Two Great Books for Middle Grade Readers (and on up)
You might know that I am writing a Middle Grades book. It recently occurred to me that it’s been a long time since I’ve read one, though I read many when my kids were that age. (My baby will be 35 next month — how time flies!)
So I found a list of recommended books for Middle Grades, and chose four to buy. I’m ready to report on two.
The Eyes and the Impossible, by Dave Eggers
I picked this book because it was published just last year. I didn’t think I would like it, because all the characters are animals. But once I got used to these animals talking like humans, using phrases I wouldn’t expect from an animal, I allowed myself to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the story. (Those of us who are of a certain age might remember Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, which rocked the literary world in 1970, about a seagull with a passion for flying fast.)
Johannes is a free dog (as opposed to a kept dog) who loves to run fast. He lives in a large urban park, where he plays an important role-he is The Eyes, who sees all that happens in the park, and reports to the three wise bison who live within a fence and who are the Keepers of the Equilibrium. They decide what to do if something disturbs the equilibrium of the park. All the animals contribute to restoring the equilibrium.
Of course, several things happen to disrupt the equilibrium. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, so I will be very vague. Johannes finds out that he has a mixed heritage. The animals discover that there is a much wider world than exists in their park.
The beauty of the book is the wisdom of the animals (be sure to check out next Monday’s “Monday Morning Wisdom,” which will be a quote from the book), and their concern for each other. (Well, all the other animals think the ducks are stupid, but mostly they care about each other.) They make elaborate plans to do two impossible tasks on behalf of Johannes and the bison.
The book is beautifully illustrated. Shawn Harris added Johannes to 10 classical landscapes. The originals are credited in the backnotes.
The Eyes & the Impossible won the John Newberry Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. But you do not have to be a middle grader to read this book. As an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed Johannes’ world. I was in awe of the beauty, the suspense, the humor, and the philosophy. Go ahead, treat yourself and read it, no matter your age. Also, the print in the hardcover is large enough to read without reading glasses.
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
I bought this book because I remembered the buzz about it when it was first published in 2012, and especially in 2017 when it came out as a movie:
I didn’t read it then or see the movie because I was afraid it would break my heart.
You will feel for Auggie, but you won’t be heartbroken.
The story is told from several points of view-Auggie’s, Via’s (Auggie’s sister), Summer’s (a girl who decides to sit with Auggie in the cafeteria), Jack’s (who becomes Auggie’s best friend), Justin’s (Via’s boyfriend), and Miranda’s (Via’s former best friend). All of these kids have wonderful, believable voices. Even when they make unfortunate choices, you forgive them because you understand.
Palacio does a wonderful job of making the book realistic. She doesn’t pull any punches. She shows just how unkind the world can be toward someone who looks disturbingly different. She portrays mixed feelings very well. But it’s not all harshness. There’s much laugh-out-loud humor and just plain good storytelling. The book also offers hope, and models how to be kind. And even though this book was written for children, teens, adults, parents, teachers, and oldsters will also find it engaging and a worthwhile read. I surely did.
Here’s an interesting interview with R.J. Palacio.
Originally published at http://arhtisticlicense.com on April 30, 2024.
