Great Middle Grade Reads discussion

We're in the thick of things with summer reading programs everywhere. (Well, in my part of the world, anyway.) Have you been finding ways to fit in some middle grade reading time? Now's the time to share your favorite books from June. What would you recommend?

I think my favorite book from last month has to be Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage, which follows a girl whose family decides to spend the summer in Scotland. She *hates* the idea. (Kids these days.) It's a wonderful story that made me smile all the way through. Highly recommended.

Summer reading is definitely in full swing. I discovered that my local library does a summer reading program for adults as well as kids, so I signed up. They have a way to track your reading online and even have badges readers can earn as they hit certain milestones. In the month of June, I read 75 books, 44 of which were middle-grade books. I read so many really good books that there is no way I could pick just one as my favorite, but I will certainly do my best to limit the number.

For June, my favorite reads were:
Dead Jed: Adventures of A Middle School Zombie by Scott Craven, The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, The Magic Shop by Justin Swapp, Rick by Alex Gino, The Unteachables by Gordan Korman, and The War of the Turnips by Barry S. Brunswick.

Dead Jed, The Girl From the Sea, and Rick all dealt with identity and bullying in some way, as well as being who you really are, and I really enjoy those messages, particularly in the middle grades. Of the three, Rick was my favorite because of the representation of an ace person, as well as the way Alex Gino brought in teaching about the LGBTQ community and the issues individuals face without being condescending or preachy. After listening to Rick, I immediately bought Melissa (previously titled George), though I haven't yet listened to that one.

The Magic Shop was a book that I had picked to read for my r/fantasy book bingo this year, solely from the cover art (I know, I know, we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But, you have to admit the cover is pretty cool.) and didn't even realize it was a middle-grades book until I started reading it. It's about magic and family secrets and is really good. Though, I do have to admit that I was a little angry at the author for the ending, not because it wasn't good but because it was unexpected and heart-wrenching.

The Unteachables touched my heart as a former teacher. It was a truly heart-warming story that shows the good and bad of a school system, and what can happen when teachers have support for their teaching.

Finally, The War of the Turnips, which I know is an odd title so you're just going to have to go with me on this one. This is another book that I had on my list for the r/fantasy bingo, and I absolutely loved it when I read it. I also really hope the author commissions an audiobook of it because he uses wonderful alliteration throughout the book and I can only imagine how wonderful it would sound when read out loud. This book is about a town whose sole crop is turnips (no, I don't know why), and they find one morning, shortly after harvesting, that their entire crop has been stolen! What are they to do? Send their bravest warriors on a quest to retrieve the turnips, of course. But who their bravest warriors ends up being, and the various other things they must do in order to complete their quest, is somewhat surprising and also what makes the book so good.

Covers:

I read 4 books in July.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, Witches of Brooklyn by Sophia Escabasse, Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm.

Wonder by R.J Palacio is a book that I picked from buddy reads. I enjoy reading that book and I like the theme of it which is to be kind to others.

The 3 books are Sunny Side Up, Witches of Brooklyn, and Be prepared I picked them to read because I found them interesting. They are graphic Novels and three of them were great. I was hoping in July, I read 5 middle-grade books:)

My favorite was Rescue by Jennifer A. Nielsen.
Tied for second were Forest Born by Shannon Hale and The Fog Diver by Joel Ross.

I'm overwhelmed. How does anyone read 75 books in one month?

I read Looking for Emily which is a delightful mystery set in a coastal village far from anywhere and Birdgirl by Mya-Rose Craig.

Birdgirl may not be MG as such, but is by a 20 year old about growing up with a love of birds, a Bangladeshi heritage, a powerful drive to save the environment/climate change/diversity issues, and a mother suffering from mental health issues. Oh, and throw in social media and bullying, too. It could well end up as my Book of the Year.

Jemima wrote: "I'm overwhelmed. How does anyone read 75 books in one month?

Lol. I'm able to read that much by not doing much else but reading. I rarely watch TV, and as an extremely introverted introvert, I rarely go anywhere except work. I'm also able to listen to audiobooks while I work. So, all of that combined means I'm reading something for 10-12 hours each day. That allows for a LOT of reading. I am extremely grateful to my library and KU, because I would never be able to support my reading habit without them.

Jennifer wrote: "Jemima wrote: "I'm overwhelmed. How does anyone read 75 books in one month?

Lol. I'm able to read that much by not doing much else but reading. I rarely watch TV, and as an extremely introverted i..."

Thanks for the tips! Audio books while working would be a help, although I tend to fall asleep while 'reading' them!

Apart from our BOTM, I did not manage a second MG book, but I finished one on 1st July, so I'll bump it up to say I read it in June! The Edge of In Between (love the title!) is about grieving girl who wants to be reunited with her dead parents and agrees to travel to the In Between. This book reminds me of The Giver as it plays on the protagonist's ability to be, and see things in colour.