Middle grade is a term that refers to books written for readers between the ages of eight and twelve. In this column, Erica will recommend great books for children in this age group!

Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington
Library Catalog: Print
Libby: eBook

This novel in verse tells the story of a young girl whose move to a new state causes her normal stream of words to almost entirely dry up when her classmates make fun of her accent. The only place she feels safe enough to talk is fishing with her grandfather – but what is she supposed to do when even that safe space seems lost for good?

The poetry is simply spellbinding in this book, immediately capturing the reader and taking them on Keet’s journey with her. Moving, family dynamics, feeling lost, making friends, sudden illness – whatever the topic, all of them are handled compellingly and with incredible empathy.

Check out the book that Booklist Reviews praised as a “lyrical novel” which “effortlessly weaves together multiple poetry forms” and “effectively convey conflicting emotions…moods and nuances without being distracting,” PW Reviews described as making “thoughtful use of several types of poetry to tell Keet’s story…their diverse rhythms and formats sensitively reflecting the fluctuating emotions,” and School Library Journal called “understated, fully realized, deftly-written and utterly absorbing.”