A couple weeks ago, I was perusing the Internet as one does, and I came across this lovely little readathon called Middle Grade March.
Back in the height of my teenage reading years (roughly 2014-2017), I was a regular participant in various readathons. Unfortunately, literally all of the readathons I used to love have been discontinued, and I have been searching for new ones that suit my vibe ever since.
My friends, I am pleased to announce that I have found one! I am so beyond excited to participate in Middle Grade March this year!
Today, I will be sharing my TBR and general plan for what I will read throughout March. I am already an avid lover of middle grade books, and I’ve been on quite the middle grade kick recently, so this could not have come at a better time.
Some Info About Middle Grade March
Middle Grade March is an annual readathon hosted by BooksandJams, Life Between Words, and On The Middle Shelf.
This readathon runs through the entire month of March, and the whole point is to read more middle grade fiction.
Every year, the hosts pick a group book for everyone to read and discuss together. But this year they’ve gone above and beyond and chosen two group books:
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry (this is a retelling of The Secret Garden)
In yet another stroke of good luck, The Secret Garden has actually been on my TBR for a while, so I am thrilled to have an excuse to bump it to the top of my TBR!
If you’d like to know more about Middle Grade March, you can check out their announcement video here. If you prefer Instagram, check out their announcement post here.
With all that said and done, let’s start talking about all the books I hope to read for this readathon.
Middle Grade March: My Plan and TBR
One of my favorite aspects of Middle Grade March is the 5 different prompts to try and complete. This challenge is super reminiscent of the readathons I used to adore during my teenage years, and I had an absolute blast choosing books to fit them!
I believe the hosts have intentionally written these prompts so that the two group books complete all 5 challenges. However, I want to add a little extra pizzazz and read a different book for each prompt. That means we’re looking at a minimum of 5 books total.
Also, several of my choices for these prompts overlap with my own reading goals for 2025, so I’m extra stoked and feeling satisfyingly productive. Anyway, I’ll explain more about that as we go. Here are the challenges and my TBR:
1. Read a book by an author with 3 names.
Starting strong, we have Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake.
This book follows a girl whose notebook full of drawings of girls holding hands goes missing when her family loses their house to a tornado. The drawings start to appear in her locker, and she wonders who’s leaving them.
I am literally always looking for middle grade books with strong LGBTQ+ themes and plotlines, so it’s no surprise that this one has been on my TBR for a while.
And since Ashley Herring Blake uses 3 names, I can use this book to complete challenge #1.
2. Read a book with flowers on the cover.
Behold, one of the two group books for Middle Grade March: Moongarden by Michelle A. Barry! Is this not the most gorgeous cover you’ve ever seen? I could gush about it for days.
This book also completes one of my personal reading goals for 2025: Read A Cli-Fi Book!
Climate fiction is a genre that I am super curious to explore, and this book will be my first dive into it.
Other than the fact that this book has cli-fi elements and is a retelling of The Secret Garden, I’m trying to avoid any more information about the plot. I want to go into this as blind as possible!
3. Read a book that is part of a series.
For this challenge, I’ve chosen to read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, the first book in the Time Quintet.
Here’s a bit of a confession: I’ve never read this book. I know, I know, it’s a classic! And my dad gifted me a signed copy of the third book years ago (he got it signed in-person when he was a kid! It’s addressed to him, and very special to me).
And that’s exactly why I need to read this book: one of my 2025 reading goals is to read all of my physical unread books, so I need to work my way through this series to read the third book (I don’t own the rest of the series. I’m using my library to read them).
4. Read a book that involves travel.
Did someone say time travel? I’m counting it!
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle is the second book in the Time Quintet. After I finish reading A Wrinkle in Time, I hope to continue the series with this installation.
I’ll admit that I know next to nothing about this series, but I’m fairly certain that time travel plays a major role. So this book should fit this challenge if I’m not mistaken.
Seeing as this series is a staple in so many people’s childhoods (including my own dad’s), I am hoping to love it just as much as it’s hyped up. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even read the third book this month if I get around to it!
5. Read a book written in the 1900s.
Last but certainly not least, we have the other group book for Middle Grade March! Published in 1911, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett fits this challenge perfectly.
I expect to read this book pretty early in the month, since I’d like to read it before Moongarden; I’ve gotta be familiar with the source material before I dive into a retelling!
Additionally, one of my reading goals for 2025 is to read a few classics written by women, and The Secret Garden is actually on my list for that goal! How perfect that it ended up being the group book for this readathon?
That’s All, Folks!
That concludes my TBR for Middle Grade March!
If time allows, I may read more than just these 5 books, and I may read a couple that aren’t middle grade. But these 5 are definitely my top priority!
Luckily, my work schedule is pretty light in March, so I’ll have a lot of extra time for reading and other personal projects throughout the month. Although I also have a bit of travel planned, so maybe it’ll all balance out. Regardless, I have a feeling that March will be a dang good reading month!
Are you going to participate in Middle Grade March? If so, what’s on your TBR? I always love to hear about people’s readathon plans (it’s some of my favorite bookish content!), so feel free to share in the comments!
I will include my readathon wrap-up in my typical monthly March 2025 Wrap-Up, so keep an eye out for that on April 1st if you want to see how I fared!
Until next time, I hope you have a lovely day, and don’t forget to do something nice for yourself.
Love,
Corinne <3