2026 GMGR A to Z Challenge > Likes and Comments

The goal of this challenge is to read 26 middle-grade books during 2026, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some letters are trickier than others! If you need inspiration, scroll through this thread (participants will be updating their lists throughout the year), scan past years' lists, or scroll through some of the middle-grade alphabet lists on this site.

Steps:

1. Create a comment on this thread.
2. Copy, paste, and edit the alphabet set in the first post below.
3. Update your comment throughout the year, adding the books you finish during 2026.

Guidelines:

1. Titles need to match a letter of the alphabet. Use the "add book/author" button to create links to the books here on Goodreads.
2. Drop "A," "An," and "The" from titles. For example, The Clockwork Crow (by Catherine Fisher) would be listed for C, and A Song Called Home (by Sara Zarr) would be listed for S.
3. Exception! Q, X, and Z are especially challenging letters to work with. You may choose a book that has a word in the title that starts with Q or Z. For example, Daring Darleen: Queen of the Screen (by Anne Nesbet) can count for Q, and Not Starring Zadie Louise (by Joy McCollough) will work for Z. And we'll accept a word beginning with EX for your X book, like The Exact Location of Home (by Kate Messner) or The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon (by S.S. Taylor).
4. If your title begins with a number, convert it to a letter by spelling it out. For example, The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. (by Greg Pincus) would be listed for F, and 100 Cupboards (by N.D. Wilson) would be listed for O.
5. It's okay to add multiple titles under each letter, but there's no extra credit.
6. Only list middle-grade titles. No picture books, YA, or adult books about kids.
7. You can add a rating and review link. For example ***** My review is here.
8. For an added challenge, see if you can read your books in alphabetical order.
9. Have fun!

Copy, paste, and edit this for your own list. You will then be able to search the thread for your name to find your list quickly.

[Your name here] 2026 A to Z List:
A:
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Middlegrade is where I do most of my reading, with definite fantasy/mystery/adventure leanings. Once again this year, my goal is to get through the alphabet twice!

CJ's 2026 A to Z List:
A:
B:
C: Changeling William Ritter
D: Dead City James Ponti
— The Dark Times Tim Probert
E:
F: Fox Snare Yoon Ha Lee
G: The Girl & the Galdurian Tim Probert
H:
I:
J:
K: King Cheer Molly Horton Booth
L:
M: Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring Angela Cervantes
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S: Shadow of the Bird Tim Probert
— The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel Mariah Marsden
T: Thunderous M.L. Smoker
U:
V:
W: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow Jessica Townsend
X:
Y:
Z:

In Chronological Order:

...since I sometimes run out of room (there's a character limit), I'm reserving an adjacent comment!

Becky's 2026 A to Z List:

A:
B: Bob
C:
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F:
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I:
J: Jinx's Fire
K:
L: The Lost Library
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X: Jinx's Magic
Y:
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In Chronological Order:

Gia's 2026 A to Z List:

A:
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C:
D: Dogtown by Katherine Applegate
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[Harley's] 2026 A to Z List:

A:
B:
C: The Case of the Missing Marquess***** by Nancy Springer
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady***** by Nancy Springer
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets***** by Nancy Springer
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan***** by Nany Springer
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline***** by Nancy Springer
The Case of the Disappearing Duchess***** by Nancy Springer
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reply | flag

Trace's 2026 A to Z List:

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In Chronological Order:

Jade Sutton 2026 A to Z List:

A:
B:Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab
C:Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
D:Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
E:
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
N:
O:
P: A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan
Q:
R:The Rembrandt Conspiracy by Deron Hicks
S:Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Munoz Ryan
T: Tunnel of Bones Victoria Schwab
U:The Unforgettable Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt by Shawn Peters
V:
W:When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
X:
Y:
Z:

Ann's 2026 A to Z List:



A:
B: Bye Forever, I Guess // IL: MG - BL: 4.1 - AR Pts: 8.0 // 1-12 (super-cute MG first love/first crush story)
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F: Find Her // IL: MG, BL: 4.9, AR Pts: 8 // 1-15
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S: The Second Chance of Darius Logan // IL: MG+ - BL: 6.5 - AR Pts: 15.0 // 1-8
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W: The Whale Rider // IL: MG - BL: 5.7 - AR Pts: 5.0 // 1-14
X: Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation): The Astonishing Story of How We Doubled Our Lifespan // 1-27
Y:
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covers gallery
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📚Brianna's 2026 A to Z List📚

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Covers: