MMGM: From Letters to Lists: Middle Grade Novels in Unique Formats

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been reading a lot of epistolary novels lately. Part of this is for research as I was writing my epistolary novel WIP, which was just announced as a finalist for the Cascade Award. Part of it is that I'm a long-time journal and letter writer myself. I've had many pen pals over the years and still keep in touch over snail mail with my "bosom friend" from age six.

The interesting thing about unique formats is that they are often character-driven or quiet stories, but the unique format brings an extra element of fun that engages young reader.

In all my reading of unique formats (not all of these are in letters), these are my favorites. 

Annie’s Life in Lists by Kristin Mahoney

 

Annie likes to make lists! This whole book is told in lists with a few breaks of narration where it makes sense for the story. I loved reading about Annie, who is both quiet and a noticer, something I haven’t seen before in middle grade fiction. As a couple people in my own family are noticers, I could relate to how she catches all the details of people’s appearance and mannerisms and never forgets them. And then her family has to move--and she blames herself. What I loved most about this story is how Annie navigates the ups and downs of new and old friendships, how she learns not to be embarrassed of being a noticer, and how she finally trusts her own voice.

This Journal Belongs to Ratchet by Nancy Cavanaugh

 

This “journal” is really Ratchet’s language arts notebook. She’s homeschooled, but mostly left to her own devices as her father is busy as a mechanic. She wants to find out what happened to her mom, who left the family, but is now dead, and to make new friends. But her dad, who’s a bit of a character and an activist, makes things a challenge. I thought O’Connor did an amazing job of using an interesting format (language arts assignments) to tell a story. As a former homeschooler, I always love seeing homeschoolers in books. But I’d really love to about a kid who likes homeschooling—something I have yet to find. This novel is heartfelt and very memorable.

Dear Max by D.J. Lucas (a.k.a.  Sally Grindley)

This book is a novel in letters in which a boy writes letters to an author. Throughout the novel, Max and D.J. discuss the book Max is writing for class, the author’s books and writing process, and many other things. It's definitely a book that would appeal to writers, and my fourth grade self would have loved this book. This is illustrated with an on-pitch middle grade boy voice. It’s always lovely to find books with boy characters. I was always on the hunt for them when my boys were elementary age, and they seem to be getting harder to find. If you’re looking for a fun, character-driven read for boys, this would be perfect.

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

Max, the Reading Dog*

Annie’s Life in Lists: No dogs!  But there is a racoon family that lives in their basement for awhile. I’d probably have fun chasing them if I lived nearby. Annie probably wouldn’t like that. 🦴🦴

This Journal Belongs to Ratchet: They call Ratchet's Dad Racoon Dog “because anyone who can fix your car is man’s best friend,” but that doesn’t count as a real dog. 🦴

Dear Max:  It's got a great title! And D.J. (the author) has a dog named Ambush (and a cat, unfortunately). And Max knows you need to include animals. His story is about a bear, Grizzle.  🦴🦴🦴🦴

Your Turn:

Do you like novels in unique formats? What is your favorite?

 

If you'd like to read more middle grade reviews or join in the MMGM fun, go to Greg Pattridge's Always in the Middle blog.

MMGM: Fluffy Fiction for Kids: A Bunny Lover's Reading List

In honor of Easter next weekend and springtime, I’m featuring a few of my favorite rabbit-themed reads. Honestly, it doesn’t have to be spring for me to dive into a book about rabbits. They are my favorite animal, and my first pet was Flopsy, a mini lop. In fact, in fourth grade, I wrote a story about him. I didn’t win the writing contest I entered, but my story was in my school library for a time, and a few people checked it out, so there’s that. Keep reading to see the cover.

Picture Book:

My favorite rabbit themed picture book is a classic that never goes out of style.

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward, Pictures by Marjorie Hack.

When I pick this up, it takes me back to hearing this story on my mother’s lap. As a child, I was drawn to the colorful illustrations, the magical aspect, and the golden egg that shone like diamonds. Now, I enjoy how the country bunny trains her children to be independent, how she continues to follow her dream (of being an Easter bunny) despite naysayers, and her strength and determination not be looked down on as a country bumpkin. It reminds me that ordinary people can do great things.

The wild rabbit that sometimes sneaks into our yard. Don't tell Max!*

Middle Grade

Mr. And Mrs. Bunny Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath (review updated  from 8/9/21).

 

Not only is this a mystery, it’s hilarious, and it includes bunnies (of course!) It has a marvelous, unique setting. Most people have heard of the San Juans, but did you know Canada has the Gulf Islands? They have a similar feel, but are more remote. My husband and I went there on our honeymoon. They are rustic and beautiful—and I’ll never forget seeing a pod of Orca whales a few feet from our kayaks.

Map of Gulf Islands (to the southwest is Vancouver Island (Victoria BC). from https://vancouverisland.travel/

This hilarious middle grade features a girl who’s smarter than her ex-hippie parents (think Matilda). The bunnies have distinct personalities. Mr. Bunny thinks making car noises will start a car, and Mrs. Bunny is a sweet, tenderhearted bunny who is more of a mom to Madeleine than her parents. And, of course, if you did not guess from my allusion to Matilda, this has all the humor of a Roald Dahl book. Even though you might have the mystery figured out from page one, you’ll want to read the whole book to enjoy the wonderful humor!

And there’s a sequel: Lord and Lady Bunny—Almost Royalty!  (Mr. and Mrs. Bunny go on a cruise to England and meet the Queen!)

Upper Middle Grade

 

Watership Down by Richard Adams Adapted by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin

Favorite quote: “Every rabbit that stays behind is in great danger. We will welcome any rabbit who joins us.”

Watership Down is one of those classics that has formed the backbone of our family culture as my kids were growing up. There was even a time we sprinkled rabbit language into our conversations. It’s an adventure novel of a group of rabbits trying to find a new home after their warren is destroyed. Although the rabbits act like real rabbits, they have their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. 

But it's very long (478 pages!) and can be a bit complicated for a lot of middle grade readers. So, I was excited to see this beautiful graphic novel version, which my son loved: Watership Down the Graphic Novel adaoted by James Sturm and Joe Sutphin (illustrator), winner of the Eisner Award and Ohio Book Ward.

The illustrations have a classic feel which fits the story well. I liked how the rabbit mythology and Hazel's prophetic dreams were illustrated in a different style. And the map at the beginning is brilliant!

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

Max, the Reading Dog*

🦴🦴🦴🦴

I love rabbits! Yum! Too bad these are just pictures on paper. And why are you hiding that rabbit in the backyard from me?

Your Turn:

What is your favorite book for spring? Do you like rabbit books or book about animals? What is your favorite part of spring?
 

If you'd like to read more middle grade reviews or join in the MMGM fun, go to Greg Pattridge's Always in the Middle blog.

 And for fun, here is the cover of The Cottontail book I wrote in fourth grade:

 

Cover of my first published book.* 

My first pet was named after the character from Beatrix Potter, of course!*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Photos by Jenni Enzor

MMGM: Carver and the Queen: Historical Fantasy at its Finest

 

As someone who lived for a short time in a Russian-speaking region (Crimea), I am a bit picky about books set in Russia. Often the details are not quite right or don’t reflect the culture I came to know and love.

So, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered The Carver and the Queen, a historical fantasy by Emma C. Fox, another book from Owl's Nest. Not only is this an immersive read, but the details about Russian life during 1813 (think the Regency period in England) are authentic and accurate.

A scene from The Stone Flower, the ballet this novel is based on--from https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2024/4/12/1_1900/

If you like rich historical fantasy with a Slavic bent, you will love this book. Although it is classed as a young adult, this novel would also appeal to upper middle grade readers who are ready for more in depth stories. (There is some violence and frightening situations, but this is otherwise a clean read.)

Synopsis

In the age of Imperial Russia, deep in the Ural Mountains, two teenagers plot their escape from serfdom and dream of a destiny beyond their birth. Petr, a castoff orphan, longs to make a name for himself as a sculptor of malachite, the Ural’s most treasured gem. His best friend Lena harbors an even more impossible goal: to escape an arranged marriage to the cruel village bailiff and become an artist in her own right. 

When their bid for freedom falls to pieces, Petr seeks help from the mythical Malachite Queen, only to find himself trapped in an underworld where godlike skill comes at the cost of his humanity. It’s up to Lena to contrive a daring rescue before Petr is lost forever in a kingdom of stone. (from Amazon)

What I loved:

1. Well-drawn, smart, and sympathetic characters: The narrative switches between Lena and Petr. From the start, I felt for Petr when he is punished unjustly, and Lena, who is fighting to avoid an arranged marriage with the man who harasses Petr. It is not a surprise that they become fast friends.

2. Incredible world building and lyrical writing: Fox not only made this world accurate in terms of Russian peasant traditions (such as jumping over a fire on Ivan Kupala*),  but she used Russian folklore, such as water sprites (rusalkas) as some of the fantasy elements.

 

*from https://ukraine.ua/stories/ivan-kupala/

3. An interesting antagonist: Malachinista, The Malachite Queen, reminded me of the White Witch of Narnia in her fierceness and her ability to lure unsuspecting men. I liked how Fox shows how enticing evil can be and the importance of not thinking we are too strong to be tempted.

 

Carved Malachite box: Photo by carole smile on Unsplash

4. A strong message about being true to those you love, being brave even if you are in a position of weakness, and the power of love to overcome evil. Lena's sacrificial quest to help find Petr was very inspiring.

5. A relationship based on shared dreams and values. I loved how Lena and Petr’s friendship and later sweet romance were built on their shared dreams of stone carving and their desire for freedom from Demyan Gorlov.

Favorite quote: “Sometimes we must reach the end of ourselves to find what lies beyond us.”

*See https://ukraine.ua/stories/ivan-kupala/ for more information about Ivan Kupala day in Ukraine.

Max’s Take (on a five bone 🦴scale):

🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴

Sasha is a good boy! He comforted Lena when she was sad and fought for her when Gorlov came to the house. Then Lena rescued him and brought him to Granny Vichta when he got hurt. I would do that for my family.

Your turn:

Do you like historical fantasy? What makes a good antagonist? What books have you been enjoying lately?

If you'd like to read more middle grade reviews or join in the MMGM fun, go to Greg Pattridge's Always in the Middle blog.

ISWG: Writers on Writing: Annika Klanderlud

I'm doing something a little different for ISWG today, but read to the end of this post to see my answer to this month's question. Today I'm handing over the mic or rather the keyboard to my friend, Annika Klanderlud. We met several years ago while attending the same church and immediately bonded over writing and our experiences living overseas. Until she recently moved to Ohio, we met weekly over coffee to share pages and talk writing. Without her, I probably wouldn't have continued to press on with my writing when it got hard. She recently sold a short story to an anthology and will be speaking at the Mt. Zion Ridge Christian Writing Conference in May. I hope you will enjoy hearing from her as well!

Hi Annika! Thank you for joining us today. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you decided to become a writer.

In high school I traveled to Japan as an exchange student with the Rotary Club. Found out I had a talent for the language, and I earned a degree in Japanese Studies in college after living in Japan for a total of two years. I was successful in this field, but the language was extremely challenging. After marrying and starting a family, I realized that I had my own language—English. And I started using it to write stories. The other thing I learned from studying Japanese was that I was always translating something. But what was I translating? Rather than translating other people’s content, I wanted to create my own content. So character growth and the theme of the stories I wrote became very important to me. 

"Skeleton Key" is featured in this anthology

I love how translating led you to creating your own content! You have a short story forthcoming in This Old House: ACFW Ohio 2025 Anthology. How did you get the idea for “The Skeleton Key”? Where can readers find your story?

I wrote “The Skeleton Key” for an anthology with the theme of “This Old House.” So an old house needed to be central to the story somehow. Also, I wanted to write a middle grade contemporary story.

By the way, this anthology was the first one that the ACFW Ohio Chapter put together with the purpose of supporting young authors. All proceeds from this anthology go into a scholarship fund to support Christian teenagers throughout Ohio. I was happy to contribute a short story to this cause.

The This Old House ACFW Ohio 2025 Anthology can be purchased wherever books are sold, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

I often get inspired by prompts as well. That's where a lot of my short story ideas come from too. What are you working on now?

In 2022, my YA novel, RED ROCK, won the Cascade Christian Writers Award. After querying the novel, getting a few bites, but not quite getting it traditionally published yet, I have picked it up again, and I am now rewriting it into first person which really fits the genre a whole lot better. You can visit my website annikaklanderud.com to see descriptions of RED ROCK and a few of my other novels.

Coffee in person last August

That's very brave to rewrite the whole book. And I love how well you've done at writing contests. You have a background in public speaking. How has that helped you make connections and give back to the writing community?

As I said previously, I have a background in the Japanese language. Much of the speaking experience I have gained is from speech contests that were in Japanese. It was an amazing experience that I truly enjoyed. So I jump at the opportunity to speak when I can. I have headed up Bible study groups for women at church. I have facilitated several critique groups. And I have spoken at organizations like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Most recently I have been asked to teach a writing workshop online for Mt. Zion Ridge Press. My passion is to revitalize the Christian writing industry. Specifically, I enjoy helping one author at a time to make their writing stronger.

 Wow, I can't imagine entering a speaking contest in a foreign language, especially such a challening one as Japanese.The Mt. Zion Writing Conference is an online conference held May 1-3 on Zoom. What is your  your upcoming webinar at the Mt. Zion Ridge Writing Conference about?

This webinar will be specifically geared toward KIDLIT authors. I will be talking a bit about the differences between middle grade and young adult novels. The guidelines and requirements will definitely be included in this workshop. Such as word count and age of the main character. Yes, the industry is pretty strict about those numbers. But this workshop will also contain some universal tips on the craft of writing in general. I specifically plan to talk about how every story well told follows the outline of the gospel and how authors can use the gospel to figure out how to make their stories read smoother.

What authors have influenced you? What is the best middle grade or YA book that you or your kids have read recently? Do you have any favorite books on the writing craft?

One thing I can say is that the dystopian genre has always been my favorite, though I have had a hard time finding a favorite author in any genre. What I find instead is that I have a lot of favorite stories by many different authors. I have a list of those books on my website: annikaklanderud.com

Some books include The Maze Runner by James Dashner and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. In the Christian market, I enjoyed There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones, Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson, More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson, and The Memoir of Johnny Devine by Camille Eide.

The best YA that I’ve read recently is THIS GOLDEN STATE by Marit Weisenberg. Hands down.

As far as the craft of writing goes, I am currently spending a lot of time going through Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.

 

I love Tuck Everlasting, Jenny Jones (so funny), and Save the Cat has been an inspiration for me too. Thanks for joining us today! You can find Annika on her website or at the Mt. Zion Conference May 1-3.
 

This Month's ISWG Question: What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?

I'd love to go on a quest with Ella from Ella Enchanted. I always thought I didn't like fantasy until I encountered Ella. If you haven't read it, think Cinderella with incredibly fun (and funny) world building and depth. She was willing to sacrifice her own desires to save her kingdom, just the type of person I'd love to count as a friend. I also wouldn't mind learning to speak a fantasy language along with her.

 

If you'd like to read more ISWG posts or sign up, please go HERE. You won't be disappointed.

Your turn

What books or authors have inspired you? How did you get started writing? What fantasy character would you like to meet?