Level Up
A Middle Grades Collection for Girls
We’ve covered young readers, but they grow up fast and it suddenly takes more to hold their attention. This collection features the best of Middle Grades for girls, primarily for 4th and 5th graders. Bestselling authors Miriam Walfish and Faygie Holt join me to give you context on their genre and something to think about when choosing books for your daughters.
(Look out for a bonus newsletter next week with a quick Chanuka-releases roundup!)
Epilostary (Diary)
I asked Faygie Holt, author of the Layla series - What opportunities does writing in the epilostary format give you?
The diary format presents a more immediate response and impact. It's a different form of storytelling and it puts the reader in a different spotlight, with a different connection to the characters. The main character is narrating her life as she sees it, there is no third person who is removed. When you have a story in first person, the relationship between the reader and the character is so close.
The Layla books also became books that kids who don't like to read will gravitate to. They have very short chapters because they're diary entries. Most kids' diaries are not going to be pages and pages of soul searching. They're going to be like, I can't believe my best friend said this to me. It’s going to be short and pithy, but still have an impact.
Layla’s Vistaville Summer, Faygie Holt - Forced to spend her summer at her grandparents’ and miss all the fun her best friends are having without her, Layla tries to make the best of the situation, embedding herself in a mystery only she and her cousins can solve
Bina Lobell’s Super Secret Diary, Ruchama Feuerman - Bina’s tiny homeschooled class is cozy and fun until her closest friends start to turn against her
Sheva’s Diary, Yael Mermelstein - A humorous and ireverrant account of Sheva’s days, with all the quirks and laughter that it includes
Realistic Fiction
Realistic fiction for middle grades is the genre that covers everyday life - family, friends, and school. After graduating from simpler chapter books, these stories feel sophisticated and provide comfort and insight as girls explore the nuts and bolts of growing up. I asked Faygie Holt, author of The Achdus Club - Why do you think preteen girls gravitate to these typical and relatable stories?
As much as we want to get lost in storytelling, we also want the reassurance that other people are dealing with what we're dealing with. As adults, we find other ways to know that we're not the only person dealing with something. But kids don't have that outlet. They may not go up to their friends and be like, oh, my mother just lost her job. So the Achdus club series is designed to be an echo, to let you have a little peak into somebody else's life, but at the same time be relatable enough that you can truly relate to what's happening in the story.
It was really important to me that religious children have a book that would speak to them about their issues and the things impacting them. They're not the only one who can't figure out how to make friends. They're not the only one sitting in class trying their best to concentrate on their teacher’s lesson. I wanted to give them an outlet in a book to say, oh my gosh, that's me, I can't believe I'm seeing myself in a book.
Puzzle Pieces, Chani Altein - Leah always wished she could have a sister, and having a boarder is a dream come true. Now it’s up to her to make sure it doesn’t get in the way of her friendships
Beginners Luck, Libby Lazewnik - Ellie and Shevy couldn’t be more different from each other, but when they’re both the “new girl” together, they quickly go from “forced friends” to inseparable
Copycat, Leah Subar - The class genius finally has a ticket to be accepted by her classmates, only to find that the steep price isn’t worth it.
Save Our School, Sara Weiderblank - Chevy is determined to keep her school from going bankrupt and rallies her reluctant class to help out. Pooling their talents and ideas, class 6A embarks on a fundraising mission
Series: The Achdus Club, Faygie Holt - Fourth grade is complicated. A bold and ambitious group of friends stick together through fun times and social upheaval. A slightly slower pace makes room to explore the relatable feelings the girls experience and their growth
Series: Bakers Dozen - Now fully reprinted, another generation can laugh along with the most beloved family’s antics and exploits. Every child can find themselves somewhere in the Bakers’ Dozen, with the variety of ages and personalities we meet in the large family.
Series: The Tessler Triplets, Chaya Sara Zirkind - Parting ways for the first time ever, each triplet embarks on her own middle-school journey, with friendship, action, and growing up. Best read in order
Mystery and Adventure
Adventure isn’t just for boys! Many girls will be just fine reading the more “boy" ish adventure books. The below titles feature girls as the protagonists.
A Strange New World, Rochel Burstyn - Girls’ adventure set in a fascinating speculative universe. Esther Malky emerges from her childhood in a bunker to make her first foray into the real world, only to find the world locked down, and nothing is as it seems
All Eyes on Mindy Eisen, M. Jakubowitz - As her pampered princess life is changing, suspicious things start happening at home and at school
The Devorah Doresh Mysteries, Carol Korb Hubner - A young girl has become a renowned detective, and solves fascinating mysteries with friends and family
Historical Fiction
I asked Miriam Walfish, author of The Jewish Girls Around the World series - Many adults are drawn to historical fiction because of its depth and sophisticated ideas, but these elements go over young readers' heads. What draws young readers to historical fiction?
If you were to ask a typical ten year old if he or she wanted to spend an afternoon reading about history, the answer you would likely get would be an emphatic, “no.” I don’t think most kids are drawn to historical fiction per se, rather, they are drawn to a good book. We all know what goes into that – a compelling plot, interesting characters, and realistic dialogue. I’ve always tried to choose historical settings that allow for this, so that readers may learn something about our past in a fun and enjoyable way.
As I have a strong academic background in Jewish history, it took me time to figure out how to balance historical facts with a fictitious narrative. I spend a lot of time doing research, in order to provide readers with an accurate picture of a particular setting. Although the setting certainly adds interest to my books, I believe it is the characters’ immutability that draws readers in, and keeps them reading. At the end of the day, they are reading about kids with families and friends and communities, who have interests and hopes, concerns and challenges – kids who are (almost) just like them.
Series: Jewish Girls Around the World, Miriam Walfish - More relatable than educational, gives girls a personal view of history. Each of the 5 series in the collection highlights a Jewish girl’s experience of a different period and her challenges with friends and family against the backdrop of exciting historical changes.
Aliza, Chevy Kepecs - A mischievous newly-orphaned girl crosses the Atlantic to move into her aunt’s cold mansion. Arguments from the last generation still linger, and it will take a scare to bring them together
Shorter Reads
It takes a certain amount of patience and persistence to read a full-length novel, but don’t let that be a barrier for reluctant readers. These books are broken up with a separate plot in each chapter, perfect for reading short amounts at a time.
Only Mimi, G. Scharf - a hilarious and witty girl describes her unexpected and rambunctious adventures, written in the much-loved diary style
Lemonade Girls Forever, Sara Miriam Gross - Four girls come together with a mission: turn lemon situations into lemonade. Each chapter features another exciting tale of creative turnaround
Series: Mrs. Honig’s Cakes, Pessie Frankel & Yocheved Leah Perkal - An adopted Bubby shared fantastical, dramatic, and meaningful stories that come with a side of something delicious
See our “Budding Readers” collection for 2nd and 3rd grade recommendations: