C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 28

#amreading Mysteriously

The Coming of the Bear is the sixth mystery in the Zenta & Matsuzo series. The two ronin become castaways, shipwrecked on the Japanese island now known as Hokkaido, which is populated by a native people known as the Ainu. Zenta and Matsuzo struggle with a language barrier and cultural differences while trying to figure out who’s trying to cause trouble between the Ainu and a nearby Japanese settlement. The Soprano’s Last Song is the second mystery for our trio/triangle, this time involving t...

What floor do you live on?

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ

#amreading All Sorts

In Winterhouse, a series starter, Elizabeth the orphan is sent off to spend the Christmas holidays alone at a hotel known as Winterhouse, where she’s able to indulge her love for books, word games, and puzzles. In The Other Boy, Shane pitches for his school’s baseball team. He games with his best friend and has a crush on this really pretty girl in their class. Normal stuff. Until his rival catches wind of a secret from his old school. Something really private. Something that shouldn’t make ...

Up on the Rooftop

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ

#amreading Risk-Taker

Aru lives in a museum dedicated to Indian history and culture. She’s grown up hearing the stories of Hindu gods and heroes. In Aru Shah and the End of Time (Bk1), she releases a demon & learns she’s the reincarnation of a folk hero. A fascinating dip into Indian culture. Fast paced, imaginative, and promising several tangles as the rest of the quartet unfolds. In The Not-So-Jolly Roger, Joe, Sam, and Fred use the book again and are transported to a tropical island, where they meet the infamo...

Is there a problem?

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ

#amreading All Over the Place

Knights of the Kitchen Table is the first book in the Time Warp Trio series. For his birthday, Joe receives a book from his uncle. It transports him and his two best friends into the distant past, to the era of knights and dragons, giants and magicians. Short, funny, and a teensy bit educational. I had mixed feelings about Swing It, Sunny, the second volume in a graphic novel series. Vignettes centered more around fads and pop culture from the 1970s. (Remember this? Remember when?) I wanted ...

How long is your nose?

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ

#amreading Gold

Charlie can’t understand why nobody can remember his little brother Liam, not even their parents. But he’s determined to figure out what happened. And to get him back. The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly is a difficult book to pigeonhole. Not too scary, but tension-inducing. Not historical, but Charlie dreams of the past as if he were a different person, so several scenes take place there. Perhaps a psychological thriller for the middle grade set? Next up: Logan probably shouldn’t have bee...

How fast does this thing go?

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ