What We Read in 2022: Middle Grade
This blog grew out of a middle grade book group for writers, held in Menlo Park, California, and we’re still going strong. Each month, we discuss a middle grade book with an eye to craft. (Last year, I wrote about strategies for starting your own craft book group, in case you want to start your own.) Here’s our list of books from 2022, with a sneak peek at our first few books of 2023. We hope they inspire your reading!
Note: Click on the book cover to go to find the book at Bookshop.org. We are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so every book you buy from one of our links helps to support KidLit Craft as well as independent booksellers, with no additional cost to you.
2022 Books
January: The Insiders by Mark Oshiro
February: Finally, Something Mysterious by Doug Cornett
March: The Wolf's Curse by Jessica Vitalis
April: How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
May: Playing the Cards You're Dealt by Varian Johnson
June: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu
See Jen Jobart's analysis of the ending here: Part 1, Part 2
July: The Civil War of Amos Abernathy by Michael Leali
Check out our Q&A with Michael, and read Erin Nuttall's craft post on how he incorporates effective parents into the story.
August: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
September: Big Rig by Louise Hawes
Check out our Q&A with Louise Hawes, and our craft post on Big Rig
October: Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation by Sylvia Liu
November: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson
December: Wink by Rob Harrell
Sneak Peek into 2023
January: Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
February: Be Real, Macy Weaver by Lakita Wilson
March: Two Degrees by Alan Gratz
Three of the top sources of depression and anxiety are loneliness, feelings of isolation and a lack of connection. I also learned that increased screen time combined with separation during the pandemic made it harder for kids to know how to interact with others in person. That cemented my decision to show how friendships can hold together even when interests change.