Thanks to my book clubs, I read so many chapter books and early middle grade books in 2021! Of the 30-40 I read, here are nine books that stood out to me. I’ve shared most of them with my enthusiastic young book clubbers, and the review link will take you to activities that you can do with the book. As there are so many books, I decided not to include those I reread last year, sticking only to those I read for the first time in 2021.
Muggie Maggie
This one is such a delight that I’ve held on to my copy of it, in the hope that one day soon, bookstores will let me know that it is back in stock and I can introduce it to my book clubbers.
Maggie is determined not to learn cursive. Unfortunately, her teacher has other plans: sneaky, ingenious plans. I love fictional teachers like her! In some ways, Maggie reminds me of Dick King-Smith’s Sophie. She has the same stubbornness and the same kind of lovability!
Sandy to the Rescue
Sandy to the Rescue is one of my favourite hOle books. I enjoyed reading it, and we loved playing with it at my book club. The illustrations are delightful too, making the story come alive.
Would you be able to sneak a friend into your house and hide them from your parents? And how long would you be able to keep your friend secret? Sandy, aka Sandip, has no choice but to find out when he decides to rescue Aftab from the witch next door!
Lucky Girl
Lucky Girl is another delightful hOle book about an enterprising young girl who is a-l-m-o-s-t overshadowed by a more confident friend. Sumi’s friend Priya is a proper writer. She uses big words, and she uses them well. So, of course, Priya is the one who should write a poem for Sumi to send for a competition she cannot afford to lose. But when Sumi loses Priya’s poem, she must create one of her own–and fast!
Maya in a Mess
I did read the first book about Maya, Maya Saves the Day, too, but Maya in a Mess was so much more fun that this we read this one at my book club. Maya has been given a serious responsibility, one that cannot be taken lightly. She is the cupboard monitor, and she MUST NOT LOSE THE KEY! You can guess what happens next, but where the loss of the key leads is what makes this story a mad, fun read.
A Pinch of Magic
I was thrilled to learn that Asha Nehemiah had written a sequel to Trouble with Magic, which we read at my very first reading programme! A Pinch of Magic is the perfect example of how the tiniest problem can make for a hilarious, exciting story.
Aunt Malu’s pinching spoon is broken. It’s time for the aunt-niece duo to go on another adventure, all in search of the perfect pinching spoon!
At Least a Fish
Humour is so difficult to write! At my book club, there were several children who didn’t quite understand the humour in At Least a Fish. One boy, fed up with the lacklustre response from the others, unmuted his mic and cried out, ‘This is soooo funny!’
And yes, I agree, it is a mad, funny book – so much so that I wanted to read the sequel at another edition of my book club, only to be told that the book is out of stock! Why do books we love disappear? Someday, I hope to read the other two in the series. Until then, I’m glad I have a copy of this one!
The Absent Author
Some of the children at my book club loved The Absent Author so much that they read every other book in the series that they could get their hands on! Books like The Absent Author make me wonder what it is that makes a story timeless. The A to Z Mysteries are among the oldest books we’ve read at my book club, yet it remains one of the most popular. Of course, it does help that there’s a whole series, and children love series, but there’s something engaging about the books themselves, something that prevents the story from feeling outdated.
As the children in the story were investigating the mystery, one of the children at my book club asked, ‘Why don’t they just look at the CCTV camera screen?’ I explained that CCTV cameras, even if they existed, certainly weren’t popular when the book was written. He was astounded, but even details like that didn’t prevent the children from enjoying the book thoroughly!
Amelia Bedelia Means Business
To be honest, I was surprised at how much the children at my reading programme enjoyed Amelia Bedelia Means Business. It’s a book that’s full of idioms, and I did wonder if it would fail because so many of the children weren’t even familiar with the idioms. Yet, Amelia wins hearts. She’s funny, serious, and determined, making her the perfect protagonist to laugh with. We read about how she meets her father halfway, waits for someone to show her the ropes, steps on a pie, wonders if she can cut the mustard … The book is a treat from start to finish!
Friends Behind Walls
Friends Behind Walls is a gorgeous book, peopled with characters that leap off the pages. Even though the children struggled to read about Tekdichi Mhatari and her unfamiliar words, we loved the book. We discussed what people should and could do after they have a disagreement, made kangaroo words … but more, we enjoyed reading the story!
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