Pay Attention, Carter Jones book review

"This is a sentimental book and has my whole heart." [Katie note: keep the Kleenex handy.]

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Pay Attention, Carter Jones

Recommended by Anonymous

My book is Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt, and the genre is realistic fiction. The book is about a boy named Carter Jones, and on the first day of school, a butler knocks on the door. Turns out, his father, who's in war, sent a butler. The butler quickly helps the Jones family clean up the house and takes them to school in a shiny purple S.U.V. Carter must now figure out how to navigate the complex world of middle school without his father, and with this new strange man in his life, all while dealing with the grief and anger from his past. 

This is a sentimental book and has my whole heart. It’s engaging and will never bore the reader and its warmth will reach out to all of its readers. You’ll find yourself cheering on Carter as he slowly opens to the butler and figure his way through middle school. I love it and rate 11/10!

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

The Benefits of Being an Octopus book review

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Benefits of Being an Octopus

Recommended by Ash/Max

My book is The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden. The book is about a girl named Zoey. Zoey lives with her mom's boyfriend, Lenny, in a trailer situated in a neighborhood full of rich kids. She has to deal with all sorts of issues as well as taking care of Aurora, Bryce and baby Hector. At school, she tries to be invisible and go unnoticed. Unfortunately, her teacher Ms. Rochambeau forces her to join the school debate club. Debate club eventually leads to Zoey seeing things in a different way, like her mom’s relationship, her best friend Fuchsia’s issues, and her own place in the world. 

 I enjoyed The Benefits of Being an Octopus because of its descriptive imagery and underlying messages about the cultural divide and the gun debate. I probably wouldn’t have picked this up and read it, but I’m glad I did. This was overall a pretty good book.

 

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?

Top 5 Favorite Books for Tweens

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Top Five Favorite Books for Tweens

Recommended by Milly 

• Harry Potter- a young boy who finds out he is a wizard and has to save a bunch of people form death 
• New Dragon City- New Dragon City is about a boy and girl who are trying to survive the dragon apocalypse [Prequel, Dawn of the New Dragon, arrives September 2025!]
• Artemis Fowl- a sociopath boy who kidnaps a fairy but regrets it later 
• Sparks- is about two cats with very different personalities pretend to be a dog do they can save the day 
• Front Desk- a girl and her mom move to America and work at a motel to make money with a mean dude

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click #iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

A Snicker of Magic book review

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

A Snicker of Magic

Recommended by Bennett

The book is called A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd and its genre is magic. 

Felicity Juniper Pickle sees words people are thinking or saying and collects the good one’s in her big blue book, but there is one word she has never seen “home”. She never has stayed in one place long enough to call it home, but as she drives with her family to Midnight gulch she hopes it might change. Her mom tells her that she once lived in Midnight gulch, but she tells Felicity that before she was there there was magic. Felicity feels like there just might be a snicker of magic. 

A Snicker of Magic has a good plot starting out by Felicity and her family driving to a town that had magic in it. If you like books that have a fast start to it with magic then you will like A Snicker of Magic. In conclusion I would give this book 7/10.

If you're curious about more books by Natalie Lloyd, read Carina's review of Hummingbird or click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. 

Awesome Fantasy Books

"Dreamslinger is such an awesome book! I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, mythical creatures, and fantasy."

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Fantasy Books

Recommended by Fiona 

• Keepers of the Lost Cities: Awesome book for anyone who likes: Fantasy, romance, and adventure. It’s a little sad at some points, there is a LITTLE bit of death in the series but overall I rate the book/ books series 10/10 

• Casey Grimes: Cool book, it starts with a family of 5 and they eventually travel to a forest of monsters. They live in Silvin woods, helping exterminate the monsters while building friendships. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books, and adventure. I rate this book 8.9/10

• WARRIORS!!!!! Warriors is an amazing book, the series is huge and there are lots of other series just like it but with Pandas, Lions, Dogs and more! It starts in a house(/ twoleg place) with a cat named Rusty. This was my favorite book series for like 2 years and I am still reading the super editions. I rate this series/ book 10/10. 

• Hookey is a really fun book for anyone who likes adventure and fantasy. This is a series of three and it is a graphic novel. Dani and Dorian explore and make friends together in their world. I rate this book 9.5/10 

• Dreamslinger: Such an awesome book! I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, mythical creatures, and fantasy.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click #iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

The Best Books Ever!

"This is such a good book. Once you start reading it you will not be able to put it down. Literally. I sat at my table and didn’t get up until I was finished."

Looking for summer reading recommendations from real, live people? My 5th graders each compiled a #BestBookList, which could have an overall theme or not. You can see all of their recommendations at #BestBookList. For individual book recommendations, check out our  #iLoveMG posts. If you are looking for younger readers, #3rdfor3rd features recommendations from when I taught third grade.

The Best Books Ever!

Recommended by Nathalie 

• Those Kids From Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly: This is such a good book. Once you start reading it you will not be able to put it down. Literally. I sat at my table and didn’t get up until I was finished. Lots of books by Erin Entrada Kelly are good but out of all of them this is my favorite. 

• Dress Coded and The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone: These aren’t two books from a series, but they come one after the other and have the same characters. They are both about issues that need solving, but they are interesting and make you feel like you are one of the people in the book campaigning to make the world a better place. Read this book! 

• City Spies by James Ponti: This series is AMAZING. It is about a family of spies, and it is so sweet but will also keep you hooked. There are so many twists and turns, you have to keep reading because otherwise you will only be able to think about what will come next. You have to read this! 

• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger: This series is so good. It isn’t very realistic, but reading at least the first book is necessary. 

• Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan: This is a great series, and it follows Apollo as a mortal through the U.S. You should read the Percy Jackson series and the Heroes of Olympus first, but after that make sure to read this.

Click here for all of our #BestBooks posts or click28iLoveMG for individual book recommendations. What is your favorite middle grade book for 5th graders?

Hummingbird book review

"I looooooooove this book because it combines the real world with magic." Read on for the full review!

#iLoveMG is my continuing series where I share middle grade books recommended by my fifth graders. (Please note that my fifth graders read a wide variety of books across a wide variety of genres, levels, and topics. Do not think that these books are "only" for fifth graders.) For younger readers, #3rdfor3rd for recommendations from when I taught third grade.

Hummingbird

Recommended by Carina

My book is called Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd and the genre is fantasy. This book is about an eleven-year-old girl named Olive, who has osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) and has been homeschooled her whole life long. When she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Middle School, a traditional school that looks straight out of Olive's favorite fantasy books, she is super excited! Unfortunately, her first day goes… not so well. 

The next day, she hears about a magical hummingbird that can grant wishes, and believes it might solve all her problems. Teaming up with a new friend who also wants to find the magical bird, she starts collecting clues and looking for it, and discovers it is real. 

I looooooooove this book because it combines the real world with magic. I think it’s very well-written (THANK YOU Natalie Lloyd), I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy with a little mystery. I definitely rate this book 5/5 stars because I love both realistic fiction and fantasy (and a little mystery to make things interesting).

Click here for all of our #iLoveMG posts. What are your favorite middle grade books?