Book Lists

Books make it onto the recommended titles list in several ways:

• I read a book with one of my book clubs that I believe moms and daughters will learn something from, find something important to talk about, or have fun reading.
• I review a book outside of my book club that meets the same criteria above.
• Other readers and members of mother-daughter book clubs send in their lists of recommended books along with reviews.

Books are listed by age group, and you’ll also find lists of favorite authors, books to make you laugh out loud, and even a list of good books for boys. You can find reviews for many of the books listed here; just click on the live link to be taken to a specific review. If a book doesn’t have a review, that means it’s been recommended by a club or a librarian, but no one has written a review yet.

Review Policy

Most of the book reviews at Mother Daughter Book Club.com have been written by me, Cindy Hudson. If there’s a guest review, I let everyone know who has written the review. I generally look for titles that may be widely available in libraries so book club members don’t necessarily have to buy copies to read it. I sometimes make exceptions, depending on the topic and how many books are on my review schedule. I get books for review from the library and from publishers who send me copies to read. I always give my honest opinion regardless of how I obtain books for review.

While reviewing a book I focus less on whether I liked it or not and more on the issues to discuss in mother-daughter book clubs. I have been in clubs long enough to know that every reader has likes and dislikes. Each book typically is liked by some in the group and disliked by some in the group. It is rare to find a book that everyone likes, and that’s not always the best book for discussion. My philosophy in general is that if the issues are worth discussing and the book is fairly well written, it’s a good book club choice.

The age recommendations are often my own, and they don’t always reflect publisher recommendations. If you feel strongly about a book you or your club has read and want to recommend it for other groups, feel free to send me your review at info@motherdaughterbookclub.com. When you send in a review, please include your first name and last initial, city and state, and whether you are a mother, daughter, librarian, author or other interested reader.

A

A Different Day, A Different Destiny by Annette Laing

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

A True Princess by Diane Zahler

A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

as if being 12-3/4 isn’t bad enough, my mother is running for president! by Donna Gephart

Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

B

Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wollf

Becoming a Superhero by William Smith

Becoming Naomi Leon by PamMunoz Ryan

Betti on the High Wire by Lisa Railsback

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

The Book of Nonsense by David Michael Slater

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

Boston Jane by Jennifer Holm

Boy by Roald Dahl

Breakaway by Andrea Montalbano

Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse

C

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olsen

Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman

Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Cleopatra Rules! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen by Vicky Shecter

The Crepe Makers’ Bond by Julie Crabtree

D

The Darlings Are Forever by Melissa Kantor

The Darlings in Love by Melissa Kantor

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede

Dear Pen Pal by Heather Vogel Frederick

Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

Dogsled Dreams by Terry Lynn Johnson

Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When by Annette Laing

E

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

F

Falcon’s Prey by Kristina Coia

Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose by DianaLeszczynski

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Foiled by Jane Yolen

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson

G

Gaia Girls: Enter the Earth by Lee Welles

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages

H

The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little

The Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac

Heaven’s to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace

Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick

Horrid Henry’s Joke Book by Francesca Simon

How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart

J

Jane and the Raven King by Stephen Chambers

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan

K

Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent

L

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

Lymeria by Kristina Coia

M

The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Mistress Masham’s Repose by T. H. White

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

The Mother-Daughter Cook Book by Lynette Rohrer Shirk

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

Much Ado About Anne by Heather Vogel Frederick

N

Nissa’s Place by A. LaFaye

Noonie’s Masterpiece by Lisa Railsback

O

Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

P

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder

Petey by Ben Mikaelson

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Pink Locker Society: Only Girls Allowed by Debra Moffitt

The Pink Locker Society: Best Kept Secret by Debra Moffitt

Piper Reed, The Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt

The Pony Whisperer: The Word on the Yard by Janet Rising

The Pony Whisperer: Team Challenge by Janet Rising

Possum Summer by Jen K. Blom

Promise the Night by Michaela Maccoll

Q

The Quest of the Warrior Sheep by Christine and Christopher Russell

R

Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings by Hèléne Boudreau

Rebel in a Dress Series: Cowgirls and Adventurers by Sylvia Branzei, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins

Rocky Road by Rose Kent

S

The Samantha Granger Experiment: Fused by Kari Lee Townsend

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Sparrow Road by Sheila O’Connor

Strange but True, America by John Hafnor

T

The Hermit Thrush Sings by Susan Butler

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo

The Tighty Whitey Spider by Kenn Nesbitt

The Truth, I’m a Girl, I’m Smart and I Know Everything by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

This is Me from Now On by Barbara Dee

Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes

Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee

U

The Ultimate Top Secret Guide to Taking Over the World story by Kenn Nesbitt, illustrations by Ethan Long

The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Under the Green Hill by Laura L. Sullivan

V

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth

W

Walk the Wild Road by Nigel Hinton

Walter, the Story of a Rat by by Barbara Wersba, illustrated by Donna Diamond

Water Steps by A. LaFaye

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

White Sands, Red Menace by Ellen Klages

The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo

Women Making America by Heidi Hemming and Julie Hemming Savage

Y

The Year of Goodbyes by Debbie Levy

Yuri’s Brush with Magic by Maureen Crane Wartski

Z

Zita the Space Girl by Ben Hatke

Zitface by Emily Howse