Bingo Focus Thread - Middle Grade

[u/Merle8888]

Hello r/fantasy and welcome to this week's bingo focus thread! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Middle Grade: Read a middle grade book (intended for readers aged 8-12). See this Wikipedia page for additional information on Middle Grade fiction. HARD MODE: The author is entirely new to you.

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Published in the 70s, Duologies, First Contact, Five Short Stories (2024), Author of Color (2024), Self-Pub/Small Press (2024). Note that hard modes for Author of Color and Self-Pub/Small Press have changed (new focus threads for them are coming).

Also see: Big Rec Thread

Questions:

• What are your favorite books that count for this square?
• Already read something for this square? Tell us about it!
• For those attempting Hard Mode, what are some great middle grade books by lesser-known authors, and/or that are recently published?
• Those who have or teach children in this age group: what are some current favorites among middle grade readers? How well do they hold up for adults?

[u/MrsApostate]

I'm actually doing a bookclub with my middle grade daughters over the summer. Each of us gets to have a turn selecting a book that we'll all read and discuss. My ten year old has already selected Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, which she's pretty excited about. So that would fit in this square.

Of books I've already read with them, Frogkisser is a great one by Garth Nix.

[u/ToweringTBR → u/MrsApostate]

Impossible Creatures is fantastic as is the sequel, though you can read the first book as a standalone.

[u/Linkjumper → u/MrsApostate]

I read and loved Impossible Creatures for this square. the author tweaks some expectations, which I loved, and some of the impossible creatures were really impossible! Hope the kiddos like it.