Middle Grades Mission

 

I have been teaching middle school language arts for the past 14 years, but I don't read a lot of new middle grades novels regularly. I tend to gravitate more towards the young adult category, and some of those I have been able to recommend to my students. The vast majority of my kids, however, are definitely not reading at that level. I don't want to be one of those teachers that only knows middle grades books from decades ago, so I am making an effort this year to stay up to date with new releases. 

My goal for this year is to read at least two newer middle grades novels per month. I can donate the books I read to my classroom library once I am finished with them, so this challenge has the added bonus of giving my students more reading options as well. My kids tend to prefer realistic fiction and graphic novels for the most part, so I'm going to make sure to keep an eye out for interesting releases in those areas. 

My goal is to get to at least 24 middle grades books by the end of the year. Here is my list of everything I have read: 

1. Pony by R.J. Palacio (5 stars)

2. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (5 stars)

3. Tidesong by Wendy Xu (3 stars)

4. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo (4 stars)

5. The Golden Hour by Niki Smith (4 stars)

6. Salt Magic by Hope Larson (3 stars)

7. Heartless Prince by Angela De Vito and Leigh Dragoon (3 stars)

8. The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir and Amber Padilla (5 stars)

9. Northwind by Gary Paulsen (2 stars)

10. The Art of Running Away by Sabrina Kleckner (3 stars)

11. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (5 stars)

12. When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (5 stars)

13. The Hideaway by Pam Smy (5 stars)

14. Alone by Megan E. Freeman (4 stars)

15. Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire (5 stars)

16. The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill (5 stars)

17. The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S. by David Levithan (4 stars)

18. Violets are Blue by Barbara Dee (4 stars)

19. The Aquanaut by Dan Santat (4 stars)

20. Too Bright To See by Kyle Lukoff (4 stars)

21. Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden and Brianna Thummler (4 stars)

22. The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu (5 stars)

23. Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling (4 stars)

24. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (3 stars)

**Goal of 24 books reached 7/16/22! Additional titles are listed below:

25. Anne of West Philly by Ivy Noelle Weir and Myisha Haynes (5 stars)

26. Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos (5 stars)

27. Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert (4 stars)

28. Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes (3 stars)

29. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (4 stars)

30. Frankie and Bug by Gayle Foreman (4 stars)

31. The Mermaid in the Millpond by Lucy Strange (3 stars)

32. The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego (4 stars)

33. The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo (5 stars)