From the Mixed-Up Files…

of Middle-Grade Authors

Home > Book Lists > Middle Grade Trends/Ideas/Plots we’d like to see
OhMG News!

May 12, 2012: The Kids Have Voted

Votes have been tallied for the 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards. Winner in the 5th/6th grade category was Okay for Now, Gary Schmidt’s companion novel to his Newbery Honor-winning The Wednesday Wars. Illustrator of the year went to Brian Selznick for Wonderstruck, and author of the year went to Jeff Kinney for Cabin Fever, the latest installment in his Wimpy Kid series.

For a complete list of the winners…

May 10, 2012: Happy Children’s Book Week!

In honor of National Children’s Book Week, award-winning author-illustrator Matt Phelan posted this delightful review of Polly Horvath’s new book on his blog…

For more about Children's Book Week…

May 5, 2012: Oh Me, Oh May
Check out all the new books releasing in May...

May 5, 2012: Be a Fourth-Grade Somebody

One lucky fourth-grade classroom will win a Skype visit from author Judy Blume this month. To participate, all you have to do is have your students write a sentence or two on why they like fourth grade. The contest, which ends May 15, is sponsored by School Library Journal.

For details…

May 5, 2012: Sturm und Drang for Kids
Guardian columnist Julia Eccleshare tackles the question “Why are so many highly praised children's books gloomy?” in this April 30 article…

   

May 1, 2012: It’s No Mystery

The Edgar Award for the best juvenile mystery of the year was presented this past weekend to Matthew Kirby for Icefall (Scholastic, 2011). Publishers Weekly said of Kirby's Viking suspense novel, “Readers may be drawn in by the promise of action, which Kirby certainly fulfills, but they’ll be left contemplating the power of the pen versus the sword—or rather the story versus the war hammer.”
For more on the award…

To read a Mixed-up Files interview with Kirby...

May 1, 2012: Crystal Clear

Winners of the 2012 Crystal Kite Awards, the only peer-given awards in children’s publishing, were announced this week. The awards are voted on by members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Middle-grade winners include The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson and The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine.

For a complete list of winners...

April 30, 2012: Does a Pineapple Have Sleeves?

What happens when a Daniel Pinkwater story is adapted for use in a statewide standardized test? The New York Times reports on the kerfuffle here...

April 30, 2012: More than One Path to Publication
The lines between traditional and self-publishing continue to blur as more and more traditionally published authors find ways to utilize the flexibility and freedom that self publishing offers. Author Kate Milford recently announced in Publishers Weekly that her new fantasy, The Broken Lands, which will be published by Clarion in September, will be accompanied by the release of a self-published novella, The Kairos Mechanism.

Says Milford, "I want to experiment with self-publishing as a way to promote and enhance traditional releases by providing extra content to readers in the form of complete, related tales. I also want to use resources that support independent bookstores." As an added bonus Milford is planning a special digital edition of her self-published work that will include illustrations by 10 teen readers.

For more…

April 14, 2012: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring!

Check out all the new books releasing in April...

April 12, 2012: The Greatest Girls
Jen Doll, columnist for The Atlantic Wire, talks about “The Greatest Girl Characters of Young Adult Literature” in this April 5 article, the first in a series called “Y.A. for Grownups.” Among the characters Doll mentions are a number of middle-grade favorites, including Meg Murray from A Wrinkle in Time and Claudia Kincaid of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
For more…

April 12, 2012: Moss Aims to Pick Up Where Tricycle Left Off
Berkeley-based children’s author and illustrator Marissa Moss, best-known for her Amelia’s Notebook series, is starting a new West Coast publishing venture called Creston Books. Says Moss, “The idea’s been percolating for years. It came to a head after Random House bought Ten Speed and threw Tricycle away.” Moss got her start with the quirky, risk-taking Tricycle Press, which published Amelia’s Notebook at a time when traditional publishers were unsure what to do with the illustrated diary format. “New York publishing is about: what’s the next Harry Potter, what’s the next Twilight?” says Moss. “When I’ve approached people, I’ve asked, ‘What is the book you’ve been dying to do, but New York won’t do?’ I want the books that they think won’t sell—because I think they will.”
Creston’s first books are due to release Fall 2013. In the meantime, Moss is seeking kickstarter funds to help back the project. For more…

April 10, 2012: After Chrestomanci
An online celebration of the life of British author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) will kick off April 12 with a two-week blog tour. In conjunction with the tour a special blog has been set up where fans can share their favorite books, quotes, stories, characters, covers, and memories of Diana with fellow fans around the world.
Wynne Jones was the author of dozens of popular titles, including the Chrestomanci series and Howl’s Moving Castle, which was made into an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki in 2004.

For details…

April 6, 2012: Game Over!
The Battle of the Books has ended. And the winner is…

I’m not telling! You’ll just have to click on over to the School Library Journal site and read Jonathan Stroud’s incredible analysis of the three finalists—Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet; Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys; and Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt.

March 31, 2012: Hiaasen Says There’s No Fooling Kids

Newbery-honor winning author Carl Hiaasen talks about writing for kids versus writing for adults in this March 6 School Library Journal interview. Says Hiaasen, “The idea that you're fooling kids is crazy. That's the way I've been able to connect to and go between adult and young adult books. Kids love sarcasm and the idea of bursting a grown-up's bubble. It's a question of calibrating the story to the young adult market. Once I did that with Hoot and it worked, it opened up a new and rewarding way of writing for me.”

Hiassen’s new middle-grade book, Chomp, was released this week.

For more…

March 29, 2012: What’s the Buzz in Middle-grade Fiction?

A panel of editors will share their predictions for this fall’s breakout titles when BookExpo America convenes June 5-7 at the Javits Center in New York City. You don’t have to wait until June to catch the buzz, though. According to the BookExpo on-line news, titles to watch are:

• Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

• The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (HarperCollins)

• Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin (Little Brown)

• Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1: Professor Gargoyle by Charles Gilman (Quirk)

• With Love From Paris: Mira's Sketchbook by Marissa Moss (Sourcebooks)

For more…

March 26, 2012: Lindgren Winner Announced

Dutch author Guus Kuijer has won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award given by the Swedish Arts Council to honor an author whose body of work is in the spirit of Pippi Longstocking author Astrid Lindgren. The winner receives 5 million Swedish crowns (more than $700K), making it the richest prize in the world for children’s literature. Past winners include Katherine Paterson, Sonya Hartnett, Maurice Sendak, and Shaun Tan.

Kuijer was selected by an international jury of experts who praised his "razor-sharp realism,” “subtle humor,” and “visionary flights of fancy.” Kuijer is author of more than 30 titles, most of them for young teens. Sadly, only one of his books has appeared in English—The Book of Everything, a slim but haunting novel published by Arthur Levine Books in 2006.

For more…

March 20, 2012: No Grownups Allowed
It’s time for kids to vote for their favorite books of the year in this year’s Children’s Choice Awards. Winners will be announced during Children’s Book Week, May 7-13, 2012. The awards are sponsored by the Children’s Book Council, which celebrates the transformative power of literacy. Kids can vote individually or librarians, teachers, and booksellers can log on to record their students’ votes.

Finalists for the 3rd-4th grade Book of the Year are:
• Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel

• A Funeral in the Bathroom and other School Bathroom Poems by Kalli Dakos

• The Monstrous Book of Monsters by Libby Hamilton

• Sidekicks by Dan Santat

• Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

Finalists for 5th-6th Grade Book of the Year are:

• Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

• How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz

• Lost & Found by Shaun Tan

• Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

• Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

For more about Children’s Book Week…

To vote …
Subscribe!

Get email updates:
Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner

Middle Grade Trends/Ideas/Plots we’d like to see

Mar 21, 2011

Brian Kell

Book Lists, Trends, Turn Up The Lights

So… what do I do with this precious “From the Mixed-Up Files” blog space ? I could use it to increase sales for my own version of the Chia Pet… something I call the Knee-a Pet. I’ve been making molds of famous peoples’ kneecaps. Just slather on the mud and seed mixture and, whala, a beautiful growth of crabgrass and dandelion springs forth on the popular icon’s patella.

But that would be sort of self deprecating … self loathing, (not to mention get me banned (or band) from the exclusivity of this tight knit group of talanted MG authors).

I know! Hey, Elissa! Can we turn up the lights? Let’s open up some discussion, like they used to do on The Carol Burnett Show (No Tarzan yells, please). Let’s talk about the trends/plots/premises/themes/ideas we’d like to see in Middle Grade books.

TRENDS/PLOTS/PREMISES/THEMES/IDEAS:

My first thought would be a mafia book that takes place in the boy’s bathroom – too late; Chris Rylander’s book THE FOURTH STALL just hit the bookshelves.

Then I thought… how about a girl with magical powers that don’t always go right… oops, the third book in that series THE MAGIC REPAIR SHOP by Amanda Marrone just came out last month.

Where does that leave me then? Hm. Well… of course I haven‘t read every Middle Grade book out there, so some of my wants/needs may already exist. If you know of something that matches any of the comments on this post, feel free to address them in a reply.

I’d love to see something along the lines of a new Dr. Doolittle or Encyclopedia Brown or The Hardy Boys
How about boy books that deal with father/son relationships… in particular when they don’t see eye to eye.
THE FLY GUY books by Tedd Arnold are great… maybe some more “pet” insect books would be cool.
Hygiene (something fictional and funny).
A train mystery with siblings solving the crime.
Travel and vacation adventure books.
Books that twist the imagination to the point that the distorted images drip out like drops of rainbow… in other words, something along the line Roald Dahl.

How about you? What TRENDS/PLOTS/THEMES/IDEAS/STORIES would you like to see in Middle Grade books?

BONUS!!!!!

For everyone who comments, I will draw a name on Saturday (March 26th) and that person will win all THREE books (signed by the author) of THE MAGICAL REPAIR SHOP series by Amanda Marrone.

Yes, if you even just comment “fanorkle”, you can still win.

So let’s discuss, shall we?

Written by: Brian Kell on March 21, 2011.

31 Comments

Lee Mandel • Mar 21, 2011 @7:44 am

All of those ideas sound wonderful. I’m currently working on the sequel to my middle grade novel, “Frog Burgers.” It’s about eleven-year-old Zach Meyers, who finds out that more homework and puberty aren’t his only problems in middle school – he realizes he’s the target of the school bully.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:08 am
@Lee Mandel, Great idea… I must say… that is a GREAT title!
Deb Marshall • Mar 21, 2011 @7:51 am

Something along the lines of Bailey School Kids for me, or more like Cornelia Funke’s Ghost Hunters–I love the mix of paranormal and humour–

And yes, I will be ordering a knee-a-pet.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:10 am
@Deb Marshall, Other than Barrie Summy’s ‘I So Don’t Do Mysteries’ Series and Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Graveyard Book’, I don’t know too many MG ghost stories. I like the ghost hunter idea!
Wendy Shang • Mar 21, 2011 @8:00 am

Fran Cannon Slayton’s When the Whistle Blows has a father-son relationship where the two parties don’t always see eye-to-eye, trains and a secret society!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:12 am
@Wendy Shang, Thanks for letting me know, Wendy. I’ll jot that title and author down.
Jennifer Swanson • Mar 21, 2011 @8:11 am

What a great post! Thanks for all the fantastic ideas. It gets my brain churning on a Monday morning. I think I would like to see more mysteries — I can’t get enough of them. But maybe some with paranormal elements or ones where the environment are involved. Of course, I love historical fiction, too. Would love to see more of that.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:14 am
@Jennifer Swanson, I think it would be so tough to write a good mystery… trying to end it in a believable/plausable way isn’t easy.
Courtney • Mar 21, 2011 @8:30 am

I would love to see more books about moving and relocating….as a military child I struggled with that and the lack of resources…it would also be nice to have more books centered around military kids and their unique experiences. I am at work right now on a middle grade novel of sorts. Love the post!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:15 am
@Courtney, Wow! Two GREAT ideas.

Wendy Shang Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:28 am
@Courtney, Sara Lewis Holmes’ Operation YES takes place at an Air Force Base school. Sara is a military wife, so she definitely knows the subject well, and she gave a talk last year on how teachers can connect with kids from military families. http://saralewisholmes.blogspot.com/2010/11/some-resources-connecting-with-students.html

Karen B. Schwartz Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@Courtney, There’s also Kimberly Willis Holt’s Piper Reed series. They’re a military family that moves a lot
Katie Schneider • Mar 21, 2011 @10:24 am

For MG paranormal, read Eva Ibbotson. Which Witch, the Secret of Platform Thirteen, the Beasts of Clawstone Castle. Funny paranormal, not particularly freaky.

For hygiene and funny, read Bart King’s The Big Book of Gross Stuff. Not fiction, though. (Although my ten year old still quotes from it, so parents should exercise caution about how much information they want to arm their sons with.)

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 10:33 am
@Katie Schneider, Thanks for the info, Katie!
LG • Mar 21, 2011 @10:25 am

I love summer camp stories with a twist (a la Holes)! Also, definitely more novels/series along the lines of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew – we can never have too many sleuths and secret passageways. Lastly, I’d like to see stories that involve the impact of having a foreign exchange student in the MC’s home – wider world view, impact of culture, etc.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 10:35 am
@LG, Holes was great… even with ice cream. Wait… that’s ‘a la mode’, just just ‘a la’. Oh, well… I want ice cream anyway.

The foreign exchange student idea sounds intriguing.

LG Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 9:45 pm
@brian_ohio, I think anything with ice cream wins!
Caroline Starr Rose • Mar 21, 2011 @10:36 am

One of the freshest middle grade reads I’ve had in the last few months was THE STRANGE CASE OF ORAGAMI YODA.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 11:49 am
@Caroline Starr Rose, Dang it! You’re right… I’ve been wanting to read that. I’m going to order it right this second. Well… as soon as I finish this reply. In a second.
Kim • Mar 21, 2011 @10:52 am

Yes, like someone said above, more mysteries are always good. I’d love to see some good sci-fi too, but I know that’s hard, since it can get dated so quickly.
brian_ohio • Mar 21, 2011 @11:51 am

I grew up on sci-fi… it’s a tasty breakfast drink. No?

Actually, you’re right (I know you’re tired of people saying that to you), more sci-fi is a must!
Laura Marcella • Mar 21, 2011 @11:54 am

It kind of bums me out when children’s writing advice suggests “doing away” with parents in MG books. But there are a bunch of books out there with awesome, supportive parents who don’t get in the way of the book’s kid hero. “Danny the Champion of the World” by Roald Dahl comes to mind. Also the Penderwicks books by Jeanne Birdsall and even the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Those are all books children love to read even though the parent or parents are very visible.

So I think I’d like to see more MG books where the parents are good, kind, available, and supportive in the child’s life, but not overbearing so the kid is ultimately the hero of course!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 2:27 pm
@Laura Marcella, I would have to agree with you (well… I don’t HAVE to agree, but I do agree). The parents in Diary of a Wimpy Kid are good and kind. And funny.
Traci VW • Mar 21, 2011 @1:16 pm

fanorkle

(ha, couldn’t resist!)
I like fantasy adventures. Sci-fi in mg is fun too. I’m always up for a fun romp with page turning fun!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 2:29 pm
@Traci VW, Fanorkle!!! You’re OUT of the contest!!

Ha… I couldn’t resist either.
sheelachari • Mar 21, 2011 @1:35 pm

Darn, I wanted to be the one to say fanorkle.

@Jennifer Swanson — for an enviromental mystery, how about HOOT by Carl Hiaasen?

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 2:29 pm
@sheelachari, But you say ‘fanorkle’ all the time anyway!

Hoot is a great suggestion.
Kristen • Mar 21, 2011 @1:38 pm

More scary yet funny books – as my students always ask for. Something epic like Harry Potter, only shorter in length.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 2:31 pm
@Kristen, I would love to see something that invigorates readers of all ages like Harry Potter. Heck… I wish I could write it!

Maybe I will
Kerry • Mar 21, 2011 @2:13 pm

@Kristen, I recently wrote a MG magical adventure novel set in medieval Africa. I’m currently seeking an agent. It’s set up to be the first in a series of four.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@Kerry, Sounds like an awesome idea… I’m sure an agent will want to represent it.
KatherineR • Mar 21, 2011 @3:31 pm

fanorkle!
brian_ohio • Mar 21, 2011 @3:51 pm

I heard that!
Boni Ashburn • Mar 21, 2011 @4:07 pm

The Brixton Brothers books by Mac Barnett ARE the new Hardy Boys (but even better, if you ask me)

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:13 pm
@Boni Ashburn, Just great! More books I’ve got to check out!

Thanks for the info!
Andrea • Mar 21, 2011 @4:20 pm

My 15-year-old daughter is always looking for good YA adventures and mysteries that are not so heavy on the boy-girl romance or peer group issues.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:15 pm
@Andrea, Not easy to find something good in YA that isn’t heavy romance.
Elissa Cruz • Mar 21, 2011 @4:57 pm

I second (third? fourth? Okay, sixth) more mysteries. There aren’t enough of them out there in the world, imo. We need fun mysteries, and your-life-is-in-danger mysteries, and smart puzzle mysteries, and spooky ghost mysteries…

I’d also love to see more humor. Those books that make your belly hurt by the time you’re half-way through the third chapter.

And if you can get a humorous mystery out there in print (I know of some authors *cough* *cough* me *cough* who are trying to do just that), then that would be heaven on earth. Yessiree!

Oh, and don’t forget to turn the lights down when you’re done here, Brian.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:20 pm
@Elissa Cruz, You’ve got a humorous MG mystery out there? You’ll hear something soon on that! Patience, grasshopmeister!!!

Where’s the switch again?
Katrina Lantz • Mar 21, 2011 @5:45 pm

Okay, this is a twilight zone moment for me because I outlined an idea for an MG book called THE FIFTH STALL about magic in a school girl’s bathroom several months ago. Turns out I’m not that original. But now I really want to read THE FOURTH STALL!

Okay, plots/themes I’d like to see include more boy adventure books about ordinary boys placed in extraordinary circumstances like Matthew Cody’s POWERLESS and something for MG girls about a blonde girl who is the opposite of the stereotypes for a change.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:24 pm
@Katrina Lantz, The Fourth Stall is really good! I’m almost finished… a good ending and I’ll consider it GREAT! Too bad about your FIFTH STALL book. ;-(

I’m all about boy adventures… loved them as a… well, boy. Thanks for the recommendation.

What’s this blonde stereotype you’re talking about?
Cindy • Mar 21, 2011 @6:14 pm

More contemporary MG books that feel so authentic that they make you think of the world a little bit differently. (I wish Wendy Mass could publish a new book every month because that’s how I feel when I read hers. Kate Messner too.)

Also, I love blends of contemporary/historical like A Palace Beautiful.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 21st, 2011 at 6:25 pm
@Cindy, I’m not much of a contemporary reader, but I’ve read both Wendy and Kate… and they’re both awesome!
PragmaticMom • Mar 21, 2011 @8:09 pm

I would love to see more Asian American themes like The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Shang where the Asian family is assimilated but still trying to maintain their cultural identity.

I would also love to see more science mixed into middle grade fiction like When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, particularly with strong girl characters like A Wrinkle in Time.

I would love to read more books similar to Because of Winn Dixie where each chapter is a mini short story that stands on its own and every character is deeply established and the sum is greater than the parts.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:27 am
@PragmaticMom, Those are great suggestions. I’ve seen quite a few agents and editors looking for novels delving into culture.

Because of Winn Dixie is an example of a perfect novel (IMO).

Augusta Scattergood Reply:
March 26th, 2011 at 7:35 am
@PragmaticMom, give the books of Barbara O’Connor a try. Each chapter is totally like a short story. Great read-alouds. Adventure. Funny. And a little mysterious.
Brookefav • Mar 21, 2011 @8:42 pm

Some of my WIPs fit into these trends…not that I’m writing for them. But it is interesting to see.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:30 am
@Brookefav, It’s both frustrating and exciting to see your writing mimic these ideas, makes you want to get them out there… but maybe before they’re ready. You know?
Amie Borst • Mar 21, 2011 @9:32 pm

i’d love to see fractured fairy tales with paranormal twists where the female MC is strong and funny. oh wait. that’s what i write!

i would really love, love, LOVE to see more paranormal in MG (vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc) since most are geared to YA.

thanks for this post, brian! lots of great book suggestions – fun stuff!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:34 am
@Amie Borst, It’s weird, when I think about YA… I think paranormal, but when I think about MG… I think urban fantasy. Probably because that’s what’s reflected on the shelves. It seems *gulp* you may be right – more MG paranormal.
Megan • Mar 21, 2011 @10:50 pm

Great suggestions. How about a book about some brothers that solve mysteries even though they don’t agree with their Dad. You could put them on vacation on a train, and then a fly could come and instruct them on hygiene…now that would be trendy. Thanks again for the great article. It really gets those creative gears churning.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:36 am
@Megan, You’re a genius!!!
Sue Cowing • Mar 22, 2011 @11:25 am

Thanks you,I love lists, especially wish lists! I’m going straight to the library and book store after I finish this. I was just going to lurk here today, but when I came to your wish for a boy’s book about father/son relationships that don’t work, I just had to tell you about my novel, YOU WILL CALL ME DROG, coming out in September. In it the misunderstanding between a boy and his divorced dad allows a snarky puppet, a sort of reverse Pinocchio, to attach himself to the boy and widen the gap between father and son. It’s actually a funny book, despite it’s serious theme.
Oh, and I also had to comment because I’d love a chance at the MAGIC REPAIR SHOP prize. Now let me add a wish: I would like to see a book that takes a child artist seriously. respects his or her passion and outlook. A fictional child artist, not a fictionalized great name that we all know is going to succeed.

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:51 am
@Sue Cowing, Thanks for the info! You’re book sounds like just what I asked for.

A child artist… now that’s a good idea!!
Cinette • Mar 22, 2011 @11:40 am

How about a humorous paranormal mystery about a girl who sees ghosts and is jealous of her older sister, but ends up saving her from a demon? Oh, wait. That’s what I’m writing. But I’d still like to see it out there!

brian_ohio Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:52 am
@Cinette, Sound like a good book to me… but you have to finish it first! I’d like to see it out there too!
Linda Andersen • Mar 22, 2011 @6:28 pm

How about a MG who takes a bad experience and makes it sound positive. I’ve been reading Phyllis Roots PB about Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lazybones. Funny! She has two other similar stories. How about a MG something along this line?

Linda A.
Erin Shakespear • Mar 24, 2011 @8:45 am

Well, hmmmmm….I love fantasy. So, I wouldn’t mind more of that!

My 11 yo said he’d like to see something like The Benedict Society, Erec Rex and The Thirteenth Reality (Yep. He likes fantasy, too.)

How ’bout a train mystery with some hygiene discussion and a pet insect sidekick?

Fun post!
Roxanne Scheribger • Mar 24, 2011 @10:50 pm

FANORKLE