Middle-Grade Novels
by Jonathan Rogers
Grady can't remember a time when he wasn't following Professor Floyd from town to town selling snake oil cure-alls or drumming up customers for some hair-brained hoax. As an orphan, Grady is grateful to the old man for taking him in when no one else would. But like all hucksters, Floyd's only got one thing on his mind: the next big scheme. And he'll use anything--even Grady's faith in him--to make a fast buck.
Fans of Rogers' Wilderking Trilogy will enjoy this stand-alone title that brings back the beloved Feechie Folk. The narration combines the allegorical style of C.S. Lewis with the hilarious dialect of Mark Twain.
Please note: There is a mention of Professor Floyd taking Grady to a public house where beer is consumed.
A Plot to Kill a Queen
by Deborah Hopkinson
Just after meeting a fellow aspiring playwright named Will Shakespeare, a young orphan named Emelia Bassano overhears a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth I. Naturally, she informs her guardian, Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster of England. Seeing much potential in his young ward, Sir Francis sends her off to Sheffield Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth's cousin, is being held prisoner. While there, Emilia gathers intelligence about Mary and her advisors. Will her spying leave her enough time to finish writing her play? And more importantly, will she expose the conspirators in time to save the rightful heir to the throne?
This historical fiction will not only introduce young readers to the major players of the Tudor age but it will also inadvertently teach them much about the inner workings of the English theatre and its most noteworthy playwright, Mr. William Shakespeare.
Please note: Like in many Shakespearean plays, the book includes several "asides" that give context for historical elements. In one of these asides, the writer explains why beer was the primary drink in the Elizabethan era.
Follow My Leader
by James B. Garfield
Since his father's death, Jimmy Carter has been "the man of the house." After a firecracker accident leaves him blind, however, he must learn new ways to be self-reliant. Naturally, he goes through a period of grief over his tragic loss. But when he's introduced to Leader, a trained guide dog, Jimmy begins to read, write, and navigate the world once again.
Please note: Originally published in 1957, this inspiring tale has not been updated. Modern-day readers may not be familiar with a few of the cultural details of the 1950s.
by Kate DiCamillo
After moving to Naomi, Florida with her father, the town Preacher, India Opal begins searching for some new playmates. Little does she know that her best friendship will be formed with a four-legged stray roaming the aisles of the local Winn-Dixie store. With an open heart, the pair meets a cast of unlikely companions around town--an elderly woman who others have shunned because of the color of her skin, a spinster librarian who has often been misunderstood, an ex-convict who runs the local pet shop, two troublesome brothers who seem to be bullies, and a sharp-tongued girl who's suffering from hidden grief. Together, Opal and her trusty dog repair relational bonds that had been broken for years.
Please note: Early in the story, it's revealed that India Opal's absent mother struggled with alcohol. Additionally, one character says, "War is h*ll." While the story is quite clean, because of the emotional heaviness of the plot, I recommend this one for older middle-grade readers.
Parents, Be Aware
Nothing Else but Miracles
by Kate Albus
In the Lower East Side of New York City, with war raging all around the world, three motherless siblings hold down the homefront while their dad heads off to France to fight for freedom.
When the new landlord discovers the children have no parental supervision, Dory, the spirited sister of the group, assumes she must summon up enough pluck and moxie (as well as the "luck" of the Great Lady in the harbor) to protect the little trio. In the end, it is the generosity of a few eccentric neighbors that carries the family through the tumultuous time.
This is the sophomore offering of Kate Albus, author of the much-loved A Place to Hang the Moon. It shares many similarities to Albus' first book including the ideas of parental death, found families, and sibling survival. An interesting and rather unusual inclusion to this particular title is a 4th-wall narrator who shares plot snippets with the reader that even the characters are unaware of.
Things to know: In addition to calling upon the spirit of the Statue of Liberty to help her, Dory lies continually throughout the book. Her fabrications are rarely discovered by others which means she never suffers the consequences of her deception. She knowingly sneaks into two movies with her younger brother after only paying for one pair of tickets and steals a carnival pass from a group of strangers because she feels like her older brother deserves them even though he can't afford them. At one point, she reads over a pamphlet that includes mentions of a seance and a fortune teller.
The following words and phrases are mentioned in the text:
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph" used as a swear word
"What the heck?"
"Drown himself in a bottle."
"Give 'em h*ll!"
Just for you, Mom
The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
by Sara Brunsvold
Cub reporter, Aidyn Kelley knows she was made for more than just fact-finding missions for other journalists. She wants to write articles that matter. When she's assigned to draft the obit of a dying cancer patient, she assumes it is yet another fluff piece--a 200-word summary about an elderly woman of no consequence--but a stepping stone to something bigger and better. She never expects to meet Mrs. Kip, a spitfire whose self-proclaimed uneventful life helped to change the future of an entire community of Laos refugees. Through her death, Mrs. Kip teaches Aidyn what it means to truly live.
This is a powerful book that I almost put down. To be honest, the beginning was sugar-coated with "Christian-ese" which always rubs me the wrong way. But I'm so glad I stuck it out. It was an incredibly unique story with a play-on-words ending I wasn't expecting. Reading it was not only a crash course in a part of world history I was embarrassingly unfamiliar with, but it was also a sobering reminder that nothing done in Jesus' name is ever wasted.