I had a really good blog post swirling about in my mind yesterday, but I didn’t write it. For some reason the ideas just aren’t mature enough to go out into the world. And maybe they never will.

Instead, I’m passing on some good word-of-mouth middle recommendations.

I experienced so much emotion last weekend over a middle grade book I was reading, crying on and off, that I gave myself a nosebleed. Seriously. I have trouble in the winter with them anyway.

A few years ago, I watched this author sign with her agent. I read her query on Chuck Sambino’s site and agreed, that indeed, the query was fantastically written. Even though it wasn’t high action or super commercial, I could tell the writer knew how to write. I’ve wanted to read the book ever since.

Last weekend, I finally got my chance to read SWAY by Amber McCree Turner. Amazing. Loved it.

But I wasn’t done with the tears. That same weekend, I also read THE GREAT UNEXPECTED by Sharon Creech. It’s her newest book and she’s speaking at NESCBWI this spring, so I figured I should read one of her books. Really liked it. I shed more tears but not as many.

But I still wasn’t done.

My son has read this one book at least 8 times in the past year. He continually signs it out and reads it. I saw it as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid type book and never bothered to read it. Clearly, it was for boys.

Out of curiosity, I read it. Loved it. Maybe because my expectations were low? I don’t know why. But I cried again in the whole last part of the book. Such a talented writer.

Who would think that a book called MILO: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg was really a book adults would love in disguise? Obviously, kids love it too. I don’t want to give anything away, but this book is about a lot more than sticky notes and brain freeze.

Have you read any of these books?