Middle-Grade Novels
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
by Joan Aiken
Bonnie's parents depart for a voyage across the sea, leaving her and her orphaned cousin Sylvia in the care of a governess who came highly recommended. Little do the parents or children know that Miss Slighcarp has a plan to take over the beloved Willoughby estate. She dismisses most of the staff, sends the girls off to a strict boarding school, and with the help of the sinister Mr. Grimshaw, rewrites her employers' will.
In a reimagined 1832 England where wolves have taken over the countryside, the young girls learn that the wolves they should fear most aren't the ones lurking outside, but the ones living right under their very roof.
While the cover looks quite menacing, this is a charming book that will captivate fans of A Place to Hang the Moon. Please note that the word "d*mned" appears in two sections of dialogue but is used in a historically accurate way.
by Heather Holleman
It seems like everyone has learned the unspoken rules of middle school, but Elita, who just wants to return to the carefree days of 6th grade, when her worth was not determined by the clothes she wore or the number of "followers" she had on social media. Everyone around her seems so grown up, but Elita hasn't changed much over the summer. The ultimate disappointment comes on the first day of the new school year when she tries to sit at a lunch table with her longtime friends, only to be told, "This seat's saved." She feels left out at every turn.
Just when it seems things can't get any worse, they do. One of the popular girls accuses Elita of a crime she didn't commit. Will anyone believe her?
While at first blush, it appears that this Christian fiction is filled with the type of catty and boy-crazy comments that most parents want their young girls to avoid. However, its Ephesians 2:6 redemptive message is precisely what most middle schoolers need to point them toward a healthy view of themselves and others. This is the first in the two-part Elita Brown series.
Please note: Elita lies to the school nurse and says she has "cramps" when she really just wants to avoid peer drama. A few paragraphs mention Halloween costumes and plans for trick-or-treating.
by Caroline Starr Rose
The small town of Oakdale is turned upside down when a travelling medicine man, Dr. Kingsbury, arrives, peddling a miracle tonic that will cure everything from bad weather to crippling diseases. Close at his side is a young apprentice, Jack, who agrees to join the wayfarer when his baby sister took a few doses of the elixir and was miraculously cured of a deathly malady. But there’s something off-putting about the doctor—something that even Jack can’t deny. When the boy and his new friend, Cora, stumble upon an old newspaper article revealing some hidden secrets of the past, they realize it is up to them to stop the showman from his evil intent. Will the townsfolk listen, or will they be too enamored by Kingsbury’s sly tongue and empty promises?
Please note: Two boys are killed at the doctor’s hands. That said, there is no description of the murders. Jack and Cora assume Kingsbury’s guilt based on the newspaper article and the disappearance of another apprentice.
by Kathleen Karr
In a wild misadventure, Simon Green, an elementary school dropout, joins forces with an ornery, old codger to drive one thousand turkeys from a farm in Missouri to the untamed boomtown of Denver, Colorado. Along the way, they face many obstacles and form unlikely alliances with a few other societal outcasts.
Young readers will enjoy this rib-tickling underdog story.
Please note: The text contains a few 19th-century swear words, such as "dadblameit" and "durned."
Parents, Be Aware
by Lindsay Currie
When her family is faced with foreclosure and the threat of a cross-country move, middle schooler Sarah, along with her friends West and Hannah, use their escape room skills to find a treasure rumored to be buried somewhere inside an old abandoned fun house. The trio breaks in, hoping to find enough money to help Sarah’s parents, and is faced with puzzles, codes, and riddles they must solve, not just to find the prize, but also to escape the mysterious home that has them trapped.
This is the first of a two-part series. I have not read the second book.
Things to know:
To sneak past the “no trespassing” signs of the funhouse without anyone noticing, the tweens lie to their parents. There is passing talk of luck, a fake god, a scary movie, and a haunted house that one of the trio had previously visited. None of these conversations takes up too much ink in the book, however. Additionally, a few chapter titles contain the word “sucks,” some of the characters use the word, “crap,” and one uses the phrase, “in another life.”
Just for you, Mom
by Katherine Reay
A product of the foster care system, want-to-be-writer Samantha Moore uses literature as a coping strategy in her adult life. Instead of sharing her actual view about a topic, she resorts to quoting classic books, particularly the works of Jane Austen. She receives a scholarship to a prestigious journalism school with one caveat: she must write letters to the anonymous benefactor “Mr. Knightley,” detailing her academic progress. Through the letters, Samantha grapples with her past trauma, begins to find hope in her new life, and navigates a budding relationship with a successful novelist.
Fans of Jane Austen will especially enjoy this epistolary novel, which explores themes of healing, rebuilding trust, and forging a new life.