The best book I read in January (2021)

[C.J.]

A fresh start in a new year! How did you fare with your 2021 reading goals? Take a moment and share an outstanding middle grade title or two. What was the best book (or books) you read in January?

I had a few that stood out. I love a good mystery, and I'm really enjoying the Framed! trilogy by James Ponti. Book 2 in the set is Vanished!. Quick-paced, convoluted, and funny, with a main character whose attention to detail is positively Sherlockian. I finally got around to The Wizards of Once by Cressida Crowell (author of the How to Train Your Dragon books). Silly enough to make me smile, good enough to have me grabbing the next title. And I finished Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis. This story's about a girl who's shuffled from one foster home to the next until Eleanor agrees to open her home. Heartbreaking at times, but filled with heartwarming moments as a wild heart gradually learns to trust.

[Harley]

I read a lot of great books in January. I reread The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn. It is still my favorite middle-grade book.
The best of my new books in January were City Spies by James Ponti (C. J. you'll like this one), and my favorite for January, The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
I almost forgot The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer Blakemore.

[Jemima]

I was lucky enough to get The Weather Weaver as an ARC

I'm sorry to be blagging on about it, but I really thought this fantasy set on an island in the Shetland group was first-class. I'm looking forward to a sequel.

[Justine]

I finally got round to reading last month's The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street. Funnily enough, it had a similar feel to The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone. So I feel quite pleased that I've got my letters V and X out of the way for this year's challenge.

The other two books I enjoyed were Asha and the Spirit Bird by Bilan Jasbinder. It's set in India by the Himalayas.

and this one is action packed, about a summer camp in China called Dragon Mountain

[Autumn]

I read ten books in January, but two of them really struck me. The first being The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

I didn't realize when I found the book that the author was so well acclaimed (even referred to as the German J. K. Rowling!) But I understand why now. The book carries so much energy and whimsy that I hung on the prose. The characters were so lively, even upon first meeting. I bought this as an audiobook and then bought a physical copy after finishing just so I can look at the prose.

The second would be Ferals

While the prose was limited in its simplicity, I found the story exciting and the characters interesting. Halfway in, the world feels very defined and it keeps widening. Especially as new characters continued to enter the story even halfway in. I felt teleported back to watching Saturday morning superhero cartoons simply by the plot. This series could easily be adapted into a dark animated series.

[Erica]

I only read a few books a month since the middle grades are generally read alouds to my children. I really enjoyed Henry Huggins for my 6 year old and also engaging enough that my 9 year old did not complain. I liked it more than the vanderbeekers but it is a classic for a reason

[Ellen]

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

[Jemima]

Autumn wrote: "I read ten books in January, but two of them really struck me. The first being The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

I didn't realize when I found the book that the author was so well ..."

If you liked the Thief Lord, you may enjoy Inkheart and its sequels.