ back in my school library days I’m thrilled that the book fair has become a sustainable memory for you. And I read that same Helen Keller book — my first biography, if I remember correctly.
I love how that ‘Tracey’ book opened your eyes to injustice. Stories can take us to worlds and experiences we would never have otherwise. Jesus’ parables are always my defence when people challenge my voracious fiction reading. He taught through story because he knew it would make an emotional impact and we’d remember the lesson and, hopefully, live it out as we strive to follow him. That’s why I’ve been such an advocate of Christian Fiction.
Excellent giveaway title choice, Tracey. Good luck!
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I grew up primarily on historicals (The Witch of Blackbird Pond is one of the best!) and fantasies, and still love them both, though finding fantasies that meet my high expectations has grown harder and harder. I loved a number of middle grade Christian historical series, which I can say definitely influenced my reading tastes as an adult – The Sadie Rose Adventures by Hilda Stahl, Abby’s South Seas Adventures by Pamela June Walls, Grandma’s Attic series by Arleta Richardson, the Mandie books. We’d get a Christian Book Distributers catalog every few months or so, and I pored over that catalog!
More Than Words Can Say by Karen Witemeyer
rdalquist AT gmail DOT com
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I need to reread The Witch of Blackbird Pond now — it’s triggered all kind of fond bookish memories! Out of all those MG series you mentioned, I’ve only heard of the Mandie books. Must check my church library and see if they have any of those. Good luck, Rachael!
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For my first 6 years I attended an old and very small school. Certainly canāt fault the academics as scored in upper percentile on nationwide tests. However, there was no library, just an overflowing bookcase. Then we consolidated with a much larger district and had an actual library! I probably most remember such books as Little Women, which my mom had ordered for me. Since my favorite is still historical fiction, I enjoy such as Jen Turano for setting and humor. Her Behind the Scenes is on my wish list.
Interesting topic but am not personally familiar with current childrenās books.
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Well, really, an overflowing bookcase is a type of library, if students were reading from it. š Love that you got an actual library though! Some of my fondest childhood memories involve libraries! And Yes to Little Women. One of my earliest classics, though I preferred Rose in Bloom and Eight Cousins. And I can totally see the connection between Louisa May Alcott’s novels and Jen Turano’s. Good luck, CC!
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I read books like THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN for the adventure. I still love books that are exciting and adventuresome.
I read books like HARRIET THE SPY by Louise Fitzhugh because it was fun to read about someone that wasnāt popular/different, sort of the way I felt. It was a way of reassurance that we are all different and different isnāt bad. I still like reading about different people or people who learn to adjust and made the best of it.
I read CHARLOTTEāS WEB and BLACK BEAUTY because of the animals. Who as a child didnāt want a lot of animals ā at least one of every kind? Being an Army brat living on base, having a horse was definitely out. I was happy with things like my dog, a bird, fish and my lizards. I still love animals in my stories. Maybe thatās why I gravitate to the K-9 stories. š
I read ANNETTE AND THE MYSTERY AT MOONSTONE BAY because it was fun to try to figure out whodunit. I still LOVE cozy mysteries!
I read CHITTY CHITTY BANG BAND by Ian Fleming and the PIPPI LONGSTOCKING books because they were fun. There should be times we pick up a book just because it looks or sounds like it would be fun to read.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Being adventurous through fiction follows us with our reading patterns, doesn’t it. Susan May Warren stands out as an adrenaline rush adventure author.
I love your connection with Harriet the Spy — so validating for kids to see themselves in their fiction and create relationships with fictional friends that will last decades.
Ohhh — Black Beauty was such a hard read for me. I cried buckets through that book! A classic, but I only read it once. Your lizards?????? I was deprived of pets as a child as well. We always lived in apartments that wouldn’t allow pets so once I moved out I somehow ended up with four cats, a dog and a budgie…and I raised two orphaned kit raccoons as well, because, why not? Bwahahaha!
I think that once mysteries hook a young reader they never let go! š
I saw the movie of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang but never read the book, same with Mary Poppins now that I think on it but I loved Pippy Longstocking too! More adventuring!
Do you have a title to enter for the giveaway, Kay?
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Sorry I got so excited about books from my childhood, I flat forgot to list my sure wish I had it in my hands book. LOL
Funny you mention Susan May Warren because the book I had in mind, the one I’m still dying to read is TRACK OF COURAGE. Please enter my name for that book in the drawing.
By the way, check your email. š
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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š Good luck, Kay!
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Oh so many books!
I adored the Adventure series by Thornton Burgess. It led to me reading every animal book I could growing up and I still love to read them to this day.
The Boxcar Children and the Bobbsey Twins gave me my love of suspense and thriller. As I got older I read the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and followed me into adulthood.
The Viking Quest Series and the Adventures of Northwood have me my love for historical fiction and historical romance. Such sweet amazing stories.
Firefly Diaries by C.C. Warrens is on my wishlist.
Now I’m headed back through the comments going down memory lane lolā¤ļø
sarahdar0801ATgmailDOTcom
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Oooohhh, Thornton Burgess!!!! Yes, I forgot about those books! I loved them too and, like you, still enjoy animals in my fiction to this day.
I don’t think there’s a mystery reader out there who didn’t develop the mystery bug from childhood reading habits. I read the Boxcar Children too (available at my library) but the Bobbsey Twins were few and far between because the library didn’t carry them. For some reason back in the day libraries didn’t consider Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden etc as worthy literature to be added to their collections. Boo hiss!
Lois Walfrid Johnson is a new to me author and both those series are Middle Grade Christian fiction. I need to explore that sub genre and see what else I can find!
You’ve reminded me that I need to get brave and read that third Holly book so I can get through that series and onto this new one. Good luck, Sarah!
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How interesting that our middle grade reading could affect our reading as adults…..TRUE. I grew up in a small town that had a great town library, and I read a lot of books!! I am reading a series now that I am very fond of and would like to read #3 in the series……Lynn Blackburn’s Last to Fall..it reminds me of some books I read wayyyy back! Thank you for your giveaway, Kav. jacsmi75 at gmail dot com
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Another reason why it’s so important to get our kids reading good books from an early age. All that literary goodness sticks! š Good luck, Jackie!
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Oh, such wonderful bookish memories! We had a great library at our school & I mentioned before my dad would give me 50Ā¢ for allowance & I’d trot off to Kresge’s five & dime. There they had Nancy Drew books, Hardy Boys, Bobbsie Twins, Trixie Belden, and classics such as Little Women, Jo’s Boys, etc. Thus my love of mysteries.
Our school had historical fiction based on fact silhouette books such as Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Paul Revere, etc. Thus my love of historicals. I loved Beverly Cleary’s Beezus & Ramona books! I also read Black Beauty & National Velvet & realized that although I love animals I wasn’t crazy about animal books. And there are some good ones out there now, but I still am that way. I never realized before that my childhood tastes are almost the same as they are now!
I don’t know if this counts bc it releases in a day or two, if not no worries. Been hearing so much about it! Claire Holloway Is Winging It by Angela Ruth Strong Thanks, Kav!
dianalflowers at aol dot com
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Love that you raced for books when you got that kingly sum! I alternated saving up my allowance between books and dog statues — not china, guess porcelain? There was a store that had all the different breeds and I collected them. I’d likely find them gaudy now, but I was enamoured waaaay back in the day. And the only items in my room that I dusted without prompting. Bwahahaha!
Now that you mention it, I went through a biography reading phase too. Didn’t last much after elementary school but I read a lot of them. Ooohhh, National Velvet — another blast from the past! Funny that you love animals but not animal books! I can’t get enough of ’em. I even like the cozy mysteries where the cat or dog talks. š
Claire Holloway totally works since it will be available by the time the draw is done. Good luck, Diane!
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Kav, I don’t remember a lot of the books I read in my pre-teen years except for the Nancy Drew mysteries – which you’ve heard me mention before š I loved those and loved going to the library to check out another in the series, etc. Now I do love some mystery in a story but am not a huge suspense fan. My love of historical fiction might have started when I read Gone With the Wind as a teenager.
In the spirit of remembering the Nancy Drew books, I’ll go with Melissa Ferguson’s new romcom/cozy mystery Without a Clue for my choice of book for the giveaway. It sounds like lots of fun š
ckbarker at gmail dot com
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I wonder if the creators of Nancy Drew had any concept of how successful that series would be for generations after the first publication!!!!! What a epic introduction to historical fiction — Gone With the Wind! Melissa Ferguson’s mystery / rom/com mashup is so much fun! Great choice for the giveaway. Good luck, Cheryl!
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I love this post! I was also a fan of Ramona and I love rom-coms. I never made the connection before! Have you read Fifteen by Beverly Cleary? It’s a teen rom-com and so delightful! I also adore her other books like Ellen Tebbits, Mitch and Amy, and Emily’s Runaway Imagination. My other childhood favorites were the Little House on the Prairie books which gave me a love for westerns and pioneer type stories. The Betsy-Tacy stories and The Baby-Sitters Club books helped me appreciate strong female friendships in books, and Nancy Drew gave me a love for mysteries with suspense. I also love The Witch of Blackbird Pond and learning history through fiction because it makes it come to life. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is another, as well as Lyddie by Katherine Paterson which has a light romance. Heidi by Johanna Spyri made me love stories in far-off places. I enjoy stories with some paranormal activity because of The Indian in the Cupboard and Roald Dahl’s books like Matilda and The Witches. When we spent the night at my grandma’s house she would play fairy tale stories on her 8 track for us to fall asleep to, and now I can’t get enough of fairy tale retellings. My dad also had a beautifully illustrated copy of Robin Hood. The first Regency book I read was one I came across in my high school library called Dolly Blanchard’s Fortune, and it opened that world for me. It’s so fun to remember the classics and favorites, it makes me want to go read them all again!
A book on my wishlist is Love in a Mist by Sarah Eden. Thanks Kav!
colorvibrant at gmail dot com
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