I read many, many middle grade books last year, but somehow just one Indian book stands out this time! Here are my top ten, in no particular order. I highly recommend these books to readers ten and above! The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) Last year, I read many books in verse, primarily because that's what I've been writing. My most recent middle-grade verse read was The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat. It's a richly woven book about family and a support system. I always find verse novels to be pacy reads, but this one was even more so because it has multiple secrets at its core, secrets that the reader is curious to uncover. It's a story about stories, and I love how all the stories come together at the end. Book review Odder Odder by Katherine Applegate is the second … [Read more...]
Odder
I love Katherine Applegate, and I've been meaning to read Odder ever since it came out. Finally, I borrowed it from Kahaani Box and devoured it. It's such a lovely book!Odder is the story of a sea otter, an irrepressible character, who swirls and dances and leaps out of the pages. She is larger than life, curious, trusting and altogether a delight.And that's what brings me to what I love most about Katherine Applegate's books - voice. Read The One and Only Ivan, and you hear the voice of the gorilla. Read Crenshaw and you can see both boy and giant cat. Recently, I reread The One and Only Bob, and was amazed at how Bob's voice rings true right through the story - cocky, confident, brave and silly.And finally, I come to Odder, a middle-grade novel in free verse. We see Odder on every page, and her unique worldview makes me shake my head in wonder. Glass, for instance, would … [Read more...]