C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 29

#amreading Purple

Island of Ogres is an interesting addition to the Zenta and Matsuzo series, especially since much of the story does not take place from their point of view. The outsider perspective from another quick-witted ronin allowed us deeper into the mystery. I needed a “Q” for the A-Z Reading Challenge, so I reached for Queen Clarion’s Secret. On an exceptionally windy day, a fairy named Prilla sees Queen Clarion do something unusual and tries to follow. Losing track of her, she shares her concern wi...

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Then and Now. I only show you three books at a time on my weekly #amreading posts, which has led to quite the backlog. So the books I’m posting about are titles I read a year or so ago. (Not much sign that I’ll catch up to myself, either.) That’s why I asked Elza to create some spiffy new templates so I can share my current read … and what’s up next!

No surprise, these are all titles that fit on my January BINGO board. : )

#amreading Families

Sunny Side Up is a graphic novel. Sunny goes to stay with her grandfather in a Florida retirement community. The reasons for this visit unfold through a series of flashbacks about her older brother, who’s fallen in with a bad crowd. (Rule-breaking, drinking, drug use, violence, etc.) So Sunny’s mostly stuck with a bunch of old people and their weird habits. In Almost Super, Rafter and his brother Benny are Baileys, and they’re about to come into the family legacy. On Leap Day, every Bailey w...

BINGO

January Bingo Board. Armed with a 100-title reading list for 2021 and a fresh start with my GMGR A to Z Challenge, I’m excited to launch into this month’s game. I think I’ve plotted a doable row. (Maybe even two!) Will you be participating in any reading challenges this year?

Pick up your Bingo Board at Middle Grade Carousel >>

New Year – New Reading Goal

Doing it Different. This year, I’m switching up how I choose the books I’ll read. I’m a big fan of reading challenges, and I regularly participate in three:

A to Z Challenge (Great Middle Grade Reads)Series Challenge (Great Middle Grade Reads)Reading Bingo Boards (Middle Grade Carousel)

The only problem is that I’m always choosing books because they fit the challenge. And waiting to read many books I’m eager for … until they fit a challenge. I’m tired of putting them off! So this year, I d...

#amreading Challenges

Ever done an Alphabet Challenge on Goodreads? Finding books that start with “X” is a challenge all on its own. In The X’ed-Out X-Ray, a trio of friends encounter another mystery after winning tickets to a Penelope Gwinn (a.k.a. Penguin) concert. Her diamond necklace is stolen, and Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose think they may have seen the culprit. In the third installment of the Track series, we learn about Sunny, who’s weird in his own wonderful way. But also sad and angry and lonely and honest...

#amreading Diversely

Morning Girl is a picture of life on an island in the south, where life is simple. The people have few needs, strong feelings, and traditions that pique a reader’s curiosity. Perspective shifts between two siblings, known as Morning Girl and Star Boy. Patina is the second installment of the Track series, in which we learn more about Patty’s story. Her struggles at a new school. What it’s like being raised by her godparents. The traditions she carries on with her little sister. And her reason...

Love that Book

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 Fascination

Fish is sent away from the family farm to work for an uncle in the city, but while running an errand, he becomes mixed up with a shipful of unpapered privateers (translation: pirates). Loved this adventure from beginning to end, especially the puzzling clues our treasure-hunters struggled to solve. Ghost is a boy from a rough neighborhood who mostly tries to stay out of trouble. But when he sees a track team strutting their stuff in the park, he can’t resist showing them that they’re not so ...