The middle grade years are those with the
most potential to turn a child into a reader for life. It’s often the
books you read between the ages of 8-12 that you remember long into
adulthood as your dearest books of all. These are the years when kids
really and truly start to figure themselves out as readers–their
likes and dislikes and all the rest in between. It’s during this time
when children strike out on their own in earnest, reading for
themselves and by themselves, all the while creating themselves.
In this Cybils category, we’re looking for the 2008 novels that capture real
life in all of its wonderful messiness. So we’re not talking magic or
superheroes or werewolves or elves. Instead, think adventures and
school stories, mysteries and stories about families, and tales that
tell kids of life across the globe. Tell us which of the Middle Grade
fiction titles published this year you think kids will still be
talking about when they’re all grown up.
–Kerry Millar, organizer
Please leave a nomination — including
author and title — in the comments below. One
nomination per person, per category, please. Avoid duplicate nominations–it only takes ONE nomination to add a book to the list.