Imagine
you're a writer and your brother mentions off-hand that he's looking for books
his daughter might like to read.
You
might take that on as your next crusade.
I
tweeted this yesterday, and the fabulous Twitter writing community came
through.
Within
hours, I had a nice, long list of recommendations. And since there's nothing
better than sharing books, I've listed them below for anyone who enjoys Middle
Grade* or is looking for something for their kids to read.
You
might want to check for them at your local library or any bookstore. I've
linked to amazon for simplicity's sake, so you can read the teasers.
Happy
reading!
All
of the books by Anne Nesbet, for example The
Cabinet of Earths or Cloud
and Wallfish.
Amber
Lough's The
Fire Wish and The
Blind Wish.
The
Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White.
The
first two Warrior Cats series by Erin Hunter, beginning with Warriors
#1: Into The Wild.
The Redwall series by Brian Jacques, beginning with Redwall.
Last
in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre.
The
Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand and the sequel by Jen Swann Downey.
The
Case of the Missing Moonstone and the sequel by Jordan Stratford.
Megan
Jean Sovern's The
Meaning of Maggie.
A
Snicker Of Magic
by Natalie Lloyd (what an amazing title!).
Lynda
Mullaly Hunt's Fish
in a Tree.
Kristin
Levine's The
Lions of Little Rock.
The
Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill (omg, another cool title!).
Angie
Sage's Magyk
and the rest of the series.
Sarah
Prineas's The
Magic Thief series.
The
Ascendance Trilogy starting with The
False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
The
Thief
and the rest of that series by Meghan Whalen Turner was recommended twice!
Jaleigh
Johnson's The
Mark of the Dragonfly (*swoon* I think I'm a fabulous-title-junkie)
My
Seventh Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin.
Susie
Salom's Kyle
Finds Her Way.
Rae
Ann Parker's The
Devil's Backbone.
Any
book by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, for example, The
War That Saved My Life or Jefferson's
Sons.
Shannon
Hale's novels, including The
Princess Academy.
Several
books by Jessica Day George, like Tuesdays
At The Castle.
Gail
Carson Levine's stories, for example Stolen
Magic.
Patricia
C. Wrede has written several books and series. Here's one: The
Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
And
by far, the most recommended author was Tamora Pierce.
·
-Some
suggested The Circle of Magic books. The first is Circle
of Magic: Sandry's Book.
·
-Some
recommended the Song of the Lioness books beginning with Alanna:
The First Adventure.
·
-Some
said "everything Tamora Pierce ever wrote."
I
will admit I haven't read some of these books, but my Twitter friends generally
have amazing taste.
Have
suggestions of your own? I'd love to see them in the comments!
*Middle Grade's target audience is approximately 8-12 years old (but I've really enjoyed some of these too!).
*Middle Grade's target audience is approximately 8-12 years old (but I've really enjoyed some of these too!).
For sequel readers:
ReplyDeleteThe second Ninja Librarians books by Jen Swann Downey is The Sword in the Stacks.
The second case for Jordan Sratford's Wollstonecraft Detective Agency is The Case of the Girl in Grey.
Jason Reynolds has a new MG out called Ghost, the first in a series.
ReplyDeleteSo I have a few recs. BLACKBIRD FLY by Erin Entrada Kelly (wonderful story about Filipino American girl and finding her own place in the world). CHARLIE BONE SERIES by Jenny Nino (a Harry Potter-esque series w/ magic, a school, friends & adventure). GEORGE by Alex Gino (a story about a trans girl finding the courage to be who she is). AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor (age range 12-17, story of a girl w/ magic in Nigeria but some violence). Harry Potter (I know this is obvious, but had to say it!) Narnia series (also obvious, but still). THE GIVER SERIES by Lowis Lowry (age range 12-17, mature subjects but excellent books. Maybe for the future.) SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES by Holly Black, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, A WRINKLE IN TIME, and last THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE SERIES by John Flanagan (age range 10-14 years)
ReplyDeleteThank you for these additions, Mayken, Chris and Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteChris, I haven't read GHOST, but I did read THE BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT (YA) by Jason Reynolds, and it was excellent, so I'm sure GHOST is great too.
And Jennifer, I wanted to list GEORGE and A WRINKLE IN TIME myself but just forgot! Thanks for adding them. I've also heard AKATA WITCH is really good.