Monday 30 September 2013

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, #Cybils and other things Middle Grade

It is another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday as inspired by Shannon Messenger. I am heading over there to grow my to read list and see what all of you think of recent middle grade reads. Right now I am reading The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley.  Oh my. It is one of those books you put down and want to get right back to because of the characters. Love those two. They need each other and we need them to see the power of connections we can have even in passing. Anyhow, I am not done, but will be by end of today. Plan on making it my read to self book when hanging with the grade three's.

And it is the last MMGM of September AND I am thrilled that it is also the eve of Cybils Nominations.

I will be sitting on the panel with a group of fine first and second round judges for...you guessed it...middle grade fiction (realistic). Here we are:

Here is the description of our category, described on the Cybils site by Karen Yingling:

Middle Grade Fiction--Category Description

Middle grade fiction encompasses a wide range of stories that do not have magical elements and are geared toward the 8 to 12 year old age group. These stories could be mysteries, histories, humor, sports, adventure and other tales set in the real world. Books should containing mature content in regards to violence, sex or language are more appropriate for the Young Adult Fiction category.
Sometimes, they like to read about kids just like themselves in real life situations, whether they are kids who get good grades or constantly get into trouble. If these books are funny and action-packed, so much the better! On the other hand, since readers are expanding their world views, they often like to read about kids who are not like them—characters who have other interests, live in other places and times, have different kinds of families, and face struggles they may never have experienced.
The Cybils hopes to find realistic fiction books that are well-written and thought provoking but also make Middle Grade readers want to keep turning the pages. This is your chance to tell us what books you think middle grade readers will not only learn from but be excited about recommending to their friends.-Karen Yingling.

Here are my fellow judges:

First Round

Second Round

 
Start stopping by the cybils site beginning October 1 to make your nomination in this category and all the others.
 
Finally, Akoss and I are beginning to put together Middle Grade March 2014 (see last years event to experience what it is all about).  We are reaching out to editors, agents, authors, bloggers and writers who have been part of it in the past and want to take part again and hopefully picking up some people to join us along the way, including debut 2014 middle grade authors. We will keep you posted over the next few months.
 
Ta for now!
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2 comments:

  1. Barbara Watson30 September 2013 at 08:58

    You'll soon be very, very busy! Enjoy Cybils!

    ReplyDelete
  2. F.T. Bradley30 September 2013 at 14:07

    Thanks for the Cybils update! And that MMGM book sounds fun...

    ReplyDelete

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