Top Ten Tuesday: Great Middle Grade Moms (or at least ones that try really hard)

This was a really difficult list to create – apparently I don’t pay close attention to the adults in middle grade fiction (when they exist, which is a whole other issue). And then when I was creating the list, I wanted to come up with a diverse list of families and found it shocking that I can’t remember ever reading a middle grade book with two moms – check out this post on SLJ which makes me feel better (and gave me a bunch of books to add to my TBR list). Granted, not all of these moms are “great,” but they all love truly and deeply.

1. Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
   The Ramona series is a truly, realistic story that has stood the test of time. Ramona’s mom and dad are like anyone else’s – they worry about money, they argue and they love their kids – a great read aloud chapter book to share with the whole family.
2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
   Marilla Cuthbert specifically asked for a boy from the orphanage and she got a girl, and not just and girl, Anne – spelled with an “e.” Although Marilla never thought about becoming a mother – as she is older when the story opens and lives with her brother, she takes Anne under her wing and is so proud of what Anne becomes.
3. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
   I loved this book as a kid and I think Sarah shows what it means to be a mom to children that she didn’t give birth to – she respects the family’s memories, while also creating new memories together and her quiet, simple love is so pure.
4. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
   A unique mom, Roz loves an abandoned gosling on a wild island and learns about love and life from the animals on the island.
5. All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
   Although Perry’s mom is in jail, her love and protection for Perry know no bounds and Perry has never felt anything but love from his mother. But when he’s forced to live with a foster family, rather than with his mom in the correctional facility, Perry learns just how much his mother means to him.
6. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
   Another mom who leaves much to be desired, when Ada moves out to the country with Susan she learns not only about herself, but Susan learns to love these kids that she never expected.
7. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
   Xan loves her adopted daughter Luna deeply, so deeply in fact that she tries to protect her too much which leads to Luna’s magic being released without any knowledge on her own part. Although Xan is flawed, she loves her adopted daughter/granddaughter deeply.
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
   Molly Weasley may not have the cleanest house in England, but she loves fiercely and not only her own kids, but anyone her kids bring home to mother.
9. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
   A school vice-principal makes for a no-nonsense mom in this book who cares deeply for her family and for her career as well.
10. Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley
    Although Gertie’s mom leaves much to be desired, her Great Aunt Rae loves her in her own unique way and is her primary caregiver while her dad is working on the oil rig. A non-traditional family with a unique protagonist.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Book