The Bold Bookmark

This week I celebrated my birthday in the best possible way: giving away a bunch of books to students!

Earlier this spring, Ms. Van Loon and I hosted a Book Tasting at the middle school (you can read about that event here). As I reviewed the students’ tasting menus afterward, several students stood out — not because they were the loudest (often, it was quite the opposite), but because their enthusiasm shone through. Some were excited about a particular book they had discovered. Others shared thoughtful reflections in their tasting menus. And a few simply made it clear how much they had enjoyed the experience.

I decided to surprise twelve of these students with a copy of the book they had selected as their favorite from the tasting. I wanted the gifts to feel personal and special, so I wrapped and decorated each one by hand and included a note written specifically for that student on the back. I was pleasantly surprised after making the selections that I’d inadvertently covered all six of the genres highlighted during the tasting!

The looks on the students’ faces when they saw the table of decorated books and realized they each had one that had been selected just for them were priceless. So much so that I may have to make this an annual birthday tradition!

Student Gifts

The books included:

Refugee, by Alan Gratz:

This one was SO fun to make. My kids and I busted out the acrylic paints and each tried our own version of waves. Mine was probably the least artistic, but I loved experimenting with a new medium!

As I mention in the Book Tasting post, Alan Gratz is hugely popular with upper elementary and middle school readers, and for good reason. His books combine compelling historical settings with young protagonists who readers immediately connect with.

Teaser: This is one of the reasons I’m so excited for the delivery I made to the middle school library yesterday evening — which I’ll share soon!

The Secret Library, by Kekla Magoon:

This one was another adventure, as I tried my hand at real drawing. I realized after the fact that for the perspective to have worked, I should’ve tilted the side walls towards the reader rather than away, and the purple oil pastel accents definitely didn’t turn out as ethereal as I’d hoped, but I tried something new, so am counting it as a win.

And the smile on the student’s face when I gave it to her made it pretty obvious that she didn’t mind these flaws. The look — of almost awe? — on her face is something I won’t soon forget and, honestly, was a highlight of the day. 🙂

The book itself is also very special. Magoon draws readers into the fantastical nature of the secret library while grounding the story in very real themes of family history, grief, identity, and belonging. When we finished reading it aloud together, both of my middle-grade readers responded with some version of, “Whoa . . . that was really good.”

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, by A.F. Steadman:

I was going for lightning here with the silver lines. I fear they turned out a little closer to varicose veins instead, but hey, I never claimed to be an artist!! This one was for my Murtagh buddy, and I was disappointed he couldn’t make the celebration, but I hope he loves the book!

As I pointed out to many of the boys during the tasting, this one isn’t your typical unicorn story. Bloodthirsty unicorns, deadly competitions, elemental magic, and dragon-rider energy? That’s a much more accurate description.

The Nazi Conspiracy, by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch:

This was another really fun one to wrap, and another really special student reaction. :). It also gave me the opportunity to explain what “redacted” means to my daughter — apparently non-lawyers don’t use that word in daily conversation. 😉

The Nazi Conspiracy was well-received by many students during the tasting, particularly boys who tended to gravitate towards Alan Gratz survival/historical fiction books. If you have an Alan Gratz fan, this may be a good one to check out. Be aware there’s both an adult and a young reader version of this book. For this age group, make sure you’re getting the young reader version.

Restart, by Gordon Korman:

Restart is one of my favorite realistic fiction stories and a perennial recommendation for middle-grade readers. Gordon Korman rarely misses!

When You Wish Upon a Lantern, by Gloria Chao:

Dungeons & Drama, by Kristy Boyce:

Yes, I did recycle this design whole-cloth from a prior mystery book. But it was one of my favorite mystery book designs and it was a nice break to have a quick one in the midst of all these others!

This book is a sweet, easy read that blends D&D, fake dating, and family drama.

All My Bests, by Britnee Meiser:

I learned about this book in an interview of the author on the Middle Grade Matters podcast, and was so excited to share it during the Book Tasting AND see it listed as this student’s top book. It’s a beautifully told story that makes you feel the characters’ experiences of first love, changing friendships, miscommunication, and mental health struggles. I highly recommend it.

Miles Morales Shock Waves, by Justin A. Reynolds & Pablo Leon:

This was another very popular book at the Book Tasting and served as a good reminder to me that when my goal is to match students with books they’ll love, I need to be mindful that I don’t inadvertently overlook books from genres that I don’t personally gravitate towards. I suppose that is the whole point of a book tasting, isn’t it? I hadn’t realized before that I needed the reminder just as much as the students!

Strangeworlds Travel Agency, by L.D. Lapinski:

I first read this one with my kids several years ago. It ended up being a little too spooky for them at the time, but it’s a fun multi-universe adventure for older middle-grade readers.

The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (x2!):

The Inheritance Games was another of the fan-favorites from the tasting. This one skews toward older middle-grade readers and is perfect for middle schoolers who enjoy mysteries, puzzles, and adventure. Warning: It sucks you in QUICK. I made the “mistake” of starting book 1 at the beginning of a recent vacation and I could barely put my kindle down until I’d finished book 3.

Teacher Gifts

In addition to the student gifts, I also wanted to make a special gift for Ms. Van Loon, without whom I never would have had the chance to do the Book Tasting. I’m so grateful she gave me this opportunity.

The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

This set included the full original series (The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, and The Final Gambit), plus one of the spin-off books (The Brothers Hawthorne).

This was my first time wrapping a whole series, which presented an interesting new challenge, but gave me four sides to play with for decorations and notes!

When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary, by Alice Hoffman:

I’d noticed Ms. Van Loon reading the back of this book during the Tasting and wanted to ensure she received a copy. It was also fun to try watercolor for the background clouds on this one.

Finally Heard, by Kelly Yang:

Last, but certainly not least, I knew I wanted to give Ms. Van Loon a copy of Finally Heard. Of all the books I shared during the tasting, this is the one I most wish every tween and teen would read before getting their first smartphone.