#middle grade lit

[kaykedrawsthings]

My new graphic novel Break is available for pre-order! And I’m doing special signed and personalized pre-orders through Oblong Books. 

Break is the 6th book in the Click series following the adventures of Olive and her friends.

Summary: 

Spring Break is full of possibilities…but not for Olive.

This year, Olive is leaving her friends and all of their exciting vacation plans behind to visit her dad at his new apartment in the city.

Goober is thrilled to spend a whole week with their father and has a long list of activities for their time together. Olive, on the other hand, still remembers the hurt of their dad moving halfway across the world. She would rather spend time with her friend Bree or scrolling through her new phone to keep up with everything she’s missing back home than catch up with him.

As the week winds on, the normally easygoing Olive finds feelings of loneliness and resentment throwing her out of whack. Is there any hope of salvaging the visit—or will Olive’s Spring Break be a Spring Bust?

Color by Jess Lome Lettering by Lor Prescott

[authorclaribelortega]

Witchlings Coven Houses: Moth House

Motto: Mysterious, Morbid, Dependable friends  

House colors – Black and Grey

House gem – Obsidian

​

In touch with their emotions and with special insight into the other side, Moth House members are sensitive and obsessed with all things ghostly. These chaotic good witches will bake you a delicious cake in the shape of a casket to celebrate a special occasion, hold your hand and cry with you in a cemetery you if you’re feeling sad, or help you hex your bully. Once they’ve let you in their life, they will do anything for you, so long as that doesn’t include their greatest fear: because while they might not be afraid of death, public speaking is their one true nightmare. They are great listeners but do not open up often, choosing to keep their own problems to themselves. Their closed off nature can sometimes lead to them losing their temper. It takes a long time for them to reach their limit but if they’re wronged one too many times, they do not forgive easily. Moth House members love to express themselves by writing, and excel at writing stories, poems or even songs. These witches are curious about the afterlife and often have ghost companions as they’re able to earn their trust a lot easier than other witches can. With one foot in this world and one foot in the other, Moth House members get easily distracted and daydream often. Their taste in clothing and media aligns with their house traits and Moth House members love to listen to moody music, wear all black, and scare themselves with horror films. Moth House members are a tight knit group that tends to keep to themselves but with time, can be welcoming of other coven members, especially if they’re being ostracized. 

Strengths: 

Patient 

Trust-worthy 

Sensitive​

Professions: Moth House members most often go on to become authors, musicians, undertakers, university professors or ghost liaisons. Cemetery maintenance is also a favored career path. 

Fun fact: Great at baking, you can almost always smell something delicious being made if you walk past this Coven House.

Are you in Moth House? Would you be happy being sorted there?

Moth House art by Lissy Marlin

[radedneko]

It was nothing like her own Wood. She had never entered Noc Forest; people got lost there all the time. There were tales about bandits, about children eaten by wolves. Mother said they weren't true, but it was easy to believe. The few paths were winding and twisted, and the trees pressed together, blocking what little light came from the setting sun. A moment after they'd stepped off the lane, they were in darkness.

~Goblin Market by Diane Zahler

[wizard-legs]

Another sun sprite/solar flairy!! Cannot get enough of these little fellas.

[kelseykingillustration]

You walk through one portal on a school field trip and now you're responsible for the fate of a magical kingdom. I hate it when that happens.

[deitybird]

jason would get so annoyed when someone (probably dick or tim) is watching a show like bridgerton and comments on their language by saying it's old English but he keeps it in because he's trying to be a better brother...

only to snap when they KEEP doing it and he's like, "NO. NO, IDIOT. IT'S NOT OLD ENGLISH! IT'S A MORE FORMAL ENGLISH! CLOSE TO EARLY MODERN ENGLISH, PROBABLY! JUST LIKE FUCKING SHAKESPEARE!" and said sibling (again, probably dick or tim) is just like, "wow, jay. you care a lot about english." and jason stares at them unblinkingly before storming out.

[libraryspectre]

I'm of the belief that horror for children doesn't need to be (and often isn't) less scary than horror for adults. Like any other genre, it's more about handling topics in a child-appropriate way, and maybe addressing fears that are more relevant to children than they are to adults. Horror for children can often hit just as hard as an adult, especially if you're an adult that strongly remembers what it was like to be a kid.

Take The Nest by Kenneth Oppel as an example (spoilers ahead). The main character is a young boy who has a newborn brother. There's something unspecified wrong with the baby - all he knows is that the house is tense, his parents are crying a lot, and making a lot of trips to the hospital. He's visited in his dreams by angels who offer to "fix' the baby, and he accepts, only to learn that these angels are actually wasps who are planning to eat the baby and replace him with a replica they're building in their nest. He tries to take back the offer, but the wasps don't understand why he wouldn't want a new, perfect brother to replace his sick one. In the climatic scene he's huddled in the bathroom with his baby brother as millions of wasps swarm the house.

That book is TERRIFYING. I read it at 25 and felt like my throat was closing up at some parts. Despite this, its intended audience is 8-12 year olds. Many of the fears are more relevant to children - feeling helpless in an adult world, adults not giving you complete information, a sibling taking up all of your parents' attention and energy. But this is also a book about eugenics, even if it never says so explicitly. It's a good introduction to the concept in a way kids can relate to and understand, but it's not any less horrifying as an adult. It features other things that are scary at any age, like swarms of insects, someone you love being replaced by a copy, and the extremely creepy idea that a human child could be born from a wasp nest.

That's why I love reading middle-grade horror in particular! It's a chance to reconnect with childhood fear, and the balancing act of handling serious topics in a child-appropriate way is fascinating to me. Oftentimes horror for this age group is very inventive, because there are common tropes and content that's off-limits. And every once in awhile I find something that is genuinely scary at any age. I love that.

[jjngipilled]

the boy is HOMEEEE ignore old plushies my bookshelf is a mess rn. why does he look so sad

[mando-abs]

Guys, I’ve read the Wild Robot

And let me tell you, if I hadn’t recently taken a Children’s Literature class in college, I would’ve said this was the best middle-grade book I’ve read since elementary/middle school. I almost read this book in one night (I was sleepy 😴) like I couldn’t put it down.

The heart behind this book is astounding and it never shies away from showing complex and difficult concepts. You will fall in love with Roz and her gosling son along with all of the other animal on the island.

If you’ve got younger ones, I highly recommend reading this to them or having a little book club moment with them. However, be prepared for whatever hard questions may come your way (i.e. circle of life and climate issues). You know your child and how much they can handle/understand. If you’re like me and much older, it’s a quick read and a great way to finish off a long day. It’s a part of a trilogy and you bet I’m patiently waiting for my hold on a copy at the library.

If the movie is anything like the book (which, given a rewatch of the trailer, it’s looking like so), we are in for a special treat.

[mega-banette]

Thinking about the order of the roll call. Specifically how Swan is last and is said to have everyone else’s backs…

[radedneko]

She knew Aunt Teri loved her. She said so in all the birthday cards she sent, always with a crisp five-dollar bill tucked inside. But was it possible her aunt didn't like her? And was this how it was for Frankie at home?

~Frankie & Bug by Gayle Forman

[adamsvanrhijn]

still not fully here but wanted to say my bones are better now and i do not need surgery <3 (still in a lot of pain but. i can move forward now!!)

and with my new lease on life i have decided i am going to close read a bunch of high school level english-language literature by the time of my birthday in like less than a month and a half because i dropped out and it is long past time i gain an adult understanding of the broader canon and it's still. really weird that i have not fully read the great gatsby. like you'd think at least in the last 5 years i would have picked it up you know

SO if you still remember novels and short stories you read in english in a high school class, especially if they are public domain, i would appreciate inbox recommendations.. and then i can make a little list of stuff i did actually read in high school and stuff i want to read now. and then get to it.

[wizard-legs]

As a wee bairn I learned that meerkats use their tail as a “third leg” for extra support when standing on their hind legs, and that fun fact has never left my mind

[kelseykingillustration]

Crossing the stream

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

if you read adult lit I need to recommend N.K. Jemisin's absolutely brilliant The Broken Earth trilogy. It is fantasy/sci fi and is about a futuristic earth which is battered by storms due to some celestial goings-on. The characters are amazing and the worldbuilding just as much.

Hi anon! Missed your asks :D

I don't typically read adult lit (again, a middle-grade fan) but I'll definately check this out! Finally, a book rec I haven't seen on Booktok. All my friends either don't read or read Booktok stuff. The premise is seriously cool, and I love me some fantasy/sci fi.

I wish I had adult lit recs, but unfortunately I don't. However, if you're into middle grade, Momo Arashima is a seriously underrated series that just hits the spot. I don't love YA at all (seriously. Such a YA hater) but Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is truly a masterpiece and deserves all the love and more. It's about two desi girls who fake date for different reasons: Hani, to prove to her friends that she's bisexual (her friends are assholes who don't believe her). And Ishu to become more popular to be voted headgirl (to please her parents). It deals with themes of racism and parental abandonment and queerphobia in such a nuanced, refreshing light. I know that YA can be so bad sometimes, but this book (and another other by Adiba Jaigirdar) is seriously nuanced, well paced and heartfelt.

[libraryspectre]

After my post regarding middle-grade horror that hits as an adult, I dug through my goodreads to find some recommendations. I won't promise that all of these will scare you, but imo they're an interesting read at any age. See the original post for my argument on that!

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel - I already covered this in the last post, so I'm not gonna repeat myself. It's definitely the book on this list that got the most genuine scare out of me.

The Small Spaces Quartet by Katherine Arden - each book covers a different seasonal-centric horror, starting with Fall and ending with Summer, and if you've read The Bear and the Nightengale trilogy you know how well Arden writes for a season. I think the first and last books are the best, but they're all worth reading - fun, inventive, with a few moments that genuinely creeped me out.

Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell - I read this in college so my memory is a little hazy, but good grief there are some moments in this that have stuck with me, especially pertaining to one character's phobia of bones. I just saw there's a sequel, that's going on my list.

Took by Mary Downing Hahn - you could probably read anything by her and it would hit. She was my absolute favorite as a kid, but I'm recommending Took because it came out when I was in college. Hahn was probably my introduction to horror that is really about real-life issues - the kids in her books are usually going through something that they will face along with the scary stuff.

The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy - children's horror does tend to shy away from less-than-happy endings, but not this book, and that distinguishes it in my mind, although that's probably addressed in the sequel. Very spooky and atmospheric, and, fun fact, written by a member of the Decemberists.

Nightbooks by J.A. White - if you were a spooky kid and made to feel bad about it, or ever felt weird for enjoying horror in general, this book is for you.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Harmon - this really deals with some rough subjects from a child's perspective. I wanted to give all these kids a hug. Also very inventive. I hear there's a sequel and it's on my list!