March 2025 Book Recommendations

Time Travel, Doughnuts, Mysterious Fungus, and More!

Happy March! I don’t know about where you live, but here in South Carolina, the weather is warmer up and I can feel spring in the air…which means we’re almost to back deck reading season!! As a reminder, if you are looking for specific book recommendations for the 8-12 year-old reader in your life, let me know and I’d love to help out!

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My goal is simple: Provide book recommendations you can trust so your 8-12 year-old reader can find their next right book.

Counting by 7’s

(Upper Middle Grade) Willow Chance, aged 12, already struggles to fit in with her peers. And then both of her parents die in a car accident and Willow’s whole world turns upside down. This heartbreaking story is filled with laughter, hope, and light, as Willow builds her found family.

*Note: Due to the nature of the premise of the story, Willow being orphaned at the beginning of the story, I would recommend this book for upper middle grade readers.

Get it from Amazon

The Doughnut Fix

(Realistic Fiction) When Tristan founds out his parents have sold their New York City apartment and bought a run-down old house in upstate New York, he’s not happy. How will he survive without all the things he loves about NYC? And then it gets worse when his parents tell him he has to find a project to do, so he decides to create a doughnut business. Is the business more than he can handle or will he be able to manage the business successfully?

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The Eye of Ra

(Magical Realism) While out exploring a mysterious cave in the mountains behind their house, John and his sister Sarah are shocked to discover they've time traveled to ancient Egypt! Now they need to find a way back home before they get stuck in ancient Egypt forever. Perfect read for kids ready to graduate from The Magic Treehouse series.

*Note: If you are an educator, be sure to download this free teacher’s guide from the author’s website!

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Many Points of Me

(Mystery) Georgia Rosenbloom’s father was a famous artist who was 3/4 of the way through creating an art series when he died before he could finish. So when Georgia finds a secret sketch her late father—a famed artist—left behind, she wonders if this might be the key to the fourth piece of art. The discovery leads her down a path that may reshape everything holding her family and friends together.

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Mutant Mushroom Takeover

(Science Fiction) Maggie, an aspiring young naturalist, and her YouTuber best friend, Nate, scout out a rare bioluminescent fungus. But when animals around town start sprouting unusual growths and Maggie’s brother starts to develop a bluish glue, they will need to use their smarts and science to solve the mystery behind the mutant fungus that’s threatening the town.

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The Story Collector

(Historical Fiction/Mystery) Viviani was born and raised INSIDE the New York Public Library. The shelves were her playgrounds at night after the library closed for the day. When Viviani becomes convinced that the library is haunted, Viviani decides to play a harmless little prank. But what begins as a joke quickly gets out of hand, and soon Viviani and her friends have to solve two big mysteries: Is the Library truly haunted? And what happened to the expensive new stamp collection?

Get it from Amazon

*Note: If you want to pair this with a picture book, I’d recommend Josh Funk’s Lost in the Library!

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