City Spies - book recommendation #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.

City Spies (series)

Recommended by Eleanor H

 

I read City Spies by James Ponti and it is a mystery book. City Spies is an amazing book in it the main characters who are named after cities have to go to France and stop a possible attack. The book moves sort of fast through the story and a lot of things happen quickly. It is hard to stop reading it once you start reading it. This book has a lot of excitement and mystery and I suggest you pay attention to the clues. 

I would recommend this book to any one who likes mystery, suspense, and excitement. City Spies makes an amazing read and I would give it a nine out of ten.

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

Inside Out and Back Again book review #iLoveMG

For their recent independent book clubs, I had my fifth graders design their own book cover to accompany the book. I hope you enjoy their interpretations as well as their reviews. 

(Please note that my fifth graders  #iLoveMG 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.

Inside Out and Back Again

Recommended by Angelina

 

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lai is my book. It is a historical fiction book, based on the Vietnam War in 1955. 

 

The book is told in verse in the perspective of a young girl named Hà. Hà has only known Saigon, Vietnam for the first 10 years of her life, but when the Vietnam War arrived at her hometown, Hà, her three brothers, and her mother are forced to flee to America. Hà doesn’t know whether she and her family will manage to escape or even sneak up to the fleeing ship without being caught. Even worse, Hà’s father served in the war, but fell for a trap set by the enemy troops and has suddenly gone missing. Through the stress, war, and risk, Hà and her family’s fate is in god’s hands now. 

Even though it is in verse, the book is amazingly told and engulfs the reader in the story as it progresses. I really like the plot because it shows that out of a devastating and despairing situation, one can still find a glimmer of hope in unexpected places.

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

The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi book review #iLoveMG

For their recent independent book clubs, I had my fifth graders design their own book cover to accompany the book. I hope you enjoy their interpretations as well as their reviews. 

(Please note that my fifth graders  #iLoveMG 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 Gauntlet

Recommended by Ellen

  

My book is The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi.

On Farah’s twelfth birthday she receives a game from her aunt, not expecting to be trapped in it. Farah and her friends complete challenges in a mind deceiving world and search for Farah's little brother Ahmed. The Gauntlet cheats and doesn’t give anyone an easy game. The players are fierce competitors, but the game doesn’t play fair. 

Can they escape and find Ahmed, or will they be trapped in the game forever?

I give this book 5 stars!

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

Among the Hidden book review #iLoveMG

For their recent independent book clubs, I had my fifth graders design their own book cover to accompany the book. I hope you enjoy their interpretations as well as their reviews. 

(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.

Among the Hidden

Recommended by Jack

Margret Peterson Haddix has outdone herself with this series (Shadow Children series). Among the Hidden is about a boy who has to stay hidden since he is a third child, if he doesn’t the population police will come after him. One day he sees a girl’s face in the window of a house where two children already live, Now he has found another shadow child like himself. The other shadow child, Jen, has a plan to make the third children free, but it is very dangerous and possibly deadly. 

Personally, I think this is a great book since it slowly starts to get more exciting, and then Wham! There's the surprise ending. If you don’t mind a or like a very sad ending, with quite a plot twist, and if you like series, then this is the book for you! I would give this book five out of five stars because of all these things! Now go read this über exciting book!

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

First Chapter Friday: new in 2022 #iLoveMG

Last month for #FirstChapterFriday I put together a list of books that are debuted in 2022. I was fortunate enough to receive copies of these books through a giveaway on Twitter hosted by 

Check out #iLoveMG for more 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.

New 2022 Middle Grade

(Whenever possible, I like to include author photos along with book covers when sharing books with kids. It helps reinforce the idea that authors are real people!)

• Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence by Sonja Thomas
• The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon
• Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon

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

Scary Middle Grade Stories #iLoveMG

This year I've been doing #FirstChapterFriday a little differently. Rather than read a single chapter from a book, I've been sharing more sets of books, united with a common theme. Some have been series or books by the same author, while others are more topical. In honor of Halloween, I put together this round up of spooky stories that are pitch-perfect for middle grade readers. 

Check out #iLoveMG for more 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.

Spooky Stories for Middle Grade

(Whenever possible, I like to include author photos along with book covers when sharing books with kids. It helps reinforce the idea that authors are real people!)

• The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
• Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega
• Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow
• The Clackity by Lora Senf

• Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian Heidicker (and the sequel Scary Stories for Young Foxes: the City)
• The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie
• Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie
• The Ghost of Spruce Point by Nancy Tandon
• The Jumbies (series) by Tracey Baptiste

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

Review: The Wanderer by Sharon Creech #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 Wanderer

Recommended by AU

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech is a realistic fiction novel told in ship log entries. It is about a girl named Sophie who goes on a ship journey with some of her friends to visit her grandfather, Bompie. Along the way, she learns how to juggle, goes lobster-catching, and tells the crew some of Bompie’s stories, along with other adventures. I give this book a four and a half star rating because it’s not something I would usually read, but it was worth it.

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