Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Echo (Scholastic Press, 2015) by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a 2016 Newbery Honor book–my vote is for the top award as it is so amazing.
Four stories, four different time periods, different cultures, and a prophecy, a promise and a harmonica are all woven together in an unexpected way. Otto’s story is very short, but it kicks off with mystery when he gets lost in the forest. He must pass the harmonica on at the right time. Over sixty years later we meet Friedrich struggling with hiding his birthmark in a country gone crazy labeling someone like him a defective–welcome to Nazi Germany. He finds and passes on the harmonica. Next we jump two years later to an orphanage for destitute children in Pennsylvania to be with Mike who is trying to make sure he and his little brother stay together . . . somehow. Again, the harmonica plays an important part. Seven years later we meet Ivy in California dealing with prejudice for her Hispanic background and another family’s Japanese heritage. The harmonica comes to her, too.
Each of the three main stories were heart-jerking and so important for kids (and adults) today to hear. I love how the book is resolved. This really is a must read! (It’s also a New York Times bestseller.)
The author is an eclectic writer with books in the following categories: novels, picture books, early readers, and short stories in anthologies. Learn more about her here.
Tag: MMGM
All Four Stars
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
All Four Stars (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2014) by Tara Dairman is deliciously funny and definitely appropriate for any foodie.
Eleven-year-old Gladys Gatsby secretly cooks gourmet food when her parents aren’t at home, since they think cooking is nuking something in the microwave. They also don’t know Gladys’ dream of being a restaurant critic. But she gets a lot of practice after she catches the kitchen on fire–practice in writing up food disasters, that is. With a ban on cooking and orders to go out and make friends, the school essay contest sounds like a solution to her problems.
This book has an engaging main character and a satisfying ending. I’m not the only one to think so, because the book has received awards, including a 2015 Crystal Kite, and been put on state lists.
According to the author’s website, parts of the book “were written in a mall in Brazil, a guesthouse in Morocco, and coffeehouses in Argentina, Cameroon, Gabon, and Tanzania.” Recipes from the book are on the website here. Tara Dairman also includes recipes in her blog from time to time.
Two more books have followed the first: The Stars of Summer is second in the trilogy, and the third is Stars So Sweet.
Just My Luck
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Just My Luck (Harper, 2016) by Cammie McGovern is a touching story.
Fourth grader Benny Barrows has so much to worry about–not being able to ride his bike, Dad’s accident might be his fault, finding a new friend, the new contest at school… He doesn’t think anyone else has more problems than they do which makes it hard to follow his mom’s advice of thinking about someone else’s problem and trying to help them.
The author created a sympathetic and believable character in Benny. Cammie McGovern also writes YA and adult books. Read more here.
The Inn Between
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
The Inn Between (Roaring Brook Press, 2016) by Marina Cohen makes me think of the Eagle’s song Hotel California, but aimed at kids. I don’t know how else to describe this book–perhaps deliciously creepy. It’s definitely unforgettable. And hard to put down.
Eleven-year-old Quinn Martin’s best friend Kara Cawston is moving away so Quinn joins the family on a trip west from Denver through the Nevada desert. After a near accident they decide to stop at a hotel on the border between Nevada and California. When they arrive at the Inn Between, the hotel looks more like a Victorian mansion. They’re greeted by a uniformed doorman and inside discover the elevator has a live operator. The lady at the front desk greets them with “We’ve been expecting you” and doesn’t need a credit card for their stay. “Our policy is you pay when you leave.” Cell phones don’t work there; neither does the TV. But that’s just the beginning of weirdness. Can the girls solve the mystery of the hotel?
Interspersed are some past experiences of Quinn with Kara and with Quinn’s sister Emma.
At the author’s website Marina Cohen’s bio says, “In elementary school, one of her favorite authors was Edgar Allen Poe. She loved stories like The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum and aspired to write similar stories. She is a lover of the fantastical, the bizarre, and all things creepy.”
Check out the details on her other books.
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary (Wendy Lamb Books, 2016) by Laura Shovan is a different take on a novel in verse. In this book 18 kids are writing poems for a time capsule. Their school is scheduled to be torn down at the end of the year, and many of these fifth graders are not happy about that. The book covers the whole school year–what they try to save the school, friendships, and more.
I enjoyed the different way the kids approached their poems and learning about each kid’s personality from “their” writings. 18 kids is a lot to juggle, but soon I was recognizing who was who by what they said and their poetry style. I’m wondering if the variety of poems might inspire some readers to write their own poetry.
On the author’s blog Laura shares Poetry Friday entries. She tells the style of poem and what was behind writing it. Fun!