Friday, January 6, 2012

Some Middle Grade "Sleepers" of 2011




We all know and hear about releases like Wildwood, The 39 Clues, Beyonders, The Penderwicks, The Dork Diaries, Big Nate, anything by Rick Riordan and all of the Wimpy Kid books. There are other books, maybe just as good, that for one reason or another we don't hear much about. These are some of my favorite "quiet" hits of 2011.

The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter by Frank Cole

Amber never dreamed her archaeology class would turn into a top secret mission that would take her across the globe, but when her teacher goes missing, Amber realizes it's up to her to protect the Hidden Scepter or risk unleashing an ancient power too terrifying to imagine. This guaranteed page-turner from the bestselling author of the Hashbrown Winters series is perfect for the adventurer in your family.


The Atomic Weight of Secrets by Eden Unger Bowditch

In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world's most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had. But all that changed the day the men in black arrived. An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Mysterious Men in Black, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy, is a truly original novel.


Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick

When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated—-until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on a mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.


In the Forests of the Night (Goblin Wars #2) by Kersten Hamilton


The battle against goblinkind continues... but which side will Teagan be on? Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.


The Last Martin by Jonathon Friesen

There's always a Martin. One Martin. Martin Boyle already has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is always off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Martin really doesn't need this curse hanging over his head: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And---just his luck---Martin's aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin.


Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller
 
From the horrible orphanage at the center of the earth to his untamed red hair, Calvin Comet Cobble's life is out of his control. But when he meets Mr. E, who can skip a stone clear across Lake Arctic, everything about Cal's life changes. Told with wit and humor, this book is guaranteed to charm readers of all ages.
When you get the chance, I hope you'll give a few of these a try. 
Let me know if you do! 
They are all wonderful MG stories.

25 comments:

  1. I really want to read In The Forests of the Night. Thanks for reminding me.

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  2. This is such valuable info, because my ten-year-old got a Kindle Fire for Christmas! Thanks, Shannon.

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  3. I am so glad you posted some of these! I've been looking to get back into my MG reading!!

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  4. This one sounds AWESOME --> Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Hueller. Not to mention the cover art really had me too! I haven't read an MG in awhile but I think it's about time I start. Thank you for creating the quiet list... it's such a fabulous idea!

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  5. Shannon, these sound terrific. The Atomic Weight of Secrets has just moved to the top of my TBR list.

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  6. I'm going to check these out. Our school is looking for new middle grade titles for our weekly book club. Thanks for the recommendations!

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  7. Shannon, thanks so much for posting this! I LOVE giving attention to great books that not many have heard of...yet! This is a great list and I'm thrilled to read them all!

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  8. Great job, Shannon. I'll be chasing down these not-so-famous books.

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  9. Well done Shannon. The Deadman's Treasure book looks great. I'll take a closer look.

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  10. Thank you so much for posting this! They're all going on my TBR list, but I especially like the sound of The Last Martin. Really great stuff!

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  11. You're always able to find those hidden gems. The Last Martin really perked my interest; I'll be adding that to my list of library requests.
    Catherine Denton

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  12. WHAT? I haven't heard of any of these, and they all sound fabulous. The ATOMIC WEIGHT is one I want to read RIGHT NOW, but I'm adding them all to my list. Thanks for the heads up, Shannon!

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  13. Wow. Those are AWESOME Sharron! Totally putting some of those on my list. ;)

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  14. I was just looking for new books for my daughter, so thanks for posting this! Off to buy online!

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  15. Thank you for the list! I like hearing about good books that deserve a little more attention. :)

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  16. Thanks for the list. My daughter is finally getting into these kinds of books, so this will be a great reference.

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  17. I have the Last Martin in my tbr pile. I'm reading Clean by Amy Reed right now. It's a YA. Yellow Star is next on my list....But Last Martin is something I wanted to read ever since I heard about it. :)

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  18. I can't wait to read The Atomic Weight of Secrets--sounds deliciously awesome! Thanks for letting us know about these books!

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  19. I haven't heard of any of these! I am a slacker when it comes to MG...

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  20. I'm so glad you're here at Project Mayhem, you always have amazing picks. I'm drooling over The Dead Man's Treasure.

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  21. I hadn't heard of these either, and they do look good. What I find interesting is that the publisher for a couple of them is Cedar Fort, which was the publisher of James Dashner's first book (his Jimmy Fincher series). He actually paid some of his own money to publish that first book. Look how far he has come. Maybe these authors will follow his path. Great post, Shannon.

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  22. They were sleepers. I've only heard of one. Hugs and happy weekend!!! :O)

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  23. Thank you adorable Shannon for the intro to these wonderful magical exciting and ever so fabulous books!! I think the Atomic Weight of Secrets has the most scrummiest book cover and title ever! Take care
    x

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  24. Yes on the Atomic Weight of Secrets! So cool. And. Do you know. I have not read any of the others? Must fix that! Thanks for sharing these, Shannon.

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!