Book Lists

One of the best things about being a writer is getting to work at home, amirite? You know, we can work in our pajamas! No annoying commute! No office politics! Endless chocolate and coffee!

Okay, maybe not so much. Maybe it’s more like I’m working in pajamas because I’m on deadline and haven’t had a chance to touch that massive pile of laundry in my bedroom. And I’m obviously not commuting anywhere because I’m not dressed. And chocolate… well, thank heavens for leftover Halloween candy or I might starve. A Snickers bar is okay for breakfast, right? It’s got peanuts in it and I’m pretty sure those are healthy.

(Full disclaimer: I’m not really in my pajamas. I can’t function unless I shower and get dressed every morning. I am, however, pleading the fifth on the Snickers bar. And the laundry situation.)

That said, it’s true that working at home isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. And it’s not just because of that shiny thing called “the internet” that keeps distracting me. Or my laundry piles. Or the dishwasher that needs unloading. (I’m actually quite good at ignoring housework. It’s something of a specialty of mine.)

No, the thing that always derails me is this little distraction called… other people. Don’t get me wrong — I love my family. I love my friends. I love spending time with them.

I just don’t like it when they interrupt my work.

And even though I know they all mean well, it can be hard to get the point across that despite the fact I am home, sitting on my sofa with a laptop looking all relaxed and happy with chocolate in my teeth — I. Am. Working.

I mean, I know for a fact if I happened to be in a ditch operating a jackhammer, my kids wouldn’t come over to ask what was for dinner. Just like I’d never dream of walking into the operating room while my brother was performing surgery to see what we should get Mom for her birthday.

But hey — writer on sofa. Fair game.

Sometimes I dream about renting myself an office somewhere with an assistant to screen all my calls and fetch me stuff. But then, that thoroughly defeats my plan to work at home in my pajamas eating Snickers bars and ignoring the dishes.

Now, I know I’m not the only writer to suffer from other-people-distraction syndrome. At a retreat with some of my agency-mates last year this very topic came up, as well as some clever ways to deal with it — i.e. hanging a curtain in front of the desk to indicate Mom’s off limits (unless there’s blood, then well, go find Dad anyway); a figurine on the computer — if he’s facing out, okay to talk; in, keep it to yourself, unless, well, blood.

I myself haven’t come up with any good tricks — other than to inform my family when I’m working that I’m in my “cone of silence,” which I envision looking like an invisible version of one of these:

(Actually, come to think of it, maybe I should put one of those on my head whenever I’m busy. At the very least, my family and friends would think I’d completely and finally lost it and would stay away long enough for me to get something done.)

So, how about you? Do you suffer from other-people-distraction syndrome? How do you deal with it? Tell me in the comments below! Right now, I’ve got to run… I’ve got a whole load of laundry to not do…

There are numerous picture books for Valentine’s Day, but not as many in the middle grade category. Valentine’s Day begins to take on a whole new meaning during the middle grade years, with crushes, body changes, and parties.

The following ten humorous and sometimes poignant Valentine-themed stories are sure to hit the sweet spot with middle grade readers.

Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald. When a blizzard threatens to ruin Valentine’s Day, three seventh-grade friends make and distribute fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors, and confront the secrets they’ve been keeping from each other.

The Candy Smash by Jacqueline Davies. Jessie and Evan Treski, of Lemonade War fame, are back in this story of Jessie’s determination to get to the bottom of the mysterious candy hearts that appear in their classroom.

My Weird School Special: Oh, Valentine, We’ve Lost our Minds! by Dan Gutman. New in the Weird School series, it’s the week of Valentine’s Day and A.J.’s class is getting a foreign exchange student from France, Pierre. There’s a duel over a cute girl and lots of hilarious antics, plus Valentine’s Day themed trivia and puzzles.

Ready, Freddy #10 Super Secret Valentine by Abby Klein. Freddy wants to make a special Valentine’s Day card for his friend Jessie but is afraid he’ll get laughed at. He secretly tries to cut and paste his way into Jessie’s heart.

Valentine’s Day Secret (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #12) by Carolyn Keene and Macky Pamintuan. Nancy’s best friends Bess and George are in a huge fight on Valentine’s Day and Nancy is caught in the middle.

Kylie Jean, Valentine Queen by Marci Peschke. It’s almost Valentine’s Day and Kylie Jean is helping her parents throw a fiftieth anniversary party for her grandparents. Between party planning and her school’s Be Sweet project, there’s a lot happening, but Kylie Jean is still determined to be the Valentine Queen.

Alexis’s Cupcake Cupid (Cupcake Diaries) by Coco Simon. A new book in the series. Alexis makes a special Valentine cupcake for her crush and leaves it by his computer but he starts acting really uncomfortable around her. With no certain Valentine in sight, Alexis ends up leaving a surprise gift for her BFF.

Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime by Barbara Park. Of course, no Valentine’s Day book list would be complete without this classic. Junie B gets a big, mushy card from a secret admirer on Valentine’s Day and she’s determined to find out who it is.

The Annoying Crush (Galaxy Zack) by Ray O’Ryan. A little guy humor. The Super Advanced Robotic Assistant (SARA) develops a huge crush on Zack. He has to figure out a way to fix this mixed-up robot or he’s doomed to a life of her annoying robot love.

Dork Diaries #6: Tales from a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker by Rachel Renee Russell. Love and crushes are in the air for Nikki Maxwell. She’s hoping her crush wants to take her to the big dance but what if he doesn’t want to go with her? Or worse, he ends up taking Mackenzie! OMG!

Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy reading!

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days (Wendy Lamb Books 2014) and Calli Be Gold (Wendy Lamb Books 2011). When not eating candy hearts, she can be found at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

Who doesn’t love a good sibling story? Growing up as the oldest of three, I remember sparring often with my two younger brothers. We argued about who hogged the bathroom or didn’t let the dog out or whose turn it was to set the table, and of course, we vied for the best spot in the back seat of the car (no one wanted the squishy middle with the floor hump, and everyone wanted a window). But there were also endless games of “volcano” where we had to walk around the house without touching the floor, as well as many summer nights of spud and running bases and “statue maker.”

There’s something about the sibling relationship that lends itself well to middle grade stories, and here are some of my favorites:

One of the most well-known sibling stories is The Lemonade War series by Jacqueline Davies. Evan and Jessie compete against each other to see who can sell the most lemonade in this endearing, much-loved story with tons of truth and heart. Other issues arise too, such as Jessie’s skipping a grade which puts her in the same year as Evan, and the siblings’ different personalities.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeir is the story of awkward teenager Raina’s relationship with her baby sister Amara. The siblings’ road trip from San Francisco to Colorado makes up the framework of the book, told through flashbacks and the present. Raina and her firecracker sister provide a familiar setting of both family tension and love.

The Pet War by Allan Woodrow examines the sibling relationship between Otto, who wants a dog, and his sister Lexi, who wants a cat. Their mom, a busy nurse who wants neither, finally relents, telling them that the first one to raise enough money to purchase the pet can decide — dog or cat. And so the pet war begins.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, another endearing sibling story that has held up to the test of time, is the story of two brothers and their baby sister — their adventures, annoyances, and squabbles. We read this years ago in my mother-daughter book club and the girls loved the story of Peter, his brother Fudge, and baby sister Tootsie. In print for 40 years, the book was recently given this new cover design.

The Five Lives of our Cat Zook, by Mixed-Up Files contributor Joanne Rocklin, is the story of Oona, her brother Freddie and their cat Zook. Oona weaves tales of the cat’s past lives for her younger brother, entwined with their own family stories.

No Passengers Beyond This Point, by Gennifer Choldenko, an eerie, dreamlike novel, features siblings India, Finn, and Mouse, who take a trip to their uncle’s house in Colorado. When the plane lands in a very unusual place instead, the children are thrust into a dramatic, tense situation they must work their way out of. Each chapter is narrated by a different sibling in this clever, compelling novel.

The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Still retaining its popularity and charm, the adventures of orphaned siblings who live in train boxcars is a children’s literature classic.

Also check out Wendy McClure’s historical novel Wanderville. McClure wrote the book because she loved the Boxcar Children series so much as a child. Siblings Jack, Frances, and Harold jump off an orphan train then meet a boy in the woods who will change their lives forever. He takes the siblings to a place he says “all children in need of freedom are accepted.”

And of course, no list of sibling stories on the Mixed-Up Files blog would be complete without From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg, the book that inspired our blog’s name. Siblings Claudia and Jamie run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and become involved in an intriguing mystery.

Please leave a comment and tell us, what’s your favorite sibling story?

Michele Weber Hurwitz’s two middle grade novels, Calli Be Gold, and The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days, both feature sibling relationships woven into the stories. Visit Michele at micheleweberhurwitz.com.