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Middle Grade Book Spotlight--Elyse's Favorites (Part 1)!!!

Our middle grade book spotlight this week is on books that are some of my all time favorites!!! These are the books that kept me reading till 3:00 in the morning, left me speechless and filled with emotions (including some crying on the couch), wanting to talk about it with someone instantly, and then telling everyone else they have to read it!  Some of these books are standalone titles while a few start a series; this was such a hard list to make.  These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #elyse’sfavorites 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 Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick--Twelve-year-old orphan Hugo lives secretly in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930s. After his father died, Hugo became obsessed with fixing up an old automaton (human-like figure sitting at a desk with a pen in hand) believing it will write a message from his father that could save his life. While stealing repair parts, Hugo has a run-in with an elderly shop owner and his goddaughter, Isabelle, who joins Hugo on his mission to solve the mysteries of the automaton. 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine--At her birth, Ella of Frell receives a foolish fairy's gift--the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order, whether it's to hop on one foot for a day and a half, or to chop off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not accept her fate...Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse forever.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare--Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.

Savvy by Ingrid Law--Each member of the Beaumont family, except for Papa (he married into the family), acquires a supernatural talent (“savvy”) on his or her 13th birthday. With her 13th birthday quickly approaching, Mibs is excited to find out what her savvy will be. Will she be able to move mountains like Grandpa Bomba or travel through time via a sneeze like Great Aunt Jules? To her disappointment, Mibs is blessed with telepathy, but she soon finds out how important her talent is when a horrible accident lands Papa in the ICU of the hospital.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin--This highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. They could become millionaires-it all depends on how they play the tricky and dangerous Westing game, a game involving blizzards, burglaries, and bombings! 

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander--Read about the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli—all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain.