Time For Some Summer Adventure
Looking for some great recommendations for summer reading? You are not alone. This is the time of year when kids everywhere can put down the 'required reading' and reach for some excitement and imagination. No one wants to hear 'I'm bored!' or 'There's nothing to do!' and of course, as long as you have a really good book, that isn't going to happen. You can read what you want and meet new people; go to new places, even if you aren't traveling far. Anyway, here are some of my very best recommendations of the 'middle grade' variety that are bound to keep everyone happy.
If you think you need more witches in your life, you can't do better than Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan (Walker Books, ISBN 9781406366020). It's the first in what promises to be the very best magical trilogy (The Wild Magic trilogy) I have seen in a long, long time. And it is an adventure of a lifetime! Mup notices there are witches following her family, jumping from tree to tree. Not nice witches; horrible, frightening, raggedy witches. When they kidnap her father and her mother changes dramatically, Mup must journey to the other land on a perilous rescue mission. Intriguing, exciting and simply delicious...just read it! I have...3 times.
The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson (Usborne ISBN: 9781474940665) draws us into the world of Marinka, who lives with her grandmother, Baba Yaga. Babas' job is to help spirits cross between the worlds and to do so, the house travels wherever it must. Surrounded by the dead and with no living friends, Marinka longs for a different life...one with friends and games and a normal family. But her desire reveals a dreadful secret and an adventure that crosses the boundary between legend and reality.
More dead people await us in Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt (Orion Childrens Books ISBN: 9781510104556). When Jake opens a box containing an ancient dead finger, he accidently summons the Grim Reaper who is determined to send him into the Eternal Void. But he isn't on his own. Jake has a company of weird and wonderful ghosts who have come to his aid. Hilarious fare with just the right amount of fright.
If it's werewolves you're after, you must read The Girl Who Ate The Stars by Caroline Busher (Poolbeg ISBN: 9781781998694). In a stunning combination of historical fiction and fantasy, Lottie and have come to Ireland to escape the bombings of WWII England. Suddenly, they are plunged into a dramatic turn of events and must cross the portal that leads to a savage world. The seek a wolf-girl named Cuan who eats the stars to survive. Gripping and poignant.
The Cloak of Feathers by Nigel Quinlan (Orion Childrens Books ISBN: 9781444014181) is an exceptional adventure that places in the heart of a rather dismal, small Irish town. It's time for the Great Festival in Knockmealldown and every hundred years, the Good Folk arrive to join in. But whenever Brian has anything to do with the Festival, disaster strikes. This year is different...it's much, much worse. Great humour combine with Irish folklore and a fantastic adventure. (You should also read his previous book, The Maloney's Magical Weatherbox.)
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408854877) takes us into the lives of 4 children who find themselves alone, survivors of a plane crash in the Amazon jungle. With no hope of rescue, they must work their way through to find a way home. But it seems someone has been there before them. This is a classic-style adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire story.
The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge (Nosy Crow ISBN: 9781788000291) takes the reader on an adventure through science, time-travel and family ties. Maisie awakens on her birthday hoping she'll get everything she needs to build her own nuclear reactor. But when she wakes to an empty house and an all-consuming blackness, Maisie realises she may have received a gift she didn't bargain for. Exceptional science-based adventure that really makes you think and keeps you gripped.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald gives us an adventure of a different sort in The List of Real Things (Orion Childrens Books ISBN: 9781444014815). After her parents died, Grace very quickly learned the difference between what is real and what isn't. Little sister Bee sees things differently and it is up to Grace to watch over her. But during a violent storm, at an old run-down clifftop hotel, the line between reality and fantasy become blurred forever. Such a beautiful tale of family, friendship, loss and enduring love.
The Storm Keepers Island by Catherine Doyle ( Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408896877) takes us deep into the heart of family legacy, ancient Irish myth, the magic that lies within storms (and candles!), and home-coming to who we really are. Moving, poignant and packed full of adventure , this is the story of Fionn Boyle who comes to his ancestral home for the first time, only to discover that an ancient evil is awakening and his true destiny awaits. I cannot express how truly wonderful and enthralling this book is...there simply are not enough words. It is one that will change your perspective.
That's just a few...there will be more coming in the next few days, but it's enough to get you started. All of these are wonderful books for ages 9+ and will open up doors of adventure over the coming summer months. So, get reading!
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| LB Recommends...and so do I |
The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson (Usborne ISBN: 9781474940665) draws us into the world of Marinka, who lives with her grandmother, Baba Yaga. Babas' job is to help spirits cross between the worlds and to do so, the house travels wherever it must. Surrounded by the dead and with no living friends, Marinka longs for a different life...one with friends and games and a normal family. But her desire reveals a dreadful secret and an adventure that crosses the boundary between legend and reality.
More dead people await us in Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt (Orion Childrens Books ISBN: 9781510104556). When Jake opens a box containing an ancient dead finger, he accidently summons the Grim Reaper who is determined to send him into the Eternal Void. But he isn't on his own. Jake has a company of weird and wonderful ghosts who have come to his aid. Hilarious fare with just the right amount of fright.
If it's werewolves you're after, you must read The Girl Who Ate The Stars by Caroline Busher (Poolbeg ISBN: 9781781998694). In a stunning combination of historical fiction and fantasy, Lottie and have come to Ireland to escape the bombings of WWII England. Suddenly, they are plunged into a dramatic turn of events and must cross the portal that leads to a savage world. The seek a wolf-girl named Cuan who eats the stars to survive. Gripping and poignant.
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408854877) takes us into the lives of 4 children who find themselves alone, survivors of a plane crash in the Amazon jungle. With no hope of rescue, they must work their way through to find a way home. But it seems someone has been there before them. This is a classic-style adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire story.
Sarah Moore Fitzgerald gives us an adventure of a different sort in The List of Real Things (Orion Childrens Books ISBN: 9781444014815). After her parents died, Grace very quickly learned the difference between what is real and what isn't. Little sister Bee sees things differently and it is up to Grace to watch over her. But during a violent storm, at an old run-down clifftop hotel, the line between reality and fantasy become blurred forever. Such a beautiful tale of family, friendship, loss and enduring love.
The Storm Keepers Island by Catherine Doyle ( Bloomsbury ISBN: 9781408896877) takes us deep into the heart of family legacy, ancient Irish myth, the magic that lies within storms (and candles!), and home-coming to who we really are. Moving, poignant and packed full of adventure , this is the story of Fionn Boyle who comes to his ancestral home for the first time, only to discover that an ancient evil is awakening and his true destiny awaits. I cannot express how truly wonderful and enthralling this book is...there simply are not enough words. It is one that will change your perspective.
That's just a few...there will be more coming in the next few days, but it's enough to get you started. All of these are wonderful books for ages 9+ and will open up doors of adventure over the coming summer months. So, get reading!
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