You never know what you’re going to get on a Wacky Wednesday here at Read These Books and Use Them. Today, I need your help! I love the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins (love her Gregor series, too). I even had it marked on my calendar when Mockingjay was coming out, but then. . [...]

Our New Home: Immigrant Children Speak is a powerful book written by the children who have immigrated to Canada from countries such as China, India, Russia, Ghana, Malaysia, Argentina, Germany, and Pakistan. I love that this book gives power to the voices of the children. (Not to mention, that this is a great book to [...]

*Middle-grade novel, contemporary fiction *Eleven-year-old girl as main character Rating: I fell in love with Eleven by Lauren Myracle when I listened to the audio book. All 11-year-old girls (or anyone who was ever 11) will be able to relate! Short, short summary: Winnie is 11. The book starts with her birthday party and how [...]

I am happy to be hosting sisters, Hilda and Emily Demuth, on my blog today to discuss their wonderful middle-grade, historical fiction novel, Plank Road Summer. Here’s a description of the book from Amazon.com: ” Welcome to the adventures of two 13-year-olds, Katie McEachron and her friend Florence Mather, who experience an exciting summer in [...]

Matilda first published in London in 1988, is one of my favorite children’s books for middle-grade readers even though I read it for the first time as an adult in college. (Although, that seems to be happening more and more lately–children’s and young adult’s books are becoming my favorites as an adult!) Anyway, this Roald [...]

*Middle-grade, contemporary fantasy *Angel and elementary-school aged girl as main characters *Rating: I fell in love with The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. Listening to the audio book in the car made drives enjoyable and fun! Sometimes, I was laughing out loud at the angel! Short, short summary: One angel (neither a he or a [...]

Judy Blume is an amazing author–we all know that! What is completely amazing is that when I am looking for Timeless Thursday books, I often go back to Judy Blume. And why her books are perfect for Timeless Thursday posts are because the issues she wrote about over 30 years ago are still issues for [...]

Nickel Shakespeare Girls by Clinton Steeds on www.flickr.com. According to Clinton, these girls can perform any scene from a Shakespeare play that someone in the audience calls out. *Middle-grade, tween contemporary mystery novel *6th-grade girl as main character *Rating: Shakespeare’s Secret is a remarkable book with a wonderful mystery that children and adults will love! [...]

Many children and tweens are familiar with Bridge to Terabithia because of the 2007 movie, starring Josh Hutcherson and Anna Sophia Robb. But this story is definitely a Timeless Thursday choice because the book has been around since 1977. And like many good books that stick around, people challenged it and tried to ban it [...]

photo by Arwen Abendstern www.flickr.com Pippi Longstocking is perhaps one of the most-loved orphans of all time (well, maybe she’s an orphan since she’s still waiting for her father to come back from being a cannibal king), along with Annie and the Baudelaire children. The style of this book reminds me very much of another [...]