aNelson518

says

J.R. F says

I was looking at groups and saw your post. I'm a children's library asst. and hope you don't mind if I make a few suggestions about adventure reads. Let me know what kind of nonfiction subjects you're looking for and I'd be happy to give you a few titles there, too. Mostly appealing to boys would be Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, The Recruit by Robert Muchamore (kid spies, first of a series), Where the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton (historical, with trains! and Halloween pranks! but also has death and coming-of-age issues, so maybe more middle school), Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen (King Arthur retelling), and Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (charged in a school beating, boy gets dropped off on island to learn self control, more middle school). For girls, I'd suggest Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (more for younger readers, it reads like a Chinese fairytale and has great illustrations to boot) and The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. For adventure-loving girls or boys, there's the five book series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan and his Kane Chronicles which recently came out with book two. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart has several books that deal with kid spies of a sort, and Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, her first series before the Hunger Games which would also be a fine pick for your middle school readers if they haven't already read it. And finally, may I recommend A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz because it's just fabulous--a retelling of Hansel and Gretel entwined with several other lesser known Grimm's fairytales. LImbs are lost, parents are bad, and children have to journey, literally, to Hell and back, but it all works out at the end! A great book club pick for any age. Enjoy!

posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )