C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 33

I’m tackling my summer reading, one BINGO board at a time. Here’s what’s in store for August. I’ve already been poking through my Want to Read list on Goodreads & on the bookshelves at home to find titles that fit this month’s board.

Join usJoin in! Grab your board at MGCarousel.

That’s a Wrap. Here’s the final board for my July BINGO efforts. I managed a triple this month. Not bad, not bad.

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 Takedown, Mikayla wrestles just like her two older brothers. It’s a Delgado family tradition. But the last thing Lev expected this season was being partnered with a girl. Tough choices & emotional depth. Loved it! Queen of the Bee is a straightforward lower middle grade chapter book, featuring Sophie’s family life & the challenges she faces at school. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King follows *immediately* on  the heels of Mighty Jack. The friends try to take back what they lost. Sewers and po...

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

Charlie Bone and the Red Knight is the final installment in the 7-book series. Loved watching the final pieces slide into place. Excellent series with a satisfying resolution. A Likely Place is a very short story about a boy who doesn’t fit in with his parents’ or teachers’ expectations of him. And then there’s Mighty Jack, the first in a new series of graphic novels by Ben Hatke. Jack trades the family car for some magic beans, and…. Okay, not really. But there is a shifty salesman, a police r...

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

My attachment to Zenta and Matsuso, the two ronin detectives in Lensey Namioka’s series brought me to Village of the Vampire Cat, the fourth in the series. Tea ceremony, New Year traditions, and missing girls. Serafina’s Promise is a novel in verse set in Haiti, where life is hard. Her family scrabbles for the barest necessities, and tragedy strikes. Resilience and love are certainly themes, but a sobering read. And my read-through of Jenny Nimmo’s series (which is technically called The Childr...

Five in a Row. I am getting so close to calling a second BINGO, I want to sneak in some more reading time. My usual routine’s been curtailed for the last handful of days because it’s too HOT to safely walk. (I listen to titles on my e-reader whilst I perambulate.) I’ll be glad when the heat wave passes.

I found a couple of Ali authors. Are there squares you’re having trouble covering? Elza & I are happy to recommend titles! More over on Middle Grade Carousel >>

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