Hey there,
How's it going? The 2025 Summer Reading Guide has been out for two whole weeks, and many of the books on the guide are starting to get released, which is so fun, as readers can get their hands on them just in time for the summer. If you haven't gotten your guide yet, there's still plenty of time to snag a copy.
In the meantime, here's a freebie from the guide: a free sheet for building your summer reading TBR ⬇️ You can download a printable PDF below.
🎉 DOWNLOAD HERE 👉🏼 My Summer Reading TBR.pdf
After a short time off from reading all the books, I'm back at it again, preparing for my summer book clubs.
I'm sending out book club kits to my Kids' Book Club members next week, and I can't wait to meet up with them and talk about books all summer long. The kits will be available to purchase for non-participants if you'd like to use them in your own book clubs.
This week, I had a ton of fun updating my list of middle grade books about dogs and dog loving kids. It's such a sweet list -- and yes, I will be making one for cat fans in the near future.
Galley of the Week
What happens in the group chat stays in the group chat… until it doesn’t.
Virginia Vaughn just wants to fit in with her super-popular friend group. That means she doesn’t let them know how much she loves the library, she never speaks a word about her massive crush on tragically unpopular Grayson, and she says nasty things she doesn’t actually mean. But only in the group chat, so it’s harmless, right?
But when she has a blowout fight with her clique—specifically, with the Queen Bee herself—her mean texts are posted online for the entire school to see! And, suddenly, Virginia has no one but her cat to talk to.
Cue "Knight Errant," a mystery boy at school who texts Virginia by accident—and who quickly becomes her closest confidante. Though they send messages back and forth for hours every night, Virginia doesn’t want him to know which classmate she is (because then he’ll connect her to the mean texts ALL OVER THE INTERNET). She likes him, but she really likes Grayson, too. Can she find the strength to tell Knight who she really is? And will Grayson—who has become her only ally at school—give up on her when the awful things she’s said about him are finally posted?
Confessions from the Group Chat is the second middle-grade romcom from New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadow (BYE FOREVER, I GUESS; MY LADY JANE, now streaming on Prime). Sweet, funny, and authentically messy, this is an ultra-cute story about middle-school misbehavior, innocent first love, and the inner life of a repentant mean girl.
New in the Shop
Join Reading Middle Grade this fall for four amazing virtual author visits with renowned middle grade authors Erin Soderberg Downing, Jennifer Nielsen, Dusti Bowling, and Dan Gemeinhart. Get FOUR visits for the price of THREE. These powerhouse authors will visit in September, October, November, and December 2025, respectively. Seasonal visit bundles are significantly less expensive than paying for individual visits, which cost $100 each.
Newsletter Book Giveaway
This week, author S.J. Barratt is giving away Living at the Edge of the World -- Winter. To enter, reply to this email indicating interest. The giveaway is US only and closes next Thursday, May 22, 2025, at midnight EST.
Coming next week, a Summer Reading Guide-inspired giveaway!
Last week's winner: Madiah K. I'll be in touch shortly.
This Week on the Blog
Here's what you may have missed this week on the blog:
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This Week on Patreon
In addition to the printables above, Patreon members received:
- My April reading recap. You can purchase that post as a standalone for $5 only
- Summer Reading Guide book matchmaking in which I recommend the best book from the guide for YOUR reader! (Open here all summer long)
- ⭐️ A NEW PERK: Monthly author visit raffles, in which I randomly select a different Patreon member to attend one of our $100 author visits for FREE 🥳 Our May winner has been selected, and the June raffle is open here.
In case you missed it, this fall, we have a dynamite line-up with powerhouses Erin Soderberg Downing, Jennifer Nielsen, Dusti Bowling, and Dan Gemeinhart visiting us. LEARN MORE HERE.
🤩 If you're an upper elementary/middle school teacher or librarian lost with too many books to vet and too little time, our Patreon community is for you. On Patreon, I share a steady stream of recommendations, from monthly new release dispatches to my monthly reading recaps and teaching resources like book tasting menus and novel units. Patreon members also get 10% off all author visits and free access to shop items!
Weekend Reading
This weekend I'm reading...
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What are you reading?
With love,
Afoma
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