Middle grade fiction

The Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Kathy Dawson Books

Image result for mad wolf's daughter amazon

Summary:  Drest has lived happily with her father, Grimbol (a.k.a. Mad Wolf) and her older brothers all her life.  She knows they are a war band who often go off to fight, yet she has been sheltered from knowing that ferocious and violent side of their lives. When they are all taken captive and carried away in a ship, it’s up to her to rescue them.  She finds a wounded knight from the raiding party, and takes him as her captive to help her find the way to the castle where her family members are prisoners. The journey is full of dangerous adventures, but Drest discovers a courage and tenacity she never knew she had.  She also hears stories of atrocities committed by her father and brothers and has to reconcile those with the loving men she has grown up with. There’s a happy ending, but also enough loose ends for a sequel, The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter, which is due out next March.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will keep turning the pages to read about Drest’s adventures, and in the process, learn more about 13th century Scotland.

Cons:  Don’t be surprised if readers start flinging medieval Scottish insults at each other, e.g., “You crab-headed squid gut” or “You rot-headed prickle fish”.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

The Titanic (Survival Tails, Book 1) by Katrina Charman

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Image result for survival tails titanic amazon

Summary:  Mutt is heartbroken when his owner, Alice, and her father leave for a journey to America.  He manages to follow them to the dock where they are boarding the Titanic.  With the help of a rat named King Leon, he manages to sneak aboard and begin his search for Alice.  Meanwhile, Clara, the captain’s cat, discovers three kitten stowaways and reluctantly becomes their guardian.  When the ship begins to go down, it’s up to Clara and Mutt to save the kittens, Alice, and maybe themselves. Includes a 5-page author’s note; a timeline of the Titanic’s voyage; additional information about the ship and the animals that were on board; and animal facts.  224 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  The story of the Titanic from the point of view of a cat or a dog?  This will undoubtedly be a big hit with the upper elementary crowd, and they will be eagerly anticipating book 2 which features the sled dogs that traveled with Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica.  Try this out on fans of I Survived and Ranger in Time.

Cons:  I feel as though I have read and watched enough Titanic accounts for this lifetime.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Image result for illegal colfer amazon

Image result for illegal giovanni rigano

Summary:  12-year-old Ebo lives with his alcoholic Uncle Patrick in Ghana; his sister Sisi has left to try to get to Europe.  When his brother Kwame also runs away, Ebo decides to try to find him and start a new life in a more prosperous country.  The brothers eventually reunite and make their way across the Sahara Desert to Tripoli, Libya. From there, they work and save money to take a boat across the Mediterranean Sea.  The story is told in chapters alternating between that boat journey and flashbacks relating the events leading up to it. There is extreme hardship, illness, and death every step of the way with a particularly heartbreaking tragedy at the end.  Ebo is persistent and optimistic, though, and his prospects for success in his new country seem promising. Includes a map; a creators’ note that tells more about refugees; and “Helen’s Story”, the story of a Sudanese woman’s harrowing journey to the United Kingdom. 144 pages; grades 6-8.

Pros:  This graphic novel would make an excellent companion to last year’s Refugee by Alan Gratz.  Although Ebo’s story is fictional, the events and hardships seem very real.  The artwork is beautiful, with stunning ocean and desert scenes providing sharp contrast to the difficult story line.

Cons:  While I think older elementary students would find this book engaging and learn a lot from it, be aware there is a lot of death and grief in the story.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Image result for amal unbound

Summary:  Amal loves going to school in her Pakistani village, but when her mother suffers postpartum depression, she must stay home to help run the household.  While doing marketing for the family, she has an accidental run-in with a member of the wealthy Khan family that gets her into serious trouble. Her father owes money to the Khans, and Amal is forced to work as an indentured servant in the family’s mansion to pay off his debt.  Her father assures her he will get the money quickly, but as time goes on, Amal sees that she may suffer the fate of the other servants and be forced to stay for years. Amal’s perseverance and determination pay off, and when she sees her opportunity to help herself and others around her, she finds the courage to take it and move forward. Includes an author’s note that ties together the fictional Amal’s life and the real-life Malala Yousafzai. 240 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  A powerful story about a courageous girl in a part of the world that may be unfamiliar to many U.S. readers.  Kids who know Malala’s story will have a connection that will draw them into this book.

Cons:  Amal’s happy ending seemed a little unrealistic, and the author mentions in her note that for many more kids trapped in indentured servitude, there is not usually such a way out.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Sunny by Jason Reynolds

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Atheneum

Image result for sunny reynolds amazon

Summary:  Sunny’s the fastest miler on the Defenders track team, and easily takes first place at most of their meets. But he’s struggling with his reasons for running, and one day he comes to a halt before the finish line and refuses to finish his race.  Turns out his mom was a runner; when she died giving birth, his dad decided it was up to Sunny to carry on her legacy. Writing in his diary, Sunny tries to figure out his dad, his homeschool tutor Aurelia, his Defenders teammates, and himself. What Sunny really loves is dancing.  When he shows the coach some of his moves, Coach sees the beginnings of a champion discus thrower, and Sunny moves into a new role in the team. Book 4 in this series, Lu (the final installment) is due out in October.  176 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Another excellent entry into Jason Reynolds’ Track series that includes Ghost and Patina.  You don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the humorous narration, interesting characters, and emotional impact of all three of these books.  Can’t wait for the thrilling conclusion!

Cons:  I don’t know if it was the diary format or the slightly shorter length, but I just wasn’t quite as invested in Sunny as I was in Patina and (still my favorite) Ghost.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

 

The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Greenwillow Books

Image result for book of boy amazon

Summary:  Boy has lived his life on a French manor that has recently been ravished by pestilence and other misfortune.  As a hunchback, he is frequently the object of bullying and ridicule. When a stranger named Secundus appears and tells Boy he is on a pilgrimage to collect relics of St. Peter, Boy is intrigued.  He thinks if he can get to Rome, he can ask St. Peter to remove the hump on his back and turn him into a regular boy. As the two travel together, meeting up with all kinds of adventure, it becomes clear that Boy is not a regular boy and never will be one.  He has a secret that he slowly begins to share, and by the end of their journey, both Secundus and Boy have been transformed. Boy ends up back home on the manor, but it is clear life will never be the same for him again. 288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  An intriguing story that may appeal to fans of The Inquisitor’s Tale, which also takes place in France about a century earlier (1242 vs. 1350).  Boy is a kind and gently funny narrator, and Secundus is a fascinating character of mysterious origins who is transformed by traveling with Boy.  Beautiful woodcut illustrations appear at the beginning of each chapter.  A possible Newbery contender.

Cons:  These medieval French tales can be a hard sell for most elementary school crowds, and if I had to choose one to recommend, I would go with The Inquisitor’s Tale.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Life According to Og the Frog by Betty G. Birney

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons

Image result for life according to og amazon

Summary:  Room 26 has a new pet: Og the Frog.  Og started his career as a classroom pet in Room 27, but George the bullfrog was something of a bully, so Og got moved next door.  He enjoys watching the kids (whom he calls “big tads”), thinks Mrs. Brisbane is a pretty great teacher, and is intrigued by his excitable hamster neighbor, but Og sometimes wishes he was back in the swamp.  He was “frognapped” by a fisherman, then given to the man’s grandson who is a student in room 27.  A herpetologist from a nearby nature center visits the classroom to tell the kids more about Og, and she informs them that Og can’t be released back into the wild (he may have picked up human germs that he would spread to other frogs).  The kids–and Og–have to decide if it’s best for him to stay in the classroom or if he should move to the nature center.  Of course, Og ends up staying in school, and readers can hope to hear more from the new frog in the future. 160 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Fans of the Humphrey series will be clamoring for a new book about a frog who is every bit as endearing as Room 26’s hamster is.  Og is a poet, and kids may be inspired to try to match some of his rhymes; they’ll also learn a bit about frogs and conservation.

Cons:  I was hoping Og and Humphrey would find a way to communicate, but all Og hears from Humphrey is a bunch of squeaking.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Rosetown by Cynthia Rylant

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Beach Lane Books

Image result for rosetown rylant amazon

Summary:  Flora’s fourth grade year gets off to a rough start; her parents have recently separated, her dog died not too long ago, and the kids in her class seem a lot smarter and more confident than they did in third grade.  Flora is quiet and sensitive, and loves spending hours reading at Wing and a Chair Used Books, where her mother works three days a week.  As the year goes on, Flora makes a new friend, Yuri; gets a new cat, Serenity; and discovers her talent for writing.  When spring comes, her family changes once again, this time in an exciting new direction, and Flora is grateful for everything that has happened to her in the previous year.  160 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A quiet, introspective book about a quiet, introspective girl growing up in 1972 in the small town of Rosewood, Indiana.  The characters are memorable, especially Flora, Yuri, and Miss Meriwether, the book store owner.

Cons:  Readers seeking a lot of humor/action/adventure may be disappointed.

If you’d like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic Press

Image result for good dog gemeinhart amazon

Summary:  On page 1, Brodie is waking up in a new place, vaguely aware that he has died.  He soon learns that he is in a sort of purgatory, waiting to move on to the mysterious Forever, but still able to return to Earth as a ghost…with the risk of losing his soul.  As his memories of his previous life slowly return, Brodie realizes that his beloved boy Aiden is in danger, and that it’s up to Brodie to save him.  Accompanied by the lovable and loyal, if not too bright, Tuck, Brodie returns to Earth to help Aiden.  The two dogs are pursued by four hellhounds, dogs who have lost their souls and feed off of the souls of “good dogs” to stay alive.  They’re assisted by Patsy, the ghost of a streetwise stray cat who is down to her last bit of soul.  It’s a struggle to the end, but Brodie succeeds in his mission, and the human-canine bond is celebrated in a moving final chapter.  304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Animal lovers will take Brodie, Tuck, and even Patsy to heart, and between the hellhounds and Aiden’s evil father, there is plenty of action to keep them reading to the end.

Cons:  Brodie’s “good dog” status was hammered home just a bit too hard.  And Dan Gemeinhart?  He needs a better editor to eliminate some of the rhetorical question and answer format of his narration.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by HarperCollins

Image result for drum roll please bigelow amazon

Summary:  The day before 13-year-old Melly is leaving for Camp Rockaway, her parents tell her that they’re getting a divorce.  She is angry and hurt, but as usual, keeps those feelings to herself.  Camp proves a distraction, a place where she can play drums and learn more about music.  She expects to be in a band with her best friend Olivia, but when the two of them are split up, each finds herself with a crush on a bandmate.  Olivia’s feelings for Noel are unrequited, but she doesn’t learn that until she has spent a week ditching Melly to hang around with him.  Melly is surprised by her attraction to Adeline, and isn’t sure how to handle her emotions.  Her relationships with both Olivia and Adeline, as well as her interactions with a tough music teacher, help her to figure out her feelings and express what she wants and needs.  An end-of-camp performance for families shows how much Melly has grown in confidence and learned about herself during two eventful weeks of camp.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  An empowering and fun summer read, perfect for fans of middle school girl fiction.  Melly’s voice is genuine and funny, and readers will cheer for her as she learns to speak up for herself while also valuing her relationships with her friends and family.

Cons:  I really wanted to go to Camp Rockaway.  And to have some musical talent.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.