A Big Guy Took My Ball

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

The story is about a Piggie finding a big ball and a big guy taking it from him. Gerald, the elephant, gets upset that someone as big as him has all the fun and attempts to take the ball back. He then finds the "Big Guy" is bigger than he thought when he sees it's a whale, and runs back empty-handed. The whale comes to thank them for finding his little ball and thinks they are so lucky for being so little because no one will play him due to his size. So, all three of them decide to play together and put aside their differences. This is a great book for elementary level grades with a powerful theme about embracing differences.

The Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Court.

A beautiful story of brotherhood. Twins Josh and JB are inseparable and both share basketball, however, Josh hopes to follow his basketball superstar dad's footsteps. Things begin to change and they begin to grow apart especially when JB gets a girlfriend. The tension and friction rise between them through multiple instances and then suddenly something pivotal happens, their father tragically dies after having suffered mild heart attacks. The brothers realize all they have is each other and their family is strengthened. This creative story is told in Josh's rap- like verse. This story has a powerful theme about the lasting bond of a family and the importance of it. It is perfect for middle grades.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This story highlights 23 unique characters each with their own monologues set in the year 1255 in an English medieval manor. For example, Hugo, the Lord's nephew who must prove himself to his uncle and hunt a wild boar and does so, to Jack, the half-wit who is teased because of his demeanor and kindness towards his friend that is also mocked. Then, of course Giles, the beggar on his crutch, who deceives the gullible for a penny, a morsel,alongside his father and in the end ask the Lord for mercy and to send more fools to them. Each character is between the ages of 10-15 and has a lesson to learn or something to prove. Byrds's detail pen and ink as well as watercolor bring life to each character. This book is perfect for middle grade students that enjoy acting.

The Three Pigs

Weisner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.

The story is creative spin on the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs. The story begins with the three pigs building homes of straw, sticks, and bricks and being blown away by the big bad wolf, but then the tradiotional story shifts to the pigs being blown off the pages by the wolf's huffing and puffing and travel to other stories and visit characters from other classic tales and finally help a dragon that's about to be slain by a prince. The dragon then protects them from that wolf from that taunting story and they all live happily ever after. Wiesner's use of cinematic and 3D effects make the humorious story come to life as each page is turned.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney, J., Kinney, J., & Beckerman, C. (2011). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York: Amulet Books.

This book is about Greg Heffley's jounals of his first year adventures of middle school and his desire to become popular. In his efforts, he decides he must change;however, he and his best friend Rowley always seem to find themselves in a negative limelight drawing unwanted attention. Greg also journals about how he does not agree with his family and how uncool he views them, how he blames Rowley for many of his doings, resulting in a broken friendship, and the inevitable "Cheese Touch" he must claim to habe touched in order to save Rowley's reputation in order to appease his unloyal behavior to Rowley. In the end, he realizes the importance of his relationship with Rowley, even if others labeled him as being "infected"! This book is recommended for the late elementary grades and early middle grades and the journal style of the story is very creative making it an easy read. A humorous story that teaches about the value of friendship and loyalty

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, K. (1972). Bridge to terabithia. NY:Crown.

Jess is a fifth grader that wants the spotlight and a chance to stand out by being the fastest runner. In his efforts to do just that, he quickly comes to meet Leslie, a new girl, who dares to race all the boys and beats them all. They develop a fast friendship by creating a fantasy in the woods of Terabithia. There they conquer their imaginary beasts that represent their insecurities and fears and play in a land where they rule. They teach each other valuable lessons and Jess grows the confidence to continue to develop his artistic abilities as Leslie teaches him all about literature, creativity, and imagination. They continue their fantasy in Terabithia and at school always fighting off intruders. One rainy day, Leslie stays behind in Terabithia, while Jess goes on an art gallery trip with Miss Edmunds, that he thoroughly enjoys.Upon his return, he finds Leslie tragically drowned in the creek. Jess is torn and downcast and decides to build a bridge in their beloved Terabithia and crown his sister as queen in honor of his beautiful friend, Leslie. This is a beautiful story of friendship that proves that 2 is better than one. It proves to all that you can be whatever you want to be without fear of rejection and the beauty of friendship. A powerful theme and lesson to be learned by students of middle grades.

Where the Wild Things Are by: M. Sendack

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row.

Max slips on his wolf suit , gets in trouble, and gets sent to bed without supper. His imagination slips away as he slips away for over a year where the wild things are. The "wild things" become afraid of him as he commands them to be still. The animals make him king of all wild things. He sails back home after a year and finds his supper waiting for him. It is a wonderful that depicts the power of the imagination. A book and an island kids will love to wander to and visit perfect for elementary grades. The illustrations are rich with such detail and texture. The illustrations compliment the plot perfectly.