The Middler

I LOVED this book! Perfect to read to a class whilst studying WWII. You ask questions right from the start and you stay hooked all the way through. The denouement is utterly brilliant and satisfying and also a bit sad. Excellent writing by Kirsty Applebaum!

my favourite character was Una.

The Middler is something I haven't read before. It was good trying something new but it wasn't my type. It was about how everyone should be treated equally and fairly.

This book is a mystery book and I think it was great.The main character is Maggie. The story is set in Fennis wick and the county is split into wanderers and normal citizens. Una is a friendly wanderer and makes friends with Maggie.Maggie wants to expose Una and well they uncover lots of secrets - the dirt of Fennis Wick and the Mayor.

I like how someone who gets ignored so much in the end saves the whole town. I would recommend this book to years 6-7.

I LOVED this book!!!
Maggie is a middler, not the oldest or youngest, the plain, boring, middler. She never really thought much about the quiet war, it was just somewhere all the Eldests get sent when they turn 14. Then she meets Uma, a wanderer. They are supposed to be dirty, dangerous and deceitful, but Uma is none of these. Uma and Maggie develop an unstoppable friendship. Together, they uncover the truth about wanderers and reveal the towns hidden secrets.

I recommend it to 9-12 year old children.

I have really enjoyed this book so much! I recommend it!

I like how it reminds me of how people are treated

I loved this book because it reminded me of how people are treated in real life

An interesting premise - all eldest children are sent away to fight an obscure, never-ending conflict and are idealised by their society. This book had some astute observations about how propaganda can shape a society and a relatable protagonist in Maggie. Recommended for fans of the hunger games although this is aimed at slightly younger readers.

I would definitely recommend this to a middle child. As a middler myself I know how it feels to be rejected and forgotten

This is and amazing and adventurous book with lots of mysteries! Will you help the middle child bring justice for not only the elders?

This book was great! I really love these sorts of books. Every time me and my mum finished it we would always keep wanting to read more, it is very good descriptions and i could tell what the author was on about. I would recommend this book to anyone as its one of my favourites that i have read so far!

I think this book is interesting because it is about journey, friendship, adventure, betrayal, trust, kindness and greed all at the same time. It suits kids from 8 to 11-year-olds.
It is a very good book because although it is boring at the beginning, it unfolds nicely and the adventure grows with every chapter. The book is set in a future society where a girl, Maggie, who is the middle child tries to make herself noticed and have her value recognised trapping two wonderers (Una and her father). I loved the power and meaning of how the new friendship between Maggie and Una unfolded.
The book was fiction and my favourite person was Maggie because she understood her mistakes and faced all her worst fears to save her best friend.
If the book was factual I would like the description of the society of the future.
I would recommend this book to all my friends because it talks about the value of friendship.

I absolutely loved this book! It is about a middler (a child who is born second out of three children)named Maggie. When everything she has ever known turns upside down, she doesn't know what is good or bad. This book had a very dramatic and unexpected twist.My favourite character was Maggie because she went through all that pain, yet still didn't break.If I could, I would rate this 100/10.I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian books.

A great family story

A slow burner initially, but once I plodded through it really picked up speed and hooked me at the end. A definite must read, but it is slow to start.

A dystopian for middle grade readers. Maggie lives in a world where the "eldest" child in every family gets all the attention until they leave at age 14 to go "to camp" and help to fight the Quiet War and protect their community from the outside world. Everyone accepts this until Maggie, a middle child or "middler" meets Olga who is a wanderer from beyond the town boundaries. She starts to ask questions and discovers all is not as it seems. An exciting and thought provoking read about friendship, loyalty, betrayal and bravely standing up for what is right. Useful for discussions about politics, tolerance, refugees, brainwashing and injustice.

The cruise girl is very brave

About a girl called Maggie who is a middle child who lives in a town where everyone always likes the eldest child. The Mayor send the eldest children away to a camp and people from the town aren't allowed to cross the border. Maggie meets a wanderer and that's where the adventure starts.

Look out for the Mayor - she doesn't always tell the truth!

This is a brilliant book, that i would definitely recommend to others! The main character, Maggie, faces great moral dilemmas, while also being a character who is easy to relate to. The story has similarities to 'The boy in the striped pyjamas' but has a much happier ending! There are a couple of typos in this book, but overall, it's a story that captures the readers attention and one of those books that you just don't want to put down.

The most meanest character to me in this story was the mayor, giving up lives of young children for mainly her own purpose. Maggie is the bravest going off on an adventure to gain justice and bring back her brother.

This was an okay read. I liked the premise of the story - that all eldest children are sent away to military camps in order to protect everyone and continue the fight against the 'Quiet War' and as a consequence, these children are revered and treated differently to their siblings. There is also a threat from the Wanderers - who seem to be outsiders. However, this isn't really explored fully or explained. It should appeal to younger readers though, particularly those interested in dystopian fiction or fantasy.

I liked the idea of this and it has potential but I felt that it lacked the grittiness of other dystopian fiction. The main character, in my view, lacked something and it all seemed to end very conveniently.
I would recommend though for younger ks2 audiences.

This was an absorbing read. The parameters of the near-future society was deftly drawn and interesting.

This has to be My FAVOURITE book EVER this book Is full of drama and adventure it has lies and secrets best book recommend it l love this book

I loved reading this book. It stayed with me for a long time after reading and there were lots of phrases and sentences that I just wanted to linger on and think about. I’ve recommended it to a few children in my class and it’s been great seeing them enjoy it just as much and discussing it with them afterwards.

A fantastic book, slightly dystopian. One which children and adults alike will enjoy - with adults experiencing the book on another level. The story of a town which is ruled by the mayor and keeps itself within the boundary for fear of the 'wanderers' outside the fence. Outside rages the Quiet War to which the eldests are sent at the age of 14. The main character, Maggie decides to make a name for herself by seeking out and handing over one of these wanderers. Meanwhile, her elder brother is being sent off to the Quiet War - or is he?
An intriguing story, and highly remcommended.

This book is so intriguing - the world is like ours, but not quite. Wars have necessitated new rules which send eldest children off to mysterious camps. I absolutely loved the family relationships which are explored and the unlikely friendships which emerge. A really unusual, story which stayed with me long after I had finished it.

This is a dystopian adventure set in a Fennis Wick, a place where the eldest children are held in some reverence. Maggie (a middler) feels invisible and purposeless, especially when her brother leaves to fight the Quiet War against the dangerous wanderers.
Maggie embarks on a forbidden friendship with Una - a wanderer which has surprising and sometimes dangerous consequences and results in some long held secrets being uncovered.