Welcome to this week's edition of Must Have Middle Grade Reads, a weekly feature here on Mundie Moms where I spotlight last week's middle grade books I reviewed on Mundie Kids. This week's Must Have Middle Grade reads are:
Published by: Harper Collins Children's Books
Released on: September 6th, 2011
Ages: 8-12
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Indie Bound
A curse befalls Vastia, eliminating human magic. Only animals are able to cast spells, and it is up to Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert to save the queendom from the evil threatening it. In addition, Aldwyn discovers the truth about his past, embarking on a journey that brings him closer to the father he never knew.- quoted from Goodreads
The Familiars are back, and this time their adventures is even more exciting than the last. On a quest to restore the power of human magic, The Familiars set off to find the snow leopard's crown. Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert's unforgettable adventure is full of magic, danger, and has a few surprises a long the way for them. One of the things I love about this group is their friendships and bond. This time there's a stronger sense of family unity between them, especially for Aldwyn, who discovers some shocking family secrets.
You can read the rest of my 5 star review here
By: Bethany Hegedus
Published by: Delacorte Press
Released on: October 12, 2010
Ages: 9 & up
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble
Lots of families have secrets. Little-Known Fact: My family has an antebellum house with a locked wing—and I’ve got a secret of my own.
Maebelle T Earl is a southern ray of sunshine! This lovable character is feisty, outgoing and so fun to get to know. The story is centered on her spending the summer, like she always does, with her heartwarming, eccentric grandparents, and her adopted cousin Isaac. I adored her grandparents and fell in love with Isaac. This poor kid broke my heart. He's a character I really came to admire, and though he's only a secondary character, he really stole the show for me.
You can read the rest of my 5 star review here.
Published by: EgmontUSA
Released on: August 23rd, 2011
Ages: 10 & up
Purchase from: Egmont USA| Amazon
Have you ever had one of those days were everything that could go wrong does? At the end of the night as you reflect upon how horrible your day was you wish you could be someone else? That's exactly what happens to eleven year old Robin, who's birthday ended up being a disaster. When she awakens the next morning she finds she's not only switched places with someone else, she's now someone else who lives in England! I don't know about you guys, but that would be awesome, that is until I realized that Robin now has to figure how in the world she got there, how to undo what just happened and she has to learn to be Fiona, the girl she's now become. Not to mention she has to quickly learn the different phrases they say in England. So, maybe that's not so fun.
By: Gordan Korman
Published by: Scholastic
Released on August 30th, 2011
Ages: 8 & up
Purchase from: Scholastic| Amazon
Are you ready to save the world? The bestselling series returns with an adventure spanning 6 explosive books, 2 secret-filled card packs, and a website that places readers right in the action.
Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, thought they belonged to the world's most powerful family. They thought the hunt for 39 Clues leading to the source of that power was over. They even thought they'd won. But Amy and Dan were wrong.
One by one, distress calls start coming in from around the globe. Cahills are being kidnapped by a shadowy group known only as the Vespers. Now Amy and Dan have only days to fulfill a bizarre ransom request or their captured friends will start dying. Amy and Dan don't know what the Vespers want or how to stop them. Only one thing is clear. The Vespers are playing to win, and if they get their hands on the Clues . . . the world will be their next hostage.
An exciting, new, action packed series from the creators of 39 Clues, The Medusa Plot brings together the Cahill family for a thrilling new adventure. The Cahills are the most powerful family in the world, and things look like they're about to change when one day, different family members are kidnapped at various places through out the world. Now their lives hang in the balance of Amy & Dan's hands.
You can read the rest of my 5 star review & enter to win a SIGNED copy by Gordon Korman here.
Published by: EgmontUSA
Released on: August 23rd, 2011
5 stars- Vordak is fabulously evil!
Purchase from: Amazon| Indie Bound
Greetings, goobers! After my latest experiment worked a little too well—transforming my rather fetching figure into something significantly smaller—I’ve been forced to return to those halls of horror better known as . . . school. But going back to junior high may be my greatest opportunity for mayhem in many a month! Try to keep up as I:
• Dramatically defeat the daily dangers of schooldom—even though everyone is against me.
• Strive to win the junior high presidential election by alerting my fellow students to the wonderfulness of Vordak the Incomprehensible, as well as the yuck-ness of my opponent, Marlena Lurchburger.
• Mastermind a catastrophic career day, where that disgusting do-gooder Commander Virtue will finally, fiendishly be foiled.
Fortunately for you, I have recorded every mischievous moment within these carefully crafted covers so that you may bask in my brilliance as I plot to RULE THE SCHOOL . . . and, eventually, THE WORLD! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!
This pint size villain is so incredibly evil, but in such a good way. I'm sure he's not going to enjoy the fact I've called in pint size or evil in a good way. This evil genius is so well written that both adults and MG readers will enjoy reading his books. You don't need to have the desire to want to take over the world or rule the school like Vordak to appreciate his evil, sarcastic charm. There's plenty of laugh out lines, and one liners you'll find yourself wanting to quote, that make this book engaging and fun.
You can read the rest of my 5 star review here.
By: EJ Altbacker
Published by: Razorbill
Released on: June 28th, 2011
Ages: 9-12
Purchase from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble
You can read the rest of my 4 star review here
Written & Illustrated by: William Joyce
Published by: Atheneum/Simon & Schuster Kids
To Be Released on: September 6th, 2011
Ages: 4-8
Purchase from: Simon & Schuster| Amazon|
Up there in the sky.
Don’t you see him?
No, not the moon.
The Man in the Moon.
He wasn’t always a man.
Nor was he always on the moon.
He was once a child.
Like you.
Until a battle,
a shooting star,
and a lost balloon
sent him on a quest.
Meet the very first guardian of childhood.
MiM, the Man in the Moon.
What a fabulous, beautifully illustrated book that tells a unique story about the man in the moon. This is one of those books that reads like a movie you'd want to take your kids to see. I'm not sure what I was drawn more towards, the absolutely amazing artwork or the fantastic story.
This is a great post for middle readers. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteRicki- You're so welcome!! Thank you for your comment. I really enjoy reading MG & Children's books as much as I enjoy YA. There's such a huge selection of MG books that I think gets over looked. Hopefully more people will start to pick them up.
ReplyDeleteMy 13 year old son and I are always on the lookout for new stories that interest him (a challenge, sometimes) I look forward to showing him this post to help him pick his next reading adventure!
ReplyDeletetlmafarmgirl- Oh wonderful! I hope he finds something that interests him! There's a lot of great books coming out for boys.
ReplyDeleteAh, this is PERFECT timing. My 11 year old just finished a book yesterday and was looking for something new. Thanks so much for the recs!
ReplyDeleteSteph- You're so welcome!! I hope you're able to find one your 11 yr old will enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat great great post!!!!! Love that you are highlighting MG books. And these are fantastic picks.
ReplyDeleteJill- Thank you so much! I adore MG and there's so many great MG books that I think our readers will also enjoy.
ReplyDelete