Middle-Grade Novels
Winnie's Great War
by Lindsay Mattick
Readers who enjoyed the picture book Finding Winnie will appreciate this middle-grade which tells of the early life of the bear who captured the hearts of children around the world in A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh.
When his mother is killed by a hunter, a black bear cub is rescued by a young boy and eventually sold to Captain Harry Colebourn of the Canadian Veterinary Corps for $20. The Captain names his new pet Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Soon after, he gets shipped to England to help care for the military mounts of WWI and the bear goes with him. When the fighting continues and Capt. Colebourn is called to the front, he must leave Winnie behind at the London Zoo. While there, the bear becomes a treasured friend to many zoo visitors including the four-year-old Christopher Robin Milne.
Based on diary entries and newspaper clippings, this book is a fictional retelling written by Capt. Colebourn's great-granddaughter that includes real photographs of her famous grandbear, the Captain, his diary, and Christopher Robin.
The Adventures of a South Pole Pig
by Chris Kurtz
Born in the pig pen like all her brothers and sisters, Flora was destined for a boring work-a-day life. But much to her mother's chagrin, she wants more. She wants adventure. She wants excitement. When she escapes the farm, she's lugged aboard a ship bound for Antarctica. She's put below deck and assumes she's been selected to join the dog sled team that will lead a group of explorers across the southern tundra. What she doesn't realize is that the captain plans to dine on roasted pig at the end of the voyage. When a shipwreck changes everyone's plans, Flora must prove she's worth more than just a ham dinner.
Please note: a couple of the middle chapters in the book describe Flora's attempts to rid the ship of rats. There are some sentences that might be difficult for sensitive readers.
Fish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Ally's been labeled many things: trouble maker, dumb, and weird to name a few. She's too embarrassed to admit that she can't read and so she develops many unhealthy coping skills to get by in school. After spending years hiding behind excuses, she meets Mr. Daniels, a substitute teacher who uncovers what's really going on. Ally is dyslexic. With his help, she not only learns to read but also learns what it means to be a true friend.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
by Beverly Cleary
Ralph lives in the walls of The Mountain View Inn with his mother and siblings. He's never ventured farther than the second floor. But when Keith and his family arrive at the inn, bringing a toy motorcycle with them, Ralph not only gains a new friend but also the freedom to explore.
This is the first in a trilogy of books about Ralph and his misadventures.
Parents, Be Aware
Dog Driven
by Terry Lynn Johnson
Like her sister who was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease a few years ago, 14-year-old dog sled racer McKenna Barney has slowly lost her vision. So far, she's been able to keep her deteriorating sight from her parents. She doesn't want to be one more burden to them and she doesn't want to give up racing. When she enters a 3-day race across Lake Superior, she assumes that her experience and excellent dog team will be able to guide her even when her eyes can not. She's determined to win no matter what. Along the way, however, she meets a few other racers with equal determination and facing their own difficult life journeys. Will she make it to the finish line? Better yet, will she win and prove to everyone that blindness can't hold her back?
Things to know: This is a fast-paced, thrilling book that will introduce older middle-grade readers (10+) to the world of competitive sled dog racing. That said, the following words and phrases are repeated several times throughout the dialogue:
"Oh my god!"
"Crap"
"For god's sake"
"That sucks"
"Son of a monkey"
"I've gotta pee."
Just for you, Mom
Two From Galilee
by Marjorie Holmes
Similar to the Lineage of Grace or the Sons of Encouragement series by Francine Rivers, Two From Galilee is a biblical fiction that seeks to fill in some of the gaps of the love story between Mary and Joseph of Nazareth prior to Christ's birth. Holmes has taken some literary license in her portrayal of the earthly parents of Jesus, but it's obvious she has done her homework and has included the historically and culturally accurate courtship customs of an ancient Jewish couple.
Please note: I did not like the sequel to this book, Three From Galilee, nearly as much. I think Holmes went too far in her portrayal of an adolescent and young adult Jesus. Consequently, I never read the third book in the series, The Messiah. Book 1 can be read as a stand-alone, however.