Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

This thread is so we can share and discuss new Middle Grade books or Series that have grabbed our interest.

To get the ball rolling I thought I'd list my current favourite series.
Yes ..... It's mine and I am biased, but, I'm only human and would love the stories to be enjoyed by kids.
These books are full of history, action and adventure and aim to engage and excite kids whilst teaching them the importance of loyalty and teamwork.



Ok so that's me done, I'm very keen to discover other great MG books/series.

The Fifties Chix, by Angela Dage Larsen. Time traveling teen girls. Themes: friendship, time travel, ingenuity, cooperation

M.

I have a bad habit of reading the first book in a series and not reading book 2. Book One's I've read recently include Inkheart, Ranger's Apprentice, Narnia, Spiderwick Chronicles and The Bartimeaus Trilogy. However, there is one series where I read every book because I liked it so much - The Shadow Children series by Margaret Petersen Haddix. I need to read more book 2's if I expect people to read my sequel coming out next year. lol!

Laurisa wrote: "I have a bad habit of reading the first book in a series and not reading book 2. Book One's I've read recently include Inkheart, Ranger's Apprentice, Narnia, Spiderwick Chronicles and The Bartimeau..."

Sounds like you need to set aside a month to read some book 2s.

Yep. The first book two I'm reading is Shadows by Ilsa Bick (sequel to Ashes) but its not MG.

I've just read A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT by Linda Urban and loved it. It might tend more toward "tween." Looking forward to reading her new book HOUND DOG TRUE. Here's a link to the Kirkus review of my new middle grade novel, THE UNIVERSE OF FAIR.https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Here's to summer reads!

If you like a good, clean, treasure hunt adventure, check out Gasparilla's Treasure

Sorry, a bit of shameless self promotion :-) Can't help myself...

i loved the hunger games
i also loved the book stealing bases

i just love books

the typical pre-teens are reading (in order of observed popularity);

Maximum Ride series, Witch & Wizard series by Patterson
Hunger Games series by Collins
Eragon series by Paolini
Percy Jackson series, Heroes of Olympus series, Kane Chronicles series by Riordan
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Kinney
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Series by Brewer
Shiver series by Stiefvater
Dreamhouse Kings series by Liparulo
Incarceron series by Fisher
Gallagher Girls series by Carter
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Riggs
Inkheart series by Funke
Missing series, Shadow Children series by Haddix
The False Prince by Nielsen
Beautiful Creatures Series by Garcia
Riley Bloom series, Immortals series by Noel
Bartimaeus series by Stroud
Septimus Heap Series by Sage
Clockwork Prince series by Clare
Divergent by Roth
Legends by Lu
Fallen series by Kate

...and I recommend
Matched series by Condie
Paranormalcy series by White
Birthmarked series by O'Brien
Entwined by Dixon
Distant Waves by Wyen
Dark Souls by Morris

Kristianne wrote: "the typical pre-teens are reading (in order of observed popularity);

Maximum Ride series, Witch & Wizard series by Patterson
Hunger Games series by Collins
Eragon series by Paolini
Percy Jackson s..."

GREAT list! thanks for putting it together! I recommended Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children to my 8th graders this year, and they loved it!
Another book that my kids (girls in particular) love is A Child Called It. It certainly isn't new, but it never fails, every year I have several girls who chekc it out of the library, read it and love it.

I've been wanting to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and keep forgetting to add it to my list. Thanks for the reminder :-)

I second that recommendation! I loved Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Kristianne wrote: "the typical pre-teens are reading (in order of observed popularity);

Maximum Ride series, Witch & Wizard series by Patterson
Hunger Games series by Collins
Eragon series by Paolini
Percy Jackson s..."

Thanks Kristianne, what a great list. There's plenty in there to keep me busy for a long while.

Kristianne wrote: "the typical pre-teens are reading (in order of observed popularity);

Maximum Ride series, Witch & Wizard series by Patterson
Hunger Games series by Collins
Eragon series by Paolini
Percy Jackson s..."

AWESOME list. My 12 year old has read most of those but I need to forward that to her. Thanks a ton!

Mike wrote: "Kristianne wrote: "the typical pre-teens are reading (in order of observed popularity);

Maximum Ride series, Witch & Wizard series by Patterson
Hunger Games series by Collins
Eragon series by Paol..."

Wow Mike, your daughter must be a reading machine to have read most of that list.

She is. She can sit and go through a book pretty fast AND retain the knowledge. She scares me. I think she does it also because she is a writer and wants to learn more not just about stories but how to craft them.

She should start her own blog and review some books.

That is awesome, Mike! My daughter has read about half the list but in the last year, she got into reading Manga and Anime with a club at school. Now I have set an ultimatum, LOL, for every Manga she reads, she has to read a 'real' book too. ;)

Here is my Rascals Series. They come as paperbacks and also eBooks. This series is aimed at reluctant readers and is full of humour, however the stories are also gross and aimed to make children laugh. So far they've had five star reviews on Amazon.

Star-Crossed Rascals

Rascals Sing at The Opera House (Star-Crossed Rascals #2).

S.W. wrote: "She should start her own blog and review some books."
I may just encourage her to do that. She can't stay off her nook :)

Mike wrote: "S.W. wrote: "She should start her own blog and review some books."
I may just encourage her to do that. She can't stay off her nook :)"

I've recently suggested the same thing to my son, and plan to post it on my blog if he does one. I'd be happy to post your daughter's if you want too. (no obligation, just a thought)

Laurisa wrote: "I have a bad habit of reading the first book in a series and not reading book 2. Book One's I've read recently include Inkheart, Ranger's Apprentice, Narnia, Spiderwick Chronicles and The Bartimeau..."

You might try reading further in Chronicles of Narnia. Book 3---Voyage of the Dawn Treader--was may favorite.

Laurisa wrote: "I have a bad habit of reading the first book in a series and not reading book 2. Book One's I've read recently include Inkheart, Ranger's Apprentice, Narnia, Spiderwick Chronicles and The Bartimeau..."

AMEN! The Shadow Children series is my all-time favorite series, though the last few books might be considered YA?

Yes please encourage your kids to start a book blog! Much as I like and appreciate adult reviews, really the kid readers keep me going.

Krista wrote: "Yes please encourage your kids to start a book blog! Much as I like and appreciate adult reviews, really the kid readers keep me going."

I feel the same way! I love it when the target audience (middle grade) are able to give me feedback on what worked and didn't work for them with my books.
There is a site called Kindle Kids Corner and they allow kids to choose your books for reviews for school. Mine haven't been reviewed yet but I'm hoping with the paranormal theme maybe by Halloween some will choose mine.

I've started a new series! It's called The Super Spies series and I've got two books out, "The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer" and "The Super Spies and the High School Bomber". They're realistic without being graphic and there is no swearing or questionable content in them. I would characterize them as edgy Nancy Drew. I would love to hear what you think! :)

Check them out here www.lisaorchard.com

If you do start a kids blog, count my daughter in ! That would be amazing !!

Hey, I've started a mid-grade/YA time travel series with the debut of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. You can check it out on my website:
www.sharonledwith.com

Cheers, all!

Patricia wrote: "Here is my Rascals Series. They come as paperbacks and also eBooks. This series is aimed at reluctant readers and is full of humour, however the stories are also gross and aimed to make children la..."

Thanks for posting! I've got a first grader and he's not quite a reluctant reader, but I think he'd enjoy these books! Especially the gross part! :)

I have started a younger MG series called:
"Bastion Guardian of Covington"
If you like a "Disney style" adventure I welcome you to take a look. The reviews it received so far have been fantastic. Bastion Guardian of Covington

S.W. wrote: "Mike wrote: "S.W. wrote: "She should start her own blog and review some books."
I may just encourage her to do that. She can't stay off her nook :)"

I've recently suggested the same thing to my s..."

Oh yes, it's all about the kids' reviews. Kids have said the most surprising things about my book, good and bad, cutting through all preconceptions of age and gender! Let's hear it for the middle graders!

Serena wrote: "S.W. wrote: "Mike wrote: "S.W. wrote: "She should start her own blog and review some books."
I may just encourage her to do that. She can't stay off her nook :)"

I've recently suggested the same ..."

Sounds like there's some support for this kind of thing.
How does this sound, I'm prepared to publish book reviews by GMGR members' kids on my blog swlothian.wordpress.com . Maybe someone could suggest a rating scale that could be used (eg. stars, coconuts, apples, or whatever).
So if any members have kids who would like to give it a go please let me know.

I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem.

Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook edition for our middle grade reviewers. Count me and Finn in.

S.W. wrote: "Serena wrote: "S.W. wrote: "Mike wrote: "S.W. wrote: "She should start her own blog and review some books."
I may just encourage her to do that. She can't stay off her nook :)"

I've recently sugg..."

For the rating scale, maybe worms? as in bookworms?

Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Serena wrote: "Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook edition for our middle grade reviewers. Cou..."

Serena wrote: "For the rating scale, maybe worms? as in bookworms? "

Serena and Krista, I've set up a separate discussion for this so we can see what other members think of the idea.

Sue wrote: "If you do start a kids blog, count my daughter in ! That would be amazing !!"

Hi Sue, I've set up a separate discussion for this topic to see how much interest we have for this in the group.
Cheers

Wow you have a fantastic Idea here! I will donate a Kindle Edition.

S.W. wrote: "Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Serena wrote: "Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook edition for our middle grade..."

S.W. wrote: "Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Serena wrote: "Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook edition for our middle grade..."

Count me in too! I'll also donate a Kindle or whatever format is required! This is totally a wicked-awesome idea!

Hi all..... Any comments about kids reviewing books can be posted on the separate thread. So I can keep track of them all in the same place.
Cheers

Sharon wrote: "S.W. wrote: "Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Serena wrote: "Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook edition for our..."

My duaghter would love to read your book on her Nook.

Sue wrote: "My duaghter would love to read your book on her Nook"

Hi Sue,
Could you please add your comment to the MG Reviews by Kids thread. I'd like to keep all of the related comments together. Once I know there is enough interest in the kids review concept I'll work on a way to get it started.
Cheers

S.W. wrote: "Sue wrote: "My duaghter would love to read your book on her Nook"

Hi Sue,
Could you please add your comment to the MG Reviews by Kids thread. I'd like to keep all of the related comments together..."

Sue wrote: "Sharon wrote: "S.W. wrote: "Krista wrote: "I will gift Kindle editions to any kids that want to do reviews. No problem."

Serena wrote: "Great idea, Krista! I'd be happy to donate a Kindle or Nook ..."

Hi Sue, if you are interested in The Super Spies series I will gift you a copy for your Nook. I would just need to have an e-mail address to do that. :)

Lisa Orchard

I am doing a series on fun interactive KF8 Kindle books that parents can use to have fun teaching their kids to read. If you are interested, here is one example:

Parents of Small Children Will Love This One.

Here is a short video that shows the latest state-of-the-art KF8 Fixed Formatting techniques being used to create this magical, interactive Kindle ebook that just might be the most fun a parent can ever have teaching their small child to spell the names of 145 of our favorite animals. Here is the video link:

http://bit.ly/SeeHappy2

This Kindle ebook is titled:

TAP-N-SPELL Kids Reading Fun - 145 Fun Animals - Kids Learn to Read and Spell Flashcard Ebooks With Happy the Clown!

This will be some of the greatest fun that you and your child have ever had while teaching your child to spell. Just tap on each of the 145 pictures of fun animals and the spelling of the animal's name will pop up along with a funny kids joke about that animal.

Each page will have amazing fun facts about the last animal on the page. You and your child will laugh all the way through this Kindle ebook while you teach your child to spell the names of each of the 145 fun animals and learn amazing facts about the animals as well.

I am a new author and would love everyone's feedback on my book, The Farmhouse Secret. It is going to be the first of four and is geared toward 4-8th grade, although some adults have read it and enjoyed it as well. I am hoping to be an accessible author in that I am open to dialogue with my readers regarding my books, the writing process or the publishing process. Is this something this club would be interested in? Thank you, Nicole Hardison

My middle grade ghost adventure, Johnny Graphic and the Etheric Bomb, is now up as a paperback giveaway in the middle grade giveaways section here at Goodreads (for shipment in the U.S.). That's through 9-28. I'm also offering free e-copies to young reviewers in the new Reviews by Kids section here in Great Middle Grade reads.

D.R. wrote: "My middle grade ghost adventure, Johnny Graphic and the Etheric Bomb, is now up as a paperback giveaway in the middle grade giveaways section here at Goodreads (for shipment in the U.S.). That's th..."

I must have missed something--how do we get to the give away?

LJ wrote: "D.R. wrote: "My middle grade ghost adventure, Johnny Graphic and the Etheric Bomb, is now up as a paperback giveaway in the middle grade giveaways section here at Goodreads (for shipment in the U.S..."

Hi LJ....here's the link to the giveaway post that D.R. has mentioned......

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Cheers

Thank you. I found it and I entered the contest. It looks like a great book.

LJ

S.W. wrote: "LJ wrote: "D.R. wrote: "My middle grade ghost adventure, Johnny Graphic and the Etheric Bomb, is now up as a paperback giveaway in the middle grade giveaways section here at Goodreads (for shipment..."