I recently realized how long it's been since I've posted a real "Recommendations" post. So, seeing as it is basically Spring, I am here to present some good spring reads.
Spring always makes me think of fun, quirky books. Today I am going to start by sharing some of my favorite juvenile fiction books.
Honestly, I do not like Middle grade. But I do have some that I love, or remember loving. It was all I read for a long time because for a while I thought all YA was vampire trash. Granted, many of these I read three years ago, and if I re-read them, I may hate them, but that's beside the point.
Basically I'll just throw out some titles and brief descriptions. I'm not going to write a whole lot partly because I'm going off what I remember loving early in my reading obsession. Hope you read some!
Bears, magic, romance. Ah yes.
I really like fairy tale retellings. I was so obsessed with Jessica Day George's retellings, especially The Princess at the Midnight Ball, mainly because 12 Dancing Princesses. But this one is my favorite. It's fun and I'd never heard of the fairy tale, so it was the most memorable to me.
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling
Read if you like: Fairy tales, bears, cool settings
Thoughts: A ice cold palace (long before Elsa made it cool)
After her dad dies, she is determined to not only be a famous writer but a psychic detective and contact to ghost world...and stumbles upon quite a few mysteries
This series is probably my favorite of the post.
It's funny. It's relate-able. It's wacky and random. People who need a break from dark and serious will love this. Gilda is so crazy and such a fun person to read, and was my life role model as a new teen. These book will remain favorites for a long time.
(also there's actually /ghosts/ in later books guys)
This isn't a dark paranormal with a strong atmosphere, but it was fun and I really got a lot of enjoyment out of the books.
Genre: Mystery
Read if you like: Writing, costumes, quirky characters, ghosts
Thoughts: A typewriter, a pair of cats eye glasses and some old books
In one strange turn of events, she opens the door to the closet...and falls in.
Falls in where? Read it and find out.
This book. This book was the book that introduced me to my love for changelings and faeries. I highly recommend the audio book. The narrator really brings to life the sass and uniqueness of this book. This whole book has this great sense of wonder. I listened to it twice. Afterwards I had this huge dumb grin on my face. I couldn't explain it. I just loved this book.
Genre: Fantasy
Read if you like: Other worlds, random adventures, quirky characters and writing
Thoughts: A bright pair of red boots and an herb garden
A gorilla. A baby elephant. A zoo, and wishing for something better.
A book about a gorilla should not make someone cry.
A book about a gorilla should not make ME cry.
I never cry at books.
A book about gorilla should have been the last things to make me cry.
A book about a gorilla that honestly dumps the whole SAVE ANIMALS message on my face should not make me cry.
(a book about a gorilla really did make me cry)
Genre: Juvenile Animals and Stuff
Read if you like: ANIMALS.
Thoughts: A crayon stub and filled sketchbook
A fantasy word, a pickpocket, a pair of glass eyes, metal animals and an epic adventure
I'm actually planning on doing a real review on this because it's so good. It doesn't read like Middle Grade it's so good. It's such an original concept and world, with some really awesome magic. Read it. Do the thing.
Genre: Fantasy
Read if you like: Magic systems, plucky characters, weird worlds
Thoughts: Glass orbs, long walks and a little metal spider
A hidden room. A boy. The earth. And secrets.
This is a lovely retelling of the Secret Garden. While not that different than the original, I fell in love with Ellen Potter's writing all over again.
Genre: Fantasy ish
Read if you like: Inspired stories
Thoughts: The sounds the earth makes
Salem witch trials and angst
Ah this book. I thought I hated all historical fiction my mom gave me for school until I read this book. I can't say much about it but if you are interested in the Salem Witch Trials...read it
Genre: Historical fiction
Read if you like: the Salem Witch Trials, inspiring and sad stories
Thoughts: How you know someone cares
Ghosts, apprentices, and sad little girls.
This is a fun story. It's got some beautiful illustrations and pretty okay characters and more fun ghost-y things. I think as a kid I never realize just how much I loved ghost stories. But if you want a short whimsical story, pick this one up.
Genre: Fantasy ish
Read if you like: Illustrations, cool ghost things
Thoughts: A old train station
It's about...a faerie door!
This one I remember very little about. I remember really liking it, even though it wasn't remarkable. I really like old fashioned stories, and so this was delightful to 12 year old me. If you're looking for something old fashion and whimsical, give it a shot.
Genre: Fantasy
Read if you like: FAERIES
Thoughts: For some reason...hot dogs. Don't ask why.
This one's got a great goodreads description:
Set on fictional islands off northeast America in 1787, this story features two twelve-year-old girls from different cultures who must join forces to save themselves, their people, and one special baby... Above all, it's a captivating adventure...with shipwrecks, curses, chases, murder plots, magic (of all kinds), romantic legends, thieves and politicians (sometimes both), a caring schoolteacher and a handsome horse groom, a pair of feisty (sometimes difficult) heroines, and the mysterious power of story-telling at its center!
I just found a hardback of this at a library sale and remember how much I love this. The plot was really unique and fun to me when I read it, and I cared about the characters and outcome of the story a lot more than I had expected. I remember very little of the plot, but now I feel like giving it a re-read.
Genre: Fantasy ish
Read if you like: Friendship stories
Thoughts: Trees, little hiding places tucked away under the branches, a cold river
Mondays are just weird days
Ahhhhh this book. I was hesitant picking this one up. It looked boring to me. Never have I been so happy to. I love weird quirky things. I love whimsy and randomness. This book is a collection of stories about the Armitages. The Armitages are an ordinary family...except every Monday the weirdest things happen to them. One Monday the knight of Camelot show up...the next there is suddenly a Unicorn on their lawn. It was delightful with an old fashioned touch of whimsy. I highly recommend picking it up.
Genre: Fantasy ish
Read if you like: Short stories, random and quirky stories
Thoughts: A old house, a cauldron, a dollhouse
She's a storyteller. And the queen needs her to find another story that the Sultan has not yet heard...so she does not die
This is another book on the list of "Stories I was forced to read and actually loved"
My love for the Arabian Nights comes from this book. (I also recommend the audio book for this too). It was so vivid, and had this gorgeous atmosphere. I felt like I was sitting there as well in this unique world. The prose was gorgeous, and the plotting and storytelling impeccable. Highly recommended.
Genre: Historical fiction
Read if you like: Storytelling, Arabian era, the Arabian nights,
Thoughts: Smooth silk, a house of pigeons and the whisper of voices and tales traded
The Velvet Room: A place for reading, a place for escaping, a place where she could get away.
This is a book I remember very little about, but it was one my mom loved and gave to me for read. I remember falling in love with the story and characters and immediately wanting to go drape velvet all over my room
Genre: Modern day
Read if you like: Old fashioned stories
Thoughts: The soft touch of velvet, creaky stairs, classic stories
FAERIES
This was the first Faerie book I read that was more on the darker side and I loved every word. Dark faeries, changelings, secrets and magic. Tricky faeries. Everything. People need to read this.
Genre: Fantasy
Read if you like: Faeries, tricksters, old magic and angst (even though juvenile fiction level)
Thoughts: A old charm bracelet, whispers in the night and a red scarf
How will he find a home in this strange world?
This is the book that made me fall in love with verse. It was beautifully told, and surprisingly funny. It captured the feelings that made this situation I have never and never will be in and made it quite relate-able. Katherine Applegate is so talented it's not even funny.
Genre:Modern day
Read if you like: Books told in verse, immigrant stories, inspiring stories, friendship stories
Thoughts: A farm, and...a laundry machine?
These two books are similar, as in they both are from the point of view of two girls dealing with some serious mental ailments. They were both gorgeous and beautifully told, opening my eyes to some really serious things. I highly recommend these for a beautiful emotional journey.
Genre:Modern day
Read if you like: Books about mental ailments, lovable characters
Thoughts: holding there hand, a old wood trunk
That's pretty much it, all my favorite Middle grade books. Let me know what you think if you read any! Let me know what other recommendation lists you want as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment