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A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE by Lisa Moore Ramee

I first met Lisa Moore Ramee at an author event, and bought her debut middle grade novel, A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE at an SCBWI event in October. Her book has been cited as one of NPR's best books of 2019, and was mentioned in Booklist as one…
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THE WICKED TREE by Kristin Thorsness

In writing a middle grade book, I'm also widening my reading palate to include more middle grade titles. One of the fall titles from Month9Books, THE WICKED TREE, offers just the right amount of "spooky" for middle grade readers: Eleven-year-old…
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A PINCH OF PHOENIX, the third in the Lailu Loganberry (Mystic Cooking Chronicles) series, by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski

Lailu Loganberry (Mystic Cooking Chronicles) has been one of my favorite Middle Grade series ever since I featured it here, along with Heidi Lang's book, RULES OF THE RUFF. A PINCH OF PHOENIX offers a high-stakes conclusion to the series, and…
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BERTIE’S BOOK OF SPOOKY WONDERS by Ocelot Emerson

Just in time for Halloween, we have BERTIE'S BOOK OF SPOOKY WONDERS by Ocelot Emerson, a half-cat, half-person, who is also a screenwriter under another name. The book comes out October 15, 2019: Twelve-year-old Bertie Blount is great at…
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The RULES FOR THIEVES series by Alexandra Ott

I happened upon the Rules for Thieves series when Alexandra Ott was having a Twitter giveaway. I was lucky enough to win a book, and as soon as I did, I couldn't wait to feature it: Rules for Thieves After twelve-year-old orphan Alli Rosco…
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FOREVER NEVERLAND by Susan Adrian

I first connected with Susan Adrian over Twitter when we discovered we had a mutual connection to UC Davis. Her latest book, FOREVER NEVERLAND, provides an interesting perspective within a familiar tale: Clover and Fergus are the great-great-grandchildren…
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THE UNSUNG HERO OF BIRDSONG, USA by Brenda Woods

When I first saw THE UNSUNG HERO OF BIRDSONG, USA on readbrightly.com, I knew I had to feature it. It's a beautiful story about friendship, redemption, and justice by Brenda Woods, a Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author. On Gabriel's…
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JAGGER JONES AND THE MUMMY’S ANKH by Malayna Evans

Working on my own Middle Grade project has inspired me to read more Middle Grade books. Month9Books has plenty of great selections, including JAGGER JONES AND THE MUMMY'S ANKH by Malayna Evans. This book looks like a great selection for public…
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FOCUSED by Alyson Gerber

As soon as I saw the premise for FOCUSED, I immediately contacted Alyson Gerber for an interview. FOCUSED received a starred review from Booklist, and it provides a necessary look into what life is like with ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD…
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THE SIZE OF THE TRUTH by Andrew Smith

Out of all the authors I feature, Andrew Smith is one of my favorites. (Check out what he had to say about rival candy sellers in Ghent.) When I found out that his new Middle Grade book, THE SIZE OF THE TRUTH, was a tie-in to the Winger series,…