Marvelous Middle Grade Monday Calli Be Gold & The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

Hello and happy MMGM all! I think I am finally, finally back into the blogging swing for 2014.

I would like to introduce you to two of my new favorite middle grade characters. Calli, who I just met and Gregory, who I got to know via my first round middle grade fiction judging for The Cybils. Both are in families that are, to use Calli's words, lopsided in terms of their dynamics. Calli's family are always going for the gold in sports and school and achieving it. Calli is average, or at least thinks she is. No hidden talent, no gift that is loud and obvious. Gregory's family are all about math. Math. Math. Math. Did I mention math? And they are good at it. Really good. Gregory, however, is not. He doesn't even like math. Now, he does know what he is good at and what he loves. It is writing, but it's something he keeps hidden from his family. Both kids are unique and funny and endearing. They share their families with us in ways that makes you feel like you are sitting down to the dinner table with them. Now, I wonder if there is a way to introduce Calli and Gregory to each other? I am sure they would have a lot to talk about. Calli Be Gold and The 14 Fibs of Gregory K are books I am looking forward to sharing with students.

Calli Be Gold by Michele Weber Hurwitz

Eleven-year-old Calli Gold is the quiet third child in a family of loud overachievers. In fact, the family motto is Be Gold. Calli's sister is on an ice-skating team, and her brother's a basketball star. Her parents are sure she has a hidden gift for something. They just have to figure out what it is! But Calli has flopped at everything she's tried. She sure doesn't feel like a Gold.
 Until a new person enters her life. Second grader Noah Zullo might seem strange to some people, but Calli can't help liking him, and they become partners in their school's Peer Helper Program. When they create a booth for the Friendship Fair, they fill it with secrets and surprises. And as Calli and Noah work and learn together, they even surprise themselves.
Michele Weber Hurwitz's debut is an endearing and gently humorous story about the true meaning of achievement and the important things an "ordinary" kid has to offer.

 

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. by Greg Pincus


Failing math but great at writing, Gregory finds the poetry (and humor) in what's hard.

Gregory K is the middle child in a family of mathematical geniuses. But if he claimed to love math? Well, he'd be fibbing. What he really wants most is to go to Author Camp. But to get his parents' permission he's going to have to pass his math class, which has a probability of 0. THAT much he can understand! To make matters worse, he's been playing fast and loose with the truth: "I LOVE math" he tells his parents. "I've entered a citywide math contest!" he tells his teacher. "We're going to author camp!" he tells his best friend, Kelly. And now, somehow, he's going to have to make good on his promises.

Head on back to Shannon Messenger's for more MMGM and see you all about in cyberspace.

A couple of notes:

Planning is really coming along for Middle Grade March. Interviews, guest posts and giveaways are being booked. One of the best parts of this is by growing TBR pile, which happened to include Calli Be Gold which I happened to just read. Thinking if I had not been doing MGM this year, this may have been a title I missed! Anyhow....we are still looking for participants, authors, agents, publishers, teachers, librarians, bloggers for interviews, guest posts and giveaways so if you are interested or know someone who might be we have a form on our site OR feel free to email me or leave a comment!

Finally. Can you do a happy dance? I am. Today is THE DAY. THE DAY of Newbery, Caldecott, Printz,  The Odyssey (read aloud), and more.....eek!

Garden of My Imaan and Middle Grade March

The time is approaching for Middle Grade March and we are in the early planning stages. Getting pretty excited by who we have on board already and all the fun I know we will have. It is a big job but so, so worth it. Truly looking forward to celebrating Middle Grade Literature for the entire month of March!

For more details and an opportunity to volunteer to do a post or interview or giveaway or a combo of the three head on over to Middle Grade March!

And what? Another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is upon us? And I missed last week. Still working out the time kinks I am encountering. To that end I am here to do a quick share of  a Marvelous Middle Grade reads today. These are quick shares. Books I loved because they, in some form combined the best of voice, plot, setting and character. Hit the middle grade sweet spot they do.

Garden of My Imaan by Farhanna Zia-this one had voice in spades and the plot was bang on believable very middle grade concerns. the stand out was the fact that the mc happens to be Muslim so very unique concerns shared in a universal way! 

From Good Reads:

Aliya already struggles with trying to fit in, feeling confident enough to talk to the cute boy or stand up to mean kidsthe fact that shes Muslim is just another thing to deal with. When Marwa, a Moroccan girl who shares her faith if not her culture, comes to Aliyas school, Aliya wonders even more about who she is, what she believes, and where she fits in. Should she fast for Ramadan? Should she wear the hijab? Shes old enough for both, but does she really want to call attention to herself?

Thanks for stopping by and hope you find the time to read and share this one. Head on back to Shannon Messenger's for more Middle Grade Marvelousness!

MMGM-Losing it by Erin M. Fry

Losing It by Erin M. Fry

Bennett and his Dad have, without realizing, buried their grief over the death of Bennet's mother under a mountain of unhealthy eating. It is not until his dad ends up in the hospital fighting for his life that Bennett will begin the fight for his own life. And it is not about his own obesity but about finding a way to truly carry on and be everything you can in spite of the sadness that can weigh you down. It is also about doing it in spite of others think of you, even I those others are the very family taking care of you while your dad is in hospital. I found myself pulled in immediately by Bennett's voice which the author captured perfectly and then I was kept in the story by Bennett's heart. He is one likeable kid that middle grade readers will relate too. He is funny, he is believable and cannot help but cheer him on when he starts cross country racing. Combine that with how the plot and secondary characters are developed and you have a a novel that hits the sweet spot of middle grade with a wide range of readers you can recommend it to, boys and girls included.

One of my favourites from 2013. Happy MMGM and Happy New Year all it sure is good to be back in the land of blog.

More MMGM love.