4 Books for Middle Grade (and Older) Readers

Wait! Stop! Don't click away. I know what you're thinking: you don't have kids and you don't read kids' books. What you might not know is that today's juvenile fiction often addresses real-life tough issues, like homelessness, disabilities, gender identity, loneliness, and family problems. Of course, you'll also find plenty of fantasy, historical fiction, and action-adventure too.

I like middle grade fiction because it's devoid of the angst and love triangles that are so common in young adult fiction. I also like to stay in touch with the topics that might be on young people's minds. Plus some of the world's most beloved stories were written for young readers (think Harry Potter, Little House on the Prairie, and Narnia). Finally, it's always fun to be able to recommend books to readers of all ages.

Here are four middle grade novels that are on my list for March.

Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy (illustrated by George Ermos) (Norton Books YR, March 17) is a steampunk action-adventure story starring 12-year-old twins. When their father, a world-renown explorer, is reported dead along with his crew while exploring South Polaris, Arthur and Maudie are suddenly homeless. To make matters worse, there are rumors that their father didn't always play fair. The two find a place on a sky-ship and set off to clear their family name and uncover the truth about their father's doomed expedition.

• Themes: disability, family, self-confidence, learning about others who are different from yourself
• Extras: great illustrations throughout; a map
• Reviews: much praise for good world building, lots of action, appealing characters
• First line: The heavy chug of a sky-ship firing its engines rumbled through Lontown.

The Great Upending by Beth Kephart (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, March 31) is set on a Pennsylvania farm in contemporary times. As a drought threatens to bankrupt their family, 12-year-old Sara and her brother, Hawk, come up with a scheme that will solve all the family's money problems. Complicating matters are the mysterious man who has rented an apartment on their farm and Sara's ever-growing need for heart surgery. Oh and did I mention their plan involves breaking one of their mother's hard-and-fast rules?

• Themes: family, secrets, troubled times, plans gone wrong (or maybe right)
• Extras: some short chapters are set and read like free verse
• Reviews: praise for Kephart's signature beautiful language and ability to convey strong emotions
• First line: "Moon's in bloom," Hawk says. "Just hanging there. No strings."

City Spies by James Ponti (Aladdin, March 10) has a global setting and features computer-whiz 12-year-old Sara who is given an offer she can't refuse. No, she's not held up by the mafia, but after getting in trouble with the law for hacking a computer to expose her foster parents' wrongdoings, she is given a chance to leave New York to get special training with a secret British youth spy agency. This start of a new STEM action-adventure series sets up the premise and sends Sara and her fellow spies on their first mission: they travel to Paris where they are to catch the bad guy threatening to undermine an environmental summit.

• Themes: working as a team, contemporary issues, using STEM skills, friendship, diversity
• Extras: fun dossiers of the kid spies
• Reviews: good action, diverse cast, relevant to environmental activism
• First line: Sara looked at the water stain on the wall and imagined it was an island.

Blue Skies by Anne Bustard (Simon & Schuster Books YR, March 17) is set in post-World War II small-town Texas and tells the story of 10-year-old Glory Bea, who refuses to give up hope that her father, missing in action since D-Day will still come home. When a good friend of her dad's comes to visit and then to stay after getting to know Mama, Glory Bea isn't happy. She tries to keep the adults apart, despite her grandmother's reputation for being a terrific matchmaker. When she learns a Merci Train will stop in their town, she's even more convinced her father will find his way home. He just has to be on the train filled with gifts from the French people who want to say thank you to America for coming to their rescue.

• Themes: family, grief, relationships, hope
• Extras: introduces readers to the real-life Merci (Thank You) Trains; an author's note gives the history behind the story; includes a bibliography for further reading
• Reviews: good period details, well-developed characters, nicely linked to contemporary issues
• First line: Miracles happen in Gladiola, Texas, population 3,421.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: 2 Good Books

I can't believe my mom's 90th birthday is almost here. For all those who have a certain image of a 90-year-old in your head, my mother is out to shatter it. This is her version of being an nonagenarian:

She spent this morning working out with her personal trainer. She pumps real iron (not just 5-pound dumbbells) and hits the rowing machine or spinning bike too.

She still lives in her two-story house and still drives. She has a more active social life than we have, is avid gardener, and volunteers her journalism skills at a monthly glossy magazine. Here's to many more healthy years, Mom!

What I Read Last Week

The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah (William Morrow, June 19). I was attracted to this novel because of the French vineyard connection, but I didn't know much about this dual-time-period story before I started reading. In the present, Kate is studying for her Master of Wine certification and decides, for a number of reasons, to spend the summer at her family's vineyard in Burgundy. Kate grew up in the United States and has visited her French relatives only a few times over the years. While there, she helps her cousin-in-law clean out the villa's basement, and there in the cool cellar, they make a discovery that could change all their lives. In the past, Kate's great-aunt Helene keeps a journal of her life during the German occupation. She and her father try to balance their ethical beliefs with keeping the vineyard and her father's second wife and young sons safe. I became invested in both stories for different reasons. Kate's is all about family secrets and family loyalty, the pulls of independence and love, and of course the wine. Helene's story is about survival, family loyalty, and the constraints of women's opportunities in the mid-twentieth century. Throughout both story arcs are tense moments of possible betrayals, danger, and having the strength to do what's right. I liked The Lost Vintage more than I thought I would and was especially interested in the details of Helene's experiences.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook (HarperAudio; 11 hr, 43 min) read by Saskia Maarleveld. Maaleveld's French, German, South African, and American accents were utterly believable, and her pacing and characterizations kept me engaged. Recommended in either medium. (review copies from the publisher)

Wild Blues by Beth Kephart (Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum; June 5). For so many reasons, I love this book.

In the interest of transparency, I should say that I know Beth and have met her in person a couple of times, though not in a few years. Also, a book written by her great-grandfather features in Wild Blues, and this book is one of Mr. BFR's favorites and is one he owned long before I had even heard of Beth Kephart. Those two factors may have affected my deep affection for this novel, but I can also say without reservation that Kephart's writing is beautiful and the tears that filled my eyes off and on throughout my reading were genuine and were prompted solely from the story of Lizzy and Matias.

When 13-year-old Lizzy is dropped off at her uncle's house in the Adirondacks, her only worry is that her mother will be on her own all summer as she undergoes radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid cancer. But Lizzy adores her uncle Davy and can't wait to see her friend Matias. She is tall and scientific, and he has proportionate dwarfism and is an artist. She's American, and he's Salvadoran. Despite their differences, they form a strong bond while exploring the woods and telling each other stories. When Matias and her uncle go missing on the day after two men escape a nearby prison, Lizzy--armed with the book Camping and Woodcraft, which Davy had given her--heads out into the 6-million-acre park determined to find the men she loves. This is Lizzy's story, told in flashbacks.

Here are some disjointed thoughts about Lizzy: She's intelligent and insightful, but her language and perceptions remind us she's still just an adolescent. She's brave but is driven by love and fear, not by a superpower. Because this is Lizzy's story, told in Lizzy's words, the adults and their relationships are seen from a young teen's perspective. Her uncle is famous because he's on television; her science teacher knows everything; Matias's parents are shadows because she doesn't know them well. In other words, Kephart makes Lizzy real. Two more notes: don't miss reading the acknowledgments and forget the "middle grade" label. (eARC provided by the publisher)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Reading from the (Recent) Backlist

Everyone get ready to repeat after me: Crazy Busy. Now say: Worth It.

That's because I'm getting ready for my annual five-day women's getaway to the Poconos. We spend the weekend eating, drinking, gabbing, and making lace! I may take my knitting this year instead of my lace stuff, but either way, it's a lovely, lovely break from real life before the holidays descend with a vengeance.

The downside is being too focused on catching up with and getting ahead on work to spend much (any?) time visiting blogs and hanging out on Twitter and Litsy. Ah well.

My New Gig

I mentioned last week that I had a new sideline job. I'm excited to announce that I am now a contributing editor at AudioFile magazine. I'm thrilled to have expanded my relationship with the magazine; everyone there is a joy to work with. Besides my regular audiobook reviews, I now have a column at the AudioFile blog. It's called "Take 5 with Candace," and my first post will be published on November 8. Stop by every other Wednesday to see which five audiobooks caught my eye that week and why. For my introductory post, be sure to visit the AudioFile blog on Wednesday and see what I'll be up to.

What I Read Last Week

I finished Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (Simon & Schuster, Oct), which I enjoyed but didn't love. It was fun to learn the backstory of Practical Magic and the Owens family, although I found some parts difficult to believe (and I don't mean the magic / witch parts). For example, the children have a crazy amount of freedom to wander around New York at all hours of the day and night. On the other hand, the 1960s details are recognizable, and the family curse seems to be running strong. In addition, the novel gives us domestic drama and a few surprises. I'm not a big fan of magical realism, but I do like witches and like seeing how their lives and abilities play out in more modern times. I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 10 hr, 58 min), read by Marin Ireland. Ireland varied her tempo, volume, and cadence, capturing my attention and enlivening the story. (review print copy from the publishers)

I read Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down (Atheneum Books, Oct) twice. Yes, you heard me correctly. This powerful novel in verse explores the perpetuation of gun violence and gang affiliations, as fifteen-year-old Will comes to terms with the shooting death of his older brother. Most of the story takes place in a second-by-second account of a one-minute elevator ride in which Will is confronted by the ghosts of family and friends who were also victims of gun violence. The words on the page hit hard, in their meaning and in their form, and you could stop right there and have much to talk about in terms of family, loyalty, and the difficulty of breaking dysfunctional cycles. I went one step more and immediately listened to the unabridged audiobook (Simon & Schuster Audio; 1 hr, 43 min), read by the author. Poetry is meant to be heard and (as Reynolds himself says) is best read by poet himself. Reynolds's performance intensifies the emotional impact of Long Way Down, bringing out the nuances of the characters and providing layers of context. Will's future hangs in the balance as the elevator slowly descends to the lobby, what will he do when he steps through those doors? Don't miss this book in either medium. (review print copy from the publishers)

What I Gave Up On

The Templars:The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors by Dan Jones. I've always been drawn to the story of the Templars, so I'm not sure why I just didn't feel the love here. I tried it in print (Viking, Sept), and I tried it in audio (Penguin Audio; 15 hr, 35 min). Argh! Neither medium held my attention. The book wasn't bad, so perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for Crusades and the Church, politics and battles this week. The audio is read by the author, who does an only okay job, and I found my mind wandering as the audio played on. (Thanks to the publisher for both print and audio review copies)

What's on Beth Fish Reads This Week

Because I'll be traveling at the end of the week, I will not be posting my usual weekly roundup. Instead, I have a giveaway tomorrow for a fun cozy mystery, a photo on Wednesday, and my usual Weekend Cooking on Saturday. I'm not sure I'll have Monday post next week, but we'll see what I have time for.

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Review & Giveaway: The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School by Fowler DeWitt

Wilmer Dooley wants nothing more than to be a scientist just like his dad, who became famous for inventing SugarBUZZZZ!, which is used to make cupcakes, drinks, and puddings. According to Mr. Dooley, the most important thing a scientist can do is to observe, and so his sixth-grade son does just that.

Lately, though, Wilmer's more interested in observing pretty Roxie McGhee than he is in noticing what the teacher has to say. But when kids at school start to turn colors and burst with energy, Wilmer can't help but pay attention. Racing against his arch-enemy, Claudius Dill, Wilmer searches for a cure, hoping to earn the prestigious school science award . . . all the while trying to find a way to win Roxie's affections.

The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School by Fowler DeWitt is a fun, fun, fun book of Wilmer's observations and experiments as he tries to figure out why all his friends are turning colors. It's also about friendship, first crushes, and learning how to cooperate with others.

Boys, especially, will love Wilmer's gross experiments, and everyone will laugh at the Dooley's home life and the goofy foods they eat. I loved the pencil drawings by Rodolfo Montalvo and the mystery of the disease that was running rampant through Mumpley Middle School. Teachers, parents, and book club coordinators will the love the many talking points sparked by the story.

Recommended for middle-grade readers (and for those of us who are young at heart).

For more about the book, check out the Simon & Schuster website, where you'll find a funny essay by Fowler DeWitt (aka Allan Woodrow) that tells the story behind the book. Also be sure to visit Woodrow's blog where you'll learn something about the mysterious guy who calls himself DeWitt.

Here's the book trailer, which shows some of the great illustrations you'll find in The Contagious Colors:

The Giveway: Thanks to Simon & Schuster, I'm able to offer one of my readers with a U.S. mailing address his or her very own copy of The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School and a unique cure for the Contagious Colors disease (colorful, customized bandages)! Don't miss out on this great prize pack (click the image to see it full size).

All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is to fill out the following form. I'll pick a winner using a random number generator on September 18. After the winner has been confirmed, I'll remove all personal data from my computer. Remember, you need a U.S. mailing address to be eligible for the drawing. Good luck!

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