Politics in Practice
May 2, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
In 1999, almost everyone was worried about a computer flaw or bug nicknamed Y2K for year 2000. Now Erin Entrada Kelly has put the subject in a middle grade novel, The First State of Being.
May 1, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
This month kicks off a celebration of books featuring or by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. I am excited to shine a spotlight the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander portion of that lengthy acronym.
April 30, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
The bar and bat mitzvah—or, to use the modern gender-neutral term, bnei mitzvah—occurs at such a perfect, middle gradey moment. And new stories grounded in bnei mitzvah are being told all the time.
April 26, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
These kinds of books are a great way to "taste" stories from a bunch of authors and discover new favorites!
April 25, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
Book lovers can't help but feel enchanted upon walking into The Curious Reader. After my first visit several years ago, I got the same magical feeling as seeing The Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail.
April 24, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
In the book, Claire, Billie, Raelynn, and Tasha are the leftovers. The kids no one else wants to associate with. They are, for me, a celebration of the kids who got me through middle school. And high school. And honestly, who still help me today.
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April 19, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
What a wonderful world we live in to see so much great representation in middle grade.
April 18, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
Bear and Olivia show us that with small changes in our lives, we can and should protect these animals and our small corner of the world.
April 17, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
You know, what we’re really talking about is empowerment—feeling like even the smallest parts of us have power and worth. That could be super important to a middle school kid.
April 17, 2024 by Amanda MacGregor
Full of supportive, well-rounded secondary characters (who, importantly don't just support Grace but challenge her and help her see her way through things), this look at identity, relationships, and goals is a great read with the important reminder that you are more than just your accomplishments.
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Politics in Practice
by John Chrastka
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