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Reading Middle Grade

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  • Review | Tokyo Ever After

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · May 20, 2021

    Review | Tokyo Ever After

    Review | Made in Korea (+ Giveaway)

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · May 11, 2021

    Review | Made in Korea (+ Giveaway)

    Review | 10 Truths and a Dare

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · April 27, 2021

    Review | 10 Truths and a Dare

    Review | Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · April 15, 2021

    Review | Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry

    Review | Charming As a Verb

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · February 8, 2021

    Review | Charming As a Verb

    Review | Love Is a Revolution

    Young Adult · January 27, 2021

    Review | Love Is a Revolution

    Review | Happily Ever Afters

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · January 4, 2021

    Review | Happily Ever Afters

    Review | The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

    Young Adult · November 9, 2020

    Review | The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

    Review | The Code for Love and Heartbreak

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · October 21, 2020

    Review | The Code for Love and Heartbreak

    Review | Almost American Girl

    Young Adult · September 23, 2020

    Review | Almost American Girl

    Review | Far from Normal

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · September 21, 2020

    Review | Far from Normal

    Review | Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

    Book Reviews, Young Adult · September 15, 2020

    Review | Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson

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    Afoma
    🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 🏴 🏡 The Parent Trap meets The Holiday 🏡 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In The House Swap, tweens Allie and Sage are forced together when their families plan to swap houses goes awry. Allie is a British girl living in the countryside and preparing to be a spy when she grows up. She’s also the (overlooked, she feels) middle child, stuck between a teen brother and a talkative little sister. 

🇺🇸 Sage is an only child in sunny California, growing up with parents who seem to be growing apart. She gets more worried when she discovers that only her mom will be coming with her to the English countryside. Both girls realize that they have more in common than they think and decide to help each other — Ally with Sage’s parents and Sage with being Allie’s friend.

🏄‍♀️ The House Swap is a cozy, charming middle grade book about family (history & secrets), new friendships, and navigating parental divorce. Reminiscent of the beloved movie, The Holiday, this middle grade book is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good reading experience with a touch of history, family drama, and characters you can root for.
    I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and thro I’m a contemporary fiction girl through and through but the only historical fiction I’ll make room for (besides TJR) is middle grade historical fiction! I’ve read and loved so many in the last few years and here are some I recommend — including forthcoming & backlist titles!

Books mentioned:

A SKY FULL OF SONG by @susanlynnmeyer 
FAR OUT by @annebustard 
THE SECRET DIARY OF MONA HASAN by @salmahwrites 
IT AIN’T SO AWFUL, FALAFEL by Firoozeh Dumas
A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by @kealbus 
STEALING MT. RUSHMORE by @daphnekalmar 
HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 

You’ll see there’s a few extra in the cover picture too! 😉 What’s your favorite middle grade historical fiction? And do you particularly like them?
    🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican paren 🏊‍♀️ Aniana is a child of Dominican parents growing up on Galveston, an island in the state of Texas. Her mom has undiagnosed PTSD from the death of her (Aniana’s mother’s) brother years ago in a storm back in their home country, so she doesn’t want her daughter near the water. Aniana’s father wants his daughter to pursue her passion and takes her to swim meets without her mother’s knowledge. 

🦴 But when Aniana wakes up one day with painfully swollen joints and other weird symptoms after swimming, their secret is exposed, and Aniana is faced with a new diagnosis that may threaten the one sport she loves.

🏝️ Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a tender, moving middle grade verse novel about disability, sports, family trauma, and standing up for your dreams. 

❤️This verse novel is excellently written and painfully honest about the challenges of bridging the culture and communication gap when a parent has unresolved emotional trauma. Ani does a fantastic job of standing up for her goals, and the ending is very satisfying.
    Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I h Which middle grade authors are your auto-buys? I have so many that I’m making this a series! So excited to spotlight more of my favorites 🥰❤️
    If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here If you’re big on graphic novels like I am, here are 3 exceptional MG options to put on your TBR this year 😍

Books mentioned:

HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 
FOUR EYES by @thirdrex 
DOODLES FROM THE BOOGIE DOWN by @stephguez 

Books shown in montage in order of appearance:
SUNNY MAKES A SPLASH
ALLERGIC
HOOPS
    I often get messages from readers looking for more I often get messages from readers looking for more children’s books set in Africa (because I’m from & live in Africa). Unfortunately, there aren’t that many realistic, contemporary middle grade books or chapter books set here, but at least we have Atinuke! 🥲

Atinuke is a British- Nigerian author of chapter books and picture books who spent her formative years in Nigeria. Her stories are whimsical but realistic and focus more on the character and their family than they do on locale. I love her storytelling and I love that more kids are getting to see Nigeria through the eyes of her characters.
    Middle grade books written in a unique format can Middle grade books written in a unique format can be hit or miss for some. Here are 3 (+1) of my favorite unique format stories done right!

Books mentioned:

WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY by @claireswinarski 
ANNIE’S LIFE IN LISTS by @kristinmahoneybooks 
LASAGNA MEANS I LOVE YOU by @kloshaughnessy 
THE NIGHT DIARY (which is written in letters in her diary to her deceased mom — voiceovers are hard!) by @veerawrites 

Do you love any stories written in multiple/unique formats? I’d love to hear!
    🫁 the first own voices cystic fibrosis novel ✨

🐬 centers young Penny, a middle schooler with cystic fibrosis. Penny has to take digestive enzymes and do her breathing treatments to help her lungs get rid of mucus that affects her breathing. While her CF case is relatively mild-moderate, she still struggles with being chronically ill. 

🚤 One day a dolphin shows up in the lake near their house and Penny feels a strong connection with the animal. It turns out the dolphin (who Penny names Rose) is also sick and needs to return to her pod to get better. Penny may be the only one who can help the scientists take Rose back. But can she do that, when she feels so drawn to the animal?

🫁 No Matter the Distance is a beautiful middle grade verse novel about living with cystic fibrosis and finding belonging in community. Also starring an adorable dolphin and warm family dynamics, this book will appeal to kids who love animals, books about sisters, and stories about chronic illness and disability.
    A special unboxing and the story of how Reading Mi A special unboxing and the story of how Reading Middle Grade came to be ❤️🥰
    ✨the famous Rivas✨ I’ve read 3/4 of TJR’s ✨the famous Rivas✨

I’ve read 3/4 of TJR’s Famous Four and loved them all so far. Did you know that all four books are interconnected? Starting from EVELYN HUGO to CARRIE SOTO? There’s even a DAISY JONES mention in CARRIE SOTO if you look hard enough! 

TJR has created a masterful universe of fictional famous people in the 60s, 70s & 80s. While I loved MALIBU a liiittle less (because it just takes a while to get going), I’m in awe of her prowess and excited to see what she does next 🥰

My favorites were Hud and Nina. Who were yours?
    My husband is the basketball fiend in this house b My husband is the basketball fiend in this house but I do know my way around basketball BOOKS 👀 Here are a few of my favorites:

NIKKI ON THE LINE by Barbara Carol Roberts
HOOPS by @tavaresbooks 
TAKING UP SPACE by @alysongerber 
FALLING SHORT by @cisne.writes 
THE FIFTH QUARTER by @mikedawwwson 

Got any more recs? Leave ‘em below 👇 #marchmadnessbooks
    Books mentioned: THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Cente Books mentioned:

THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center: A delightful PG-13 romance about a female bodyguard and the star actor she has to protect while reeling from a shocking breakup.

MAAME by Jessica George: A heartwarming coming-of-age story about a British-Ghanaian girl who’s out in the world on her own for the first time after spending years as her father’s caretaker.

CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid: A stellar novel about a tennis GOAT who is forced to return to the game when her Grand Slam record is threatened. 

Which others would you recommend?
    I LOVE pairing middle grade fiction with non-ficti I LOVE pairing middle grade fiction with non-fiction recommendations. It’s a brilliant way to get kids more interested in non-fiction and find similar threads between fiction and real life.

Books Mentioned:

A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING by @dsantat & MY NOT-SO-GREAT FRENCH ESCAPE by @cliffburkeauthor 

TOTAL GARBAGE by @_becca_donnelly & ONE KID’S TRASH by @jamiesumner_author 

AMELIA LOST by @candaceflemingbooks & THE AMELIA SIX by @kristinlgray 

More recommendations:

WELCOME TO MARS & A ROVER’S STORY by @jasminewargabooks 
BFFs or NRFs by @jessica_speer_author & DEAR FRIENDS by @lisanngreenwald 
MY NAME IS TANI (Young Readers Edition) & NOT AN EASY WIN by @chrystaldgiles 

More recs on readingmiddlegrade.com (see my stories for a link)!
    🏀 girls can play ball too 🏀 🏀 It’s th 🏀 girls can play ball too 🏀 

🏀 It’s the 1970s, and Judi loves to shoot hoops in the driveway with her brother and his friends. She hopes she can join a basketball team someday, but her school doesn’t have a female team. So when she gets to high school, she chooses the next best thing: cheerleading with her best friend Stacey. 

📣 But one day, the school announces that they’re starting a team for the girls because of the Title IX ruling. Unfortunately, as willing as the girls who sign up are (Judi inclusive), there’s little to no funding for their team. They have to DIY their jerseys and practice only when the boys’ team isn’t using the court. On top of that, Stacey is upset that Judi has left cheerleading to play ball, and some girls want to quit because they’re so frustrated. Can Judi and the team make it work?

❤️ Hoops is a fantastic, historical middle grade graphic novel about equality and basketball set against the backdrop of the rise of a female basketball team in the 1970s. Filled with fast-paced storytelling, beautiful graphics, and a protagonist everyone will be rooting for, this graphic novel is sure to become a fast favorite.
    Previously, currently, and next in line: adult fic Previously, currently, and next in line: adult fiction edition. This doesn’t even include my audiobook lineup and my middle grade + YA stuff! 

What does your current lineup look like?
    😥 living a lie is hard work 😬 📖 Meet Pe 😥 living a lie is hard work 😬 

📖 Meet Perla Perez, a 16-year-old high school senior who has been rejected from the college of her (and her parents’) dreams. Much to her dismay, she put all her eggs in this one basket and didn’t give her other college applications half as much care as she did this one — so all the other colleges rejected her too. 

📚 With her back against the wall and under the immense pressure from her immigrant parents to succeed, she forges an acceptance letter and thus begins months of lying and elaborate schemes to get into the dorms, going through all the motions of a real student. She hopes to re-apply in the next session and get in so her parents never know she was rejected. But will her plans go up in flames?

❤️ a fast-paced, compulsively-readable young adult novel about the pressures of college admission. Set in college, this YA novel features a younger protagonist whose ID is wrapped up in her smarts and academic success, fueled by pressure from her parents. Readers who enjoyed books like Admission and younger teens will like this no-romance YA.
    🥠 Meet Maya 🥠 ⚽️ Maya enjoys playing so 🥠 Meet Maya 🥠

⚽️ Maya enjoys playing soccer, but especially so because it makes her sports-obsessed dad happy. She’s convinced herself that to be a great soccer player and be picked by a junior league, she needs to stop focusing on the other thing she loves (but won’t admit to loving as much): playing her flute. 

🎶 But when her parents tell her they’re separating and friendship with her bestie starts to evolve with the addition of a third friend, Maya begins to feel really lost and it’s tough to figure out what she wants. Thankfully, she has a trusty wheel of fortunes she made from fortune cookie fortunes she’s collected over time. But can they help Maya find her way?

🥠 sweet, realistic, and heartwarming book about facing your fears and listening to your inner voice. This is a great addition to stories about families experiencing parental separation, kids trying to find their passions, and separating one’s goals from external validation. It also highlights how to deal with tough emotions like insecurity and jealousy in friendships. All in all, very well done.

#bookstagram
    🎮 the game of love and friendship 🎮

I didn’t love this as much as I thought I would but it is imaginative, propulsive, and a moving meditation on love and the ups and downs of life. 

Parts of it dragged for me but major props for such an inventive plot and characters. I feel like people who loved A Little Life (which I couldn’t get through) would love this.

If you’ve read this, what did you love the most about it?
    🤯 TJR is a GENIUS 🤯 There are so many reas 🤯 TJR is a GENIUS 🤯 

There are so many reasons why this book shouldn’t work but it just does. An oral retelling of a fictional band by at least 10 fully-fleshed narrators set in 70s Los Angeles = brilliance. 

This was my next TJR pick after Carrie Soto. Next up, Malibu Rising! 😍
    🍪 when food means family 🍪 🥘 11-year-ol 🍪 when food means family 🍪 

🥘 11-year-old Mo is facing a hard life moment. Her Nan (and sole guardian) has died, and her uncle (and only surviving relative) has decided to pass on caring for her in favor of enlisting in the military. So, Mo’s entering the foster care system. Her Nan’s last wish for Mo was that she find a hobby, but Mo isn’t sure about that — until she finds a book with family recipes. 

🥘 After one failed homing, she ends up in the home of a very well-to-do white couple who seem delighted to have her. There, Mo feels safe to try her hands out at recipes and even start a website to house all the family recipes she’s been collecting. But then, Mo’s world is turned upside down again. Will Mo ever find her own family?

❤️ Lasagna Means I Love You is an achingly tender portrait of a girl searching — through food and recipes — for a family to belong to. Readers are in for a treat with this one. 

🗽 Prepare to have your heart warmed and squeezed by Mo and her crew, experience New York City in all its vibrancy, and learn why and how lasagna can mean I love you.

#bookstagram #mgliterature
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