Celebrate Frozen Fever with 7 Middle Grade Books from Elsa and Anna’s Bookshelf

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, by Karen Foxlee
A pair of sisters who recently lost their mother, a city where it constantly snows, a story that borrows from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen—sound familiar? Frozen fans will delight in this modern-day fairy tale, which follows a grieving, scientific-minded 11-year-old named Ophelia. After the death of her mother, Ophelia moves with her older sister and father to a snowy city where her dad has just taken a job as a curator at a large museum. While wandering through the museum, Ophelia discovers an imprisoned boy with no name who asks for her help in saving the world from the evil Snow Queen. Ophelia doesn’t consider herself to be brave, but can she summon the courage to save those she loves?

Sisters, by Raina Telgemeier
A follow-up to Telgemeier’s graphic memoir Smile, Sisters has the same humor and honesty that drew fans into the author’s first original novel. “Why did I ever ask for a sister?!” 13-year-old Raina laments about her younger sister, Amara—a thought that all siblings, even Elsa and Anna, can likely relate to at some point. Raina wanted a sister so badly when she was a young child, but once Amara was born, reality set in for Raina in the form of a cranky baby sister. Fast-forward to adolescent Raina embarking on a road trip from California to Colorado with Amara, their mother and younger brother, and little has changed in the sisters’ contentious relationship. Through flashbacks and the present-day narrative, the story of Raina and Amara’s relationship unfolds, as does their ultimate realization about the importance of family.

Cold as Ice (Whatever After series), by Sarah Mlynowski
The latest in the Whatever After series finds Abby, her brother, and their dog bounding through the magic mirror once again, this time into the fairy tale The Snow Queen—yep, the same one upon which Frozen is based. Unlike Elsa, though, this frosty queen is super-mean. She even freezes Abby and Jonah’s pup, Prince. Can the sister and brother duo defrost their dog and get themselves out of hot water before it’s too late?

Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After (Dork Diaries series), by Rachel Renée Russell
The Dork Diaries take on fairy tales in the eighth installment of this popular series. Nikki Maxwell gets a bump on the head during gym class when mean girl Mackenzie hurls a dodgeball at her. When she wakes up, she’s not at school anymore; she’s in Fairy Tale Land, and all of her friends, classmates and her sister are now fairy tale characters like the Queen of Hearts, Prince Charming, the Wicked Witch and a fairy godmother. How will Nikki find the Wizard of Odd to help her get home, when none of the characters are going by the book?

The Chocolate Touch, by Patrick Skene Catling
In Frozen, Elsa has the power to turn things to ice, but in The Chocolate Touch, John Midas has what sounds like a much sweeter deal: Anything his lips touch turns into his favorite food, chocolate. Of course, John soon learns it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. A takeoff on the tale of King Midas and his golden touch, this funny and surprising book was first published published in 1952 and continues to entertain readers today.

Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
August (Auggie) Pullman likes Xbox, ice cream, playing baseball and riding his bike, just like any other 10-year-old boy. “I feel ordinary. Inside,” he narrates. “Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.” Auggie was born with facial abnormalities and, due to his health, has been homeschooled his entire life. But now he’s entering public school in fifth grade and is “pretty much totally and completely petrified.” Told from the perspectives of Auggie, his classmates, his sister and others, this powerful and uplifting novel tells the realistic tale of Auggie’s journey to be himself—much like Elsa’s—proving that you really can’t judge a book by its cover, or a boy by his face.

Frozen: The Junior Novelization adapted by Sarah Nathan and Sela Roman
The past is in the past for Elsa and Anna, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to remember where they come from. Relive the movie in this novelization of Arendelle’s royal sisters and the eternal winter set off by Elsa’s frosty powers.
What other books do you think Elsa and Anna would be reading?