Middle Grade Must Reads

While I primarily read young adult novels and classics, I still have some middle grade novels that I love and I want to share these with all of you! While their target audience might be for pre-teens these books can be enjoyed by all ages! Happy Reading!-Becca

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. Tolan
My 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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Netflix-a Reading Slump's Best Ally

The Greatest Enemy of a Reading Slump

At one point or another we all end up in a reading slump, or as my friend Sadie likes to call them, book hangovers. We read a new, highly anticipated book, or we finish a series, and find ourselves wanting to reread that book, over, and over, or even worse, stop reading entirely. I have found that the only cure for a reading slump is to just push through it, and force yourself to read something new. I also recently found a new way to fall even deeper into the slump. So protect yourself readers from the horrifying ally of the reading slump, Netflix. The ability to binge watch a TV show instead of putting in the effort to read a book, just makes your brain want to never read again. I know, its a scary thought, but now that we know it exists, we can take caution against it. Don't make the same mistake I did, and only read three books in a three month stretch. Beware my lovely book nerds, and put away that streaming device, for not only the sake of your reading life, but for the fate of our entire book filled world.❤❤❤❤💕💕💕💕📚📚-Becca