Category: Middle Grade

Books for Middle Grade Students

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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O’Brien

 

Anthropomorphic. What a mouthful! But many children’s stories are anthropomorphic. Simple definition: a literary device attributing human qualities to animals or objects. However, Robert  O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, an anthropomorphic story, is not merely fantasy. In my mind, it’s science fiction because many of the human characteristics of the rats originated with a science experiment in a mental health laboratory at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Synopsis

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse, seeks help from a band of odd-behaving rats who are extremely intelligent. As she becomes acquainted with them, she learns they escaped from the laboratory at NIMH. The rats help save her son’s life, and she in turn, is able to save theirs when danger hunts them down.

I suppose that’s more of a hook than a synopsis, but I don’t want to give a whole lot away. The book is too good. Read it and find out how the story unfolds!

Pros

  1. Every plot detail has a positive message. Animal neighbors help animal neighbors. In cliché form, “one good turns deserves another.” That may sound dull, but with the continuous threat of Dragon the cat and the research scientists at NIMH, helpful neighbors risk their lives doing “good turns.” One particularly positive message: since the rats have gained so many abilities, they want to be able to live without stealing from others.
  2. The villains (humans and cat) aren’t filled with demonic evil. The rats consider the lab personnel likable, but resented, for incarcerating innocent animals. And the experiments in the lab aren’t painful. The obnoxious kid is simply—obnoxious. An impulsive boy who likes to observe and get involved with anything that interests him. Human reactions to rodents on the loose is typical of humans. Even the cat is just being a cat.
  3. While the rats are the heroes, they aren’t portrayed as perfect. Their relationships are real. When disagreements among them occur, they are handled without violence. How refreshing.

Cons

  1. Amazon labels this a teen book, but I think middle-graders would love it. The end might prove upsetting for younger readers under age nine. (SPOILER HERE): While the rats escape from those who seek their deaths, success comes at a high price.
  2. A warning about the movie, The Secret of NIMH: the plot focuses on Mrs. Frisby and her son more than the rats, a complete divergence from the book. As a result, the movie uses formulaic magic to bring about success in Mrs. Frisby’s quest, which Hollywood deems as necessary in children’s films. Not a fan. Worse, the disagreeable rat is violent in the movie.

Discussion questions

  1. Why were the rats willing to help Mrs. Frisby when they had never met her before?
  2. When you do something nice for someone, what good things might happen because you were helpful and kind?
  3. If you could become the size of a rat, would you want to be friends with the rats from NIMH? If yes, how would you help them in their goal to have a safe place to live?

Conclusion

The Newbery Award winner of 1972, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH became an instant favorite of mine. After the movie was produced, Scholastic published the same book under the movie title, but the plot is the original version. Two NIMH books have followed written by O’Brien’s daughter, Jane Conley: Racso and the Rats of NIMH and R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH. I’ve read Racso, so I know Ms. Conley was faithful to her father’s legacy by using many of the same characters and maintaining their original charm. Reviews of R-T indicate the same.

If you’re interested in an excellent readable article on the history of how O’Brien’s novel got its start, here’s the link: The Doomed Mouse Utopia that Inspired the Rats of NIMH.

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All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall

 

All of the Above is a contemporary, based on a true story, middle-grade novel dealing with inner city kids and their hardships.

Synopsis

Based on a true story, All of the Above is the delightful and suspenseful story of four inner city students and their quest to build the world’s largest tetrahedron.

Literary Awards:

  • Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Nominee (2008)
  • James Cook Book Award Nominee (2007)
  • Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee (2009)

Pros:

  • Readers will learn a little about tetrahedrons and a lot about hardships some children experience in middle school (neglect, single parents, foster care, employment, vandalism, bullying).
  • The book is interspersed with recipes and multiple points of view (POV) from adults to the kids themselves.
  • Ultimately, the book is about perseverance, community, and learning empathy.

Cons:

  • My seventh grader didn’t much care for the story. She felt it was predictable and she couldn’t really relate to the characters. In her words, it was “boring but ok.”
  • Deeper character development would have made the story more compelling and less flat.

Final Word

My daughter’s school library bought 100 copies of this book and wrapped them and hid them around the school. Once a student finds a copy, they are to read it and pass it to another student. Once they’ve read the book, they get various prizes. What an amazing strategy to get kids to read! I just wished they had chosen a more compelling book.

“Boring but OK.”

Discussion Questions

  1. Since discussion questions are included in the back of the book, encourage the students to put themselves in the place of the different characters of the book. What would they do if they were in James Harris III, Rondell, Sharice, or Marcel’s position? Do they know kids like this?
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May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B., by Caroline Rose Starr, is an inspiring Middle Grade story about twelve-year-old Mavis Elizabeth Betts, a girl with dyslexia who dreams of being a teacher someday.

Written entirely in verse, the 240-page book is a quick and engrossing read.

“I catch what’s not said:/ it’s foolishness to keep pretending. / What sort of teacher can’t /read out lessons? / Maybe May B. can / Maybe May B. can’t”

May B.’s life-altering experience begins when she is volunteered by her parents to help out a neighbor because his new wife needs help adjusting to life on a Kansas prairie farm. The couple live fifteen miles from the Betts’ homestead. Besides, May will be home by Christmas her father assures her. Things go awry, and May is stranded, alone, in a fight for her life against the harsh Kansas winter. The story is a testament to May’s inner strength and bravery.

Pros:

  • May B. is a first-person account from May’s point of view. The author manages to paint a realistic picture of life for the early settlers in Kansas: the one-room schoolhouse, dug-out cabins, scarcity of food and resources, harsh weather, and long distances. Hard choices abound for May B. and her family, and she must grow up quickly.
  • Ms. Rose’s characterization, imagery, and pacing are first rate. She does what all novelists strive to achieve in far fewer words, and I salute her skill. This book is appropriate for all ages, particularly middle grades and up. Readers younger than nine may need help following the story without the usual cues provided by prose.

Cons:

  • May’s current teacher neither understands nor sympathizes with May’s learning problem caused by her dyslexia. May has fond memories of her first teacher who worked hard to help her progress.
  • The children at her school, all but her brother, underestimate May’s intelligence based on her poor academic performance. Any child with learning differences will identify with the way this affects her self-esteem.
  • Her peers ridicule and harass May because of her disability.
  • Even her parents seem to underestimate their daughter, although their love for her is clear.
  • The neighbor’s inept wife is rude to May and unappreciative of her hard work.
  • The neighbor and his wife perish off-screen. May does not know they have died until the end of the story.

My Personal Opinion:

I have read this book through twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.  For those who love Laura Ingalls Wilder or even Anne of Green Gables, this book is a natural choice. The female protagonist has a strong spirit and will to survive.

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Doll Bones by Holly Black

Doll Bones by Holly Black is a dark Middle Grade mystery most suited to fifth grade and up.  While Doll Bones won a Newberry Honor Award, it is creepy, deals with the occult, and therefore may not be suitable for all children.

Synopsis

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

Pros:

  • Ultimately, the story is about friendship and trying to do the right thing, despite the foolishness of adults.
  • The book is well-written and entertaining, and I like the cast of characters.

Cons:

  • The story is creepy. Ultimately it deals with a girl who was murdered and her bones were ground up to make a porcelain doll in her image. (See, creepy!)
  • In the story, Poppy manipulates her friends into going on an adventure to get the doll back to her grave. The doll speaks to Poppy and directs her actions, not always in a truthful or trustworthy way.

Final Word

Ultimately, my concern with the novel is its tendency to normalize and/or promote the occult. That doesn’t mean that kids shouldn’t read it, but if they DO read it, please discuss the dangers of dabbling in the occult with them. (See discussion questions).

Discussion Questions

  1. Zach enjoyed playing “dolls” with the girls, although it was really more like role playing. Have you ever enjoyed doing something that you’d be embarrassed for your friends to find out about?
  2. Was Zach’s father right to throw out his son’s action figure? Was he wrong to force him to play sports even though Zach wasn’t interested? Why?
  3. What was Poppy’s motivation for removing the Queen from her case? Was Poppy’s interest in the Queen healthy or unhealthy?
  4. What did you think of Poppy’s actions — the way she got her friends to do what she wanted them to do? Do you have any friends who act that way?
  5. Do you think ghosts exist? Do you think people from beyond the grave can communicate with the living? If so, should they?
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Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

 

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a dark Middle Grade mystery most suited to fifth grade and up.  The setting is the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, 1899 where we are introduced to a very interesting girl named Serafina.

Synopsis

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate. There’s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity . . . before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

Pros:

  • This story holds the reader’s attention because there are so many things you want to know as you read: why does Serafina live the way she does? why doesn’t her pa want anyone to know about her? who is the man in the black cloak?
  • I enjoyed the friendship that grows between Serafina and Braeden. Serafina is a brave girl but she is lonely. Braeden is a kind, generous boy who needs a friend who doesn’t care about his money. In each other, they find true friendship.
  • [spoiler] As a Christian, I couldn’t help but notice that the Black Cloak tempted Serafina with “imagine understanding and controlling everything around you…” and “you will become all-knowing, all-powerful…” The Black Cloak was a walking metaphor for the sin, and not just any sin, but the temptation to be like God. It was a very Garden-of-Eden moment that Serafina must experience but ultimately overcome.

Cons:

  • The story is spooky. Middle-grade fiction seems to be going through a dark/spooky/horror phase. I picked this book up because it was nominated for a state award. If your child is sensitive or prone to nightmares, this might not be the book for them. Or at least, not right before bedtime.
  • Like many adventure stories, Serafina does things against her father’s wishes.

Final Word

I thought the redemptive ending made the book well worth reading. After we learned more about Serafina, who she was and where she came from, it made me interested to read more in the series.

Discussion Questions

  1. When did you first realize that Serafina was an unusual girl?
  2. After you found out about Serafina’s mother, were there clues in the book that gave you hints as to Serafina’s origin?
  3. Which character was your favorite in the book? Why?
  4. Did you find the book scary? If so, what parts?
  5. What did you think of the Man in the Black Cloak? What would you do if you met someone like him?
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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a bittersweet teen fiction about a boy struggling to come to terms with his mother’s serious illness.

Synopsis:

Connor, a twelve-year-old-boy, is faced with unbelievable stress – a dying mother, a father who has split from the family, a recurrent nightmare, a domineering grandmother, and bullies at school. Then, a monster visits. But this monster, which Connor initially believes is just a dream, insists that Connor “called” him. Between dealing with the above problems, Connor must listen to the monster’s stories that urges him to confront his anger, confusion, and frustrations. And at the end of the monster’s three tales, Connor is forced to reciprocate by describing his nightmare – a story of truth, and the root of his depression and anxiety.

Pros:

  • Connor is a believable, imperfect boy, who many readers will be able to identify with.
  • This story deals effectively with a thought provoking and tough issue of a parent’s grave illness.
  • All characters are well formed and sincere. The adults don’t have everything figured out, and they are portrayed as flawed humans dealing with a difficult situation as best they can. Even the bully has depth and isn’t your paper-thin rendition of a bad guy.
  • The story is written in a compelling action-packed fashion, which encourages you to turn the pages.
  • A Monster Calls can be enjoyed on many different levels. Younger kids can enjoy it on a fantasy level, and older teens can delve into the symbolism of the monster and the stories it tells. This is why I have classified it as both Young Adult and Middle Grade.

Cons:

  • The story deals with a sensitive and heart-wrenching tragedy of losing a parent to illness. This could be very disturbing for kids, who are sensitive, or are dealing with the same issues.
  • A bully receives what he deserves, which is satisfying, but not always realistic.

Impression:

When I picked up A Monster Calls to read, I was surprised to see it was coming out as a movie, with big names involved, like Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver. I quickly fell in love with the style and the content. I enjoy reading a book that has heavy symbolism and this didn’t disappoint. The story is based upon an idea of writer Siobhan Dowd, who has written four other amazing Young Adult novels. Tragically, this would have been her fifth, if she too hadn’t been taken too early by cancer. Patrick Ness, the author, has been passed the literary baton, and he ran with it, creating a powerful and provocative piece of work. In his words, he challenges other writers to “…go. Run with it. Make Trouble.”

Discussion Questions:

  • What is Connor’s real nightmare and why is he so ashamed of it? Why does the monster force Connor to tell it?
  • What lies do Connor and his mother tell each other during her illness? What lies do they tell themselves? Are they necessary? Why do those lies ultimately need to be replaced by the truth?
  • Why does Connor allow himself to be bullied by his classmate Harry? What does Harry understand about Connor that no one else does?
  • Connor O’Malley is often unsure about what separates the real from the imagined, and so is the reader. How does this book continually keep its readers off-balance? Why?
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Growing up, I had always heard of the book, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, yet had never read it. I guess a story about penguins just didn’t draw my attention, but since my hometown is stuck in the deep freeze right now, Antarctica and penguins came to mind.

A 1938 Newbery Honor recipient, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater, is written in a more narrative style than what we’re used to almost eighty years later. Don’t let that stop you. There are several laugh-out-loud moments, and by the end of the tale, I adored the daddy penguin, Captain Cook, as much as Mr. Popper did.

I finished the book in one sitting. The vocabulary is easily handled by fourth grade and above, so this might make a great family read-aloud for younger readers. The plot probably appeals to the seven to ten-year-old age range rather than those bordering on junior high school. That said, since the story entertained me, preteens will also find it amusing.

Pros: 

1. The book educates readers on the topics of penguins and Antarctica’s history and geography with no hint of an academic lecture.

2. You can’t find a more family-friendly story. With cheerful attitudes, Mr. and Mrs. Popper and their two children work together to help keep innocent animals healthy and happy.

Cons: 

As I mentioned before, the narrative style might turn off the modern reader. If that happens, they’ve missed out on a great story. As I’ve mentioned in previous Vintage Reads (see Rickshaw Girl), let your kids try out new flavors of literature.

Discussion points:

  1. Popper created several items to keep the penguins comfortable. If you had a pet penguin, what might you make to keep them cool or to give them a toy to play with?
  2. This book was written a long time ago. What technology do we use in our everyday lives that Mr. and Mrs. Popper never used because it had probably not been invented yet?
  3. Do you think it was a good idea for the penguins to travel all over the country? Why or why not?