I read a lot of good books this month and a lot of great middle grade (9-12). It was difficult narrowing it down to just five, especially since I've rediscovered Roald Dahl. I also read a couple of books that were my husband's favorite when he was a kid. You can always check out my Instagram to see all the books I've read this month.
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
This book was one of my favorites as a kid. I can't even tell you how many times I checked it out of my school library. Why I never read any other Roald Dahl books is a mystery. But I've been making up for it now. I fell in love with Matilda and was surprised to find out it was one of my husband's favorite books when he was a kid. I'm on the wait list for Charlie and Glass Elevator and James and the Giant Peach and looking forward to reading them.
Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!
2. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Pretty much fell in love with this book on the very first page. Trees and woodland creatures are kind of my thing. There's a picture of me in my wedding dress feeding ducks, just to give you an idea of my devotion. I'm normally not big on talking trees and animals, but this one is fantastic and has gone on my need-to-own list.
Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .
Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.
You might say Red has seen it all.
Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.
3. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
This book left a deep impression on my husband, Eric. I've heard him talk about this middle grade book for years--and the diorama he made for school. Well, I finally picked it up and I get it. This book is going to stay with me too. I believe there are four books in this series. Eric has read them all and he only recommended Brain's Winter. So of course, I read that too and enjoyed it. But Hatchet is my favorite.
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.
4. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
The more autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs I read, the more I wonder why we weren't given these books to read in high school histories classes. It would have given us such a better picture of what the world, so much better than memorizing a bunch of dates and facts. Anyway, I only knew the highlights of Malcolm X's life and career. After learning a bit about his father when reading about my city's history (Lansing, MI), I knew I needed to learn more. I admit, I have a lot of mixed feeling about Malcolm X, but I still feel everyone should read this book.
In the searing pages of this classic autobiography, originally published in 1964, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and anti-integrationist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Black Muslim movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American Dream, and the inherent racism in a society that denies its nonwhite citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time. The Autobiography of Malcolm X stands as the definitive statement of a movement and a man whose work was never completed but whose message is timeless. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand America.
5. The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
This novella is amazing. I love fantasy, but I have to admit that the medieval European setting can get old, especially when you read a lot of fantasy. I crave worlds that are inspired by other cultures. And man, does this one deliver. Not only is it set in an Asian-inspired setting, but choosing one's own gender is part of their world. I can't wait to read the following up novella.
Mokoya and Akeha, the twin children of the Protector, were sold to the Grand Monastery as infants. While Mokoya developed her strange prophetic gift, Akeha was always the one who could see the strings that moved adults to action. While Mokoya received visions of what would be, Akeha realized what could be. What's more, they saw the sickness at the heart of their mother's Protectorate.
A rebellion is growing. The Machinists discover new levers to move the world every day, while the Tensors fight to put them down and preserve the power of the state. Unwilling to continue as a pawn in their mother's twisted schemes, Akeha leaves the Tensorate behind and falls in with the rebels. But every step Akeha takes towards the Machinists is a step away from Mokoya. Can Akeha find peace without shattering the bond they share with their twin?
Bonus: Ghost by Jason Reynolds
I just couldn't leave this middle grade book out. It reminded me a lot of Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson.
Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?
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