Middle Grade Madness! discussion

Team Alacatraz Smedry - Special Category 9
1. (CAPTAIN) Audrey Hammer - Fly With Me by Julie Hahn
2. (CO-CAPTAIN) Chara - Squirrel Do Bad by Stephan Pastis
3. Anissa Michaud - The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander
4. Miri Carter - Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
5. Jos - Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
6. Patricia - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
7. Michelle Olson - Growing Home by Beth Ferry

(Each person’s name is linked to their challenge bookshelf and the book listed beside their name is their mg book recommendation)

The spreadsheet containing all the tasks will be shared with every team member via email invite on 1st September: (countdown: https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown...)

2 important things to note:
1. REFER TO THE RULES
- You can find them here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
- They list every detail from how the points are calculated to information on the bonus tasks.
- If you have a questions, please check it against the rules and if you’re still looking for an answer please put it to your team captain who will ask me in the Captain’s Chat and refer back to you.

2. MAKE SURE YOUR BOOKS COUNT
Please always check your book counts towards our challenge before starting to read it!
Refer to the rules below to remind yourself of what counts as an mg book for the challenge:

WHAT COUNTS AS A MIDDLE GRADE BOOK:
- Must be more than 100 pages long.
*For audio books*: The print edition must be more than 100 pages long.
*For graphic novels*: must be more than 150 pages long.
- Must be categorised as MG+ or MG on this website: https://www.arbookfind.com/
If it says LG or UG on the website it DOESN’T COUNT.
OR
Must be categorised as MY+ or MY on this website: https://www.arbookfind.co.uk/
If it says LY or UY on the website it DOESN’T COUNT.
- Only books started on/after 1st September count!

Ice-breaker:
1. Introduce yourself! Tell your fellow team members what your favourite genres to read are and some things you like to do besides reading. Also talk about your recommended book and why you recommended it.

2. Decide on a team name! Choose the name of a protagonist (or main character) from a middle grade book/series. This challenge has been hosted four times in the past and here are what past teams have chosen: Coraline, Alice Queensmeadow, Logan Sweet, Lucy Pevensie, Sirius Black, Merlin, Charlotte, Morrigan Crow, Mary Poppins, Amari Peters, Matilda Wormwood, Wolf, Zenobia, Diana Barry, Remus Lupin, Anthony Lockwood, Cimorene, Sophie Foster, and Percy Jackson so please don’t choose those!

3. Decide on a special category to be revealed! The categories are numbered 1 to 20, so pick a number as a team and that category will be one of the special categories revealed on either the 2nd, 3rd or 4th week and the tasks of this special category will be work more points!

Hi everybody! I'm Chara (Care-a) this is my 4th year doing this challenge. I honestly look forward to it all year. I have saved 70 books for it, so I'm ready.

I'm glad that it was moved to Sept. I like to crochet, while I listen to audiobooks. I hurt my elbow and had/have to rest it for the entire month of august. So I can't wait to read and crochet again.

As for team names. I would love something unique
Something that Whenever you hear the name you immediately think of the book/character.

My suggestions
Skulduggery Pleasant
Alcatraz Smedry - L'intégrale
Artemis Fowl
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III or Hiccup How to Train Your Dragon
Gratuity Tucci or Tip Tucci The True Meaning of Smekday
Zita Zita the Spacegirl

Nice to meet you Chara! I too look forward to this challenge all year. Partially because my bestie turned me on to this group and this challenge but mostly because I don't read a lot of Middle Grade throughout the year and am always looking to broaden my reading horizons. I like to crochet on ocassion, although I'm not very good at it, so I'm glad you're able to get back to reading and crocheting. Other than reading I enjoy silly phone calls with my long distance bff, listening to music of all kinds, and playing Sims 4 (yes I'm just a big ole nerd...LOL!).

I chose The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander as my book recommendation because I really like books about books and Lenora's experience was such an adventure. I've been meaning to read the sequel for quite some time and am hoping to possibly get to it during this challenge.

As far as team names I like Gratuity/Tip Tucci and Alcatraz Smedry from your list.

Do we just want to do a random number generator for the special category reveal?

I'm liking the number 9

I just noticed the teams were open. I'm Audrey; I'm mostly a mom, but the kids are nearly all moved out. I teach music part time and edit books part time.

I also like number 9. Alacatraz Smedry is one of my favorite characters.

Hi, Audrey! Once a mom always a mom. With the kids mostly moved out means that you'll have more time for reading.

Cool a book editor! Do you ever look at some books and think "You should do this instead?"

Looks like Alacatraz Smedry and 9 are in the lead.

I do appreciate a writer who can use complete sentences.

Hi! I'm Jos, I believe this is my 3rd year doing this (3rd or 4th, can't remember right now haha) I chose Aru Shah because it's one of my favorite book series, I love the characters and I love learning about different cultures, I'm a Foreign Languages grad and I really love music!

Regarding the potential names, I vote for Alcatraz Smedy! I like it

Happy that you're here Jos.

I just read Growing Home, one of the recommendations at the top. It's weird but cute.

For the challenge I like to recommend books that I discovered and loved during last year challenge. Squirrel Do Bad was 2024 my surprise favourite.

Hi Team Alcatraz Smedry!

I’ve just shared your team’s challenge spreadsheet with you all. Please check your junk mail for the invite.
If it’s not working for you or you want me to add a second email address, please send me a private message. Please remember this is a public group so do NOT share your email address on here!

I’m sharing the challenge spreadsheet in advance, but please make sure you only start reading when it’s 1st September for you. Any books started before 1st September do not count!

Please make sure you add your read books to your challenge shelf to help your Captain out. If you have any questions please ask your Captain who can check with me on the Captain’s Chat or drop me a private message directly😊

Kadi, I have checked the spam folders on both of my e-mail accounts and don’t believe I received the team spreadsheet. I sent you a friend request because it wouldn’t let me message you directly.

Hi Anissa sorry about that! Somehow your email wasn’t copied into the sharing on the spreadsheet, but I’ve added it now. Please let me know if you still don’t receive an email invite to your team’s spreadsheet within the next few hours😊

No problem Kadi! I did receive the e-mail invite for my team’s spreadsheet. Thank you for your help! 😁

When you guys finished a book please put all the tasks that it might fit not just the one that you're reading for.

Sometimes people just read one book for one task. You can discover during the reading that it might fit multiple tasks. It'll make it easier for our team maximize points.

Go ahead and write in books you're planning to read in the spreadsheet.

A suggestion:
If you have a book in mind for a category but don't care if someone else does it first, just put it in parentheses. If you have a suggestion for a book but probably won't read it, put the title in brackets. That's kind of how my brain works, but if that doesn't make sense, never mind.

It does.

I got a few audiobooks and a stack of print books. I do have to read another book for another challenge and finish an ARC this week, then I hope to make faster progress.

Hi everyone! Sorry this is late, but anyway, I’m Miri, and I (obviously) love reading. But other than that, I love anything crafty, like journaling, scrapbooking, painting, and even crocheting! This is my first year.

Found this for Dystopia, but many are post-apocalyptic, which I don't consider the same thing.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Michael Vey is set in high school, but they aren't at school the whole time. (It's MG+.)

Hi, Miri. Better late then never. A fellow crafter.

Audrey. I have Sunrise on the Reaping which is not only dystopian it's also MG

I put the book I started in 47, but it also fits 59, which may be a harder slot. The tracking tab also lists the other categories it fits.

Hi Team Alcatraz Smedry, I hope you're all having an awesome time so far!

I've spun a random picker, and our Special Category which will be added to your team spreadsheet tomorrow night is.... *drum roll*... Category 9!!

Remember, all Category 9 tasks will be worth 2 points instead of 1🎉

My book has a character with narcolepsy, but I don't think he's the protagonist. Dang it.

Are there any tasks where you can't find a book for? I can get some recommendations?

Also please put down more than one task that your book fits. Sometimes you can put a book into another category and get more points.

I put down all the categories on the tracking tab. Do you want them listed on the main page as well?

Hello Team Alcatraz Smedry!

So we’re almost halfway through the challenge and there’s been a change in the Title Points so we can spice things up:

You can get 5 Title Points if any word in the title contains any Title Word (the Title Word can be by itself or contained within a word in the title)
Example:
The Seeing Stone by Holly Black for task 19
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge for task 27


You can get 10 Title Points if any word in the title contains the specific Title Word of the Category of the Task the book is assigned to (the Title Word can be by itself or contained within a word in the title)
Example:
The Seeing Stone by Holly Black for task 2
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge for task 8

Please leave the Title Points to be either added by your Captain or me😊

Audrey wrote: "I put down all the categories on the tracking tab. Do you want them listed on the main page as well?"

Yes please.

The Phantom Tollbooth was made into a musical??

An animated musical! I was so shocked when I watch the movie. Honestly the music was forgettable.

Sounds terrible. I remember a weird cartoon version but I don't remember any music in it.

You did watch it. That's just how forgettable the music was🤣

For Task 73:A book recommended by someone in the team that someone in your group was in in 2022

The books are...
Aru Shah and the Song of Death Jos
Janitors Audrey
The Civil War of Amos Abernathy Michelle
The Train to Impossible Places Anissa
The True Meaning of Smekday Chara

Task 75 The Unforgettable Logan Foster

Somebody needs to read one of these books

I checked out Logan Foster and hope to grab Train tomorrow.

Love the initiative. Thanks.

One: The Ugly One, One Half from the East, One Crazy Summer

Lie: A Beautiful Lie, The Girl Who Couldn't Lie, Cross My Heart and Never Lie

Score: Keeping Score, The Perfect Score

Day: The Golden Day, All on a Winter's Day, The Day the World Stopped Turning, One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street

Sun: Same Sun Here, Tortilla Sun, Sun & Spoon, Reaching for Sun, Under the Blood-Red Sun, The Year We Sailed the Sun

Pretty: Pretty Is, The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl

Night: Race the Night, Night of the Twisters, Good Night, Mr. Tom

Wind: Paint the Wind, War of the Wind, Close to the Wind, Standing Against the Wind

Silence: The Loud Silence of Francine Green, The Voices of Silence, My Nest of Silence

Time: Running Out of Time, A Handful of Time, This Time of Darkness

Friend: My Friend Flicka, Your Friend in Fashion, Abby Shapiro, Best Friend Next Door, Manatee's Best Friend

Hunt: The Shadow Hunt, The Hunt for the Hollower, Lark and the Wild Hunt, Vanya and the Wild Hunt

Wild: The Wild Girls, Jackie's Wild Seattle, Wild Things, Wild Wings, Wild Girl, The Wild Kid, The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry

Follow: Weird Rules to Follow, Follow My Leader, Follow That Mom!

Made: What Stars Are Made Of, A Girl Made of Dust, A Ceiling Made of Eggshells, We Are All Made of Molecules

World: How to Be a Girl in the World, Not the Worst Friend in the World, Repairing the World, Danny the Champion of the World

Parts: A Girl in Three Parts, The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts

There: There Will Be Bears, When Marnie Was There, The House That Wasn't There, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

End: The End of the Wild, Dead End in Norvelt, It's Not the End of the World, Someone's Gonna End Up Crying

I'm going to the local comic con Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'll be able to do some reading but won't have time to post.

I'm in Mountain Time, USA (7? hours behind GMT)

Audrey wrote: "I'm going to the local comic con Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I'll be able to do some reading but won't have time to post.

I'm in Mountain Time, USA (7? hours behind GMT)"

Oh! Have fun. You've done excellent work with this challenge. Thank you.

I've had better luck getting audiobooks this time.

IKR?! Sometimes you find the book, but you just can't physically find the book.

Hi everyone! I finished reading a book for the challenge today, but I can’t edit the spreadsheet for some reason. Could someone put Gregor the Overlander and the Prophecy of Bane for 62. A book with a protagonist who gets hurt during a fight? Thank you!!!

I'll add it Miri. though I might add it to task 77

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7...

Okay sure. Thank you so much!

Oh yes 77 makes more sense. Not sure how I missed it. Haha!

Hello again! I finished reading another book. Wings of fire 1, the graphic novel. I need someone to put it on the spreadsheet again. But not sure what task to put it for. 41 maybe? 62? I don’t know. Thanks again!!!