Tween the Weekends: Great Tween Books

I write middle-grade because I LOVE to read middle-grade. These are the books that I wish were around when I was young. I especially enjoy stories that find magic in the most unlikely of places or ones that take me on an adventure. Today for Tween the Weekends, a fun promotion hosted by Emblazoners.com, I thought I’d share three of my favorite middle grade books and why I think you’ll like reading them as much as I do. I also give a list of my personal recommendations.

First up is a book that has made it to the top of my list, THE FALSE PRINCE, by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Why is this book at the top of my list? Because it is filled with heroic adventures, compelling conflict, and best of all it has a strong main character that makes me root for him every step of the way.  Another reason why this book means so much to me is that aside from its terrific plot and twisty ending, is that it's about a boy trying to come to terms with who he really is and accepting that. So often I see kids struggling to accept their roles in life, whether that is the role of a sibling, child, student, or prince. This book shows them how they can be true to themselves no matter the consequences. 

 

Next on my list is a super fun series. GILDA JOYCE PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR, by Jennifer Allison. If you are in the mood for a spooky story that will have you rolling on the floor from laughing so hard I recommend these books. Gilda is a tween trying to overcome the loss of her father with herself proclaimed psychic powers. As each story leads her to solve one strange mystery after another you might wonder, like I have, if Gilda really is psychic after all. This is a fun book series about freaky ghosts and chasing after your dreams. Gilda is hilarious and will make you laugh—but be warned these books might get a little creepy if read late at night.

Last on my list today is a fun story about finding magic in everyday places, namely, grade school. In JANITORS, by Tyler Whiteside, the main character, Spencer, learns that magic is real and it’s affecting the way kids learn. This book answers the question of why kids fall asleep during math or history—yes, there is a reason. Janitors are wizard like guardians protecting education from magic gone bad. It’s a pretty cool book about finding the unexpected in the most boring of places. I really enjoyed the themes presented in this book including being true to yourself and not being a chameleon, someone who changes sides on a whim. This book is one of the books I wish I had read when I was a kid.

If these books aren’t enough, try these on as well:

• A MEASURE OF DISORDER, by Alan Tucker
• ARROW OF THE MIST, by Christina Mercer
• ANDY SMITHSON: BLAST OF THE DRAGON’S FURY, by L. R. W. Lee
• CASSIDY JONES AND THE SECRET FORMULA, by Elise Stokes
• CURSE OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS, by Lynn Kelley
• CYCLES, by Lois D. Brown
• THE DREAM KEEPER, by Mikey Brooks (that's me)
• GANGSTERLAND, by Ansha Kotyk
• JUMP BOYS: SOS, by Alex Banks
• THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS AND THE ARCH OF ATLANTIS, by Sharon Ledwith
• MAGIAN HIGH, by Lia London
• MICHAELA’S GIFT, by Cordelia Dinsmore
• MONSTER MOON: CURSE AT ZALA MANOR, by BBH McChiller
• NOAH ZARC: MAMMOTH TROUBLE, by D. Robert Pease
• PRINCESS KANDAKE: WARRIOR BY CHOICE…APPOINTED TO RULE, by Stephanie Jefferson
• THE SUPER SPIES AND THE CAT LADY KILLER, by Lisa Orchard
• TAYLOR DAVIS AND THE FLAME OF FINDUL, by Michelle Isenhoff

Find more great books for tweens at: http://emblazoners.com/

A New Picture Book Blog

I wanted to take a brief moment and introduce you to the blog that my daughter's and I run. It's called Daddy's Girls Book Reviews and it's all about Picture books, as well as tips on reading with kids.

We read a lot of books in our house. Every night the girls get to pick out two-three books each. They have their favorites that get read again and again, and then they had some we didn't get past the first four pages. I noticed my girls had their opinions of what made a good and not so swell book. So I had a crazy thought, "why not start a review blog and share what these two girls think?" So I asked the girls. They were all for it. Why not? This would make sure daddy didn't cop out when it was reading time. (Yes, sometimes when I am tired, reading a picture book is the last on my list, but I do it for my girls.) So we started Daddy's Girls Book Reviews.

I'd love for you to check it out, follow it, and share it with a friend. We primarily want to reach out to parents of small children because that is what we are all about. As my girls grow older we plan on reviewing chapter books and middle-grade but we will continue to share some of the best picture books out there. I hope you take a moment to check us out. Thanks!!

Go there now: http://daddysgirlsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Why I write Middle-Grade

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I have always been interested in hidden worlds. Ever since I was little I used to believe that the gateways to these worlds were closer than we thought. One day while exploring the woods that surrounded our farm in Missouri, I found the remains of an ancient house that had been blown away in a tornado. The only thing left was a bit of the foundation and a set of stone steps leading to an invisible door. I often imagined as I stood there that if I just took one step forward I’d find myself in a dreamland—a place where magic existed and adventure called.

The imaginations of my youth have carried over to adulthood and I see myself wanting to return to those places I dreamed up. I want to still believe in the existence of magic and find the rabbit holes leading to wonderlands. At heart I am just a kid—the same boy who stood on the stone steps of a vanished house wishing it was something more. I write middle-grade because I write the books I would have wanted to read when I was a kid.

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What makes middle-grade books so exciting is that they are the books that carry a reader from the boundary of childhood into adult. They are bridges—doorways to something new. Mostly I write these stories for myself—the inner child that never wants to leave the stone steps. I also write for the kids that I know, like me, are dreamers, wanting to find magic in the most unlikely of places. Middle-grade books are truly written with the heart of children in mind.