The best book I read in January (2024)

[C.J.]

New year, new goals! I'm glad to see so many of you have decided to take part in some of the reading challenges here at GMGR. I hope they'll lead you to uncover some real gems. If so, share them here. Recommendations are one of the best ways to find new favorites.

January found me tackling both the Bingo Board and our new Read the Rainbow challenge. It's been interesting to try to find books that fit both. (Strategy!) A few of my favorites this month were:



The Labors of Hercules Beal is a contemporary tale by a favorite author. Essentially, a tough new teacher tailors his assignments to his students, and Hercules faces the challenge of re-creating the labors of Hercules & reporting on what he learns from them. The Body Under the Piano is the first in a series of MG mysteries that pays homage to Agatha Christie. Aggie's new friend, the fastidious Belgian boy Hector Perot, was a fast favorite for me. Naturellement! Stowaway is a sci-fi adventure involving a brilliant scientist, his two sons, and a rag-tag crew of interstellar pirates. And I was able to catch up with the Myrtle Hardcastle mysteries in time for the release of Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity, the fifth installment in the series and very much a delight.

Do share! What are your middle grade recommendations from the past month's reading?

[Elza]

A couple of highlights from January!

Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald is a fascinating art-centric mystery in which Theo inherits what can only be a stolen Renaissance masterpiece from a from her grandfather.
Mystery / Contemporary (set in New York) / Art History / WWII / Grief (loss of a guardian)

Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty follows new friends Benji and Felix after their recovery of a billionaire's lost wallet leads to a multi-million dollar challenge that may lose them every last cent.
Contemporary / Situational Comedy / Math (currency) / Coming of Age (new friendships, a first crush, changing & challenging world views)

[C.J.]

Elza wrote: "Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty follows new friends Benji and Felix after their recovery of a billionaire's lost wallet leads to a multi-million dollar challenge that may lose them every last cent."

You know, I loved The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by McAnulty. Definitely gonna want to give another of her books a try!

[Elza]

C.J. wrote: "You know, I loved The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by McAnulty. Definitely gonna want to give another of her books a try!"

I'm so tempted to add The World Ends in April to my TBR next!

[Angela]

Hi! I'm new to this group. I'm a library assistant in a middle school so I read lots of MG. Of the dozen or so middle grade books I read in January, the two that stood out were Darkroom, which kept me on the edge of my seat and totally creeped me out, and The Manifestor Prophecy, one of the best folklore-based fantasy novels I've read (topped only by Amari and the Night Brothers). I would highly recommend both of these.

[C.J.]

Angela wrote: "Hi! I'm new to this group. I'm a library assistant in a middle school so I read lots of MG..."

Welcome, Angela! I hadn't heard of either of these! I've added both your recs to my (admittedly towering) To Read list, and I'm glad you mentioned Amari and the Night Brothers. I've been picking those books up, but I haven't read them yet. Looks like I need to add them to my Series Challenge for 2024.

[Elza]

Angela wrote: "the two that stood out were Darkroom which kept me on the edge of my seat ..."

Oh, I love a spooky read! I'll need to check this one out.

[Justine]

I don’t know how I missed this post, but I read this book in Jan that I thoroughly enjoyed. Malamander is about an obedient orphan boy who works at the Lost & Found front desk. He behaves more like a middle-aged set-in-his-ways man, so it’s really entertaining when a mysterious girl suddenly appears in this office and throws his workd upside down