From early childhood, I escaped into nature when times got toughāclimbing trees, exploring the woods, and chatting with beach creatures. When I had to be indoors, books were my escape, and most of my favorites had rich nature settings that were so well-drawn that I could see them and feel like I was actually there. Following strong protagonists as they deal with life challenges by interacting with nature was an affirmation for me and still is. As a parent and former fifth-grade teacher, Iāve witnessed the power that books have to lessen loneliness and inspire hope and activism.
First of all, any good story with an ocean setting gets my vote! This book is one of my favorites for that reason, but also because Hazelās story is overflowing with emotion and characters that are so beautifully and cleverly drawn.
The relationship between Hazel and her mom is strained, and 12-year-old me can relate to that! This story's serious sides are balanced with scenes of fun, friendship, and magic (a mermaid!). Perfect for this age group.
Hazel Bly used to have the perfect family. But when a kayaking trip goes horribly wrong, Mum is suddenly gone forever and Hazel is left with a jagged scar on her face. After Mum's death, Hazel, her other mother, Mama, and her little sister Peach needed a fresh start. So for the last two years, the Bly girls have lived all over the country. They travel from town to town, never settling anywhere for more than a few months or so.
But when the family comes to the town of Rose Harbor, Maine, a small fog-draped beach town full ofā¦
King thinks his deceased brother has returned as a dragonfly and visits him in the bayou area where he hangs out. I love books with hints of magic in them, especially when they show up in nature, and I couldnāt help but root for King. Even as he struggles, he is sweet and empathetic and worries about others as much as he worries about himself.
Friends and family are fully developed; nobody is all good or all bad. The teacher in me appreciates Kingās story as a great discussion starter and empathy-builder, as well as an engaging plot. Witnessing the triumph of an underdog never gets old for me.
Winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature!
Winner of the 2020 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry!
In a small but turbulent Louisiana town, one boy's grief takes him beyond the bayous of his backyard, to learn that there is no right way to be yourself.
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Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to liveā¦
Eleven-year-old Mira wishes everything could go back to the way it was. Before she changed schools and had to quit gymnastics. Especially before Papa died. Now she spends her days cooking and cleaning for her stepsisters and Valāwho she still wonāt call mom and still wonāt forgive for the terribleā¦
Ware skips summer camp and hangs out in an abandoned church on a forgotten lot. But he stumbles upon Jolene, a nature-loving girl who is also hiding out there. Both characters have different ideas about how to co-exist (or not!), and I couldnāt wait to see how it all played out.
I love stories that center around reimagining or rebuilding something old, decayed, or discarded, as this one does. I also love this bookās layers as we watch how the characters change as they transform their hidden sanctuary. This inspiring book grapples with the pain of keeping secrets and the power and hope that come when we share them with another.
From the author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling novel Pax comes a gorgeous and moving middle grade novel that is an ode to introverts, dreamers, and misfits everywhere.
Ware canāt wait to spend summer āoff in his own worldāādreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called ānormalā kids do.
On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church nextā¦
I fall hard for girl protagonists who are into science, and Addie is no exception. I love the science vs. magic theme, with Addie investigating her deceased brotherās belief in a magical creature that lives in the lake where he drowned.
The book has a mystery vibe that grabbed me from the get-go, and Addieās courageous environmental investigations (diving into that murky lake!) are riveting. Rich language, thought-provoking themes, and big questions make this an engaging and important book for middle-grade readers.
Twelve-year-old Addie should avoid Maple Lake. After all, her twin brother Amos drowned there only a few months ago. But its crisp, clear water runs in her veins, and the notebook Amos left behind, filled with clues about a mysterious creature in the lake's inky-blue depths, keeps calling her back. She never took Amos seriously when he was alive, but doesn't she owe it to him to figure out, once and for all, if there's really something out there? When she's offered a Young Scientist position studying the lake for the summer, Addie accepts, yearning for the cool wind inā¦
"This novel is a boundary-crosser. Although it is a work of fiction, it is well researched and could pass as a memoir or a work of Holocaust history." āNew York Jewish Week (JOFA Journal)
My multi-award-winning book is inspired by the Stermer family and other families who hid undergroundā¦
Zippy feels out of sync with friends and family, so she retreats to Redās Farm to sit by the creek and conjure up some magic. I totally connected with this girl since I did the same thing as a kidā¦the escape to nature, that is, not so much the magic!
Zippyās story is endearing and full of wonder. Spunky, intelligent, and thoughtful girls always win my heart, especially when big challenges put these attributes to the test. I loved following Zippy as she worked to solve the mysteries of herself and her world. Ohāand Zippyās voice isā¦well, bewitching.
A young girl preparing for her bat mitzvah discovers she has mysterious abilities in this magical contemporary coming-of-age story from the beloved author of Orphan Island.
Hi, whoever is reading this. Iām Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy.
Things used to be simpleāuntil a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks Iām weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue. In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.
When Artemis Sparke has had it with humans, she heads to the nearby salt marsh whose creatures donāt make a big deal of her stutter. But when birds disappear and plants stop growing, Artemis investigates and discovers that the historic hotel where she lives with her mom may be part of the problem.
But speaking up would mean confronting the cranky hotel owner who happens to be her momās boyfriend and boss. Artemis conjures up help from deceased ecologists, and as she works to untangle their clues, she finds family secrets that could be the key to saving the salt marsh but also may destroy her life as she knows it.
Eleven-year-old Sierra just wants a normal life. After her military mother returns from the war overseas, the two hop from home to homelessness while Sierra tries to help her mom through the throes of PTSD.
Mal's older brother has disappeared into thin air. Laura's parents went away for the weekend and when she gives them a call, they have no idea who she is. In pursuit of answers, the teens become entangled with two others similarly targeted by a force they don't understand and now,ā¦