I ended 2017 with the last Sue Grafton book to ever be published, Y is for Yesterday. As Grafton passed away earlier this week, Y is her last novel, and reading it was my last chance to read a new Kinsey Milhone mystery.
I went through my list of YA and middle grade books I've enjoyed this past year, and there are plenty of great ones out there to choose from. I also believe that these are great reads for grown-ups, too. One of the perks of YA and middle grade books is that they usually are much faster to get done. For everyone who feels like they can't commit time to reading, I'd start with YA literature.
1. The Someday Birds by Sally J Pla - a road trip, a protagonist who needs an organized and structured life, a father who is recovering from wounds he received in Afghanistan, and a little birdwatching are all intertwined nicely in this middle grade novel.
2. When Dimple Met Rishi- by Sandhya Menon - I love a good teen romance. Despite the fact that Dimple has no interest in Rishi or her parents desire to arrange a relationship with him, Rishi proves to be a really nice. guy. I can't wait for Menon's book about Rishi's brother that will be published in 2018.
3. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling- Aven is a hilarious narrator, and also armless having been born without them. Aven has always lived in the same place and people understand and accept her for who she is. So when her parents uproot the family and move to Arizona where they are managing a run-down Western themed amusement park, Aven has to start making friends from scratch and face the stares and questions from people who don't know her.
4. 14 Hollow Road by Jenn Bishop -Maddie is excited about the sixth grade dance and getting to dance with Avery, a boy she is friends with. However, things don't turn out at all how Maddie thinks. Not only does Avery not dance with her, but the kids are all stuck in the gym during a power outage- and what they later learn was a tornado. Both Maddie and Avery's houses were destroyed and Maddie and her family have to live with some neighbors as they make a plan for the future.
5. The Perfect Score by Rob Buyea - Buyea's Mr. Terupt series has been a hit at my school and with my daughters. This is a new cast of characters, but Buyea writes another school story -something he does well - told by multiple narrators, that focuses on the school's upcoming standardized tests.
6. What To Say Next by Julie Buxbaum - Kit and David narrate this novel. They seem unlikely friends, but after Kit's dad's death, she doesn't feel like she fits in with her girlfriends anymore, and she appreciates David's bluntness and honesty. This is a nice little romance as well as a book that deals with grief and loss.
7. From the Tree - three teens are reunited as they realize they are biological siblings. Two have been adopted, while the third spent his life in the foster care system. All have problems they struggle with, but their newfound relationship to each other provides support they need and a way to come to terms with their past.
8. All Three Stooges by Erica Perl - Perl always pleasantly surprises me. I don't know how she is able to convey such important messages to middle grade readers without seeming preachy, but every book I have read by her manages this so well. Noah and Dash are best friends who enjoy comedy. They are also preparing for their bar mitzvahs. The death of Dash's dad changes the friendship as Dash shuts Noah out and Noah takes some less than ethical steps to get his friend back.
9. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - this is probably on every list of 2017. It's a must read. However, I will say that the language may turn some people off. I hope readers can see that this story is so much more than that. Starr lives in a poor neighborhood while attending an expensive private school. She manages to navigate between two worlds with ease, yet when a friend is killed by a policeman while she is a passenger in the car, her world is forever changed and she is forced to tell everyone what really happened that night.
10. Until Tomorrow Mr. Marsworth by Sheila O'Connor- an epistolary novel, Reenie and her brothers move in with their grandmother after their mother's death. Their father is off looking for work and everyone is trying to earn money to send Reenie's brother to college and out of Vietnam. Reenie starts writing to one of her customers on her paper route, a Mr. Marsworth, who she doesn't ever meet, but who knew both of her parents, and turns out to be one of the best friends Reenie has.
And a few others that are definitely worth a mention:
1. Lemons by Melissa Savage
2. Restart by Gordon Korman
3. Lily's Mountain by Hannah Moderow
4. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
5. I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
Hopefully one or two (or maybe all) of these blurbs pique your interest enough for you to make a visit to your library or spend some money at your local book store.
My list of books I'm looking for in 2018 continues to grow, so check back often to see what I've been reading.
1 comment:
The Hate U Give is on many lists. I wanted to read it last year but after reading Small Great Things I couldn't handle another 'racial' book. I will get to it this year.
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