Let's Talk About Books
It's time to hit the road with these excellent stories of adventure on four wheels. The best of the best are Kate DiCamillo's Louisiana's Way Home and Dan Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. Both are Newbery worthy. If you're looking for a dose of humor with your adventure then check out Dan Gutman's… Continue reading Middle Grade Road Trip Stories
Can't get to Florida? Let a book take you there. Kate DiCamillo, Jennifer Holm and Carl Hiaasen have cornered the market on Florida, the setting of most of their books. But don't miss Chris Grabenstein's Welcome to Wonderland series about a family's beach motel or Ginny Rorby's How to Speak Dolphin about dolphinariums. Tiger Rising… Continue reading Middle Grade Books Set in Florida
Well-off people never think they could end up homeless, however the characters in these books did not start out poor. All it takes is the death of a parent or other traumatic experience to derail the most unlikely family. Practice compassion, because you never know the story of the kid sitting next to you. How… Continue reading Middle Grade Books That Tackle Homelessness
Whether your kids like to cook or not, these are great stories about the ups and downs of life and how cooking is the perfect outlet for creativity and success. Bottom line? Follow your passion and you can't go wrong. It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder (series) Isabel has never been anywhere but Willow, Oregon.… Continue reading Stories For Kids Who Like to Cook
Kids who crave realistic fiction where main characters struggle with dysfunctional family problems will love these selections. Each of the characters are wise beyond their years and step up to the plate to help their parents. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin Della’s family owns a watermelon farm in North Carolina. It’s been a… Continue reading Middle Grade Books That Tackle Mental Illness
Horse books are a dime a dozen, but most don't stay on the market long. Readership is limited, which makes their shelf life short, especially in libraries. Many older horse books have become classics and will always be available. Others are written by well-known authors whose books will always be available as well. The rest...well...read… Continue reading Middle Grade Horse Stories
Kids love to read about the struggles of others to help them understand and get the happy ending that life doesn't always provide. Stories about foster care elicit a natural curiosity in young readers. These books show different angles on the foster care system. Forever or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter Flora and… Continue reading Middle Grade Books About Foster Care
These books tackle the challenge of getting past the death of a friend. The topic has become prevalent in middle grade realistic fiction, so finding nine well-written books was an easy task. My personal favorites are 2018 releases and certain to be Newbery contenders: The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle and Denis Ever After.… Continue reading Middle Grades Books About Grief
With the outstanding writing going on in sports fiction, you don't have to be a guy or play sports to love some of these books. Trust me. Some of these have edge of your seat action. Any Mike Lupica, Tim Green or John Feinstein book is a crowd pleaser. For younger fans, check out the… Continue reading Middle Grade Football Stories
Juvenile delinquents make some of the best characters. There's nothing like a good redemption story to help you see the good in the world. From classics like Holes, to newcomers like Scar Island, there's a book on this list that's calling you. Holes by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats has bad luck. When he gets caught… Continue reading Middle Grade Criminal Justice Stories
Kids who like sports books need look no further than Mike Lupica. He writes stories about basketball, football and baseball. He has several series that cover all three sports. They are Game Changers, Comeback Kids, and Home Team. This list covers a variety of different writing styles for different ages and are sure to satisfy… Continue reading Middle Grade Basketball Stories
Bullying has become a common theme in middle school books today. Every school has bullies, so it makes sense to include them in realistic fiction books. From this list, boys will especially like Scar Island and Revenge of the Star Survivors. Girls will especially like The Thing About Jellyfish. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk Betty… Continue reading Middle Grade Books With Bullies
Surprisingly, there aren't as many great survival books as I thought. Boys especially like a good adventure packed with thrills, suspense, and survival curveballs. These books are the best I've read and are guaranteed to appeal to all adventure enthusiasts, both boys and girls. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (series) Brian is a teenager flying in… Continue reading Middle Grade Survival Fiction
Kids have a built-in curiosity about the struggles of other kids. Books are great for developing sympathy and understanding. These books cover many different types of disabilities, both physical and mental, and are very popular. Expect another list of books on this topic within the year. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (Cerebral Palsy)… Continue reading Middle Grade Stories About Disabilities
Stories in verse are great for understanding complex historical events and encouraging the reluctant reader. These selections are some of my favorites from authors who have already established themselves as exceptional writers. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Told from the perspective of a young girl who recounts the frequent struggles against the dust… Continue reading Middle Grade Stories in Verse
If you have a dog, he's probably your best friend. You'll do anything for him. He'll do anything for you. Dog stories tend to be tear jerkers. When you nearly lose your dog, it's devastating. These are some of the best books for dog lovers. The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart (2015) Mark has cancer… Continue reading Middle Grade Dog Stories
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