Fall 2018 Middle Grade Reads-Part One

Books I can’t wait to get for my school library!

Fall is always an exciting time for me as far as books go.  I start to make my lists for the books I want to purchase for my school library.  I can’t actually purchase anything until my budget is finalized in October, but that doesn’t keep me from dreaming about all of those books.  That said here are five books that I am really looking forward to getting into the hands of my students (and mine too!)

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophia Anderson

I always keep an eye out for retellings of folktales from different cultures and anything with Baba Yaga is always high on my list.  This sounds like a really good one, and so far I have seen good reviews for it.  I am not sure about the cover though.  The skulls and chicken are good, but there is something about the rest that I’m not sure will appeal to kids.  I could be wrong though.  I do like that it is purple, not a color often used in middle grade.  

 

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A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: A Dastardly Plot

By Christopher Healy

I love this cover and the plot sounds like a great adventure.  The cover makes me think it might be a bit steampunkish, but I’m not sure about that.  I certainly hope so, there needs to be more steampunk for middle grades.  It does sound like a good adventure mystery story though.  

 

 

 

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Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

I have a small group of students who are always asking me for scary stories and this one sounds pretty scary.  Being stuck on a school bus at night near some creepy woods?  No Thank You!  Love the creepiness of the cover as well.  This is by the author of the Bear and the Nightingale which I have heard really good things about, but have yet to read. 

 

 

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Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

 

I actually have the ARC for this and hope to read it soon.  I really like Kenneth Oppel’s other works and this one sounds just as good. This one sounds vey charming and whimsical not at all like some of his other works.  I also love this cover.  I like the friendly looking inkblot and want to make it my friend. 

 

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It Wasn’t Me by Dana Levy

 

This one is being labeled as a Breakfast Club mystery.  Not sure about that, but it certainly sounds interesting.  I like the author’s Family Fletcher books, so I am hopeful that this one will be good as well.   I like the cover, which I think will appeal to kids. It also sounds like a good book about bullying and finding out who you really are. 

 

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Those are the ones for this week.  I will do another post next Tuesday with five more middle grade books I’m looking forward to reading this fall.  

Do you read middle-grade? Is there a book you think I should be adding to my list?  Let me know in the comments.