Each week I try to join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee from Unleashing Readers to share all of the reading I've done over the week from picture books to young adult novels.
I am currently a first round Cybil judge for the middle grade fiction, and I’m almost out of time. Fortunately Thanksgiving break gave me lots of reading time.
Here's what I read this week:
Middle Grade
So many amazing middle grade books were published in 2019! It’s so refreshing to see middle grade taking on big issues. The books above address familiar topics such as friendship, family, first love, and loss. They also take on immigration, gender identity, mental health, LGBTQ, and racism. You’ll find out my favorites when the Cybil finalists are announced in January. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ones I read this week (pictured above).
Young Adult
Call Down the Hawk is Stephen King’s The Stand for young adults. In this world there are dreamers, people who can make dreams a literal reality and the dreamed, people and animals who the dreamers have brought to life. But those who can foresee the future see the end of the world coming from a dreamer so the hunters have been brought in to kill the dreamers before that can happen and once a dreamer dies, those dreamed fall into an endless sleep. The story is complex and told in multiple voices. I can’t wait until the next one.
This powerful story by Neal Shusterman brings to life his own son’s experience with mental illness in a way that will have you rooting for him both in the real world and in the world he has created in his mind.
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Stacy Barnett Mozer is a teacher and a middle grade author. If you like what she's been reading follow her on Goodreads. Please leave a comment below.
Now reading Toll, have Stiefvater's book on the list & loved Challenger Deep. I've read some of your middle grade books, others I still need to read. I loved The Line Tender very much. Wow, you read a lot this week! Thanks for all!
ReplyDeleteI loved Call Down the Hawk as well, it was a great follow-up to the Raven Boys and a great start to a new trilogy in its own right. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree on middle grade taking on big issues. All the ones I've read of your pile from this week were so great. I remember especially falling in love with Sunny St. James and Strange Birds. And while I didn't care for the book cover of To Night Owl from Dogfish, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the actual story. Middle grade is such an important time to discuss some of these experiences, so I'm delighted by the influx of books. I read Scythe two weeks ago and have Thunderhead checked out, so I can't wait to get to The Toll. But now that you're saying "hopefully not final" book, I'm really curious. I thought it was going to be a trilogy, but maybe we have hope for more? Have a wonderful reading week, Stacy!
ReplyDeleteI loved many of those middle grade novels that you read. Pie in the Sky was a delightful surprise for me. I Think I'm going to have to add Call Down the Hawk to my must read list next year.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that middle grade taking on issues is a great thing. Kids can read books on such a great range of topics right now. I loved Challenger Deep and The Toll. I am enjoying checking out the books that you are judging, thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by Stiefvater's new novel - the premise sounds exactly like her Raven Boys - I wonder if they are connected? A revisit of the Raven Boys universe? Hmmm. I've been meaning to get my hands on The Toll - since I have the first two books in my shelves waiting to be read - but I have been reading conflicting reviews. :(
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