Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

It's time to share our favorite Middle Grade read for February.

I read Splendors and Glooms, and A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. Ms.Schlitz weaves outstanding stories that would have terrified me as a child. Her characters have so much life to them. The evil ones are beyond evil, and the innocent ones snag your heartstrings and fill you with emotional response. I wish I could write like that.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate was wonderful! It really makes you think about all the things we take for granted in this country. Also thoroughly enjoyer The Secret Garden.

Volume 4 of The Books of Elsewhere, love her writing style. The Spindlers, was a heart warming tale. The False Prince, with its twist and turns and one mischievous boy.

I've read the first three "Softwire" books by Haarsma & will read the last one this Sunday. An excellent series. Check out my reviews if you're interested.

The Secret Garden
The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1
The Strangers: The Books of Elsewhere: Volume 4
Splendors and Glooms
A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama
Home of the Brave

I was blown away by the intensity and poetry of Zel, by Donna Jo Napoli. Not for the younger end of MG, despite the innocent girl on the cover!

I read War Horse,
Or Give Me Death: A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family,
Bullheaded Black Remembers Alexander: The Story of Alexander the Great's Invasion of the Middle East.

Of those, my favorite was Or Give Me Death: A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family. I thought it was a fascinating story. I think I would have enjoyed War Horse more if I hadn't already seen the movie. As such, the book held no surprises for me.

I read The Invisible Child, which was for grade school age kids and symbolic of their emotions.

The One and Only Ivanis wonderful. My granddaughter and I read this together. We cried in parts, laughed in others. 2012 Newbery award.

I re-read The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. One of my favourites and such an inspiration.

I read it out loud to someone I love. My favourite way to read. :)

The Thief of Always

Once again I have two.
Steve Sheinkin was such a fun read. This guy really knows how to make history come alive! I learned a lot from this book that I didn't know.

Tui T. Sutherland was soooooo good that I stayed up in the middle of the night to finish it, slept two hours, and started and finished the next book in the series then next day! I know that I love dragons, but this book would have been just as great if the characters weren't dragons! It had a lot of surprises, action, and humor! Please don't let this book get past you without reading it!!! The worst part is that I have to wait until June for the third one...UGH!!!

S. wrote: "The One and Only Ivanis wonderful. My granddaughter and I read this together. We cried in parts, laughed in others. 2012 Newbery award."

I cried too! What a sweet story!

Beth wrote: "Once again I have two.
Steve Sheinkin was such a fun read. This guy really knows how to make history come alive! I learned a lot from this book that I ..."

I'm waiting for Lincoln's Grave to come to the library, it sounded good. Plus I don't really read to many historical books, but would like to.

Brenda wrote: "Beth wrote: "Once again I have two.
Steve Sheinkin was such a fun read. This guy really knows how to make history come alive! I learned a lot from this..."

This book will remind you that people are people, and they do the most outrageous things! ENJOY!

I didn't know there was a new book out by her!
The Invisible Child Katherine Paterson