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Middle Grade Goes to College

By Michele Weber Hurwitz on July 31, 2017 / Diversity

A unique comparative literature class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, uses the popular American Girl books as part of its assigned reading. Yes, the college students who are enrolled in the course read the very same middle grade books about Addy, Kirsten, and Kaya. Assistant Professor Brigitte Fielder’s course contrasts the American Girl stories with 19th and 20th century literature to explore the definitions of “American” and “girl.” It’s been a popular course each spring semester, attracting many nostalgic students who grew up with the iconic dolls and books.

The American Girl company (now owned by Mattel) is based near Madison and since 1986, has been selling dolls, accessories, and books focused on a wide range of historical periods and cultural perspectives. The company has long supported diverse characters and stories.

Students in Fielder’s class also read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, as these books offer a contrast to the content in the American Girl stories.

The professor frames the class around the notion of American girlhood — what it means to be American, to be a girl, and to be an American girl. She feels the AG books offer a broad example of the different lives of many girls over time who lived in America — whether or not they were considered “American” during their lifetimes due to slavery or being an immigrant. Fielder believes the books stimulate critical thinking skills about gender and race, whether they’re read by college students or middle graders.

Interestingly, after the course ends, some of the participants have rediscovered middle grade and YA books. One student who took the course included such favorites as S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie as must-reads on her blog’s 2017 reading bucketlist.

Obviously, I’m a big champion of all things middle grade, but seeing MG books included as part of a college course just made me want to stand up and cheer. I firmly believe that reading MG lit can be life-changing, whether you’re 12, 18, or 45!

Finally, a Full Member of this Site!

By JROSEN on July 28, 2017 / Book Lists

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

Hope you’re all well since my last post, all those many ages ago! I know what you’re thinking . . . Jonathan, aren’t you going early? Way ahead of schedule? Well, the answer is yes! After the huge write-in campaign, where thousands upon thousands of emails came pouring in, requesting . . . no, not requesting. Dare, I say, demanding that I go earlier, the administrative team over here at Mixed-up Files, had no choice but to acquiesce to the overwhelming influx and change the order. Oh, sure, there was chaos at our weekly meetings, but thankfully, Dorian Cirrone brought in coffee for everyone and made us all stay late, until she was able to restore order.

So, without further ado, here we go!

This month, I’m going to veer away from the usual posts, but I promise, I have a good reason. You see, I started writing for Mixed-Up Files, a little over five years ago. Then, and now, I think it’s one of the best sites for anything relating to kids’ books in general and Middle Grade, specifically. It really is an absolutely great site, and I was always proud to be a part of it. Especially, since I love Middle Grade books. Middle Grade, to me, is the most fun. That’s where my heart is, and those are the stories, I like to read, and those are the stories I like to write.

What, I especially loved, was whenever the new releases were posted. I, eagerly, looked to see what new great stories were going to be coming soon. I marked down all the ones I wanted, and you can be sure, I went to go pick them up when they came out.

I admired each of these authors and longed for the day, that I could be among them. And, the thing is, I kept reading the title of this site, which is, From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors. And, as I said, I love Middle Grade. But, in the back of my mind, I kept feeling, I was a Middle Grade writer, but not yet, author. I know it didn’t matter to anyone here, because my passion for Middle Grade, was no less than anyone else’s, and nobody looked at me or anyone else any differently. But, I wanted to be listed as, ‘Author’. And, I kept thinking, ‘One day’. Well, guess what, Mixed-Up Filers? That day is here! This will be my very last post, before I can change my resume, to Author! At the end of August, the 29^th, to be exact, my book, Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies will be released out into the world!

I can’t tell you, how ecstatic I am, that I’m still part of this fantastic site, and will get to see my name among all of the great books and authors that we’ve featured here through the years. This site has such a strong following, and I thank you all for reading my posts, all these years, and hope you’ll also enjoy reading my books.

So, the next time you see me, my Mixed-Up Filer friends, just know, that even though, I’ll be the same, I’ll also be slightly different.

Thank you

Summer Scares

By Mike Hays on July 26, 2017 / Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents

Don’t we all have at least one fiber in us that loves a good, scary story? As a species, we’ve been telling scary stories almost from the time we stood up and began to walk upright on two legs. Stories that have become integral to our human existence. Our advancement as a species is built on the back of a story. We pass our experiences down from generation to generation through story.

Scary stories play an integral role in shaping our existence. From entertainment to cautionary tale, to moral plays, to simply visceral enjoyment, stories of ghosts, monsters, urban legends, and creatures of the night serve their purpose well. Frankenstein, Dracula, the Brothers Grimm, all use a scare to define our limits and our psychological fears.

When my siblings and I were growing up in the early 1970’s, my dad never failed to send a shiver down our spines with this one thing he did. He would cup his hands around his mouth to get a 1930’s radio special effect and mimic the introduction to The Shadow radio drama.

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”

Even now, it brings a little smile to my face. The joy of remembering a dark hallway with us boys supposedly going to sleep in our bedroom and Dad, out in the living room, saying the Shadow’s introduction in his deep voice and with an emphasis on the word “evil”. I would smile as my heart raced and Mom would shush Dad about scaring us boys when we should be going to sleep. I would pull the covers tight and have visions of The Shadow with his black cape, hat, and mask. Scary (but not too scary) felt like a warm blanket. That’s one thing a good scary story does. It wraps around you and gives a familiar and slightly uncomfortable spine-tingling feeling.

Which brings me back to the beauty of a good middle-grade scare. These books are important. They do serve a purpose. Claire Quigley wrote a great blog post addressing scary books in June of 2016 at BookRiot.com. In the post, she nailed the explanation of why scary books belong in a prominent space in kidlit.

“These creepy stories have an important place in our literature, and our culture at large. Being a child is a scary, strange and unsettling time, and the stories that articulate these anxieties help children navigate the world, all the way through to adulthood. Life can be challenging, and at times upsetting, but you’ll also be equipped to battle through it, just like the heroes and heroines of those creepy tales. And let’s not forget, at the end of the day – those spine-chilling stories are always such good fun!”

Below is a list of my top 13 scary MG book recommendations. Books that are perfect for late summer nights when the warm, humid air calls for a creepy chill and reading by lantern or flashlight in a quiet, dark woods or on a windy nighttime beach is in peak season.