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

Middle Grade Stories About Disabilities

Some people's challenges are more visible than others. 

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

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Imagine a world where you can’t talk, walk, or feed yourself. Imagine a world where you want desperately to be understood, but fail miserably. Imagine a world where you are the smartest kid in the class and everyone thinks you are the dumbest. This is the world of 11yo Melody Brooks. Trapped in a body that can barely function, Melody must find a way to convince people that there is more to her than they can see.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

10yo Auggie has been homeschooled his whole life, and now his parents have decided that it’s time for him to attend school. There’s one problem. Auggie has a severe facial deformity that many surgeries have not been able to correct. Little kids are scared of him and big kids bully him. Through it all, Auggie is one brave boy with parents who have his back at every turn.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Catherine has a problem. Her autistic brother, David, has a hard time following rules. Don’t put toys in the fish tank. Late doesn’t mean not coming. Catherine struggles with the social ramifications of having an autistic brother. When a girl her age moves in next door, she becomes more determined than ever to teach David the rules. If only her brother could be normal.

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

England is on the brink of a German invasion. Ada, born with a clubfoot, is forbidden from going outside by her abusive mother. As children take shelter in the countryside away from the bomb threat in London, Ada and her younger brother use it as an opportunity to escape. They are reluctantly taken in by a woman who ends up transforming their lives. Ada finds the person she was capable of being all along if only she had had a mother who loved her.

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.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ally is always getting in trouble. No one understands her, even her teacher. Other kids tease her and the other “different” kids relentlessly. Then Mr. Daniels arrives to sub for the regular teacher. He suspects an underlying cause for Ally’s behaviors and soon realizes that she has dyslexia. This story shows the power of a teacher to change the trajectory of a kid’s life.

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

12yo Heidi knows very little about herself. All she knows is that she showed up on Bernadette’s doorstep with her mentally handicapped mother when she was only a few days old. Her mother only speaks 23 words and can’t tell her anything. When she discovers some pictures that might offer clues about her family, she decides to follow the clues across the country to a mental hospital where her mother might have been a patient.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

This is a graphic novel about the author’s childhood dealing with hearing loss brought on by an illness. She doesn’t like being different so she refuses to learn sign language. Instead she wears a huge amplifier box that picks up the sounds from the teacher’s microphone. Since she can pick up conversations the teacher has when not in the room, this gives her a “superpower” other kids don’t have.

by Valerie McEnroe, The Chattering Librarian

Middle Grade - Magical Fantasy

Lose yourself in excellent world-building.  Meet a handful of the best fantasy worlds. 

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

Crooked Sixpence (The Uncommoners) by Jennifer Bell

Beneath London there’s an underworld called Lundinor. Three times a year the Uncommoners come to the under market to trade their magical uncommon objects; lemon squeezer lights, talking bells, instant transport suitcases, invisibility candles. Ivy and her brother enter Lundinor through the suitcase portal, and soon learn that an old evil is trying to resurface and they must stop it before it’s too late. Has key elements similar to the Harry Potter books.

The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

Claire and Sophie have just moved into their deceased great aunt’s house and strangely there’s a ladder in the fireplace. When Claire climbs the ladder in search of Sophie, she finds herself in a magical world called Arden. But things aren’t right. Sophie has vanished. A unicorn harp has been stolen. And the four territories aren’t getting along. If they can bring back the unicorns, there may be a chance of restoring peace.

Monstrous by MarcyKate Connolly

An evil wizard is making the girls of Bryre sick. Kymera is a Frankenstein-like monster created by her “father” to rescue the girls. Kymera isn’t supposed to speak to humans when she visits Bryre, but inevitably she forms a friendship with a boy named Ren. Once she learns the truth about her father, her kind-hearted nature forces her to take action to help Bryre overcome the evil.

Magyk by Angie Sage

When the Heap family realize that their adopted daughter is actually the daughter of the murdered queen, they escape to the swamps to hide out with Aunt Zelda, where magic and adventure are a daily occurrence. Marcia, the Extraordinary wizard, takes it upon herself to protect the Queenling from the usurpers who want her dead in order to claim the throne.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Tinkerbell this book is not. Who knew that fairies can turn into imps? Or that water fairies harbor a secret desire to drown you? This is not your sweet, cute, wish-granting fairy story. While visiting their grandfather, Seth and Kendra begin to find weird things going on. Highly curious, Seth disregards every warning his grandfather tells him and consequently havoc breaks loose on the property known as Fablehaven.

Story Thieves by James Riley

Bethany has an extraordinary talent. She can hop in and out of stories since her father was a fictional character who managed to exit a book and meet her mother. Her classmate, Owen, has figured out her ability and convinced her to take him into his favorite book. She agrees, but quickly regrets it when Owen starts changing the story.

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

Beautifully written book about a boy, his beloved grandfather, his cranky great-aunt, and the magical circus his grandfather visited as a boy. According to his grandfather, a magician, he calls Lightbender, promised to fulfill a wish when he was a boy. Now his grandfather is ready to cash in, but the Lightbender refuses. Micah believes the Lightbender can save his grandfather’s life so he sets out to find the circus.

The Wonderling by Mira Bartok

Conditions at Miss Carbunkle’s Orphanage for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures are dismal for Arthur. He is bullied by the other animals and abused by the staff. When a new orphan arrives, she helps Arthur escape to Lumentown. Lacking skills to survive in a city, Arthur joins up with Quintus and his gang. From there he encounters plenty of mishaps and eventually ends up banished to the sewers below Lumentown.

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