Hello, Mixed-Up Files friends! It seems like ages since I joined the blog in 2014. So much has happened–an international move, writing and revising (and rewriting and revising and…) four middle grade manuscripts, ups, downs, highs, lows…you get the picture.

As much as I’ve loved geeking out on middle-grade books with you all, it is time for me to move on. If we were face to face, I would probably sing to you, because that’s what I do (just ask my kids). Instead, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite farewell songs:

I’m thrilled to see several Mixed-Up Filers stepping up to take over leadership on the blog and know you, dear readers, will continue to be in very good hands.

And because I can’t resist, I’ll leave you with one last book list too.

2018 Summer Reads

Full of family secrets, sibling conflict, and sweet baking magic, A Dash of Trouble will enchant you with it’s fun plot and spunky main character.

The Strange and Deadly Portraits of Bryony Gray is a creepy middle grade mash-up of Lemony Snicket, Edgar Allen Poe, and Oscar Wilde. Read at your own risk!

If that’s way too spooky for your young reader, check out this sweet summer debut by the lovely Cindy Baldwin about a young girl coming to terms with her mother’s mental illness.

First love and a desperate search for a missing mother make this debut from Kheryn Callender a must-read.

And it wouldn’t be a booklist from me without a little bit of fantasy. From the second I saw the cover art for this stunning book, I knew it was going to be fantastic. Strong female heroines, a horde of demons, and the Serpent King make this one a gripping read.

Julie Artz

JULIE ARTZ spent her childhood sneaking into wardrobes hoping to find Narnia. Now that she's older, people think that’s creepy, so she writes middle grade instead. Her stories for children feature the natural world, folklore, mythology, history, and all that is magical about those things. In addition to contributing to The Mixed Up Files, she works as a developmental editor for Author Accelerator, writes about local Washington history for Gatherings, contributes regularly to The Winged Pen, and is co-RA of SCBWI Western Washington. She is represented by Jennie Dunham of Dunham Lit.