Readers Reference -speculative fiction

I was asked for series books for ten-year-olds. I posted a short list of here  

 

And I started think about genre, and then I got distracted (not an unusual thing) and then I was on the radio with Holly from the Red Balloon Bookshop and started thinking about it again and here are some titles that I love for this age group.

 

 

I can never think of this title without thinking of students at Bank Street College of Education School for Children.

In September 2009, I wrote on EarlyWord.com

“Today, I go back to school.

I am always surprised how excited I am for the first day of school. I have sixteen classes a week for three-year-olds through 4th grade. Around those classes, I schedule 5th through 8th grade book talks, information literacy, research skills and the classic, “scared straight” plagiarism lecture.

The first week, I go into the 5th and 6th grade classes to book talk for our Mock Newbery curriculum. The kids read from September to the January break. Then we have a critical discussion and vote right before ALA midwinter (I will post their comments here).

The teachers provide reading response activities, like asking students to create an advertisement for their favorite book, produce an alternative cover with a different title, write a letter as a character, create a mobile with symbols from the the book, and of course book discussions.”

I remember reading aloud Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to two classes of 4th graders. I remember the amazing discussions in with the 5th and 6th graders. What is quest tale? What is a retelling? And I remember the passionate advocacy that “This Was The Best Book of the Year!”

And here the teachers guide from Grace Lin’s website.

Wee free men. Terry Pratchett

Laugh-out-loud funny. Terrific in audio.

 

 

Young Wizards- Diane Duane

Diverse characters, detailed world-building makes this series a must-read.

 

Secret of Platform Thirteen Eva Ibbotson

Not a series but Ibbotson’s book came out at the same time as Harry Potter. Don’t miss this author.

 

Emily Windsnap– Liz Taylor

Maybe you don’t know what it is like to be caught between two worlds, two cultures? Emily Windsnap does.

 

Gregor the Overlander– Suzanne Collins

Before there was Hunger Games, librarians were already acclaiming Suzanne Collins for her pitch-perfect middle grade fantasy.

 

Sisters Grimm– Michael Buckley

Did you say that you were looking for fairytale retellings with a great sense of humor? This is it!

 

Realistic

Casson Family Series, Hilary McCay

Penderwicks

Millicent Minn series Lisa Yee

Strange Case of Origami Yoda- Tom Angelberger

Cross over- Kwame Alexander

Love that Dog- Sharon Creech