Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Outside YA

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is...

Outside YA!

Today, we are supposed to highlight books we don't usually feature. WLABB was started as a YA blog, and I try to stay true to the founding bloggers vision by featuring mostly YA books. But, I do read outside of YA, and I have encountered some real gems, which I want to scream about. Without further ado, here are some brilliant middle grades books I have read, in the recent past, which deserve some of my love.

Favorite middle grades book?
Let us know in the comments!

48 comments:

  1. Sorry, I don't read middle grade books so I can't recommend any! I must say that the choice of reading for kids of all ages has really improved and I'd be reading a lot of them if I was a kid using the library!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MG books are talking on any and all issues these days, and I tend to like the treatment of the subjects better, than books for older readers. They have really impressed me, time and time again

      Delete
  2. I love that you feature so many middle grade books. I have really been enjoying the genre so much lately too. I really want to read Roll With It! One of my favourites is Out of My Mind by Sharon M Draper and it has brilliant disability rep as well, so I would really recommend it too <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just borrowed the audiobook for Out of My Mind. Sounds fantastic and it comes with your seal of approval, so, I'm in.

      Delete
  3. I don't read a ton of middle grade, but I just read Ella Enchanted for the first time and it was so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved Lightning Girl! I still need to read the cactus book. It gets really good reviews.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lightning Girl was superb, and I am so glad I read the Aven Green books (aka cactus books). I had seen Shannon talk about reading it with her daughter, and then when she mentioned the sequel crosses over into YA, I had to take a look. Absolutely beautiful story of friendship, family, and it made me so warm and fuzzy.

      Delete
  5. I think the only middle grade book I've read (since actually being in middle grade LOL) is Wonder. And you know you're the reason I read that one. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you had to pick one, you picked an incredible one. I am adding Cactus to the list with Wonder and Flipped for wow-that-made-me-feel-good. So much wholesome goodness in those books, but also gentle commentaries on being kind and decent.

      Delete
  6. I enjoy middle grade books. Joshua and the Lightning Road is a fun one. As were The Boy Who Swallows Flies and Argos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So he can see the memories of the bugs he eats? Reminds me of what Liv could do in iZombie, when she ate brains.

      Delete
  7. These look really cute. I haven't read any of these. My boy loves Lauren Magaziner who writes MG.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read any of Magaziner's books, but the Case Closed series looks great.

      Delete
  8. I will definitely keep these in mind for my middle grade reading with my middle grader :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These are feelie stories, so I hope your MGer likes that

      Delete
  9. While I don't really read this genre, I love the idea of promoting the outdoors, especially when we have to stay home!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always wonder what sort of interests I would have had I not been born and raised in a city. Would I be more outdoorsy? I guess those summers upstate weren't enough to make me love doing things outdoors, though I appreciate the beauty.

      Delete
  10. I haven't read ANY of these! But, I really appreciate bloggers giving me new recs that I haven't read before! Thanks, Sam!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't read a boatload of middle grades, but they have such a fantastic selection out there. When I want something guaranteed to warm my heart, I grab a MG book. They always do the job

      Delete
  11. i don't read a lot of middle grade, but do some. the cactus book looks like fun
    sherry @ fundinmental

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The cactus book is about Aven, who was born with no arms, and was adopted by her parents, when she was two. She talks a lot about how she does things without arms, but also deals with average pre-teen issues. She is a fantastic character, and I am so glad I met her.

      Delete
  12. Very nice! I have to say that these are all new to me ones. I seemed to have skipped middle grade books in my youth. I don't think middle grade was as developed back then, YA was just a tiny thing too! Lol.


    Here's my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I read more classic children's lit back when I was actually a child. A lot of Beverly Clearly and Judy Blume too.

      Delete
  13. I'm going to write these down for my middle grader. I don't think she's read any of these yet!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't read any of these but I do love the cover of What Comes Up! Sometimes middle grade covers are so gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What Comes Up was so cute. It featured an girl with albinism, which is not too common in middle grades too

      Delete
  15. I don't usually read middle grade books but I'm always on the lookout for good ones for my son. I see a few on your list that I think he would enjoy. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I only have one on the list with a male MC, but it was probably one of my favorites.

      Delete
  16. I've really liked what I've read from Ashley Herring Blake so I'll have to add that one to my tbr. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Her middle grades books are phenomenal. I loved Ivy Aberdeen too. I have read two of her YA, and they were great too.

      Delete
  17. whenever you post about something that isn't YA, I always pay close attention bc I know you don't often do so -- and these titles look fanastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the blog having a focus, but sometimes I want to share some of the other stuff I read too.

      Delete
  18. Thanks for the reminder for The Mighty Heart of Summer St. James. I absolutely adored Ivy Aberdeen's Letter tot he World.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved Ivy too, but I think I liked Sunny a wee bit more. Hope you get to read it

      Delete
  19. I thought you would feature romance or ....Sam! LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feature more romance than MG on the blog. I post at least two romance reviews a month, so my MG shelf seemed more neglected to me

      Delete
  20. Several of these are on my TBR, but I haven't read them yet! Like you, I started out only reading YA (when I had my first book blog in college), but my tastes have changed/expanded over the years! Now I read a ton of different genres. :)

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 😷💬

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have always read adult and YA, but MG was a newer for me (except for when I was actually a middle grader). My daughter pushed the Percy Jackson books on me, and I was convinced to give MG a try. I do pretty much stick to contemporaries, as I do across all age groups though

      Delete
  21. I've only read one of these!!! And now my TBR is HUGE! (Good job)

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah! I hope you find some gems in the list for yourself.

      Delete
  22. I have come to really appreciate a well done middle grade book. I haven't read any of these books but I will have to keep them in mind of the future.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think middle grades authors are killing it. For me, these books are reminders to be kind, compassionate, and empathetic. They tend to do "issues" books really well too.

      Delete
  23. I haven't heard of any of these before but I love the title of "Insignificant Events In The Life of A Cactus."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shannon got me to read that book. She had talked about it a while back, and then recently mentioned the YA sequel. It's such a wonderful duet. Aven's voice was incredible, and I loved learning about her and all the ways she adapts everyday tasks.

      Delete
  24. I love MG books, but I actually haven't read ANY of these. Crazy. I'm going to add a bunch of these to my TBR list. Thanks for the recs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah! I hope you get to read a few, and I look forward to your thoughts

      Delete