Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

September has arrived, but before we charge into the challenges (and fun) of a new season, let's take a moment to look back over our reading pile from August. What were your favorite middle grade reads? What titles would you recommend?

As for me, there are two stand-outs. I thoroughly enjoyed The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud, who is one of my favorite authors. It's set in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian England where freedoms are questionable and dangers abound. Scarlett is a thief on the run, and Browne? Welp, she runs into him along the way. Action-packed and sometimes violent. The only thing my other fave book from last month has in common is that it's also set in England. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus is set in wartime, when children were being evacuated from London into the countryside. Three orphaned siblings, bibliophiles all, are on the lookout for a nice family to give them a permanent home.

August was a great month for Mysteries ; Jolly Foul Play and Mistletoe and Murder, books four and five in the Wells and Wong Mysteries. Also The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer.

I also enjoyed The Last Cuentista, this year's Newbery winner by Higuera Donna Barba

I read so many great MG books in August but, unlike all previous months, I actually have a "best" book this month. Even with that distinction, there were still several others that came in a very close second, so I will include them here, too.

The very-close-second books:

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor - on the upper end of the MG age spectrum, I would recommend this one first because it's written by Nnedi Okorafor (she's awesome!) and second because it highlights African jujuism in such a marvelous way and combines it with a coming-of-age story.

The Language of Ghosts by Heather Fawcett - if you like books with magic, this book has an original magic system. It also has 3 siblings as the main protagonists - told from the POV of the middle sibling - and I loved the sibling relationships in this book.

The New Kid by Jerry Craft - this graphic novel follows a black student who starts at a private school that doesn't have a lot of diversity. Throughout the school year, he suffers micro-aggressions, makes friends, and learns about himself.

Aya and the Firecats: The Journey Begins by Gunhild Jensen - this debut novel follows Aya over the course of a few days as big things begin to happen in her world. The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait until the sequel comes out so I can immerse myself in this world again.



But, of course, the reason for this post is for the best book, so without further adieu, we have The Best Book I Read In August:

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A. F. Steadman

This debut novel follows Skandar, who has always wanted to become a unicorn rider. But, on the day of the exam to determine who will have the chance to attend the rider academy, he is prevented from taking the exam. As a result, he is surprised when someone shows up at midnight, right on schedule, to escort him to the academy on the island.
What follows is an academy novel with great friendships and amazing worldbuilding that is better (in my humble opinion) than both Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. If you haven't read this novel, do yourself a favor and read it. It is truly amazing. It has magic, unicorns, awesome friends, mystery, a big bad guy with a major axe to grind, a beautifully-described academy, and just an all-around great story. Seriously, you need to read it - or listen to it, as the narrator did an absolutely fantastic job with this book and I will admit to being a little bit in love with his voice after listening to him read this novel. Do you really want to miss out on that? No. No, you don't. You want to either read or listen to this book. Really.

Skandar has been on my list for a while. And now I for sure don't want to miss out!

I just read 2 middle-grade books this August which are The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm. Those two books are so great! I gave 5 stars the remarkable journey and 4 stars for the fourteenth Goldfish:)

Patricia wrote: "I just read 2 middle-grade books this August which are The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart and The Fourteenth Goldfish by ..."

Oh, good. I picked up both of those in sales last month, and I'm looking forward to reading them.

Jennifer wrote: "Patricia wrote: "I just read 2 middle-grade books this August which are The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart and [book: The Fourteenth Goldf..."

That's great, Jennifer. I hope you enjoy reading them:D

I did not expect to enjoy Wesley King's Sara and the Search for Normal as much as I did. It is a great companion book to King's OCDaniel (and in my opinion superior) but both novels, both OCDaniel and Sara and the Search for Normal also work as stand alone.

am I too late to say mine?

elliot ·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ wrote: "am I too late to say mine?"

No, it's okay if you wanted to share your's:)

Patricia wrote: "elliot ·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ wrote: "am I too late to say mine?"

No, it's okay if you wanted to share your's:)"

But not if you wrote it, Elliott. Then you can only talk about it in Author’s Corner!