Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

A new year with new reading challenges! I hope you've all signed up for the A to Z Challenge ... and maybe even our Series Challenge. All good excuses to push toward the big annual Reading Challenge here on Goodreads. What's your goal? And while you're at it, how did January go? Find any great middle grade reads? Tell us about your faves.

I'm, like, halfway through 3-4 books, but one that I finished and really enjoyed was Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros. It's a story about two guys who've been friends since forever, even though it might seem like they have nothing in common. The jock and the nerd. Both have struggles (especially with their dads), but they have each other, too. I love friendship stories.

As usual, I don't think I can pick just one favorite for the month. I did, though, manage to narrow it down to a top 5. They are:

Class Act by Jerry Craft - a graphic novel that continues the story of Drew, Jordan, and Liam from New Kid. This story focuses more on Drew and the struggles he is having with his identity. The authentic situations Craft illustrates are really good, and I look forward to continuing the story when School Trip is published in April.



Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper - Jake is an 8th-grade student who finally comes out to his parents. They are very supportive, even putting a pride flag on the flag pole out front of their house, but Jake still feels like something is missing. He still doesn't feel like he really belongs - that he's actually accepted - by his town, so he wants to throw the town's first Pride Festival. Unfortunately, his town is in small-town Ohio, and not everyone is on board or supportive of Jake's idea.



The Magical Imperfect by Chris Baron - Eton is a young Jewish boy. The story is set in 1989 in a fictional community of families, the older members of whom had arrived in the United States on the same ship. Eton has been selectively mute since his mother was checked into a psychiatric hospital. He begins making deliveries to a nearby home and makes friends with Malia, who suffers from eczema and has been homeschooled. This book is written in verse, and is all the better for it.



Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije - Shad is twelve years old and loves baking. In addition to baking, the local baker also teaches Shad about Alchemy. Shad does well enough to be accepted to the Alexandria Academy to study Alchemy. Only, when he arrives, no one knows about Alchemy and the Academy presumably has a focus on science and mathematics. But Shad knows something is wrong. Can he save the school and other students who don't even know they're in danger?



and

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa de la Cruz - This was a fun story that involved fairy tales with a twist. The foundational story is Sleeping Beauty, but there are a great many stories included. Taking place in Northern Pasadena in our own world and the world of Never After, which our protagonist Filomena has thought was a fictional world of her favorite book series, Filomena and her new friends, Jack and Alistair, have to stop the ogre queen and save the world of Never After. A lot of fun.

Jennifer wrote: "As usual, I don't think I can pick just one favorite for the month. I did, though, manage to narrow it down to a top 5. They are:

Class Act by Jerry Craft - a graphic novel that co..."
I haven’t read any of these, but they all sound good- I have to add them to my TBR pile. I have one definite favourite for January: What Happened to Rachel Riley?. I loved everything about it. It follows a young girl, Anna, who moves to a new town, and , for a project at her new school, tries to find out what happened to once-popular Rachel, who people never talk to or talk about anymore. I think it’s an excellent book that deals with sexual harassment in a very good way. Loved it!
Also, some other middle grade books with characters who have to deal with sexual harassment I read in Jan and adored: Caprice, Fighting Words
And my “lighter “ middle grade favourite is The Gilded Girl

I've slowed down a lot on reading MG, so only read one in January, but it was really good. Island of Spies by Sheila Turnage. Historical fiction set on Hattaras Island during WWII. I learned some history, and really liked the trio of friends who are the main characters.