DO IT, BUY THE BOOK- June, Challenge 3 Recommendations

By Fay Clark

I don't think adults give enough love or props to Middle Grade book. Most people think they are just for kids. You, sir, would be wrong. One of my favourite genres is 9-12. The main characters just have so much more fun than adults in books! We also have a great deal of fun over on our Instagram page @FanUniverses.

CHALLENGE 3 - READ A MIDDLE GRADE (9-12).

Recommendation 1 - Percy Jackson and the Lighting Theif by Rick Riordan. I adore this series and everything it leads on to. I still read it every few years. Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods, where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Recommendation 2 - A Place Called Perfect by Helen Duggan. Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved all the time? But Violet quickly discovers there's something weird going on – she keeps hearing noises in the night, her mum is acting strange and her dad has disappeared. When she meets Boy she realizes that her dad is not the only person to have been stolen away...and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret!

Recommendation 3 - Potkin and Stubbs by Sophie Green. In the corrupt metropolis of Peligan City, Lil Potkin, a determined young reporter, is on the lookout for a scoop. One rainy night she meets Nedly, the ghost of a boy that no one else can see. Nedly has been looking for someone to believe in him ever since the investigation into his disappearance went cold. When they discover that his death is connected to a series of mysterious murders, Lil and Nedly set out to expose those responsible, with the help of a down-on-his luck private investigator, who might hold a clue to Lil’s hidden past.

Recommendation 4 - George by Alex Gino. When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Recommendation 5 - Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.

That was a super easy recommendation for me. I have even more on my list to suggest! Might have to do this challenge again in a few months, but for now...

BOOK QUEEN OUT!