MG Monday: Update

So today my brain has stopped working. I have a couple of Middle Grade reviews to wrote - but guess what that wont happen today. [ ; D ]

I am trying to make a little button to go with the feature and my brain went totally blank as to what image I could use. Thanks to the awesomeness that is Jenny from Wondrous Reads who suggested using artwork from The Raven Mysteries and Nina from Orion for offering to email it to me. I will be attempting to make a lovely button later on. I actually made two as the artwork is simply stunning. Please let me know what you think.

Isn't Pete Williamson's artwork just absolutely fabulous. I think I am going to invest in this series. Not only because Jenny said they are fantastic but I want to keep looking at the fantastic pictures [ ; D ]

I also wanted to take this oppurtunity to explain why I decided to do a regular Middle Grade slot as opposed to running the occasional review of Middle Grade books.

Initially it started that my daughters wanted to help out with reviewing books that they read and it gives me the oppurtunity of sharing the stories that they love, the ability to be able to select books that I think will expand their reading while still being enjoyable to them. My joy that they actually liked the Shakespeare Childrens Set knows no bounds.

Apart from my own children, as I deal with a cross-over age group in the school library a first-hand working knowledge of Middle Grade books is essential. Plus there are some truly amazing Middle Grade books on the market.

Sometimes it is difficult to classify a Middle Grade book, so when I saw this post on the weekend I just knew I had to link it for you.

Five Fast Differences Between YA and MG by YA Highway

A great help when classifying a Middle Grade book.

I have also been trying to encourage the pupils to review books (bribing with free books/sweets/chocolate/vouchers) unfortunately nothing seems to be working [ : ( ] If you have any tips on how to encourage pupils to review I would be very grateful. I do think it would be a good tool for the pupils to be able to utilise especially as it will give them an insight inot he type of books they do/do not like to read and therefore helping me steer them in the right direction in the library.

I would also love some guest reviews of Middle Grade books - so if you know anyone that would like to write a erview of a Middle Grade book they have read I would love to showcase it for them. So go round up your children, cousins, neices or pupils and let me know.

THANK YOU