A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830–82
by Joan W. Blos
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 820L · 144 pages · 1979
Why we'd hand it over
A Newbery winner that has aged perfectly: the journal voice feels authentic without being precious, and Catherine's quiet reckoning with mortality and adulthood speaks to thoughtful kids who are ready for literature, not just story.