Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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NEW MEMBERS: Hi everyone, I've joined the GMGR group. I'm ......
MG is not just for kids...it's for anyone that never got cynical and still has a great imagination :)
Steven, Yes, MG is for kids of all ages, even adults in touch with their inner kid. J.S.
Hi Jennifer, Hi Tammy!Glad you've found us! Sounds like both of you will have a lot to add to our discussions. Make sure you visit the "library" to tell us about your favorite books!
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How about kids who got cynical and decided to try to get back to the garden? :D
Steven wrote: "MG is not just for kids..."I come from science fiction (hmmm, I think I'll leave that statement the way it stands). One of my favorite books is The Forgotten Door. In tone and language and complexity of story, it might be okay for age 7, certainly age 9. In terms of feeling and message, it's also very suitable for adults. I feel about it the way I think a lot of adults feel about A Wrinkle in Time.
Another example, one of the "grand masters" of science fiction, Robert A. Heinlein, wrote mostly "juveniles" at the beginning of his career. Despite that, the science fiction community celebrates him and those books, fifty, sixty years later. One book, Starship Troopers was written (in a month of foreign-policy fury) as a sort of "enlisting and coming of age" juvenile. When his publisher turned it down, he re-submitted it as an adult novel and it became hugely successful, even winning the Hugo, one of science fiction's highest awards.
Part of the reason I like science fiction is that the community values that feeling they call "sensawonder" -- to my mind, one of the best parts of many MG books.
Stephen, that's well stated. I also like the philosophy that creeps into science fiction. More can be safely said in a book set in another time or on another planet.
Steven wrote: "MG is not just for kids...it's for anyone that never got cynical and still has a great imagination :)"I totally agree with you!
Tammy wrote: "Hi I'm Tammy M from Dallas Tx. I just discovered Goodreads a few days ago and was ecstatic to find this group! I love reading middle grade books and it has been difficult finding a group that wasn'..."It's in a way funny to see grown-ups who like MG novels. The best ones are often complex and dig into emotions. They are more character than plot driven and thus can satisfy kids and grown-ups too.
Mod
I totally agree with you!"
I don't know. I got cynical enough, but kids books help me keep it in check :)
Evelyne, well put. And a good MG novel may have deeper, philosophical aspects.
J.S. wrote: "Steven, Yes, MG is for kids of all ages, even adults in touch with their inner kid. J.S."I agree, I love reading MG because it provides a nice escape from normal life, and offers a refreshing perspective on the world. And it's just outright *fun* as well, and I don't think you can say that about many adult books. I also find it refreshing to read books which are largely free of romance (which unfortunately is the downfall of many YA books in my opinion) and swearing. Swearing has it's place, of course, but sometimes both 'adult' and YA authors seem to throw in a lot of swearing just for the sake of it, like 'oh, I want to be controversial, I'll use the f-word on every single page then everyone will think I'm edgy' which is irritating. But I guess MG authors can't do that so they have to think up more creative ways of having their characters show their passion/anger etc.
Hi All!I’m J.B., and have just been getting set up on Goodreads. Have an absolute passion for Middle Grade fiction (even better here in the States where we have an actual definition of it, vs. back in England where I grew up (Oxford) and it would fall somewhere between late Primary and early Secondary School – that just doesn’t have the same flow to it…), something that held me as a kid and has continued onto into adulthood. With one-year-old triplets at home, it’ll be a while before they’re into these, but hey, I figure I’ll have some great recommendations for them in a few years’ time! I’m both a writer and a reader in this genre, and love everything from the modern staples through to the classic children’s books like Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island. Oh, and if there’s anything like Roald Dahl, I’m 100% sold…
Looking forward to getting some great recommendations as well as terrific inspiration from this group!
Hi J.B.! Oxford is so beautiful! I have family there. You must have your hands full with triplets (I can't even imagine how much work that must be!) but I hope you get a break sometimes to do some reading. Welcome!
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Mandy wrote: "Hi J.B.! Oxford is so beautiful! I have family there. You must have your hands full with triplets (I can't even imagine how much work that must be!) but I hope you get a break sometimes to do some ..."Thanks Mandy! I am of course biased about Oxford, but it is a beautiful city…never really realized it growing up there, only now whenever I go back home to visit! The triplets are a blast. Mayhem, but a blast! You get creative in finding breaks to read and write, although that time is a tad limited… Thanks for the nice welcome!
J.B. wrote: "Hi All!I’m J.B., and have just been getting set up on Goodreads. Have an absolute passion for Middle Grade fiction (even better here in the States where we have an actual definition of it, vs. b..."
Welcome aboard, J.B. We all love MG literature here and I hope you'll find good book suggestions. I am currently re-reading Jake Reinvented by Gordon Korman, one of my favorite MG authors. Does anyone else like his work? What's your favorite from him? Do you think he's a writer for girls, for boys or both?
Evelyne wrote: "J.B. wrote: "Hi All!I’m J.B., and have just been getting set up on Goodreads. Have an absolute passion for Middle Grade fiction (even better here in the States where we have an actual definition..."
I'll be honest and say that I've never read anything by Gordon Korman - any recommendation as to one to start with? Always love finding new (to me) authors!
Hi all. My name is Adrienne Vincent Sutton and I just self-published my first middle grade novel, Bad Hair Day, which I hope will provide a more diverse offering to the middle grade category. Of course, I also enjoy reading middle grade fiction. My current favorite is the Mother-Daughter book club series by Heather Vogel Fredrick---book seven comes out next year! Lastly, I am the mother of two girls ages 10 and 9, so I'll be in the middle grade world for years to come.Best,
Adrienne
adriennevincentsutton.com
Adrienne wrote: "Hi all. My name is Adrienne Vincent Sutton and I just self-published my first middle grade novel, Bad Hair Day, which I hope will provide a more diverse offering to the middle grade category. Of co..."Welcome to the group! You'll find lots of MG readers, writers, and parents here!
I am just starting Skulduggery Pleasant tonight! We read Jeremy Thatcher last week. My son legally enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation, everyone!
Oops! Autocorrect! He REALLY enjoyed it. Not legally. :(
Jeremy Thatcher's great! Does he like dragon books?
Well, he LOVES the Hobbit movies and all the Harry Potter books, so dragons may be part of it. He REALLY enjoyed the first few chapters of Skulduggery Pleasant last night. I was a bit scared. ;)
J.B. wrote: "Evelyne wrote: "J.B. wrote: "Hi All!I’m J.B., and have just been getting set up on Goodreads. Have an absolute passion for Middle Grade fiction (even better here in the States where we have an a..."
Try Schooled. It's one of his most recent and an excellent story. Korman writes stories that seem simple but have more layers than you first realize. Tell me what you think when you're finished! Happy reading!
Adrienne wrote: "Hi all. My name is Adrienne Vincent Sutton and I just self-published my first middle grade novel, Bad Hair Day, which I hope will provide a more diverse offering to the middle grade category. Of co..."Welcome Adrienne and congrats on your book. We are a few here who have also published MG novels. I'm not familiar with the series of the Mother-Daughter book club since my youngest is a boy, but I like the title and will look at them. With your daughters you'll get to discover many great MG books, I'm sure.
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I thought you meant that he was actually Middle Grade, unlike all us oldsters who read the books! :D
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Autocorrect is priceless sometimes.
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Autocorrect is priceless sometimes."
Autocorrect makes an ass out of me. Literally. Changes "RDouglass" to "trout ass". Go figure!
Hi, I am Brenna. I am a big reader, and because of my niece and nephews, reading a lot of early chapter books and middle grade books, but do like a lot of YA as well. I am in western NY. I do a lot of reviewing of almost everything I read and post here on goodreads, booklikes, google +, and B&N, so if anyone is looking for a reviewer, contact me!
Hi Brenna! I'm just north of you in Ontario. I am currently editing my first novel so I would love to connect when the time comes. :) I'm sure you will find some great suggestions here - I have!
Thanks for the welcome, Mandy. Hope the novel is going well.
Hi all!
It seems I'm a bit behind in finding this site but so glad I finally did!
I'm a NSW resident, severe bookaholic, who spends most of the time homeschooling the tin lids but when I do find a bit of free time I'll hide and write. So far I've only dabbled in middle grade and YA.
Looking forward to learning lots on this site....
It seems I'm a bit behind in finding this site but so glad I finally did!
I'm a NSW resident, severe bookaholic, who spends most of the time homeschooling the tin lids but when I do find a bit of free time I'll hide and write. So far I've only dabbled in middle grade and YA.
Looking forward to learning lots on this site....
I'm fairly new to GoodReads and I just joined this group. I published my first children's chapter book in October and I look forward to participating in this discussion group to find out more about children's fiction.I wrote and published my first novel (mystery suspense genre) while still working full time. I recently retired and will be writing full time. I took a break from mystery suspense and published the children's chapter book in honor of my grandchildren.
Thank you for all the posts. I'll read through them to learn more about children's books and middle grade books.
Brenna wrote: "Hi, I am Brenna. I am a big reader, and because of my niece and nephews, reading a lot of early chapter books and middle grade books, but do like a lot of YA as well. I am in western NY. I do a lot..."Hi Brenna. I'd love to have you review my chapter book. I'll drop you a note so we can work through the details.
Thanks,
John
Hi, everyone. I write middle grade novels, so of course I read it, too. Some of my favorite novels are middle grade books. It's such an interesting age. I prefer fantasy and science fiction, but I've read some great realistic stuff, too.
Hi John! Hi Laurell! Glad you've joined us.
M.G. wrote: "Hi John! Hi Laurell! Glad you've joined us."Thanks for the welcome. Good to hear from someone else in Texas. My wife and I are in Colorado visiting our daughter and grandkids for the holidays.
Hi! My name is Janelle Minich - I'm married to a middle grade author. I have a corporate job by day, but at night I'm trying to help him figure out how to reach the masses. I'm really interested in learning what works for other middle grade authors. We are both so new to this and having so much fun with it. I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys and excited to learn from you too!
Hi Brenna, Welcome to the group. I write a children's nonfiction history travel series and also review family friendly books on my blog.
Hi Everyone, my name is Alex Bugaeff. I'm an author of a MG book on early American history. (Do the Group Rules allow me to mention the title?). In it, a grandfather tells his grandchildren the history of our Founding in a series of story times. It is the first in my Grandfather Series, the second of which (about colonial women who changed history) is coming out early in 2015.I'm looking forward to learning what everyone has to say and to chime in when helpful. Happy to be aboard!
Welcome to the group Alex. Look forward to reading your book.
Barbara wrote: "Welcome to the group Alex. Look forward to reading your book."Thanks, Barbara. So, can I cite it?
You can comment only in the authors or offers sections when promoting your own books.
Barbara wrote: "You can comment only in the authors or offers sections when promoting your own books."I just wondered, because I read the policy, but then saw someone cite their book, so I wasn't sure. Whatever it is, I'll abide by it.
Mod
Barbara's fairly correct about promotions. Though obviously writers will mention that they write, both in intros and when relevant to discussions, descriptions and other promotional comments about our books belong in the appropriate section. It is our desire to keep this an active discussion group, and experience suggests that the best way to do that is to limit promotion.
Thanks for being sensitive to our rules and regs! You're right--some people do cite their books anyway, and we try not to jump down anyone's throat in the intro thread, though we do occasionally move comments or threads to the appropriate place.
Rebecca and Barbara, I know what you mean about discussions deteriorating when authors start hyping their books. I'll make sure not to do that.
Mod
Watch next week for the thread taking nominations for the January Book of the Month!
Hello all,I have kids, in middle school, who are avid readers i'm running out of books to give them - I'm hoping that this group will help me! they love books about mythology, the supernatural, post apocalyptic, and in general any genre... so i'm looking for any help that is available.
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Great Middle Grade Reads
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Jennifer J. wrote: "I'm Jennifer J. from Tucson, Arizona. "I would rather be reading" is probably what should be my epitaph. I have six library cards, and am constantly borrowing books. Middle grade novels are a parti..."
Glad that you found us Tammy and Jennifer. If you have any ideas for discussions feel free to start a thread :)