Kids
THE EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION OF NICHOLAS BENEDICT by Trenton Lee Stewart
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
When Nicholas Benedict first arrived at a new orphanage he had high hopes for new friendships and adventures. But when he cleverly outwits some bullies during his first few days, he makes powerful enemies who are determined to make his life miserable. To make matters worse, because of his narcolepsy and night terrors, the head of the orphanage insists on locking him into a private bedroom every night. But Nicholas will not let these challenges keep his spirits down. Fueled by a new friendship with a boy called John and the secret knowledge that a treasure might be hidden somewhere on the orphanage’s grounds, Nicholas Benedict is determined to escape his prison and defeat his bullies once and for all.
If you liked the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy, you should definitely read this fun prequel! It is full of all of the puzzles, mystery, and suspense of the original series–though falling short of The Mysterious Benedict Society’s cast of quirky characters.
TITANIC: VOICES FROM THE DISASTER by Deborah Hopkinson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
On April 15, 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, resulting in the deaths almost 1500 people (over 2/3 of those on board). Deborah Hopkinson brings the Titanic’s tragic story to life by focusing on the stories of individual survivors. Using their memories and words, she reconstructs the narrative of the Titanic from its initial departure to its sinking and the aftermath for the 700 survivors—most of them women and children whose husbands and fathers perished in the wreck. Titanic: Voices From the Disaster is engaging, horrifying, and informative. Although the book is marketed to upper-elementary school-aged children, I highly recommend it to anyone (children, teen, or adult) who is interested in learning more about the Titanic or who enjoys survival stories.
If you liked Titanic: Voices From the Disaster, you might also like Revenge of the Whale.
BABE: THE GALLANT PIG by Dick King Smith
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
When Farmer Hogget wins a piglet at the fair, he isn’t quite sure what to do with it. Mrs. Hogget is excited for the prospect of a nice ham at Christmas. But the piglet, Babe, has other ideas. After watching his adopted mother, the sheepdog, do her work and befriending one of the sheep himself, Babe discovers that he has a talent as a sheep pig. When Farmer Hogget notices the same talent, he begins to get new ideas for the pig’s future.
This classic story is short and sweet, with a touch of humor. Readers who enjoy animal stories will love reading about Babe and his friends on the farm. Babe would also make a great family read aloud.
If you liked Babe, you might like I, Freddy, Mousenet, or The Incredible Journey.
(Also, the 1995 film adaptation of the same name is truly excellent–very close to the book with just a bit of added drama.)
THE HOBBIT, OR THERE AND BACK AGAIN by J.R.R. Tolkien
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Bilbo Baggins was a polite and respectable hobbit who lived in a neat little hobbit-hole in the Shire and never, ever did anything unexpected. That is, until the wizard Gandalf the Grey and a company of thirteen dwarves show up on his doorstep and suddenly sweep him off on an adventure. The dwarves have been wandering for years since their home under the Lonely Mountain was conquered by Smaug the dragon. Thorin Oakenshield believes the time is right to lead his followers back to the mountain and reclaim his grandfather’s treasure. For reasons he does not fully explain, Gandalf has chosen Bilbo as the “burglar” who will help the dwarves reclaim their home (although poor Bilbo has never stolen anything in his life). The quest begins with unfortunate encounters with mountain trolls and goblins, and Bilbo worries that he may not be cut out for adventuring after all. But when a misadventure in the Misty Mountains leads him to discover a magical ring, Bilbo’s luck turns for the better, and he may become a successful burglar at last.
Tolkien’s classic precursor to the Lord of the Rings trilogy is truly a children’s book–lighthearted and full of adventure, humor, and magic. Elementary-age readers who enjoy fantasy such as Harry Potter or the Redwall books will love The Hobbit, although younger or less skilled readers may prefer it as a family read-aloud since it is not an easy text. It is an engaging book, however, and many reluctant readers find that the story motivates them to read it again and again despite the initial struggle.
If you liked The Hobbit, you may also enjoy The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Charmed Life, The Secret of Platform 13, Magyk, Peter Pan, Peter and the Starcatchers, Gregor the Overlander, and Redwall.
WRITTEN IN BONE: BURIED LIVES OF JAMESTOWN AND COLONIAL MARYLAND by Sally M. Walker
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Skeletons speak to forensic anthropologists, the scientists who study the bones found in archaeological digs. Simply from looking at bones which have spent hundreds of years buried underground, forensic anthropologists can determine the age, sex, race, and sometimes even profession of the person to whom they belonged. By comparing to historical records the information gleaned from the bones, they may even be able to pinpoint the skeleton’s name.
Sally M. Walker describes archaeological digs in Colonial Virginia and Maryland that uncovered a number of graves from the 17th and 18th centuries. She frames her story almost as a mystery, as the scientists seek to uncover the identity of the person whose bones they have rediscovered, and she describes both the science and the history that surround their process. Written in Bone is a fascinating and engaging nonfiction story. I highly recommend this book to middle grade and teen readers who enjoy science and/or history.
If you liked Written in Bone, you might like Phineas Gage: a Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science or Extreme Scientists.
THE MISSING MANATEE by Cynthia DeFelice
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Skeet Waters loves living in his small Florida town. He loves going fishing with his father, listening to his eccentric Memaw sing karaoke, and speeding out on the water in his own little boat, going nowhere in particular. But over Spring Break, two things happen that threaten Skeet’s peace of mind. First, his mother kicks his father out of the house for good. Second, Skeet discovers a dead manatee with a bullet wound in his head. Horrified that anyone would kill such a gentle creature, Skeet hurries to fetch the sheriff. When they return to the scene of the crime, however, the manatee’s body is gone. Without evidence, there is nothing much the sheriff’s office can do. And so Skeet forces his parents and his homework out of his mind and decides to solve the mystery himself.
There is a bit of suspense in this mystery story, but The Missing Manatee is primarily about relationships, particularly family relationships. DeFelice blurs the line between right and wrong and forces her protagonist to accept that many situations–and all people–are more complicated than they seem. A fun mystery and coming-of-age story, sure to be enjoyed by middle grade readers who like mysteries and/or the great outdoors.
If you liked The Missing Manatee, you might like The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester.
THE DRAGONFLY POOL by Eva Ibbotson
Tally Hamilton was perfectly happy living in London with her father and her aunts. But when another world war looms on the horizon, Tally’s father takes advantage of a scholarship to send her to a “progressive” boarding school in the country. Although initially homesick, Tally wastes little time in making friends and shaking things up at Delderton Hall. When she sees a tourism advertisement for the Eastern European country of Bergania, whose brave king stood up to Hitler, Tally feels called to visit the beautiful place. And when Delderton Hall is invited to participate in a folkdance festival in Bergania, it seems too good to be true. Tally, her friends, and their inspiring yet enigmatic biology instructor, Matteo, travel to Bergania full of hope.
Karil, the prince of Bergania, lives an unhappy life. He feels stifled by his royal lifestyle and he rarely gets to see his father. But when Karil meets Tally, the folkdancer from England, his perspective on his father changes. Maybe his father is a hero for standing up to Hitler. Maybe the role of a king can be important in the world. Then, Karil’s father is assassinated, and Karil and Tally find themselves swept up in a dangerous political game as the try to smuggle Karil safely out of the country.
As you can probably tell from the two paragraphs of summary, this is a long and complicated story–but a wonderful one! Bergania is a fictional country, so readers should not assume that every detail of this historical fiction is accurate. But the characters are wonderful and the plot a beautiful blend of school adventures, historical, and suspense. It is a coming-of-age story for both Tally and Karil which approaches themes of friendship, family, and personal and national identity–and woven throughout, the theme of finding beauty and peace in nature. Because of its complexity, The Dragonfly Pool does not hang together as well as The Star of Kazan or some of Eva Ibbotson’s other work, but Ibbotson fans and historical fiction readers should definitely check this book out! Personally, I loved it.
The audiobook performed by Patricia Conolly is phenomenal.
If you liked The Dragonfly Pool, you might like The Star of Kazan or The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
MOUSENET by Prudence Breitrose
When an inventor created the world’s smallest computer–the Thumbtop–the Mouse Nation knew that they were about to enter a new age. Finally, a computer that was the perfect size for a mouse to operate! No more jumping back and forth across the letters on a keyboard! No more skulking around after the humans went to sleep! At last, the mice would take their rightful place in the technological age, along side their intellectual equals, the humans. That is, if they are able to win over the inventor’s niece, Megan, and establish the world’s first human-mouse alliance.
Mousenet was a light read. There was very little suspense or major obstacles for the characters to overcome, and most tasks that the characters undertook seemed to work out unbelievably smoothly. In addition, the environmental message was incorporated slightly clumsily and came off as heavy-handed. Still, the Mouse Nation the author created was a fun fantasy to imagine and the characters themselves were overall believable and likeable. I would recommend this to readers in grades 4-6 who enjoy animal stories.
If you liked Mousenet, you might also enjoy Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell, Freddy by Dietlof Reiche or Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith.
WHALES ON STILTS by M.T. Anderson
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
Lily has always considered herself to be boring. Compared to her friends Katie (the star of the Horror Hollow adventure book series) and Jasper (the famous boy inventor), Lily is boring. She never has any adventures of her own. But when she stumbles upon the plot of an evil half-human half-whale criminal mastermind who is determined to conquer the world with an army of whales on stilts . . . well, her life is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
This silly sci-fi novel reads like a superhero cartoon, complete with a snarky omniscient narrator, larger-than-life characters, and absurd action sequences. It is very, very silly, so don’t expect much substance. But it is a fun read for elementary age kids (grades 3-4) who like books like Captain Underpants, Magic Pickle, or the Lunch Lady series.
If you liked Whales on Stilts, you may also like Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell or “Who Could That Be At This Hour?” by Lemony Snicket.
CHITTY-CHITTY BANG BANG by Ian Fleming
I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, online retailers that support independent booksellers. If you make a purchase by clicking through the links in this post, I will receive a commission. For more information, see my “About” page.
At first, Jeremy and Jemima are disappointed to see the beat-up old car that their brilliant inventor father, Caractacus Potts, wants to refurbish. But they have no idea of the adventures that are in store for them. Not only does the car begin to run smoothly again, it seems to come to life with a brilliant mind of its own. When danger is near, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (as they come to name the car) can soar up into the sky and fly away or turn into a boat and float out to sea. But it isn’t long before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s amazing abilities lead the Potts family into trouble. After stumbling upon a band of gangsters’ cache of explosives, it will take all of the Potts family’s–and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s–cleverness and skill to escape from the crooks and bring them to justice.
The book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is vastly different from the film adaptation of the same name. The book is shorter, simpler, and (in my opinion) significantly less scary, due to the absence of the child-catcher. Personally, I like the movie better, probably because I like complicated scary musicals. But the book is certainly enjoyable in its own right, particularly if you do not compare it to the film. If you like fun, light fantasy adventure stories, give this classic a try!
Susan the Librarian 