In the Middle Reading Challenge Update +Giveaway Time

Hey everyone it's time to update your In the Middle Reading Challenge progress! Using Mr. Linky below please link to any reviews you've written since our last update.  Here's the link to that update if you can't remember what you linked last time.

If you still want to join the challenge you can!!!! Here's the link to the info on the challenge :)

 If you don't have a blog you can leave links to reviews at places like Goodreads, Shelfari or Amazon etc.

My MG reads have been:

(linked to my review or Goodreads if I haven't reviewed yet)

Mamba Point

Mackenzie Blue

Karma Bites

Bran Hambric

A Place for Delta

Countdown

Middleworld: The Jaguar Stones

Up for grabs is your choice of:

Any of the books listed above :)

You'll need to wait for Karma Bites - it's not out yet.

A runner up will win some various swag.

Open to US residents only.

Ends Aug 10.

Going Live - Authors From the Middle Resource Page!

Today I'm going live with a new page here at The O.W.L. It is a resource page linking to as many middle grade authors as I can.  Authors you may know and authors who are just becoming known.  This page is still a work in progress but it's coming along! Right now every author is linked to their personal web page.  I've got books listed for each author (we'll see if I'm able to keep up with that!).  I'm working on getting those books linked to their Goodread page. 

 If you know of an author I left off the list drop me a comment or an email (foltzsfantasticbooks at gmail.com), so I can add them. 

AUTHORS! there is a special form for you if you want to be added to the list.

Ok here it is - the
 Authors From the Middle Resource Page!

You can also find the link along the top of the blog under my header.  Fingers crossed you all like it!

Up next will be a resource page for Bloggers from the Middle.  If you want to be added please fill out THIS FORM!
You need to blog about MG books over half the time to be added.

ps - I'll be having a check-in and giveaway for the In the Middle Reading Challenge next Tuesday so get your reviews ready.

In the Middle Reading Challenge Update WINNERS!

Wow great reading everyone! I found some new MG books to add to my TBR shelf :)

The first winner is:

Natalie from The Purple Crayon

You get to pick either Savvy, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda WITH A SIGNED ORIGAMI YODA FROM THE AUTHOR! or Umbrella Summer

The second winner is:

GreenBean TeenQueen at GreenBean Teen Queen! You win some various swag some of which will be signed!

And if you read MG and want to promote it more - make sure to join her meme "Tween Tuesday" where we highlight great books for the tween set.

Ladies I'll be emailing you shortly, but if you see this first feel free to contact me:

foltzsfantasticbooks at gmail.com

Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing MG! We'll have another update contest in a few months.

If you missed it, my blog will be switching to a mainly MG focus with only occasional YA.  I have a few YA books I need to read and review yet, but then The O.W.L. will be MG only (well 90% at least). I really believe MG books need much more attention then they are getting, so I want to promote them more.  I hope you'll all help out!

Tween Tuesday April 20

Tween Tuesday was started over at Green Bean Teen Queen as away to hightlight awesome books for the 9-12 year old set. AKA Tweens. Any book highlighted on Tween Tuesday does count for the In the Middle Reading Challenge. This week's book is:

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by

Tom Angleberger

This book looks absolutely cute! The layout reminds me some of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid but not so much of a graphic novel.  It has less pictures.  I just bought this book this past weekend, so I'll be reading and reviewing it super soon!

CONTEST ADDITION: this book is one of the options if you win my In the Middle Reading Challenge Update.  If you pick this one Tom has offered to send the winner a signed oragami Yoda! How cool is that! That contest ends today.  CLICK HERE if you still need to enter. 

From Goodreads:
In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

In the Middle Reading Challenge UPDATE TIME :) +prizes

UPDATED BELOW IN RED!!!

Hey everyone it's time for an update on your progress for the In the Middle Reading Challenge.  If you don't know about the challenge - HERE'S the original post.  After posting that I decided that people could enter the contest whenever. But to reward those that were signed up by the deadline, you will get an extra entry in this update's giveaway!

Here's what middle grade books I've read: (I've linked to the review if I did one)

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Eleventh Grade Burns by Heather Brewer (although I'm on the edge as to whether this one counts)
We the Children: Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements
It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder
SPHDZ by Jon Scieszka
Dani Noir by Nova Rem Suma
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (I never officially reviewed this one!)

Now here's what I need from you. 

1. You do NOT have to do an update post!
2. Instead just link using Mr. Linky below to any reviews you did on a middle grade books for the challenge.  For each review you link you'll get entered in the contest for this update. 
3. Remember if you did a post about the challenge and linked by the cut-off date, you'll get an extra entry. 
4. You will only be able to enter a review once.  That means if you already finished the challenge, and you link all your reviews, you won't be able to enter at the next update.
5. ENDS APRIL 20th
6. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG!!! You can rate them on Goodreads, Shelfarie, Amazon etc.  In the comments for this post, just tell me who you are there and I'll find them :)

PRIZES! 2 Winners.

First Winner: Choice of Savvy, Umbrella Summer OR The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Second Winner: Various swag some signed :)

In the Middle Reading Challenge

In place of Friday's for the Guys I want to kick off the In the Middle Reading Challenge.  Just a quick reminder of the rules for the challenge:

1. You must read middle grade books. These are books deemed right for kids ages 9 (sometimes 8) - 12. Harry Potter would be considered a MG book. If you look for them on Amazon you need to look under children's ages 9-12.

2. Challenge starts Jan 17, 2010 and ends Dec 31, 2010. All books for the challenge must be read in that time frame.

3. Books for this challenge can cross over to other challenges.

4. Audio and ebooks count for sure!

5. There will be 4 levels:

5th Grader: At least 4 Books

6th Grader: At least 6 Books

7th Grader: At least 8 Books

8th Grader: At least 10 Books

Ok so the challenge is offically underway! In a few months I'll post for updates, and at that point I'll draw for some fun prizes! Good luck everyone.  Can't wait to see what you read.

To see the original post with the Mr. Linky click here.
And remember to grab one of the two buttons in this post.

In The Middle Reading Challenge Button

Nikkie from A Haunt of an Ancient Place made this really cute button for the challenge! Isn't is fantastic? I've got to learn how to do these better.  I saw some of you using the one I made as well, and that fine.  Either button is fine to use!

Here's the post on the challenge if you missed it! You have until January 16th to sign up. 

I have gotten some offers of swag etc for giveaways, so be ready for update giveaways!

In The Middle Reading Challenge

As you all know I teach 7th grade and because I teach 7th grader I have a wide range of reading levels and interests to read for.  I do read a ton of YA, but I always make sure to read tons of MG as well.  YA and MG over-lap to a degree, and I have students at both ends of the spectrum.  There are so many amazing MG books out there, and I'd love to get more people reading them.  With that in mind I decided to host a challenge for middle grade books - In the Middle Reading Challenge.  Here's "rules" for the challenge.

1.  You must read middle grade books.  These are books deemed right for kids ages 9 (sometimes 8) - 12.  Harry Potter would be considered a MG book.  If you look for them on Amazon you need to look under children's ages 9-12.

2.  Challenge starts Jan 17, 2010 and ends Dec 31, 2010.  All books for the challenge must be read in that time frame.

3.  Books for this challenge can cross over to other challenges.

4.  Audio and ebooks count for sure!

5.  There will be 4 levels:
      5th Grader: At least 4 Books
      6th Grader: At least 6 Books
      7th Grader: At least 8 Books
      8th Grader: At least 10 Books

6.  In order to be considered for any prizes given away during the challenge you must to an intial post joining the challenge and link on Mr. Linky by Jan 16 (two weeks). 

At the end of the year, and occasionally throughout the year I'll do check-in posts and hopefully have some giveaways for them!

Now I need HELP! I tried to make a button (see below) but I don't know how good it is. Thoughts? And if you know how to make GOOD ones and would like to make one that would be awesome too!