Book Lists

How do you start writing?

By on December 19, 2012   /   Book Lists  

Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.
— Gene Fowler

Whether you’re writing a cover letter for your job application, an essay for school, or a blog post about middle-grade books, you know the feeling of staring at a blank screen or an empty white page, waiting for the words to come. Sure, there are moments when writing flows easily and the author loses herself in the rush, but that is not usually the case for those first words. In fact, for me, the first words are always the hardest.

I have a good friend named Meghan. She is brilliant and always full of funny anecdotes and worldwide trivia. Whenever I have a conversation with Meghan I make sure I have pencil and paper handy because inevitably she will share some valuable tidbit with me which will then inspire a story. In fact, it was Meghan who first introduced me to historical figure, Alferd Packer, Colorado’s infamous cannibal from the 1870’s. Packer became the star of my forthcoming novel, The Secret of Ferrell Savage.

So, in answering my own question, “How do you start a book?” I start by having a stimulating conversation with someone like Meghan who can get my brain rolling. Then I sit down and start throwing words on the computer screen. I try not to worry too much at first about making the writing beautiful because that’s what revision is for. And revision, well, there’s a good topic for another post.

I’m always fascinated by other writers’ styles and methods and I am curious to hear the personal story behind the written story. So for today’s post, I asked my fellow Mixed-Up Files authors how they start their novels. These are the answers they gave me.

Katherine Schlick Noe

I don’t feel that I start my books — it’s more like they start themselves.  My first novel, Something to Hold, is inspired by my life living on Indian reservations in Washington and Oregon. It grew out of a question I’ve been asked repeatedly by other non-Indians:  What was it like living on reservations when you’re not Native? After thinking about that question for my entire adult life, I finally started writing about 15 years ago.  I began with memories of living at Warm Springs, Oregon during those formative years between seven and twelve — things that had happened to me in a reservation school where I was one of 17 non-Indian students.  I wrote in episodes which gradually morphed into the thread of the novel as it exists today. I’m now working on a second book, entirely different, that began with a hazy image of a teen leaning on the railing that rings the loading platform of the Monorail, that icon of the 1962 World’s Fair at Seattle Center.  I couldn’t see her face, but I knew right away that something was terribly wrong.  When she suddenly started to tell me her story, I had to start writing.

 

Laurie Schneider

How I Start a Book…

Light incense to invoke the muse and then stare at the screen until the blood drips from my forehead—or until I hear voices.

Okay. I lied about the muse and the blood. My stories have come from various places:

The story I’m working on now came from a childhood memory triggered by an essay on  Bruce Black’s wonderful Wordswimmer blog. Another was inspired by a funny situation spun off from something that happened to my son. My first was inspired by a place my great grandparents once lived. Other stories have seemed to come from nowhere — a line pops out of my head and into a notebook and it’s my task to discover who said it and why.

The next step is to immerse myself in research, bookmarking sites, taking page after page of notes, and generally procrastinating as long as possible until I’m so disgusted with myself that I have to sit down and write. Also, starting a book requires lots of coffee.

 

Jennifer Nielsen

In my writing, I tend to start with a basic plot concept – a one or two sentence idea of what the story could be about. But the way I decide if the concept really has enough legs for a full-length book is to look for the main character, because they are the ones who will really shape the story and give it life. Once I have my hero, I have my story.

Karen B. Schwartz

Character first. Love my characters. I usually come up with a strong, quirky female heroine and then come up with a situation to throw her in that will have her flailing about until she ultimately learns/grows enough to come out on top again.

 

Rosanne Parry

The book that made me a writer was the one my student’s needed to read and couldn’t find. In my first year of teaching my Quinault students asked why, even when the book had a Native American protagonist, the story was never about them. We had a long and very interesting (at least to me) conversation about why it was important for them to have a book about their tribe specifically. I never forgot and when about 10 years later I saw the Makah resume their traditional whale hunting rights–rights they’d voluntarily given up 70 years before–I knew I had the premise for a great cultural survival story. So I worked and researched and reworked and consulted with the Quinault and Makah and thirteen years later, I was able to place Written in Stone with my editor at Random House.  It will be out in June and here is the gorgeous cover they gave me!

WrittenInStone_FinalArt

 

Michele Weber Hurwitz


I start with a character, a feeling for his or her voice, and an opening line. I have found that a character comes to me when I’m least expecting it. Before I sit down to write, I definitely need to let the character roam around in my head for a while. I walk, think, scribble notes, have imaginary conversations…almost like I’m getting to know a new friend and finding out his or her story. My first middle grade novel, Calli Be Gold (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House 2011), is about a quiet girl in a loud, intense, overachieving family. I had been thinking about Calli’s emotions for a while, so when I sat down to write, the story just poured out of my heart!

 

 

Tracy Abell

How do I start a book? Every story start is different, as is every drafting and revision process. I keep thinking I’ve found the magic formula forFletcher Tracy MUF vlog photo 014 original writing and polishing a novel, but then the next manuscript unfolds in a whole different way. One book came to be because of a character who had an unusual gift, and another story came about after years of volunteer work in a certain setting. I had one idea come to me in the night and then revisit me months later after I hadn’t taken action (I’m still struggling to write that one). I wrote a book based on a photograph, and brainstormed another narrator specifically for series potential. See? No method to my madness.

 

Yolanda Ridge

Plot ideas come easily to me (from listening to the news, watching my kids interact with their friends, standing in line at the grocery store…) but I always start with character.  If I can’t visualize the main character or imagine having a conversation with them, the story never gets written – no matter how much I am enticed by the potential plot!  The first thing I do is a character profile.  I can write without an outline but I can’t write without a character profile.  For me, knowing and understanding the character is essential to creating the right voice and giving them control over how the story will unfold.  From there, it’s just blood, sweat, and word count.

 

T. P. Jagger

I am definitely a get-an-idea-for-a-first-line-and-start-writing-and-see-where-the-story-leads kind of guy. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever started a manuscript for which I had a clear idea of where it was headed. I usually just hope I’ll find a clue within the first chapter or two. If I make it to Chapter Ten and remain ignorant of where I’m headed, that’s when I start to worry.

An example of my patent-pending, I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing-but-I-don’t-care approach is the excerpt below, which just spewed itself into my computer earlier this evening:

I’d probably have an easier time solving all my problems if I weren’t so stupid. But I am stupid. Which is a problem all by itself. I know about the me being stupid part because that’s what people have been telling me since I got smart enough to know what stupid means.

No, I don’t know where those lines are headed. I don’t even know how old the storyteller is or what he looks like or where he lives or what his family’s like or whether he really is “stupid” by the world’s standards. But I sure am looking forward to finding out.

 

Jennifer Gennari

Starting a book is always about finding the emotional core. What did I observe/experience/imagine? How can I build a story about that true and human feeling we all experience at one time or another? Once an emotion is found I begin to build the character in my head. And then I write a poem in the voice of the main character, to encapsulate the emotional nugget that is her or his problem. From there, I think, what happens to make this character feel that way? I don’t have much free time, so the story is a puzzle I will turn over and over as I commute to work or right before I drift off. I write story arcs (Yes! this one is it!) and then later reject it for one reason or another. And from there, you know it’s all about hands on the keyboard! Just start writing. Lately, I’ve been giving myself permission to audition the characters–writing scenes that are just trial runs.

 

Tricia Springstubb

A strong sense of place is always important to me. All of us have at least one place deeply, powerfully, evocatively imprinted on us. We carry it with us all our lives. Setting for me is not just background, but a character itself. Like most kids, my characters don’t get to choose where they live, but their communities have a big impact on them. So once I know my setting, off I go! Right now I’m at work on a middle grade novel set on a tiny island in Lake Erie. My desk is heaped with bits of Lake Erie limestone and fossils!fox st cvr rev2

 

Bev Patt

I think stories come to us in different ways. For me, most of my stories start out with an issue or topic that interests me. With my first novel, HAVEN, the issue was the unfairness of the foster care system in the 1980s. In BEST FRIENDS FOREVER it was the unfairness of the internment of Japanese Americans. (Gee, as I’m writing this, I see I tend to write about unfairness!) In my latest Work In Progress, it started with my interest in a famous person in the 1890s (not saying who! Bad juju and all that;) and how she may have been misjudged (ha! more unfairness!). I usually read up on the subject, take notes and then do a lot of free writing in a notebook – interviewing my characters, plot ideas, scene lists, etc. When I get so excited that I just can’t stand it, I start the ‘official’ writing on my laptop. But it is never a smooth road, no matter how much pre-writing I do – lots of false starts, re-imagining, re-visioning. Lots of going back and doing more free writing!

 

If you want to know more about the writers at From the Mixed-Up Files, take a look at our Author Bios.

Now it’s your turn! Tell us in the comments how YOU start writing your projects. We’d love to hear.

Jennifer Duddy Gill is the author of The Secret of Ferrell Savage, Atheneum (Simon & Schuster), February, 2014.

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“Finding My Way”: Teaching with Themed Literature Units

By on December 12, 2012   /   Book Lists, For Teachers  

Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.
Virginia Euwer Wolff

Each of us must find ways to live with courage and hope in an imperfect world. Middle grade students, in particular, stand on the cusp of self-discovery but are often uncertain how to navigate their path through adolescence.  Many care deeply about fairness, justice, and reaching out to others, yet they wonder Where do I fit in?  How can I make a difference?

In my writing and in my work with beginning teachers, I’ve been inspired by National Book Award-winning author Virginia Euwer Wolff and her quote above.  She goes on, “It’s the kids with the faltering voices … many of us are writing for them.  Not to change them into different kids, but to keep them company while they evolve.”  Books raise questions, offer a sense of life’s complexities, and illustrate how people make decisions under less-than-perfect circumstances.  Fiction and nonfiction can help middle grade readers develop empathy and gain insight into how people – real and imagined – deal with challenges no matter who they are, or where or when they live.  And often, it’s a teacher or librarian who puts the book into a reader’s hands that helps her find her voice.

My job is to help beginning teachers learn how to open the world of literacy to students in kindergarten through eighth grades.  One of the most meaningful assignments we undertake is a Themed Literature Unit, a structured unit of study designed to develop crucial literacy skills as students read, write about, discuss, and sometimes respond artistically to high-quality children’s literature.  Each unit is focused on what I call a “human issues theme” (e.g., working for justice, reaching out to others, persevering despite obstacles, caring for the environment), vital challenges that we all face as members of a democratic and global society.

Here are three examples of units my graduate students will be teaching this winter:

Adapting to New Situations ~ 4th grade
Susie Henderson teaches at a highly diverse urban school in Seattle.  Her students and their families come from all over the world and have had to face the challenges of adapting to new environments.

Here’s how she explains the goal of this unit: “It is my hope that students will make connections to their own experiences and mature/grow in their understanding of the real world through the exploration of this theme. Given that adapting to new situations is a vital skill for all of us, the unit will pave a path for students to explore what it means to adapt and also realize that this is something that all humans do.” 

Big Ideas
The unit guides students to understand three big ideas:
Adapting to a new situation or environment means we find a way to belong in an unfamiliar place or with different people;
It takes courage to adapt to new situations; and
In order to adapt, we must be willing to reach out to others and get to know them.

Book List
Because of Winn Dixie by Kate Di Camillo.  A young girl, India Opal, moves to a new town with her father. Her mother left when she was just a baby, so she is lonely when her father, a preacher, is too busy to spend much time with her. India tells a story of how she came to be friends with many interesting people, all because of a big dog that falls into her lap one summer day shortly after moving to her new Florida town.  I will offer this as one of our book club choices.

My Name is Maria Isabel by Alma Flor Ada. Maria is a new girl in the United States, who has just moved from Puerto Rico. Her teacher insists on calling her Mary, but she wants badly to be called by her real name, which tells a lot about her family and her past. Book club choice.

Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banarjee. Poppy Ray wants to be a veterinarian. She gets to go spend the summer with her uncle on an island in Washington, which tells her a lot about what it is really like to be an animal doctor. Through this experience, she starts to reconsider if this is what she wants to do with her life. Book club choice.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Born into a wealthy family in Mexico, young Esperanza has lived a good life,. But things change all of a sudden, and Esperanza has to move to California with her mother where they no longer have the life they have always known. Esperanza realizes quickly that her life might never be the same. Book club choice.

The Trouble Begins by Linda Himelblau. A young Vietnamese boy immigrates to the USA with his grandmother to meet up with the rest of the family. He has a lot of catching up to do to adapt to a new life, a new language, and a new school. Book club choice.

Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Charlotte, a young orphan in New Hampshire, wants to run away from the orphanage and ride horses. She is a very good rider, but since she is a girl, she is not allowed to in the 19th century. She disguises herself as a boy in order to be able to ride. Book club choice.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan. Caleb and Anna are excited when their father gets a mail-order bride to come live with them. They really love her and hope she will stay, but she is not so sure about the prairie life. Book club choice.

 

 

Taking Risks to Help Others ~ 5th grade
Toby Steers teaches fifth grade across an open-concept “hallway” from Susie.  He wanted to help his fifth graders get ready for the challenges that lie ahead next year in middle school.

Toby explained the unit in a letter to families: “While reading books, students will learn about dangerous times and places where people showed great bravery to help other people.  Students will also learn that, when they stand up to a bully on the playground or apologize when they have hurt someone, they are taking important risks too. The goal of this unit is to learn about how to take important ideas from reading that help students make important decisions in their lives.”

Big Ideas
Taking risks to help others means accepting that bad things might happen to you;
We need courage and determination to take risks to help others; and
Taking risks means overcoming doubts.

Book List
An Apple for Harriet Tubman by Glennette Tilley Turner. A picture book exploring the early life of Harriet Tubman and connecting with her open heart and courage to help others as she became an adult.    From this book, students will learn that we need courage and determination to help others. I will read this aloud to get students thinking about risks at the beginning of the unit.

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter.  An amazing Iraqi librarian risks her life to save the cultural heritage of her country.  From this book, students will learn that taking risks to help others means that we accept that bad things might happen to us.  I will use this book in a literacy strategy lesson on identifying character traits that different risk-takers have in common

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs.   A boy leaves his family in Mexico to try to cross the border into the United States to earn and send money back to his family.  Along the way, he takes many dangerous risks, always remembering the hunger and poverty of his family that he is trying to help.  From this book, students learn that we need courage and determination to help others.  I will use it as a longer read-aloud over the course of the unit.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis.  Parvana lives in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and must dress as a boy to work in the market to support her family.  At this time, girls and women were not allowed to be in public by themselves and, since her father is under arrest, none of her family can safely leave the house.  From this book, students will learn that taking risks to help others means overcoming doubts.  Book club choice.

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez.  Tyler makes friends with a girl whose parents are undocumented farm workers on his father’s Vermont farm.  When Mari is threatened with deportation, how will their friendship survive?  From this book, students will learn that taking risks means accepting that bad things might happen to us. Book club choice.

 

Courage is Inside All of Us ~ 5th grade
Mo Newton’s fifth graders are also facing the big step from elementary into middle school.  Like Toby, she wanted to help them develop the inner strengths and skills we all need to face big challenges.  She chose to focus on the power of finding the courage that lies within each of us.

Big Ideas
We all can build the strength to be courageous;
Even though we are afraid, we can still show courage; and
We can show courage in big and small ways.

Book List
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry. Mafutu is afraid of the sea and is taunted by his community for being a coward. When he can’t handle the teasing anymore he decides that he has to conquer his fear and show his community that he can be brave. This story shows Mafatu’s journey and how he was able to discover courage.  One choice for students to read and discuss in book clubs.

The Dandelion Seed by Joseph Anthony.  A beautifully illustrated picture book about a dandelion seed that is afraid to let go. The seed decides to find the courage to allow the wind to carry it on a remarkable journey.  I will use this book to teach several of the literacy skills in our unit.

Fire from the Rock by Sharon Draper. In 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Sylvia Patterson is asked to be one of the first African American students to enroll in Central High School. While she is trying to decide if she can summon the courage to do this, racial tension and violence explode throughout the city. The time has come for Sylvia to gather up the strength to walk through the doors of Central High School.  Book club choice.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. In 1943, ten-year-old Annemarie and her best friend, Ellen, live in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ellen is Jewish, and her religion makes her a target for the Nazi soldiers. For protection she moves in with Annemarie, pretending to be part of her family. Annemarie finds herself in a dangerous situation where she has to find the courage to help Ellen escape. Book club choice.

Something to Hold  by Katherine Schlick Noe. Kitty’s family has recently moved to an Indian Reservation in Warm Springs, Oregon, where she is one of the few white children. She struggles with feelings of loneliness, wanting desperately to be accepted, but feeling like she does not fit in anywhere. Throughout the year, Kitty faces many challenges that force her to discover that even she has courage inside.  This will be our class read aloud during the unit.

Research tells us that learning experiences that are personally meaningful and engaging also may be more memorable and long lasting.  Themed Literature Units can be one way to engage students with learning that stretches their hearts as well as feeds their minds.  You can learn more about teaching with thematic literature at the Literature Circles Resource Center (click on “Themed Literature Units”).  And please contact me if you would like more information about any of these particular units!

 

Katherine Schlick Noe teaches beginning and experienced teachers at Seattle University. Her debut novel, Something to Hold (Clarion, 2011) won the 2012 Washington State Book Award for the middle grade/young adult and has been named a 2012 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People.  Visit her at http://katherineschlicknoe.com.

 

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Favorite Middle-Grade Novels

By on December 7, 2012   /   Book Lists  

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is almost over.  Can you believe the holidays are around the corner?  I absolutely love giving books as gifts!  There are so many awesome middle-grade books out there, it can be hard to choose.  But don’t worry—the Mixed-Up Files blog is full of fantastic ideas.

A while back, I shared some of my favorite newer middle-grade novels with you.  The response was so wonderful, that I decided to make it an annual post around the holidays.  In addition to the books I’ve listed below, you can browse through the Mixed-Up Files book lists—there are categories like reluctant readers, books for boys, fantasy/paranormal, and all of our new release posts.

Here are some of my favorite middle-grade novels that were released in the past few years:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

WOW.  This book really hit home with me.  It should be required reading in every school!  Wonder is a fast-paced read packed with emotion, amazing characters that you root for every step of the way, and uses multiple points of view to brilliantly show readers that things aren’t always the way they seem.  I was bullied in middle school and was heartbroken to see my daughter suffer through it, too.  I soon realized that there is an incredible amount of bullying going on.  We desperately need to find a way to stop it!  And I believe this wonderful book and the Choose Kind anti-bullying campaign that it inspired really can make a difference.

I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August Pullman was born with a facial deformity that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

 

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung

Fun, fun, fun!  I laughed my way through this book.  It’s a fast-paced read filled with humor, heart, action, adventure, suspense, giant robots, surprising superheroes, and even a first crush…what more could you want in a book?  This is perfect for any boy or girl—especially ones who love comics, humor, or have dreamed about being a superhero.  You can check out an interview with the author here.

A SUPER funny, SUPER fast-paced, SUPER debut! Vincent Wu is Captain Stupendous’s No. 1 Fan, but even he has to admit that Captain Stupendous has been a little off lately. During Professor Mayhem’s latest attack, Captain Stupendous barely made it out alive – although he did manage to save Vincent from a giant monster robot. It’s Vincent’s dream come true… until he finds out Captain Stupendous’s secret identity: It’s Polly Winnicott-Lee, the girl Vincent happens to have a crush on. Captain Stupendous’s powers were recently transferred to Polly in a fluke accident, and so while she has all of his super strength and super speed, she doesn’t know how to use them, and she definitely doesn’t know all the strengths and weaknesses of his many nemeses. But Vincent and his friends are just the right fan club to train up their favorite superhero before he (she?) has to face Professor Mayhem again. And if they make it through this battle for the safety of Copperplate City, Vincent might just get up the courage to ask Polly on a date.

 

Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky

This is another amazing and fast-paced read that is wonderful for both girls and boys.  The characters are so relatable—I pulled for Juniper and Giles every step of the way. And the mystery grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.  So many people wish they could snap their fingers and have all their wishes come true—and I love exploring just how far some people could go to make that happen.  And wondering what I would be willing to do to make my wishes come true.  One of the lines that really hit me is: ‘And remember, sometimes that which seems ordinary is really most extraordinary of all.’

Be careful what you wish for.

Young Juniper Berry knows her mother and father aren’t the same people they used to be. Of course, they’re no longer struggling actors—they’re now the most famous movie stars in the world. But it’s more than that. She can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right with them. And one rainy night, in the shadowy and sinister woods behind their mansion, she discovers she’s right.

Now, it’s up to Juniper to overcome her own demons in order to save the ones who couldn’t.

 

Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen by Donna Gephart

This is another wonderful fast-paced read full of humor and heart.  It’s great for boys as well as girls…and definitely anyone who has ever dreamed of being on a game show.  I remember watching kids’ week on Jeopardy! and other shows when I was younger, and wishing I could be a part of it.  This give such a fun, behind-the scenes look at the way things work for kids’ week on Jeopardy!  But this book is way more than just fun and games.  More and more kids are dealing with divorced parents and where their step parents (or potential future step parents) fit into their world—and this could help kids open their eyes and really take a look at the people in their lives.

You can check out an interview with Donna for Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen here.  I also love Donna’s first two books– As if Being 12 ¾ Isn’t Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President, which won the Sid Fleischman Award and How to Survive Middle School (check out the hysterical videos based on this humorous book).

Olivia Bean knows trivia. She watches Jeopardy! every night and usually beats at least one of the contestants. If she were better at geography, she would try out for the show’s kids’ week. Not only could she win bundles of money, she’d get to go to the taping in California, where her dad, who left two years ago and who Olivia misses like crazy, lives with his new family.

One day Olivia’s friend-turned-nemesis, Tucker, offers to help her bulk up her geography knowledge. Before Olivia knows it, she’s getting help from all sorts of unexpected sources: her almost-stepdad, superannoying Neil; her genius little brother, Charlie; even her stressed-out mom. Soon she has breezed through the audition rounds and is headed for Hollywood! But will the one person she wants to impress more than anyone else show up to support her?

 

The Classroom: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet Epic Kid by Robin Mellom

This is the first book in a humorous series written in an extremely fun and unusual format. It’s a fast-paced read full of illustrations that is great for both boys and girls.  The characters are very relatable—I rooted Trevor on throughout the story.  And I love how it gives readers a glimpse into the minds of several characters, showing that not everything is as it seems.  You can check out my interview with the author here.

A documentary crew has descended upon Westside Middle School to detail the life of an average seventh grader and his classmates.  What they uncover, though, is far from average. Mostly, it is upper average along with moments of extreme average, highlighted by several minutes of total epicness. 
Trevor Jones has been preparing for the start of seventh grade his entire summer. But he is NOT ready for the news his best friend, Libby, drops on him at the bus stop: he needs to branch out and make new friends. Oh, and he must ask a girl to the fall dance. By the end of the day.

Trevor decides that he would rather squirt hot sauce in his eyes than attend the dance. Everything changes, though, when he meets mysterious new student Molly. Trevor starts to think that going to the dance maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. But with detention-wielding teachers, school gossips, and, worst of all, eighth graders conspiring against him, Trevor will have to do the one thing he wasn’t prepared to do: be epic.

 

I asked my writing friends on Verla Kay’s Blueboards to share the title of one of their favorite middle-grade novels.  They named so many books that I love, too—plus some that I can’t wait to add to my must-read list.  I found some amazing gems from their suggestions last time, and hope you’ll enjoy these, too!

 

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Rose Green said: I love this book by like, 10,000%. It’s hysterical. And it’s heartwarming. A book about dads and space and all the crazy and important things in life. It’s also a fabulous read-aloud; you can hardly read it without badgering the person nearest you to share great lines.

Liam has always felt a bit like he’s stuck between two worlds. This is primarily because he’s a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he’s about thirty. Sometimes it’s not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it’s just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It’s not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again—only this time he’s 239,000 miles from home.

 

Flying the Dragon by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Mike Jung said: As a child of immigrants and a person who’s dealt with a fair share of struggles and doubts about ethnic and cultural identity, I really loved Natalie Lorenzi’s Flying the Dragon – it evoked a lot of striking memories, including one that I haven’t thought about in, oh, 15 or 20 years. It’s fabulous.

This book received raves from many other Blueboarders as well, but I had to include this wonderful comment from Alison Ashley Formento where she said: Natalie Diaz Lorenzi’s Flying the Dragon is a must-add to your list.  I was at a recent book event in PA and I spoke with a group of 5th graders who all read Natalie’s book and loved it as much as I do. We were all sharing our current favorites and Flying the Dragon was top of the list.

American-born Skye knows very little of her Japanese heritage. Her father taught her to speak the language, but when their estranged Japanese family, including Skye’s grandfather, suddenly move to the United States, Skye must be prepared to give up her All-Star soccer dreams to take Japanese lessons and to help her cousin, Hiroshi adapt to a new school. Hiroshi, likewise, must give up his home and his hopes of winning the rokkaku kite-fighting championship with Grandfather. Faced with language barriers, culture clashes and cousin rivalry, Skye and Hiroshi have a rocky start. But a greater shared loss brings them together. They learn to communicate, not only through language, but through a common heritage and sense of family honor. At the rokkaku contest at the annual Washington Cherry Blossom Festival, Hiroshi and Skye must work as a team in order to compete with the best.

 

The Broken Lands by Kate Milford

Mike Jung said: The Broken Lands is quite possibly my favorite book of 2012. It’s gorgeously written, and it’s got historical verisimilitude, an intense, magical atmosphere, and a thrilling storyline. I’ll be really upset if it doesn’t make the short list for a bunch of literary awards.

A crossroads can be a place of great power. So begins this deliciously spine-tingling prequel to Kate Milford’s The Boneshaker, set in the colorful world of nineteenth-century Coney Island and New York City. Few crossroads compare to the one being formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, and as the bridge’s construction progresses, forces of unimaginable evil seek to bend that power to their advantage. Only two orphans with unusual skills stand in their way. Can the teenagers Sam, a card sharp, and Jin, a fireworks expert, stop them before it’s too late? Here is a richly textured, slow-burning thriller about friendship, courage, and the age-old fight between good and evil.

 

Milo: Brain Freeze and Sticky Notes by Alan Silberberg

Terry Lynn Johnson wanted to add this book to my favorites list because it’s funny and poignant.  I read this one a while back and absolutely love it, so I’m thrilled to share it with all of you.

MILO is the funny and poignant story, told through text and cartoons, of a 13-year-old boy’s struggle to come to terms with the loss that hit the reset button on his life. Loveable geek Milo Cruikshank finds reasons for frustration at every turn, like people who carve Halloween pumpkins way too soon (the pumpkins just rot and get lopsided) or the fact that the girl of his dreams, Summer, barely acknowledges his existence while next-door neighbor Hilary won’t leave him alone. The truth is – ever since Milo’s mother died nothing has gone right. Now, instead of the kitchen being full of music, his whole house has been filled with Fog. Nothing’s the same. Not his Dad. Not his sister. And definitely not him. In love with the girl he sneezed on the first day of school and best pals with Marshall, the “One Eyed Jack” of friends, Milo copes with being the new kid (again) as he struggles to survive a school year that is filled with reminders of what his life “used to be.”

 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Justin Walsh said: The one that sticks with me most from the last couple of years is A Monster Calls, written by Patrick Ness, based on an idea by Siobhán Dowd. It deals with the impending death of a loved one, but doesn’t fall foul of trying to provide answers or sense. I found it powerful, understated, and true to the experience it explores. Not a feelgood book in any sense, but one that doesn’t let go.

An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor.

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd– whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself– Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

 

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Jennifer Clark Estes said: See You at Harry’s is one of my absolute favorites. It grabbed me from the first page and just did not let go — spot on writing, honest, tackling issues without being “an issue book”, and an amazing handling of how people navigate the aftermath of a tragedy.  You can read Jennifer’s full blog review of it here.

Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges — until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal.

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s Charlie: three years old, a “surprise” baby, the center of everyone’s world. He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, “All will be well,” is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

 

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Marcia Hoehne says: I’ve read so many good ones lately! Right now The One and Only Ivan stands out for me.  It’s a heartwarming story about compassion, art, and the nature of leadership. If you like animal stories, verse novels, and books that tug at the heartstrings, Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan is for you.  You can read Marcia’s full review of it here.

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.  Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

 

The Voice of Thunder by Mirka Breen

Barbara Etlin said: The Voice of Thunder is an historical novel about the 1967 Six-Day War in Israel, which is, in the author’s words, both “timeless” and “timely”.

West Jerusalem, early June 1967, the eve of war. Ten-year-old Mira Levi and her best friend Gili Moser share an awful secret. They have discovered a new radio station called The Voice of Thunder from Cairo. Broadcasting in accented Hebrew, it threatens the demise of their country, their city, and their families. As the menace beats the drums of war, on June 5th the danger becomes all too real. Mira finds her own voice as she struggles to drown the distant terror of The Voice of Thunder. In these first two weeks of June, not only are Mira and Gili’s lives changed forever, but history will never be the same.

 

Chained by Lynne Kelly

Anne Nesbet said she loves Chained for its lovely writing, its brave hero, and its elephant.  I’ve also heard many other raves for this book, and can’t wait to read it!

After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.

 

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

Elliah Terry said: I dared to deviate from my usual types of MG reads and I’m so glad I did.  It was different than anything I’d read in the previous two years, kept me guessing, and most importantly–had a sweet MC whom I fell in love with. Each time I picked the book up was like sitting down and visiting with an adventurous, interesting friend.

You just can’t keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods. Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie. Sure, she hasn’t mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she’s real good at loop-the-loops. Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma’s at her wit’s end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents’ farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities. School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences. Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore.

 

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

MysteryRobin said: I choose Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman. I love it because it so evokes London’s dark, Dickensian side. I can close my eyes and trace Meggy’s walk from her alchemist Father’s house to the market, and see all the stalls and buildings she described. There’s a treasonous plot, coming of age, overcoming disability, luscious scenery, and witty humor all wrapped up in one story.

Fans of Karen Cushman’s witty, satisfying novels will welcome Meggy Swann, newly come to London with her only friend, a goose named Louise. Meggy’s mother was glad to be rid of her; her father, who sent for her, doesn’t want her after all. Meggy is appalled by London,dirty and noisy, full of rogues and thieves, and difficult to get around in—not that getting around is ever easy for someone who walks with the help of two sticks.Just as her alchemist father pursues his Great Work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation. Earthy and colorful, Elizabethan London has its dark side, but it also has gifts in store for Meggy Swann.

 

 

The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet

Mike Jung said:  The Cabinet of Earths is one of those books that feels timeless because of its lyrical, gorgeous prose and evocative setting, and also has all kinds of fun and creepy adventure elements too.

On their first day in Paris, Maya and her little brother, James, find themselves caught up in some very old magic. Houses with bronze salamanders for door handles, statues that look too much like Maya’s own worried face, a man wearing sunglasses to hide his radiant purple eyes . . . nothing is what it seems. And what does all that magic want from Maya?

With the help of a friendly boy named Valko, Maya discovers surprises hidden in her family tree—grandmothers who walked in magic, a cousin so unremarkable she’s actually hard to see, and a terrible family habit of betraying one’s brother. And now the shimmering glass Cabinet of Earths, at the heart of all these secrets, has chosen Maya to be its new Keeper.  As she untangles the ties between the Salamander House, the purple-eyed man, and the Cabinet of Earths, Maya realizes that her own brother may be in terrible danger. To save him, Maya must take on the magical underworld of Paris . . . before it is too late.

 

Here are some other recent books that received raves:


 

 

 

 


I want to thank my Blueboard friends for sharing their favorites with us.  I hope you all find some fantastic new books on this list.

I’d love to know what your current favorites are, and why you love them so much.  And if there’s a certain kind of book you’re hoping to find, let us know and we’ll do our best to help you!

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle-grade novels and quirky picture books.  She’s constantly inspired by her twelve and fourteen year-old daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer pup who was recently rescued from the Everglades.  Visit Mindy’s blog or Twitter to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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