Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that were published in 2014 and are celebrating their 10th birthday! I do not know what was in the water, air, or universe that year but there were so many amazing titles and authors to come out of that year of publishing that books we read today are still inspired by those groundbreaking works. Many have been adapted into movies and shows we were clamoring to see in the theaters since 2014 and some titles we are still talking about and recommending to others. There is a mixture of stand alone titles as well as firsts in a series to fantasy, realistic, mystery, and a bit of humor These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youth10years as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new middle grade book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm--Ellie's scientist grandfather has discovered a way to reverse aging, and consequently has turned into a teenager--which makes for complicated relationships when he moves in with Ellie and her mother, his daughter.
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin--Twelve-year-old Rose Howard, who is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, finds refuge from her difficult home life and the teasing she endures at school in homonyms and spending time with her dog Rain. But when Rain is lost during a thunderstorm and then later recovered, Rose learns that Rain has a microchip identifying her as someone else’s dog. Propelled by an unrelenting drive to comply with rules, Rose sets out to locate Rain’s owners and give Rain back to them, despite the anguish that relinquishing her beloved dog will cause Rose.
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel--When Will's father saves the Canadian Pacific Railway's president from an avalanche and is made a railway executive, Will's quiet life changes forever. Invited to ride on the maiden voyage of The Boundless, a massive train of nearly 1,000 cars, Will meets Maren, a beautiful young circus performer in the employ of enigmatic Mr. Dorian, whose circus has cars of its own riding along with The Boundless. Also in the mammoth train is a vault-like mausoleum car, carrying precious treasures. Will ends up in possession of this car's key—and thus comes into the sights of bandits seeking to rob the train. Will, Maren and other new friends must work together if they want to save The Boundless.
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord--After moving to a small cottage in New Hampshire, 12-year-old Lucy Emery is left to her own devices when her photographer father leaves on another assignment. Lucy, a photographer herself, signs up for a local youth photography contest her father will be judging. Over the course of the summer, Lucy searches for subjects to capture with her lens, and ends up forging a friendship with her new neighbor, Nate. Nate is dealing with his own familial issues, particularly an aging grandmother deep in the throes of dementia. When Lucy takes a moving picture of his grandmother that she knows would do well in the contest, she struggles over whether to submit it and how to help Nate through this difficult time.
Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff--It's kind of a bummer when you're not the best at anything—and 10-year-old half-Korean Albie definitely has that feeling when he switches schools and finds himself not only the target of a bully, but a student in need of a tutor due to his struggles with spelling and math. Luckily, Albie's tutor turns out to be Calista, an awesome college student and artist who thinks Albie is pretty cool just the way he is. With someone to believe in him and show him that following the crowd doesn't always take you where you want to go, Albie begins to come into his own.
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull--It was just supposed to be a fun time at a haunted house on Halloween. Sixth-grader Cole Randolph thought he could get to know Jenna Hunt a little better, too. Instead, something terrible happens—Cole and his friends are whisked into a portal beneath the house to The Outskirts, a realm between dreams and reality, life and death, made up of five warring kingdoms of floating castles. Made to work for ruthless overlords, Cole feels terrible for getting his friends into this mess and vows to rescue them and find a way back home.