Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

December is here already, but before we charge into the challenges (and fun) of a new year, let's take a moment to look back over our reading pile from November. What were your favorite middle grade reads? What titles would you recommend?

I didn't reread After Zero which was one of our books of the month, but I heartily agreed with other people's assessment. There was something in there that grabbed someone inside you, I think. Maybe someone you were aware of, or maybe it came as a surprise.

I did read Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents, #1), which I got along with a couple of other Hogwarts spin-offs as an ebook. It's kind of extracts from JK Rowling's notebooks about characters and event backgrounds. I enjoyed it. It's short, as well!

Another month has passed and more great books have been read. I have looked back through the list of books I read in November - which includes many wonderful books (and a few not-quite-so-wonderful books) in November - and have done my best to narrow down that list and focus on the best ones.

With some back-and-forth in my own head, I was able to narrow my list down to only 6 for November - a veritable feat for me! What are those 6 books, you ask? In no particular order, they are:

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - who knew that baking magic, more specifically bread magic, could be so useful? Certainly not Mona. At least, not at first. But when magic users begin disappearing and Mona is targeted by a scary assassin, while also being accused of being said assassin, Mona quickly begins discovering just how useful bread magic can be. But can it save a kingdom? Well, you'll just have to read to find out.

The Gatekeeper's Staff: An Old Gods Story by Antoine Bandele - TJ is the middle child of his family. This wouldn't be so bad for TJ if his family was normal. Unfortunately for TJ, though, they aren't. Well, his dad is, but everyone else is a magic user. Even worse, both of TJ's siblings are really good magic users. TJ, on the other hand, is not. In fact, the only magic he seems to have is being lucky...for other people...to the point that his nickname is Lucky Charm. But he's okay with that - the non-magic part, not so much the nickname part. His mother, though? Not so much. So when TJ performs a magic spell at a family gathering - which he says is a fluke - his mother latches on to that single incident as proof that he has magic and begins working to get him into a remedial magic camp so that he can get into a magical academy. And that's when the fun really begins - and by fun, I mean crazy happenings and the possibility that TJ may actually be at the center of a prophecy about the return of the gods.

Shy Ninja by Ricardo and Adara Sanchez, illustrated by Arianna Florean - Rena is a young girl who suffers from social anxiety. Her only friend is a boy who is immuno-compromised and lives in a clean room in his own home; they talk and play video games together on their computers, and for Rena, that's quite enough social interaction for her. Her mother and therapist, though, do not agree, so Rena has agreed to join a club. In an apparent fluke, Rena discovers a ninja club and despite early misgivings, quickly comes to love it. Then she finds out that she is at the center of a prophecy and discovers a true affinity for "ninja-ing."
The character of Rena was originally created and designed by Adara, the author, Ricardo's, daughter when she was 13, and she helped write the novel with her father, though a different illustrator was used. I really loved that aspect of this story, and I'm looking forward to Volume 2 coming out.

Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia L. Smith - This is a retelling of the Peter Pan story which focuses more on the children than Peter. In the story, Wendy is a young English girl with an older brother, John. Her father married a Native American woman, who has a daughter, Lily, that is the same age as Wendy. Wendy and Lily became best friends when their parents married several years prior to the start of the story, and they also have a younger brother, Michael "Mikey." While focusing on the sister bond between Wendy and Lily, the author also did a really good job of bringing up and addressing the problems in the original story, particularly with respect to indigenous peoples, but she does so without being heavy-handed or condescending. In addition, Peter is not a likable character - he is portrayed as narcissistic and arrogant - but Smith is also able to present Peter in such a way that you do begin to understand, if not empathize with, him by the end. Finally, unlike in the original story, Belle (Tinkerbell) has much more agency in this retelling, and it is very clear early on that she is growing tired of Peter's antics and treatment of others.

Spoken by Melanie Weiss - Roman has a great life. Great, that is, until his mother decides to blow it up. Now, instead of living in Hollywood, in a truly pampered life, he's living with his grandparents in the Midwest (or middle of nowhere, as far as Roman is concerned). But when Roman's friend introduces him to the school's Spoken Word Club. While Roman's mom is flying back and forth between there and Hollywood, trying to get work and their old life back, Roman finds his voice and a chance to meet the father that he's never met. This story was really good, and I loved listening to the audiobook - particularly for the spoken word performances.

After Zero by Christina Collins - Elise has started public school - in the 8th grade - and has discovered just how tough it can be. As a result of several early missteps, Elise slowly stops speaking at school, afraid of saying the wrong thing. What began as a choice to not say anything for fear of saying the wrong thing may be becoming the inability to say anything, though, and things only get worse when situations occur and Elise is unable to defend herself.
This was November's BOTM read and was a powerful read for me. Like Elise, I began public school in the 8th grade. Like Elise, I struggled with learning all of the unwritten-but-understood-by-everyone rules of public education. Unlike Elise, I did not become selectively mute, though my extreme introversion meant I didn't really care if I interacted with anyone else and was much more willing to just sit alone and read a book (not much has changed in the subsequent 30 years, LOL). Colliins' did a really good job of presenting the way selective mutism can occur, and what it can feel like for both the person who is mute and those around them. I was definitely experiencing all the feels while reading this book, and I applaud Collins for her writing in this story.

I only managed one book in November The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow. I got a copy after I saw it was up for votes for December's read. I particularly enjoyed the unique setting, whisking me back to a time when departmental stores were novelty.

The Ghost Drum

Here Lies Arthur

The Other Side of Truth

Tom's Midnight Garden

The Trickster and the Troll

Das fliegende Klassenzimmer (The Flying Classroom)

All five star books for me, with Das fliegende Klassenzimmer being a yearly reread for Christmas time

Ope! You beat me posting this by 5 hours. Thanks, Jemima. ~CJ

The Girl from Felony Bay by J. E. Thompson

Disappearance at Hangman's Bluff by J. E. Thompson

Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day by Gary Paulson

C.J. wrote: "Ope! You beat me posting this by 5 hours. Thanks, Jemima. ~CJ"

Sorry, CJ, but you did say how busy you were, and I thought, well, maybe I shouldn't, but I'm here.... Hope the book's going well :)

I think the best MG book I read in November was Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna

I also read and greatly enjoyed a real classic; I'm working my way through the Swallows and Amazons series and this month read