Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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GMGR 2019 A to Z Challenge
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You're my hero C.J.! That's so awesome that you read so many middle grade books!
Only one more book--starting with "Z"--and I'm done! (For a many letters, I have multiple titles read, but lots of them have only one, so I don't think I'm going to try for twice through.)
What's the best "Z" book you've read--anyone?
Mod
(For a many letters, I have multiple titles read, but lots of them have only one, so I don't think I'm going to try for twice through.)
What's ..."
For me, the Zoe & Zack series, starting with Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard is great MG adventure. I started with the third, so they can be read out of order, but of course, it makes sense to start at the beginning!
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Jemima wrote: For me, the Zoe and Zack series..."Thanks, these look good, but unfortunately my library doesn't have them. I use the Minuteman Library network (41 libraries outside of Boston), but I also checked the Boston Public Library (25 branches). You would think one of these places would have them!
C.J. wrote: [bookcover:Zorgamazoo|791167..."Thanks!
I love Zita the Spacegirl!
Zorgamazoo looks like a fun read--I've requested it from the library.
Maria wrote: "Jemima wrote: For me, the Zoe and Zack series..."Thanks, these look good, but unfortunately my library doesn't have them. I use the Minuteman Library network (41 libraries outside of Boston), but..."
Have you tried overdrive?
Ray wrote: "Maria wrote: "..."Thanks for the suggestion, Ray. I have occasionally read books on overdrive, but I'm at a computer all day, so I much prefer to read books in print form.
Refreshing! How are you all doing for the challenge?
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Congrats! Care to pinpoint a favorite or two (or three, or five)?
I think my favorites were Heart of a Shepherd and Pay Attention, Carter Jones, both books with strong faith elements. I LOVE the Spy School books, and Spy School British Invasion did not disappoint! Also I enjoyed two books that are similar plot-wise to the Spy School books, but with a completely different voice: Clayton Stone, At Your Service and Clayton Stone, Facing Off. Very fun!
Hmm. Typing this I see that all my favorite ones have boy protagonists... Well, I also loved the The Green Ember books, and those have a sister and brother as main characters, the sister being the older and the main protagonist for much of the story.
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I'm similarly close to my year's goal for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. But hey, this is a perfect week for sneaking off into quiet corners! Cheering you on from my own reading nook.
C.J. wrote: "SaraKat wrote: "I realized that I had 7 letters left on December 21st...."I'm similarly close to my year's goal for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. But hey, this is a perfect week for sneaking o..."
You can do it!
Mod
I just got my list finished! I wouldn't have been able to if I hadn't taken a page from my daughter's book (pun intended) and decided to read Magic Tree House and A to Z Mysteries as my last hard to find letters.Kassidy won't finish this year but wants to try again in 2020. Hopefully, she'll stick to her goal of reading two from her list each month with a couple of extra during the summer so she can finish.
Happy New Year to everyone! Here's to a great 2020!
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Rebecca wrote: "I surprised myself, once I did a little mining of my records to see what I read this year! Far less reading than usual, but I managed to pick up more MG late in the year. Not the full alphabet, but..."Wow! Great job, especially for not choosing with the list in mind!
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LOL! I have quite a few for some letters. W seemed to be a big one for me this year!
Congratulations everyone! I didn’t read an x title but have enjoyed the challenge and look forward to 2020 challenge!
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As we tidy away details of the old year, getting ready to face the new, I offer hearty congratulations to those who finished the A-Z Challenge ... and applaud the efforts of those who were close, close enough, or content to have read more than expected. I'll be posting our 2020 Reading Challenges in a bit. Meanwhile, tell us ...
1. What wonderful book might you *never* have picked up if you didn't need the letter for this challenge?
2. What were your TOP letters (because every book you reached for seemed to start with the same letter)?
3. What's your A-Z Challenge strategy for 2020?
Mod
1. What wonderful book might you *never* have picked up if you didn't need the letter for this challenge?
I mostly read whatever I wanted, which is pretty obvious if you see how many multiples I have of some letters. But I do recall browsing the local library's shelf for lacking letters and selecting Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill because I still needed a G. The story was a lovely surprise, in large part because I'm from Minnesota, and Hill's story tickled my nostalgia in nice ways.
2. What were your TOP letters (because every book you reached for seemed to start with the same letter)?
C - 19 MG titles
M - 16 MG titles
S - 16 MG titles
3. What's your A-Z Challenge strategy for 2020?
- Ignore the letters at first, likely focusing on my Series Challenge. Assess later with an eye toward filling in any gaps. (This worked well this past year.)
- Add titles to the challenge thread *as* I finish them. No dawdling, or I forget what I recently finished and there's a log jam of housekeeping as I catch up.
- Is "have fun" a strategy?
Mod
Witchbone - which I picked up from a Read4Review here.
2. What were your TOP letters (because every book you reached for seemed to start with the same letter)?
D and S (I stopped listing them unless they were 5 stars.)
3. What's your A-Z Challenge strategy for 2020?
Pick more MG books from Netgalley, since I don't have that many lurking in my kindle. I do have some on my shelves, though!
1. What wonderful book might you *never* have picked up if you didn't need the letter for this challenge?I was looking for a D and so checked Dogsbody out of the library. A very unusual but fun book!
2. What were your TOP letters (because every book you reached for seemed to start with the same letter)?
Lots of A, M, and S.
I did choose not to read some books that crossed by path because I didn't need that letter!
3. What's your A-Z Challenge strategy for 2020?
I want to find books for the hard letters early on and get them filled in because I was scrounging at the end. But I do read a lot of middle grade, so for the rest, they'll get filled in easily.
C.J. wrote: "Wrapping Up 2019"1. What wonderful book might you *never* have picked up if you didn't need the letter for this challenge?
J for The Jamie Drake Equation
P for Pie in the Sky
U for Under the Egg
2. What were your TOP letters (because every book you reached for seemed to start with the same letter)?
S - 5 books
B, I and L - all tie a close second with 4 books each
3. What's your A-Z Challenge strategy for 2020?
Same as previous years. I read what takes my fancy, and if I need help choosing, the one with the missing letters on the A-Z Challenge gets the vote.
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Great Middle Grade Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Voyage to Magical North (other topics)Dogsbody (other topics)
Giant Pumpkin Suite (other topics)
Monkey (other topics)
Eagle (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Louisa May Alcott (other topics)Tamora Pierce (other topics)
Yona Zeldis McDonough (other topics)
Richard Peck (other topics)
Katherine Marsh (other topics)
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Mine? This came up earlier in the year. I don't add them (because of the character limit), but every book I've read in the last few years I've rated & reviewed. When you *friend* another reader, their reviews show up at the top of the queue, so you can easily check and see how they liked a book you might be interested in.
Have you ever gone to a reader's profile and clicked the "compare books" link? That's also a fun way to see what books you have in common (and how each of you rated them).