Canadian Summer

Title: Canadian Summer

Author: Hilda van Stockum

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    The three children certainly presented a sorry sight. Patsy dripped water all over the floor. A water lily had got entangled in her hair and hung rakishly down one side of her face. Green weeds entwined themselves around her muddy legs, and her face, already disfigured by mud and tears, looked so woebegone that Grannie had difficulty restraining a laugh. The other two were neither cleaner nor prettier, though slightly drier and more cheerful. 

    "Look at that," cried Mother, trembling with anger. "We are in this house exactly one hour, just one hour, mind you, and already Catherine has almost broken her neck, Angela was bitten, and the three oldest nearly drowned. And look at their clothes! How am I to get them clean when there is no bath and the water has to come by teacupfuls out of a well? How am I to keep an eye on the little ones when they disappear completely in long grass the minute they set foot out of the house? How am I to feed them when no one can get near here with a car? What am I to do if they should get sick without even a neighbor to call for help? I don't mind discomfort, I don't mind hard work, but we'll never get out of this place alive. So I've decided I'm going to pack up and go back to Washington this minute."

    

    After such a dramatic beginning, what more could possibly happen? Plenty! The six Mitchell children, ever aided and abetted by Grannie, are once again more than ready to take on life as it comes and are happily rewarded with a truly unforgettable Canadian summer.

Saint Joan of Arc - Quest for Peace

Title: Saint Joan of Arc - Quest for Peace

Authors/Illustrators: Brunor & Dominique Bar

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    The year was 1429, and the Hundred Years' War was raging. The Dauphin, the rightful king of France, had been denied his throne, his hereditary lands torn from him. His enemies schemed to crown the English king as monarch of both England and France. Only a few French strongholds remained loyal. Hope was trickling away...

    But outside the besieged town of Orleans, a seventeen-year-old girl from Domremy, her white and gold banner flying, would lead the French army to an improbably victory over their English oppressors. "What God commands must be right," she declared.

    Who was this astonishing young woman? How did she accomplish the feats that military experts called impossible? And what would become of her - and of her heroic quest for peace?

A Bear Called Paddington

Title: A Bear Called Paddington

Author: Michael Bond

Illustrator: Peggy Fortnum

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    "A bear? On Paddington station?" Mrs. Brown looked at her husband in amazement. "Don't be silly, Henry. There can't be!"

    Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same... for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is involved. 

The Life of Jesus - a Graphic Novel

Title: The Life of Jesus - a Graphic Novel

Author: Ben Alex

Illustrator: Jose Perez Montero

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    The birth of our Lord

    The death of our King

    The resurrection of our Savior

    A dramatic Scripture-based presentation of the story of Jesus Christ as you've never seen it before!

Clanless

Title: Clanless

Author: Catherine Witzaney

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Wingless sprite Asher Song feather is adjusting to life in the Bat Colony. To atone for his role in the recent poisoning, he frees a Dragonfly slave girl and vows to reunite her with her sister. But her sister has joined forces with rebel leader Ryn. 

    Halfwing Siobhan Eirwensa is struggling to reconcile the past with her newfound loyalties. When she learns her father is fighting for his life as a captive of the Arena, she is determined to rescue him. But she has much to learn about trust. 

    As Asher and Siobhan work toward solutions, they uncover Ryn's newest plan - one that will lead to full-blown civil war if he isn't stopped. They're running out of time. 

    And beneath it all lurks an unforseen threat that will shatter life as they know it. 

    Clanless is the sequel to Wingless. If you like, you can view that post here. 

The Story Book of Science

Title: The Story Book of Science

Author: Jean Henri Fabre

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    The wonders of plant and animal life told with rare literary charm by Uncle Paul in conversations with three children, who ask their uncle to tell them "true stories." Besides such stories as the ants' subterranean city, the spider's suspension bridge, and the caterpillar's processing, he unlocks the mystery behind thunder and lightning, clouds and rain, the year and its seasons, volcanoes and earthquakes. 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Title: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Author: Ian Fleming

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    "Crackpot" is what everybody calls the Pott family. So when they go to buy a new car and come back with a wreck, nobody is surprised. Except for the Potts themselves. First, the car has a name. And she tells them what it is. Then they find that she can fly. And swim... Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a car on a mission to stop a criminal gang in its tracks - and she is taking the Potts with her!

American Tall Tales

Title: American Tall Tales

Author: Adrien Stoutenburg

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    "Here... are the most robust characters in American legend. Told by a poet with a poet's ear for the impact of words, these American mavericks walk and talk across the pages in a free, wide way, as they walked and talked across the free, wide America of pioneer days." - Publisher's Weekly -

Pippi Longstocking

Title: Pippi Longstocking

Author: Astrid Lindgren

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Children's Literature, Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    The beloved story of a spunky young girl and her hilarious escapades. 

    Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Long stocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson. Whether Pippi's scrubbing her floors, doing arithmetic, or stirring things up at a fancy tea party, her flair for the outrageous always seems to lead to another adventure.

The Trumpet of the Swan

Title: The Trumpet of the Swan

Author: E. B. White

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Louis is a trumpeter swan. He is born one summer on a little pond in Canada, a long with four brothers and sisters. But Louis has a terrible problem. Unlike the rest of his joyfully noisy family, Louis can't make a single sound. And without a trumpet sound, his true love - the beautiful swan Serena - just ignores him. Louis's father promises to help. So does Sam Beaver, a boy who loves all wild animals. First Louis goes to school with Sam and learns to read and write. But swans can't read, so Louis still can't make himself understood. That's when Louis's father puts his honor aside and steals a brass trumpet to give his son a voice. Louis's determination to pay off his father's debt and to woo his own true love takes him far from the wilderness he loves. But his faith and his joy in life are always with him.

Charlotte's Web

Title: Charlotte's Web

Author: E. B. White

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Some Pig

    These are the words in Charlotte's web, high in the barn. Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern... who loves Wilbur, too. Their love has been shared by millions of readers.

Journey to Jo'burg - A South African Story

Title: Journey to Jo'burg - A South African Story

Author: Beverley Naidoo

Rating: ★★★⯪☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

   If only Mma was here, Naledi wished over and over... 

    Mma lives and works in Johannesburg, far from the village thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother, Tiro, call home. When their baby sister suddenly becomes very sick, Naledi and Tiro know, deep down, that only one person can save her. Bravely, alone, they set off on a journey to find Mma and bring her back. It isn't until they reach the city that they come to understand the dangers of their country, and the painful struggle for freedom and dignity that is taking place all around them.

The Cottage at Bantry Bay

Title: The Cottage at Bantry Bay

Author: Hilda van Stockum

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Introducing the O'Sullivan Family of Glengariff, Country Cork, Ireland. 

    "Mother washed up the tea things and settled herself in a chair with her knitting. Michael fetched Father's pipe and tobacco and took a stool to sit beside him, whilst Brigid and her homemade rag doll shared the bench in the chimney corner with the twins. They made a nice picture, as they sat around the flickering fire. Michael, the eldest boy, had a round freckled face, Merry blue eyes, and a mop of red hair; Brigid was the pretty one with red-gold curls and an elfin face. The chubby twins looked like sweet blond cherubs, though they often acted otherwise.

    'How are y e feeling now, Father?' Mrs. O'Sullivan asked anxiously, when she'd finished counting stitches. 

    'Better, much better,' Father said. 'But I'm afraid I won't be able to go to Kenmare tomorrow to bring Farmer Flynn the donkey he wanted to buy from me.'

    'Will he mind Father?' Michael asked.

    Father smiled sadly. 'He may not, son-o, but I do. He may buy some other donkey, and then where will we be? Mother needs the money, doesn't she?

    Mother sighed a little, but she smiled bravely and said: 'No harm, we'll manage.' By the way her needles clicked the children could tell she did mind. There was always a lot to be bought and never much money to do it with."

    Little did the O'Sullivans realize the adventures, complete with an unexpected treasure, about to seize the simple fabric of their lives at Bantry Bay and give it a happy shake. 

Into the Land of the Unicorns

Title: Into the Land of the Unicorns

Author: Bruce Coville

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

      Eight!...Nine!...Ten!

    As each bell chime sounds, Cara pushes herself faster up the steep bell tower steps that lead to the roof. Eleven! She must be on the roof when the next bell tolls. As she races up the stairs, Cara can't believe everything that has happened. Wasn't it just a few minutes ago that she and Grandmother Morris were peacefully walking home from the library? When did that mysterious man start to follow them? What does he want? Where did he come from? Who is he? Twelve! The ringing bell brings Cara back to the moment. Gramma told her what she must do! With a deep breath, and only half believing she will be safe, Cara jumps off the church roof and into the adventure of her lifetime - into the Land of Luster, the world of the unicorns.

    In Luster, Cara meets the Dimblethum, the Squijum, and the most magnificent of all the inhabitants, Lightfoot, a rebellious young unicorn. Together the new friends set out on a quest - to reach the Unicorn Queen and prevent the destruction of all unicorns. 

A Place to Hang the Moon

Title: A Place to Hang the Moon

Author: Kate Albus

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    A heartwarming story about three siblings, evacuated from London to the countryside during World War II, who are hoping that a temporary living situation will turn into a forever family.

A Midnight Clear

 

Title: A Midnight Clear

Author: Katherine Paterson

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Each Christmas Eve when John Paterson was a pastor, he read an original story to his congregation - a story that illuminated the true meaning of the holiday season, written by his wife, two-time Newbery Medalist Katherine Paterson. Now you, too, can share them. Whether depicting a child coping with disappointment, friendship between young and old, or a couple awaiting the birth of their baby, these stories present a vision of hope and peace harking back to that first Christmas over two thousand years ago. Here is the perfect holiday gift for friends, families, and church congregations - to read aloud and share throughout the Christmas season and beyond.

   

The Dragons of Blueland

  

Title: The Dragons of Blueland

Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    "...the last of the books about Elmer Elevator and the flying baby dragon...concerns Elmer's plan to outwit the hunters who have organized an expedition to capture the dragon's family. The plan is ingenious and plausible, the fantasy well sustained, and the lithographs by Ruth Chrisman Gannett even more delightful, if possible, than those in My Father's Dragon." -- Library Journal (starred review)

    "Delectable, straight-faced nonsense." -- Chicago Tribune

Elmer and the Dragon

Title: Elmer and the Dragon

Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    "The author has produced a sequel to My Father's Dragon that is the equal of that first gem in every respect. Flying back home from Wild Island, Elmer and the dragon are forced down in another land where dwell all the escaped canaries of the world. Rich, humorous, and thoroughly satisfying fare ... Highly recommended." -- Library Journal (starred review)

    "A fresh and original plot, delightfully logical nonsense, appealing characters and irrepressible humor." -- The New York Times

The Sign of the Beaver

Title: The Sign of the Beaver

Author: Elizabeth George Speare

Rating: ★★★★★

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    Although he faces his responsibility bravely, thirteen-year-old Matt is more than a little apprehensive when his father leaves him alone to guard their newly built cabin in the wilderness. When a renegade white stranger steals his gun, Matt realizes he has no way to shoot game and no way to protect himself. It is only after meeting the resourceful Indian boy Attean that Matt begins to discover new ways to survive in the forest. And in getting to know his friend, Matt also comes to understand the heritage and way of life of the Beaver clan, and their growing problem in adapting to the white man and the changing frontier.

    Elizabeth George Speare's compelling survival story is filled with wonderful detail about living in the wilderness and the relationships that formed between white settlers and Indians in the 1700s. Now with an introduction by Joseph Bruchac. 

My Father's Dragon

Title: My Father's Dragon

Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett

Rating: ★★★★☆

Age Category: Middle Grade

    Back Cover Synopsis: 

    A group of lazy animals on Wild Island have captured a baby dragon and put him to work. The little dragon can fly, so they are forcing him to act as a flying ferry across a dangerous river. The dragon doesn't like it. 

    So goes the story that reaches a kind-hearted boy named Elmer Elevator ("my father"). Elmer, carrying a bag of most unusual supplies, sets out on a secret journey to rescue the dragon. How Elmer uses these supplies to beguile the nasty inhabitants of Wild Island and free the dragon is one of the most exciting adventures ever.