Mundie Moms

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Must Have Middle Grade Reads

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:



Illustrated by: Kei Acedera

To Be Released on: October 4th, 2011
Ages: 8-12
5 stars: I Loved It

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable
Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.
From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places. - quoted from Goodreads
A beautiful, heart warming story with a timeless adventure that all of us can relate it.

This poignant story starts off with a letter from Lauren talking about her journey with Liesel and her inspiration for her story. This personal letter is so moving, that it made me teary eyed, and I admire Lauren even more so for sharing it. It really set the tone for her book and often times through out the story I thought back to what I read. I really hope they keep it in the published copy. Though the story was a personal one for Lauren, it became personal for me as well. I really love that she wrote the story in that manner. It's one that anyone who's every lost someone close to them can relate to. It's story about love, heartache, despair, hope, adventure, friendship and so much more.

You can read the rest of my review here.




Published by: Walden Pond Press
Released on: September 27th, 2011
Ages: 8-12
5 stars- I LOVED It & Highly Recommend It

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbsis a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

A breath taking story about friendship, magic, imagination and growing up, Breadcrumbs is a story that will capture your heart, your mind and your imagination. Anne Ursu's writing is inviting, beautiful and vivid. This story is one that will leave you yearning for that moment in time when the world was your play ground and you were free to run around and pretend, allowing your imagination to take to you to far off places, and on exciting adventures.

You can read my review & enter to win a copy of Breadcrumbs here.






Published by: Holiday House
Released on: March 11th, 2011
Ages: 10 & up
4 stars- I Really Enjoyed It

Possum Summer is a heartbreaking novel about a girl and her father whose fractious relationship is healed by the hard lessons they learn about love and letting go. Eleven-year-old P (short for Princess, a name she loathes) longs for a pet, but her father insists that all animals on their Oklahoma farm must earn their keep. While he's away on combat duty in Iraq, P tries to turn his cattle dog into her pet—with disastrous results. Then P rescues an orphaned opossum that she names Ike. She hand-feeds the beguiling critter, smuggles him into school, and teaches him to follow her everywhere. But when her father is reported injured, P knows that before he is shipped home, she must betray Ike's trust and force him to survive in the wild.-quoted from Goodreads

This is a heartwarming story with a realistic portrayal of growing up on a rural farm in the heart of the midwest. Eleven year old P's adventure during one heartbreaking summer are relatable to anyone who's grown up in the country and has learned to deal with love, lost, and growing up.

You can read the rest of my review here.






Published by: Aladdin
Released On: September 7th, 2010
Ages: 8-12
4 stars - I Really Enjoyed It

Life’s no fairy tale for Jack. After all, his father's been missing ever since that incident with the beanstalk and the giant, and his grandfather keeps pushing him to get out and find a princess to rescue. Who'd want to rescue a snobby, entitled princess anyway? Especially one that falls out of the sky wearing a shirt that says "Punk Princess," and still denies she's royalty. In fact, May doesn't even believe in magic. Yeah, what's that about? May does need help though--a huntsman is chasing her, her grandmother has been kidnapped, and Jack thinks it’s all because of the Wicked Queen . . . mostly because May’s grandmother might just be the long-lost Snow White. Jack and May's thrillingly hilarious adventure combines all the classic stories—fractured as a broken magic mirror—into the first of an epic new series of novels for the ages- quoted from Goodreads

James Riley does a brilliant job at throwing in numerous beloved fairy tales and twisting them into an engaging, fast paced plot that both middle grade and adult readers will enjoy. There's action, there's adventure, betrayal and of course plenty of sarcasm and wit that make this a one of kind story.

You can read the rest of my review here.

8 comments:

  1. Great choices. I really want to read Liesl & Po and Breadcrumbs. Heard great things about both of them. Half Upon a Time sounds fun too. Thanks for spotlighting some middle grade books. We middle grade authors appreciate it.

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  2. I've been hearing such great things about Lies and PO. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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  3. Natalie- Thank you & you're so welcome! There's so many fabulous MG books that get over looked. Both books are fabulous.

    Giselle- I hope you enjoy it! It's such a great read.

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  4. Super post; I appreciate the recommendations. I have just ordered Liesl and Po. I hope my daughter enjoys it!

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  5. Wow! These books all sound so wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading Breadcrumbs but Possum Summer sounds great, too, since it's set in the state where I live. :)

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  6. I have been looking for a great middle grade read so thank you for listing some of them. I'm going to have to check out Liesl and Po. :)

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  7. Ricki- You are welcome! I can't wait to hear what you think about Liesel & Po

    CrimsonInk- They're all great reads! I highly recommend them. :)

    Alexa- You're so welcome!! I hope you enjoy Liesel's story.

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  8. Liesl and Po and Breadbrumbs were already on my radar. But Half Upon a Time looks great!!! Thanks for sharing that one :)

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