Middle Grade March: 31-Day Reading Challenge
Written by Loxley Browne
What if one month could change the way a kid thinks, learns, reads, and sees the world?
That’s the heart behind our Middle Grade March — a 31-day reading and skill-building challenge created by Books That Build Skills to help kids ages 8–14 grow smarter, more confident, and more capable through story, curiosity, and hands-on learning. This isn’t homework. It’s not a school assignment. And no teacher is grading you. This is something you choose to do for yourself. And it starts March 1.
What Is Books That Build Skills Doing for Middle Grade March?
We didn’t just say, “Go read.” We built an entire Charms universe around the challenge.
Here’s what you get when you join:
📅 1. A Free Downloadable Calendar
You’ll receive a Middle Grade March calendar that maps out all 31 days. Each day has a reading prompt, thinking challenge, or creative task tied to the story.
This calendar turns reading into a mission, not a chore. And you’ll just love being able to put a checkmark on each day’s challenge that you complete!
🎥 2. Daily YouTube Challenge Drops
Every single day at 2 PM Central, a new short video goes live on our YouTube channel @BooksThatBuildSkills
Each video gives:
- The daily challenge
- A skill focus
- A quick push to think deeper, create, or try something new
Miss a day? No problem. Binge a few when you have time. This is your journey.
📄 3. Free Worksheets
Some challenges include companion worksheets you can download right from the website. These help you:
Track ideas
Plan projects
Solve problems
Collect data
Reading becomes active. You’re not just turning pages — you’re building skills.
📚 4. Read the Charms Books All Month
All through March, you’ll be diving into the Charms Book Series — fast-paced stories about a super-smart, idea-filled teen who keeps landing in big adventures, real-life problems, and friendship drama that actually feels real.
These are NOT “read quietly and don’t touch” books.
These are “grab a pencil and jump in” books.
Because here’s the cool part: they’re meant to be written in.
Yep. On purpose.
You’ll want a pencil nearby because you’ll be:
✏️ jotting thoughts
💡 brainstorming your own ideas
⚙️ solving things alongside the characters
🎨 doodling, sketching, and making the story yours
It’s like part novel, part mission log. You’re not just reading the story — you’re in it.
You can grab the books on Amazon, and if you’ve got Prime, they usually show up fast — which means there’s still time to be totally ready when Middle Grade March kicks off on March 1.
5. Register Your Reads to Win Swag + a Virtual Call with Aunt Loxley
Middle Grade March doesn’t just end on March 31 — that’s when the celebration starts.
After the challenge wraps up, you’ll have 15 extra days to register what you read and what you discovered along the way. You’ll get to share your favorite ah-ha moments, the parts of the stories that made you think differently, and the scenes or challenges you loved most.
Then comes the really cool part…
Selected readers will get to join a virtual call with Aunt Loxley to talk story ideas, big questions, and even discuss a plot twist from Book #8, which drops on June 4. It’s a chance to go behind the scenes, talk directly with the creative mind behind the adventure, and feel like part of the story-building world.
Why Should You Participate in our Middle Grade March Reading Challenge?
You should do Middle Grade March for one simple reason: it’s actually fun — and it makes you better at life while you’re at it. Instead of boring worksheets, you get adventure, mystery, invention, and friendships that feel real. Along the way, you’re building real-world skills like problem solving, creativity, communication, planning, and confidence — the kind of skills that matter no matter what you want to be someday. This isn’t just “school stuff.” These are life skills. It’s also where curious, idea-filled, inventive kids hang out — the ones who like exploring, figuring things out, and imagining big futures. And the best part? You’re doing this for you. No grades. No pressure. Just growth. Middle Grade March is about choosing to level up — one page, one idea, one challenge at a time. It’s not a school program, it’s a you program. No teacher is tracking you. No one is forcing you. You’re reading because you want to, learning because you choose to — and that’s exactly how real confidence is built.Go Deeper with the Podcast
The stories in the books are exciting — but they’re also built around real skills people use in the real world. That’s where the Books That Build Skills Podcast comes in. This show helps you see the connection between fiction and real life by introducing you to guests whose jobs reflect the same kinds of thinking, creativity, and problem solving you see in the stories. You’ll meet innovators, builders, leaders, and creators who explain what they actually do and the skills they rely on every day — things like teamwork, communication, resilience, planning, and figuring things out when things don’t go as planned. It’s a way of seeing how the challenges characters face in books connect directly to the kinds of challenges real people solve in their careers. One of the exciting guests joining the show is the real-life inspiration for Raye, Attie’s friend — giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how a fictional character connects to a real person and real experiences. The podcast helps turn the path from story to skill to real life into something you can actually see and imagine for yourself.What Makes This Different From Just “Reading More”?
Middle Grade March turns reading into an interactive experience. You’re not just consuming stories.
You are:
- Thinking
- Writing
- Creating
- Reflecting
- Expanding your vocabulary
- Solving challenges
This is how reading becomes a launchpad, not just an activity.
How to Join Middle Grade March
- Get the Charms books
- Download the free calendar
- Bookmark our Middle Grade March page
- Watch daily challenge videos on our YouTube channel
- Grab worksheets as you go
Then show up — however it fits your life.
Why Charms is NOT a boring book series
So what are the Charms Book Series like? Imagine following a super-smart, big-dreaming teen girl with a slightly chaotic life who keeps getting pulled into adventures where she has to solve real problems, think on her feet, use both her brain and her courage, and clean up messes she definitely didn’t plan to make. These aren’t “sit still and read quietly” books — they’re “just one more chapter… okay, maybe three” books. Nothing drags, nothing feels pointless. Instead, you get adventures that feel possible, mysteries you’ll try to solve before the characters do, clever inventions and ideas, friendships that feel real (not fake-perfect), and those awkward “oh no, what did I just do?” moments that make everything feel human. It feels less like reading a school assignment and more like stepping into someone’s wild, smart, slightly messy life. And the coolest part? You don’t just read — you get involved. The books are designed for you to write in, doodle, jot ideas, and think through problems right alongside the characters, like the story and a notebook teamed up. You’re not just watching what happens — you feel like you’re right there in the middle of it.The main character?
She’s not perfect. That’s why she’s awesome.
The stories follow a teen who’s:
- super curious
- full of ideas
- brave… but not always confident
- still figuring life out
She doesn’t have everything together. She messes up. She learns. She tries again. Which, let’s be honest… feels a lot like real life.
If you’ve ever thought:
“Wait… what am I actually good at?” or “I have ideas but I don’t know where they fit yet”
You’ll see yourself in these books.
March 1–31: Something Every Day
From the very first day of March to the very last, Middle Grade March gives you a reason — every single day — to open a book, stretch your thinking, and try something you might not have tried before. This isn’t about racing through pages or proving anything to anyone. It’s about showing up for yourself in small, consistent ways. Some days you’ll read. Some days you’ll write. Some days you’ll solve a challenge, learn a new word, or look at a problem from a totally different angle. Bit by bit, those small actions start to build something bigger. Middle Grade March isn’t about being perfect. You don’t have to understand everything right away, and you don’t have to complete every challenge flawlessly. It’s about being curious — asking questions, noticing details, wondering how things work, and being willing to explore ideas you haven’t thought about before. Curiosity is the starting point for every inventor, creator, leader, and problem solver, and this month is designed to help you practice that mindset. This is also an important time for your brain. Middle school years are when your brain is growing, connecting ideas, and learning how to think in more complex ways. The more you read, imagine, and work through challenges, the stronger those thinking muscles become. Stories help you see new perspectives. Challenges help you apply what you’re learning. Vocabulary builds the words you need to express big ideas. All of it works together. Most of all, Middle Grade March is about discovering what you’re capable of. You might realize you’re better at solving problems than you thought. You might discover you love planning projects, writing ideas, or learning big new words. You might see yourself in a character or hear a podcast guest talk about a career you’ve never considered before. Each day is a small step toward understanding your strengths and interests a little more clearly. So download the calendar. Start reading. Try the daily challenges in whatever way fits your schedule. Stick with it as best you can. The effort you put in this month adds up — and your future self, with a stronger mind, bigger vocabulary, and more confidence, will be glad you did.The biggest reason to Join Us for Middle Grade March?
And honestly, there’s a bigger reason to jump into the Charms Book Series during Middle Grade March — these stories leave you with the feeling that you could do something cool, you could figure things out, and your ideas actually matter. That’s a powerful thing for a book to do. When you mix that kind of story with a whole month of daily challenges, creative thinking, and skill-building activities, Middle Grade March becomes more than just reading — it becomes a confidence boost for your brain. So if you’re looking for adventure, smart thinking, real friendships, and stories that treat you like you’re capable (because you are), this is where you start. Just don’t blame the books when you look up and realize it’s way past your bedtime. 📖ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Loxley Browne is a writer, designer, and the founder of Athenian, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to literacy, STEM education, and life-skill development for girls. She is the author of the Charms Book Series and the host of the Books That Build Skills podcast, where real professionals share the skills behind their careers in short, practical conversations for kids and parents. Raised in the trades with a for-profit business background, Loxley brings a hands-on, no-nonsense approach to nonprofit leadership and education, believing that learning should be ethical, independent, and built to prepare students for real life.