Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ
#amreading Excellence
The Legend of Holly Claus introduces us to Santa and Mrs. Claus’s only daughter, who is doing everything she can to save Christmas. This may be the best holiday lore adventure I’ve ever read. Excellent. Rereading the classics on my shelf led to revisiting Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which was a classroom read-aloud story back when I was in grade school. The Terror of the Southlands is the second book in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy, in which an admiral’s daughter (and her trusty gargoyle companion) join up with a pirate crew. Love the tongue-in-cheek humor.
Is that a falcon?
Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ
#amreading Across Genres
My Seventh Grade Life in Tights is an upbeat contemporary story about a boy who loves to dance more than anything. Which forces him to make some hard choices. The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw is the dramatic conclusion to the League of Princes trilogy. (Love these guys. So much.) And Twelve Minutes to Midnight is a historical that introduces a girl who writes penny dreadfuls under a penname … and hires an actor to pretend to be her in public. Her quick wits (and his reluctant attendance) are needed to solve a mystery that begins at Bedlam.
Should I be concerned?
Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ
#amreading Adventurously
I really enjoyed Loot, which reminded me why a good heist is one of my favorite sub-genres of action/adventure. I need to read the next book, which is called Sting. The Lotterys Plus One warmed my heart in a lot of ways: big family, homeschool, and multi-generational household. The quirk to raise is that the parents of the Lottery household are two couples (M/M, F/F) who have adopted most of their children. N. D. Wilson’s The Chestnut King brings a big finish to his 100 Cupboards trilogy, which takes portal fantasy to giddy heights. Smart and lyrical.
Is the book good?
Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ
#amreading Variously
While I finally reached the conclusion that the Flavia de Luce mysteries are not technically middle grade, the heroine of the stories is twelve. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first in a series of historical mysteries starring a girl with a keen interest in chemistry/poisons. When the Circus Came to Town is about a girl with a face scarred by smallpox and a Chinese man who looks for ways to lure her out of her depression. The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle is the second book in the League of Princes trilogy. Fabulously funny. Amazing art.
Horsefeathers
Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ
#amreading Good Books
You know, when I read Serafina and the Splintered Heart, I thought it was the final book in a trilogy. Lo and behold, a fourth book came out last year! Very good news, since this is one of the best MG suspense serieses I’ve read. Catwings is a very short story about a litter of kittens who are born with wings. And The Grimjinx Rebellion is the final book in Farrey’s Vengekeep Prophecies, which ranks high among my all-time favorite middle grade trilogies.
C. J. Milbrandt 