C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 23

In the graphic novel NewsPrints, Blue is a newsboy in a city where the ongoing war against neighboring countries is in the headlines. Making ends meet is tough, so the chance to work part-time for a quirky inventor is a big deal. And then there’s Crow, a new and mysterious friend, and an old friend Hector, who’s a war correspondent on the trail of a big story. Sarah, Plain and Tall is a classic for good reason. When their father sends away for a wife, Anna and Caleb are looking forward to me...

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

Estranged: The Changeling King is a return to familiar places, where the Changeling and the Childe are doing their best to fit into the worlds they are each learning to call home. But something’s amiss, and a new adventure blurs those boundaries. The Accused is the third book in the Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer series. I really like how each book in the series builds upon those previous. And I can’t really tell you too much about Mighty Jack and Zita the Sapcegirl without spoiling either serie...

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

Plain Kate was one of my favorites. Kate is a woodcarver of incredible skill. Circumstances conspire to force her into a deal with a witch. A fascinating fantasy in a setting reminiscent of Russia, with folk lore and gypsy caravans and needing to learn the roamer way. I will always read Sherlock Holmes books. This one’s kinda … so-so. In Death Cloud, an adolescent Holmes must endure his winter holidays with relatives, but drear days are interrupted by 1) the discovery of a body, 2) the frien...

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 Stargazing, which is a graphic novel, two girls navigate their differences to become friends. But it isn’t always easy. Out of My Mind tells the story of Melody, who is smart and amazing and hopeful and lonely. She has cerebral palsy, and she cannot talk. Based entirely on appearances, people (including her teachers and classmates) assume she’s mentally handicapped as well. Twilight of the Elves is the second book in series. Zed has the unique chance to learn more about the other half of ...

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 Mystery of the Scarlet Rose, Sherlock, Lupin, and Irene are reunited. While in London together, the trio of friends unriddle a clue in the newspaper that allows them to predict the locations of a series of yet-to-come crimes. But Scotland Yard isn’t about to take advice from three children. In A Nest for Celeste, which is told from the point of view of a mouse. Celeste only wants a nice, safe home and enough food to eat, but when important guests come to the house in which she’s made ...

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