Middle Grade March is a month-long reading challenge designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians motivate middle grade readers while building real-world skills through story. Centered around the Charms Book Series, this structured 31-day reading program for ages 8–14 combines engaging middle grade fiction with daily skill-building prompts that support literacy development, critical thinking, time management, teamwork, and confidence. Unlike traditional reading assignments, this challenge blends story-based learning with short, daily activities that make reading interactive, purposeful, and fun for tweens. It’s an ideal reading initiative for classrooms, libraries, homeschool programs, and families looking for books that kids actually enjoy while strengthening comprehension, problem-solving abilities, and lifelong learning habits. Middle Grade March supports educational goals, social-emotional growth, and STEM-related curiosity, making it a powerful reading motivation program for students in grades 4–8.
Reading Challenge for Kids
31 Days. 31 Challenges.
The program is built as a 31-day reading and activity challenge tied to the Charms Book Series. Each day includes a short activity, question, or challenge connected to the story — turning reading into an interactive experience instead of just another assignment.
You don’t have to start in March.
You can start:
- In the summer
- At the beginning of a school semester
- As part of a library program
- With a homeschool group
- As a family reading challenge
- As a book club activity
Any 31-day period works. Just pick a start date and begin with Day 1.
Grab your Middle Grade March Calendar and keep the entire 31-day reading challenge right at your fingertips. This printable guide outlines each day’s story-inspired prompt and skill-building activity. Download it and mark off each day as you complete an item.
Join us for Middle Grade March
📅 You Can Start Anytime
You can run the 31-Day Reading Challenge:
✔ During summer break
✔ At the start of a school semester
✔ As a library reading program
✔ With a homeschool group
✔ As a family reading challenge
✔ As a classroom book club
✔ As an after-school program
✔ In March
Any 31-day period works.
🎯 How It Works
📖 What You’ll Learn
It introduces readers to skills like:
🔍 Problem solving
🔍 Creative thinking
🔍 Time management
🔍 Decision making
🔍 Communication
🔍 Leadership
🔍 Career exploration
🔍 Confidence and independence
These are the kinds of skills students don’t always learn from a worksheet — but they remember from a story.
Middle Grade March — Daily Video Challenges
Every day connects reading to real-life skills, creativity, and big ideas. Watch the video. Do the challenge. Build real skills through stories.
Bookmark this page and come back daily — it’s like stepping straight into Attie’s world, one adventure at a time.
Day 1 Challenge 👇
What’s ONE thing you’re curious about learning this month? Drop it in the comments — curiosity starts every great story.
Day 2 Challenge 👇
If YOUR town had a secret superpower, what would it be?
Day 3 Challenge 👇
List 3 things Attie is good at and 1 thing she’s still figuring out.
Day 4 Challenge 👇
Name one quality you want in a best friend.
Day 5 Challenge 👇
Sketch or describe something you would invent to solve a real problem. Bonus: Use your Charms Inventor Notebook!
Day 6 Challenge 👇
Why did Attie and Jenny’s video go viral?
Day 7 Challenge 👇
What skill did you use most this week — reading, curiosity, courage, or something else?
Day 8 Challenge 👇
Track how you spend your time today. Download the worksheet and see where your hours really go.
Day 9 Challenge 👇
What’s one thing you waste time on — and one thing worth more of your time?
Day 10 Challenge 👇
Write one thing you do when things feel overwhelming — a strategy that helps you reset.
Day 11 Challenge 👇
Make a list for tomorrow — even if it’s tiny. One task, three tasks, anything that helps you get organized.
Day 12 Challenge 👇
Think of something you’ve tried to build — a skill, project, or goal. What worked, what didn’t, and what did you learn?
Day 13 Challenge 👇
Find five new words from your book. Write them down, look up the definition and pronunciation, and track how many times you use them. Download the Word Quest worksheet to keep score.
Day 14 Challenge 👇
What helped you manage your time this week?
Day 15 Challenge 👇
What role do you usually play on a team — and how do you step in to help when things are going wrong?
Day 16 Challenge 👇
Write down five things you noticed today that others might not have noticed.
Day 17 Challenge 👇
Butterflies grow in stages — egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly.
Which stage do you feel like you’re in right now?
Day 18 Challenge 👇
If someone in your family was hurt in a serious accident, what plan would you put into action?
Day 19 Challenge 👇
Solve a simple code or riddle, then write a coded message to your best friend. Download the worksheet to learn how to write messages using hieroglyphics, Morse code, and Pigpen ciphers.
Day 20 Challenge 👇
Plan one small project from start to finish. Download the worksheet and map out the steps, timing, and tasks needed to complete it.
Day 21 Challenge 👇
What thinking skill did you use most this week?
Day 22 Challenge 👇
Where would you want to travel — and why? Download the travel planning worksheet and start dreaming up your adventure!
Day 23 Challenge 👇
How would you convince a team leader to include your idea? Practice talking to an adult about a project, business, or plan. Just ask — and pitch your idea clearly. Download the Business Pitch worksheet and get started!
Day 24 Challenge 👇
Who’s an adult you trust and learn from?
Day 25 Challenge 👇
How do you talk about your big ideas to others? Would learning how to pitch — like on Shark Tank — help you explain your ideas more clearly? Download the worksheet and get started!
Day 26 Challenge 👇
If you could design a new room for yourself, how would it look and feel?
Day 27 Challenge 👇
What do you do to be a good friend?
Day 28 Challenge 👇
What skill do you want to improve by next year?
Day 29 Challenge 👇
Share your favorite scene, character, or idea from Charms.
Day 30 Challenge 👇
When you have big ideas, where do you put them?
Get your own Inventor Notebook and start capturing them.
Day 31 Challenge 👇
Who would you recommend Charms to — and why?
Beyond the Pages: From Stories to Real Life
Every Sunday evening, a new episode of our Careeers IRL podcast drops.
Each show connects the story to real life — featuring guests whose careers, challenges, and big moments mirror a character, a plot twist, or a skill from the books.
Watch the connection unfold. See how stories turn into real-world skills.
Sara Marie Massee from George Washington’s Mount Vernon
In Book 3, the characters travel to Mount Vernon because George Washington’s farming methods are part of the clues they are trying to solve. In this episode, Sara Marie Massee explains how Mount Vernon still operates today using real trades, real craftsmanship, and real problem-solving. It’s a perfect example of how the history, skills, and hands-on work in the Charms books connect to real careers in the real world.
Julie Vida – U.S. Navy Helicopter Pilot, Retired
Julie Vida, a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, wrote the foreword for Book 5, Calculated Risks—a title that perfectly describes her 24-year career flying helicopters for the Navy. In this episode, she explains what it really takes to fly in high-pressure situations where every decision matters. Teamwork, preparation, fast decision-making, and courage aren’t just book themes—they were Julie’s real job for more than two decades.
Makayla Galler – Character Inspiration IRL
Makayla Galler, a student pilot and Navy ROTC student at Arizona State University, is the real-life inspiration for the character Raye in the Charms Book Series. Her goal is to become a Navy pilot and later work her way up to becoming an astronaut. Her story shows how big goals are built through persistence, time management, and showing up ready to learn—exactly the same skills the characters in the books are learning too.
Jeh Jeh Pruitt – FOX News Reporter
In Book 5, Attie prepares for a big speech and is interviewed by a TV news reporter, showing how communication and public speaking become important parts of sharing big ideas with the world. In this episode, FOX News reporter Jeh Jeh Pruitt explains what it’s really like to work in television news and how reading, writing, listening, and teamwork are the real skills behind the job. It’s a perfect example of how the communication, presentation, and problem-solving skills in the Charms books connect to real careers in the real world.
Perfect for Libraries, Schools, and Families
The 31-Day Reading Challenge is an interactive program that pairs reading with daily challenges inspired by the Charms Book Series.
Some challenges take 5–10 minutes. Some take longer and encourage deeper thinking.
The goal is simple: Turn reading into an experience, not just an assignment.
Instead of just reading a book and closing it, readers:
- Solve problems
- Think like an inventor
- Plan projects
- Ask big questions
- Learn new vocabulary
- Explore careers
- Build confidence and curiosity
This program is best for:
- Ages 10–15
- Grades 5–9
- Independent readers
- Book clubs
- Families
- Libraries
- Schools
- Homeschool groups
- Youth Programs
Libraries and schools love the program because it:
- Encourages reading
- Includes built-in activities
- Works for groups or individuals
- Can be done any month of the year
- Combines reading with life skills and career exploration
- Makes reading feel like an adventure instead of homework
