rules.jpg RULES by Cynthia Lord – I can’t remember who mentioned this book on their blog, but boy am I glad they did! As you know, I’m not always a big Middle Grade fan, but this one rocks! My husband always calls me a rule follower, so he probably thinks that’s why I liked this book, and while the rules are funny, poignant, and add a nice bit of structure to the story,  it’s the whole “word” thing that it’s got going on that I loved. Make sure you pick up this one!

year.jpg THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENT by Jaclyn Moriarty – This book is told in a series of letters, journal entries, emails, announcements and other written documents. At first I wasn’t totally sold on the format, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I think that while it does have it’s limitations, Moriarty did a great job making it work, which I don’t think is any small feat. The characters are all engaging and it’s not only funny, but exciting – also, no small feat when you’re dealing with letters!