Mundie Moms

Monday, May 21, 2012

Must Have Middle Grade Reads

Welcome to this week's edition of Must Have Middle Grade Reads, a weekly feature here on Mundie Moms where I spotlight last week's middle grade books I reviewed on Mundie Kids. This week's Must Have Middle Grade features two MG I've recently read and highly recommend picking up:


Published by: Balzer & Bray / Harper Collins Children's Books
Released on: May 8th, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher at ALA, midwinter
Ages: 8-12
5 stars: I Loved It!
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Jake and Lily are twins. Even though they seem pretty different—Jake is the calm one and Lily has a temper; Lily is obsessed with trains and Jake collects cool rocks—they feel exactly the same, almost like two halves of one person. When one of them gets hurt, the other can feel it. They can communicate without words. And mysteriously, every year on their birthday, they sleepwalk to a train station in the middle of the night.

But the year they turn eleven, everything changes. Their parents announce it’s time for separate bedrooms, and Jake starts hanging out with a pack of boys on the block. Lily is devastated—not to mention really, really mad. And as she struggles to make friends and get a life apart from her twin, Jake finds himself dealing with a neighborhood bully and has to decide what kind of person he really is.

Beloved author Jerry Spinelli has written another perfectly on-target, humorous, and brilliant story about the struggles of growing up and discovering who you are.

This is a story about me, Lily.
And me, Jake.
We're twins and we're exactly alike.
Not exactly!
Whatever. This is a book we wrote about the summer we turned eleven and Jake ditched me.
Please. I just started hanging out with some guys in the neighborhood.
Right. So anyway, this is a book about
goobers and supergoobers
bullies
clubhouses
true friends
things getting built and wrecked and rebuilt
and about figuring out who we are.
We wrote this together
(sort of)
so you'll get to see both sides of our story.
But you'll probably agree with my side.
You always have to have the last word, don't you?
Yes!
 -quoted from Goodreads

A fabulously told MG contemporary that is laced with humor, touching moments and the important lessons we all face when we start to grow up. Jake and Lily is a story MG readers and adults alike will enjoy. I loved having the chance to sit down and read this story, as well as having the change of getting to know twins Jake and Lilly. Though they're just a eleven years old, they've spent most of their life doing everything together, until now. As the twins make new friends, and develop different tastes, they learn that it's okay to let go and try new things with out the other.  

You can read the rest of my review here.



By: R.P. Harris
Illustrated by: Taeeun Yoo
Published by: Chronicle Books
Released on: April 18th, 2012
Ages: 8-12
4 stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon 

Ten-year-old Tua Thai for peanut has everything she needs at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, except for one thing she s always wanted: a sister. In the market one day, Tua makes an accidental acquaintance one with wise, loving eyes, remarkable strength, and a very curious trunk. And when Tua meets Pohn-Pohn, it s clear this elephant needs her help. Together, the unusual team sets off on a remarkable journey to escape from Pohn-Pohn s vile captors. From the bustling night market to the hallowed halls of a Buddhist temple and finally, to the sanctuary of an elephant refuge, this clever girl and her beloved companion find that right under their noses is exactly what each has been searching for: a friend - quoted from Goodreads

A delightfully diverse middle grade read, Tua and the Elephant is a story about a young girl named Tua who "adopts" a young elephant, and their adventures together. Set in the bustling back drop of Thailand, Tua's story offers authenticity and richness to a culture not often found in books for young readers. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the culture through Tua's daily adventures through the market, and her wondering around. Debut author R.P. Harris did a superb job at capturing my attention with his descriptions of Thailand's sights, smells and sounds. He also includes some Thai words in his story.  As a reader, I loved how easy it was for me to picture the setting that made up Tua's story, and feel like I was getting a 
glimpse into it.

You can read the rest of my review here.

Mundane Monday #137

Happy Monday! Enjoy today's non spoilery teaser from COLS. Oh how I adore Izzy!

image found here

"You guess? I'd kick your butt, vampire, but I don't want to ruin my expensive new boots."
- City of Lost Souls, Isabelle, page 309




Don't miss out on a new feature I'm taking part in with a few other lovely TMI fan sites, hosted by TMI Source. Each Monday TMI Source is hosting a Movie Monday post where each site weighs in on a topic related to the TMI movie. Check out today's post here.

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