My FIVE Favorite FIVE Star Reads from March 2026

March was a great reading month for me. I always love Middle Grade March, and I had some fantastic reads during the month. Because middle grade books tend to be shorter or faster reads, I also read a lot of books, which felt good.

I read 21 books in March and 6,016 pages, for an average of 286 pages per book. I read 18 books written by female authors and 3 written by male authors. Of the books I read, I borrowed 8 and owned 13, and and 3 were rereads and 18 were new reads. I had 4 read alouds with my kids and read 16 middle grade books, 0 YA books, and 5 adult books. I read 6 physical books, 7 eBooks, and 8 audiobooks and I read 3 new releases. I read 5 books on my 2026 TBR, bringing the total this year to 12 of 33 read. I read 5 books in a series, starting 1 new series, finishing 2 series, and DNFing 2 series, and I read 10 stand alone books. With genres I read 2 fantasy, 4 contemporary, 3 classic, 4 mystery, 1 scifi, 4 historical fiction, and 3 nonfiction. I had 10 five star reads, 5 four star reads, 4 three star reads, and 0 one or two star reads.

Today I'm sharing my five favorite reads from March.

Dream On by Shannon Hale

Dream On is a contemporary middle grade graphic novel. It follows a girl who is floundering and trying to find her place in the world, as her friendships shift and her father loses his job. It took a little bit for me to get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. I put off all responsibilities until I had finished it (and cried a couple of times throughout) and then immediately handed it to my 9-year-old to read.

Okay for Now by Gary D Schmidt

Gary D. Schmidt is really good at writing hard hitting emotional books and Okay for Now was no exception. It follows a boy whose father is abusive and older brother is going down the same path. He has to move away to a dinky town that he doesn't like, but as he gets to know the town and the community there, he starts to carve out a place for himself. This is another book that I had to finish while I ignored all responsibilities and also cried several times throughout.

The Steps by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Steps is a middle grade thriller that kept me hooked from the beginning. I really liked our main character and felt for the things she was going through. The mystery was engaging and the wrap up very satisfying. I have loved all of Wendelin Van Draanen's book and this new release didn't disappoint for me.

The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson

The Star that Always Stays is a middle grade historical fiction following a girl whose life gets uprooted by her parents' divorce (and mother's subsequent remarriage) in the early 1900's. I loved all the relationships that grew and changed throughout the book, especially the main character's relationship with her stepfather. It was such a sweet story, despite the difficult topics it centered on.

Allies by Alan Brantz

Allies is a middle grade historical fiction set on one day--D Day. It follows a cast of characters all working with the allies in different ways. Often these characters cross each other's paths or intersect in different ways, and some characters are more prominent in the story than others. I was riveted and learned a lot about D Day. Despite being middle grade, it covered some heavy topics and didn't shy away from some of the violence you would expect from a book about battles during World War II, so I would say it was better suited for older middle grade.

Bonus Reread:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

I love my bonus favorite books! I never include my rereads in my lists of favorite books (if it wasn't a favorite, I wouldn't be rereading it!), but I like to include a reread in my blog post each month.

Right now, I am listening to the Harry Potter series with my kids. I haven't reread past the first couple of books since I was a teenager and I'm having a lot of fun with Harry Potter as an adult. Reading the third book was a treat and both my kids and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was especially fun to see how into the book my 7-year-old daughter got.

Those are my favorite reads from March! I always love Middle Grade March, and this year was no exception. What were your favorite reads from last month? What is a book you've recently read and loved?