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Currently Loving…| July

Life · August 11, 2018

Currently Loving…| July

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📚 Sharing the best middle grade (and adult) book recommendations
💌 [email protected]

🏡 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.

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