May is both Older Americans Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here’s a list of 25 middle grade books that include grandparents. Several are by Asian American authors.
The Blackbird Girls / Anne Blankman
The Witches / Roald Dahl
Louisiana’s Way Home / Kate DiCamillo
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It / Sundee Tucker Frazier
The Fourteenth Goldfish / Jennifer L. Holm
Sunny Side Up / Jennifer L. Holm
The Thing About Luck / Cynthia Kadohata
When You Trap a Tiger / Tae Keller
Listen, Slowly / Thanhha Lai
Dream Within a Dream / Patricia MacLachlan
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse / Joseph Marshall III
Merci Suárez Changes Gears / Meg Medina
Chirp / Kate Messner
The Turtle of Oman / Naomi Shihab Nye
Astrid the Unstoppable / Maria Parr
A Long Way from Chicago / Richard Peck
A Year Down Yonder / Richard Peck
As Brave as You / Jason Reynolds
The Good Thieves / Katherine Rundell
The Great Wall of Lucy Wu / Wendy Wan-Long Shang
Heidi / Johanna Spyri
The Runaways / Ulf Stark
Clean Getaway / Nic Stone
Gone Crazy in Alabama / Rita Williams-Garcia
Echo Mountain / Lauren Wolk
Happy reading!
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
April is National Poetry Month, so here’s a list of outstanding novels written in verse. All have received starred reviews, and several have also won awards.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (award winner)
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling (starred reviews)
Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg (award winner)
Love That Dog (award winner), Moo, and Saving Winslow (starred reviews) by Sharon Creech
The Wild Book by Margarita Engle (starred reviews)
Starfish by Lisa Fipps 2021 (starred reviews)
Garvey’s Choice (starred reviews) and Words with Wings (award winner) by Nikki Grimes
Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington (starred reviews)
Out of the Dust (award winner) and Witness (starred reviews) by Karen Hesse
Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton (starred reviews)
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (award winner)
The One Thing You’d Save by Linda Sue Park 2021 (starred reviews)
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkey (starred reviews)
May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (award winner)
Land of the Cranes and The Moon Within by Aida Salazar (starred reviews)
Red Butterfly by A.L. Sonnichsen (starred reviews)
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan (award winner)
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga (award winner)
Brown Girl Dreaming (award winner memoir) and Before the Ever After (award winner) by Jacqueline Woodson
“Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of toast and tea.” ~T.S. Eliot
Let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day with a sweet jFIC love story:
Dream Within a Dream by Patricia MacLachlan
Louisa is not looking forward to spending another summer with her grandparents on the tiny island where they live. Her brother doesn’t mind, but she’s a writer, so even though she enjoys her grandparents’ company, she would rather be off having adventures with her ornithologist parents. This year, however, she discovers that the island has a lot to offer, and she meets George, a very special boy with whom she forms a very special friendship.
And for Black History Month, here are a few of my favorite historical novels by African American authors:
Finding Langston Trilogy (Finding Langston, Leaving Lymon, and Being Clem (coming in August, 2021) by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Elijah of Buxton and other awesome novels by Christopher Paul Curtis
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and other installments of The Logan Family Series by Mildred Taylor
Some Places More than Others by Renée Watson
One Crazy Summer Trilogy by Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson
Happy reading!
“Words cannot espresso how much you bean to me!” –unknown
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Happy New Year! Looking forward to a year full of awesome reads!
My favorite dozen from 2020:
Eva Evergreen (Semi Magical Witch Book 1) by Julie Abe (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-7)
Eva Evergreen’s quest is to earn the rank of Novice Witch before her thirteenth birthday, for if she doesn’t, she’ll lose her magic powers forever. The problem is that Eva only has “a pinch of magic” – or so she believes. This delightful fantasy novel reads like an anime movie. I look forward to the sequels!
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman (Ages 9-12; Grades 4-7)
After a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explodes, two rival fifth-grade girls from completely different backgrounds end up on a train on their way to stay with one of the girls’ estranged grandmother. A poignant multigenerational historical novel about the power of friendship.
Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery 1) by Elizabeth C Bunce (Ages 10-18; Grades 5-12) (some diversity)
Myrtle Hardcastle is a brilliant twelve-year-old girl obsessed with forensic science and detective work who persists in her investigations in spite of the social expectations of her time. The series has similarities to the award-winning Flavia de Luce Mystery Series by Alan Bradley, but it’s written for kids! Engaging and delightful!
The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins (Ages 10-14; Grades 5-9)
A beautifully-written surreal fantasy about an enchanted house, menacing plants, bonds between sisters, and reality-bending revelations. I loved the little black dogs that squeeze inside their owners’ brains to help them sleep. Spooky and original!
Leaving Lymon (Finding Langston Trilogy Book 2) by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-7) (BIPOC author)
The second installment of the Finding Langston Trilogy follows the story of the bully Lymon, and includes the reasons for his anger, his love of music, and his finding hope for a better future. A moving and inspiring historical fiction story told by an outstanding writer.
One Time by Sharon Creech (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-7) (some diversity)
With the help of a brilliant teacher and a boy with a generous smile, 11-year-old Gina Filomena and her classmates discover that their future is full of wonderful possibilities. An uplifting coming-of-age story that’s perfect for classroom reading groups.
The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher (Ages 9-12; Grades 4-7)
Thirteen-year-old Seren Rhys is an orphan hoping for a better life in her Godfather’s country mansion. But nothing turns out as she expects, and she ends up going on a fantastic journey to rescue the family’s young son who has been stolen by fairies. A mysterious and fast-paced fantasy with themes of resilience, courage, and belonging.
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-7)
The Widdershins sisters discover that they’re under a generations-long curse that keeps them from leaving their island, so they set out to break the curse and save their lives with the help of three magical objects and a mysterious prisoner. An exciting fantasy adventure with excellent world-building and characterization.
The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-7) (bi-racial blended family)
A gorgeously-written, enchanting family story that follows the daily lives of 11-year-old Abi, her two stepbrothers, and her father and stepmother, as they adjust to a new family and a new home: a mysterious and possibly magical ivy-covered house. A suspenseful and heartwarming novel from a brilliant author. My favorite juvenile novel of the year!
Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap (Ages 10-12; Grades 5+)
Lampie, the lighthouse keeper’s 11-year-old daughter, makes a terrible mistake that results in punishments both for her and her alcoholic father. Hers is to be sent to live and work at the Admiral’s house, where a monster is said to live. A fantasy adventure with extraordinary characters and themes of courage, friendship, belonging, and self-worth.
The Monster Who Wasn’t (Monster Who Wasn’t Trilogy Book 1) by T. C. Shelley (Ages 8-12; Grades 3-6)
Imp hatched in a monsters’ lair, but looks just like a human boy and is possibly something between fairy and monster. The gargoyles and their angel take him under their wings, but the king of ogres has sinister plans for him. A fantasy story of family, good vs evil, and seeking one’s place in the world. Exciting and heart-warming!
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (Ages 8-12; Grades 5+)
The Great Depression forces 12-year-old Ellie’s family to leave their home in town and move to the untamed forests of Echo Mountain. There Ellie discovers a love of nature and is enjoying her new life until her father has an accident that leaves him in a coma. Ellie then decides to go to the reclusive “hag” of the mountain for help. A story about having the courage and persistence to become your own true self.
Happy reading!
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
Reading is the perfect activity for these unprecedented times of social distancing. Many libraries and bookstores are closed, but you can still borrow or buy ebooks and audio ebooks or simply order books and audiobooks online (preferably from your favorite local bookstore).
On March of last year, I posted a list for Women’s History Month titled Herstorical JFIC. Here’s a list (alpha by title) of several books from that post that are probably available to borrow as ebooks and/or audio ebooks from your local library (they’re all available from mine: the Denver Public Library):
Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk
Birchbark House (The) by Louise Erdrich
Breadwinner (The) by Deborah Ellis
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson
Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia (The) by Esther Hautzig
Esperanza Rising and Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (The) by Jacqueline Kelly
Full Cicada Moon by Larilyn Hinton
Green Glass Sea (The) by Ellen Klages
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
Lions of Little Rock (The) by Kristin Levine
Lyddie by Katherine Paterson
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
Night Diary (The) by Veera Hiranandaani
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
One Crazy Summer and sequels by Rita Williams-Garcia
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban
Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
War That Saved My Life (The) and sequel by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
West of the Moon by Margi Preus
Witch of Blackbird Pond (The) by Elizabeth George Speare
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
Stay home and read, everyone! ❤️
“For if I could please myself I would always live as I lived there. I would choose always to breakfast at exactly eight and to be at my desk by nine, there to read or write till one. If a cup of good tea or coffee could be brought to me about eleven, so much better. Tea should be taken in solitude.” ~C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy
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It’s Black History Month, so let’s celebrate African American jFIC authors. Here’s a list of their awesome books :
The Crossover Series by Kwame Alexander
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender
Like Vanessa by Tami Charles
So Done by Paula Chase
Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
New Kid (graphic novel) by Jerry Craft (Recent winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Blended by Sharon Draper
TheLast Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes
Bird by Angela Johnson
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee
The Season of Stix Malone by Kekla Magoon
TheStars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons
Ghost and sequels by Jason Reynolds (current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature)
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
One Crazy Summer Trilogy by Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi
And also, because it’s Valentine’s Day, here’s a sweet love story: Dream Within a Dream by Patricia MacLachlan
Happy reading!
“I always get up and make a cup of coffee while it is still dark — it must be dark — and then I drink the coffee and watch the light come.” —Toni Morrison
Eleven-year-old Buddy goes on a dangerous quest to rescue his dad from a magical crime Lord. His weapons are a knife and his father’s magical Parsnit cards, and his sidekick is a spider-folk girl named Tally. A fantastic setting, page-turning danger and adventure, quirky characters, a creative game of cards, great messages about family and identity, and a fascinating metanarrative all work together to make this novel an outstanding read.
Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo (Realistic Fiction)
This is the third book featuring characters from the world of Raymie Nightingale. I loved this tenderhearted, sensitive story about dealing with grief and hardship, and finding unlikely friends in the process. Lyrical, poignant, and simply wonderful.
A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff (Historical Fiction)
A lovely novel, written in verse, about the Irish Land War (1881). Well done, suspenseful, and poignant. Excellent characterization.
Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt (Realistic Fiction / Humor)
Carter Jones is dealing with his first year in middle school, his father’s absence, his brother’s death, his distraught mother, helping to take care of his three younger sisters, and a surprise English butler who wants him to behave like a “proper gentleman” and learn to drink tea and play cricket. Well-written and both funny and heart-wrenching.
The Runaways by Ulf Stark (Realistic Fiction)
A young boy helps his dying grandfather to run away from the hospital for a couple of days, giving him the chance to prepare for his final good-bye. Well-written with delightful characters. An inter-generational adventure full of humor and heart.
Happy reading!
“What’s this?” I said.
“Tea with milk and sugar,” said the Butler.
“I don’t drink tea,” I said.
“All civilized people drink tea, young Master Jones.”
“Then I guess I’m not civilized.”
“A claim you share with Vikings, Huns, assorted barbarian hordes, and marauders of all stripes. I have taken the liberty of adding more sugar than one might normally expect.”
I sipped at it. I sipped again. It was pretty good.
“It stinks,” I said.
— from Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Here are 12 Christmas classics to add to the list:
Little Women by Louise May Alcott
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck (author) and Mark Buehner (illustrator)
A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories edited and assembled by Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Nueve Días para Navidad: Un Cuento de México by Marie Hall Ets (author, illustrator) and Aurora Labastida (author)
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Circle of Wonder: A Native American Christmas Story by N. Scott Momaday
The Taylor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter
A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas (author) and Trina Schart Hyman (illustrator)
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski (author) and P.J. Lynch (illustrator)
Joyous reading and happy holidays!
“It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” ― Dylan Thomas(from A Child’s Christmas in Wales)
![The Storm Keeper’s Island (The Storm Keeper's Island Series) by [Doyle, Catherine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y08IOeIDL.jpg)
