May 2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge: Magnificent Middle Grade

May's motif was "Magnificent Middle Grade," which is defined as "a book that is marketed toward ages 8-14." I'm not gonna lie - I really enjoy reading young adult and children's literature, so this was not a problem for me at all. I know that Louis Sachar has been on some reading lists for schools and is sort of considered classic for the newer generation (i.e. I'm pretty sure I've seen this on summer reading lists for kids these days), so I decided to go with one of his award winning books, Holes. I actually saw the stage adapatation of this book years ago at the university in my hometown, and they did a really good job with it. Thus, I knew the basic plot, but stage/film adaptations can never put in the detail that you find in the books. Also, it had been long enough since I'd seen the play that I didn't really remember it all that well.

All in all, I think the book is well constructed. It tells a story in an interesting way, using some flashbacks to previous eras. There's an interesting mystery and survival skills and redemption and all kinds of good stuff. It also pretty strongly suggests that hating or treating people poorly based on something they can't really control (e.g. skin color) is stupid and wrong. I mean, I think this is an extremely important thing for kids to learn, especially as middle grades are when they really start to absorb the culture around them (outside of their home). This book does a good job touching on the subject in an interesting and somewhat relatable way. I think the book deserves the Newbery medal it received, and it's worth a read, even if you're not middle grade aged. There is some mild abuse in the book, but nothing too graphic. It's enough that I would be cautious about letting someone younger than, say 10?, read it. It's possible 8-9 year olds would do okay with it, too, but I would call it an individual decision based on the sensitivity and maturity of the kid.

So I'm going to say something that sounds kind of silly here, but it actually made me happy. Stanley, the main character, is a fat kid. I love this because it's so hard to find fiction where a fat person is actually the protagonist, and even harder to find fiction where the fatness is not the main thing about who that person is. I mean, there is definitely mention of his size and its impact on him, but it is not what defines him in the book. I love this, and I love it for kids who may read it and see themselves in it, and see that they don't have to be defined by their size. I mean, maybe this newer generation of kids has already figured that out, but it took me years, and I still struggle with feeling judged and defined by my weight.

I also like that Sachar has several middle grade books all set in different parts of the South (US). I spent a large portion of my childhood in the South, and I have to say - there was a dearth of children's books set there to which I could relate. I mean, so much children's literature was set in a place with snow in the winters and Northern culture, which was great to read and learn about, but there was so little to read that reflected my own experience. Sometimes, I just wanted to read about a character who had never experienced a snowy winter and had to say, "Yes, ma'am," to her adults. It's nice to see a little more variety in setting for children's books now. Also, even though I now live in a different area of the country, there's still a bit of nostalgia for the place where I grew up, which is a nice itch to scratch with books every once in a while. (My December challenge book for 2020 actually scratched that itch, too.)

So there it is. Do you have any favorite middle grade books?

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