Welcome to another episode of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates fabulous middle grade stories. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, a former 6th grade reading teacher and elementary librarian who recently earned a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons University in Boston, MA. I have been obsessed with children’s books since I was a kid and absolutely love recommending them to readers of all ages. I’m that person who eavesdrops on families in libraries and bookstores and then offers unsolicited advice on which books to take home. Although sometimes, as happened recently, I must show great restraint by remaining silent and not slapping a book out of someone’s hands when it is clearly a terrible gift or fit for a young reader.
For those of you joining me for the first time, each episode is formatted the same way. I summarize a handful of books that fit a theme and read a short excerpt from each one so you get a sense of the author’s writing style, the characters’ voices and the storyline. While I truly believe middle grade books can be enjoyed by people of all ages, they are generally thought of as a good fit for 8- to 12-year-old readers, although some books do skew younger, while others are classified as older middle grade because of mature themes. Not every book on this podcast will be appropriate for every reader, and occasionally I may recommend chapter books or young adult books that fit the episode’s theme. Now that you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, let’s get started!
Music
As of this recording I have read 655 books this year, 80 of which were middle grade, so I thought it’d be fun for me to review those titles and pluck some favorites from the bunch to share with you. This is also a sneaky way to be loosey goosey with this episode’s theme and spotlight books that might not have anything in common other than wonderful storytelling, endearing characters, and a riveting plot. By no means are these the only spectacular middle grade books I read this year—in fact, several of my favorites will show up in future episodes—but we’d easily be here for over an hour if I highlighted every book I read in 2023 that made me a better human. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
Gary D. Schmidt is one of those authors who leaves me in awe of his genius every time I read one of his books. His most recent middle grade story, The Labors of Hercules Beal, published by Clarion Books in 2023, has received a lot of Newbery buzz and I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. Schmidt strikes the perfect balance of humor and drama, packs the book with endearing, flawed characters, and transports readers to Cape Cod through detailed scene descriptions. I finished reading The Labors of Hercules Beal over a month ago and I am still thinking about it, which doesn’t happen very often. Here’s the flap summary:
Because the chapters are fairly long, I’m going to read the first part of chapter two where Hercules starts middle school. Apologies if I mispronounce any of the places on the Cape. Even after living in Massachusetts for almost three years, I can’t wrap my head around local pronunciations.
The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies
Our second book is perfect for middle grade readers who appreciate ghost stories, but have no desire to be wide awake long after their bedtime. The International House of Dereliction, written by Jacqueline Davies and published by Clarion in 2023, may take place predominantly in a haunted house, but the ghosts are fairly friendly and the story itself has more to do with the power of love, kindness, and found family than with scaring the pants off of readers. I was lucky enough to hear Jacqueline Davies talk about and read from The International House of Dereliction at this year’s Boston Book Festival, which endeared the book to me even more. The flap summary reads:
Like Hercules Beal, the chapters in Davies’ book are longish, so I’m going to read a short excerpt from chapter three to give you a sense of Alice’s unique perspective on the world and the quirky humor that infuses her story.
The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
I have been mildly obsessed with sleepaway camp since I was a kid, despite only attending two sessions of Girl Scout camp in elementary school. I love books about camp, movies about camp (shout out to anyone listening who has seen Camp Cucamonga or Poison Ivy), and always wanted to be a camp counselor. That might explain why I became a teacher. Morgan Matson’s The Firefly Summer, published by Simon and Schuster in 2023, is everything I want in a summer camp story, even though it doesn’t actually take place during a typical camp session. Here’s the book’s summary:
So, you have all of the fun camp activities, quirky and loveable characters, and a treasure map mystery? Sign me up!
I’m going to drop you into the middle of chapter three where Ryanna has just accidentally spilled an Icee all over a girl she bumped into at the PocoMart before arriving at Camp Van Camp.
The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon
The Way I Say It, written by Nancy Tandon and published by Charlesbridge in 2022, caught me off guard in the best possible way. I was expecting a thoughtful story about a middle schooler struggling with typical tween issues and, while it is definitely that, the book is also packed with authentic, flawed characters, explores complex problems that don’t have easy, obvious solutions, and fosters empathy in its readers. This book will resonate with a lot of young middle grade readers and challenge their thinking, which is one of the best things about children’s literature, in my opinion. Here’s the flap summary:
We’re going to start at the very beginning (a very good place to start) with chapter one, titled “Hello, My Name Is…”
Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker
Leeva at Last, written by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Matthew Cordell, and published by Balzer and Bray in 2023, is one of those books I love so much that I run my finger over the cover every time I see it in a bookstore or library. I sigh a little, remembering how happy I was reading about Leeva and all of the interesting characters in the book, and I wish I could read it all over again. The story feels like a modern take on Matilda, minus the telekinetic powers, so if that’s your vibe, you will adore Leeva at Last. As delightful as the book is, thinking about it is also bittersweet because Sara Pennypacker graciously signed my copy at the Boston Book Festival and then, in a moment of absent-mindedness, I left it behind at the downtown public library. So if you are ever in Boston and come across a copy of Leeva at Last that is signed to Sarah and Henson, please reach out. Here’s more info from the summary:
As a librarian, I am obligated to share chapter five, where Leeva visits a public library for the first time in her entire life.
Outro
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast. I hope you discovered some new books that you are excited to read or that you were reminded of some that have been hanging out on your TBR stack. While I was working on this episode I read a few more books that blew me away–such is the life of a book nerd–and, although I didn’t have time to spotlight them, I do want to put them on your radar. They are The Mona Lisa Vanishes, a riveting, informative and entertaining nonfiction book by Nicholas Day, with illustrations by Brett Helquist, and The Eyes and the Impossible, a powerful, thought-provoking and funny story by Dave Eggers that’s perfect for fans of middle grade animal stories. I also want to give a shout out to Karina Yan Glaser for breaking my heart with the last book in the Vanderbeekers series and helping me say farewell to this incredible family of characters that I have loved since 2017.
