Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

The month is flying by, and as I was a little late last month, I'm going early this :)

Bearing in mind a conversation going on in one of the other threads, I'd like you to nominate a book you'd like to read that's FAMOUS. When we vote, you can only vote for a book you haven't read. For that reason I'm excluding any Harry Potter books in the nominations... but..

My nomination is Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

because I really think I should read it!

Nominations before 26th September (Pacific Time), please.

Great choice! Artemis Fowl is brilliant.

Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski

The Lightning Thief

Though I may be the only one who hasn't read this one!

I'll recommend the first book of the Ranger Apprentice series by John Flanagan. My boys loved the whole series. I've only read the first one, but really enjoyed it. The Ruins of Gorlan

Also, what about a Jon Walter book? Close to the Wind (about refugees) is amazing, but so is My Name's Not Friday.

Diary of Anne Frank?
Hatchet?

I've never heard of Jon Walter or either book. I'm not thinking they're famous enough. Has anyone else heard of them?

I could def. stand to reread Diary of Anne Frank. Or even Hatchet, but of the two I'd choose the former. Now that's what I call famous.

Oh wait, I just read the rules again. I guess I can't vote for my nominations, or for anything else listed. I've been a very avid reader of MG fiction for four decades, and a parent, so yeah, I've pretty much read everything famous. Anything that fits will probably be a reread for me, that is to say.

I'll gladly discuss whatever gets chosen. :)

I've heard a lot about Watership Down , this might be the nudge I needed!

I haven't heard of Jon Walter, either. I'll have to take a look.

I've seen Watership Down listed as MG lately. When it first came out, I'm pretty sure it was considered adult. I haven't read it in probably 40 years, so can't say for sure.

I'd rather they were books we'd heard of - so Jon Walter can come up in another month if you like.

You can nominate a Famous book you think we should read, but I think if you've read it already you shouldn't vote for it.

Does that make sense?

I think Watership Down may have been written for adults but with PG for kids, but the film always seemed to be for all (like Bambi!)

I would love to reread Watership Down, and I'd say, iirc, that it is ok for upper MG, for good readers who aren't terribly sensitive. I wouldn't be surprised if Adams had hopes from the very beginning that it would be a classic for all ages.

Your voting rule makes sense as I think about it, yes. I'll just abstain, no problem.

I read Watership Down as a middle schooler. My younger son read it as a 5th grader. I suggested it when he started reading Erin Hunter's extremely popular Warrior series, which borrows a lot from Adams. It is similar in tone and subject, except with cats instead of rabbits.

My guys loved the Warriors books, and we enjoyed doing quite a few of them as read-alouds, too.

As I asked for nominations before 26th, I need to check with you:

Are The Ruins of Gorlan, Hatchet and the Warrior series 'famous'?

Any other nominations?

I think all of those would qualify as "famous," at least on our side of the pond : ) The Ranger's Apprentice and Warrior series have had mass market commercial appeal, Hatchet was a Newbery Award winner years ago and is still widely read.

I agree - I think you can put all those in the poll, and then we'll probably have plenty to choose from.

You're right, I haven' t heard of them over this side! I'm wondering if you've heard of Gangsta Granny?

I have NOT heard of Gangsta Granny, but it definitely sounds like something I need to read. Granny's got my vote!

M.G. wrote: "I read Watership Down as a middle schooler. My younger son read it as a 5th grader. I suggested it when he started reading Erin Hunter's extremely popular Warrior series, which borrows..."

I read and loved that at the age of about 11 and went on to read Richard Adams' The Plague Dogs, which wasn't as good. Quite traumatic, as I recall! Reading the Wikipedia entry, I found that Alfred Wainwright drew the maps. He's the one who designed the Coast to Coast walk that crosses England from the Lake District to Yorkshire. I did it a couple of years ago and I'm glad to say that the Plague Dogs never crossed my mind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pla...

OK, I'll close this thread now and put up the poll, a little later than I said, but I've had a few animal problems this week :(