Finished Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull. At this point, Fablehaven is edging up into YA territory, but it started out as MG. It's such a fun read.
Talk about the kidlit you're reading!
- Thread starter Kitty Pryde
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I particularly liked the twist towards the end of that book; didn't see it coming. Personally, I wasn't huge on the final book but you might be different!
On a side-note, just finished Zombie Tag. Holy crap at those feels. Punch. To. The. Gut.
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Finished The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler. This was a fun read with a very interesting premise and magic system. The sorcerers in this world are known as Readers. Also, it had the characters going inside books, which is pretty cool. It was fast-paced, and I enjoyed it a lot.
I'm looking forward to reading the first Fablehaven book; I've been eying them for a while.
I just finished The Runaway King--the sequel to Jennifer Nielsen's The False Prince.
I enjoyed it. I still think they feel almost YA, but the dialog in those books is just delightful. So much wit and snark.
I just finished The Runaway King--the sequel to Jennifer Nielsen's The False Prince.
I enjoyed it. I still think they feel almost YA, but the dialog in those books is just delightful. So much wit and snark.
I read two of the Amelia's Notebook series I picked up from the library. I would like to read more. It was good inspiration for the highly illustrated MG book I someday want to draw/write.
I'm currently reading a grown-up book (gasp!), Michael Cunningham's Snow Queen, which is great. I would love to get some book recommendations from all of you, though. We are starting a mother-daughter bookclub for the third-graders in our neighborhood, and everyone's looking to me for the books.
So far on my list of possibilities, I have The Penderwicks, Tale of Despereaux, Ella Enchanted, The Great Greene Heist, Family Fletcher, and Goose Girl. Other ideas? And anyone think any of those isn't a great pick for third graders? We have all different reading levels, and some of the kids may need to do this as a read-aloud. It's also good if the books are appealing to the moms, too. Thanks for your help!
So far on my list of possibilities, I have The Penderwicks, Tale of Despereaux, Ella Enchanted, The Great Greene Heist, Family Fletcher, and Goose Girl. Other ideas? And anyone think any of those isn't a great pick for third graders? We have all different reading levels, and some of the kids may need to do this as a read-aloud. It's also good if the books are appealing to the moms, too. Thanks for your help!
I liked the The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates . It's not too serious and, most importantly, has pirates. (Although, I think the tone is a bit lighter than the books you mentioned.) There are 'news' clippings and letters at the beginning of each chapter which was my favorite part. As it has pirates, I would have loved it in third grade!
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Did I rave in here about FINDING RUBY STARLING? I don't think so, but it is fantastic. The Parent Trap meets the digital age, told mostly in emails and just so, so great.
Also, THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jenni Holm is When You Reach Me meets Hound Dog True. Heartwarming and weird and science and awesome.
Also, THE FOURTEENTH GOLDFISH by Jenni Holm is When You Reach Me meets Hound Dog True. Heartwarming and weird and science and awesome.
I might have to check out FINDING RUBY STARLING. I loved Meg Cabot's "Rules for Girls" series and I need to take in all the First Person female MC I can get.
I finished Gaiman's Fortunately, the Milk a few weeks ago and it made me green with envy--the man can write ANYTHING in ANY genre he wants--it's just not fair.
I finished Gaiman's Fortunately, the Milk a few weeks ago and it made me green with envy--the man can write ANYTHING in ANY genre he wants--it's just not fair.
Now that I think about it, based on your other books, Giaman's book might be too low a grade level (though it's listed as 3-6 grade). Might want to check out the sample over at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BATKPNM/?tag=absowrit-20
You can get different samples by clicking on both the e-book and the print edition.
My used bookstore had a sale and I picked up:
The Monster calls (Ness)
Camp Haunted Hills (Coville)
Just as Long as We're Together (Blume)
A View from Saturday (Konigsburg)
I'm starting with the EL Konigsburg novel, as she's always a great read.
Also, not kidlit, but a warning don't read Let the Right One In unless you have a strong stomach for violence against kids. I read it thinking 'kid vampires', and I loved the writing style, but more than one part made my stomach churn!
The Monster calls (Ness)
Camp Haunted Hills (Coville)
Just as Long as We're Together (Blume)
A View from Saturday (Konigsburg)
I'm starting with the EL Konigsburg novel, as she's always a great read.
Also, not kidlit, but a warning don't read Let the Right One In unless you have a strong stomach for violence against kids. I read it thinking 'kid vampires', and I loved the writing style, but more than one part made my stomach churn!
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Agreed. I HATED that book. I got rid of it... couldn't even stand to have it in my house.
Finished Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull (the second in his Beyonders series). This series is fun, but it's also quite dark at times. Definitely upper MG. As in the Fablehaven series, Mull isn't afraid to make bad things happen, including character deaths.
I've really enjoyed this series so far. Sure, the concept is simple--heroes versus a dark lord--but I like the way Mull has handled these tropes. Of course, I have a soft spot for that kind of story, as I've written my own in a similar vein.
I've really enjoyed this series so far. Sure, the concept is simple--heroes versus a dark lord--but I like the way Mull has handled these tropes. Of course, I have a soft spot for that kind of story, as I've written my own in a similar vein.
Finished The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. This is my favorite Percy Jackson so far. I liked the first two, but I really liked this one. The pacing was nice and frantic, especially in the second half of the book.
I've been reading Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck. It's about brothers and family with the backdrop of 4H. I'm enjoying it so far!
I read Just Grace lately and I really enjoyed it. I think I'll check out the other ones from the library 
I just finished Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy and it was fantastic. Creepy and dreamy and beautiful. I didn't want it to end. Next up is The Tail of Emily Windsnap, which is the first selection for our mother/daughter book club. My daughter flew through it in an afternoon, so I think it was a hit. Can't wait to dive in!
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WEST OF THE MOON was marvelous. Sooo beautiful. I've seen Newbery buzz for it and I can understand why. Really gorgeous prose, complex, interesting characters. Made me want to seek out the author's other books. Now I'm reading UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMERS, which isn't out until 2015, but it's a lot of fun.
Finished Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull. I absolutely loved this book (and the Fablehaven series in general). Sure, I can find some minor quibbles with the writing, but it's simply a great story. I always had to know what was going to happen. I loved the characters. The fantasy world Mull created was just plain fun to lose myself in.
I'm on a Just Grace, Still Just Grace kick, by Cherise Mericle Harper. The books are super cute! I'm definitely going to get the rest from the library. Or at least what ever they have checked in. Seems to be a popular series.
Recently finished Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins. This is a good series with an interesting world. It's a bit dark at times for MG. I won't say I like it as much as I liked The Hunger Games, but it's still a good read.