As of this recording I have read 655 books this year, 80 of which were middle grade, so I thought it'd be fun for me to review those titles and pluck some favorites from the bunch to share with you. This is also a sneaky way to be loosey goosey with this episode's theme and spotlight books that might not have anything in common other than wonderful storytelling, endearing characters, and a riveting plot. By no means are these the only spectacular middle grade books I read this year—in fact, several of my favorites will show up in future episodes—but we'd easily be here for over an hour if I highlighted every book I read in 2023 that made me a better human.  Books included in this episode: The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt, The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies, The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson, The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon, and Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker. Shout outs also given to The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day, The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers, and the Vanderbeekers series by Karina Yan Glaser.  Blog post for this episode https://happyrdng.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-few-faves-from-2023.html

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