C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 18

Week 3. I’ve been keeping up with (most of) the themes for Middle Grade Book March over on Twitter. As a reminder, here are ALL the themes:

Day 15 – Series Shoutout – I love mysteries, fantasy, paranormal stuffs, and any combination thereof. Picking three fave series, because ghosts, FBI agents, & a family of thieves!

Day 16 – A Book I’m Lucky to Have in My Life – Hmm. Let’s go with thrift store finds! Used bookstores hold treasures. Would I have read these if I hadn’t stumbled acr...

Elza and I love games almost as much as we love reading middle grade books. You’ll find more of these over on Middle Grade Carousel and posting throughout the day on our Twitter account. Follow us and play along! ~CJ

In the classic The Family Under the Bridge, Armand is an adorable curmudgeon who lives under a bridge in Paris. When he comes home one day to find three children in his usual spot, he knows he’s in trouble. Especially when these “starlings” decide he should be part of their family. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, shortly after the second World War, a lively girl who loves to run begins to show symptoms of “atomic bomb disease.” Sadako’s whole world becomes a hospital room, where she sp...

Week 2. I’ve been keeping up with (most of) the themes for Middle Grade Book March over on Twitter. For some reason, it took me until today for me to recall that I should probably be tagging authors. As a reminder, here are ALL the themes:

Day 08 – Celebrate International Women’s Day – I have a special fondness for strong moms & mentors in middle grade stories.

Day 10 – The Last Book You Read – Since I’m doing the A-Z Challenge over on Great Middle Grade Reads (on Goodreads), I’v...

One good book can lead to another! Both of these stories involve girls who take a road trips. Julia’s from a once-prominent family that’s fallen on hard times, and Bicycle is an orphan determined to meet her cycling idol, who’s way off on the other side of the country.

Meadowsweet (Galleries of Stone, #1) has released as an audio book, narrated by Travis Baldree! Here’s another quick sample:

A magical master sculptor banished from his homeland hires the only Flox boy with the nubs to take his hand.
In places where the Twelve Mountains are honored for their magic, children are tested for affinity. But the villages in Morven’s foothills no longer remember stone lore. The Flox have forgotten the Statuary and the wonders that fill its winding galleries. ...

Middle Grade Reading. My participation in #MGBookMarch has been hit-or-miss over the years. Some of their themes are just easier than others. This year, there’s a good crop, and I’ve been making an effort to take part. Here are their themes for 2022:

Use the hashtag wherever you participate on social media. I’m taking part on Twitter.

Day 01 – Double Letters in the Title

Day 02 – Character’s Name Starts with “C” – Christopher, Colophon, Coyote

Day 03 – A Book You Think ...

March & April BINGO. Time to embark on a new month of reading challenges! You can nab your own bingo board over on Middle Grade Carousel >>

And of course, my own calendar for tracking my month’s reading:

Meadowsweet (Galleries of Stone, #1) will release as an audio book next week! Look forward to it!

Audio Release. Galleries of Stone will see its audio debut on March 8 (give or take, since variables may apply). Meadowsweet is narrated by Travis Baldree.