middle grade

Tag: middle grade

December 30, 2022 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2022 Middle Grade Fiction

Oo. The penultimate list! We've had a fun ride but it's almost over. So today, enjoy books for older child readers. Tomorrow? Picture Books!

December 16, 2021 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2021 Middle Grade Novels

Let's talk about the great middle grade novels of 2021 a little early this year! A collected list of some of the best books my librarians and I have seen.

December 30, 2020 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: Great Middle Grade Novels of 2020

The penultimate list. Maybe, with lists like this one, we can all try to end 2020 on a slightly less terrible note.

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Middle Grade Novels

December 30, 2019 by Betsy Bird

Consider this just a sampling of titles that I found particularly toothsome in 2019. You will miss some of your favorites, no doubt, but these are the books that truly made my little heart sing.

Review of the Day: Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo

September 13, 2018 by Betsy Bird

Louisiana’s Way Home By Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press ISBN: 978-0-7636-9463-0 $16.99 Ages 9-12 On shelves October 2nd There once was a book called Raymie Nightingale. Not a big flashy book with glitter on the cover and fonts that look like escaped balloon animals. Just a quiet book set in the late 1970s in Florida, patiently […]

Review of the Day: Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

July 13, 2018 by Betsy Bird

Harbor Me By Jacqueline Woodson Nancy Paulsen Books (an imprint of Penguin) $17.99 ISBN: 978-0-399-25252-5 Ages 9-12 On shelves August 28th A good book, whether it’s written for a nine-year-old, a nineteen-year-old, or a ninety-year-old can tilt your perspective, if only momentarily. Consider the concept of the “happy ending” and what it’s supposed to resemble. […]

Review of the Day: The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez

September 14, 2017 by Betsy Bird

The First Rule of Punk By Celia C. Perez Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-425-29040-8 Ages 9-12 On shelves now They don’t warn you in library school. They’ll tell you about all the cool children’s books you’ll get to read. They’ll stress how you’ll be able to make a difference in […]

Review of the Day: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

August 26, 2015 by Betsy Bird

The Nest By Kenneth Oppel Illustrated by Jon Klassen Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4814-3232-0 On shelves October 6th Oh, how I love middle grade horror. It’s a very specific breed of book, you know. Most people on the street might think of the Goosebumps books or similar ilk when they […]

Review of the Day: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer

June 1, 2015 by Betsy Bird

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer By Kelly Jones Illustrated by Katie Kath Alfred A. Knopf (an imprint of Random House Children’s Books) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-385-75552-8 On shelves now The epistolary novel has a long and storied history. At least when it comes to books written for adults. So too does it exist in […]

Review of the Day: The Adventures of Nanny Piggins by R.A. Spratt

December 24, 2010 by Betsy Bird

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins By R.A. Spratt Illustrated by Dan Santat Little Brown and Company $15.99 ISBN: 978-0-316-06819-2 Ages 9-12 On shelves now. Don’t judge a book by its cover, they say. To heck with that, say I. When it comes to books for kids, nine times out of ten you’re going to end […]