Reverting to Childhood

I finished the first draft several months ago, and since then it's been marinating in my desk drawer.  Stewing so that when I finally came back to it, I'd be able to see it with fresh eyes.

So now that I've finished Revisions #37 (Okay, hyperbole, but whatever...) and The Refugee is off to some wonderful beta readers, it's time to move on to the next project--a middle-grade fantasy called The Lost Figurehead.

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke.
Because thieves fascinate me...

And now the time has come.  Sort of.  First I have to do what I should have done before I even started, and that's read.  Read, read, read!  It's been ages since I last read a middle grade book, but now that I want to write one, it's time to crack a few open.  Okay, not a few.  A lot.

So, after raiding my family's bookshelves, here's what I've got on my reading list so far:

• The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke
• Holes, by Louis Sachar
• Hidden Talents, by David Lubar
• A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket
• Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
• Percy Jackson, by Rick Riordan
• Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
• Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, by Louis Sachar

Any suggestions?  I need a lot more!