#MGCarousel – May 2023

Our month-long Middle Grade reading challenge is designed so you can choose your own books and set a comfortable pace. All you need to play along are books which match the month’s featured theme.

Our challenge this May is…

Show Them the Door

Middle Grade books featuring doors

Join us in reading Middle Grade books that feature doors during the month of May! We recommend seeking out stories with secret portals, booking it to an elaborate entryway, or reading about characters who are admitted to exclusive venues.

#MGCarousel – April 2023

Our month-long Middle Grade reading challenge is designed so you can choose your own books and set a comfortable pace. All you need to play along are books which match the month’s featured theme.

Our challenge this April is…

Nothing Rhymes with Orange

Orange Middle Grade books

Join us in reading Middle Grade books with orange covers during the month of April! We recommend looking for stories about creatures with colorful coats, books featuring brilliant sports teams, stories set in autumnal landscapes, and characters who love orange objects.

#MGCarousel – March 2023

Our month-long Middle Grade reading challenge is designed so you can choose your own books and set a comfortable pace. All you need to play along are books which match the month’s featured theme.

Our challenge this March is…

The Rest is History

Middle Grade Historical Fiction

Join us in reading Middle Grade books about the past during the month of March! We recommend looking for stories about heroic historical figures, period dramas, legends from long ago, and warping through time to discover days gone by for yourself.

#MGCarousel – February 2023

Our month-long Middle Grade reading challenge is designed so you can choose your own books and set a comfortable pace. All you need to play along are books which match the month’s featured theme.

Our challenge this February is…

Something to Sip

Middle Grade Books About Beverages

Join us in reading Middle Grade books about beverages during the month of February! We recommend looking for highly-caffeinated heroes, covers featuring sugary drinks, stories with miraculous potions and magical mixtures, or going back for refills of iconic fictional refreshments.

#MGCarousel – January 2023

Our month-long Middle Grade reading challenge is designed so you can choose your own books and set a comfortable pace. All you need to play along are books which match the month’s featured theme.

Our challenge this January is…

How Sweet the Sound

Middle Grade books about Music

Join us in reading Middle Grade books about music during the month of January! We recommend looking for stories set at band camp, titles inspired by song lyrics, covers that feature an instrument, and characters who put in plenty of practice.

#MGCarousel – Winter Break

Hello from CJ and Elza! In anticipation of a busy holiday season, we’ll be taking a break from our themed monthly reading challenge this December.

Still in the mood for bookish fun and games?

Check out our Middle Grade Book Bingo card for November-December!
Pick one of our previous challenge themes from the archive. We have Goodreads lists for most of them, and plenty of related posts to peruse.
Follow Middle Grade Carousel on Twitter for #kidlit quotes, fun quizzes, and icebreakers for readers.
Follow Elza’s blog for colorful content on the daily.
Follow CJ’s blog for regular reading updates and Middle Grade recs.

Thanks for playing!

#MGCarousel – November 2022

Our month-long themed challenges are designed for readers of Middle Grade fiction. Play along by finding books which match the prompt.

Our challenge this November is…

It’s There in Black and White

CJ and Elza are prepared to read between the lines and study the contrasts in this month’s collection of black and white books.

#MGCarousel – October 2022

Our month-long themed challenges are designed for readers of Middle Grade fiction. Play along by finding books which match the prompt.

Our challenge this October is…

Ghost Stories

The books we’re dying to read this Spooky Season are positively ghastly! From wicked shades to spooky spirits, perilous poltergeists and friendly phantoms, this month we’re prepared to encounter creatures from the afterlife.

#MGCarousel – September 2022

Our month-long themed challenges are designed for readers of Middle Grade fiction. Play along by finding books which match the prompt.

Our challenge this September is…

Reading Rodents

From packrats to field mice, mighty heroes, famous figures, and rodents of unusual size, we’re thrilled from tip to tail about this month’s mousy theme!

#MGCarousel – August 2022

Our month-long themed challenges are designed for readers of Middle Grade fiction. Play along by finding books which match the prompt.

Our challenge this August is…

Playing By the Book

Pick your playing piece and roll the dice! This month at Middle Grade Carousel, we’re racking up points by reading books that feature turn-based fun and games galore.