The Best Middle Grade Books I've Read ...

I read a lot of books to my boys. And though they are only seven and a half, they have long since passed the Magic Tree House series. About a year ago Xan picked up his first Deltora Quest book by Emily Rodda. We all really enjoyed it. Charlie continued to prefer Magic Tree House so I would alternate between a Deltora Quest book and a MTH book. Reading them out loud I much preferred the DQ books because they were so well written. Easy to read, the story flows, the dialogue is natural and the descriptions are excellent.


We are now on our fourth Deltora Quest. The story is only getting better and better and even my reluctant reader, Charlie, begs for more every night. These are truly excellent books with stellar writing; I highly recommend them.

I'm also enjoy reading them as a writer who is always interested in learning more. I am so impressed with how Rodda manages to keep her books succinct and in tune with her audience while never talking down to them, and never short changing the showing of the story. Her stories are vivid and alive, both for the boys and for me. I hope I can manage to take what I am learning from reading her stories to my own books one day; I could certainly do far worse than emulating one who is truly succeeding, to my mind, in telling exciting colorful adventures that even the most reluctant readers enjoy.

Thank you Emily Rodda!