Some of your favorite Middle Grade books. . .

JoMarieM · Jul 8, 2012

What are some of your favorite MG books that you remember from childhood (or that you might even still enjoy reading as an adult)? Here are some of mine:

The Little House on the Prairie series: these never get old!

The Narnia Books: such an imagination C.S. Lewis had! I still love these books even as an adult!

"Peppermints in the Parlor". Anybody remember this one? It's sad in spots, but everything turns out all right in the end.

"Scruffy", by Jack Stonely. Another book with sad spots, but still ends very happily.

Some of the "Shoes" books by Noel Streatfield. Some of these books are different in style and tone, with the very British characters and rather abrupt transitions in spots, but still some wonderful books. I've enjoyed "Ballet Shoes", "Dancing Shoes," and "Skating Shoes," ("AKA White Boots".)

"Mandy" by Julie Andrews (yes, the Julie Andrews of "Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" fame. Ms. Andrews is also a wonderful storyteller as well as a singer and an actress, and this book is a classic in its own right.

"Daphne's Book," by Mary Downing Hahn. A great story about the struggles of junior-high peer pressure and looking past someone's outside in order to discover the true meaning of friendship. However, a note of warning -- just be aware that not EVERY book by Ms. Hahn is as good as this one -- she also wrote a book called "The Sara Summer" that was downright horrible -- one of the MC's was a total brat and IMO a VERY bad influence for anybody reading the book.

"A Little Princess," by Frances Hodgeson Burnett. One of the books I still love as an adult!

And some books that are probably more YA than MG -- "Black Beauty", "Little Women", and the Anne of Green Gables series." Love them all!

Debbie V · Jul 9, 2012

I second Little House and Narnia. I read all of Judy Blume's MG and Carolyn Hayward and Beverley Cleary. I also loved the Hardy Boys.

I don't know that all of these hold up well today. Some feel dated, but I loved them.

Kitty Pryde · Jul 9, 2012

Favorites of childhood:

Maniac Mcgee (yes, I was Jerry Spinelli fangirling even as a wee child)
Finn Family Moomintroll series (still one of my ultimate favorites!)
Chronicles of Narnia
The Hobbit
Mrs. Pigglewiggle (this one seems really stupid as an adult, but I must have read it 50 times as a kid)
Piers Anthony Xanth novels (these are technically for adults, but as an adult I find them lousy. I still remember my mom's friend's husband Henry handing me my first one around 3rd grade

)
William Sleator sci-fi novels
THe Spaceship Under The Apple Tree
Judy Blume books
Beverly Cleary books

jvc · Jul 9, 2012

Not easy trying to remember that far back, but I'll give it a go. The Narnia books, Famous Five, Secret Seven, and I used to love Willard Price's Adventure series of books. That was hard work. I'll think of some more later. Need a drink now.

MsJudy · Jul 9, 2012

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. (the book that made me decide I wanted to be a writer when I grew up...if I ever grow up...)

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

Black Beauty

Anne of Green Gables

The Borrowers

bulldoggerel · Jul 9, 2012

Books of youth

I don't remember the author, but I especially liked a book called White Bird about an albino crow. It is the only book from that era of my life which I still have on my shelf. It still has the freezer tape with the dewey decimal written on it stuck to the spine from when I used to play "library" with my sister.

jvc · Jul 9, 2012

I'll admit I read a lot of Star Trek books, too, when I was a kid. I also read the James Bond books, which wasn't easy. Which leads to a confession. We had a mobile library come round near to where I lived. And I tried to check out a James Bond book, but was told I was too young. So, yep, instead of waiting until I was old enough, I snuck them out under my jumper. I was such a bad kid. I'm sorry.

Britwriter · Jul 9, 2012

Black Beauty, Anne of Green Gables, The Little Princess, and any pony books, especially My Friend Flicka.

I remember reading one Little House book and being so shocked and upset by the depiction of Native Americans that I couldn't continue. I still personally can't get past it and see the romance and charm, even though I know they are a big favorite with many people.

We had such a crumby library when I was a child that I missed out on so much good literature. I just read the same books over and over. And over. So I missed most of the middle grade literature, and am reading much of it for the first time now as an adult.

However, when I got to senior school at age 11, I had a wonderful teacher who realized that the regular English class was a waste of my time. He gave me a reading list and a free pass to the library, and told me that as long as I read books from his list, I could sit and read at the back of the class during his lessons. That year, I discovered Jane Austen, the Brontes, Dickens, and a host more. It was sheer bliss.

playground · Jul 9, 2012

I wasn't a huge reader when I was younger (not until around the 3rd or 4th Harry Potter book was out at least, maybe it was the 5th, can't quite remember) but the one's that were able to keep my attention were:

Harry Potter books.
Judy Blume books.
Animorph books.
Artemis Fowl books.

I think that's about it, can't quite remember the rest.

Morrell · Jul 9, 2012

I grew up in the 60s, and these were the favorites I reread until they were falling apart:

Catherine Woolley (esp the Ginnie and Geneva books)
Beverly Cleary (especially Ellen Tebbits and Otis Spofford)
Carolyn Haywood (Annie Pat and Eddie, etc.)
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Katie John
All-of-a-Kind Family
L. Frank Baum's Oz books
Elizabeth Enright (The Saturdays, Four-Story Mistake, etc)
Eleanor Estes (The Witch Family, all the Moffats, Ginger Pye, Pinky Pye)
Carbonel, King of the Cats
Professor Diggins' Dragons
And all sorts of series, some passed down from my older cousins, including The Happy Hollisters, The Bobbsey Twins, Donna Parker, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew

Smish · Jul 9, 2012

As a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on. I read a lot of series, like Fear Street and Sweet Valley Twins and The Babysitters Club. My very favorite book, which I read over and over again, was Just as Long as We're Together, by Judy Blume. I also read Bridge to Terabithia and Tuck Everlasting and Summer of my German Soldier and Number the Stars multiple times.

Some of my favorites now, which I read over and over again (yep, I still return to books I love) are: Wringer, Maniac Magee, and Crash, by Jerry Spinelli. Holes, by Louis Sachar. Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell out of a Tree, by Lauren Tarshis. Love, Aubrey, by Suzanne LaFleur. Shug, by Jenny Han. Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko. Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen. Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes. The Harry Potter series, by JK Rowling. The Percy Jackson series (both of 'em), by Rick Riordan.

MsJudy · Jul 9, 2012

Yeah, the problem with a question like this is we're all different ages and nationalities! Most of the books on playground's list and smish's list weren't written until I was in college, or later.

So now I feel old.

Smish · Jul 9, 2012

I read Harry Potter in college (admittedly, the first book was published when I was in high school, but I didn't start reading HP until book 3 was released), so I'm not as young as playground king. In fact, one of my juvenile clients today told me I just can't understand him because I'm old.

jvc · Jul 9, 2012

Smish said:
I'm old.

Yeah, I didn't like to say, but, now you mention it ....

MJWare · Jul 10, 2012

I read everything you'd expect a 12 y.o. boy to read: CL Lewis, The Hobbit, Bradbury.
But as an adult I enjoy a lot of MG books that I think would surprise most of you:
Outcast of 19 Schuyler Place
Princess Academy (loved this one)
Tiger Rising
Midnight Magic (Great foreboding)
Oh and I can't forget: Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls

So it's not always about the action for me

DanielaTorre · Jul 10, 2012

I like anything written by Kate DiCamillo. She has a way of stirring up your emotions. Her books are so moving. I cried at the end of "The Tiger Rising" and "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". Check her out. "The Magician's Elephant" is also wonderful.

Morrell · Jul 10, 2012

mware01 said:
I read everything you'd expect a 12 y.o. boy to read: CL Lewis, The Hobbit, Bradbury.
But as an adult I enjoy a lot of MG books that I think would surprise most of you:
Outcast of 19 Schuyler Place
Princess Academy (loved this one)
Tiger Rising
Midnight Magic (Great foreboding)
Oh and I can't forget: Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls

So it's not always about the action for me

Mware, glad you are a broad reader & not ashamed to admit it.

I agree--Princess Academy and Allie Finkle rock.

Daniela, you've renewed my intention to read more Kate DiCamillo. The Tale of Despereaux is calling to me from the shelf right now. No, Despereaux, you'll have to wait. I have to finish my overdue library books first....

DanielaTorre · Jul 10, 2012

RuthD said:
Daniela, you've renewed my intention to read more Kate DiCamillo. The Tale of Despereaux is calling to me from the shelf right now. No, Despereaux, you'll have to wait. I have to finish my overdue library books first....

The only book I have yet to read is "Because of Winn-Dixie". I've been meaning to pick it up. She also has a series of chapter books. I haven't read those but I'm certainly considering them.

Finish your books first!

playground · Jul 10, 2012

Oh I forgot, I also liked goosebumps!

MJWare · Jul 10, 2012

playground_king said:
Oh I forgot, I also liked goosebumps!

I probably shouldn't admit to this, but the local thrift store sells Goosebumps for 50¢. I really like to buy them and edit them while I read--especially the poorly written ones.

Normally, I'd consider sacrilege to write in a book. When I make notes in other books, I use pencil and stickies. But it's so much fun to go through and just hack apart a page and see how many changes I make.

Oh, and I enjoy the stories too.

ladysarahii · Jul 11, 2012

Anything by Roald Dahl. I credit that guy with making me want to be a writer. Also, for many nightmares. *g*

rwm4768 · Jul 11, 2012

I was a Harry Potter kid. It's the series that got me into reading and made me want to be a writer.

Laura J · Jul 12, 2012

Summer of my German Soldier. I remember that book. I read it over and over again. Judy Blume.

I don't remember a lot of books when I was a kid. I know I read a lot, but don't remember. I think there are so many MG books today compared to the 70s.

DSA · Jul 12, 2012

What comes to mind: most of Judy Blume; Anne of Green Gables; Owls in the Family; Midnight Fox; Summer of the Swans; From the Mixed-up Files. . .; Tuck Everlasting; Bridge to Terabithia; Great Gilly Hopkins; Rules; When You Reach Me; Savvy; Nighjohn; Hoot.

MsJudy · Jul 12, 2012

Laura J said:
I think there are so many MG books today compared to the 70s.

Exactly. Kids today are so lucky. They have so many more great books to read, AND video games, AND the interwebs, AND Nixon isn't president.

Some of your favorite Middle Grade books. . .

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