📚 Book List! --> November Nostalgia: 7 Middle Grade Classics We Need to Talk More About!

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Hello everyone! Welcome back to the blog <3

To celebrate reaching 500 followers, I decided to end off November by compiling a few special books and creating a book list for this month. Thanks to everyone for your unwavering support and love towards my bookstagram and my blog <3 I never thought I would get this far and I'm excited to see what the future holds!

The theme for this book list is 'November Nostalgia', because alliteration makes all of our lives better. These books were staples in my childhood- childhood classics, you could say- and they're all reads that I'll never forget. I read these books from when I was around the ages of 6-12 in elementary, and some of middle school. I did a post similar to this called "My Favourite Childhood Reads"- but they weren't exactly...'classics', nor middle grade. More like picture books lol ;)

I know we mostly focus on YA novels on bookstagram/booktok but I feel like these specific books should be discussed more! They're all really special and important to me <3

Before continuing on, I just wanted to put out a disclaimer saying that these novels are specific books that I read when I was in- like I said earlier- elementary to middle school, and I understand that some of you may not be familiar with some of these novels. This post is all based on my personal opinions and experiences!

Onwards!~

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1. The Giver / Lois Lowry

I'm sure a bunch of my friends probably either rolled their eyes or sighed in angst when they saw this cover, and honestly, I understand. The book itself was pretty revolutionary back then, and I have to say that it was definitely a wee bit complicated/dark for a elementary kid's mind. This made the countless novel studies and assignments that I had to complete on this book particularly tedious, and that's probably where my peers' apprehension for this novel began. Now that I'm older and understand sci-fi concepts better, this book wasn't as bad as little-kid me originally thought it was. I still don't get the ending, but we'll put that aside for now. The characters were complicated, and the plots/concepts/social hierarchies were even more so. Despite all of the stigma this book went through in the past, this book list would be incomplete without it. :) 

2. A Wrinkle In Time / Madeleine L'Engle

I'm pretty sure this book is one of the most popular books on this list, as I clearly remember everyone being obsessed with this novel when I was younger. I also remember watching the movie years later and being slightly bewildered. This classic dealt with topics that- once again- felt a bit too advanced for elementary students. I mean, I guess you could say that it was a great way to introduce kids to topics like physics and how our universe works, but when you mix up science, fantasy, and religion...it gets a bit too overwhelming to understand. Some things I do like about this classic is how it incorporated themes of friendship, the ''not-fitting-in" trope, and courage! 

3. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler / E. L. Konigsburg

This book is still one of my absolute favourites out of the ones on this list, and I clearly remember enjoying this adventure when I was younger. Unfortunately, even if it is one of my favourites, I also know that its one of the less-popular books on this list. This book is the definition of a good childhood classic, and its perfect for kids interested in reading adventures! I remember being fascinated by this book as a child, and putting myself in the character's shoes- imagining how it would be like to run away and live in a museum. I loved this book <3

4. My Side of the Mountain / Jean Craighead George

Once again, one of my absolute favourites but not as popular as some of the other novels on here. This book was- and still is- my comfort read, I've probably re-read it 20 times by now. Whenever I was in a reading slump, I would re-read this book and feel comforted in a way. I first read this book as a kid by coincidence: I won in a contest and I was allowed to choose 2 books to take home. This book was the first one I saw! I initially didn't expect much from My Side of the Mountain, but when I got into it, I was completely immersed. This book sits at the same table as the one above- its an adventure about running away and surviving on your own as a child. My Side of the Mountain takes this concept to a whole new level, and its beloved main character, Sam Gribley, runs away into the wilderness to escape his cramped life in the city. I always feel slightly emotional reading the author's words at the start of the book, knowing she passed away. Her work will always be treasured! 

5. The Hobbit / J. R. R. Tolkien

This book is definitely on the more popular side of the spectrum. Along with this novel, I also read Anne of Green Gables when I was younger, which is the next book on this list! The Hobbit took me years to actually get into as a kid- I would start reading it for a bit and then end up giving up/losing interest/forgetting about it. But one day, I sat down and forced myself to get through it, which probably wasn't the best idea since I don't remember a lot of the plot :'). Although, I do remember the book not being as bad as I had thought it was, and I particularly liked the hobbit's personality. It made the book appealing for younger audiences, reading about an uptight hobbit getting caught up in an adventure! I don't think kids will be clamoring to read this book, but once they get into it, they'll definitely see its good qualities! 

6. Anne of Green Gables / L. M. Montgomery

Like I mentioned before for The Hobbit, this book is also on the more popular side and can be classified as a general classic. Unlike The Hobbit, I enjoyed this book very much as kid, and I've re-watched the show 3 times! Anne of Green Gables was such a deep- yet lighthearted- tale, with enough humor to make kids love it. The not-fitting-in trope and the concept of being accepted for all of your uniqueness, are great things to put in a book for kids. Although Anne ended up finding acceptance in the end, the book also didn't sugarcoat the hardships that she faced as an orphan with her personality. Anne is one of my favourite characters, she was a dreamer with a fiery personality and a love for literature. I found myself relating to her as a kid and I absolutely loved her tale.

7. Wonder / R. J. Palacio

Along with Wonder, I also ended up reading Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, which were three different tales from the perspectives of three different characters in Wonder. I'm pretty sure that that book made me cry, after finding out about the stories behind the side characters- especially the bully. I believe that this book is one that all young kids should read, and it is vital in a school library. Wonder deals with physical disabilities in a school setting, bullying, friendship problems, and- like Anne of Green Gables- finding acceptance. Auggie (the MC) has Treacher Collins syndrome, and he is going to middle school for the first time. His facial abnormalities make the other students wary of him, and he faces a lot of bullying. Wonder is an important tale that teaches kindness to kids, showing them to always be welcoming to their peers, no matter their differences. 

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And that was the book list! I hope you've all had an amazing November, make sure you drop me a comment and let me know what you thought of this post! Once again, thank you for all the love, and thank you for reading <33

Sincerely,

Sapphire~