Marvelous Middle Grades – Page 10

Spotlight on Kenny and the Dragon, for MMGM

7SeptemberSuzanne5 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

This story is set in spring/summer, but somehow feels like a fall tale to me. Â Does that ever happen to you? Â At any rate, I’m positive there are some young readers just heading back to school who would adore this book. Â Or, in the case of the more adventurous kids, eat it up. Kenny and

Creating myths, busting them up, and writing them down

31AugustSuzanne6 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, Writing

Do you guys miss me? Â Was the summer dry and boring, without Apricot-kitty’s weekly opine on all things middle grade and literary? Â Well, huzzah and hooray, cause I’m back! Â The summer was fabulous, and the fall promises to be wonderful as well. Â It’ll bring a couple changes to the blog–fall is good for change–in that

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson

1JuneSuzanne2 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

Just as an FYI…this will be my last regularly scheduled post until fall. Â Others will pop up here and there, but I plan to read, edit, and write my way poolside as much as humanly possible, shirking all deadlines not set in stone. Â Here’s to golden summers! And now, on to my spotlight this week…

Happy MMGM and Memorial Day!

25MaySuzanne3 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

What does Memorial Day mean to you? Â For many it’s the pool opening, which I have to admit is a big love of ours, too. Â For others it’s the beginning of summer trips and cookouts–no arguments there. Â Still others focus on our beloved veterans, and for my extended family on my husband’s side, it means

The Penderwicks #1, by Jeanne Birdsall

18MaySuzanne8 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

My apologies to the estimable Jeanne Birdsail for shortening the name in the title, but I just couldn’t squeeze it all in. Â However, here’s the full title, cause it’s too fun to leave unsaid–The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy. Â Isn’t that delightful? Many, many thanks

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos

4MaySuzanne6 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

I was of two minds over whether to spotlight this story. Â On the one hand, I really enjoyed several aspects of it, and felt it benefited me as a reader. Â On the other hand, I could barely make myself keep reading it at times, and am not 100% positive if it would actually benefit your

Goblin Quest, by Jim Hines

27AprilSuzanne8 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

This is exactly the kind of book many kids need (*note at the bottom for the exceptions), but may not see as it’s a fantasy and not shelved for kids in manyÂ systems. Â How do I know they need it anyway? Â Cause it was the saving grace for our family this past week. And…speaking of last

The Seems: the glitch in sleep, by John Hulme and Michael Wexler

13AprilSuzanne7 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

This was one of those tricky books to decide if I should spotlight or not. Â Truth, I often found it tricky to decide if I should finish it or not. Â In the end, the book continued to pull me forward and I was glad I didn’t give up on it, when the final pages flipped.

A Practical Guide to Getting that Middle Grade Mood

6AprilSuzanne7 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, Writing

We talk about the age of characters in MG, and while there’s some dispute, we can generally agree that the range is from approx. 8 to somewhere around 12-14. Â We also talk about content, such as more limited romance, or a younger approach to it with less focus on finding a soul-mate. Â But, what about

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

30MarchSuzanne7 CommentsMarvelous Middle Grades, The Bookshelf

This book was amazing. Â And it was with great self control that, just now, I restrained myself from sticking periods in between each of those words, for added emphasis! Â The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba incorporates so many lovely book-traits. Â It’s got transport to another land odds are very good you’re unfamiliar

Suzanne Warr

Narrative designer, game designer, author

Category Archives: Marvelous Middle Grades