middle grade fiction

They Threw Us Away blazes a must-read trail of action and friendship

The title and image on the cover of They Threw Us Away immediately activates the dark places that your imagination can wander. It inspires curiosity, thoughts of friendship, and an unknown hint of what could be malevolence or something more apocalyptic. We see four teddy bears, each with a distinct personality. One is protective, a pink one is dancing, one looks quite aloof, and one who’s a bit of a wildcard. On the back we see a quote from the first chapter of the book that ominously states, “Is anyone there? I think….I’m lost”. Forget any preconceptions you have about They Threw Us Away. This book could easily be more inspired by any number of characters, depending on what you identify with the most. However,in reality, it’s an original story that crackles like very few books you’ll read this year.

This is one of the best books of the year for mglit

The Monster Who Wasn’t, detail-rich and a bit complex

Our 11-year-old son read The Monster Who Wasn’t first. I started to read it, found it too confusing, and put it by our bed when he walked in the room. “So, you’re reading that?” he asked. I told him that I started to read it, but got lost a chapter or two into the book. He stated that it was a great book, full of monsters and action and that I’d really enjoy it. Our oldest son reads books like I’d eat bacon if there were an endless supply of it in the kitchen. When I finished The Monster Who Wasn’t I agreed with him for the part.

It’s a great book, just follow along closely or you’ll get lost

Chirp, middle grade life & mystery, with a side dose of serious

Chirp is from author Kate Messner. She’s someone who your middle school student knows, who is probably chastising you for not buying this book or getting it from the library yet. For us, Chirp is a great representation of why middle school audiences love Messner’s books. They look at the life of an early teenager from a fun angle, but also address some of the serious things that might be going on in their life.

Crickets, growing up, friends and confronting the uncomfortable