I read some wonderful new (and old!) middle grade books in 2024, and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you, in no particular order. (And there are more I could talk about! I found so many great stories this year.)

• The Secret Sisters by Avi (2023): A delightful follow-up to The Secret School, one of my longtime favorites! I waited years to see what would happen to Ida at high school, and this is a worthy sequel.
• Somebody Else’s Summer by Jean Little (2005): I’m so glad I saved this to read in the summer! It’s a Parent Trap-type mix-up where two girls swap places during visits to family members.
• Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry (1966): An incredible novel based on a true story of a woman who dedicated her life to saving mustangs in Nevada.
• Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff (1997): This book was completely not what I was expecting based on the plot description, but I was actually pleased with that. It’s a quiet, gentle, yet powerful World War II home front story.
• The Grey Family by Noel Streatfeild (1951): What a joy to read a Streatfeild story I’ve never read before! Written for a slightly younger audience than most of her books, it was episodic, fun, and (of course!) about a young ballet dancer and her family.
• Ferris by Kate DiCamillo (2024): I almost think I liked this story more than Because of Winn-Dixie–it’s humorous and heartwarming and full of well-crafted characters. There’s been a lot of talk about this book winning a Newbery–could it be??
• Marjorie’s Vacation by Carolyn Wells (1907): Sweet, funny episodes in the life of a mischievous girl and her friends during a summer at her grandmother’s.
• Drina Dances Again by Jean Estoril (1959): Another great installment in the Drina series, which I’ve talked about before. I’m sad that the rest of the books in the series are so hard to find!
• Strawberry Girl and Flood Friday by Lois Lenski (1945 and 1956): I really enjoyed both of these books in Lenski’s series that features different regions of the U.S. throughout history.
• Summer on the North Star by Elsa Pedersen (1960): Originally titled Alaska Harvest, this story follows a girl who lives with her family a boat as they harvest crabs in order to earn enough money to buy their own house.
• Maudie in the Middle by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Lura Schield Reynolds (1988): Based on a true story, this gently comedic book is about Maudie, a middle child living on an Iowa farm in the early 1900s.
• Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (2014): For me, binge-reading is reading a long book in three days, so this counts as a binge-read. 🙂 It’s about a girl whose family moves to a small town and she helps run the family bookstore, solving a mystery along the way.

Favorite Rereads:

I reread tons of books every year, so this category is JUST the rereads that I vividly remember having a blast with. 🙂 There’s no rhyme or reason as to what will end up being a brilliant re-read for me, it just depends on finding the perfect book to fit my exact mood.

• Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery
• The Four-Story Mistake and Spiderweb for Two by Elizabeth Enright
• The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
• Party Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
• Sister of the Bride by Beverly Cleary
• What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
• Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
• Hey, World! Here I Am by Jean Little
• Family Sabbatical by Carol Ryrie Brink

My 50 State Reading Challenge

This was my big reading goal in 2024! I decided to read a children’s book set in every U.S. state. It was such a joy, even though it was hard to find books for a handful of states! It was such a fun challenge that in 2025, I want to read books set in 20 different countries.

Here is my final list of the books I read for the challenge! I’ve noted which ones were picture books (PBs), chapter books (CBs), middle grade (MG), or young adult (YA).

Alabama (Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai)–MG 
Alaska (Summer on the North Star by Elsa Pedersen)–MG
Arizona (Trixie Belden and the Mystery in Arizona by Julie Campbell)–MG
Arkansas (The Girl with the Mind for Math by Julia Finley Mosca)–PB
California (Sister of the Bride by Beverly Cleary)–YA
Colorado (The Secret Sisters by Avi)–MG
Connecticut (Flood Friday by Lois Lenski)–MG
Delaware (When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney)–PB
Florida (Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski)–MG
Georgia (Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo)–MG
Hawaii (Growing Up with Aloha by Kirby Larson)–CB/MG
Idaho (Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion by Dave Eggers)–PB
Illinois (The Light in the Cellar by Sarah Masters Buckey)–MG
Indiana (Rosetown Summer by Cynthia Rylant)–MG
Kansas (May B. by Caroline Starr Rose)–MG
Kentucky (Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill)–CB
Iowa (Maudie in the Middle by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor & Lura Schield Reynolds)–MG
Louisiana (Meet Marie-Grace by Sarah Masters Buckey)–CB
Maine (The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall)–MG
Maryland (Chesapeake Duke by Gilbert Byron)–MG
Massachusetts (Little House by Boston Bay by Melissa Wiley)–MG
Michigan (The Star That Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson–yes, my own book!! It was fun)–MG
Minnesota (Carney’s House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace)–YA
Mississippi (Daddy Played the Blues by Michael Garland)–PB
Missouri (Depend on Katie John by Mary Calhoun)–MG
Montana (The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White)–MG
Nebraska (Elsie’s Bird by Jane Yolen)–PB
Nevada (Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West by Marguerite Henry)–MG/YA
New Hampshire (Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick)–MG
New Jersey (The Slipper Point Mystery by Augusta Huiell Seaman)–MG
New Mexico (Secrets in the Hills by Kathleen Ernst)–MG
New York (The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright)–MG
North Carolina (My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston)–PB
North Dakota (Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan)–MG
Ohio (What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge)–MG
Oklahoma (Angels in the Dust by Margot Theis Raven)–PB
Oregon (Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary)–CB/MG
Pennsylvania (Pie by Sarah Weeks)–MG
Rhode Island (The Automobile Girls at Newport by Laura Dent Crane)–MG
South Carolina (Honey Butter by Millie Florence)–MG
South Dakota (Judy Bolton and the Discovery at the Dragon’s Mouth by Margaret Sutton)–MG/YA
Tennessee (Lizzie by May Justus)–CB
Texas (The Boxcar Children and the Mystery at the Alamo by Gertrude Chandler Warner)–CB
Utah (Iron Horses by Verla Kay)–PB
Vermont (Lumber Camp Library by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock)–CB/MG
Virginia (Meg and the Secret of the Witch’s Stairway by Holly Beth Walker)–CB/MG
Washington (For the Love of Autumn by Patricia Polacco)–PB
West Virginia (A Piece of Home by Jeri Hanel Watts)–PB
Wisconsin (Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink)–MG
Wyoming (I Could Do That: Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White)–PB

A few other books to share …

I had the joy of providing endorsement blurbs for the books of three friends: Writer on the Wall by Joanne Bischof (a sweet contemporary Christian novel), Road Trip Return by Becca Wierwille (a heartfelt contemporary MG story), and Beyond Mulberry Glen by Millie Florence (a beautifully written, character-driven fantasy MG). Definitely check them out!

Three non-kidlit books I enjoyed this year were L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle (my last new Montgomery book! <tears>) and two nonfiction books: Glad and Golden Hours by Lanier Ivester and illustrated by Jennifer Trafton (a lovely book to read during Advent) and Barefoot Summers by Faith Andrews Bedford (a collection of wonderful essays on summertime, family, and memories).

What did you enjoy reading in 2024? What are some books you’re excited about for 2025? I’d love to hear!

I read so many delightful books in 2023! I revisited old favorites and found some new gems to treasure. I set a goal of 100 books for the year and ended up reading 150—and that’s not even including most of the many picture books I read!

Now it’s time for the books I loved:

One of the first novels I read in 2023 ended up being one of my very favorites of the year: Seacrow Island (1964) by Astrid Lindgren. As soon as I read the description in the front of the book that called it an “unforgettable summer holiday” that’s “perfect for fans of classic stories such as Little Women and Anne of Green Gables,” I knew I would love it. It’s a charming tale of a family who heads to the Swedish seaside for the summer and end up returning in the winter! It reminded me a lot of the Penderwicks (with elements such as a poetic father, four children, a dreamy yet responsible eldest sister, a big lovable dog, some beloved rabbits, and lots of adventures)—but it also had a distinct feel of its own.

I read a couple more books in the Drina series by Jean Estoril (Drina Dances in Exile [1959] and Drina Dances in Italy [1959]), which were utterly fabulous. I have always loved books about ballet, and these are kind of like Noel Streatfeild stories with a bit more advanced writing style, and with a cast full of multifaceted characters.

Speaking of multifaceted characters, Meet the Austins (1960) by Madeleine L’Engle was a joy. Last year I read the novella prequel and enjoyed it, so I assumed I would like this one as well. It definitely exceeded my expectations! There was never a dull moment in this story of a big, opinionated family who take in an orphaned girl, attempt to thwart their uncle’s marriage, and nearly run into major trouble on a trip to the sea. One of my favorite parts was when the family’s house loses power. Evidently the feelings and details of a power outage have not changed since the 1960s!

R My Name is Rachel (2011)—about a city family moving to a farm in the 1930s—was a delight. It was a recommendation from a friend that I just loved, and it was also my first time reading Patricia Reilly Giff. Thankfully, there are plenty more Giff books out there, including Willow Run (2005), which I also read this year. Willow Run had a big plot point was left completely unresolved, but Rachel had the sweetest, most satisfying ending I read all year.

I have read a bunch of L.M. Montgomery short stories, but never before have I come across a collection as lovely as Around the Hearth (2022), edited by Joanne Lebold. One of the best in this volume was Miss Curtis Comes, which reminded me so much of stories by Elizabeth Enright or Noel Streatfeild. (So basically, if you want to experience what might have transpired if LMM had started writing big family stories in the 1950s, get a copy!) There is also a fabulous novella called By Way of the Brick Oven, which has shades of Louisa May Alcott and the Vanderbeekers.

Mitali Perkins’ Hope in the Valley (2023) was a book I’d heard so many positive things about, and to my delight, it lived up to the hype.  Set in the 1980s and featuring an endearing protagonist fighting to save a historic place, this book is beautiful and deserves to win the Newbery next month!

I devoured the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series this fall, which follows a governess in Victorian England who takes care of children who were raised by wolves.  Maryrose Wood’s writing is old-fashioned and humorous, and my favorites were the first book (The Mysterious Howling, 2009) and the fourth book (The Interrupted Tale, 2013).

The Secret of Tate’s Beach (1926) was another amazing book by Augusta Huiell Seaman, who wrote one of my favorites from 2022 (Mystery on Heron Shoals Island). Seaman’s mysteries are so intriguing to me, as many of them take place at seaside locales in early 20^th century (kind of like my upcoming novel, The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry)!

Other books I greatly enjoyed:

• Prairie School (1951) by Lois Lenski, a survival story in the vein of The Long Winter
• Christine of the Fourth (1949) by W.E. Eastways, a British boarding school story
• Stillmeadow Calendar (1967) by Gladys Taber, essays about Connecticut farm life
• Ribsy (1964) by Beverly Cleary—so charming and funny
• Wedding Flowers (2002) by Cynthia Rylant, the final installment in the Cobble Street Cousins chapter book series
• Little House in the Highlands (1999) by Melissa Wiley, set in late 1700s Scotland
• Village Christmas (1966) by Miss Read, a sweet holiday novella

My favorite audiobooks were A Place to Hang the Moon (2021) by Kate Albus and narrated by Polly Lee, the Gone-Away Lake series (1957-61) by Elizabeth Enright and narrated by Colleen Delany, the full-cast BBC dramatization of Ballet Shoes (1936) narrated by Rosemary Leach, and Schoolroom in the Parlor (1959) by Rebecca Caudill and narrated by Mary Sarah Agliotta.

I also read dozens of picture books this year, and a few that come to mind as especial favorites are:

• Home in the Woods (2019) by Eliza Wheeler (absolutely wonderful!)
• Sarah Mackenzie’s A Little More Beautiful (2023, illustrated by Breezy Brookshire) and While Everyone Is Sleeping (2023, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard)
• Hello Lighthouse (2018) by Sophie Blackall
• Andrew Henry’s Meadow (1965) by Doris Bunn
• A Big Mooncake for Little Star (2018) by Grace Lin
• Goodnight, Anne (2018) by Kallie George, illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
• Blueberries for the Queen (2004) by Katherine & John Paterson, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

My absolute favorite re-reads included The Sea Is All Around (1940) by Elizabeth Enright, Mine for Keeps (1962) by Jean Little, the Mitchells series by Hilda van Stockum (1945-60), Theatre Shoes (1944) by Noel Streatfeild, Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946) by Maud Hart Lovelace, The Golden Name Day (1955) by Jennie D. Lindquist, The Penderwicks (2005) by Jeanne Birdsall (here is my review from this summer’s reading challenge), the first four Anne books by L.M. Montgomery (1908-36), and Ramona and Her Father (1977) by Beverly Cleary.

All in all, it was a fantastic reading year, and there are so many more books I’m excited to experience in 2024. One of my most anticipated reads is Rosetown Always, the finale to the Rosetown trilogy by Cynthia Rylant.

What did you enjoy reading in 2023? What are some books you’re excited about for 2024?