Tag: middle grade

cover of Greenglass House - a drawing of fantastical house in a forest with snow
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Greenglass House

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

I love when a book does something unexpected that makes me wonder if I should read the whole thing again to see what hints I missed. Greenglass House (Clarion Books, 2014) by Kate Milford is one of those.

In a fascinating old inn that smugglers use and his parents run, twelve-year-old Milo Pine expects to get to relax for Christmas vacation. But then these people keep showing up (and getting to this inn is not easy in winter) and they all seem to want something connected to the old house. Milo, and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, plan to figure out what is going on.

This Roaming World book is a New York Times Bestseller, National Book Award Nominee, Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, and Nebula/Andre Norton Award Nominee.

There’s a sequel, The Ghosts of Greenglass House, a companion book that Milo is reading in Greenglass House—The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book, and more. Check them all out here. The newest one, Rialto, comes out next month.

cover of Wonderland
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Wonderland

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Mnday

Wonderland (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018) by Barbara O’Connor is a sweet story I’m glad I found. It’s told in three viewpoints, including a dog’s!

It’s the summer between fourth and fifth grade and Mavis Jeeter’s mother is moving them again. Mavis wants to have a best friend. How can she do that if they don’t stay anywhere long enough? She wants this new home in Alabama to be permanent. She’s decided that Mom’s employer’s daughter will be her new best friend and tells her so.

Ten-year-old Rose Tully doesn’t fit in with the others in Magnolia Estates. But then this strange new girl, Mavis, arrives makes her believe she can have a friend, besides Mr. Duffy, the gateguard.

Then there’s Henry, a dog on the run.

See the awards for this book here.

Last year I recommended Barbara’s book Wish. Here’s a link to this bestselling author’s FAQ.

cover of The First State of Being
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The First State of Being

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The First State of Being (Greenwillow Books, 2024) by Erin Entrada Kelly is a fun mix of historical fiction—Y2K—and time travel.

It’s 1999 and 11-year-old Michael is hoarding food that he’s stolen for when the world shuts down on January 1, 2000. (He has to help his single Mom who is struggling making ends meet. And she loves peaches, right?) And then he and the apartment maintenance man meet a weird teenager, who appears to be half Filipino like Michael. Ridge doesn’t even know what year it is and is dressed oddly. Something’s off about that kid. Despite all of Michael’s worries, he decides to help Ridge obtain his desire of going to a mall.

This is a story of hope and has great reminders of deciding how we want to be. The book came out in March.

Erin is a Newbery medalist and a NY Times bestselling author. Read about her and check out all her books here.

cover of The Beatryce Prophecy
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Beatryce Prophecy

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Beatryce Prophecy (Candlewick Press, 2021) by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Sophie Blackall is an unusual but appealing story.

It starts with a prophecy about a girl who will “unseat a king.” Next we meet Answelica, the goat, whom the monks fear. One day Brother Edik finds a child in the pen with the demon goat. Beatryce doesn’t remember anything but her name. And king’s soldiers are searching for her.

Kate is a two-time Newbery medalist and Sophie is a two-time Caldecott medalist.

Read about Kate’s many novels here, her picture books here, and her early chapter books here.

Check out all of Sophie’s children’s books here.

cover of Sierra Blue
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Sierra Blue

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Although Sierra Blue by Suzanne Morgan Williams (2023) is aimed at early young adults, it’s definitely appropriate for upper middle grade readers. It has fun and interesting magical realism. And a cool cover.

Magic’s best friend reveals her secret–she can see the auras of animals. To get away from the teasing she is sent to her aunt’s ranch the summer between 8th grade and 9th. There, because of her psychic ability, she pleads for the life of a race horse that would be put down. Magic and Sierra Blue bond, but of course, the horse isn’t hers.

Suzanne writes fiction and nonfiction. Read about her here and read about her other books here. And here’s an interview!