This post is brought to you by Disney-Hyperion, but as always, opinions are 100% my own.
Must Read Teen Books
As many of you know I have spent a good deal of time in an elementary classroom. I’ve taught second grade, third and fourth in a combined classroom, as well as fifth and sixth grade in a combined classroom. My absolute favorite is third/fourth grades though and i spent the majority of my teaching career in that age group. About 7 years ago I lost my job due to budget cuts and have only substitute taught since then. While I do miss the kids, I don’t miss the politics that goes along with teaching and while I won’t say I will never go back, I will say at this time it is very unlikely. But as we all know life has a way of tossing us curve balls, so we really don’t know what the future will hold.
So with all of that being said, I love to give the gift of education to my nieces and nephews. Working with brands like Disney is a great way for me to share my love of education and reading, all the while helping my family out. But before I pass them to the kids, I always read them just so we can have a conversation about the books as they read them. Each of these three new books will be a hit with Spencer & Maverick as well as Rain & Jade. So be sure to check out these three fun middle school reads from Disney-Hyperion.
A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN!
In A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 17, 2018) by Kir Fox (aka Kirsten Hubbard) and M. Shelley Coats (aka Michelle Schusterman), Davy’s fifth grade class uncovers the secrets of their peculiar town in a series of linked tales that pair the whimsy of Sideways Stories from Wayside school with the delightful eeriness of Welcome to Night Vale.
Welcome to Topsea, the strangest place you’ll ever visit. In this town, the coves are bottomless and the pier has no end in sight. There’s a high tide and a low tide… and a vanishing tide. Dogs are a myth, but mermaids are totally real. And seaweed is the main ingredient in every meal—watch out, it might just start chewing you back!
New kid Davy definitely thinks Topsea is strange. His mom keeps saying they’ll get used to life in their new town—it’s just the way things are on the coast! But after his first day at Topsea school, Davy finds himself wondering: Why is his locker all the way at the bottom of the school swimming pool? Why can’t anyone remember his name? (It’s Davy!) And why does everyone act like all of this is normal?!
CHARLIE & FROG: A MYSTERY
Discover the surprising ways people listen in CHARLIE & FROG: A MYSTERY (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 10, 2018), a page-turning contemporary middle grade mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and heartwarming friendships, by debut author Karen Kane. Frog (aka Francine Castle), is Deaf and shines as a tenacious, crime-solving protagonist who introduces Charlie to the world of sign language and teaches it throughout.
All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen. Charlie’s parents have left him (again). This time they are off to South Africa to help giant golden moles. And Charlie? He’s been dumped with his TV-obsessed grandparents. Lonely and curious, Charlie heads into the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson, where a frightened old woman gives him a desperate message—in sign language. When she suddenly disappears, Charlie is determined to find answers.
All Francine (aka Frog) Castle wants is to be the world’s greatest detective. Frog, who is Deaf, would rather be solving crimes than working at the Flying Hands Café. When Charlie Tickler walks into the café looking for help, Frog jumps at the chance to tackle a real-life case.
BURNING MAGIC
Together, Charlie and Frog set out to decipher a series of clues and uncover the truth behind the missing woman’s mysterious message. Charlie needs to learn American Sign Language (fast)to keep up with quick-witted Frog. And Frog needs to gather her detective know-how (now) to break the case before it’s too late.
CHARLIE & FROG: A MYSTERY (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 10, 2018) by Joshua Khan is the third and final installment in the Shadow Magic trilogy. In this sizzling adventure, Lily the sorcerer queen and Thorn the giant-bat-whisperer journey to the Sultanate of Fire to help their friend K’leef in a no-holds-barred contest for the throne.
When Lily, aka the “witch queen” and bat-rider extraordinaire Thorn travel to Sultanate of Fire, things go terribly wrong. Instead of celebrating a reunion with their old friend K’leef, they are thrust into royal murder, an epic quest, and a deadly battle for the throne.
While investigating the murder, Lily learns shocking truths about her life that could destroy all she has achieved. Yet, among the ruins of her old life, she has the opportunity to become someone greater . . . and more terrifying.
Thorn and the magnificent bat, Hades, join the timid K’leef and the idiotic Gabriel Solar in a quest to find a phoenix. These fire birds are the key to saving the sultanate, but they nest within the Shardlands. The boys must defeat not only the monsters of that magical wilderness, but also rivals eager to claim the throne for themselves. Rivals that include a renegade from House Shadow.
Terri S. says
My pre-teen granddaughter loves to read just like her Mom did when she was a little girl. The 3 books you reviewed sound interesting. Books are my favorite gifts to give to her and her younger sister. Thanks for introducing me to these new books for them.