MG Novels – Page 53 – Susan Uhlig

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

One Crazy Summer

Posted on November 28, 2011February 11, 2025 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

One Strong Girl!
onecrazysummer One Crazy Summer (Amistad, 2010) by Rita Williams-Garcia is set in 1968 and would be eye-opening for younger readers to learn how blacks, then called Negroes, were treated. Even for me living at that time in a community where I didn’t see much prejudice, it’s rather shocking.

12-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters are flying from Brooklyn to California to spend time with their mother Cecile who left them 7 years ago right after Fern was born. Cecile doesn’t want them–takes the money Pa sent and spends it on takeout food. Girls had been hoping for a trip to Disneyland. Mom sends the kids to a Black Panther summer camp to get rid of them!

I loved Delphine and her determination!

I also loved reading about Rita herself on her website. (NoMo? You’ll only know what it is if you visit…) She’s written four award winning books! Find out about them and what else she’s written under the My Books tab.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Schooled

Posted on November 7, 2011June 12, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM)

“I was thirteen the first time I saw a police officer up close. He was arresting me for driving without a license. At the time, I didn’t even know what a license was. I wasn’t too clear on what being arrested meant either.” This is another of those great openings which made me definitely want to read on.
Schooled (Hyperion, 2007) by Gordon Korman is about 13-year-old Capricorn Anderson, who was raised on a commune by his grandmother Rain. He’s not been in the real world at all. When his grandmother falls out of a tree and has to go into the hospital and then rehab, he’s put in a foster home. The story is also about Hugh Winkleman, the 8th grade loser, who normally would have been the elected president of the 8th grade, but is now relieved because big-man-on-campus Zack pushes for Cap to be the picked-upon-president.
The story is told in multiple viewpoints. Read more on this author’s site, including some short stories and upcoming book titles.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Susan Uhlig

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (Amulet Books, 2010) by Tom Angleberger is one cute middle grade graphic novel.
6th grader Tommy is trying to figure out if the finger puppet is real or, as his friend Harvey says, just “a paperwad.” But Dwight isn’t smart enough to say all the things Origami Yoda says, is he? Tommy has each person write up their Origami Yoda experience and then both Harvey and he comment. Book ends with Tommy and his conclusions, oh, and directions to make your own Origami Yoda.
Read an interview with Tom about the book here. His website has a superfolder talk zone where you can see pictures of other characters made by fans.
The next book, Darth Paper Strikes Back, has recently come out. Don’t you love the title? I need to get my hands on that one.
Check out Tom’s alter ego at Berger and Burger.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Windblowne

Posted on October 4, 2011June 17, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

In a world where building and flying kites is what almost everyone does, Oliver is a failure. He can’t make kites or fly them. Every kite he touches is ruined. He’s the laughingstock of his village. To make matters worse his parents haven’t a clue what his life is like. Since the annual kite festival is coming up Oliver decides he must go to his crackpot Great Uncle Gilbert for help. But his father doesn’t even know where the former champion lives.
Author Stephen Messer really made me care for Oliver in Windblowne (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2010). I love the world building in this middle grade fantasy. I love how Oliver has a map in his head of all the oaks, his persistence, how he talks to the kites, his care for others . . . but I better stop telling you what I love in this story or I’ll give too much away!
I was delighted to meet Stephen at the recent SCBWI Carolina’s conference, where I heard about his newest book: The Death of Yorik Mortwell. His third book. Colossus, is coming out from Random House in 2013.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Quest of the Warrior Sheep

Posted on September 13, 2011June 17, 2019 by Susan Uhlig

Okay, here’s another funny animal story–The Quest of the Warrior Sheep (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2011) by Christine & Christopher Russell. The title almost says it all. I mean, warrior and sheep together in the same sentence is pretty funny.
But, of course, you want to know more. The story starts with 5 rare breed sheep, who are on a mission to save the great Lord Aries (king of Sheepdom) from Lambad, the bad. Mix in a dropped cell phone by bank robbers, the sheeps’ owners–an old lady and her grandson, a farmer who thinks he saw aliens pick up the sheep, news reporters, and multiple means of transportation for a fun ride throughout the English countryside.
I love the sheep language. How can you not enjoy things like “Oh my grass!”? Each sheep has a unique personality, but you’ll have to read it to see who says “omg.” Colin Stimpson has done fun illustrations to go along with the text.
Check out the author site.