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Welcome to another episode of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights excellent middle grade fiction. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, an elementary school library, former 6th grade reading teacher, and self-proclaimed book nerd. In the previous seasons I chose a theme for each episode, but this season I am going to share books with you that I straight up love. Three of the books I’ll read from today are ones that I tore through in the last two weeks; I didn’t want to put them down. The other book is one I read a few months ago and can’t get out of my head. So, without further ado, here are four fabulous books aimed at readers ages 8 to 12.
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
The Unteachables, Gordon Korman’s latest novel, might be my favorite of his, which is saying a lot because I adore his books. It’s the story of one burnt out middle school teacher named Mr. Kermit and a class of seven eighth graders who have been labeled ‘unteachable’ by previous teachers, administrators and other students. Kiana is the newest addition to the class, but she isn’t actually supposed to be there. In fact, she isn’t even enrolled at the school! Mr. Kermit is so checked out that he doesn’t realize Kiana isn’t one of his students. He never checks the roster and doesn’t bother to learn anyone’s name. Then something happens during Spirit Week that changes the teacher’s opinion of his class and the shift will affect not just the unteachables, but the entire school. Told from multiple perspectives, this funny and fast-paced story will have fans of realistic fiction laughing out loud and cheering for this group of forgotten kids. Here’s part of a chapter written from Parker’s point of view.
Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy
I tore through the next book in about 24 hours; it is intensely honest and heartbreaking, but also manages to feel hopeful. Good Enough by Jen Petro-Roy is the journal of Riley, a 12-year old who has just checked in to a residential treatment program for eating disorders. For the last year she has been eating as little as possible and running everyday in order to lose weight and avoid taunts from her classmates about her size. Anorexia has enabled Riley to meet her goal, but at a terrible price. She is hungry all the time, she can’t concentrate, she skips social events because she’s terrified of eating, and she’s lost her parents’ trust. Will Riley commit herself to healing and fully participate in the program or will she relapse into her old habits until she loses everything that matters? Here’s an excerpt from Riley’s second day in the program.
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
My favorite part about the next book is the narrator’s voice, which is funny, introspective and oh-so southern. The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA is a historical fiction story that takes place in a small South Carolina town in the early 1940s. Gabriel Haberlin receives a brand new Schwinn Autocycle Deluxe for his twelfth birthday and can’t wait to show off his new wheels to his best friend. What he doesn’t expect is almost being run down by Mrs. Babcock’s yellow Buick Roadmaster and having a stranger save his life, which leads to an unexpected friendship with Meriweather Hunter, an African American man who served in the army’s all-Black 761st Tank Battalion in World War II. Over the course of a few weeks Gabriel’s eyes are opened to the racial inequality that is rampant in the south at the time and he starts to question societal norms and expectations. Here is chapter two of this fast-paced and thoughtful story.
after zero by Christina Collins
Growing up, I didn’t talk much at school. Well, at least not during classes. I’m pretty sure every teacher wrote something like “Sarah needs to participate more” on every progress report I ever received in middle and high school. It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to say; rather, my brain took awhile to sort through everyone else’s comments and then figure out what I wanted to contribute and by the time that happened the conversation had already moved on to a different topic. In after zero by Christina Collins, Elise is so nervous to speak up at school that she actually makes a tally mark in her notebook for every word she speaks out loud. The best days are when she doesn’t make a single mark in her notebook. What happened to make Elise choose silence over personal connection and what happens if she goes so long without talking that no words come out of her mouth when she finally has something important to say? This story kept me on the edge of my seat and I never quite knew if I could believe Elise’s version of the truth. I have recommended this to several 5th graders and all of them said the same thing - they couldn’t put it down. Here’s an excerpt from chapter one.
Well, middle grade fans, that wraps up another episode of Happy Reading. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to celebrate some truly marvelous books with me. I hope you discovered something new that you are dying to read. If you enjoy this podcast and want to help spread the word, it would be amazing if you left a review on iTunes. I would love to know which middle grade titles you are currently enjoying! You can always find me on twitter as WordNerd153 and contact me through my website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. Whatever else you do today, I hope you get to spend time with a good book. Until next time, Happy Reading!
