I'm taking a children's literature class at my university, and each week we have presentations about famous children's authors. Since I'm presenting on Judy Blume, I felt it was necessary to reread some of her classics such as "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" and "Just as Long as We're Together". It was such a trip down memory lane, haha.
Talk about the kidlit you're reading!
- Thread starter Kitty Pryde
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I've been on a huge middle grade fiction kick these past few weeks, since I've finally had free time to binge read. Sixteen books. One week. The best of the bunch, though, were Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle. Just wow. Where were these books when I was thirteen?
Hi romancewriter,
I'd be interested, although, I'm worried about keeping up with the reading. If it's one book a month I might be able to swing it
Sixteen books is a pretty great accomplishment! I thought Better Nate than Ever was terrific, too. I haven't read the sequel yet, but it's on my list!
Hi romancewriter,
I'd be interested, although, I'm worried about keeping up with the reading. If it's one book a month I might be able to swing it
One book a month sounds reasonable, and then maybe we can use the next month to discuss the 1st book while we're reading the second book. And so on. Just a thought.
Ah! It's great. I think the first one is a bit better, but the sequel is just so charming.
Finished Alcatraz versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson. I love this comedic upper MG fantasy series. It's a lot of fun and filled with humor that can appeal to both kids and adults, especially those of us who write or read a lot.
It might be too over the top ridiculous for some people, though.
It might be too over the top ridiculous for some people, though.
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Heza, I love the Underland Chronicles! I've just gotten my eight year old into them. I was out of town over the weekend, and she listened to audiobooks 2, 3, and 4 while I was gone.
I read HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL this weekend - highly recommended for those who love MG with heart. A wonderful debut.
I read HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL this weekend - highly recommended for those who love MG with heart. A wonderful debut.
I've really enjoyed them. They're pretty fast-paced and I like the characterizations. Sometimes, I disagree with character choices, but I suppose that's life for you.
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Okay guys, I need your book recommending mojo.
My daughter loves series. She likes there to be epic adventure and preferably magic, and as many books as possible. She generally likes it to be grounded in the real world and then travel into another world, or incorporate fantastical elements into this world. She is only 8, but comprehends on an extremely high level (and will be listening to audiobooks, not reading).
So, for example, she LOVES Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, The Underland Chronicles, the Wizard of Oz books.
I have about a million contemporary recommendations, but I am no use to her. Help me out - what other series should we try??
My daughter loves series. She likes there to be epic adventure and preferably magic, and as many books as possible. She generally likes it to be grounded in the real world and then travel into another world, or incorporate fantastical elements into this world. She is only 8, but comprehends on an extremely high level (and will be listening to audiobooks, not reading).
So, for example, she LOVES Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, The Underland Chronicles, the Wizard of Oz books.
I have about a million contemporary recommendations, but I am no use to her.
Help me out - what other series should we try??
Just off the top of my head...
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat (and sequels) by Lynne Jonell
Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo
Molly Moon series by Georgia Byng
Young Wizard series by Diane Duane (So You Want to be a Wizard)
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (my daughter absolutely adored this series when she was younger)
The Legend of Holly Claus (Emma loved this one too, though I could never get into it.)
Has she read The Meanest Doll in the World? The Doll People series is not quite so epic, but it is delightful.
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat (and sequels) by Lynne Jonell
Children of the Red King series by Jenny Nimmo
Molly Moon series by Georgia Byng
Young Wizard series by Diane Duane (So You Want to be a Wizard)
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (my daughter absolutely adored this series when she was younger)
The Legend of Holly Claus (Emma loved this one too, though I could never get into it.)
Has she read The Meanest Doll in the World? The Doll People series is not quite so epic, but it is delightful.
Jinx is a good one, though not set in the real world. Starts in a small village then travels into the magical forest that surrounds it.
Also, she'll probably like The Keeper Of Lost Cities. Definitely fits with the others you listed.
And you mentioned Artemis Fowl before, if you haven't given her that yet, do it! Great book.
Also, she'll probably like The Keeper Of Lost Cities. Definitely fits with the others you listed.
And you mentioned Artemis Fowl before, if you haven't given her that yet, do it! Great book.
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Okay guys, I need your book recommending mojo.
My daughter loves series. She likes there to be epic adventure and preferably magic, and as many books as possible. She generally likes it to be grounded in the real world and then travel into another world, or incorporate fantastical elements into this world. She is only 8, but comprehends on an extremely high level (and will be listening to audiobooks, not reading).
So, for example, she LOVES Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, The Underland Chronicles, the Wizard of Oz books.
I have about a million contemporary recommendations, but I am no use to her.
For something older, there's also Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, though I don't know if they have that in audiobooks.
Ah, it's so very refreshing to stop in and find all these great book recommendations, especially when my reading pile is depleted.
Recently finished Dust of Eden - poetic form story told by a young Japanese American girl of what happened after Pearl Harbor. Very good.
True (sort of) - can't recommend it enough
Wish You Weren't - I won this paperback in a contest, and was surprised that I enjoyed it so much. Quick, well-written read centered around a hasty wish one young boy made on a shooting star.
Nightingale's Nest - Oooh, this was a hard one. Great story based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson. I really liked this, but it isn't all fluff and feathers. Poor little Gayle ripped my heart out, but Little John proved to be a strong hero. Highly recommend. Nikki Loftin is the author, and she has another one out that sounds intriguing: The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy. With a title like that, I have to read it.
Good to see all of you. I know I've been absent a long time.
Recently finished Dust of Eden - poetic form story told by a young Japanese American girl of what happened after Pearl Harbor. Very good.
True (sort of) - can't recommend it enough
Wish You Weren't - I won this paperback in a contest, and was surprised that I enjoyed it so much. Quick, well-written read centered around a hasty wish one young boy made on a shooting star.
Nightingale's Nest - Oooh, this was a hard one. Great story based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson. I really liked this, but it isn't all fluff and feathers. Poor little Gayle ripped my heart out, but Little John proved to be a strong hero. Highly recommend. Nikki Loftin is the author, and she has another one out that sounds intriguing: The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy. With a title like that, I have to read it.
Good to see all of you. I know I've been absent a long time.
Okay guys, I need your book recommending mojo.
My daughter loves series. She likes there to be epic adventure and preferably magic, and as many books as possible. She generally likes it to be grounded in the real world and then travel into another world, or incorporate fantastical elements into this world. She is only 8, but comprehends on an extremely high level (and will be listening to audiobooks, not reading).
So, for example, she LOVES Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, The Underland Chronicles, the Wizard of Oz books.
I have about a million contemporary recommendations, but I am no use to her.
Fablehaven series?
Okay guys, I need your book recommending mojo.
My daughter loves series. She likes there to be epic adventure and preferably magic, and as many books as possible. She generally likes it to be grounded in the real world and then travel into another world, or incorporate fantastical elements into this world. She is only 8, but comprehends on an extremely high level (and will be listening to audiobooks, not reading).
So, for example, she LOVES Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, The Underland Chronicles, the Wizard of Oz books.
I have about a million contemporary recommendations, but I am no use to her.
You've gotten enough great recommendations to last you through summer at least (ha ha), but I'll add in one of my favorite authors - Eva Ibbotson. She didn't write series, but most of her books start off grounded in the real world, but then add a magical element. And they're funny. The Secret of Platform 13 (written before Harry Potter,about a magical land that is accessed through a train platform) is wonderful. Also good - Island of the Aunts, Dial-A-Ghost, Which Witch, etc.
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Thank you guys so much! You are awesome! And you might be surprised how quickly we go through these recommendations - she listened to all five Gregor books in a week!
Thanks to SuperKate for the TUMTUM AND NUTMEG rec as a great book for younger readers. I checked a book out from my local library, and was a bit surprised at its heft until I realized it was three-in-one. I finished the first, and found it cute and charming. Apropos of nothing, it's technically a departure from the rule that kidlit characters should match the kids in age - Tumtum and Nutmeg look after two human children, but they are grownup mice :lol:
I think that PRECIOUS BONES is an excellent book, but it turned out to be a bit grim for my personal taste. As the book progresses, the MC's fear that her father committed murder becomes more and more the book's focus. I would still recommend it.
I also tried a bunch of stuff that I just didn't connect to. Mostly it was purely a matter of taste, but in one case I found a book downright creepy and disturbing. (The bad kind of creepy, not the pleasurable shivers-down-the-spine fantasy-horror kind.)
On the up side, I accidentally checked out a picture book called HORSE by Christopher Myers, about two friends playing basketball. (I put it on hold without realizing it was a picture book!) The book was sweet, but the author's afterward was what I really enjoyed. I also liked a YA book called WARP SPEED by Lisa Yee, about a kid named Marty struggling to deal with bullying and other life stuff.
I think that PRECIOUS BONES is an excellent book, but it turned out to be a bit grim for my personal taste. As the book progresses, the MC's fear that her father committed murder becomes more and more the book's focus. I would still recommend it.
I also tried a bunch of stuff that I just didn't connect to. Mostly it was purely a matter of taste, but in one case I found a book downright creepy and disturbing. (The bad kind of creepy, not the pleasurable shivers-down-the-spine fantasy-horror kind.)
On the up side, I accidentally checked out a picture book called HORSE by Christopher Myers, about two friends playing basketball. (I put it on hold without realizing it was a picture book!) The book was sweet, but the author's afterward was what I really enjoyed. I also liked a YA book called WARP SPEED by Lisa Yee, about a kid named Marty struggling to deal with bullying and other life stuff.
I'm so glad you liked Tumtum and Nutmeg! I loved that one, too. There's a sequel, if you're interested.
I just started reading The Various by Steve Augarde. It's got a similar English countryside setting, but a little older feel (though still a fantasy with magical creatures). I'm really enjoying it so far.
I just started reading The Various by Steve Augarde. It's got a similar English countryside setting, but a little older feel (though still a fantasy with magical creatures). I'm really enjoying it so far.
I just finished A MEDAL FOR LEROY by Michael Morpurgo. I'm not quite sure what I think of it.
The MC tells his story at age 70, though his age isn't stated until the end of the book. Throughout the story, I kept thinking that the narrator's voice sounded very much adult, and wondering how old he was. The MC's father died in WW2 and his grandfather in WW1. His grandfather was black, and racial prejudice is a major theme. The first half of the book concentrates on the MC's relationship with his family and his curiosity about his father. His interactions with two aunts are described with great nuance. Eventually, the MC does find out more about both his father and his grandfather, via a letter from an aunt. The second half of the book focuses on his grandparents' story, as told from the POV of his grandmother.
On the whole I liked it, but it was odd to read kidlit where nothing much happened (except in the past), and where the kid never got to do much of anything. The title suggests an attempt to posthumously honor the grandfather, but that isn't a big part of the story. It felt almost adult in tone, though it's appropriate in length and reading difficulty for MG readers.
The MC tells his story at age 70, though his age isn't stated until the end of the book. Throughout the story, I kept thinking that the narrator's voice sounded very much adult, and wondering how old he was. The MC's father died in WW2 and his grandfather in WW1. His grandfather was black, and racial prejudice is a major theme. The first half of the book concentrates on the MC's relationship with his family and his curiosity about his father. His interactions with two aunts are described with great nuance. Eventually, the MC does find out more about both his father and his grandfather, via a letter from an aunt. The second half of the book focuses on his grandparents' story, as told from the POV of his grandmother.
On the whole I liked it, but it was odd to read kidlit where nothing much happened (except in the past), and where the kid never got to do much of anything. The title suggests an attempt to posthumously honor the grandfather, but that isn't a big part of the story. It felt almost adult in tone, though it's appropriate in length and reading difficulty for MG readers.
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Ruth, my daughter has torn through the first two RED KING books by Jenny Nimmo! Thanks so much for the recommendation. We are eagerly awaiting the library hold on the third one, and planning to try the CHARLIE BONE books too.
I've been on a bit of a YA streak lately, though did I mention HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL? It's terrific.
I've been on a bit of a YA streak lately, though did I mention HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL? It's terrific.
Just finished Ridley Pearson's Steel Trapp The Challenge. I'm a bit on the fence about it. It was good but I couldn't totally connect with it. Although there is a sequel which I will probably read.
I've also been reading Warriors - Dawn of the Clans by Erin Hunter. Just finished the 3rd book. I've been kind of the obsessed with the starter series and have read each book multiple times, although this prequel series I'm just now starting to 'get into' the story. I'm finally seeing more connection with what later became the Clans, so they're getting more into what I like about the books.
Am trying to finish the Nicholas Flamel series. I've been reading the series on and off for a few years now. I like the books but it annoys me when series don't put numbers on the book jackets, so I have to keep guessing which ones I've read and which ones I haven't.
Am also trying to finish the H.I.V.E. series.
I've also been reading Warriors - Dawn of the Clans by Erin Hunter. Just finished the 3rd book. I've been kind of the obsessed with the starter series and have read each book multiple times, although this prequel series I'm just now starting to 'get into' the story. I'm finally seeing more connection with what later became the Clans, so they're getting more into what I like about the books.
Am trying to finish the Nicholas Flamel series. I've been reading the series on and off for a few years now. I like the books but it annoys me when series don't put numbers on the book jackets, so I have to keep guessing which ones I've read and which ones I haven't.
Am also trying to finish the H.I.V.E. series.
So I've been trying to read the first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy for a couple of years, now. I got halfway through the first book and then put it down for a year, and then tried picking it back up... I couldn't remember what had happened, so I backread a little... then put it down again. Now, I've picked it up, and I'm backreading, again... which is boring because I can't remember if I've read a part, but then something significant happens and I'm like, "Oh. Yeah. That thing. I've seen this already."
I'm just not getting into it. The book seems very humorous, exciting, intelligent, full of voice... I should love it, but I'm having such a hard time staying in it.
I'm just not getting into it. The book seems very humorous, exciting, intelligent, full of voice... I should love it, but I'm having such a hard time staying in it.
I know what you mean. It was good, but it felt like it was lacking that special something that really holds my attention. I actually found a lot of the footnotes annoying because I had to leave the flow of the story to read them.