Book Recommendation: A Series of Unfortunate Events #iLoveMG

Welcome to #iLoveMG where I share middle grade books that my fifth graders recommend. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Or check out #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Recommended by Petra

I'm sorry to say that the book you a holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they were charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at a beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. In this series a greedy and repulsive villain is always waiting for them.

- Author: Lemony Snicket

- Genre: Fiction (fantasy)

- This book is murder, mystery, and tragedy.

- A Series of Unfortunate Events: 1-13 books

-The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, Austere Academy, Ersatz Elevator, Vile Village, Hostile Hospital, Carnivorous Carnival, Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril, The End.

- You can read them in any order you want and it will make some sense but it would probably make a little more since if you read them in order.

This book series is GREAT and do not worry when you are done with the first book there are twelve more. This amazing book series is also a T.V series on Netflix (which is also SO GOOD).

- Petra

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 11/25/19

It's Monday! What are you reading? was started by Sheila at Book Journey and was adapted for children's books from picture books through YA by Jen of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee of Unleashing Readers. You can visit either site for a round up of blogs sharing their weekly readings and thoughts or search Twitter for #IMWAYR.

Recent Posts

• Book Recommendation: Aru Shah #iLoveMG. Fifth-grader Varnika shares what she loves about this new series!

Picture Books

Freedom Soup (Dec. 2019) by Tami Charles and illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara. Freedom Soup tells the background of this Haitian recipe and its connection to the liberation of Haiti and their celebration of independence day, dating back to New Years Day of 1804. In the story, Ti Gran and the narrator work through the recipe and the history together. A copy of the recipe and author's note complete the book. This is a charming addition to any food or recipe-based book lists! (An advanced copy of this book was provided by Candlewick. All thoughts are my own.)

Middle Grade

The #IMWAYR board in my fifth grade classroom is continuing to be a big hit! I have a student who has self-appointed herself the board keeper. She updates the day each morning and cleans the whole board each Friday. The kids love seeing what others are reading and posting updates.

The Toll (2019) by Neal Shusterman, book #3 in the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. It's finally here! I cannot count the number of months since I preordered this book or the number of times former students of mine have asked when it was coming out. And despite all the hype, the conclusion to this trilogy did not disappoint. Shusterman is a *masterful* storyteller and weaves together so many different plot lines (and timelines early on), it's incredible. Read the series. That is all.

Happy Reading!

Book Recommendation: Aru Shah #iLoveMG

Welcome to #iLoveMG where I share middle grade books that my fifth graders recommend. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) Or check out #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Aru Shah Series

Recommended by Varnika

Do you like learning things about cultures other than your own? Do you like books full (no, literally) of adventure?

Then you should read Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi. It's a book full of Hindu mythology, adventure, and humor.

The book is about a girl named Aru who accidentally freezes all time in the world and releases a powerful demon spirit (hence the name) when she lights a lamp to show off for her friends. She then learns that she has the reincarnated soul of one of the famous Pandava brothers. She teams up with Mini, another girl with a Pandava soul. They go on an epic quest through the Otherworld, making friends and fighting demons along the way.


If you liked that book and you want to find out what happens to Aru next, read Aru Shah and the Song of Death.

In this book, the god of love's bow and arrow are stolen and Aru is blamed. She and Mini team up with Brynne, another reincarnated Pandava and Aiden, the son of a famous celestial dancer. They go on a long adventure, fighting nagas (top half human, bottom half snake), a legendary demoness, and others. Aru Shah is a brave, Swedish Fish eating girl and she will prove her strength to you through this book.

Note: These two books are part of a quartet. The third book is called Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes, and it is coming out in spring 2020.

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?