Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that are all about ones that have unlikeable characters!!! Now this is a very opinionated aspect of books as we all have characters we like and those we do not but we soon find ourselves arguing our points with another who has read the same title. I encourage you to read some of the books below and see if your opinion is the same as with others who may have a not so favorable aspect of one of the main characters in their plots. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthunlikeablecharacters 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!!
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer--When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett--Just before the worst of the London Blitz begins, 12-year-old Cecily and her brother Jeremy are sent to the mysterious Heron Hall, the country manor of their enigmatic Uncle Peregrine. Along the way they “adopt” another girl, May, also fleeing London, and together the three have fun exploring their new environs—which is when they meet two strangely garbed boys in the ruins of a nearby castle. Who are they? And why do Uncle Peregrine's stories about English history from 500 years ago seem to involve them?
Liar, Liar by Gary Paulsen--Fourteen-year-old Kevin doesn't mean to make trouble when he lies. He's just really good at it, and it makes life so much easier, especially since people always seem happier when you tell them what they want to hear. This skill has served him well in the past, allowing him to avoid homework assignments or pit his siblings against one another for his amusement. But as his lies pile up, he finds himself in big – and funny – trouble with his friends, family, and teachers. Now he's got to find a way to end his lying streak – forever.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis--Four English school children find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio--Born with facial defects, Auggie Pullman has had 27 surgeries to correct the problems but still looks vastly different from other children. As such, his parents have homeschooled him his entire life; now, Auggie is ready to begin fifth grade at Beecher Prep. Although Auggie's father feels that sending him out into the real world is tantamount to bringing “a lamb to the slaughter,” Auggie holds his head up high and allows his smart, funny, and brave personality to lead the way.
Restart by Gordon Korman--After falling off a roof, eighth-grader Chase Ambrose suffers from amnesia, leaving him with no memory of his past. When he returns to school, he begins to realize he was not just a bully—he was the biggest bully in his school. Now he hopes to shake his old reputation and rebuild a new one, but reinventing yourself is tough when you've given everyone good reason to be afraid of you.