#book 22: Book 22: MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Adam Gidwitz -- This middle-grade story set during WWII softens tough topics through the use of humor. Read in print or audio: the #audiobook is fantastic.
Five stars: Haunted Holiday by Kiersten White (2024) is the conclusion to the Sinister Summer series. Twins Theo and Alexander are back at their aunt's house while their older sister and Edgar go to save their parents. Neither twin wants to sit still and let things happen, so they too find a way to do their part.
#Book 14: Averil Offline by Amy Noelle Parks -- a well-thought-out story about two tweens longing for some independence in an app-happy, helicopter-parent world. THanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Click, Camp, Act, Clash, Crunch, and Break by Kayla Miller- a graphic novel series for middle grade readers. The most recent addition, Break, finds Olivia spending Spring Break with her dad who recently moved back from New Zealand. Spending so much time without her father around makes Olivia mad that he suddenly is there. We dive into Olivia's world and figure this new life out together.
After returning to the real world, Luca couldn't wait to go back to his home. Little does he know that his special bunny friend snuck a ride in his backpack.
Moonlight Blade will continue later this Spring. Hope you're all enjoying the series so far :3
#Book 6: Amil and the After by Verra Hiranandani -- A moving story of life in India after the Partition as told by a 12-year-old boy. Emotionally strong, the novel addresses several important & relevant issues.
Five stars: The Secret Starling by Judith Eagle and Kim Geyer (Illustrator) (2019) is a historical novel set in 1974 in England. Clara has lived a solitary life with her uncle, a rotating set of governesses, and an every dwindling staff. The last to go is Cook. And then Clara finds herself dumped in the nearby village with £200.
From We Need Diverse Books cofounder Lamar Giles comes an out-of-this-world adventure starring the Epic Ellison twins! Join them as they race to solve the mystery of Cosmos Camp for young geniuses in this stand-alone companion to the Legendary Alston Boys series.
Making new friends can be difficult. It can seem even more insurmountable when you are on the autistic spectrum. 11-year-old Alex knows one or two things about it. He really doesn’t like change. Change can be terrifying. Alex thinks that having a friend will greatly help him, but how will he meet someone before school begins ?
With its friendly monsters, The Monsters of Marymount Mansion is the perfect middle grade book for #spookyseason ! Toby is a sweet monster, but with a scary apparence : he has skin like a fish, fur like a dog, and smells like cotton candy when he gets excited ! Courageous and curious, the young monster has a lot of adventures on Halloween !
The Witch Boy trilogy by Molly Knox Ostertag is a fun graphic novel series about a boy witch in a family where only girls can be witches. It follows the MC as he navigates friendships, family dynamics, mysteries, and witchcraft. The three books are: The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch, and The Midwinter Witch. Perfect for ages 8-13 or any fan of graphic novels.
Affective Worldmaking: Narrative Counterpublics of Gender and Sexuality edited by S. Schultermandl, J. Aresin, S. Pages Whybrew, and D. Simic (nonfiction)
I am reading the cutest middle grade novel right now. It's called The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass and it's about a boy, a little free library, a couple ghosts, and Mortimer, the library cat. Highly recommend for readers age 8-12.
Four stars: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton and Khadijah Khatib (Illustrator) (2022) is the start of The Conjureverse middle grade fantasy series set in an alternate Earth where magic is real and segregated. Ella Durand is the first conjurer to attend the Arcanum Training Institute. Although she's been welcomed to join, she faces prejudice from nearly everyone at the school. She also finds herself in the middle of a mystery that threatens the school.
If your middle grader is interested in History and Art and enjoys reading non fiction, it may be the perfect book ! A propulsive work of narrative nonfiction about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world—and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all.
The Professional Tarpon Rodeo is back, and Doc Ford needs help from the trio of brave friends who make up Sharks Inc. to investigate the million-dollar competition in bestselling author Randy Wayne White’s fourth Sharks Incorporated novel, Megalops .
I really enjoyed Kate Searle’s other book My Soul Treasure, so I was quite excited to discover Find your treasure. Created with the same illustrator as her other book, Alison Mutton, Find your treasure is an enchanting and magical chapter book that takes young readers on a journey of spiritual discovery, self awareness and empowerment .
Keep up with kidlit news with my periodic newsletter - latest issue out now, including what I'm reading (Claire Swinarski's wonderful new middle grade What Happened to Rachel Riley?), my Portobello Book Festival event next month and more! Read it now at http://bit.ly/SMAnews13
Tomorrow will be the release day of this insightful middle grade novel-in-verse about the joys and struggles of a Chicana girl who is a warrior for her name, her history, and her right to choose what she celebrates in life.
In this hilarious second book in the Middle School and Other Disasters series, witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck wants her crush to notice her. Featuring black-and-white illustrations and doodles throughout and sparkly foil on the cover!