Middle-Grade Novels
by Avi
Life is well-planned for a girl in 1848 New England. She is to marry, start a family, and take her place in genteel society. But 14-year-old Victoria "Tory" Blaisdell wants adventure. She wants independence. When her father and younger brother, Jacob, board a ship heading West in hopes of finding gold, Tory is instructed to stay behind with her mother. Instead, she stows away on their California-bound vessel. When the ship docks in San Francisco, Tory is disappointed to find a chaotic, muddy tent city rather than the glamorous city she imagined. Her father, consumed by gold fever, leaves Tory and Jacob alone to fend for themselves while he heads to the gold fields. Tory adapts quickly, working odd jobs in men's clothing to provide for herself and her brother. But then one day, Jacob disappears. She discovers that he was likely kidnapped by "crimpers," criminals who steal unsuspecting boys to sell as enslaved crew members to ship captains. With the help of two new friends, Tory must find him before it's too late.
Please note: At the beginning and ending of the book, Tory rebels against her parents' idea of a girl's role. Additionally, at the beginning of her new life in San Francisco, she sees her brother as a burden to her independence. Though Tory wears men's clothes, it is not an attempt at gender transitioning, but merely a practical solution to the often cumbersome women's fashion of the day.
by Brian Selznick
12-year-old orphan Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a Paris train station, secretly winding the station's clocks and attempting to repair a mechanical man (an automaton) that he believes contains a secret message from his deceased father. When his dad's sketch book of ideas gets stolen by a local toymaker, Hugo is forced out of hiding to find it. He befriends Isabelle, the adopted daughter of the toymaker, and together they work to retrieve the notebook. Their search leads them to some surprising truths about the toymaker's past. But will they find the notebook, and will Hugo ever be able to fix the automaton?
The story is a tribute to the beginnings of film. It is a unique blend of traditional text and wordless, cinematic illustrations, which means that although it is published in audiobook format, it's best read in print.
Please note: In one scene, Hugo's uncle becomes intoxicated.
by Katy Morgan
In this imaginative retelling of 1 & 2 Samuel, readers will get a narrative account of the lives of Israel's first two kings, Saul and David. The story is told through the alternating points of view of Saul, Jonathan, David, and Michal, giving readers a deeper understanding of each character's motives and struggles. It opens with the Israelites calling for a king, leading to the selection and anointing of Saul by the prophet Samuel, and ends with David firmly established on the throne, dreaming of building a temple for God. While it stays true to the biblical account, using fictionalized details and dialogue to bring the story to life, it does leave out some of the more mature and complicated aspects of David's story, including his multiple wives. To ensure Biblical fidelity, the author includes notes at the end to differentiate between scriptural fact and imaginative elements.
This is one of three Biblical retellings by Katy Morgan.
Please note: Because so much of Saul and David's kingly lives involve war with other nations and with each other, some chapters may be difficult for sensitive kids. That said, the descriptions of war scenes are biblically accurate and age-appropriate for most middle-grade readers.
Stuart Little
by E.B. White
When the Little family's second son is born, he is a two-inch-tall mouse. Mr. and Mrs. Little are unfazed, raising him as they would a normal child. Despite his diminutive size, Stuart quickly shows his resourcefulness. He helps his mother by bravely retrieving her wedding ring after it falls down the drain and later proves his sailing prowess by single-handedly winning a model boat race in Central Park.
Stuart has a rocky relationship with Snowbell, the family's cat, who is a constant threat. However, he makes a dear friend in a bird named Margalo, whom the family gives shelter. Stuart must protect Margalo from Snowbell and another alley cat who has scared her away. Borrowing a miniature, gasoline-powered car from a dentist named Dr. Carey, Stuart heads north, the direction Margalo would have flown in spring. Along the way, he works as a substitute teacher and meets a small human girl named Harriet Ames.
Will he ever find Margalo?
Parents, Be Aware
by A.M. Morgen
Through a series of unfortunate deaths in his family, George, the third Lord Devonshire, is orphaned and believes himself to be cursed with bad luck. His neighbor, Ada Byron, is a brilliant and daring inventor whose mother refuses to let her see her father, the famous poet Lord Byron. Along with a mischievous orangutan and Oscar, a pirate's son, the pair travels across Europe in Ada's flying machine, facing pirates, criminals, and mysterious forces in a race to recover a legendary treasure map and the Star of Victory--two Devonshire family heirlooms that a band of nefarious criminals has stolen. Their cross-continent journey forces them to trust each other and find strength in their friendship, despite their initial fears and differences. They also uncover secrets about their own families.
Things to know: To recover the missing items, the children must lie and steal a few times. Ada assures a hesitant George that lying is acceptable under the circumstances. To excuse his father's pirating ways, Oscar explains that good and bad are shades on a spectrum and that a pirate can be a good person even if the law says otherwise. Additionally, the children have a brief conversation about whether ghosts are real.
Halfway through the book, the kids meet a boy named Charles Darwin, who is conducting experiments on rats to prove that animals evolve in response to their circumstances. While evolution is not a major talking point in the story, Darwin does make several appearances and continues to discuss his yet-to-be-confirmed theories.
Just for you, Mom
by Lisa Wingate
In the devastating aftermath of the Civil War, three unlikely traveling companions set off from a now-destitute Louisiana plantation and head for Texas. Hannie, a freed slave, hopes to find her family, who were sold away before the war. She carries with her a book of "Lost Friends," a collection of advertisements that formerly enslaved people used to search for their loved ones. Lavinia, the pampered daughter of the plantation owner, is attempting to collect her inheritance. Juneau Jane, Lavinia's Creole half-sister, joins the journey to claim her birthright.
Over a century later, a first-year teacher named Benedetta "Benny" Silva takes a teaching position at a rural school in the tiny Louisiana town of Augustine. She's hoping the job will help her pay off her student loans. While working in the library of a crumbling plantation home, Benny discovers a hidden book that chronicles the century-old story of Hannie, Lavinia, and Juneau Jane.
As they learn the details of their journey and Hannie's search for her family, Benny and her students begin to explore the town's buried history. They unearth painful truths about the past and stir up long-standing racial tensions in the community.
This is a dual-time novel that jumps between 1875 and 1987.