Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

I recently read the book "The Machine Gunners" by Robert Westall who I had never heard of until an Australian friend of mine recommended it (the author is from the UK). She also recommend "Alibrandi," an Australian (YA though, Not a MG novel) which was brilliant! Both books were major award winners, but I had never heard of them.
Just wondering if any of you have come across brilliant books that aren't making the US best seller lists...

Interesting thread, Evelyn.

The Machine-Gunners

Evelyn wrote: "I recently read the book "The Machine Gunners" by Robert Westall who I had never heard of until an Australian friend of mine recommended it (the author is from the UK). She also recommend "Alibrand..."

Evelyn wrote: "I recently read the book "The Machine Gunners" by Robert Westall who I had never heard of until an Australian friend of mine recommended it (the author is from the UK). She also recommend "Alibrand..."

I don't know if it's on US bestseller lists, but "Out of Shadows" by UK author Jason Wallace is fantastic. This book is definitely for YA (older teens) and adults. In the story, a twelve-year-old boy is uprooted from his home in England and finds himself in the middle of tragic events at a boarding school in Zimbabwe following the bloody civil war that took place there in the 1980's. The book was based on the author's own experiences when he (at age twelve) and his family moved to Africa.

That does sound interesting, thanks June.