Click HERE to listen to this episode
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 with a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature. I’m mildly obsessed with children’s books and 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.
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!
Transition Music
When I was a kid in the 80’s, ADHD wasn’t understood by or even spoken about in the general public. Some kids, mostly boys, were designated as hyperactive, and were often treated like a joke. I get the impression the adults in these kids’ lives were frustrated, exhausted, and didn’t have the resources to help these young people successfully navigate their worlds. During my 16 years as an educator, I witnessed how much attitudes about ADHD have changed and I am so thankful readers now have access to books that authentically and compassionately portray characters with ADHD. In this episode, I am spotlighting four wonderful middle grade books that explore what it can be like for a young person to get diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to overcome the stigma often associated with a diagnosis, and to eventually make peace with or even take pride in their fabulous, neurodivergent brain. Considering ADHD can present differently in girls and that girls often go undiagnosed, I am especially tickled to recommend two books with female protagonists.
Focused by Alyson Gerber
Published by Scholastic Press in 2019, Alyson Gerber’s Focused is one of the first books I remember reading that portrays ADHD as complex and nuanced. Here’s the Amazon summary:
"Clea can't control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can't just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can't help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?
It's starting to be a problem-not just in school, but when Clea's playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.
Clea knows life can't continue the way it's been going. She's just not sure how you can fix a problem that's all in your head. But that's what she's going to have to do, to find a way to focus."I’m going to share an excerpt from chapter one where Clea arrives at school, already stressed out about not finishing her math homework, only to deal with a frustrated best friend and a teacher who won’t give her a break. (p 4-10)
A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin
Released in 2022 by Hachette, A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin is a thrilling mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. The book’s Amazon summary reads:
"Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.
When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered."
Here’s chapter one. (p 1-5)
Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya
Each Tiny Spark, written by Pablo Cartaya and published by Kokila in 2019, centers around Emilia, a spunky, multiracial middle schooler who lives with her mom and grandmother, both of whom have interesting ideas about why Emilia struggles to concentrate. When Emilia’s dad returns home from military deployment, Emilia senses something is wrong, but she has no idea how to fix it. Here’s the summary from Amazon:
"Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It's hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.
Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family's auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear. But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict."
I’m going to jump into the middle of chapter one, where Emilia is getting ready for school. Apologies for any Spanish mispronunciations. Sadly, six years of Spanish class does not mean I speak fluently. (p 11-19)
Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn
Our last book, Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn, was released in 2022 by Bloomsbury. Despite the book’s exploration of a lot of tough topics, like divorce, new stepsiblings, academic struggles, and navigating unexpected friendships, it is also full of humor and charming characters. Plus, there’s baking, which always makes me happy. The Amazon summary reads:
"Elliott isn't sure where he fits in. Ever since his best friend moved away and his dad and stepmom announced the arrival of their new baby, he's been feeling invisible. Plus his dad just doesn't seem to understand what having ADHD really feels like, or why cooking is the one activity where Elliott's mind clicks into place.
I’m going to share the first half of chapter one because it does an excellent job of giving readers a peek into Elliott’s brain. (p 3-8)
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. If you know of other wonderful middle grade books that fit this episode’s theme, I’d love to hear about them. You can find me on X as Wordnerd153 and on Instagram as Kidlit_Lover. You can also message me through the Happy Reading website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. If you enjoy this podcast and want to help other people discover it, please take a moment to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for spending some time with me. Until next time, happy reading!
