91 Books Like Secret Scribbled Notebooks

This is the middle-grade novel that I so wish I had written. Kate DiCamillo is the best kids’ author writing today, and I devour everything she writes. She really gets kids, and Winn Dixie is my favorite dog in books.

The story of ten-year-old Opal and her found dog, Winn Dixie, makes me laugh, want to snuggle my dog, cry and reach out to hug motherless Opal every time I read it (usually once a year). I love the remarkably imperfect people Opal and her dog befriend, and the language is rich and authentic to the story. This is an unforgettable story about making a home for yourself against the odds.

This story’s protagonist is a caring, trustworthy, thoughtful young man. Harry’s life holds its share of loss. His loving dad is raising two boys alone because their mother has died. My heart both bled and soared as I watched Harry, a deep-thinking soul, make sense of the world. His tale holds timeless flavours of the past sprinkled with plenty of honesty.

Free verse delivers so much story in very few words. Each verse is a poem that stands alone and, besides reading from start to finish, I often dip into it in random places to enjoy glimpses into the heart of a wonderful male role model. It’s no wonder that the United States Board on Books for Young People placed it on their Outstanding International Book List.

I picked this up at a jumble sale. It sat on my shelves unread for years, many associates in publishing telling me it was still their favourite book. Supernatural romance isn’t my thing but respect for others is, so I was delighted when finally reading it. Not only about good versus evil, it showcases relationships of all kinds. Without any didacticism, it compares right from wrong, particularly with regard to not crossing lines for personal gratification.

Sorensen, who joins protagonist Laura in her journey, is an admirable and timeless role model for every male. Despite fighting his own demons, he behaves honourably. His interactions with Laura revolve around the dangers of inviting trouble upon yourself. Each of them learns to value the magic within themselves and to accept who they are. No wonder it won the 1984 Carnegie Medal.

Thank goodness those in Nashville’s world are nurturing and full of common sense. He’s like no other child but his story shows that difference doesn’t need fixing. His adoptive family doesn’t always expect him to adapt to the way they do things, sometimes adapting their own behaviour. I love how Nashville and his sister bake cake every night because there are 364 non-birthdays to celebrate each day.

Nashville’s tale embraces the idea that impossible is a ridiculous little word and shows that no matter how different we are, we share the same hopes, fears and a need to stay true to ourselves. One of my favourite lines in the book relates to a life-changing injury Nashville accidentally causes to another being. The vet says this little bird will just have to make do. It’s true for any of us in many situations.

This is a children's book – the story of the three Fossil children, their peculiar upbringing, and the ups and downs of their lives at stage school – but it is a wonderful read at any age. Brilliantly infused with the texture of daily life in 1930s London, it creates a really specific and compelling atmosphere. The food they ate, the cost of clothes, transport, the make-up of their household, even the quality of the air they breathed, is all described, as part of a warm and engrossing tale. Nothing I've read quite transports you to that time in the way that this does. 

What a wonderful, moral-rich, non-preachy, feel-good, tapped several of the big societal issues (adultery, death, divorce, pride, bullying, regret, work vs. family; you get the point), without ever once making me squirm with too many religious overtones, or want to run off to confess my improprieties. As a flower child at heart, I loved the continual nuances of people and growth compared to good soil and water, seasons, and blooms. This book was beautifully done.

When the matriarch of a loving family is diagnosed with cancer and determined to live out her days without treatment, there are twists and turns of reality that make this book a must-read. I too, nearly chose the path of non-treatment and this book resonates.

Well done, Julie Cantrell!

I love coming-of-age stories in the 50s and 60s, so I was thrilled to find this one. I know from my own passage into the teen years what these two sisters were experiencing. Their mother was like many others, taking care of her home, husband, and family. Women were on the cusp of new freedoms, and she fell under the spell of a divorced artsy feminist who moved next door to them. Then the secrets started.

I recall the whispers and dropped conversations as a young teen around my mother. Often we didn’t know the adult decisions that were being made. I wanted to hate the girls’ mother, and I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would end.

I love that this book makes you feel like you are right there getting to know the characters. The author does a great job describing their actions and personalities and makes you fall in love with them. Even though this is a book for kids, as an adult, I wanted to finish reading it after I had read the first page. It is hilarious in a fun, not silly, way.

Painfully and beautifully relatable.

All My Puny Sorrows had a profound effect on me as I was wrestling with the loss of someone I loved fiercely and who wished to die. And while this story examines the intricacies of a tragic family dynamic, it’s also very funny—a contrasting combination I adore. 

Laughing in the face of heartbreak is my favorite strategy for healing, and this book delivers both.

I have long been a fan of Jennifer Weiner and expected another charming, funny (and modern) read when I picked up Mrs. Everything. But this book far surpassed my expectations. It was far more serious, ambitious, and sweeping than her other books. The story centers on two sisters growing up in 1950s Detroit, taking me back to an era where women were raised to be housewives alone, and follows them through the tumultuous sixties and beyond. Weiner’s writing and research are so strong, I felt like I experienced the historical milestones along with the characters.