Middle-Grade Novels
by Ross Montgomery
Rebel lives a simple life. With the love of his boy, Tom, and the responsibility of keeping watch over the farm, the young mutt has all he could ever want or need. But when his boy runs away to join the ranks of the Reds, a growing band of townsfolk determined to break free from the king's tyrannical rule, Rebel leaves the safety of his beloved fields and runs headlong into a Civil War. He must find Tom and keep him safe. But that's not an easy task for a little dog who has never left the yard. As days turn into weeks, Rebel meets a ragtag group of friends who will teach him about the sacrifice of real love.
This endearing story, set in a pseudo-England of medieval times, is told from the dog's point of view.
Please note: Jaxon, an older stray dog that Rebel meets, tells of Companion, a "spirit guide that walks with dogs to care for them and keep watch over them. Although the book is not Christian fiction, the brief description of the Companion reflects the Creator's care for animals, as seen in Psalm 50:10-11.
When Rebel nearly dies, he is joined by Companion who shows him some of the highlight memories of his life on the farm. He must choose to enter what can only be described as a sort of dog heaven (although the text never says that) or keep living in order to find and protect Tom.
A few chapters describe a battle scene that may be troubling for sensitive readers.
by Sara Pennypacker
It's been quite a week for 3rd grader Clementine. No one seems to understand that she cut off her friend Margaret's hair and dyed it green because she was trying to be helpful. And she then cut off her own hair in solidarity. She used her toothbrush to eat her lentils because she thought it might make them taste better.
No matter what Clementine does, her choices always seem to end in disaster. But when Dad needs help getting rid of the neighborhood pigeons, Clementine's imagination just might be precisely what is required.
Fans of Ramona Quimby will appreciate this fun-loving, imaginative, and somewhat impulsive girl. Please note: Clementine mentions seeing the school lunch lady kissing the janitor in her car one day.
This is the first of a seven-book series. I have not read the subsequent titles.
by Jasmine Warga
Resilience, the Mars rover, has never left the laboratory. Up until this point, his days have been spent doing tests and running simulations. He's a robot programmed just to follow commands. But through years of watching the "hazmats" prepare him for launch, he has slowly developed feelings and emotions. The plan is to send him to Mars and leave him there. NASA doesn't have the budget to get him home. But he's not named Resillience for nothing. Against all odds, the rover determines to find a way to return to Earth.
12-year-old Rania's mother is one of the NASA scientists tasked with sending Res, as he's called, into orbit. While Rania is proud of her mom and all she has accomplished, she misses her too. It has taken years — much of Rania's childhood, teenage, and eventually young adult life — for the team, including her mom, to build and program Resilience. To prevent herself from getting frustrated or sad, Rania begins to write Res letters.
Part of the book is the first-person narrative of Res, the rover, and the other part is epistolary as told through Rania's letters to him.
Please note: One character says, "Dang," and Rania writes, "OMG" a few times in her letters. Additionally, some of her early letters suggest the resentment she holds against her mother and her mother's job. But, as the story progresses, Rania's perspective of and love for her mother grow and mature.
by Gloria Whelan
The year is 1919. Rachel Sheridan lives with her missionary parents in British East Africa, where they work with and minister to the Kikuyu and Masai tribes. Her life is upended when her parents unexpectedly die from a flu epidemic that ravages the land. Orphaned, she is forced by a greedy British couple to impersonate their deceased daughter and travel to England in order to cash in on an inheritance. Rachel must navigate the deception of her caretakers, nurture new relationships with others she's not sure she can trust, and ultimately find the strength to carve out a new life.
While the publisher has slotted this title as a middle-grade, the emotional themes make it more suitable for 10+ or young teens.
Parents, Be Aware
Mystery of the Roman Ransom
by Henry Winterfeld
All they were trying to do was buy a slave as a gift to their teacher. But things take a horrible turn when seven school chums soon find themselves entangled in a sinister plot to kill a senator. Unbeknownst to them, the slave was the mule carrying the assassination orders that would leave one of them fatherless. Trouble is, they don't know whose father is about to be murdered. It's up to the boys to solve the crime before it's carried out.
Things to know: While the initial plot of the story sounds spine-chilling, the actual story is relatively tame. That said, because the author has done his best to portray the Roman culture with historical accuracy, there are many mentions of false gods. Characters often use phrases such as "By the gods" when making oaths. There are a few references to ghosts and one use of the word "a*s." Additionally, the boys lie to their mothers to sneak out late at night in hopes of tracking the murderer.
Just for you, Mom
by Sandra Dallas
The lives of four strangers will collide when they, along with dozens of other Mormon converts, embark on a harrowing journey from Iowa City to Salt Lake City in hopes of finding the "promised land." Nannie was left at the altar and is now traveling with her sister and brother-in-law. Louisa is married to an overbearing patriarch who believes He's God's mouthpiece to the people. Jessie is a near-spinster hoping to start a farm with her brothers. And Anne does not share the faith of the fellow travelers but must make the trek by her husband's side. Pushing all their worldly goods in small hand carts across the country, the motley crew of women will face unimaginable hardships that will test their faith in their Mormon beliefs and each other.
The book, albeit entirely fiction, is based on the true historical events of the Martin Handcart Company of 1856, which proved disastrous for many Mormon pioneers who died from starvation, disease, accidents, and harsh weather conditions.