Our middle grade book spotlight this week is all about titles that feature food and sweets!!! If you have a sweet tooth (no matter how big or small), there is something just incredible when that can be transferred to something we read as well and that is exactly what these books do; they will have you wishing that you could enter a candy making contest or be able to go to a candy shop which gives you special and magic powers depending on what you eat. We have an amazing combination of humor, realistic, fantasy, and even some nonfiction this week! These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #youthlandofsugar 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 Candymakers by Wendy Mass--When four children are selected to compete in a national candymaking contest, they soon become aware that things are not what they seem and find themselves in a world of surprises and suspense.
Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood--Twelve-year-old Rose Bliss wants to work magic in her family's bakery as her parents do, but when they are called away and Rose and her siblings are left in charge, the magic goes awry and a beautiful stranger tries to talk Rose into giving her the Bliss Cookery Booke.
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd--Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, is a mere shell of what it once was. It used to be a center for magical activity, now it looks like any other town—but that doesn't stop Felicity Juniper Pickle from falling in love with it shortly after she moves there. Befriending a local boy, Jonah, Felicity adjusts to her new life and discovers the hidden secrets that make the town unique. Along the way, Felicity and Jonah become wrapped up in a secret mission that may allow them to restore the town's magical nature—but only if they can find a way to deal with a curse that may be tied to Felicity's family history.
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull--When fifth-graders Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon meet the owner of the new candy store in town and are given a magical candy that endows them with super powers, they find that along with its benefits there are also dangerous consequences.
Pie In the Sky by Remy Lai--Knowing very little English, eleven-year-old Jingwen feels like an alien when his family immigrates to Australia, but he copes with loneliness and the loss of his father by baking elaborate cakes.
Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell--In 1948, amidst the ongoing Berlin Airlift, pilot Gail Halvorsen decided to spend some time in Berlin to learn more about the region where he delivered goods. While there, he met a handful of children and promised to bring them candy and gum during his next journey over the city. Historical background information provides the explanation for these airdrops, while the main text focuses on the young German people and their reaction to the “chocolate pilot.” A final portion chronicles Halvorsen's military career and his meetings with the children who received his candy. Black-and-white photographs, many belonging to Halvorsen himself, are included on nearly every page.