Middle-Grade Novels
Jack: the (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk
by Liesl Shurtliff
Jack longs for adventure. When his father is snatched up from the neighbor's cabbage patch by what appears to be giants, the young boy is sure to find plenty of it. As the grandson of the famed Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk, this Jack is somewhat familiar with the hazards of sneaking up on the larger-than-life giants that lurk beyond the clouds. Despite the dangers, he must locate his missing dad and protect his family.
With little sister Annabelle in tow, Jack soon learns that the giants have stolen much more than he ever thought possible. Together, the siblings risk life and limb to take back what is rightfully theirs.
Please note: Jack steals the king's hen to help feed his family, friends, and neighbors.
by Robert Lawson
Little Georgie Rabbit has always lived with his family on Rabbit Hill. Trouble is, since the owners of the farmhouse moved out, the garden has stopped yielding a harvest, and the animals have struggled to survive. Rumors begin to circulate that a new family has purchased the land. What will they be like? all the critters wonder. Will they revive the farm, providing food and shelter for its many four-legged tenants? Ever the Southern gentleman, Father Rabbit sends Georgie on a mission of hospitality. But when tragedy strikes, all the animals of the Hill, including the Rabbit Family, must lean on one another.
Tweens who grew up reading Old Mother West Wind or Peter Rabbit will enjoy this imaginative look at talking animals and the communities they build.
The Secret of Honeycake
by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Orphaned 11-year-old Hurricane McAdams Pierce is used to wearing trousers, running along the shore of her coastal Maine home with her dog Brodie Bear, and tagging along with her older sister Bronte as she does odd jobs to make ends meet. But when Bronte comes down with tuberculosis, the same disease that killed their mother, Hurricane is uprooted and sent to live with her prim and proper Aunt Claire, who she barely knows. The formality of Aunt Claire's high society circles puts an immediate strain on their growing relationship. But with the help of a WWI veteran currently employed as Aunt Claire's chauffeur, a young fish seller, a hesitant stray cat, and a declining economy, Hurricane and Aunt Claire realize just how much they need each other.
Fans of Sweet Home Alaska will enjoy this charming 1920s-era domestic fiction. Please note: Aunt Claire says, "Lord knows" and "Good Lord" two or three times.
Listen to the Moon
by Michael Morpurgo
When a mysterious mute girl is found washed up on the shores of a small island town in Great Britain during WWI, the townspeople naturally become wary. She is practically mute--saying only one word, "Lucy"--and is carrying a German blanket. Could she be the daughter of an enemy soldier? Despite the many what-ifs, Alfie and his family take her in and grow to love her as their own. Little do they know that she has survived one of the country's greatest wartime tragedies.
While quite clean, this book does contain heavy themes of war and loss and is best suited for 10+.
Parents, Be Aware
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
by Dana Alison Levy
This is the story of four adopted brothers and their two dads. The boys could not be more different from one another, and the fathers do their best to nurture their individual gifts, personalities, and even cultural backgrounds.
The story is an exaggerated misadventure that follows the family through a calendar year. While it's low on plot, it's heavy on character development and filled with all the social hijinks you'd expect in a coming-of-age, puberty story. Part of the book is semi-epistolic, as it is told through texts and emails. It's been referred to as a modern-day All-of-a-Kind Family or Little Women.
Things to know: This is an example of an "inclusive" novel. Most of the characters, including the ancillary secondary characters, exemplify a specific nationality, sexual identity, or religion. It is full of slang language, such as "dude" and "sick." Perhaps the author's own Amazon content warning best describes the content: "This book contains cat barf, turtle pee, and some really annoying homework assignments."
Just for you, Mom
The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
In 1957, Madrid, Spain, was a divided city. When 18-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, arrives with his family, he sees a luxurious vacation destination — a city of parties, wealth, and the societal elite. But as he peers through the viewfinder of his camera, hoping to shoot a winning photo for an American photography contest, he sees an entirely different Madrid. He discovers a nation of impoverished people all suffering under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. With help from Anna, a hotel employee, Daniel uncovers a horrific secret that has plagued the country for decades.
The author included excerpts from real documents, radio broadcast transcripts, and government interviews to help add threads of historical accuracy to the fictional storyline that weaves the book together.