Tag: middle grade

Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Ice Dogs

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

ice-dogs-225.jpgIce Dogs (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2014) by Terry Lynn Johnson puts you right there with 14-year-old dogsledder Victoria Secord and her team of dogs. You’ll feel cold and hungry with her and her companion in this realistic story of how easy it is to be in danger in winter in the Alaskan bush. And, you’ll find yourself worrying about several of the dogs as well as the two teens. The book makes me think of Gary Paulsen’s survival stories, except this time with a girl main character!
Look at all the recognition this books is garnering:

  • A Junior Library Guild Selection
  • American Booksellers Association (ABA) Best Children’s Books of 2014
  • A Scholastic Book Fairs Selection 2014
  • Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids 2014

Ms. Johnson was a musher herself, so knows what life is like with sled dogs. Plus, she’s still involved in outdoor adventures and you can read about them on her blog. Read more about Terry on her website.

Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Mostly True Story of Jack

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

jack.jpgThe Mostly True Story of Jack (Little, Brown, 2011) by Kelly Barnhill is told in multiple viewpoints. It’s good. It’s scary. And it has a great opening: “Frankie was the first to know. Frankie was the first to know most things–but since he hadn’t spoken since he was eight years old, it didn’t matter what he knew. He couldn’t tell anyone.” How could you not read that book?!

But in case you aren’t convinced, here’s a bit more about the story. 12-year-old twins, Frankie and Wendy, know that whatever happened four years ago when Frankie disappeared and came back scarred is back. So does Wendy’s best friend, Anders. Even Clayton Avery of the rich and powerful Avery family senses something–his ears are itchy and there are bell like sounds. Enter Jack. His parents are divorcing and Mom is bringing him to stay with an aunt and uncle in Iowa. Jack feels like he is growing more invisible than usual. And now his mother is abandoning him here with these strangers and in this strange house that seems to shift and waver. Then he overhears his aunt and uncle talking about the family unraveling, and a catastrophe instead of divorce. Mabel says, “I just pray that Jack won’t hate us for what we’ll need him to do.” Too late, Jack thought.

Kelly recently posted about work on her most recent novel. “On cutting, and revising, and hanging on, and letting go” is a helpful read for any writer.

Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Heart of a Shepherd

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

heart_shepherd.gifHeart of a Shepherd (Random House Books for Children, 2009) by Rosanne Parry is a lovely book. I enjoyed the intergenerational relationships, the faith of the main character, and a look into a military and shepherd family’s life.

12-year-old Brother (Ignatius) is not happy. His dad, who is in the Reserves, has to go to Iraq. His older brothers are away at school and he and his grandparents have to keep the ranch going. Brother thinks that keeping the ranch the same will help bring his dad home safely. But sheep ranching is not really his thing.

Here’s encouragement for other writers from Rosanne’s site: “It took me seven years to go from my first idea for Heart of a Shepherd to a finished book. But in those seven years I also wrote another novel, two mysteries, lots of short stories and many newspaper and magazine articles.”

I next plan to read Second Fiddle, another book by Roseanne about military families.

Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Guinea Dog

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

guinea dogWhat do you do when you’ve always wanted a dog, but your mother gives you a guinea pig instead? In 5th grader Rufus’ case he decides to keep Fido since she annoys his clean freak dad (the reason he can’t have a dog). But then something strange happens. Fido starts acting like a dog.
Guinea Dog (Egmont, 2010) by Patrick Jennings is humorous and a bit bigger than life. Quite the enjoyable read. I know my 9-year-old grandson would love it. (This book is available both in hardback and paperback.)
Be sure and visit Patrick’s website and read his funny bio. There you can also read about his many other books.
P.S. Today, September 15th, Patrick wrote to me and said: “It was just announced today that the book won the Washington State Book Award. :)”
A BIG CONGRATS!

Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

brixton_brothers_large.jpgThe Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Simon and Schuster, 2009) by Mac Barnett illustrated by Adam Rex is one funny mystery. The story is modeled after the old time kid detective novels, so expect some corn.

12-year-old Steve Brixton is enamored of the old mystery books about the Bailey brothers and himself gets mistaken for a detective by the Librarians (under cover agents) when he checks out a book on quilts at the library. He’s on the run from the police, including Jerk Rick who’s dating Steve’s mom. The only way to prove himself innocent is to solve the case.

Author Mac Barnett bills himself as “writer and strongman-for-hire” on his website. Check out the piano keys for more details.

But wait! There’s more. Ghostwriter_182_wideThe sequel Brixton Brothers 2: The Ghostwriter Secret came out last fall and is on my to-be-read list. The next in the series, It Happened on a Train, will come out this October.

Illustrator Adam Rex is the author/illustrator of The True Meaning of Smekday. What? You haven’t read it? Learn more here about that title and stuff about Adam on his site where Abraham Superlincoln tells you to “choose wisely.”