“Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover” is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I pay tribute to some of the best and brightest the publishing world has to offer in the way of book cover design. This feature is inspired by Katie’s feature Cover Love on her blog One Page At A Time. The idea is being used with her gracious permission.
I think we’re all familiar with the age-old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. And you know what I have to say about that? Rubbish! Covers are an invaluable part of a book’s package. A truly great cover can tell you a lot about the novel contained within its pages. Book covers can also catch your attention and attract you to a novel you might otherwise ignore. So go ahead, judge a book by its cover – We all do it!
There are few things that bring me greater joy than working on a middle grade edition of Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover. In the last few years, middle grade novels have distinguished themselves by featuring some of the most thoughtful, the most colourful, and the most creative cover designs in books aimed at this or any age designation or genre. It’s my pleasure to touch upon just a small sampling of these extraordinary designs today. Some of my favourite covers this week include Finding Fortune by Delia Ray, When Mischief Came To Town by Katrina Nannestad, The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz, The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry, Rules For Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu, Alex And The Amazing Time Machine by Rich Cohen, The League of Unexceptional Children by Gitty Daneshvari, The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell and How To Break A Heart by Kiera Stewart.
The Secrets Of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea by Eileen Beha ● Great Ball Of Light by Evan Kuhlman ● Finding Fortune by Delia Ray
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin ● The Stars Of Summer by Tara Dairman ● When Mischief Came To Town by Katrina Nannestad
The Island Of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein ● The Pirate Code by Heidi Schulz ● The Buccaneers’ Code by Caroline Carlson
The Graham Cracker Plot by Shelley Tougas ● The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry ● Connect The Stars by Marisa de los Santos & David Teague
My Diary From The Edge Of The World by Jodi Lynn Anderson ● Rules For Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu ● The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver ● The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB by Adam Shaughnessy ● Alex And The Amazing Time Machine by Rich Cohen
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley ● Moving Target by Christina Diaz Gonzalez ● The League Of Unexceptional Children by Gitty Daneshvari
The Flinkwater Factor by Pete Hautman ● The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell ● How To Break A Heart by Kiera Stewart
Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favourite Middle Grade covers? Did I list one of your favourites here or is there one I forgot that just has to be included? Let me know in the comments!