This week is all about Middle Grade (Hooray for MG!!). Obviously, this is a genre near’n’dear to my heart and my keyboard. One of the very best MG novels out there is THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY by Adam Rex. Here’s a synopsis from the publisher:

It all starts with a school essay. When twelve-year-old Gratuity ("Tip") Tucci is assigned to write five pages on "The True Meaning of Smekday" for the National Time Capsule contest, she's not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens ? called Boov ? abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it "Smekland" (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod? In any case, Gratuity's story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity's mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion. Fully illustrated with "photos," drawings, newspaper clippings, and comics sequences, this is a hilarious, perceptive, genre-bending novel by a remarkable new talent.

This book is quirky, exciting, innovative, and a ball. Honestly, I’ve no clue why it’s not in every 5^th to 7^th grader’s backpack (or yours, for that matter). In one word, this book is FUN. The world Rex creates is just a vivid and deep as any adult or YA novel out there. His characters are charming, funny, complex, and charge off the page. Honestly, everyone should pick this sucker up and figure out what Smekday means to them.

It's my pleasure to introduce a special guest today, Lynne Kelly, author of CHAINED (which I blogged about on Tuesday.)  I thought it would be fun to get someone who writes Middle Grade novels to visit and talk about what she's reading, so Lynne graciously agreed to fill in for Veronica today.

It's book blog week, and the Muses were kind enough to ask me to fill in when they needed a guest poster. And this week's topic is middle grade literature, so how fun is that? Some of my favorite books ever, the ones that stand out for me years after reading them, are for middle grade readers. It's a time when everything is still new, when we can still become anyone. Each book teaches us something about ourselves, who we can be and who we'd like to be, who we'd like to avoid as a friend and who we'd like to avoid becoming.

Today I'm sharing with you two new favorites—one I'm reading now and one I enjoyed earlier this year.

THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage

Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel--a café owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known. (from Goodreads)

I first heard about THREE TIMES LUCKY while at the Houston SCBWI intensive with editor Heather Alexander, who mentioned it as a great example of voice. It sounded like something I might like, so I looked it up on Goodreads right then and couldn't stop laughing as I read the description. The main character's best friend is named Dale Earnhardt Johnson, III? Yes, I'd have to read this for sure. And how's this for a first line: “Trouble cruised into Tupelo Landing at exactly seven minutes past noon on Wednesday, the third of June, flashing a gold badge and driving a Chevy Impala the color of dirt.” That's the kind of line that draws me in and keeps me reading to find out where this trouble is headed. It reminds me of Lois Lowry saying that a first line should give a hint that something is wrong. This is a book that has all my favorite things—humor, mystery, interesting characters, and a spot-on voice.

THE CABINET OF EARTHS by Anne Nesbet

On their first day in Paris, Maya and her little brother, James, find themselves caught up in some very old magic. Houses with bronze salamanders for door handles, statues that look too much like Mayas own worried face, a man wearing sunglasses to hide his radiant purple eyes . . . nothing is what it seems. And what does all that magic want from Maya?

With the help of a friendly boy named Valko, Maya discovers surprises hidden in her family trees brother. And now the shimmering glass Cabinet of Earths, at the heart of all these secrets, has chosen Maya to be its new Keeper.

As she untangles the ties between the Salamander House, the purple-eyed man, and the Cabinet of Earths, Maya realizes that her own brother may be in terrible danger. To save him, Maya must take on the magical underworld of Paris . . . before it is too late. (from Goodreads)

Anne is one of the authors I've been lucky enough to get to know through the debut groups The Class of 2k12 and The Apocalypsies, and her book is one of those I couldn't wait to read. And I wasn't disappointed once I got my hands on it; THE CABINET OF EARTHS is also a fun mystery-adventure, but with fantasy, too. Whenever I did have to put it down because of pesky things like jobs that interrupt our reading time, I couldn't wait to get back to it to find out what would happen to Maya and her family, and what in the world was up with that cabinet.

And because I love first lines, here's the one from THE CABINET OF EARTHS: It was his own grandmother who fed Henri-Pierre to the Cabinet of Earths, long ago when he was only four.

Thanks to the YA Muses for having me today, and let us know about any new or old favorite middle great books you're reading now!

Thank you, Lynne!

Lynne Kelly is the author of CHAINED, published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, and in bookstores now!

Okay, I'm cheating a little here.  This isn't middle grade.  But I've been waiting for what seems like forever before I could tell you about this book.  Remember when we were book blogging boy POV books?  I had just read this one, but I had been sworn to secrecy by the publisher.  And yes, it is from a boy's point of view, but not just any boy.  Nope.  My favorite character from HOURGLASS, Kaleb Ballard, gets his own book! 

I loved HOURGLASS, and I especially loved emphathetic bad boy Kaleb. In TIMEPIECE, Myra McEntire takes what we know about all of the characters and builds on it.  Kaleb is so wonderfully flawed.  He is a dog when it comes to girls.  He drinks to escape his problems.  And he sees way too many similarities between himself and the primary villain.  But he also cares deeply about his family, longs for his father's approval and will do anything to protect those he loves. There are layers to this boy, and it is so much fun uncovering them as Kaleb comes to terms with his faults, and eventually learns to trust himself.

But this book is more than Kaleb's journey of self discovery.  There's a quest to find stolen information, a new, mysterious organization with the ability to change time permanently, and a mindbending series of twists, turns and time flips that will leave you breathless.  And did I mention that there is a swoony romance? 

If you like HOURGLASS you will love TIMEPIECE.  Get thee to a preorder, it comes out on June 12.

Here's the summary from Amazon:

A threat from the past could destroy the future.
Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples--cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers's return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered--with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. Now Kaleb, , Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough ...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

It's book blog week again, and this week we're talking about great books for younger readers.  I feel very lucky that through the Class of 2k12, I know three fabulous middle grade authors  whose books have been published recently.

THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST by Sarvenaz Tash.

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest. (From 2k12 website)

MAPMAKER is a delightfully fun read, full of engaging characters and quirky twists.  Goldenrod is the kind of girl I wanted to be as a child - always ready for adventure, and not willing to let anyone put her down.  I read the ARC to my kids and my youngest is reading it again now - a true test if there ever was one.

CHAINED by Lynne Kelly

Ten-year-old Hastin’s sister has fallen ill, and his family must borrow money to pay for her care in the hospital. To work off the debt, Hastin leaves his village in northern India to work in a faraway jungle as an elephant keeper. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and punished until she learns her tricks perfectly. With the help of Ne Min, a wise old man who seems to know all about elephants, Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can. Still he wonders–will they both survive long enough to escape? (from author website)

CHAINED is set in a land as foreign as the future or the past to modern American children, but it is a story identifiable and resonant to all.  The friendship between boy and animal is timeless - think Where the Red Fern Grows or Shiloh.  But Kelly gives us something fresh and challenging in this friendship between boy and elephant, and she challenges Hastin's courage, love and loyalty, too.

Lynne will be guest posting for us on Thursday, so be sure to check back!

ONE FOR THE MURPHYS by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Street smart Carley Connors is only afraid on one thing—love. 
In the wake of heart breaking betrayal, Carley finds herself in the hands of the Murphys, a foster family that shows her sides of life she’d believed did not exist—safety and predictability. She learns to see herself through their eyes and begins to do more than just long for a better life than she’s had. Although she fights it, Carley learns to love them but—even more incredible—she lets them love her. With the help of her crazy Broadway obsessed friend, Toni, the Murphys do the impossible in showing Carley what it feels like to belong somewhere but when her mother wants her back, will Carley lose the only family she has ever known? (from 2k12)

I read this book in one sitting when I was supposed to be revising - I fell in love with Carley on page one and lived with her through all the lessons life threw at her.  It's not an easy story, but an important one, and one that will encourage kids and parents to talk about it for many years to come.  Despite the heavy material, this book is full of humor and tenderness, and it encourages both of those in the life of the reader.

What middle grade books have you read recently?

I'm taking a little break today from our regularly scheduled programming, to share some images from Saturday's launch party for GILT. It's rare that all the Muses were in the same place at the same time, but somehow we managed to all be there. Bret brought baby Evan on his first road trip and I had the pleasure of meeting his lovely wife, Lisa, for the first time. I was the surprise guest, flying in from a business trip in Philadelphia for the night. The long hours on the plane, and the turnaround trip back to Denver, was so worth it to see the star of the evening -- Katherine Longshore.

All the Muses in one place - Veronica Rossi, Talia Vance, Donna Cooner, Bret Ballou, and  Katherine Longshore

Bret, Lisa and Evan Ballou with Katherine Longshore

Katherine Longshore reading from GILT

The venue was a lovely bookstore in Davis, California, THE AVID READER, and it was packed with eager fans. Katy read selections from the book, answered questions from the audience, and then signed books. She was fantastically poised and had everyone on the edge of their seats.