Our Middle Grade book spotlight this week is focused on books that have Red and Pink Covers!!! As we celebrate Valentine's Day, let us get into the spirit of this holiday by reading some books that feature the two primary colors of this day. Since we are choosing these books based on their front covers, then we have an amazing selection that are all completely different from realistic to fantasy, novel in verse to historical, and even some award winners! These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthcolorfulcovers as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new Middle Grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet--Noah Keller is surprised when his parents pick him up from school and drive directly to the airport, telling him they're immediately traveling to East Germany so his mother can do dissertation research. Even more shocking to Noah, they inform him that he will now be called Jonah Brown and that he must follow very strict rules that include never talking about important matters inside the house because “they” are always listening. Unsure who “they” are or why they would want to listen in on his family's conversations, Noah's mind is overloaded with questions he's unable to even ask.
Pugs and Kisses by J.J. Howard--Ana Ramos fears that her birthday will get lost in the excited preparation of her older sister's quinceanera. But she finds a bright spot in her new friend Calvin, who she meets at the dog park while she's helping care for an elderly neighbor's dog. Calvin assumes the dog is her own, and she doesn't bother correcting him. But as their friendship grows and heads toward something more, she finds that her unintended lie is growing right along with their relationship.
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko--In 1935, twelve-year-old Moose and his family move to Alcatraz Island, where his father has taken a job as an electrician for the prison in hopes of sending Moose's autistic sister, Natalie, to a special school in San Francisco. However, Natalie is denied admittance to the school, and her care consumes much of their mother's time. Since his father is always working, Moose's unhappiness and loneliness grow, until he becomes friends with the warden's captivating daughter, Piper. Piper persuades moose to join her in a scheme to swindle their classmates: "Get your clothes laundered by Al Capone only 5 cents." Although Piper gets Moose into trouble, their friendship also helps Moose through his family difficulties.
Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech--Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous poems and how they relate to his life.
The Long Ride by Marina Budhos--In 1971 New York, three mixed-race girls are to be part of an experiment to integrate a brand-new school. One of the friends, Francesca, is instead sent to a private school where she immediately tests her boundaries. The other two, Jamila and Josie, find themselves outsiders at the new school until Josie is befriended by the Spanish girls and Jamila meets a boy, but whose relationship can only be at school.
Before the Sword by Grace Lin--To stop the prophecy of a young girl who saves the emperor, the White Fox demon, Daji, poisons the girl and her healer. The girl's sister, Mulan, tries to save her sister by helping the healer, who reveals that he is the immortal Jade Rabbit. Rabbit tells Mulan of a rare cure and the two go on a quest where Rabbit's powers grow weaker and Mulan's self-doubt increases, especially when it comes to traditional gender roles.