March Book Madness 2026

I am thrilled to share our family's choices for this year's March Book Madness! This has become one of our favorite yearly traditions to encourage a love of reading.

My children and I have carefully selected 16 picture books from various genres that we have never previously recommended and hope you'll love, and we've put them into a printable bracket.

Here's how it works: Download a bracket here. Print it out, then during the month of March, read the books aloud at your own pace. Let your children vote on their favorites, and add each favorite to the line in the next round. Keep reading and voting until you agree on an overall winner!

You can check these out from your local library, purchase on Amazon (see affiliate links below) or purchase from another bookseller of your choice. We hope some of these titles become beloved family favorites! These books are primarily for ages 5-10, but there's a little bit of everything here. My children are 6, 8, 11, and 13 and enjoy all of these stories.

Who's in??

HERE ARE THE BOOKS WE CHOSE: 

Discovering the Wonder of Nature

• In the World of Whales by Michelle Cusolito
• Miss Prim Goes Wild by Katy Rose

Cinderella Stories Reimagined

Laugh-Out-Loud Animal Tales

• Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
• Sparky! by Jenny Offill

The Joy of Sharing Your Gifts

• Mr. Rogers' Gift of Music by Donna Cangelosi
• Elsa's Chessboard by Jenny Andrus

Changing the World Together

• Whales in the City by Nancy F. Castaldo
• The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper

Stories of Softened Hearts

• Fritz and the Midnight Meetup by Megan Hill
• The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep by Hannah E. Harrison

The Power of a Mother's Love

• Princess and the Peas by Rachel Himes
• Mama Seeton's Whistle by Jerry Spinelli

Finding the Way Home

• Cat Nap by Brian Lies
• Hat Cat by Troy Wilson

If you’re not able to find some of these books at your local library, here are a few additional picture books that would make wonderful substitutions.

• A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
• To See An Owl by Matthew Cordell
• The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
• POP! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird 
• George Washington's Teeth by Deborah Chandra