Meeting George MacDonald I first met George MacDonald through the pages of his poetry and then, later, in his novels (the versions edited by Michael Phillips). I much preferred his poetry to his novels. And then I discovered his fantasy. I promptly told my college thesis advisor that I wanted to write my senior thesis on George MacDonald’s fairy tales. His first direction to me: “Read all of George MacDonald’s stories for children, and then come up with your thesis.” And so I did. My favorite story at the time was The Wise Woman (also known as The Lost Princess). I also enjoyed The Princess and the Goblin and The…

Fighting Words takes on a difficult topic with a feisty, flawed, brave protagonist. Sometimes a novel appears that seems to require more than a simple review. Two perspectives on it will be better than one. Such a novel is Fighting Words, by Newbery-honor author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Any children’s book that reaps seven (count ’em!) starred reviews from the top review journals is worth a look. This one, as the author reveals at the end, is deeply personal. For this discussion we’ve invited one of our faithful readers, Meredith Burton, to talk over Fighting Words with Janie. Janie: Our protagonist, Della Roberts, begins by warning us she has a sad…

*The View From Saturday by e. l. konigsburg. Atheneum, 1995. 176 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended For: Middle grades and up, ages 10+ Fact: Mrs. Olinski’s sixth grade Academic Bowl team, the Souls, is the best Epiphany Middle School has ever had. Fact: Noah, Ethan, Nadia, and Julian make up the Souls. And fact: Each of the four students and Mrs. Olinski is indispensable to the team. The View From Saturday is not told as a linear story. Instead, readers meet Noah just after he answers a challenging Academic Bowl question. Noah, in his own voice, takes readers back to the summer when he ended up being…

In this middle-grade retelling of Great Expectations, Pippa Park tries to “raise her game” at an exclusive private school. Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun. Fabled Films Press, 2020, 262 pages plus bonus material. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Pippa Park is shooting baskets in the park one dreary evening when she abruptly becomes aware of the silent figure in the green hoodie, watching her. Startled, she blurts out, “Please don’t hurt me.” But the stranger—upon closer inspection, a teenage boy—seems more downcast than dangerous. Her own mood is far from sunny. Who would want to be her: fatherless, her mother deported back…

Isaiah Dunn’s life has been trending downward, but the power of words and the discipline of work may pull him back up. Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist. Crown, 2020, 208 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 10-12 Mama didn’t do very well after Daddy died, and neither did me and Charlie I guess. But at least me and Charlie started to have some sunny days after a while. But Mama’s been all rain. Daddy’s death was sudden, and one thing it taught Isaiah was how quickly things could change. Mama took so much time off from work she lost her job. Then…

An aspiring dancer has a chance to “change the stars” for his grandfather when he is transported back to 1930s Harlem. The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson. Sterling, 2020, 272 pages. Reading Level: Middle Graces, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 (6-10 as a read-aloud) Ailey Lane was named for an African-American dancer, and a good thing too. He has the moves—strut, slide and saunter. On the day he tries out for his school production of The Wiz, he knows the Scarecrow’s part is already his. Until he actually gets in front of a live audience and forgets every single smooth move. He’s a bust! And to…