Tag: Middle Grade

Posted on

Today’s book recommendation: POTION MASTERS by Frank Cole – Middle Grade Fantasy

This photo always makes me giggle. 🙂 Apparently, it’s okay if your head gets squished while you nap, as long as it’s a Frank Cole book!

Frank’s Potion Masters series is terrific for roadtrips, or anytime, in fact, because these books are just a whole lot of fun! Kids who learn to brew magic potions and use them to save the world–what could be better? There’s secret societies, renegade potion masters, black market potions, and plenty of magical mishaps!

I got to know Frank at a writing conference a couple years back and he’s just as fun in person as he is in his books. There’s no doubt that he knows his middle grade audience. In his books, I love that you can always count on finding lots of adventure, plenty of laugh-out-loud humor, and at the center of it all, a meaningful message.

In this series, Gordy and his friends learn about trust and loyalty, navigating middle school friendships, believing in themselves and their own special gifts. If you have any 10-13-year-olds in your life, chances are they’ll love them!

Happy reading!

Posted on

Today’s book recommendation: THE THRIFTY GUIDE: A HANDBOOK FOR TIME TRAVELERS series by Jonathon W. Stokes – Middle Grade Nonfiction

As a mother and a writer, I find great satisfaction from what I call “sneaky teaching.” When I can read something to my kids that gets them laughing out loud while teaching them about our world, it is just so rewarding! They don’t even know they’re learning!

The “Thrifty Traveler” series of books are perfect examples of sneaky teaching. They have a cleverly-designed fictional framework, in that they are set up as guidebooks that are produced by a fictional time travel company. It is a fantastic hook for all the fascinating and fun nonfiction material about what it was really like during these times in history.

Every morning before school, when my youngest boys were about 8 and 10 years old, they begged me to read them these while they ate breakfast. The first one we devoured was American Revolution where we learned how to fire a musket, what to do under cannon fire, and all about the Sons of Liberty, Henry Knox and his cannons, Bunker Hill, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and much more!

How do you get in “sneaky teaching” with your kids?

Click on these images to zoom in.

Happy reading!

Posted on

Today’s book recommendation: THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen – Middle Grade Fantasy (ages 9-12)

Sebastian was ten when he first devoured The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The moment he finished it, he was ready to jump into the next one in the series, The Runaway King. Nielsen’s entire Ascendance series is an exciting, high-stakes ride with lots of twists and turns, court intrigue, spies, wars, friendship, betrayal, and fun, witty characters. 

What started as a trilogy is now a series of 5, with the final volume called The Shattered Castle. These were published through Scholastic and at one time, there were rumors of The False Prince being made into a movie. We’re still hoping for that around here!

Happy Reading!

Posted on

NEW BLOG FOCUS! Today’s children’s book recommendation: BREAKOUT by Kate Messner – Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction (ages 9-14)

The focus of this blog is shifting! While I will still occasionally share writerly updates, mostly I will be sharing recommendations for fabulous children’s books that spark wonder and help curious kids learn about the world! So, welcome to BOOKS FOR CURIOUS KIDS!

Today I want to talk about Breakout by Kate Messner. This is a contemporary middle grade fiction novel, which means that while it is a made up story, it takes place during modern day times and it is geared toward readers, ages 9-14.

The fun part of this one is that the entire story is told through letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics that the kids are gathering for a time capsule project. You would think that the story would come across disjointed, but it’s cleverly done and the character development and narrative tension build beautifully.

The book’s plot centers on how a community changes when two convicts escape prison. The three main characters, Nora, Lizzie, and Elidee, see first hand how fear can change people in surprising ways. Messner handles heavy topics like criminal justice and racial bias with grace and sensitivity and at an age-appropriate level for her audience.

If you’re interested in a deep dive of how this book came together, check out Messner’s blog series, “Countdown to Breakout.” She has 23 blog entries on her research and writing process, and it adds a lot to the story to know how it all came together!

Happy reading!