THE MIDDLE FILES
the e-newsletter for middle schoolers

Diary of a Middle School Kid

Have we met?
Maxine, a new 6th grader, is thoroughly enjoying middle school, even though she's still getting used to things. She had some locker confusion during the first week of school. She and her locker neighbor unintentionally switched locks without realizing it, and she couldn't unlock it! They eventually figured it out, but it took over one class period to do it.

Maxine likes a lot of sports, and spent a lot of the summer swimming. She loves trying all kinds of new things, and has been really getting into drawing anime. "Food is my life!" she says, but if she had to pick a favorite, she can narrow it down to Chinese. She hates seafood, but is ok with seaweed. She loves visiting Blitz, an art store in Wheaton, or Tuesday Morning. She's always on the lookout for some cheap art deals to keep up with her drawing.

She is really enjoying being able to go into The Middle, and all the programs at the library, especially when they teach her new things. And, Maxine isn't tied to one book genre. She loves fantasies, mysteries, and realistic and historical fictions all equally. Her current favorite book is A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen, and it holds a special place in her heart because the main character shares her great grandmother's first name.

Maxine speaks fluent Czech, and lived in the Czech Republic off and on until she was seven. She plans on learning Spanish next year, too! If you see Maxine in the school hallway or the library, be sure to say hi.
Middle School Events

Looking for something to do? The library has some great fall programs just for you.  Check out the entire fall schedule on our calendar. Here are some highlights:

Middle School Gift Shop
Thursday, December 7 | 4-5 pm
Use glitter, sequins, and paper shapes, as well as discarded books and magazines to create beautiful gifts for family and friends. For grades 6-8.  Reserve your spot.
New Book Spotlight

Inside Hudson Pickle by Yolanda Ridge
Cut from AAA hockey last season, seventh-grader Hudson Pickle needs to make the basketball team this year. But, after having an asthma attack at the first tryout, his chances aren't looking good.

His former best friend, Trevor, is also trying out. But he won't even speak to Hudson since Hudson had all but ignored him while concentrating on hockey. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, now his uncle Vic - who's been staying with him and his mom since a suspicious fire at his house - has been diagnosed with a genetic respiratory illness. Could this mean Hudson has something worse than asthma? And while this DNA mystery is being unraveled, will the truth about what happened to his father finally be revealed as well? Check out Inside Hudson Pickle.
Riddle Me This!
What English word has three consecutive double letters?

Tell the answer to a staff member at the youth reference desk to receive a delicious prize!

Last Month's Answer:   An Onion
Mid-Lit: Peer Book Reviews

My name is Ethan. I'm in 7th grade and I go to school at Hadley Jr. High. I reviewed Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde.

I did like Heir Apparent. Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde is about girl named Giannine who must finish a futuristic total immersion game to survive because of damage done to the equipment. The book takes place in the future, where technology has taken a major hold on civilization.

I liked this book because of its elements of fantasy and science-fiction. The story's reality is completely science-fiction. When the main character enters the game, the story switches to fantasy with occasional science-fiction interruptions. This mix is the unique quality I liked when I read this book. Someone who likes The Unwanteds Series or The Missing Series would definitely enjoy this book. Check out Heir Apparent.
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

By Maggie G.

Heya! This is, once AGAIN, another story - more recent than the other stories. So, it was a Monday, and my mom and grandmother decided to sign me up for an oil painting class. It was fun, except for the first day.

We got there about an hour early, only to find out we signed up for the wrong class. The class we had accidentally signed up for was over a four week period, and I would have missed two weeks. My grandmother lives out of state and would have to drive three hours for each class. There was no way it would work. We had to spend an extra hour trying to get into the three day class we originally wanted.

After that mess was figured out, it was quite clear that I was the youngest. The closest person to my age was in the fourth year of college! After the introductions of everyone and learning what we were going to paint, I managed to somehow break the ONLY paintbrush I brought with me. Not only was I the youngest kid there with almost no clue what to do, I had now broken my paintbrush! Of course, I had to paint with the broken paintbrush. But after that, everything went smoothly.

Then our instructor said, "Okay everyone, let's see all the artwork you made!" To say I was nervous was an understatement. Eventually, I had to present and luckily nobody said anything about mine, so I didn't have to answer questions about my painting. The class ended, and we were able to put that day behind us.
Glen Ellyn Public Library | 400 Duane Street | Middle School Web Page
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