I’ve been reading and reviewing more middlegrade books on my GoodReads account, adding to my accumulation of titles for both the 2017 Reading Challenge and for the Great Middle Grade Reads 2017 A-Z Challenge. What’s middlegrade, you may ask? Usually, they’re designated as books for readers aged 8-12. And the category is often divided into lower middlegrade (8-10) and upper middlegrade (12-14).  Here are some of the books I read in June:

The Mark of the Dragonfly is a mystery/adventure set in another world, where humanity mingles with alien races. Dilapidation and steampunk elements abound. It’s the first of three books set in Solace, and I’m eager for more.

Magic Marks the Spot is also the first in The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy. The admiral’s daughter wants to be a pirate, so she and her family’s gargoyle run off. I adored both the tongue-in-cheek tone of Carlson’s storytelling and the whole crew of the Pigeon.

The Key to Extraordinary is a stand-alone story by Natalie Lloyd, the author of A Snicker of Magic. If there was such a thing as middlegrade chick lit, this is a lovely example. A vivid setting, an intriguing mystery, and a sense of destiny … all touched by magic.

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