MIDDLE GRADE - SCARY STORIES

Some kids just love a great scare, so I’m always on the lookout for books about haunted houses, ghosts and creepy characters who lurk. Mary Downing Hahn and Dan Poblocki have become the staples in this genre, but with the popularity of series, Grabenstein and Carman are definitely worth reading.  These books are my favorites.

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman (series)

There’s a mystery in Skeleton Creek surrounding a freak accident at a mining operation that’s long been abandoned. Ryan and Sarah are determined to get to the bottom of it. When Ryan is injured during one of their jaunts to dig up clues, his parents forbid the friends from seeing each other. While Ryan recovers, Sarah explores on her own, taking videos and sending them to Ryan via the internet. Spooky.

Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac (sequel)

Molly’s family has suddenly gone missing. When a man claiming to be her uncle shows up, Molly reluctantly moves in with him. Immediately he creeps her out. He watches her. He looks emaciated. He locks her in her room at night. She didn’t possibly think the legend of the Skeleton Man could be true. Is she paranoid or is the Skeleton Man after her? Short and scary.

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty (series)

Serafina lives in the basement of the Biltmore Estate with her father, the mansion’s electrician. One night she witnesses a girl being kidnapped by a mysterious man in a black cloak. The man surrounds her with his cloak and she vanishes. One by one kids are vanishing and Serafina might be next unless she figures out who the terrifying man is and what he wants.

The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (series)

Zack’s family has just moved back to his father’s hometown and right away things are weird. There’s something sinister about the tree in their backyard that is close to the intersection where a truck and bus collided in a tragic accident many years ago. Ghosts seem to haunt this intersection, unable to rest, and one of them is not nice. Who is the mean women who puts flowers at the tree and what is the connection to Zack’s family?

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie

Tessa is not happy about her new move to Chicago. Worse, she’s creeped out by all the weird things happening in the new house. Doors slamming. Mysterious drawings. But when her brother’s doll cries real tears, she knows she has to figure out who’s trying to communicate with her and what happened in that house.

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper’s family has just moved into a new house and things start to get weird fast. Her brother’s imaginary friend doesn’t seem very friendly and she fears he might be possessed by a spirit. When she begins researching the history of the house, she learns that it has a unsettling past. It’s the kids version of The Amityville Horror.

The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki

When Neil and his sister visit their aunts for the summer, the first thing Neil wants to do is explore the infamous abandoned mental hospital to see if Nurse Janet haunts it as people say. Along with their new friend Wesley, they break in and get totally spooked. They decide to do some research to learn more about Graylock Hospital, but Neil gets the sense that a ghost of Graylock has latched on to him.

Took by Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn found her niche in ghost stories. She has written quite a few and this is her most recent. When Daniel’s family moves to a new town in West Virginia, he begins hearing strange stories about a ghost witch called Old Auntie who steals a child every 50 years. At first he doesn’t believe but when his sister goes missing he thinks maybe she is the latest victim.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Molly can’t believe her luck when she and her younger brother Kip are hired to take care of Windsor Mansion. It’s a bit run down and the family are peculiar, but she needs a job. Oddest of all is the strange man who enters the house every night, leaving muddy footprints behind. This certainly has something to do with the tree around which the house is built. Then there’s the nightmares. What’s happening in this house?

Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

American History - Middle Grades

Middle Grade 

American Historical Fiction

Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog 

Reading about another time in history helps a reader understand and empathize with people who lived through those times. There are so many excellent choices for American historical fictions reads. Here are a few of my favorites.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Told from the perspective of a young girl who recounts the frequent struggles against the dust storms and the resulting crop failures that bring poverty to a land that is already in the midst of a Great Depression. Hope is met with despair at every turn, but ultimately she realizes that survival is a condition within all of us. It is not determined by external factors. Written in verse.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

Hattie, a 16yo, is willed a land claim by her unknown, deceased uncle, so she leaves her foster home in Iowa and heads to Montana. She arrives in the middle of winter to find little more than some land, a shack, a cow and a horse. She has until November to produce a crop that can pay off the claim or she risks losing the farm.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Anna and Caleb lost their mother at a young age and Jacob, their father needs a wife to run the household. His advertisement is answered by Sarah who comes from Maine to the prairie for a trial run as a frontier wife. Both the children and their father fall head over heels for Sarah and hope she will stay.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Excellent portrayal of life in New York City during the American Revolution. Told through the eyes of a slave girl who should have been freed per the wishes of her recently deceased owner, but instead is sold to a loyalist couple in New York City who dole out severe punishments for disobedience. She befriends a slave boy who she ultimately feels compelled to save at the risk of her own life.

 Woods Runner by GaryPaulsen

13yo Samuel returns from a hunting trip to find that his parents and neighbors have either been murdered or taken captive by British and Indian soldiers. Using his sleuthing skills he figures out that his parents were spared and sets out in pursuit of them. Along the way, he is hit in the head with a hatchet, saves a girl from death, encounters a civilian who risks his life to help Samuel and pulls of a daring rescue of his parents at a prisoner facility in New York City.

My Brother Sam is Dead by Sam Collier

During the American Revolution, many Americans sided with Britain. Tim’s father is a Loyalist who is crushed when Tim’s older brother, Sam, decides to fight with the Patriots. During the war, Tim grows emotionally into a man. He witnesses his father being kidnapped by cowboy bandits and later the execution of Sam when he is falsely accused of stealing his family’s own cattle.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

16yo Kit Tyler has just left her tropical, island home in Barbados to live with her Aunt and Uncle in Connecticut. As hard as she tries, she can’t embrace the harsh Puritan ways of the community. When she befriends a kind, old women who has been branded as a witch, she knows she is putting her own reputation at risk. She risks be accused of being a witch herself.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Yellow Fever epidemic has hit Philadelphia. There are so many bodies they must be deposited in mass graves. Mattie Cook hopes that her family will be spared, but no such luck. Now, she is in a desperate battle to save her family’s coffee shop and most importantly, her own life.

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

Non-Fiction - Middle Grade

Middle Grade Nonfiction Narratives

 Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog

Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World’s Most DangerousWeapon by Steve Sheinkin

In the midst of WWII, German scientists discover the potential to unleash massive amounts of energy from a nuclear chain reaction and the race is on to build the world’s most destructive weapon. Under the strictest call for secrecy in a converted school in New Mexico, America’s best physicists come together in a tireless effort to outwit the Germans and build the first atomic bomb.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Addition) byWilliam Kamkwamba

William lives in Africa where famine is common and education is out of reach for most families. To satisfy his craving for information, William spends his spare time reading science books at the local library. He puts that knowledge to use and ends of building a windmill that brings electricity to his family’s tiny thatch-roofed house and gains him international fame.

Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton

Bethany Hamilton lives to surf. She’s one of the best young surfers in the world when she is attacked by a shark and loses an arm. Instead of giving up, she gets back on her board and fights her way back to the world championships.

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changedthe World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai

When the oppressive Taliban takes over Swat Valley, Pakistan in 2009, one girl stands up for her right to an education. In retaliation, she is shot in the head and nearly dies. She survives and her story goes global. Inspirational story of one person taking a stand against the odds.

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

This is a telling of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in real-time, as it happens. It begins with the fire in the O’Leary barn and describes its spread from the perspectives of witnesses who were there. The suspense builds as the fire expands and hundreds of thousands of people are forced to flee.

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges is an icon and witness to the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1960, when she is only 6 years old, she is escorted by US marshalls into a newly desegregated elementary school. She is taunted and subjected to humiliation as people throw eggs and rocks. Ruby Bridges herself recounts those events from her perspective.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary TrueStory of Shackleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong

In 1914, Shackleton and his 27 crew members leave England on an expedition to sail across Antarctica. Five months in, their ship becomes locked in ice and eventually sinks. Realizing no hope for rescue, Shackleton and 5 men set out in a life boat across 800 miles of open ocean to fetch a rescue boat for the remaining crew.

Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer

Mark Pfetzer is 13 years old when he decides he wants to climb Mt. Everest. It takes several years of training and practice on other mountains before he finally attempts the tallest mountain in the world. He is there in 1996 when the famous Everest blizzard claims the lives of eight men and he has to turn back.

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

Civil Rights - Middle Grade

Civil Rights Historical Fiction

 Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

11yo Delphine is excited to spend the summer in California with her sisters. She quickly learns that her mother has no intention of taking care of them. It’s up to Delphine to be the adult and entertain herself. The Black Panthers movement plays prominently in the story.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This is an autobiographical story written in verse. Woodson’s early years are spent in South Carolina with her grandparents and later in New York with her mother. She describes the cultural differences in her two childhood experiences from a civil rights perspective.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

Two brothers growing up in Flint, Michigan during the Civil Rights movement are unaware about what is going on in the south until they drive to Alabama to visit their grandmother. Told from the point of view of the younger brother who is harassed by his older, rebellious brother. Humorous.

Witness by Karen Hesse

Typical of Karen Hesse, this story is written in verse. The Ku Klux Klan has infiltrated a small Vermont town in the 1920s. The story is told through the perspectives of various community members, including a black girl and Jewish girl.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

The South is segregated in the 1930s. When Stella and her brother wander outside one night, they stumble upon the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross. Things aren’t getting better after all. They are as segregated as ever.

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

12yo Marlee goes to an all-white school and isn’t into socializing.  When darker skinned Liz shows up, they become instant friends. Liz helps Marlee overcome her fears. Then one day Liz is gone without a word. When Marlee finds out why, the pair are determined to stand up to the injustice.

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood

It’s summer and Glory is excited to swim at the city pool. Word has it that a civil rights group is trying to desegregate the pool, so the city simply closed it to avoid the situation. Glory’s family is sympathetic to the cause, but doesn’t know how involved they should be or what they can do to affect change.

It All Comes Down to This by Karen English

Sophie’s family has just moved to a mostly white upper middle class neighborhood in Los Angeles. She becomes good friends with Jennifer, but most of the white girls deliberately exclude her because of her skin color. When a friend is unfairly arrested in the Watts riots Sophie learns that life is simply not fair if you’re black.

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

Historical Fiction - Middle Grades

Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog

Middle Grade WW2 Historical Fiction - HOLOCAUST

No horror story matches that of the German and Soviet attempts at ethnic cleansing that occurred during World War 2. The attempt to control the lives of the innocent citizens continued well into the Cold War. These are some of the best written recreations of what happened during that time.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, is Jewish and Denmark is under invasion by the Germans. The Rosens must act quickly or risk being deported to a concentration camp. Annemarie’s family devises a plan to disguise Ellen as a family member and send both girls to relatives in Sweden. If the plan works, they will save Ellen. If not, Annemarie’s family will face dire consequences.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bruno’s father has just received a promotion to oversee Auschwitz. Soon after they move in, Bruno goes exploring and discovers a large fence with a boy his age sitting on the other side. Bruno has no idea what is really going on. The two boys become friends and begin meeting at the fence every day. Tragedy strikes when Bruno decides to cross the fence.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Liesel is an orphan living in Germany during WW2. Her foster father teaches her to read and when she attends a book burning she steals a book. From there she begins to “borrow” books from a wealthy family when she delivers their laundry. More dangerous than that, her foster father decides to repay a debt by harboring a Jewish man who saved his life. The most heart wrenching part of the book is the narration by death as he comments on the tragedy of war.

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

As the book opens, we meet a young boy in Warsaw who knows nothing about himself. He is picked up by a band of orphans who survive by stealing food. One orphan takes him under his wing and names him Misha. As the story continues, the humiliation of the Jews begins and eventually the evacuation to the infamous Warsaw ghetto. Misha is a very naïve boy, but manages to avoid the deportation to the concentration camps. Describes the struggle for basic survival within the locked gates of the ghetto.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is a Lithuanian during World War 2. The Russians are carrying out their own ethnic cleansing and ship Lina and her family to labor camps in Siberia. After surviving a grueling transport in a cattle car, they are forced to live in huts with no heat and must work hard labor for meager food rations. When the time comes for transport to another camp, Lina’s family have high hopes for something better. Instead, they are moved further north where it’s even colder and there is less food.

My Brother’s Secret by Dan Smith

Karl is a 12yo German boy who is proud of his accomplishments in the Deutsches Jungvolk or German Youngsters. He can’t wait to be old enough to join the Hitler Youth. His older brother, Stefan, will never join the Hitler Youth. He is against Hitler and his plan for Germany. When their father dies fighting the Russians, reality slowly begins to reveal itself to Karl until eventually he wants nothing more than to switch allegiance and join the anti- Hitler Youth group, Edelweiss Pirates, like his brother.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Helmut is a German boy when Hitler comes to power. As Hitler’s power grows, he sees a country being torn apart. Though forced to join the Hitler Youth and cover up his true feelings, his anxiety is reaching critical mass. He steals his brother’s radio and begins listening to the forbidden British war updates. His moral compass demands that he do something, so he begins secretly distributing pamphlets around town to inform his fellow Germans of the truth.

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen

This is actually a post WW2 book.Greta’s father and older brother are visiting West Berlin when the barbed wire goes up on the Berlin Wall and the gates slam shut, preventing travel between the two sides of the city. Greta and her brother Fritz feel like prisoners on the east side. One day Greta sees her father dancing on a platform near the wall. She eventually figures out that it is a message to dig a tunnel under the wall. It’s risky and she must be very careful. If she’s caught, the consequences will be dire.

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

Dog Stories - Middle Grade

Middle Grade Dog Stories

Cross-posted from Kiss the Book reviewer's personal blog

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Travis doesn’t want the mangy dog that shows up on his farm, but his mom convinces him to give the dog a try. When his father leaves Travis in charge while he goes to earn money on a cattle drive, Travis and the dog become companions. Old Yeller proves his worth many times over and when the responsibility falls on Travis to end his life, it’s a real tear jerker.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

When 10yo Opal goes to the local supermarket, Winn-Dixie, to pick up a few items for her dad, she finds an ugly dog on the loose in the store. When the manager threatens to call the pound, Opal steps up and claims it. They become best friends and together traipse around the town all summer making friends everywhere they go.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rose is a 5th grader with autism and a father who doesn’t understand her. When he unexpectedly brings home a dog on a rainy night, she names it Rain, and the two become instant companions. When Rain goes missing during a hurricane, she will stop at nothing until she finds her dog. Excellent man’s best friend story with an autistic voice.

Chasing Augustus by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Rosie’s had to deal with a lot in her short 11yo life. Her mom left when she was a baby, her dad recently had a stroke, her grandfather is annoyed about having to raise her, and her mom gave away her best friend…a dog named Augustus. Rosie is stubborn and determined. She pulls out all the stops to find her beloved dog.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

When 11yo Marty finds a beagle on the loose, he knows something isn’t right. Upon returning the dog to its owner, Marty realizes the dog is being abused. He begs his dad to let him keep the dog, but his dad refuses. When the dog runs back to Marty again, Marty decides he is going to keep the dog secretly in order to protect him.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

10yo Billy’s greatest wish in life is to have two coon hounds who can be his best hunting buddies. Unfortunately, dogs aren’t cheap and his family is too poor. Billy doesn’t let that stop him. He decides that he will do whatever it takes to raise the money on his own.

A Dog’s Life by Ann M. Martin

This story is told from the perspective of a dog named Squirrel. When Squirrel’s mom doesn’t return home, Squirrel and her brother, Bone, set out on their own. What follows is a telling of her life on the street, both the good and the bad. Though life starts out rough scavenging for food, finding shelter, and dealing with cruel humans, eventually she finds a forever home.

Wish by Barbara O’Connor

11yo Charlie’s father is in jail and her mother has issues. When she is sent to live with her aunt and uncle she is determined to make things difficult. If only her wish would come true everything would be perfect. Then she meets a friend and a stray dog and realizes maybe she was wishing for the wrong thing all along.

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

Lily’s dog is blind and he needs surgery. When he runs off, a migrant girl, working in the blueberry patches, happens to find him. The two become friends and together paint bee boxes to sell at the Blueberry festival to raise money for the surgery.
by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian