It's been a great first full month of 2017 for the Reading Women. We've loved chatting about some of our favorite middler reader novels with you. But we're not done yet! We've got a few recs left up our sleeves.
Love That Dog and Hate That Cat - by Sharon Creech
These two poetry books are written by the charming, delightful Sharon Creech. I had the chance to hear her speak at the Decatur Book Festival this past year and she really has a passion for writing engaging books for children. These two books are written from the perspective of Jack, who writes poems about his teacher, cats, dogs, poetry, and what it's like to be in middle school. These books are a great way to introduce young readers to poetry. -A
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
This gorgeous poetry novel tells the important story of a young immigrant girl, Hà, and her family fleeing the Vietnam war. Hà faces a strange culture and stand-offish people, many of whom don't her in "their" country. But she's part of their country now. This is the story about how Hà becomes an American. -K
The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
A brave girl moves to a new house only to discover it's haunted. Lights start flickering and a doll starts crying real tears. Tessa must discover what has been haunting this house for more than 100 years. Not being released until September, this book is already getting rave reviews. As someone who cut my reading teeth on mysteries, I am eager to get my hands on this suspenseful middle reader. -A
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
I didn't read this book until a few months ago, but I was thrilled to find that this book still had a lot of meaning for me as an adult. Harriet is a strange child who writes everything she see in her notebook. This makes sense; after all, she is a spy. At least, that's what she wants to be when she grows up. Harriet practices by spying on families on her way home from school. This book is much darker than I originally expected, but I think that shows how many layers of meaning weave their way through this book. Definitely a new favorite. - K
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
In Ghosts, we meet Catrina, whose family is moving to the coast to help relieve her younger sister's cystic fibrosis. Upon arrival, the girls are told that ghosts haunt their new neighborhood. Maya, the younger sister, determines that she will catch a ghost and Catrina has to decide if she will help her. It's a great book for kids who have friends or siblings with illness as well as a great introduction to graphic novels. - A
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Miranda and her best friend Sal are in the sixth grade. They do normal kid stuff--wander around their neighborhood, gossip about other kids in school, and speculate about what their parents are doing. But when Miranda starts getting strange notes, things begin to change. This was one of my favorite middle reader novels in the past few years, and I don't want to say much more. The ending is too fantastic to spoil. - K