My list of favourite middle-grade books was the most difficult one to make! Until the second I hit 'Publish', I kept changing my mind about which books to include. I almost made this top fifteen - it is my blog after all, no one is dictating how many I should have here ... But I restricted myself. And yes, there are at least five more that I want to put here but didn't.The Girl Who Walked on AirThe Girl Who Walked on Air is the perfect combination of adventure, suspense and drama. Louie dreams of becoming the showstopper of the circus, but for some reason, Mr Chipchase never gives her the chance to demonstrate her talent. On the day he does, everything changes, and Louie must demonstrate her courage in more ways than one. From the details of a Victorian circus to the high drama of performance, I enjoyed everything about this book!Charmed Life (Chrestomanci … [Read more...]
Reading, Writing, Dancing
Two weeks ago, I asked the children at my Writers' Club whether they would like to make readers laugh or cry. Three girls said they wanted to make readers laugh. 12 said they wanted to make readers cry. When a few said they would like to do both, those who had already raised their hands dithered.Finally, though, most agreed that making readers cry was more important. This was both surprising and not.Funny books that sparkle with humour are wonderful. Yet, I do know that the books that stay with me are books that make me cry. The best ones do both. I then asked the children what makes them cry in books.These were difficult conversations, by the way, and I was warmed by how much the girls opened up. A 12-year-old is not always comfortable talking about crying in front of a 9-year-old. The fact that they did - and passionately - was lovely.They spoke of happy moments … [Read more...]