What's the oldest MG book in your to-read list? ...and why haven't you read it yet?

[S.W.]

I have noticed there are some amazingly ginormous to-read shelves out there. I was curious how many of you go back through your list to see what Middle Grade books have been hiding in there for ages, waiting to be rediscovered.

[Katie]

I'm plugging away at them (mostly because they are in my own classroom library). But, as the new hot reads come out and are talked about I tag them. I noticed that one of my GR friends who also teaches saves these in a need to by at once category. I think I need to do that as well.

[Cheryl]

So many of the older books I want to read I'm having trouble finding. For example I just read Jane's Island (will give it 4 stars and a review soon) but my library in Nevada had to get it from a library in Maine!

As for books on my physical shelves that I own, let's see: I want to re-read Where the Red Fern Grows and Watership Down. I just recently discovered the authors of Basket Case and Who Comes with Cannons? and so the books are on my shelves but not 'in rotation' (so to speak) yet.

Great topic! What other old books are we overlooking in favor of the new & shiny? If we tell each other about them and find them in the library, we can keep them circulating and prevent them from being discarded!

[Beth]

Oh Cheryl!

It made me sad when we did inventory in our library in August...I hate to see older, outstanding books go because they have not been checked out. I've been reading those books and talking about them during my classroom visits at the local schools. The Trolls by Polly Horvath, The High King by Lloyd Alexander, and Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff are on my list. (Along with about nine million others!)

SAVE THE OLD BOOKS!!! KEEP LIBRARIANS FROM SADNESS!!!

Great question!

[Rebecca]

I recently was steered to 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up and have been discovering some good reads, which I am ordering through my library. I'll be posting reviews on my blog as I finish them, starting in a day or two with The Winged Watchman.

[Cheryl]

links for:

The Trolls
The High King
Pictures of Hollis Woods

[Melissa]

I keep getting side tracked so I haven't read them.

[M.G.]

Most of the books that linger unread on my nightstand are the ones that make me sad. I have to be in the right mood to read them. (I love middle grade is because I like happy endings!)

But some emotionally wringing books that I'm really glad I finally picked up this year:
Missing May, by Cynthia Rylant bookcover:Missing May|403722]
and Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

[Jill]

M.G. wrote: "Most of the books that linger unread on my nightstand are the ones that make me sad. I have to be in the right mood to read them. (I love middle grade is because I like happy endings!)

But some e..."

I agree! I have a hard time forcing myself to read the really sad books. I've wanted to read THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, but I know it will kill me! I know it's a fabulous book, but erg. It takes energy. :)

[Kai]

The m.g. I added to my to-read shelf the longest ago is The Strange Case of the Oragami Yoda because it is in this house...somewhere. Someday I'll find it so that I can read it!

[E.S.]

M.G. wrote: "Most of the books that linger unread on my nightstand are the ones that make me sad. I have to be in the right mood to read them. (I love middle grade is because I like happy endings!)

But some e..."
I feel the exact same way about happy vs. sad books - and it's likewise I love MG.

I agree that Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech is *superbly* written. But I ended up reading it because it was assigned to my 10 year old, she mentioned that she didn't really like it and then I ran across a review on reads4tweens.com that gave me reason to check up on it. My 10-year-old daughter's assessment? "This is really a grown up book written about a kid." I have to agree. I was really grateful that the blog review alerted me to pay attention to her relatively mild complaint. It turns out it was *really* bothering her and otherwise, she would have had some big issues that she didn't get the right message about from the book.

[M.G.]

E.S.,
That's pretty insightful of your daughter. There are quite a few middle grade books out there that seem like "grown-up books written about a kid." A lot of the more literary, award-winning books have me wondering how much real kid appeal they have. It would be interesting to get a librarian's perspective on this.

[H.Y.]

Jill wrote: "M.G. wrote: "Most of the books that linger unread on my nightstand are the ones that make me sad. I have to be in the right mood to read them. (I love middle grade is because I like happy endings!)..."

Oh! I've just read IVAN and it's WONDERFUL!! :-) Yes, there are sad aspects but overall, it is not a book that will leave you feeling sad but one that you'll feel really uplifted. It DOES have a "happy ending"! :-) But a realistic one, not a Disney one. It's a wonderful, wonderful book - don't put it off! :-)

Hsin-Yi

[H.Y.]

Yes, I so agree also about the "grown up book written about a kid" - I've also come across several "MG" books where the tone just seems a bit "adult" - even if the topic & storyline is about kids - and I've always wondered if kids were sensitive to that and didn't like it. I do think there is a certain type of child-friendly tone (I don't mean that in a patronising way!!) - which is very hard to capture, and which makes the difference between a book that's alright and a book that a child loves and is forever memorable. I don't just mean it has simpler vocabulary or anything - I think it's more about "style" or "voice" or something elusive like that! :-)

Hsin-Yi

[S.W.]

Honey-greatdane wrote: "Yes, I so agree also about the "grown up book written about a kid" - I've also come across several "MG" books where the tone just seems a bit "adult" - even if the topic & storyline is about kids -..."

Great comments Hsin-Yi. It's sometimes very hard to put your finger on why something works ... sometimes it just does!