Middle Grade Books I Can't Stop Rereading
- Nayana Agrawal
- Jul 1, 2020
- 4 min read
I really thought this summer would be my time to catch up with my TBR. When January rolled around, I, an overconfident nerd, set my Goodreads goal to 100 books. Easy peasy! I’ve done it before, I can do it again! I patted myself on the back. My plan was to read at a steady pace of two to three books each month and then binge-read all summer to get ahead on my goal. After all, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past five years, and I always managed to complete my 100-book-goal.
Unfortunately, none of that happened. University courses, work for my job, volunteer hours, and spending time with other human beings sucked so much energy out of me that I barely read anything all year. And then, to top it off, I was hit by a reading slump the size of a truck at the beginning of summer.
Now, I’m not sure what you do when you’re in a reading slump (I’ve heard some people actually try to find new, interesting books to find?? Unfathomable.) but I usually revert to reading books I’ve already read many, many times. For some reason, I find rereading middle grade books (especially simple, straightforward books) cathartic, and it’s always my go-to method to get back into reading something new. Anyway, this is just a very long-winded introduction for me to start talking about all the books I love, and will probably still love even after I read them a thousand times. So here are some fun reads if you too are stuck in a slump and just need some books that are easy to digest.
I know people are canceling Harry Potter left and right because of social politics but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t my go-to reread. I first read this series when I was 11 and I still haven’t gotten bored of it. In fact, I could probably quote the first page of The Philosopher’s Stone more-or-less accurately. For some reason, the wholesome coming-of-age vibe is really soothing when I’m in a slump and can’t focus on anything. Maybe it’s the simple language, the classic fantasy plot, or the middle grade level humour, but something about the series makes me want to keep coming back (does this mean my heart and soul are still middle grade? I hope not).
Besides, I’ve read the book so many times that it takes almost 0 effort for me to re-read. It may seem like a waste of time to read the same series so many times but I did win two Harry Potter Trivia contests in recent years with total winnings at $75, so never let it be said that being a Potterhead is worthless.
This is another blast from the past, middle grade classic. In fact, I distinctly remember how in sixth grade my class had a full scale civil war over whether Harry Potter or Percy Jackson is the superior series. After weeks of arguments, tears, and a whiteboard propaganda campaign, the teacher was forced to read The Philosopher’s Stone and The Lightning Thief out loud to convince both sides that the other book was also worth reading.
While I’ll abstain from weighing into the aforementioned debate, I do want to say that I love rereading PJO almost as much as Harry Potter. The sense of humour is a bit amateur but I can look past that because it fills me with such strong nostalgia. Even if I don’t find the jokes themselves funny now, I remember laughing at them when I was younger, and that’s all that really matters. Riordan also does a great job of including a diverse cast of characters and making obvious, sign-post acceptance statements. While that may be a bit too in-your-face for older readers, it’s important to remember his target audience. Reading his books at a young age is a great way to start learning about race, sexuality, gender, etc. And hey, we always love authors who include POC characters that aren’t just a token sociopolitical statement! :)
This right here is an underrated gem of a series. Every time I think about how few people know about it, it makes me sad-mad. So I’m going to include it in this post and hope that someone, somewhere comes across it and gives this series a try.
If there ever was a simple, classic fantasy series, this would be one of them. The problem I normally have with reading this genre is over-inflated language, books that are way too long, too many characters, etc. (Yes, I’m talking about J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin). But this series is a great example of simple language accomplishing good fantasy. Sure, there’s no complex political system and the book’s a bit unrealistic at times (that’s middle grade for ya), but overall it does a good job of fitting in with the conventions of the genre.
The book is full of humour, action, drama, and cool ninja-esque skills. You’re lying if you say you’ve never fantasized about being a spy, a thief, a rogue, or something of the sort. “Ah, to be a woodsman living in a cabin deep within the woods!” I find myself thinking sometimes. Reading this book fulfils all those fantasies and more. So if you’ve ever wanted a simple, engaging fantasy series to read, this must be your go-to.
So the conclusion we can draw from this post is that I may have an unhealthy addiction to middle grade novels despite being almost twenty years old. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion but I think you could read simple, easy books at any age and still enjoy them. Literature doesn’t always have to be high brow to be good, so don’t let anyone shame you into giving up your reading interests, no matter what they are. Hopefully you related to this post on some level, or maybe you were intrigued enough by it to try reading some of these books if you haven’t already. But in the meantime, it’s time for me to go back to my The Prisoner of Azkaban audiobook.
Thanks for reading! :)
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