Task #20: Read a middle grade book that doesn’t take place in the U.S. or the UK

[Meredith]

How about traveling down the Amazon? I highly recommend Eva Ibottson's Journey to the River Sea. It's a bit older -- I came across this title through 1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up. It definitely felt like I was leaving the U.S.! :)

[Emerging]

I am thinking about potentially using a classic for this task, Heidi by Johanna Spyri. Still not completely decided, though.

[Ilana]

I just finished “The Night Diary” and I highly recommend it

[Bonnie G.]

In first grade I did my first book report on Pippi Longstocking, so I decided to revisit it. My taste in books appears to have changed quite a bit. I loved this book when I was little and read it until the binding became loose. As an adult, its kind of irritating.

[Christopher]

Does anyone know if A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle would count in this category?

[Bonnie G.]

A Wrinkle in Time takes place in the US.

[Judith]

I just read a classic - Emil and the Detectives, which is set in 1920s Berlin. I know I'm not the target audience, but actually I really enjoyed it! The author also wrote "Lotte & Lisa", now better known as "The Parent Trap".

[Kristen]

I read the Underlander Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. The series takes place in NYC and the “underland” a subterranean world located under it.

[Julia]

Does anyone know if Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan would fit? Takes place in an unspecified (fictional) town "somewhere in the Américas".

[Shelley]

I read Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood for this. I had picked up a cheap copy at a second hand store that had an entire classroom's worth, complete with names on every copy. I'm not sure if it was a middle school class or not, but I figure it's close enough.

[Emerging]

I went with Heidi by Johanna Spyri and can't say that I would recommend it. I really struggle with translated works, though, and that might have been part of the problem. I found it slow and simplistic, without much action or conflict or any kind of plot. And there was heavy-handed Christian moralizing that irked me too. So, overall, not for me!

[Christine]

B,A. Paris is a UK writer of thrillers. She is one of my favorite authors. In fact I rather read thrillers from UK authors. They, I believe, writes thrillers better than any other countries!!

[Teresa]

Emerging Writer, I felt the same way about Heidi when I read it last year. I remember liking the abridged children's version when I was a kid.

[Emerging]

Teresa wrote: "Emerging Writer, I felt the same way about Heidi when I read it last year. I remember liking the abridged children's version when I was a kid."
Thanks, Teresa. It's good to know my reaction wasn't way off base! Maybe this is one that works better for kids.

[Miriam]

I read When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. Really good!

[Jacob]

For this task, I read Akata Witch, which I highly recommend. It has fantastic world-building, a great cast of characters, a wonderful sense of tone and shifting between tones, and an overall good look at a magical version of real-life cultures.

[Shelley]

Jacob wrote: "For this task, I read Akata Witch, which I highly recommend. It has fantastic world-building, a great cast of characters, a wonderful sense of tone and shifting between tones, and an..."

I"ll second this! Just finished it and it was awesome.

[Elise]

Robin wrote: "Natsuo Kirino or Ryu Murakami would be appropriate choices. Or Battle Royale, maybe."

I can't tell if you're joking or not? I hope so? Battle Royale may involve middle school kids, but by the fact that they're murdering one another, it's definitely an adult book.

[Lesley]

I’ll be reading Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery for this prompt.

[Casey]

I was looking through my library's Liane Moriarty books for a mystery with a victim who wasn't a woman, and I found out she had written a kids trilogy set in Australia and space. So for this task I read the first Nicola Berry book.

[Heather]

I just finished THE NIGHT DIARY by by Veera Hiranandani and it was so so good. It is about the partition in India in 1947 after British rule was ended and Pakistan was created. Told from the point of a young girl through a series of diary entries.

[L Y N N]

Judith wrote: "I just read a classic - Emil and the Detectives, which is set in 1920s Berlin. I know I'm not the target audience, but actually I really enjoyed it! The author also wrote "Lotte & Lisa..."

I read that last year and found it to be delightful!

[L Y N N]

I read A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story. It was excellent! Also has dual timelines which merge at the end. Great introduction to that format for children.

[Octavia]

I read Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren for this, as I somehow missed reading it as a kid and have always mildly wondered what it was all about. It was ok - a little too frenetic for my reading taste, but I can see how it appeals to kids. Set in Sweden, of course.

[Andrea]

I read The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric for this. It takes place in Venice.

[Sherri]

I read Listen,Slowly by Thanhha Lai set in Vietnam.

[Sheri]

I read Akata Warrior, I think I might have liked it even more than Akata Witch. Set in Nigeria

[L Y N N]

I thought The Bridge Home was an absolutely excellent read! A tearjerker, but excellent!

[LydiaAtkins]

Like this challenge, I have done something similar when I was writing my paper on social issues represented in literature. Firstly, I checked some resources like https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/social-issues/ hoping to safe my time a bit. Must say these free essay examples gave me orients, but I had to read the whole books anyway. It was an unforgettable experience, its like you have watched thousands of movies or lived in different epochs!

[Rachel]

I read The Little Prince by
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I have seen it described as middle grade in many places, and it takes place in outer space and the Sahara desert.

[Rachel]

It was surprisingly deep, I genuinely enjoyed it

[Kaitlyn]

Would Cemetery boys fall under this prompt? I think it’s set in Mexico

[Tammy]

Kaitlyn wrote: "Would Cemetery boys fall under this prompt? I think it’s set in Mexico"

I looked a little but couldn't find the location, though it seems like a good fit for the bonus challenge! The author says "there are characters from Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia and they all bring parts of their respective cultures to the Día de Muertos celebrations." Cemetery Boys

[Erin]

Jacob wrote: "For this task, I read Akata Witch, which I highly recommend. It has fantastic world-building, a great cast of characters, a wonderful sense of tone and shifting between tones, and an..."

Agreed! I listened to the audiobooks of Akata Witch and Akata Warrior and enjoyed them both! Plus I love Yetide Badaki’s narration!

[Bonnie G.]

Kaitlyn wrote: "Would Cemetery boys fall under this prompt? I think it’s set in Mexico"

The main character is defined as Latinx, I believe that is an American designation - in Mexico he would be identified by specific country of origin.

[Brittany]

Nim's Island

[Lexi]

The Girl and the Ghost- really good MG ghost story and takes place in Malaysia

[Westiegirl]

I read The Night Diary and it was really good! The book is well written. I would recommend this book for this challenge.

[Jessica]

Kaitlyn wrote: "Would Cemetery boys fall under this prompt? I think it’s set in Mexico"

A late response, but I think it's YA, not MG, is it not?

[Virginia]

I read The Tea Dragon Society and The Tea Dragon Tapestry.