Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Middle School favorites: fantasy

As one of our early "getting to know you" style activities, I asked my seventh graders to share about a favorite book that other classmates might like. (Please note that my students read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for seventh graders.) Click on the middle school tag for more. (You can also check out #3rdfor3rd for book recommendations from my third graders.)

Middle School Favorites: fantasy


The Percy Jackson series (first series) by Rick Riordan

Recommended by Brynn


The Percy Jackson series is about a young boy who has troubles in school because of his ADHD and dyslexia. When he finds out that he is a half-blood, he must escape his school to go to Camp Half-Blood, where over the course of years he must endure multiple quests.

Recommendation: if you love Harry Potter, you will love these books! Rating: five stars. Recommended for grades 4-8 (broad audience).

The City of Ember by Jeanne du Prau

Recommended by Liv


The City of Ember. After the world ended, an underground sanctuary was crated to house the remaining survivors. Directions on how to exit the city were to be passed down by the leaders until the time came to return above ground. 241 years later, as the city is dying and supplies are running out, the instructions are destroyed in an act of selfishness.

Can one girl save the last of humanity on her own and lead them out of darkness?

This book was very good and arguably my favorite of the series. The characters and plot are well-written and made for an exciting and interesting book. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. [This is the first in a series.]


Heartless by Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles 

Recommended by Akasha


Heartless. All Lady Catherine Pinkerton wants is to start her own bakery with her friend, Mary Ann. But all her parents want is for her to marry the foolish King of Hearts. Although Catherine is not happy with this path set out for her, she expects it. It's normal. But everything changes when, on the King's birthday, a new court joker named Jest arrives, bringing with him an adventure that will change Catherine Pinkerton's life forever.

Rating: five out of five stars.

Incarceron by Catherine Fischer

Recommended by Carson


Incarceron. The great prison. Outsiders believe it to be paradise. But it is a different story for those inside. The prison is alive, and it is vengeful. Incarceron kills without warning, recycling bodies to create new prisoners to destroy.

Then a prisoner finds a key. The key allows contact with an outsider holding the other copy. They attempt to escape. But the prison values its captives ...

I give this 5 stars. [This is the first in a series.]

Storybound by Marissa Burt

Recommended by Hannah


From talking cats to evil beasts to magic books, Storybound has it all. When Una Fairchild is brought to the world of story, she is forced into adventure and peril, all to find out more about the mysterious Muses, who wreaked havoc on the land of story in the past.

I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. [This is the first in a series.]

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Reviewed by Oliver


The book I am recommending is called The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. It is about kids who live in a society named Quill. No one is allowed to be creative, and if you are, you get an infraction. Those with three or more infractions are sent to their deaths at age thirteen in the Great Lake of Boiling Oil on the day of the Purge, the one holiday. The story follows a thirteen-year old boy named Alex who is condemned to death, but things don't always happen the way they should … [This is the first in a series.]


Want more book reviews? Click on the middle school tag for more middle schooler recommendations or check out #3rdfor3rd for book recommendations from my third graders.

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