Hugo was good with clocks, too. The talent ran in the family. Hugo’s father had always brought home broken clocks for his son to play with, and by the time he was six, Hugo was able to fix just about anything.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick
Grandy is my grandparent—one of my father’s parents—but I don’t know if vo is my grandmother or my grandfather, because each week vo spends Thursday, Friday, and Saturday wearing jeans and button shirts and boots and a cap with veir hair tucked up inside, talks in a low, loud voice and goes by Vern. Then on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday vo dresses in frilly blouses and skirts and panty hose with veir hair brushed out soft and loose, talks in a high, soft voice, and goes by Vera.
Felix Yz
Lisa Bunker
Orphaned Ray falls in with sideshow performers who turn out to be heroes. They are hiding the last of the mythical Swamp Sirens from an ancient evil who is trying to rebuild the monstrous machine that John Henry gave his life destroying.
His parents’ work was much too dangerous for a young boy. Especially a young boy like himself, one who liked quiet walks, reading, and drawing. Clearly he wasn’t suited to a life of adventure.
Flight of the Phoenix
R. L. LaFevers
After a surprise encounter with a mythological monster, Percy learns that he is related to a Greek god–and he’s not alone. To keep him safe, Percy is sent to Camp Half Blood, where other demigod kids spend their summer training as heroes.
Middle Grade Carousel 