Archive for Ages 10 – 12
March 13, 2013 at 4:14 am · Filed under Ages 12 - 14, Ages 14 and Up, Ages 10 - 12, Adult fiction and non-fiction, Booksellers Diary, Ages 12 and up, Ages 10 and up, Award Winners ·Tagged YA fiction, libba bray, Finnikin of the Rock, Melina Marchetta, classics, Chime, Franny Billingsley, Jerry Spinelli, I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith, Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein, A Brief History of Montmaray, Michelle Cooper, Anne of Green Gables, Charles Dickens, Jepp Who Defied the Stars, Katherine Marsh, The Diviners, Miss Megan, L.M. Mongomery, Daddy Long Legs, Jean Webster, Betsy-Tacy, Maud Hart Lovelace, Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, M.T. Anderson, David Copperfield, Flygirl, Sherri Smith, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, Milkweed, I Am the Messenger, Jane Austen
I love middle grade, but more often than not I find myself gravitating to the Young Adult section. There are just such fantastic choices available over there these days! Here are some of my all-time favorites.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery; Penguin; 4.99; Ages 10-adult
Opening line: “Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies’ eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place.”
For fans of: Daddy Long Legs; Betsy-Tacy
Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh; Hyperion; 16.99; Ages 12-adult
Opening line: “Being a court dwarf is no easy task. I know because I failed at it.”
For fans of: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; David Copperfield
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein; Hyperion; 16.99; Ages 14-adult
Opening line: ”I AM A COWARD I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending.”
For fans of: I Capture the Castle; Flygirl
Chime by Franny Billingsley; Penguin; 8.99; Ages 14-adult
Opening line: “I’ve confessed to everything and I’d like to be hanged. Now, if you please.”
For fans of: The Diviners; Finnikin of the Rock
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; Knopf (Random House); 12.99; Ages 14-adult
Opening line: “First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.”
For fans of: Milkweed; I Am the Messenger
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith; St. Martin’s; 14.99; Ages 14-adult
Opening line: “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.”
For fans of: A Brief History of Montmaray; Jane Austen
We try to always have copies of these books on our shelves! Come by and check them out sometime!
Read on, readers!
Miss Megan
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February 20, 2013 at 7:45 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 8 - 10, Ages 8 and up, Award Winners ·Tagged 1890s, Anne of Green Gables, bagpipes, ballad lore, biography, changeling, Cornelia Meigs, Elizabeth Marie Pope, Eloise McGraw, fairies, Fairy Folk, fantasy, folk tales, Good Master, gypsies, hansom cabs, history, horses, Hungarian ranchers, Hungary, Invincible Louisa, Jane Dyer, Kate Seredy, legends, Little House books, Louisa May Alcott, Moorchild, New York City, newbery, Perilous Gard, pinafores, Roller Skates, Ruth Sawyer, Tam Lin, tomboy
We look forward with great excitement every year as the Newbery and Caldecott winners are announced, but it’s also a pleasure to read (or re-read) past winners. Cecilia tells us about a few of her favorites:
If you like historical books or old-fashioned classics, try…
Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs
This biography of Louisa May Alcott reads like a novel, and even if you haven’t read Little Women, you’ll be drawn in by the story of this author’s struggle with poverty. Alcott had an unconventional childhood moving from place to place with her family, and her early writing attempts, games with her siblings and schemes to earn money are all detailed here. A timeline and index are included and the lovely cover by Jane Dyer is a nice additional touch. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, $7.99
The Good Master by Kate Seredy
The plains of Hungary are the backdrop for adventures in this tale of cousins Jancsi and Kate. Jancsi has low expectations for a girl when he hears that cousin Kate is coming from the city, but he soon learns that she is an energetic tomboy with the same enthusiasm for horses, village fairs and gypsies as himself. The regional customs of Hungarian ranchers are depicted in loving detail and Kate in particular is a bright, engaging character. Puffin, $5.99
Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer
Kate would find a common spirit in Lucinda Wyman, the protagonist of Roller Skates. Set in New York City of the 1890s, it follows Lucinda through a year of living with family friends, as she struggles with her prim-and-proper cousins, experiences thrills and disappointments and makes friends with everyone from policemen to tramps to fruit sellers. References to unfamiliar things like hansom cabs and pinafores go hand in hand with games of theater and dress-up that children still love today. A great read for lovers of old-fashioned classics like Anne of Green Gables or the Little House series. Viking Penguin, $5.99
If you like folklore and fantasy, try…
The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw
Moql is half Moorfolk and half Human without key Folk traits such as the ability to shape-shift or disappear. As a result, she is banished and sent to live among humans as a changeling named Saaski. In the human world, she also faces rejection from the villagers who fear her differences. The only place she feels safe and at home is out on the moors, playing her bagpipes. As she grows up and slowly comes to understand the tangled relationship between the Folk and the humans, she becomes determined to find the real child of her human parents and bring her home. This is a great read for fans of Franny Billingsley and other authors who write fantasy based on folktales and legends. Aladdin, $6.99
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
An ambitious mix of history, ballad lore and fantasy, this story begins with Kate Sutton being exiled to the remote castle known as the Perilous Gard. There she gets pulled into a series of encounters with the Fairy Folk who live underground and eventually must use what she knows of the Tam Lin ballad to save her friend Christopher, as well as decide what she truly wants her life to be. This is a slightly creepy adventure with a strong heroine and wonderful details of fairy lore and legend. Sandpiper, $6.99
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February 18, 2013 at 10:03 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 8 - 10, Ages 8 and up ·Tagged All the Wrong Questions, detective stories, Lemony Snicket, middle grade fiction, middle grade mystery, Miss Megan, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming, Who Could That Be at This Hour?
You know Lemony Snicket from his critically acclaimed and bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events books. He’s written other titles, of course, my favorite of which is the disturbing and hilarious The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming (finally, a holiday picture book for jaded grownups!).
Snicket is back with All the Wrong Questions, a new series for middle grade readers! Parents should note that some of the scary stuff that made SOUE difficult to hand to sensitive (or younger) readers is pretty much rejected here. Any tense situation is leavened by absurd characters and hilarious flights of Snicket’s signature offbeat imagination. It’s Hardy Boys meets Mysterious Benedict Society, a sure pick for fans of aspiring gumshoes and outlandish plot twists.
The plot’s simple enough: a young Lemony Snicket begins his apprenticeship with an unnamed organization and attempts to solve the mysterious disappearance of a strange object in an even stranger town. The events that ensue are, of course, strange, puzzling, and utterly entertaining!
I love this book as a pick for advancing chapter book readers—or as a read aloud choice for the whole family!
Read on, readers!
Miss Megan
Who Could That Be at This Hour? (All the Wrong Questions #1), by Lemony Snicket; Little, Brown; 15.99; Ages 8-12
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February 13, 2013 at 11:54 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 and up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged All Things Considered, Gary Schmidt, NPR, NPR Backseat Book Club, Okay for Now
We loved Gary Schmidt’s Okay for Now! You can read Miss Megan’s glowing review here. And now it’s going to be the next pick for NPR’S Backseat Book Club!
Schmidt will be featured on All Things Considered at the end of February. You can submit questions and comments about Okay for Now on this page.
If you haven’t read Okay for Now yet (it really is as wonderful as everyone says), give us a call or shoot us an email! We’re always happy to put a copy on hold. (703) 548-4092 or info@hooray4books.com.
And if you’re on twitter (follow us @HFBooks!), share your favorite moments, quotes, and musings to @hmhkids and @NPRBackseat using the hashtag #OK4NOW!
Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Ages 10-adult
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February 8, 2013 at 8:18 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged A Web of Air, fantasy novels, Fever Crumb, middle grade steampunk, Philip Reeve, Predator Cities, Scrivener's Moon, steampunk
When I’m hand selling a book, I typically have a spiel to introduce a favorite title. For the Fever Crumb trilogy, it usually starts with some version of, “these are really cool futuristic novels with a steampunk flair!”
Then, inevitably, the customer follows up with, “Uh. What’s steampunk?”
Help me out, internet. “Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century.”
If this sounds outside your comfort zone, don’t panic. Author Philip Reeve handles this tricky theme with a deft hand. It’s his own vivid imagination and offbeat characters that carry the day. Victorian-meets-space-age technology is just the cherry on top.
Reeve’s title character, young orphan Fever Crumb, has been raised in the order of Engineers, the last great bastion of logic and reason in the overcrowded city of London. But Fever is no ordinary engineer. For all her training in quashing the weakness of human emotions, she is haunted by strange memories that are not her own. As tensions rise in the city, so does Fever’s confusion over her origins. Is she merely a student of science and understanding? Or is she something more? Something that is, perhaps, not quite human?
The Fever Crumb books were written after Reeve’s Predator Cities quartet as a companion series, they are in fact prequels, and can easily be read first (that’s what I did). If you’re getting tired of the many dystopian series floating about, this is a great alternative that keeps the adventure middle and upper grade readers crave while presenting a fantasy world that feels fresh.
Also, if you love the series, rumor has it there will be more. Keep your eyes peeled!
Read on, readers!
Miss Megan
Fever Crumb trilogy (Fever Crumb, A Web of Air, and Scrivener’s Moon) by Philip Reeve, Scholastic Press
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February 1, 2013 at 11:26 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up ·Tagged dragons, evil god, Iron Hearted Violet, Kelly Barnhill, offbeat princess, princess, quest, self image
Violet is rambunctious, messy, prickly and smart. She’s not the beautiful princess the whole kingdom was expecting, but they love her anyway. When bad things start to happen, however – Violet’s mother, the queen, gets sick; the king sets off on a crazy quest to find a dragon – Violet can’t help wondering if everything would be better if she were a more beautiful princess. A real princess. An evil god hears Violet’s self-doubt and makes a terrible deal with her: he’ll make her beautiful if she’ll set him free from his ancient prison.
A tradition has sprung up in the last few years of middle-grade books about offbeat princesses. The message is a good one – you don’t have to be Disney-perfect to be the perfect you – but a lot of books go too heavy on the message and the story ends up falling flat. Iron Hearted Violet sidesteps this problem and then some. It’s the first “offbeat princess” book I’ve read where I was genuinely moved by the princess’s crisis of self-image. The story is rich and mysterious, and Violet has to overcome some truly harrowing obstacles to save her kingdom and herself. This is no throwaway summer read - Iron Hearted Violet is a good, meaty winter book. Bonus points for very original use of dragons – just when you think you’ve seen it all before!
– Emily
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill; Hachette; 16.99; Ages 9-12
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January 28, 2013 at 10:49 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up, Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8, Ages 8 - 10, Ages 8 and up, Award Winners ·Tagged Laura Amy Schlitz, Peter Brown, Jon Klassen, Printz award, Extra Yarn, Mac Barnett, Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein, Splendors and Glooms, Dodger, Terry Pratchett, David Small, Bomb, Steve Sheinkin, This Is Not My Hat, Newbery medal, The One and Only Ivan, Three Times Lucky, Sheila Turnage, Caldecott medal, In Darkness, Nick Lack, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe, Benjamin Alire Saenz, The White Bicycle, Beverley Brenna, Creepy Carrots, Aaron Reynolds, Green, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, One Cool Friend, Toni Buzzeo, Sleep Like a Tiger, Mary Logue, Pamela Zagarenski, Katherin Applegate
Earlier this morning, the American Library Association announced the Youth Media Awards. We selected our picks for Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz a couple of weeks ago, and now the committees have spoken! Behold.
Michael L. Printz Award
Winner: In Darkness, Nick Lake, Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Honors: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Simon and Schuster; Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein, Hyperion Books (staff pick & Megan’s pick); Dodger, Terry Pratchett, HarperCollins; The White Bicycle, Beverley Brenna, Red Deer Press
Caldecott Medal
Winner: This Is Not My Hat, Jon Klassen, Candlewick Press (staff pick & Megan’s pick)
Honors: Creepy Carrots, Aaron Reynolds, illus. by Peter Brown, Simon and Schuster; Extra Yarn, Mac Barnett, illus. by Jon Klassen, Balzer & Bray/Harperteen (staff pick & Megan’s pick); Green, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Roaring Brook Press; One Cool Friend, Toni Buzzeo, illus. by David Small, Dial Books; Sleep Like a Tiger, Mary Logue, illus. by Pamela Zagarenski, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Newbery Medal
Winner: The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate, Harper (Megan’s pick)
Honors: Bomb, Steve Sheinkin, Flash Point (Roaring Brook Press); Splendors and Glooms, Laura Amy Schlitz, Candlewick Press (staff pick & Megan’s pick); Three Times Lucky, Sheila Turnage, Dial Books for Young Readers (staff pick & Megan’s pick)
Stop by the store and check out these wonderful titles for yourself! Give us a call to check availability–we’ve got a bunch of award darlings on order just for you!
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January 25, 2013 at 8:42 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 8 - 10 ·Tagged Ann Martin, brian selznick, chapter books, chiina doll, dolls, dust bunnies, Hyperion Books for Children, Jane Goodall, Laura Goodwin, read alouds, spiders, The Doll People
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January 17, 2013 at 7:01 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up, Ages 8 - 10, Ages 8 and up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged Code Name Verity, Elizabeth Wein, Good Masters Sweet Ladies, Jepp Who Defied the Stars, Katherine Applegate, Katherine Marsh, Laura Amy Schlitz, Liar and Spy, Newbery medal, Newbery predictions, Rebecca Stead, Sara Pennypacker, Sheila Turnage, Splendors and Glooms, Summer of the Gypsy Moths, The One and Only Ivan, Three Times Lucky, When You Reach Me
Newbery choices are tough. There are so many great books to choose from, so many rules and various criteria to consider, so many helpful opinions to process. But, in the end, I have to stick with the books that have left the greatest impression on me this year.
True, the Newbery committee doesn’t always pick the same titles I do, but I really think they should. Fingers crossed for 2013!
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz; Candlewick Press; 17.99; Ages 10-16
I’m rooting for this book so hard! Code Name Verity is my favorite book of the year, but this one’s a close second. Baltimore librarian and previous Newbery medal winner Laura Amy Schlitz dazzles with lush descriptions, hilarious dialogue, and an utterly engrossing setting. I didn’t want this book to end. Brilliantly done.
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead; Random House; 15.99; Ages 9-13
A classic mystery in so many ways, but it feels fresh. And disagree if you like, but I prefer this title to Stead’s previous Newbery medal winner, When You Reach Me. The plot flows effortlessly, the characters are endearing and engaging, and the storyline has layers of poignancy and emotion that are handled with just the right amount of restraint. A strong contender for the medal!
Jepp, Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh; Hyperion Books; 16.99; Ages 14-adult
The rules for the Newbery dictate that books written for readers up to the age of fourteen can be considered. In that case, Jepp has to be part of the discussion. The title character’s voice was one of the strongest I’ve read this year, and Marsh’s ability to make period fiction feel both historically accurate and fresh for a modern reader is commendable. This one’s a wild card for me, as it’s also a strong choice for the Printz Award, which recognizes achievement in young adult literature.
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker; Balzer & Bray/Harperteen (HarperCollins); 15.99; Ages 9-12
Pennypacker weaves a story that packs a hefty emotional punch without feeling manipulative or forced. She handles an often overused theme in middle grade fiction—the “unlikely friendship”—in a way that is natural and engaging. I couldn’t get this novel out of my head after I read it. I still can’t! Gypsy Moths is a Newbery dark horse that I’d like to see get some (much deserved) recognition.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate; Harper; 16.99; Ages 8-12
A moving story of a silverback gorilla’s quest to find a better life for the baby elephant that arrives at his dilapidated zoo. Applegate handles the themes of conservancy and animal welfare with a deft hand, and it is to her credit that she writes both her animal and human characters without judgment. Even the “bad guy,” we discover, has a tender side. What could have been a heavy handed sermon is, instead, a lovely exercise in control.
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage; Dial Books for Young Readers; 16.99; Ages 9-12
Like Liar and Spy, this is a mystery that’s more than just a formula. Hilarious prose and a small town full of wonderfully zany folk make this one of the most entertaining middle grade picks this year. The Newbery committee doesn’t always go for humor, but I think they should give it a go this time around. Turnage’s story is utterly fantastic.
Others to watch: Wonder, The Lions of Little Rock, The Great Unexpected
What are your picks for Newbery? Comment and let me know which titles I missed!
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January 7, 2013 at 5:33 pm · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged Kristin Levine, Laura Amy Schlitz, Liar and Spy, Lions of Little Rock, Newbery predictions, Newbery shortlist, R.J. Palacio, Rebecca Stead, Sara Pennypacker, Sheila Turnage, Splendors and Glooms, Summer of the Gypsy Moths, Three Times Lucky, Wonder
We love to read middle grade books, so we’re very excited about the upcoming Newbery awards ceremony on January 28th! Here are the books that we, as a staff, think are strong contenders!
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead; Wendy Lamb Books; 15.99
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine; Putnam Publishing Group; 16.99
Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz; Candlewick Press; 17.99
Wonder by R.J. Palacio; Knopf Books for Young Readers; 15.99
Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker; Balzer & Bray/Harperteen; 15.99
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage; Dial Books for Young Readers; 16.99
What’s on your Newbery list? Comment and let us know!
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