Blog

From the Mixed-Up Files Gets Recognized for Dedication to Diverse Books

Wndmg logo

Are you looking for some good news to cheer about? Well, here you go: From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors is receiving some love!

What’s this about?

We all know that there are many reasons to love the Mixed-Up Files, and one big reason is our effort to put a spotlight on diverse books. Just check out our WNDMG Wednesday blog posts!

Well, it turns out a lot of people have been noticing our dedication to diverse books, and our blog is getting some love from Feedspot. Feedspot chose Mixed-Up Files as one of the 80 Best Diverse Book Blogs and Websites for 2024! That’s something to celebrate!

Here’s what Feedspot has to say about us: “Read special intros, summaries, and extracts from books and novels that revolve around the theme of Diversity and Inclusion. From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors is a team of writers and readers of middle-grade books, and their goal is to celebrate and generate enthusiasm about books for 8-12-year-olds.”

 

So, what is Feedspot, you might ask?

Feedspot is a content reader that can help you keep up with multiple websites all in one place. That way, you don’t have to visit each website separately to find out what’s new. With this recognition, Feedspot acknowledges the contribution of websites and blogs that recognize the importance of putting more books with diverse characters in the hands of children.  

The goal of this list is to recognize and bring more traffic to websites and blogs that are dedicated to the promotion and growth of inclusive literature. In addition to From the Mixed-Up Files, their list of 80 websites and blogs includes standouts like the Lee and Low Books blog, Multicultural Kid Blogs, and KidLit TV.

 

Why is this important?

You know the saying: Energy flows where attention goes. Publishers Weekly recently reported findings from the University of Wisconsin’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) regarding diversity in children’s books. The good new is that “the number of books received by the CCBC that have BIPOC authors, illustrators, or compilers has tripled since 2015.” They expect this trend to continue with BIPOC representation and to expand to a broader range identities, including differing abilities, LGBTQ+, and religious diversity.

 As you’ll find on our WNDMG page, our mission is to “celebrate and promote diversity in middle-grade books, and we examine the issues preventing better equity and inclusion on the middle-grade bookshelf. We intend to amplify and honor all diverse voices.” If you’re like us, and you have a passion for making sure that all children see themselves represented in books, check out Feedspot’s 80 Best Diverse Book Blogs and Websites and make sure to follow From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors!

Strong Girls in Historical Fiction: A Celebration of Women’s History Month

March isn’t just a month to pay tribute to important women in history. It is also a time to celebrate all girls and women, even those strong characters portrayed in literature. Gathered below is a collection of historical fiction novels with female protagonists struggling with loss, hunger, displacement, discrimination, conflict, and despair. Will they survive? Read to find out.

Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen, 352 pp. historical fiction female protags

Hazel Rothbury is traveling all alone from her home in England aboard the celebrated ship Titanic. Following the untimely death of her father, Hazel’s mother is sending her to the US to work in a factory. But Hazel harbors a secret dream: She wants to be a journalist, and if she can write and sell a story about the Titanic’s maiden voyage, she could earn enough money to support her family and not have to go to a sweatshop. When Hazel discovers that her mother didn’t send enough money for a ticket, she decides she must stow away onboard the storied ship.

With the help of a porter named Charlie and a sweet first-class passenger named Sylvia, Hazel explores the opulent ship in secret, but a haunting mystery quickly finds her. The danger only intensifies when calamity strikes, and Hazel fights to save her friends and herself.

By the Light of Fireflies: A Novel of War Hero Sybil Ludington by Jenni L. Walsh, 188 pp.

historical fiction female protagsSybil Ludington believes in the legend of fireflies–they appear when you need them most. But it’s not until her family is thrust into the dangers of the Revolutionary War and George Washington’s spy ring, that Sybil fully experiences firefly magic for herself–guiding her through the darkness, empowering her to figure out who she’s supposed to be and how strong she is–as she delivers her imperative message and warns against a British attack.
By the Light of Fireflies is the captivating tale of a young girl’s journey as a daughter, a sister, a friend, a spy, and eventually a war hero, completing a midnight ride that cements her place in history as the “female Paul Revere.”

With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney (Dear America series), 336 pp.  historical fiction female protags

Twelve-year-old Dawnie Rae Johnson’s life turns upside down after the Supreme Court rules in favor of desegregation in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. Her parents decide that Dawnie will attend Prettyman Coburn, a previously all-white school — but she’ll be the only one of her friends to enroll in this new school. Not everyone in Dawnie’s town supports integration, though, and much of the community is outraged. As she starts school, Dawnie encounters the harsh realities of racism. But the backlash against her arrival at Prettyman Coburn is more than she’s prepared for, and she begins to wonder if the hardship is worth it.

Orphan Eleven by Gennifer Choldenko, 305 pp.

historical fiction female protagsFour orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn’t speak anymore; silence is her protection. The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them and warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn’t find her voice, she’ll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte, 304 pp. historical fiction female protags

Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha’s Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there — including Mary — are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage.

But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary’s brother died. Tensions over land disputes are mounting. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island’s prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a “live specimen” in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk, 368 pp.

historical fiction female protagsAfter losing almost everything in the Great Depression, Ellie’s family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed wilderness of nearby Echo Mountain. Ellie has found a welcome freedom, and a love of the natural world, in her new life on the mountain. But there is little joy after a terrible accident leaves her father in a coma. An accident unfairly blamed on Ellie. But Ellie is a girl who takes matters into her own hands, and determined to help her father she will make her way to the top of the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.” But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal.

A Slip of a Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff, 240 pp. historical fiction female protags

Anna’s mother has died, and her older siblings have emigrated, leaving Anna and her father to care for a young sister with special needs. Although the family has worked their land in the Irish countryside for years, they’re in danger of losing it as poor crops leave them without money to pay their rent.

When a violent encounter with the Lord’s rent collector results in Anna and her father’s arrest, all seems lost. But Anna sees her chance and bolts from the jailhouse. On the run, Anna must rely on her inner strength to protect her sister–and try to find a way to save her family.

Catherine’s War by Julia Billet (Graphic Novel), 176 pp.

historical fiction female protagsAt the Sèvres Children’s Home outside Paris, Rachel Cohen has discovered her passion—photography. Although she hasn’t heard from her parents in months, she loves the people at her school, adores capturing what she sees in pictures, and tries not to worry too much about Hitler’s war. But as France buckles under the Nazi regime, danger closes in, and Rachel must change her name and go into hiding. Now known as Catherine Colin, Rachel is faced with leaving the Sèvres Home and her friends behind. But using her camera, Catherine possesses the power to remember. For the rest of the war, she bears witness to her own journey, and to the countless heroes whose courage and generosity saved the lives of many.

Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla by Alexandra Diaz, 336 pp. historical fiction female protags

Victoria loves everything about her home in Cuba. The beautiful land, the delicious food, her best friend and cousin, Jackie, and her big, loving family. But it’s 1960 and as the political situation grows more and more dangerous, Victoria, her parents, and her two younger siblings are forced to seek refuge in America with nothing more than two changes of clothes and five dollars. In Miami, everything is different. Victoria must step up and help her family settle into this new world.

Back in Cuba, Jackie watches as friends and family flee, or worse, disappear. So, when she’s given a chance to escape to America, she takes it—even though she has to go alone. Reunited in Miami, can Victoria and Jackie find a way to bring the rest of their family to safety?

A Sky Full of Song by Susan Lynn Meyer, 272 pp.

historical fiction female protagsAfter fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire, eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants, start a new life on the prairie. Shoshana takes fierce joy in the wild beauty of the plains and the thrill of forging a new, American identity. But it’s not as simple for her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and doesn’t pick up English as quickly or make new friends as easily. Desperate to fit in, Shoshana finds herself hiding her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice, just as Libke insists they preserve it. For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her beloved sister and has to look deep inside herself to realize that her family’s difference is their greatest strength.

Wild Bird by Diane Zahler, 320 pp. historical fiction female protags

Her name was Rype. That wasn’t really her name. It was what the strangers called her. She didn’t remember her real name. She didn’t remember anything at all.

In fourteenth-century Norway, a plague has destroyed the entire village of Skeviga. Rype was hiding in the hollow of a tree trunk when they found her. She was hungry, small, cold, alone. She did not speak their language or understand their mannerisms. But she knew this: To survive, she would have to go with them. To stay alive, Rype would have to embark on a sweeping adventure across Europe with the son of an English ship captain and a band of troubadours in search of a brighter future and a new home.

Millie and the Great Drought: A Dust Bowl Survival Story by Natasha Deen (Girls Survive series), 112 pp.

historical fiction female protagsIn 1935, dust storms are sweeping across the southern plains of the United States, including Oklahoma. Twelve-year-old Millie Horn is worried about her family’s survival. The Dust Bowl is getting worse, and her family is running out of food and money. Despite the hardships, Pa doesn’t want to abandon the farm, which has been in the family for generations. But when the worst black blizzard yet hits, they have no choice. The family decides to make the journey west. But life in California isn’t without struggle. Can Millie and her family survive the Dust Bowl and the hardships of the Great Depression?

The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry, 224 pp. historical fiction female protags

Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just how much danger are they in?

Inspired by the true discovery of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body in Northern Germany, master storyteller Lois Lowry transports readers to an Iron Age world as she breathes life back into the Windeby child, left in the bog to drown with a woolen blindfold over its eyes.

Hope’s Path to Glory: The Story of a Family’s Journey on the Overland Trail by Jerdine Nolen, 240 pp.

historical fiction female protagsIn Alexandria, Virginia, in the mid-19th century, a slave-owning family is facing financial trouble. The eldest son, Jason, thinks going to California to mine for gold might be the best way to protect his father’s legacy. He’ll need a cook, a laundress, and a hostler for the journey, and one of them is twelve-year-old Clementine, whose mother calls her Hope. From Independence, Missouri—the “Gateway to the West”—she and the others join a wagon train on the Emigrant Overland Trail. But what Jason didn’t consider is taking the three enslaved people west will give them an opportunity to free themselves—manifesting their destiny.

Alice Atherton’s Grand Tour by Lesley M.M. Blume, 208 pp. historical fiction female protags

The heartwarming story of a young girl sent to live with the extraordinary Murphy Family in southern France. Ten-year-old Alice Atherton is sent by her father to spend the summer with his dear friends the Murphys who live with their three children and pet monkey in the French Riveria. There, Alice will meet and learn from some of the most extraordinary luminaries of the time. She visits a junkyard with Pablo Picasso looking for objects to make into art, performs a dance inspired by celestial bodies with the renowned Ballet Russes, and imagines magical adventures with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Hoops: A Graphic Novel by Matt Tavares, 224 pp.

historical fiction female protagsIt is 1975 in Indiana, and the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team is in their rookie season. Despite being undefeated, they practice at night in the elementary school and play to empty bleachers. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service. They make their uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical tape. And with help from a committed female coach, they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory. Illustrated in full color, this story about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports rings with honesty, bravery, and heart.

 

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai, 256 pp. historical fiction female protags

Hà and her family have worked hard to make a life for themselves in the US, but it hasn’t been easy. Hà has only just started to feel settled when Mother decides that the family will move to Texas for a new job. Hà knows how hard starting over is and doesn’t want to have to do it again. But sometimes even an unwanted change can bring opportunity, new friends, and a place to call home.

This lyrical and compelling sequel to Inside Out and Back Again follows Hà and her family through another year of upheaval, growth, and love.

 

Even more titles to explore during Women’s History Month:

historical fiction bookshelf

 

Looking for Luck in All the Write Places

Hope you’re feeling lucky this St. Patrick’s Day week. In case you’re looking for good fortune, check out some of these middle-grade books with the work “luck” in the title.

Hard Luck

Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney
Book #8 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
Greg Heffley’s on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg’s life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery

Written by Ann M. Martin
Book #17 in the The Baby-Sitters Club Series
Mary Anne should never have thrown away that chain letter she got in the mail. Ever since she did, bad things have been happening-to everybody in the Baby-sitters Club. With Halloween coming up, Mary Anne’s even more worried-what kind of spooky thing will happen next? Then Mary Anne finds a new note in her mailbox: Wear this bad-luck charm, it says. OR ELSE. Mary Anne’s got to do what the note says. But who sent the charm? And why did this person send it to Mary Anne? If the Baby-sitters don’t solve this mystery soon, their bad luck might never stop!

Lucky Strike

Written by Bobbie Pyron
A rich, southern voice tells the unforgettable story of two vulnerable outsiders, the lightning strike that turns their world upside down and the true meaning of lucky. Nate Harlow would love to be lucky, just once! He’d like to win a prize, get picked first, call a coin toss right, even! But his best friend, Genesis Beam (aka Gen), believes in science and logic, and she doesn’t think for one second that there’s such a thing as luck, good or bad. She doesn’t care what names the other kids call them. She cares about being right, about saving the turtles of Paradise Beach, and she cares about Nate. Then, on his birthday, at the Goofy Golf mini-golf course, Nate is struck by lightning – and survives! Suddenly baseballs are drawn to his bat – popular kids want HIM on their side. It seems the whole town of Paradise Beach thinks Nate has the magic touch.But is there room for Gen in Nate’s lucky new world? Lucky Strike tells the unforgettable story of two vulnerable outsiders and what luck is really all about.

The Thing about Luck

Written by Cynthia Kadohata & illustrated by Julia Kuo
The winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata. There is bad luck, good luck, and making your own luck–which is exactly what Summer must do to save her family. Summer knows that kouun means “good luck” in Japanese, and this year her family has none of it. Just when she thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, an emergency whisks her parents away to Japan–right before harvest season. Summer and her little brother, Jaz, are left in the care of their grandparents, who come out of retirement in order to harvest wheat and help pay the bills. Having thoroughly disappointed her grandmother, Summer figures the bad luck must be finished–but then it gets worse. And when that happens, Summer has to figure out how to change it herself — because it might be the only way to save her family. Cynthia Kadohata’s ode to the breadbasket of America has received six starred reviews and was selected as a National Book Award Finalist.

Lost in Ireland

Written by Cindy Callaghan
Book #2 in the Lost In Series
A superstitious girl must try to turn her horrible luck around during a family trip to Ireland. Meghan McGlinchey is the most superstitious girl in her family–and probably in the entire state of Delaware. When she receives a chain letter from a stranger in Ireland, Meghan immediately passes it on, taking only a tiny shortcut in the directions. But after a disastrous day, made complete by losing the election for class president and embarrassing herself in front of the entire school, Meghan realizes that tiny shortcut was a big mistake. Thankfully, her family was already headed to Ireland on spring break, and Meghan makes it her mission to find the original sender and break her extremely unlucky streak. With the help of an eccentric cast of characters–and one very cute Irish boy–can Meghan figure out a way to stop her bad luck? Or is she cursed forever?

Bookroo.com contributed to these summaries.