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Congrats, Carmel! Which were your favourite reads?

Yay! Well done, Carmel - I second Justine's question :D

So many favourites: The Boy in the Dress by David Williams, Frogkisser by Garth Nix, No Stars to Wish On by Zana Fraillon, Raymie Nightingale by Kate Di Camillo and The wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell. Sorry I couldn't see how to add the hyperlinks to GoodReads in comments box.

Carmel wrote: "Sorry I couldn't see how to add the hyperlinks..."
If you're reading on the phone App this doesn't show above the comments box. If you're reading online there's a little 'add book/author link. When you click that you add the title and search to get the right one.

You can put the word 'book:' before the title and enclose both with square brackets to make the hyperlink. If it's the only one with that title it'll link it okay. If there are many with close titles, it'll link to a search page, but we can live with that.

(bracket)book:title of the book(bracket)

Valerie 2017 A to Z List:
A: As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark
B: Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans
C: Camino Island by John Grisham
D: Diary of a Succubus by James Patterson
E: Edisto Jinx by C. Hope Clark
F: Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm
G: Guests on South Battery by Karen White
H: House Husband by James Patterson
I: Island Girls by Nancy Thayer
J:
K:
L: Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe
M: Mistletoe Secret by Richard Paul Evans
N: Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
O: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
P: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
Q:
R: Rise of the Elgin by Richard Paul Evans
S:Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
T: Theory of Death by Faye Kellerman
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

Carmel wrote: "I'm finished!"

Well done, Carmel :-)

May I make a suggestion re the A-Z Challenge that for X, Y and Z, you can read any title with an X, Y or Z anywhere in the title. It is very difficult to find MG titles that start with these letters - especially X and Z. What do you all think?

I can maybe think of two ... would you put "Xmen" graphic novels and "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O'Brien as middle grade reads (or YA)?

It would make it more achievable if the rules are relaxed on these rare ones!

Carmel wrote: "May I make a suggestion re the A-Z Challenge that for X, Y and Z, you can read any title with an X, Y or Z anywhere in the title. It is very difficult to find MG titles that start with these letter..."

Definitely a challenge. Maybe a resource list for these letters that people can add to whenever they come across a title would help?

Middlegrade is where I do most of my reading, with definite fantasy/mystery/adventure leanings. Let's give this challenge a whirl!

CJ's 2017 A to Z List:

A: The Anybodies by N.E. Bode
�Anni Moon & The Elemental Artifact by Melanie Abed
�Awakening (Chronicles of Benjamin Dragon, #1) by C.G. Cooper
�Angels in Harmony by Christa Kinde
B: The Bronze Key (Magestirium, #3) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
�The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Apprentice, #2) by John Flanagan
�The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, #4) by John Flanagan
�Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2) by William Ritter
�The Broken Realm (Saga of Roland Innes, #3) by Wayne Grant
C: The Curse of the Chocolate Phoenix by Kate Saunders
�The Copper Gauntlet (Magestirium, #2) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
�The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders, #1) by Peter Lerangis
�The Cypher (Guardians, Inc, #2) by Julian Rosado-Machain
�The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
�The Case of the Missing Marquess (Enola Holmes, #1) by Nancy Springer
�The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (Enola Holmes, #2) by Nancy Springer
�The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (Enola Holmes, #3) by Nancy Springer
�The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan (Enola Holmes, #4) by Nancy Springer
D: Dandelion Fire (100 Cupboards, #2) by N.D. Wilson
E: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
�Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Gustafson
F: The Fiend and the Forge (The Tapestry, #3) by Henry H. Neff
�Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
�The Four Legged Prophet (Guardians, Inc, #3) by Julian Rosado-Machain
�Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J. K. Rowling
�Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
G: Guardian of the Gold Breathers by Elise Stephens
�The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
�The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
�Greenglass House by Kate Milford
H: The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
I: The Iron Trial (Magesterium, #1) by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
�The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice, #3) by John Flanagan
J: Jinx by Sage Blackwood
�Jackaby by William Ritter
K: The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
�The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
L: Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
�The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham
�The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
�Longbow (Saga of Roland Innes, #1) by Wayne Grant
�Lionclaw (Rowan Hood, #2) by Nancy Springer
M: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
�Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
N: A Nearer Moon by Kelly Barnhill
�The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz
O: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
�OCDaniel by Wesley King
�Outlaw Princess of Sherwood (Rowan Hood, #3) by Nancy Springer
P: The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann
�Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Mongomery
Q: The Quest to the Uncharted Lands by Jaleigh Johnson
R: The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice, #1) by John Flanagan
�Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling
�Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer
�Rowan Hood Returns (Rowan Hood, #5) by Nancy Springer
S: Sidekicked by John David Anderson
�A Stolen Kiss by Kelsey Keating
�The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson
�The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell
�The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
�Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave by Deron Hicks
T: Thundersword (Guardians, Inc, #2) by Julian Rosado-Machain
�Tommy Black and the Staff of Light by Jake Kerr
U: Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
V: The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey
W: The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders
�Water Keep (Far World, #1) by J. Scott Savage
�The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
�The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
�Warbow (Saga of Roland Innes, #2) by Wayne Grant
�Wild Boy (Rowan Hoold #4) by Nancy Springer
X: X Marks the Spot by Les Martin
Y: You Wish by Jason Lethcoe
Z: The Zoo at the Edge of the World by Eric Kahn Gale

Numeric: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

Carmel wrote: "May I make a suggestion re the A-Z Challenge that for X, Y and Z, you can read any title with an X, Y or Z anywhere in the title. It is very difficult to find MG titles that start with these letter..."

I think we suggested that would be okay for Q X & Z in the original set-up.

Y requires slightly more effort, but with You in the title of many books, I think we should try harder on that... although I have jumped through the hoop with Oy Yew this year!!

I think it would be great to have that option - I did find books for each letter but there was very little choice for Z and no choice for x. It's good to be able to choose from a variety of genres within Middle School age range

Hello! Alexis here! 6th grade ELA teacher who loves reading and blogging. I am so excited to have found this group and this challenge. Here is my list! My blog is here and will be updated as well:
Alexis' 2017 A to Z List:
A: Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
B: Booked by Kwame Alexander
C: Crenshaw by Katherine Alexander ****
D:
E: El Deafo by Cece Bell
F: The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L Holm
G: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
H: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly ****
I:
J: Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler ****
K:
L: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
M: The Magicians Nephew by CS Lewis
N: A Night Divided by Jennifer A Nielsen
O: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
P:
Q:
R: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D Taylor
S: Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty
T:
U:
V:
W: Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
X:
Y:
Z:

SaraKat wrote: "I think my favorites were The Wednesday Wars, Umbrella Summer, The Teacher's Funeral : A Comedy in Three Parts, Proxy, [book:Mrs. Frisby a..."

Counting By 7s is one of my all-time favorites!

Georgie's 2017 A to Z List:
A: Abby Carnelia's One and Only Magical Power by David Pogue
B:The Baby And Fly Pie by Melvin Burgess
C: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
D: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney ****
E:An Eagle in the Snow by Michael Morpurgo
F:Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
G: The Giver by Lois Lowry Greenglass House by Kate Mitford
H: Here Comes Charlie Moon by Shirley Hughes
I: The Inn Between by Marina Cohen
J: Johnny and the Dead by Terry Pratchett
K:
L: The Lunatic's Curse by F.E. Higgins
M:Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
N: Nightmare Hour: Time for Terror by R.L. Stine ****
O:
P:
Q:The Queen's Nose by Dick King-Smith
R:Room 13 by Robert Swindells RatBurger by David Walliams ****
S:The Silver Child by Cliff McNish
T: The Teacher's Funeral : A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck
U: Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff
V:
W:The Witches by Roald Dahl The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
X:
Y:
Z:Zombie In The Library by Michael Dahl ****

I wasn't planning on an A-Z list or a middle grade list when I started reading this year, but I had many letters already covered so I joined in... I don't have a Z yet either.

Cindy Wise 2017 A to Z List:
A: Absolutely True Diary of Part Time Indian-Sherman Alexie, American Ace-Marilyn Nelson
B: Boy in the Striped Pajamas-John Boyne
C: Counting 7s-Holly Goldberg Sloan, Cursed Child-JK Rowling, Crystal Magic-Madeline Freeman
D: Dark Secrets-Angela M Hudson
E: Enchantress-James Maxwell, Entangled-Nikki Jefford
F: Fly Girl-Sherri L Smith, False Prince-Jennifer Neilson
G: Glass Gargoyle-Marie Andreas
H: Holocaust in the Homeland-Corinda Pitts Marsh, House on Mango Street-Sandra Cisneros
I: In Betweener-Ann Christy
J: Jarkarta Pandemic-Steve Konkoly
K: Keatin Chronicles-Jillian Dodd
L: Lost Hero-Rick Riordan, Lucy at War-Mary E Twomey
M: Mind Readers-Lori Brighton
N: Namaste-Sean Platt
O: One Crazy Summer-Rita Williams Garcia, Open Minds-Susan K Quinn
P: Persepolis-Marjane Satrapi, Preserving Hope-Alex Albrinck, Promises-Amber Garr
Q: Question of Will-Alex Albrinck
R: Rules-Catherine Lord
S: Saving Wishes-GJ Walker Smith, Second Hearts-GJ Walker Smith,
T: Touched-AJ Aalto
U: Umbrella Summer, Lisa Graff
V: Vielveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
W: White Hart-Sarah Dalton
X: Xoe Meyers Trilogy books 1-3, Sarah Roethle
Y: A Year Down Yonder, Richard Peck
Z: Zero to HEro, Seb Goffe

I guess that makes me done!

Okay, so I'm a bit behind and don't think I'll catch up this year but thought may as well join in anyway because it is a fun idea. Will slowly add some of the books I've already read this year while I'm at it. (I'm going to be cheeky and add my own book under R - for the moment mostly because this year editing took up a lot of my reading time! And I might put in a couple of titles I read in recent years until I 'readplace' them )

[RJ Simon] 2017 A to Z List:
A: Astro's Adventures: Rampaging Rats by Susan Day
B:
C: Clarence. The Snake from Dunolly by Susan Day
D: Dingbats and Lollypop Arms by Tim Harris (to read)
E: Esme's Wish (reading)
F: Frankie Dupont And The Mystery Of Enderby Manor by Julie Anne Grasso ( reading)
G: Goosebumps : Return of the Mummy
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
P: Pottymouth and Stoopid
Q:
R: Ruby Lane by R.J. Simon
S: Swallow Me, NOW! by Melissa Gijsbers
T:
U:
V:
W: Winell Road by Kate Foster (to read)
X:
Y:
Z: Zombie Inspiration! by Adam Wallace
*** hmm, couple more to add, but think I'm going to keep this list for 2018

I was just checking Listopia for books starting with X - and I see CJ's made a list for good MG books. I suggest 'good' should be a rating of over 3.5, but that's just my criterion!

Do add your own recommendations - but please keep it to the criteria CJ has said in the introduction.

/list/show/1...

Thanks, CJ!

Jemima wrote: "I was just checking Listopia for books starting with X - and I see CJ's made a list for good MG books. Do add your own recommendations..."

I figured a list would be the simplest way for us to swap leads on good stories for the challenge. I'll be adding a handful more, but there are also lists for J, K, Q ... and for titles beginning with vowels.

Please do add to these MG lists!

C.J. wrote: "Jemima wrote: "I was just checking Listopia for books starting with X - and I see CJ's made a list for good MG books. Do add your own recommendations..."

I figured a list would be the simplest way..."

Great idea, thanks for setting this up C.J.

MG Alphabet Challenge Lists!
We now have 12 lists on Listopia specifically for finding, collecting, and recommending great middlegrade reads for our alphabet challenges! Right now, those lists are a strong reflection of my personal tastes (fantasy, mystery, piracy, fairy tale, quest, slice-of-life). Let's diversify! A few of you have found them and added titles. It's not hard to do:

1) At the top of each list, there are two "tabs"—ALL VOTES and ADD BOOKS TO THIS LIST. Click the latter.

2) Search your shelves for appropriate titles and click the button that says VOTE FOR THIS BOOK.

Easy, right? Anyone can add books, and you can add up to 100, so there's no need to skimp. (Authors, you won't be able to add your own books. It's a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ policy thingie.) Jemima recommended that we keep to titles having at least 3.5 stars. Please don't add YA books!

If you can't think of a single title that starts with X, Y, Z or J, K, Q ... you can also lend your support to books you've loved. Voting for a book (it's in the right-hand column in my browser) will bump it up the ranks. You can vote for up to five titles on the list.

Also, if you LIKE the list (that button is at the very bottom of the list, before comments, if you scroll down), you can easily navigate back to the list later. Under the BROWSE tab, click LISTS. That'll take you to the Listopia homepage. There's a series of links (again, in the right-hand column on my browser) and one of them is for LISTS I'VE LIKED.

All the alphabet challenge lists have a handy list of cross-links, so it'll be easy to navigate between them.

So ... hop to it! Add your book finds!

CJ

Thanks for creating these lists - I enjoyed adding to a few!

C.J. wrote: "MG Alphabet Challenge Lists!
We now have 12 lists on Listopia specifically for finding, collecting, and recommending great middlegrade reads for our alphabet challenges! Right now, those lists are ..."

Wow, you've done lots of work putting those all together. I've liked the lists and although I'm not doing the A-Z challenge I'll come back to the lists at some stage in the future and add some books to them.

Alex’s 2017 A to Z List:

A: Animal Infographics
B: A Bear Called Paddington, Breathe
C: The Cloud Searchers, The Candy Corn Contest
D: Doll Bones, Drama, Dog Man
E: El Deafo, Escape from Lucien, Esperanza Rising, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
F: Firelight, Freckle Juice, Flawed, Fablehaven
G: The Girl, the Apprentice, and the Dogs of Iron, The Girl, the Dragon, and the Wild Magic, Goblin Secrets
H: Hello, Universe
I: I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
J: Journey through Ash and Smoke
K: Kiss Me in New York
L: The Lost Islands, The Last Council, Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Scuffle, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl
M: The Mystery Boxes, My Father's Dragon
N: Nightmare Escape
O: The One and Only Ivan
P: Perfect
Q:
R: Race to the South Pole, Rain Reign, Reawakened, Resist
S: Speed of Life, So You Want to Be a Wizard, So, You Want to Be a Wizard?, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Dancing Men, The Stonekeeper's Curse, The Stonekeeper, Sam the Minuteman, Sunny Side Up
T: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, The Truth About Stacey, Talking Walls: The Stories Continue
U:
V:
W: Witch Way
X:
Y: The Year of Billy Miller
Z: Zepha The Monster Squid, Zita the Spacegirl

Alexandria wrote: "Alex’s 2017 A to Z List:

A: Animal Infographs
B: A Bear Called Paddington, Beast Quest, Breathe
C: The Cloud Searchers (Amulet), The Candy Corn Contest
D: Doll Bones, Drama, Dog Man, Dream Jumper
..."

Looks like you're with me on getting stuck on certain letters because there are so many of them - for me it's F and S.

I, too, have some letters where I could have a half a dozen books listed. And then the others where I just don't have anything.

YellowBoxDriver 2017 A to Z List:
A: As Brave as You
B: Behind the Canvas
C: Catching a Storyfish
D: Door by the Staircase, The
E: Eleven and Holding
F: Full of Beans
G: Gertie's Leap to Greatness
H: Hero Two Doors Down
I: Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter
J: Just Like Me
K: Key to Extra-Ordinary
L: Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
M: Midnight War of Mateo Martinez
N: Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs
O: Ollie's Odyssey
P: Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee
Q:
R: Raymie Nightengale
S: Save me a Seat
T: This is Not a Werewolf Story
U: Unidentified Suburban Object
V:
W: What Elephants Know
X:
Y:
Z:

Jemima wrote: "Alexandria wrote: "Alex’s 2017 A to Z List:

A: Animal Infographs
B: A Bear Called Paddington, Beast Quest, Breathe
C: The Cloud Searchers (Amulet), The Candy Corn Contest
D: Doll Bones, Drama, Dog..."

I do seem to get stuck on some letters too! But, I think the hard ones to find will be the X and Q titled books.

I love the lists but there are some picture books listed too. Are those allowed in the challenge?

Susan wrote: "I love the lists but there are some picture books listed too. Are those allowed in the challenge?"

Strictly speaking, I suppose not. But we aren't super strict (after all, there's nothing at stake here but bragging rights). I'd say that the kind of picture books that are meant to be read by or shared with older kids are good, and the ones aimed at the pre-reading crowd are not.

Finished the challenge just in time! This was fun, and it got me reading some new books I wouldn't have otherwise picked up. Thanks!

Emily wrote: "Finished the challenge just in time! This was fun, and it got me reading some new books I wouldn't have otherwise picked up. Thanks!"

It was fun! And stretched my reading habits as well. Hope we'll be doing it again in 2018.

M.J. wrote: "It was fun! And stretched my reading habits as well. Hope we'll be doing it again in 2018..."

Oh, I hope so, too. The A-Z Challenge definitely bumped some unique titles to the top of my To Read stack. Confession: I started pulling books from my shelves in alphabetical order back in October. So I'm ready for January. : )

18 of the 26 letters for me. I think that's better than last year, and pretty good considering I made no special effort to read books by letter!

I will set up the 2018 list today or tomorrow.

Rebecca wrote: "I will set up the 2018 list today or tomorrow."

Looking forward to a fresh slate for tackling the alphabet! I didn't find this group until midway through last year, so it'll be interesting to see what a full twelve months might yield. Maybe I can get through the alphabet twice...?

Say, would you like to include a link to the MG Alphabet Challenge lists I created? It would be great if everyone continued to add their recommendations. Link: /list/create...

C.J. wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "I will set up the 2018 list today or tomorrow."

Looking forward to a fresh slate for tackling the alphabet! I didn't find this group until midway through last year, so it'll be int..."

That's a great list! I'll add the link!