GMGR 2023 A to Z Challenge

[C.J.]

The goal of this challenge is to read 26 middle-grade books during 2023, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some letters are trickier than others! If you need inspiration, scroll through this thread (participants will be updating their lists throughout the year), scan past years' lists, or scroll through these middle-grade alphabet lists.

Steps:

1. Create a comment on this thread.
2. Copy, paste, and edit the alphabet set in the first post below.
3. Update your comment throughout the year, adding the books you finish during 2022.

Guidelines:

1. Titles need to match a letter of the alphabet. Use the "add book/author" button to create links to the books here on Goodreads.
2. Drop "A," "An," and "The" from titles. For example, The League of Seven (by Alan Gratz) would be listed for L, and A Home for Goddesses and Dogs (by Leslie Connor) would be listed for H.
3. Exception! Q, X, and Z are especially challenging letters to work with. You may choose a book that has a word in the title that starts with Q or Z. For example, The Farwalker's Quest (by Joni Sensel) can count for Q, and Legends of Zita the Spacegirl (by Ben Hatke) will work for Z. And we'll accept a word beginning with EX for your X book, like The Exact Location of Home (by Kate Messner) or The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone (by Jaclyn Moriarty).
4. If your title begins with a number, convert it to a letter by spelling it out. For example, 365 Days to Alaska (by Cathy Carr) would be listed for T, and 96 Miles (by J. L. Esplin) would be listed for N.
5. It's okay to add multiple titles under each letter, but there's no extra credit.
6. Only list middle-grade titles. No picture books, YA, or adult books about kids.
7. You can add a rating and review link. For example ***** My review is here.
8. For an added challenge, see if you can read your books in alphabetical order.
9. Have fun!

[C.J.]

Copy, paste, and edit this for your own list. You will then be able to search the thread for your name to find your list quickly.

[Your name here] 2023 A to Z List:
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[C.J.]

Middlegrade is where I do most of my reading, with definite fantasy/mystery/adventure leanings. Once again this year, my goal is to get through the alphabet twice!

CJ's 2023 A to Z List:
A: The Amulet of Samarkand Jonathan Stroud
— Amal Unbound Aisha Saeed
— Around the World in 100 Days Gary L. Blackwood
B: Brand New Boy David Almond
— Boo Neil Smith
— The Bad Guys: Episode 1 Aaron Blabey
— Brian's Winter Gary Paulsen
— Before the Ever After Jacqueline Woodson
— The Book of Three Lloyd Alexander
— The Boy at the Back of the Class Onjali Q. Raúf
— Beast & Crown Joel N. Ross
— The Boy Who Hit Play Chloe Daykin
C: City of Speed Alex London
— City Of Secrets Alex London
— Chomp Carl Hiaasen
— Cheese: A Combo of Oggie Cooder and Oggie Cooder, Party Animal Sarah Weeks
— Cold-Blooded Myrtle Elizabeth C. Bunce
— The Castle in the Attic Elizabeth Winthrop
— The Case of the Missing Moonstone Jordan Stratford
D: Duplex Orson Scott Card
— Dear Student Elly Swartz
— The Dreamweavers G.Z. Schmidt
— Dear Mothman Robin Gow
E: The Elephant in the Room Holly Goldberg Sloan
— The Edge of the Ocean (2) L.D. Lapinski
F: Falling Short Ernesto Cisneros
— The Field Guide Tony DiTerlizzi
— Finally, Something Mysterious Doug Cornett
— A Field Guide to Getting Lost Joy McCullough
G: Grace Needs Space! Benjamin A. Wilgus
— Garlic and the Vampire Bree Paulsen
— Garlic and the Witch Bree Paulsen
— The Golem's Eye Jonathan Stroud
H: Half a World Away Cynthia Kadohata
— Houdini and Me Dan Gutman
— Embassy of the Dead: Hangman's Crossing Will Mabbitt
— A Hidden Magic Vivian Vande Velde
— Hummingbird Natalie Lloyd
I: I Speak Boy Jessica Brody
— The Ice Witch Joel N. Ross
— In Myrtle Peril Elizabeth C. Bunce
J: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher Bruce Coville
K: A Kind of Spark Elle McNicoll
L: The Lion of Mars Jennifer L. Holm
— The Lost Gate Orson Scott Card
M: The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl Stacy McAnulty
— Murder at Midnight Avi
— The Moth Keeper Kay O'Neill
— The Mystery of the Missing Everything Ben H. Winters
— Maniac Magee Jerry Spinelli
— The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane Julia Nobel
— My Name Is Mina David Almond
N: The Notorious Scarlett and Browne Jonathan Stroud
— Night of Dangers Zack Loran Clark
O: Out of Range Heidi Lang
P: Pie in the Sky Remy Lai
— Ptolemy's Gate Jonathan Stroud
— Prairie Lotus Linda Sue Park
Q: How to Save a Queendom Jessica Lawson
R: The Rambling Jimmy Cajoleas
— Rick Alex Gino
— Replay Sharon Creech
— Rook William Ritter
S: The Skeleton's Knife Joni Sensel
— Stargirl Jerry Spinelli
— Saucy Cynthia Kadohata
— Starfish Lisa Fipps
— The Silver Arrow Lev Grossman
— Strangeworlds Travel Agency L.D. Lapinski
— Summer of the Gypsy Moths Sara Pennypacker
— Search and Rescue: Pentagon Escape Alex London
— Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston Esme Symes-Smith
— Snap Barbara Gaskell Denvil
T: The Timekeeper’s Moon Joni Sensel
— The Thing About Luck Cynthia Kadohata
— The Truth About Martians Melissa Savage
— 365 Days to Alaska Cathy Carr
— Trapped! James Ponti
— That Thing about Bollywood Supriya Kelkar
U: Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep Philip Reeve
— The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City Jodi Kendall
V: The Verdigris Pawn Alysa Wishingrad
— Voyage of the Dogs Greg Van Eekhout
W: When You Trap a Tiger Tae Keller
— Witchy, Volume 1 Ariel Slamet Ries
— Witchy, Volume 2 Ariel Slamet Ries
— Wilder Boys Brandon Wallace
— The Wonderling Mira Bartok
— The War That Saved My Life Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
— Wildoak C.C. Harrington
— The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid Colin Meloy
X: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone Jaclyn Moriarty
— The Explorer Katherine Rundell
Y: The Year of the Baby Andrea Cheng
Z: Zatanna & the House of Secrets Matthew Cody

In Chronological Order:

[Jennifer]

Jennifer's 2023 A to Z List:

A:
B: The Black Star of Kingston - S. D. Smith 5*
C: Class Act - Jerry Craft 5*
D:
E:
F: The Flower of the Witch - Enrico Orlandi 4*
- Fourth of July on Monster Mountain - Clark Roberts 5*
G: The Girl Who Saved Christmas - Matt Haig 5*
- The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale 5*
H: Harper Madigan:Junior High Private Eye: The Case of the Dropped Diva - Chelsea M. Campbell 4*
- The House at the Edge of Magic - Amy Sparkes 5*
- How to Rob a Bank - Tom Mitchell 4*
I: I Survived Hurricane Katrina 2005 - Lauren Tarshis 4*
J: Jake Maddox: Speed Receiver - Jake Maddox 4*
- Joey Pigza Loses Control - Jack Gantos 4*
K: Kiki's Delivery Service - Eiko Kadono 4*
L:
M: The Magical Imperfect - Chris Baron 5*
- Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race - Chris Grabenstein 5*
- Mutually Assured Detention - Scott McCormick 5*
N: Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy - Melissa de la Cruz 5*
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S: The Slave Dancer - Paula Fox 4*
-Small Town Pride: - Phil Stamper 5*
-Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria - George Jreije 5*
- The Superteacher Project - Gordon Korman 5*
T: Tales of Wychwood - Daniel Martin Eckhart 5*
U:
V:
W: WARNED : The Astrologer's Prophecy - Mahtab Narsimhan 5*
X:
Y:
Z:

Chronological:
January:

February

[SaraKat]

SaraKat's 2023 A to Z List:
A:
B:
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J:
K:
L: The Leak- graphic novel about a jr journalist uncovering water pollution in her city
M:
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Q:
R:
S: Sobreviví los ataques del 11 de septiembre de 2001- part of the I Survived series.
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[Jemima]

I;m obviously absolutely rubbish at this because I don't generally prioritise MG reads. But that's no reason not to try...

Jemima's 2023 A to Z List:
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[Gia]

Gia's 2023 A to Z List:

A: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
B:
C: The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher
D: The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
E: Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
F:
G:
H: Houseboat Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:
N: Nicholas and the Gang by Rene Goscinny & Jean-Jacques Sempe
O:
P: A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Q: The Quest for Snacks by Susie Yi
R:
S: Socks by Beverly Cleary
T: Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce
U:
V:
W: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
X: The X'ed-out X-ray by Ron Roy
Y: The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Z: Epic Zero. Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader 2022: Epic Zero. Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader by R.L. Ullman

[Mary]

Mary Ellen's 2023 A to Z List:


A: Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
B: The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
The Bluest Sky by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
C: Cress Watercressby Gregory Maguire
D: The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
E: Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
F: Front Desk by Kelly Yang
G: The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson
H: How I Became a Spy: A Mystery of WWII London by Deborah Hopkinson
I: It's The End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin Reynolds
Invisible: A Graphic Novel by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
J: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
K:Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
L: The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh
M: Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
N: No Matter the Distance by Cindy Baldwin
O:Odder by Katherine Applegate
P: A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Q: A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi
R: Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
S: Shine On, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcarcel
T: Thirst by Varsha Bajaj
Tangled Up in Luck by Merrill Wyatt
U: Unfadeable by Maurice Broaddus
V: Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
W: The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
X: Who Would Win?: Extreme Animal Rumble by Jerry Pallotta
Y: You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro
Z: The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

[Camille]

I hear a lot of people doing an A-Z challenge and going letter by letter, but I wonder if anyone has done that, but backwards. Ex: Z book first, then Y, etc. Not that I'm doing that, haha! It'll be a win for me if I even do half of the alphabet.

If it isn't manga, I mainly stick to middle grade. Although, there are a few non-manga or middle grade books that I might give the college try to.

Edit: Knocked out the letter Z first ;)

Camille's 2023 A to Z List:
A: Alley & Rex
B: Batter Royale
C: Confessions of a Dork
D:
E: Egg Marks the Spot
F:
G: Garlic and the Witch
H:
I:
J:
K:
L: Lotería *DO NOT READ IT! If only I didn't read it/didn't need the letter L.*
M: Mapmakers and the Enchanted Mountain:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S:
T:
U:
V:
W: The Why-Why's Gone Bye-Bye
X:
Y:
Z: Zatanna & the House of Secrets

[Ali]

Ali’s 2023 A to Z List:
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[Harley]

Harley's 2023 A to Z List:
A: The Alcatraz Escape***** by Jennifer Chamblis Bertman
All the Answers***** by Kate Messner
B: Book Scavenger***** by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
C: The Cabinet of Earths***** by Anne Nesbet
The Clackity**** by Lora Senf
D: The Dark Lord Clementine***** by Sarah Jean Horwitz
The Devil's Arithmetic***** by Jane Yolen
Dragon Slippers***** by Jessica Day George
Dragon Flight***** by Jessica Day George
Dragon Spear***** by Jessic Day George
E: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library***** by Chris Grabenstein
F:
G: The Girl Who Drank the Moon***** by Kelly Barnhill
Greetings from Witness Protection!***** by Jake Burt
Granted***** by John David Anderson
H: The Hacker's Key***** by Jon Skovron
How to Get Away with Myrtle***** by Elizabeth C, Bunce
I: Iron Hearted Violet***** by Kelly Barnhill
The Invisible Spy***** by Lisa McMann
J: Juniper Berry***** by M. P. Kozlowsky
K: Kat Wolfe Investigates***** by Lauren St. John
L:
M: Map of Flames***** by Lisa McMann
The Misadventures of Maude March***** by Audrey Couloumbis
Maude March on the Run!***** by Audrey Couloumbis
The Mesmerist***** by Ronald L. Smith
N: Number the Stars***** by Lois Lowry
A Night Divided***** by Jennifer A. Nielsen
O: The Old Willis Place***** by Mary Downing Hahn
P: Princess Ben***** by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Premeditated Myrtle***** by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Q:
R:Ravenfall***** by Kalyn Josephson
Rose***** by Holly Webb
S: Secret of the Storm***** by Beth Mcmullen
Spirit Hunters***** by Ellen Oh
Sisterhood of Sleuths***** by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
T: The Thirteenth Cat***** by Mary Downing Hahn
A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic***** by Lisa Papademetriou
U: The Unbreakable Code***** by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
V:
W: Words on Fire***** by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Witch Catcher***** by Mary Downing Hahn
The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights***** by Alexandria Rogers
X:
Y:
Z:

reply | flag

[Michelle]

I always look forward to this challenge, and am using it to guide my reading choices outside of middle grade too (a letter per country and for nonfiction reading too!) :) Looking forward to seeing what everyone is reading this year!

A:
B: The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
C:
D:
E: Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
F: Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
G:
H: Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
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Q:
R:
S:
T: Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff
U:
V:
W: A Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry
X:
Y:
Z:

[Zoeslibrary]

Does From The Desk of Zoe Washington count as Z?
Zoeslibrary's 2023 A to Z List:
A:Attack of the Black Rectangles
B:Better Nate Than Ever
C:Counting to Perfect( I found this to be a very sweet book!)
Caprice ( Beautiful and hard-hitting)
D:
E:The Edge of In Between
F:Fighting Words ( My favourite book from Kimberly- Brubaker Bradley)
G:
H:How to Stage a Catastrophe
Heart Finds
I:It Happened on Saturday
J:Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone (Jennifer is such a relatable character. I felt bad for her:( great book!)
K:
L:Lily Alone( An old JW classic)
M:The Midnighters
N:
O:One Jar of Magic
P:Peril at Owl Park ( I love mystery)
Q:
R:
S:A Song Called Home
T:The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor
U:
V:Violets Are Blue
W: What Happened to Rachel Riley?( Possibly my favourite book this year and it’s only January)
X:
Y:
Z:

[Rebecca]

I've dropped out of these challenges for a few years, but I'll give it a try again this time.

Rebecca's 2023 A to Z List:
A:
B:
C:
D:
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F:
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H:
I: Island of Spies by Sheila Turnage
J:
K:
L: The Lion's Paw by Robb White
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[Justine]

Justine's 2023 A to Z List:
A:
B:Bone Talk 4* In 1899 Philippines, an angry boy blames his father for ruining his induction into manhood. When his father risks his life to redeem his status, Samkad learns that it takes more than a ritual to make one an adult. My review
C: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society: By the Author of Chinese Cinderella 3* A headstrong girl clashes with her stepmother and is thrown out of the house. She is taken in by an acrobatic group. But when she finds out about their secret activities, she must decide if that is the right path for her. My review
D:
E: Escape Room 3* A puzzle-loving boy has to work with a motley bunch of children in an Escape Room experience. When there is more to lose that he'd originally thought, he must choose what is the most important thing to save. My review
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
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L:
M: The Murderer's Ape 4* In Lisbon, a contented gorilla wants to clear the name of her master accused of murder. When she discovers mysterious letters from abroad that might be from the 'murdered' man, she must find a way to bring him back, before the police catch her too. My review
Malamander 4* In the hotel of a seaside town, an obedient employee hides a mysterious girl from his menacing manager, who claims to have lost her parents here many years ago. But when he sees breaking into the house of a local author, he had to decide if she is to be trusted. My review
The Map Of Leaves 3* Orla bites at anyone who shows kindness. But when her beloved horse is taken away and her late mother are accused of spreading the town's disease, Orla must learn to trust in order to clear her mother's name and find a cure to save the dying town. My review
N:
O: October, October 5* An independent girl has never forgiven her mother for walking out on her and her father many years ago. When her recklessness results in her father's hospitalisation, she has to learn to forgive herself and adjust to her new life with her estranged mother. My review
P:
Q:Children of the Quicksands 3* A city girl has to spend the summer in the backward village of her estranged grandmother. But when a beautiful bird lures her into the quicksands of the Forbidden Lake, she must decide if the myths are really just local beliefs. My review
R:Race to the Death 3* In Rome, a head-strong girl wants to race in a four-horses chariot but her father wouldn’t even allow her to race with two. When he is murdered, she seeks refuge with a trainer who is determined to keep her in the kitchen, where girls should be. Dido has to decide if she should give up her dreams for her safety and security. My review
S:Song of the Far Isles 5* A wayward musician seeks tutelage from the mysterious Bard in the nearby isle. When a decree bans music and confiscates the islanders' birth instruments, she seeks the Bard's old powerful instrument that will right this injustice. Except she thinks she should be the one to play it. My review
Stone My review
T: The Train to Impossible Places 3* An headstrong girl wants to see the world on board the postal Train to Impossible Places. When she has to deliver a suspicious package to a cantankerous lady, she decides to fake the delivery. My review
The Third Mushroom 3* An inquisitive girl wants her grandfather to fit into middle school and partners with him in a science project. When the experiments do not go as expected, she learns that experiments are the only things in life that are unpredictable. My review
U:Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep 5* In the Autumn Isles, a carefree girl wants to upkeep the tradition of the Watch after her adopted father's death. But when her uncle, as the sole surviving heir, believes that the dangerous magical forces of the sea are mere superstition, she decides to keep the watch secretly, before he endangers the community. My review
V:The Valley of Lost Secrets 4* An angry evacuee is determined not to settle in his new home in Wales. But when his younger brother goes missing, he must trust his temporary family to find him again. My review
W:Wild Song 4* In 1904 Philippines, a tribal girl escapes marriage by travelling to America for the St Louise World's Fair. She embraces the new world, even when she had to swap her tribal wear for the endless drapes of fabric of the American dress. But when she see the prejudices underneath the glitz, she has to decide which world she'd rather belong to. My review
The Worlds We Leave Behind 4* During the holidays, an active boy wants to have fun with his best friend but a little girl insists on following them around. When she is hurt and he is blamed, he must decide if he should take action on those who wronged him. My review
X:
Y:
Z:

[J.S.]

Stephanie's 2023 A to Z List:
A: The Artifact Hunters by Janet Fox
B: The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
C: Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac
D: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
E: Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan
F:
G:
H:
I: The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
J:
K: The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan
L:
M:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S: The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
T:
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[Elza]

Elza's 2023 A to Z List:
A: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
B: Both Can Be True by Jules Machias
C: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett & Brett Helquist
D: The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens
E: Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge
F: Frogkisser! by Garth Nix
G: The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
H: Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
I: Into the Wind by William Loizeaux
J: Jamie by L.D. Lapinski
K: Kristy and the Snobs by Chan Chau & Ann M. Martin
L: Loot by Jude Watson
M: Mascot by Antony John
N: The Night Garden by Polly Horvath
O: Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
P: The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Q: The Quest to the Uncharted Lands by Jaleigh Johnson
R: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
S: Stars So Sweet by Tara Dairman
T: Tumble & Blue by Cassie Beasley
U: Unplugged by Gordon Korman
V: The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket
W: Willa and the Whale by Chad Morris & Shelly Brown
X: The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner
Y: You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro
Z: Zatanna & the House of Secrets by Matthew Cody & Yoshi Yoshitani

(updated December 2023)