Hi hello yes hello lovely people. Today I’ve got a guest post from the lovely Amy AKA Golden Books Girl.

You may have seen a while ago I did a call out for anyone who wanted to guest post on my blog. Amy was the first to reply, we had a chat about what she’d like to do and naturally it was about MG, and BOY did she deliver!

MG stands for Middle Grade books, which are aimed at those aged 8-12. Obviously though, like Young Adult, you don’t have to fit into that age range to read and enjoy MG! Here are some amazing examples of Middle Grade books that you should check out.

Without further ado I give you Amy’s post!

Top 5 Middle Grade Books

Boy In The Tower by Polly Ho-Yen
Published by Doubleday Childrens on July 3rd 2014
Pages: 336
Goodreads

When they first arrived, they came quietly and stealthily as if they tip-toed into the world when we were all looking the other way.

Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. From his window, he feels like he can see the whole world stretching out beneath him.

His mum doesn't really like looking outside - but it's going outside that she hates.

She's happier sleeping all day inside their tower, where it's safe.

But one day, other tower blocks on the estate start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear.

Now their tower isn't safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there's no way out . . .

Boy in the Tower – this is my all time favourite MG standalone; it’s about Ade, who lives in a tower block with his agoraphobic mum as strange deadly plants begin to grow, causing buildings to collapse and Ade’s life to change forever. It’s so emotional, Ade is one of my favourite narrators ever because he is an absolute sweetheart who is so much braver than he thinks and the found family element is so sweet.

Deepdean School for Girls, 1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't, really.)

But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls know a murder must have taken place . . . and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive.

Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning, scheming and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?

The Murder Most Unladylike series – I am a MASSIVE mystery lover, and Robin Stevens is my favourite of the super talented authors writing in the genre at the moment. I think her mysteries are incredibly clever and well plotted, the way her main characters and their friendship develop is phenomenal and I can’t wait to read the next instalment because each and every one so far has been of such high quality.

Abandoned as a baby at Chipchase's Travelling Circus, Louie dreams of becoming a 'Showstopper'. Yet Mr Chipchase only ever lets her sell tickets. No Death-Defying Stunts for her. So in secret, Louie practises her act- the tightrope- and dreams of being the Girl Who Walked on Air. All she needs is to be given the chance to shine.

One night a terrible accident occurs. Now the circus needs Louie's help, and with rival show Wellbeloved's stealing their crowds, Mr Chipchase needs a Showstopper- fast.

Against his better judgement, he lets Louie perform. She is a sensation and gets an offer from the sinister Mr Wellbeloved himself to perform in America. But nothing is quite as it seems and soon Louie's bravery is tested not just on the highwire but in confronting her past and the shady characters in the world of the circus . . .

Fans of Frost Hollow Hall will love this epic adventure, where courage takes many different forms.

The Girl Who Walked on Air – I think Emma Carroll is an absolute superstar; I’ve been in awe if everything she’s ever written. This one, her 2nd, is my favourite of them all. It’s about Louie, who lives in a circus and works selling tickets, but dreams of being the showstopper and demonstrating how talented she is at tightrope. Saying anything more about how the plot develops would kind of spoil things a bit, so instead I’ll tell you it’s a thrilling and breathtaking adventure that’ll keep you on your toes, that you’ll root for Louie all the way, that you’re bound to want her dog Pip for your own, and that Gabriel is a darling.

I thought we'd live here forever. But then I thought Mum would be here forever too.

When Ruby's dad uproots her from Australia to set up a hotel in the mountains of India, Ruby is devastated. Not only are they living in a run-down building in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, bears and leopards, but Ruby is sure that India will never truly feel like home - not without her mum there.Ever since her mum died, Ruby has been afraid. Of cars. Of the dark. Of going to sleep and never waking up. But then the last remaining leopards of the mountain are threatened and everything changes. Ruby vows to do all she can to protect them - if she can only overcome her fears...

When the Mountains Roared – I fell head over heels for Jess Butterworth’s Running on the Roof of the World last year, and I was overjoyed when I loved this even more. It’s about Ruby as her family relocates very suddenly from Australia to India and the people and animals she meets when she arrives, as well as her having to stop poachers. Ruby is so lovely and my heart broke for her so many times, her grandma is an utter star, Jess’s writing makes you feel as though you’re actually in India alongside the characters and the love for animals shines through the text so strongly (the animal characters are incredible)

When Alice's family home has to be sold, she and her father Barney will do whatever it takes to buy it back - even if whatever it takes isn't strictly legal. And when Alice is expelled and sent away to an isolated boarding-school, she'll do whatever it takes again to get away. But Stormy Loch Academy isn't quite what she expected. With its strange rules and eccentric headmaster and rag-tag mix of students and teachers, it has a way of growing on you. Still, when Barney goes missing (all that not strictly legal business) she knows she has to rescue him. Armed with two new friends, she sets off on an epic quest through the wild Scottish highlands and islands to finally get her heart's desire - but does she know anymore exactly what that is?

Both hilarious and heartfelt, this is the classic adventure story brought bang up to date, and told in Natasha's inimitable voice.

The Children of Castle Rock – I feel like I’ve been waiting on this book my entire life. Boarding schools+humour+beautiful writing sounds pretty perfect to me, and this book has all of those things. I can’t tell you how much I laughed, how much I adored the friendships between the three protagonists, how desperate I was to find out what was going on. It’s like all the best bits of Blyton, which made me feel so nostalgic, but with a fresh, modern feeling all of its own at the same.

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