**Update 1/28/2011** Congrats to our winner, Mary Virginia! Thanks to everyone for your great comments. I read every single one, and I can’t wait to dive into some of these wonderful reads.
I’m very excited to be able to share an Advance Readers Copy of the amazing Above World by Jenn Reese.
From the Goodreads description:
Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is at risk. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna’s fierce determination and fighting skills and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt – growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains – here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true.
I deeply love this book. I wish I could have read it as a 12- or 13-year-old. Kirkus calls it “Imaginative and riveting,” and says, “A warrior heroine with a caring heart, stalwart friends, an edgy futurist subtext and the suggestion of a possible sequel make this a thrilling sci-fi adventure.” I couldn’t agree more!
To win this ARC, just comment by telling me a favorite middle grade read that I shouldn’t miss. After midnight EST on Friday, I’ll do a random number thingy and pick a winner.
Good luck! Can’t wait to see your middle grade recommendations!
January 25th, 2012 at 5:51 pm · Link
I’ve really enjoyed the Middle-Grade Fablehaven series.
January 25th, 2012 at 5:56 pm · Link
This book looks amazing! I’d recommend The Cabinet of Earths, b Anne Nesbet :-) Thanks for the giveaway!
January 25th, 2012 at 6:05 pm · Link
I hope this is my lucky day
January 25th, 2012 at 6:09 pm · Link
The Unwanteds was just fabulous.
January 25th, 2012 at 6:09 pm · Link
Ohh I love the Skeleton Creek series by Patrick Carmen with the added online video feature it is awesome. Cannot wait for the summer when we are going to tour the actual dredge in Oregon!
January 25th, 2012 at 6:40 pm · Link
I have to go with Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. That book is magic. Or, if you want to be torn to shreds inside, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It’s magnificent.
January 25th, 2012 at 6:43 pm · Link
You can’t go wrong with Kate Milford – read THE BONESHAKER, then later this year read THE BROKEN LANDS. A two-fisted dose of steamypunky brilliance.
January 25th, 2012 at 7:22 pm · Link
this looks awesome!! some middle school books i would recommend ( i think theyre middle school).. rick riordans percy jackson series… sarah prineas’ magic thief.. ursula vernons dragonbreath series.. holly blacks spiderwick chronicles… and hardy boys! cant mess with the classics!
January 25th, 2012 at 7:54 pm · Link
My favorite middle school read is The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas. Another fun series is Septimus Heap by Angie Sage.
January 25th, 2012 at 7:59 pm · Link
I really enjoyed Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor this past fall. Great read.
January 25th, 2012 at 8:04 pm · Link
liesl and po/liesl and po
really enjoying it
January 25th, 2012 at 8:04 pm · Link
I super loved Promise the Night by Michaela MacColl – it’s not fantasy but it was SO great! My all time favorite Middle Gray series is the Twitches series by Randi Reisfeld and HB Gilmour SO great.
January 25th, 2012 at 8:06 pm · Link
I loved Philip Reeve’s book, Larklight. So good!
January 25th, 2012 at 8:11 pm · Link
I sooooooooooooo love that cover. Did when I first saw it on my feed at LJ. Just beautiful!
January 25th, 2012 at 8:14 pm · Link
This sounds so good! There’ve been a lot of recent MG books that are awesome, like Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact and of course Kat, Incorrigible from Stephanie Burgis. And then there’s the wonderful Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series from MaryRose Wood…
January 25th, 2012 at 8:19 pm · Link
Middle grade….hmmm…..Oh! The Riley Bloom Series by Alison Noel! They must be the only middle grade books I’ve ever read
Thanks so much for the giveaway! :D
- Sam
January 25th, 2012 at 8:32 pm · Link
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull… especially Rise of the Evening Star (second book)
January 25th, 2012 at 9:42 pm · Link
My favorite middle grade will, most likely, always be the Harry Potter series!
January 26th, 2012 at 1:46 am · Link
Mm favorite middle grade series is the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull.
Thanks for the giveaway!
January 26th, 2012 at 3:02 am · Link
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
It’s creative, imaginative, fun, and has great illustrations, too! Such a great book, it’s now a movie…
Zara
zgarcia(dot)alvarez(at)gmail(dot)com
On Twitter: @ZaraAlexis
January 26th, 2012 at 4:03 am · Link
There are SO MANY, I really enjoyed the Percy Jackson Series. And many from Christopher Pike and R.L Stine.
Thanks for the chance to win, the book sounds really good.
Sarita Lopez
isamar2122@yahoo.com
January 26th, 2012 at 6:15 am · Link
Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Harry Potter! Oh how I love both of those series!! Both are so full of magic and adventure
I actually read both when I was older but I still absolutely adored them. Hope you enjoy! and thanks for the giveaway :D
January 26th, 2012 at 7:19 pm · Link
i really liked a tale dark and grimm by adam gidwitz. it told the real story behind grimm’s fairy tales with hansel and gretel being a part of each one.
as for older ones, my favorite is the miraculous journey of edward tulane or really any kate dicamillo book
and if you haven’t read the original pippi longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, it’s a good one too.
i’ve got too many others so i’m going to stop now
thanks for the giveaway!
alicia marie
ame1184(at)gmail(dot)com
January 26th, 2012 at 10:11 pm · Link
Oh, where to even start!! Rip Tide that just came out, Potter books, Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan), Goose Girl series (Shannon Hale), Bartimeaus Trilogy (Stroud), Magic Thief series, Guardians of G’Hoole series, anything by Erin Hunter (Seekers, Guardians), Gregor the Overlander, Jenny Nimmo books, Artemis Fowl series, and so many more! Anybody ever read Toys Go Out? Anyhoo, this looks so good! Can’t wait!!
January 26th, 2012 at 10:13 pm · Link
Kaya, I live in WW and Patrick Carmen did a book signing for his new Dark Eden YA book. He was soooo great to the kids and talked a lot about the Land of Elyon illustrations and what’s coming up next.
I’m book marking this page so I can write down all these other suggestions…
January 27th, 2012 at 5:22 pm · Link
I want this! Thanks for this giveaway!
January 27th, 2012 at 8:48 pm · Link
So many books…
Have you read The Land of Elyon series by Patrick Carman? After the first book, The Dark Hills Divide, my son decided he wanted to design video games so it could be MADD into a video game. He LOVED the series.
January 27th, 2012 at 10:06 pm · Link
No need to enter me in the contest–I have Jenn’s book pre-ordered!–but I wanted to recommend THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY by Adam Rex and THE CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:38 am · Link
Yes, Eugene, I forgot those! I laughed my way through Smekday (J-Lo!) and re-read Ember about 3 times.
April 9th, 2013 at 12:06 pm · Link
Why visitors still make use of to read news papers when
in this technological globe all is existing on web?
May 12th, 2013 at 5:28 am · Link
Hey! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and
look forward to new updates.