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The Kids Are All Right

Middle Grade Books in Diary and Journal Form

Hi Kid Lit Friends,

I hope you’re all enjoying the holiday season and getting a chance to rest and read! It’s been a busy autumn for me and my family, and I have no doubt it’s been the same for you. This holiday, I wish you lots of time spent in a cozy chair with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate, and fuzzy socks. For this newsletter, I thought I would give you some suggestions of books in diary and journal form. I am a huge advocate of journaling, and if keeping a journal is on your list of resolutions, then perhaps these books might serve as inspiration?

Journey to the Last River, from the journals of the Unknown Adventurer

This book has a very unusual beginning. In 2014 during a trip to the Amazon, the book creator came across a sealed metal container in a remote hut on the banks of Jari River. The contents turned out to be the lifetime’s work of an unknown artist adventurer. Alongside the notebooks, sketchbooks and other belongings was a letter which appeared to be written for the benefit of two young family members. The case and its contents were shipped back to the U.K. and together with a team of experts, the book creator spent two years compiling and editing this book. I found this book endlessly fascinating!

Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson

This hilarious middle grade book is about Chase Cooper, a certified ninja! He is starting at a new school and keeping a record of his adventures. This book has illustrations throughout and is sure to keep elementary school readers entertained and laughing out loud.

Abbie Wu’s Epic Quarantine Diary by Booki Vivat

I am a huge fan of Booki Vivat and her Frazzled series, and one of the amazing things Booki did during the beginning of the pandemic is create a new illustrated story that mirrored her experiences during quarantine. You can download her Frazzled Quarantine Diary for only $5 here, and don’t forget to check out the complete Frazzled book series!

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones, illustrated by Katie Kath

Told in letters, Sophie Brown finds herself in unfamiliar territory when her family moves from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. She quickly discovers that the chickens on the farm are not just unusual – they’re magical! Sophie learns how to take care of them, and she must use all of her ingenuity to keep them safe when a respected local farmer tries to steal them. I adore the illustrations in this book so so much!

Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech

This book is the prequel to Creech’s Newbery-award winning book Walk Two Moons. Forced to keep a journal for the summer, Mary Lou thinks it will be the most boring assignment ever. But when cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family, what starts out as the dull dog days of summer quickly turns into the wildest roller-coaster ride of all time.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.

Until next time!
Karina

Lalo when he was four months old!

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