The bestselling and highly-rated Mallory McDonald series of chapter books offers a unique and interesting concept in girls’ fiction: they follow the central character from the age of 8 1/2 (in the first book in the series) to her tweens (and likely beyond), including age-appropriate plots and dilemmas. Since the reading level of these books also (surprisingly!) increases along with the heroine’s age, as the child reading through this series matures, so do the books!
#01 Mallory on the Move (4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $4.61)
When eight-and-a-half-year-old Mallory McDonald’s parents tell her that they are moving, she’s mad—really mad! It’s not fair! How can they make her move away from Mary Ann, her best friend in the whole wide world? Who will she paint her toenails with, tell secrets to, and make scrapbooks with? When Mallory arrives at her new house on Wish Pond Road, things are terrible. Her room is too small and the girl next door is mean.
But Joey lives next door, too. Even though he doesn’t paint his toes, he tells jokes, helps teach her cat to do tricks, and shows her how to skateboard. Mallory’s having so much fun she forgets the pact she made with Mary Ann never to make friends with a boy next door. But, when Mary Ann comes to visit, what will Mallory do? Will she have to choose between her best friend and her new friend?
#02 Back to School, Mallory (5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.39)
Summer is over and that can only mean one thing for eight-year-old Mallory McDonald (like the restaurant, but no relation)—she has to go back to school. But not just any school, a new school with all new kids in it.
To make matters worse, her mom is going, too! She’s the new music teacher, and Mallory can’t think of anything that could possibly be worse—until her first day.
She has to sit with Pamela, who always says the right thing and steals her ideas. Joey is so busy with his old friends that he has no time for her, and to top it off, she’s picked to be an eggplant in the Fall Festival her mom is putting on. It’s not fair!
What can Mallory do? Should she give Pamela, and her new school, another chance?
#03 Mallory vs. Max (5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.39)
Spunky, eight-year-old Mallory McDonald is very unhappy when her parents decide to get her older brother Max a dog.
Why would her parents agree to such a thing? Dogs are smelly and bark and chew on things.
Plus, they already have a perfectly good cat, Cheeseburger.
When they finally get the puppy, it’s worse than Mallory imagined. Everyone loves Champ and he and Max are getting all of the attention.
Poor Mallory—now everyone’s mad at her. What should she do?
#04 Happy Birthday, Mallory! (5/5 stars, currently priced at $5.39)
Mallory McDonald is turning nine!
And she is ready to celebrate getting the past year over—one troubled with moving, starting a new school, making new friends, and sibling rivalry.
Mallory wants her ninth birthday to be extra special. So instead of celebrating just one day, she plans an entire “birth month” celebration.
But soon, things aren’t going according to plan, and Mallory fears that being nine may be just as difficult as being eight.
Click here to browse the full Mallory McDonald series.
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