Archives for March 27, 2023

Last February I won a mentorship at the kickoff for the 2022 WIFYR Conference. Carol Lynch Williams, my mentor, an author, and the conference director encouraged me to try my hand at middle grade novels and gave me a small list of books to read as homework. I set a goal to read twenty-five middle school books. My intended genre was picture books (and I set a goal to read 100 of those) but Carol said I have a natural voice for middle grade, so I decided to take her challenge. Last month I finished the 25th book. I actually love this genre, so here’s the list, and a review of my favorite middle school books you should read this Spring.

Books in Order Read

I have not been given any of these books by authors, nor did I get any compensation for giving reviews. At the time of writing this, I do not make any commission on purchases you might make when you click on a link. Trying to decide what my favorite middle school books is, is like trying to choose what color is my favorite. I like them all. But here are my picks from several categories.

#1 Unforgettable Pick

When I first started thinking about doing a blog in August, I knew I would include book reviews. At the time, I thought, “The first book I need to review for my favorite middle school books is The Doughnut Fix.” I got the second The Doughnut King and loved it equally. Immediately, I looked for something else by Jessie Janowitz, AND THERE WASN’T ANYTHING! It was so disappointing. I can’t stop thinking about the story, so it’s my first choice.

Tristan lives in New York with his parents and two younger sisters, one who is Gifted and Talented. He might not be the smartest person, but he’s fine with this because he can make the perfect chocolate chip cookies. Life is pretty dang good until his parents move them to a town where there’s one street, no restaurants, and nothing that he’s familiar with. He’s excited when he sees a sign for DOUGHNUTS in a shop window. It’s a lie! They haven’t sold Doughnuts there for years. Tristan decides to get the famous recipe and open up a doughnut stand. The only problem is the owner of the recipe insists he must have a business plan. Chaos ensues as he struggles to make his business successful so he can have his doughnut fix.

This is a wonderful tale about family, community, and entrepreneurship. The characters are engaging. Having moved a lot in my life, I empathized with Tristan. New is hard. I loved how the parents inspire their children to try different things. Winnie, the recipe owner, was especially likable for how she expected a lot out of Tristan. I think adults should expect a lot out of kids. They’ll rise to the challenge! What I admired about this book is that it actually inspires kids to be entrepreneurs. I hope she is writing more.

#2 Favorite Author

I never heard of Gordon Korman before, but he had a couple free stories on Kindle Prime, so I gave him a shot. As you can see from my list, I can’t get enough of him. His characters are fun, quirky, and perfectly imperfect. It is really hard to pick a favorite, but I’m going to recommend you start with The Unteachables. Room 117, the misfits, delinquents, and “dumb” kids are surprised when they meet someone with less desire to be at school than themselves — their teacher. But over the school year they find that their adventures of mayhem and destruction unite them in way that changes everyone’s destiny.

I like kid’s books with adult characters you can love. This story is written from several perspectives. This helps you connect better with both the students and teacher. I found myself rooting for each and every one of them. I highly recommend reading this together as a family and talking about how each student might feel as well as the teacher. It’s important to be able to put ourselves in other’s shoes. And then grab another of his books. There’s an endless supply since he’s written well over 70.

#3 Historical Fiction Fan

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction. A couple of the books I read have historical context. We Dream of Space is set in 1986 during the Challenger mission (when I was a sophomore in high school). I liked it a lot. However, I’m going to recommend Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash as my favorite. Events in this story come from actual experiences the authors had in Afghanistan. Readers get a better understanding of what life was like (and maybe once again is) under the Taliban.

Enduring Freedom is a moving and enlightening novel about how ignorance can tear us apart and how education and understanding can bring us back together.

Baheer is a teen whose family’s life is upended as war rocks their country. As U.S. forces arrive, he meets Joe, a soldier who dreamed of becoming a journalist before being shipped off Afghanistan. They realize they have more in common than they imagine. But is it possible to put their religious and cultural differences aside?

The realness of this book is touching, and I recommend it for young teens or tweens (as well as their parents). If you want to learn more about the real struggle of Jawad Arash and his family to escape Afghanistan, follow Trent Reedy on Facebook.

#4 Heartwarming Winner

Because I’m a foster parent, Carol suggested I read stories that might inspire me to write about my experiences. She recommended several. Surprisingly, one of my favorites was one I chose based on its writing style — third person omniscient — which I’m writing. Imagine my surprise when Ruby Holler, written by Sharon Creech, was also a story about foster care siblings.

In this story, Dallas and Florida, aka the Terrible Twins, find themselves in the home of an elderly couple, Tiller and Sairy, who are preparing for separate adventures and need the help of the youngsters. After years of being bounced around foster homes, they expect the worst. Tiller has raised a family and doesn’t see the point in starting over. Through love and patience, the characters come to realize that home is the people who are in it.

This story has many surprising twists and turns. The story of foster care and the children’s reactions are very true to my experiences. I smiled when the elderly couple realize how much they miss having children in their home. Likewise, it was heartwarming when Dallas and Florida come to accept that there are adults in the world who care about people. Truly an amazing story. That’s probably why it has won a Carnegie Medal and is one of my favorite middle school books this year.

#5 Fantasy We’re Familiar With

Who doesn’t know Alice in Wonderland? J. Scott Savage brings all the wonder and word-play back in his amazing book, The Lost Wonderland Diaries. This is the first book in his series. Celia and Tyrus find the fabled lost Wonderland Diaries of her great great great granduncle, Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll. Together, they are sucked into a portal that deposits them in what they come to realize is Wonderland. However, things are not as Tyrus remembers from the books. Scary monsters replace characters from earlier. They come to realize that it is up to them to return the creatures who have entered the real world. Their assumed weaknesses become their strengths, but they don’t know if it will be enough to help them escape and save the world.

Savage magically recreates this fantasy world and incorporates the original author’s love of math and words into a gripping adventure. Celia is the daughter of a librarian, and she hates nothing more than reading. But she loves math and puzzles. Tyrus is a bookworm who finds he doesn’t fit in. Although they are different, they combine their talents to find solutions they thought were impossible. If you or a child struggle with dyslexia, this is a great book to read together. Readers are introduced to different facts and tools associated with dyslexia that I found fascinating.

No Haters

If a book isn’t listed in my top five, don’t assume I didn’t love it. I don’t want any hate comments because your favorite didn’t make my top list. Although Wonder isn’t one of the top five, I LOVED IT! So go ahead and read it too. In fact, read them all. You won’t be disappointed.

The last book on my list was a graphic novel. They haven’t been my favorite genre, but I can definitely see how they get kids reading. Maybe I’ll get a few more of those. Regardless, I’ll probably love it because I dratherB reading!!

Your Turn

What favorite middle school books have you read lately? Do you have a favorite author or series from your childhood? How often do you ask your child or grandchild or nephew/niece what they’re reading in school? I challenge you to have them tell you about a favorite book and then read it so you can discuss it together. Happy reading!