1. Wacky Characters, Coming of Age Story
I honest to god reread this book last month during finals week and I am 16! Its so great to just calm you down and take you away from your stress for awhile. This is the kind of book you read and then you just keep on rereading and it never gets old!
Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. TolanMy rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Ready yourselves for a laugh out loud comedy for readers of all ages, because Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan might just become your new favorite book! Jake is a bad kid, who by 13, has gotten himself kicked out of every public school in Rhode Island. His grandfather has had enough of him and with his parents in jail, it looks like he is on the fast track to Juvie. That is until the Applewhites invite him to stay at their Creative Academy, the place where all of the artsy and completely crazy Applewhites are schooled. Jake is set on staying bad and getting himself kicked out, but when he forms a bond with the only non-crazy Applewhite E.D., and learns of a passion for acting, will he give in to his good side? I read this book in fourth grade and fell in love with it. This is the kind of coming of age story that you can relate to at any level and is always perfect for a good laugh. While the characters might be a little extreme, their core ideas are reflected all around us. As this is a middle grade novel, the plot is easy to follow and the book is short, but luckily the author is able to pack a great story in there and as I recently found out there are two other books in the series! I would highly recommend this book for kids from 4th grade for a challenge to 7th grade as an easy reading slump killer or before bed read!
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2. Modern Mythology that will Crack You Up!
The Kane Chronicles will forever be one of my favorite book series. While I was already into Greek Mythology when I started reading these books, afterwards, I realized that I just loved ancient history in general. I know I will be shunned by many for liking these more than the Percy Jackson series, but I just think the writing is better.( Not that I don't love Percy Jackson, I do, I promise!) I would read this book when you are in the mood for something funny, easy, and long, because you will want to read the rest of the series as soon as you finish! Helpful hint: spend some time just reading and appreciating the chapter titles because they are my favorite aspect of this book!
The Red Pyramid by Rick RiordanMy rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Fans of Egyptian mythology and magic will be delighted at the, fast paced, humorous, adventure that is The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. After the death of their mother, Carter and Sadie have been separated for most of their lives, Carter traveling with his Egyptologist father, and Sadie living with their grandparents. When their father takes them to the British Museum in hopes of making amends, he accidentally releases the god Set, who captures him, leaving Carter and Sadie to deal with the fact that their father was secretly a magician. In a quest to save their father, Carter and Sadie will learn about the magical world they never knew existed and the history of their family, dating all the way back to the pharaohs. This book is what started my love of Egyptian mythology. When people think of Rick Riordan, they usually only talk about the Percy Jackson series, but I think he outdid himself with the Kane Chronicles. There is a reason you can find both fourth graders and 30 year olds reading this book, the writing is actually really good. The characters have great development, and mythology is so perfectly blended with modern culture. Honestly the best thing about this book is the humor, reading this never fails to crack me up! The only fault of this book is that I wish there were more than three books in the series! I would highly recommend this book for anyone but especially lovers of mythology and magic because it is pretty different from anything else you would have read before!
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3. The Joy of Childhood and Summertime Stuffed into a Book
This book will make you happy no matter your age, and it will be relatable to you, no matter how much time has passed. I would recommend reading this book if you are feeling down or if you are sick because it will brighten your mood. If you are reading a book to a child before bed or over a long time span this book is also perfect. Helpful Hint: the audiobook version of this is great for road trips with kids which is when I first listened to it!
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne BirdsallMy rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Readers should be prepared for an adorable tale, that will make them laugh while warming their hearts when they read, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. The four Penderwick girls are delighted to be spending their summer at the beautiful Arundel. With its sprawling gardens and amazing gingerbread cookies, the girls had already decided it would be a good summer, with the glaring exception of the horrible Mrs. Tifton who owns Arundel. But when they meet her son Jeffery the summer seems like it will be saved as he is the perfect companion to their adventures. Join the girls as they each embark on a journey of self discovery and lighthearted fun, that makes the reader wish that summer would never end. This book is so sweet, and wonderful, and it never wears old, no matter how many times I read it. I love how different each of the girls are and how much character development is able to be packed in such a short book! I found myself growing very attached to the characters and I was so thankful that there are more books and others still being written! This book just perfectly encompasses the joy of childhood and summer and the simple pleasures in life. I would recommend this book to anyone with a heart because it will certainly make you happy!
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4. The Original Dystopian YA Novel
This book is fantastic, read it at anytime and any place. Have tissues in hand. Enough said.
The Giver by Lois LowryMy rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
thought provoking, fantastic, timeless, and heart warming, are all words that describe The Giver by Lowry. 12 year old Jonas lives in a perfect world of sameness where there is no pain and unhappiness. Jonas is astonished when he is picked to be the receiver of memory, a job in which all of the memories of the time before their society are passed on from the giver, in order to protect the other members of society from having to experience them. In his time with the giver, Jonas learns that there is more than a world of black and white and what true emotions are and he sets himself on a journey to save his society from the world they created. This book should be read by every human being on the planet. Lois Lowry truly explains how in trying to save ourselves sometimes we destroy what is most important, our humanity. The characters and the world in this novel are so amazingly well thought out and reflect the trends of our world extremely well. There isn't much more I can say without giving the book away as the reader really needs to analyze the book while reading it. Basically, while this book maybe short, it certainly packs a lot of story and thought into it that will leave the reader with a perspective on the world around them. If you have a pulse, read this book!
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5. If I Didn't Include This Book I Would Most Likely Be Murdered
Harry Potter is arguably one of the most famous middle grade books out there. I love this book to death and it truly saddens me when someone refuses to try it because its a "kids" book. Also I hate people who hate this book without actually reading it. I, at a tragic point in my life, was one of those people until I finally gave in and read it and of course loved it! (The same thing also bothers me with Twilight, if you haven't read it, then how do you hate it? You can't judge a book by its movies otherwise the whole world would hate the Percy Jackson series because its movies were horrible!)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. RowlingMy rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
If you haven't heard about Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling yet then you must be living under a rock! Harry Potter is miserable living at his Aunt and Uncle's house where they treat him like a second class citizen. All he wishes is that his parents would have never died in the car crash that left him an orphan with a horrible lightning shaped scar. When unexplainable things start to happen around Harry and a bunch of very resilient owls carrying letters arrive, Harry learns that he and his family are not quite what he grew up believing. Harry is not only a wizard, but an extremely famous one at that and before he knows it, he is being shipped off to Hogwarts, the magical boarding school for wizards. But when trouble starts to brew at Hogwarts, Harry must rely on his newly made friends to help him save the whole magical world. I love this book which places me in the majority of readers! Harry Potter was a large part of starting the YA movement and genre which is something I am extremely grateful for! The best part of these books is of course the interesting plotline and the fantastic world that has been built. Of course the writing itself is not difficult to read and the idea of good versus evil is nothing new, but the way the books are written is so entertaining that it makes you want to place it in the genius category. Perfect for readers of all ages, but I would recommend starting it when you are younger so you can be the same age as Harry. I never got that experience, but people who did said it made the books even better!
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