Talk about the kidlit you're reading!

sissybaby said:

Last night I read The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn.

This one was a little intense for me - considering it was MG. The descriptions of the dead girl were almost too much.

I never could have read a book like this when I was a kid. Would have had nightmares for life.

Click to expand...

I felt that way about the only MDH mystery I've read--All the Lovely Bad Ones. I think it would have freaked me out as a child. She's very successful, though, and I've heard her books are really popular with kids (as 12y.o.writer's comments seems to confirm!) Maybe in this post-Goosebumps/horror movie age kids are harder to scare.

sissybaby said:

12yroldwriter - thanks for the title list.

Are they all that scary? When I was a kid, I hated to be scared.

Click to expand...

The Old Willis Place is just plain weird. Kind of eerie but not that scary. Deep and Dark and Dangerous is a little creepy but not bad. Stepping on the Cracks isn't a ghost story. It's a World War II-era historic fiction.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Sorry I yelled, but you guys rock - again.

Last night I told my son that all electronic toys had to be turned off at 8:00 - I think that's what is interfering with his sleep, for real.

He turned it off at 8, and I went in and read to him - told him he didn't have a choice this time, he had to listen. We read almost SIX chapters of Jerry Spinelli's Fourth Grade Rats. He couldn't stop laughing and didn't want me to stop reading.

This morning he came downstairs, crawled into my bed, and asked if I'd read a little more of it this morning. Unfortunately, there wasn't time, but I made a date with him for tonight.

I had read the book the night before, and thought he could identify with it. Turns out to be a perfect fit, with the age and the situation he's going through at school. And the way it ends is perfect, too.

So thanks for all the suggestions from everyone. I'm hoping this will be the catalyst that brings him back to reading.

That calls for one of jed's woohoos!!!

A great one for would-be writer kids, esp. girls, is "The Wild Girls" by Pat Murphy. Just finished--loved it. Found wonderful thoughts for myself even.

Thanks for this recommendation, yogapoet! Just took a look at The Wild Girls on Amazon. It's on my TBR list now.

I just finished two by Gennifer Choldenko--Al Capone Does My Shirts (which I've been meaning to read forever) and Notes From a Liar and Her Dog. Both were amazing. They were written in first person present. To the author's credit, I was so caught up in the story I didn't even notice Al Capone was in present tense until I was 3/4 of the way through it.

RuthD said:

I just finished two by Gennifer Choldenko--Al Capone Does My Shirts (which I've been meaning to read forever) and Notes From a Liar and Her Dog. Both were amazing. They were written in first person present. To the author's credit, I was so caught up in the story I didn't even notice Al Capone was in present tense until I was 3/4 of the way through it.

Click to expand...

I love the Al Capone books. I also like If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period. I don't remember liking Notes from a Liar and her Dog very much, though it's been a long time since I read it and I don't remember much about it.

In light of the recent thread about kissing in MG, I remember Ms. Choldenko's book was originally titled Al Capone Does My Shorts, but the publisher thought it was "too risque" for middle grade. I enjoyed it a lot.

Just finished Maniac McGee. Spinelli is my hero.

I thought I had read that book, but I know now I was mistaken. I could never forget this one.

sissybaby said:

Spinelli is my hero.

Click to expand...

Mine, too!

Loved the Al Capone book too. Really well done. Looking forward to reading more recommendations here.

Finished Hazel's phantasmagoria, brilliant little book. Some PG after reading may come in handy as younger readers may be left with a lot of questions. A little gem.

I'm finally reading Danny the Champion of the World. I've always wanted to, but never got around to it. I'm loving its sweet fun tone.

Kitty Pryde said:

I read "My Life As A Book" by Janet Tashjian this week. It's a book for The Reluctant Boy Reader, interestingly about a reluctant boy reader. All the harder words are illustrated as stick figure definitions in the overly-wide margins. The author's teenage son did the artwork (awww!). The kid gets up to lots of naughty trouble but also learns about how he can appreciate books on his own terms. Also there was a mystery. I enjoyed it a lot!

Click to expand...

I've pretty much been reading all YA lately, but My Life as a Book sounds like one MG novel I'm going to have to pick up.

Just finished Maniac McGee. Spinelli is my hero.

Click to expand...

Ah, I adore Maniac Magee! My teacher read it to my class in the fifth grade and I have so many wonderful memories of it. When I met Jerry Spinelli at a conference last year, I even started crying! (What can I say? I'm a softie...)

I just finished up Rick Riordan's new book, The Lost Hero, last night. I enjoyed the first half a lot, but I felt the second half dragged a bit. Still, I liked the story a lot. Not quite The Lightning Thief, but still pretty good.

C.T. Richmond said:

Ah, I adore Maniac Magee! My teacher read it to my class in the fifth grade and I have so many wonderful memories of it. When I met Jerry Spinelli at a conference last year, I even started crying! (What can I say? I'm a softie...)

I just finished up Rick Riordan's new book, The Lost Hero, last night. I enjoyed the first half a lot, but I felt the second half dragged a bit. Still, I liked the story a lot. Not quite The Lightning Thief, but still pretty good.

Click to expand...

Better than The Red Pyramid?

I'd probably cry if I met Jerry Spinelli, too. Actually, I'd probably be the freak who knocks everyone down on her way to get an autograph on her forehead...

Better than The Red Pyramid?

Click to expand...

Hmm, I'd probably give The Red Pyramid and The Lost Hero the same rating. 3.5 stars out of 5. I felt like they both started out really well but got kind of muddled in the middle. But it was really fun to see some of the Percy Jackson characters in The Lost Hero! Especially Annabeth and Rachel.

I'd probably cry if I met Jerry Spinelli, too. Actually, I'd probably be the freak who knocks everyone down on her way to get an autograph on her forehead...

Click to expand...

Haha. It definitely took me awhile to build up the courage to ask him for an autograph! He didn't attend most of the events at my conference (Highlights Chautauqua) so I had to pester him right after dinner one night. Probably bad form on my part but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get my book signed!

I'm reading "Cracker" by Cynthia Kadohata and loving it! Great book for any dog lover.

C.T. Richmond said:

Hmm, I'd probably give The Red Pyramid and The Lost Hero the same rating. 3.5 stars out of 5. I felt like they both started out really well but got kind of muddled in the middle.

Click to expand...

I haven't read The Lost Hero yet, but it's on my shelf. The Red Pyramid disappointed me. I was expecting great things out of that book.

Man! No love for Red Pyramid! Maybe I was lucky or unlucky enough to read it before any of R.R.'s other work but I like that book!

I will say it was freaking long and some of humor was...not MY cup of tea but kids would probably like it more. But it's a good book!

And I do type this with a smile- no one else needs to like it. It's just funny that I do

Kitty,

Just finished One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. It was just nominated for the something or other award. It was really good! Three little girls fly from NYC to Oakland to spend a month with their lousy mother, who sends them to Black Panther summer camp. Pretty funny and sweet, manages not to get bogged down in the sadness of the story. You gotta love the main character from the moment she tells us that the dictionary is written by a woman, Merriam Webster

Click to expand...

Ah, I want to read this book so badly! Unfortunately, I couldn't find it at my Border's last week so I need to look elsewhere...

12yroldwriter,

I haven't read The Lost Hero yet, but it's on my shelf. The Red Pyramid disappointed me. I was expecting great things out of that book.

Click to expand...

Let us know what you think of The Lost Hero whenever you get around to it! No one I know has read it yet so I'm curious to see what others think.

CheG,

Man! No love for Red Pyramid! Maybe I was lucky or unlucky enough to read it before any of R.R.'s other work but I like that book!

I will say it was freaking long and some of humor was...not MY cup of tea but kids would probably like it more. But it's a good book!

And I do type this with a smile- no one else needs to like it. It's just funny that I do

Click to expand...

Haha. Hey, I actually did enjoy The Red Pyramid! I especially loved Bast. But I felt like the book was a bit too long--I think the story could have used some chopping. Still, a fun read!

CheG said:

Man! No love for Red Pyramid! Maybe I was lucky or unlucky enough to read it before any of R.R.'s other work but I like that book!

I will say it was freaking long and some of humor was...not MY cup of tea but kids would probably like it more. But it's a good book!

And I do type this with a smile- no one else needs to like it. It's just funny that I do

Click to expand...

Heh. I hated/loathed/despised/wanted to destroy-with-a-chainsaw-or-axe-in-true-horror-movie-psychopathic fury The Red Pyramid.

But I still like you, CheG.