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