Our Favorite Blended Families of Middle Grade

The Penderwicks in Spring, by Jeanne Birdsall
The fourth book in the beloved Penderwick series with a fifth one in the works—and what began as a family of one widowed botany professor father and his four kids has now grown into a big, blended family with a stepmother and a new baby sister debuting in this edition. Even though the older Penderwick sisters are in high school and college in this latest installment, little sister Batty continues to tell us the tale of the lively and funny family that has its own quirks and follies. If your child has not already read the first three books in the series, start at the beginning with the three-book boxed set. They do not disappoint.

Freaky Fast Frankie Joe, by Lutricia Clifton
After his mother goes to jail, Frankie Joe is unexpectedly relocated from his home in Texas and forced to move to Illinois to live with a father he has never met, his father’s wife, and their four sons. Desperate to get back to Texas and away from his new blended family, Frankie Joe devises a plan to leave and starts the Frankie Joe’s Freaky Fast Delivery Service to help fund his way out of Illinois. Encountering new friends and some big bumps along the way, Frankie Joe learns the meaning of family in in this charming, heartbreaking story.

We Are All Made of Molecules, by Susin Nielsen
Families collide when the nerdy intellectual meets the popular fashionista. With Ashley’s parents divorced and Stewart’s dad a widower, these two teens have already been through major life events. Nevertheless, their parents fall in love, and Ashley and Stewart are forced to fold into a new family and endure this new change together. Alternately told from the point of view of each teen, this engaging story brings blended families together in a realistic, yet lightly funny way.

Saffy’s Angel, by Hilary McKay
An eccentric English family with a flair for the arts and children named after paint colors, this story focuses on Saffy (short for Saffron, of course). Saffy accidentally discovers her aunt and uncle adopted her at the age of three after a car accident tragically took the life of her mother. When their grandfather passes away and leaves Saffy with a mysterious note, she takes off to find the elusive stone angel willed to her. As she sets out with a new friend on a journey to Siena, Saffy learns lessons about love, family, and the desire to belong.

Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan
A bestselling classic that you probably read as a child, this first book in a series of five novels is the perfect way to introduce your child to the Witting family. Set in the 19th century, Anna and Caleb lost their mother when Caleb was just a baby, and now Papa seeks a wife to help him care for the farm and the children. Sarah, who is plain and tall (and sings!), arrives for a month to visit with the family. The children deal with loss, abandonment, and love as Sarah helps them rediscover the importance of family.

A Smidgen of Sky, by Dianna Dorisi Winget
Struggling to accept her father’s death in a plane accident, ten year old Piper Lee is not ready to lose her mama to another man (yuck to a stepdaddy) or have a new family (double yuck to a stepsister). When she tries to ruin her mama’s upcoming wedding, Piper loses control of her plan and everything spirals out of her hands. She soon discovers that a step-family can be family, too, and that new beginnings are part of life.
What are your favorite middle grade novels about blended families?