Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Reread Project: Greenwild by Pari Thomson

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Reread Project: Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

One of my favorite books last year was Greenwild by Pari Thomson. I got completely swept away in the lush fantasy setting packed with magic, powerful plants, charming characters, and an unforgettable cat.

This summer, the series continues with Greenwild: The World Beyond the Sea, which I’m eagerly anticipating. It’s one of the books I’m most looking forward to this year. While I’m waiting, I’m going to enjoy the fabulous world of book one all over again– just in time for Earth Day, too!

If you haven’t read this gorgeous story, grab a copy and dive in so you’re ready when book two hits shelves.

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door
Pari Thomson
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Published June 6, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | My Review

About Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself . . .

Eleven-year-old Daisy Thistledown is on the run. Her mother has been keeping big, glittering secrets, and now she has vanished. Daisy knows it’s up to her to find Ma―but someone is hunting her across London. Someone determined to stop her from discovering the truth.

So when Daisy flees to safety through a mysterious hidden doorway, she can barely believe her eyes―she has stepped out of the city and into another world.

This is the Greenwild. Bursting with magic and full of amazing natural wonders, it seems too astonishing to be true. But not only is this land of green magic real, it holds the key to finding Daisy’s mother.

And someone wants to destroy it.

Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk with animals, and a cat with an attitude to uncover the truth about who she really is. Only then can she channel the power that will change her whole world . . . and save the Greenwild itself.

Coming June 4, 2024

Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea (Greenwild #2)
Pari Thomson
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

Daisy Thistledown’s epic adventure continues in the spellbinding sequel to New York Times bestseller The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson.

In a land ruled by water, treachery runs deep . . . 

Daisy Thistledown and the Five O’Clock Club might have defeated a terrifying foe, but their journey to find the missing Botanists is only just beginning.

Desperate to join the long-awaited expedition to the heart of the Amazon, Daisy and her friends abandon the safety of magical Mallowmarsh –only to fall face-first into danger on the high seas when they find themselves pursued across the waves by Grim Reapers. Their only to find the legendary Iffenwild, a mysterious pocket of the Greenwild hidden and lost to time.

But beneath the waves, a strange botanical magic stirs. And it will take all of Daisy’s courage and determination – and the trust of an unexpected new friend – if she is to discover the truth that haunts Iffenwild, and save the Greenwild from a terrible fate.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of GREENWILD: THE WORLD BEHIND THE DOOR in exchange for my honest review.

22 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Spring 2024

Blogger's Favorites, Contemporary, Fantasy, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, , , , , , , , ,

22 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Spring 2024

How are there so many great books coming out in just three months? It’s wild. I love it, but I wish I had time to read them all. Since I’m so late getting this posted, I’ve read a few of these already, and they’ve been excellent! I can’t wait to read the rest of them. The list includes a mix of contemporary and fantasy novels, graphic books, and mystery. Here are my 20 most-anticipated middle grade books coming spring 2024.

Note: This post contains affiliate links that do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. Thanks for using them to do your shopping!

22 Most-Anticipated Middle Grade Books Coming Spring 2024

Kyra, Just for Today by Sara Zarr

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl’s complex relationship with her alcoholic mom and the value of her support system. Sensitive, beautiful, and packed with emotional depth.

Published March 5, 2024 | My Review

Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A book about grief, saying goodbye, living life outside the box, and embracing adventure. Fabulous characters. Poignant and fun.

Published March 5, 2024 | My Review

Sona and the Golden Beasts by Rajani LaRocca

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl hears music everywhere in a land where music and magic are forbidden. Sounds like a sweeping fantasy exploring the impact of colonialism.

Published March 5, 2024 | My Review to Come

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A wild family adventure about a girl, a ghost, and a grandmother by two-time Newberry Medalist Kate DiCamillo.

Published March 5, 2024 | My Review to Come

Pirates of Darksea by Catherine Doyle

Amazon | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A secret island ruled by a pirate king. A dangerous island-eating monster. A desperate boy in need of a miracle. By the author of The Storm Keeper’s Island series.

Published March 14, 2024 | My Review to Come

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A novel in verse and fictionalized account of the author’s personal experiences with disordered eating. Looks haunting and powerful.

Published March 19, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Deadlands: Survival (The Deadlands #3) by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The thrilling finale of a trilogy I couldn’t get enough of. An unlikely alliance of dinosaurs must save their herds from the Carrion Kingdom’s powerful weapons.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review

The Second Favorite Daughters Club 1: Sister Sabotage by Colleen Oakes

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Tired of being second-favorite, these two girls plot to get their parents’ attention and affection in this goofy, heartfelt story.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review

Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A boy moves to a new apartment where a series of robberies occur. He and his new friend vow to find the culprits. An energetic, fun mystery.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A graphic memoir about a girl who longs to find her place as her family moves between homes in Bangkok and Maine.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Dark Times (Lightfall #3) by Tim Probert

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: Cad and Bea continue their journey in the third installment of one of my favorite graphic novel series. It’s fantastic.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review to Come

Winnie Nash is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl spending the summer with her estranged grandma and dealing with big feelings about her identity and mom’s depression. Deep, wise, and lovely.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review

Nightmares in Paradise (Ring of Solomon #2) by Aden Polydoros

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A boy who saved the world once already must find the Tree of Life to wake his sister from a coma. Looks like a wild adventure from a great author.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review to Come

Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl with an elderly best friend in cognitive decline. I’m expecting all the storytelling power Lowry never fails to deliver in this sweet, loving story.

Published April 23, 2024 | My Review to Come

Fake Chinese Sounds by Jing Jing Tsong

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A Taiwanese American girl learns how to deal with bullying and find her voice. This looks powerful and engaging.

Published April 30, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Cats of Silver Crescent by Kaela Noel

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: This one had me at magical cats! A story of friendship, family, and the magic inside all of us. Looks absolutely adorable.

Published April 30, 2024 | My Review to Come

Skandar and the Chaos Trials by A. F. Steadman

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The third installment in the series promises more unicorn magic, challenges to family bonds, and the power of true friendship. I can’t wait!

Published May 7, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl discovers a magical library where each book is literally a portal to an adventure. Part mystery, part adventure, part exploration of identity. I’m in!

Published May 7, 2024 | My Review to Come

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A fantastical, adorable underwater adventure about a girl determined to save the boy she loves from dangerous mermaids.

Published May 7, 2024 | My Review to Come

Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A child and their father visit the B&B her grandmother never opened and face deadly puzzles and strange messages. Looks super imaginative and packed with family drama– my favorite!

Published May 14, 2024 | My Review to Come

The City Beyond the Stars by Zohra Nabi

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: A girl sets out to rescue her mother from powerful alchemists and save her world in the sequel to one of my favorite MG books from 2023.

Published May 14, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What You Need to Know: The gripping true story of the largest labor uprising in American history and how it led to protection for workers. Seems pretty relevant to me!

Published May 14, 2024 | My Review to Come

What most-anticipated middle grade books coming spring 2024 did I miss?

I am not as good at keeping up with middle grade fiction as I am with young adult fiction, so there are always titles that didn’t make my radar or somehow got missed.

What upcoming MG titles are you looking forward to? Have you read any of the books on my list? Let me know in the comments!

Review: The Wolves of Greycoat Hall by Lucinda Gifford

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , ,

The Wolves of Greycoat Hall (The Wolves of Greycoat Hall #1)
Lucinda Gifford
Kane Miller Publishing
Published September 1, 2020

Kane Miller Website | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Wolves of Greycoat Hall

A family of wolves leaves their mansion in Moravia, returns to their Scottish homeland and fights for their right to live among society and save the castle that has been in their family for generations from a crooked developer.

Boris Greycoat is a friendly young wolf who likes meeting people and trying new foods. His father Randall Greycoat is becoming an expert in speaking French and playing table tennis. Boris’s mother, Leonora Greycoat, likes to practise her warm, reassuring smiles. Wolves need to look reassuring if they are to flourish in society.

Excited to hear the news that wolves are to be reintroduced to Scotland, Boris Greycoat and his parents, Randall and Leonora Greycoat embark on a journey back to their ancestral lands. However, it’s more difficult for wolves to travel than one might think, and it seems that Scotland may not be prepared for sophisticated wolves like the Greycoats. A deliciously funny tale, with equally amusing illustrations, about being judged for what, rather than who you are.

My Review

What a cute book! I’ve seen a couple other reviews of this series, and thought it sounded like fun. I have a young, voracious reader who will shortly be looking for middle grade books with a lot of illustrations, and I think this series might be perfect for her.

Every few pages or so, black-and-white drawing shows the characters or significant objects in the scene, which breaks up the text nicely. The whole book is about 220 pages, so it’s longer than a chapter book, but the frequent illustrations and short chapters make this a good choice for readers transitioning from chapter books to middle grade novels.

Boris and his family are kind, well-mannered wolves preparing for a vacation in Scotland. They face some prejudice from fellow passengers on a train and in a restaurant who clearly do not expect a family of wolves to be riding or dining with them. As Boris and his family explore Scotland, they decide to buy a castle, which becomes a whole adventure in itself. There are a couple of moments where tension builds, but for the most part, this is a sweet, cozy family vacation story.

I got a kick out of the different ways each family member approaches their interactions with people and their vacation adventure. This is one I know I’ll be reading again with my daughter and recommending to other readers her age.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12. It would work as a read-aloud with a younger child, maybe 6-8, as well.

Representation
Main characters are wolves who experience some prejudice when they go certain places humans aren’t expecting to see well-mannered wolves. The human characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
In one scene, a character trips and worries he might fall from a balcony.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Nightmares in Paradise by Aden Polydoros

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Nightmares in Paradise (Ring of Solomon #2)
Aden Polydoros
Inkyard Press
Published April 2, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Nightmares in Paradise

Zach Darlington saved the world from total apocalypse and all he got was grounded. He’s not even allowed to watch his favorite horror movies anymore, and now his parents want to ship him off to boarding school!

But before Zach can talk some sense into his parents, his little sister, Naomi, lands in an unexplainable coma. Zach’s friend Ash (yep, Zach and the King of Demons are friends now) knows this was the work of Ash’s eternal nemesis, the Archangel Uriel. And the only way to revive Naomi is with the fruit from the Tree of Life. Yeah, that tree. Like, from the actual Garden of Eden .

Zach and his friends will have to face terrifying angels, monsters, and a serpent to get to the tree and save Naomi’s life. He just hopes he won’t be grounded till the end of time if they ever make it back.

My Review

I’m a little late to this series (I haven’t read the first book), but I loved WRATH BECOMES HER by Aden Polydoros. WRATH is an immersive, dark YA novel, so when I learned that the author also writes middle grade, I had to check it out. I couldn’t imagine a middle grade book in the same writing style as the young adult book I’d read. NIGHTMARES IN PARADISE is written in a completely different style than the YA novel I read, which is great, and shows the incredible range of this author.

I love that this is a fantasy series based on Jewish mythology. It’s such a cool idea. I also love that the book includes the relationship between an older brother and a younger sister. Their relationship feels very real. There’s some sweetness but lots of frustration as they navigate their relationship.

Zach has a little bit of an attitude, but it’s balanced by his fears and worries about his identity as a gay boy. He deals with a bully at school and the knowledge that the world nearly ended, something hardly anyone knows and he really can’t tell anyone about. So, he’s a pretty complex guy.

The pacing was the only thing that I found a little bit challenging. It might be that I just expected something different from the plot based on the back cover copy, or maybe I missed something somewhere in the book. It seemed like the middle ran a bit long, and the end of the story happened very fast. I also couldn’t tell if the ending concludes the series? The description of the first book in the series calls it a trilogy, but I wonder if, because Inkyard Press has closed, maybe the Ring of Solomon series has become a duology? I guess we’ll find out!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Zach and his family are Jewish. Zach is also gay. His best friend is Ecuadorean American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A boy bullies another boy because he’s gay.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to a couple who used to date one another.

Spiritual Content
Zach’s family celebrates Passover. A relative asks him if he would like to have a Bar Mitzvah. Uses Jewish mythology. Some spiritual characters, like angels and the king of demons.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to battles with a sword that bursts into flames. Some monstrous creatures, such as a giant worm that eats stone. References to the creation story in the Garden of Eden.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays. Check out other blogs posting about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle with Greg Pattridge.

Review: Three Summers by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Memoir, Middle Grade 8-12, Nonfiction, , , , , , , , ,

Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of War
Amra Sabic-El-Rayess with Laura L. Sullivan
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published April 9, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Three Summers

An epic middle-grade memoir about sisterhood and coming-of-age in the three years leading up to the Bosnian Genocide.

Three Summers is the story of five young cousins who grow closer than sisters as ethnic tensions escalate over three summers in 1980s Bosnia. They navigate the joys and pitfalls of adolescence on their family’s little island in the middle of the Una River. When finally confronted with the harsh truths of the adult world around them, their bond gives them the resilience to discover and hold fast to their true selves.

Written with incredible warmth and tenderness, Amra Sabic-El-Rayess takes readers on a journey that will break their hearts and put them back together again.

My Review

This memoir is broken into three sections, one for each of the summers Amra spends with her cousins. Before that first summer, her family experiences a terrible loss, and Amra sinks into a dark depression. As she gets to know her cousins, she begins to have hope again, confidence in herself, and the courage to form friendships with others.

Her love for her family is so clear in the pages of the book. It celebrates familial bonds, especially those between a child and their parents, and the bonds between siblings and cousins.

This is the first book I’ve ever read about the Bosnian Genocide, though it isn’t the author’s first memoir about that time. After reading this book, I ordered a copy of her YA memoir, THE CAT I NEVER NAMED, so hopefully I’ll be ready to share my review of that book soon, too.

Technically, this book focuses on the years leading up to the genocide, in which the government becomes more and more hostile, one slow step at a time. I’m not gonna lie; it is harrowing to read a story like this and see parallels in some of the dehumanizing rhetoric certain political leaders are using right now.

Those comments make stories like this critically important because we need to remember that genocide doesn’t begin with the targeted deaths of a group of people. It begins with the systematic dehumanization of them.

I’m so glad Sabic-El-Rayess continues to write about her experiences in a way that kids can read about. The scenes in this book stay focused on Amra’s experience as a child, looking through her eyes. This is an important book, especially now. I hope that many people will discover and read it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Amra and her family are Muslim. Amra’s older brother has Marfan syndrome.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
References to different faith practices of different groups around Amra.

Violent Content
Death of a sibling on scene. References to Islamaphobia. References to torture and execution.

Drug Content
One teen character smokes cigarettes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Favorite Series: The Deadlands Series by Skye Melki-Wegner

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, , , ,

The Deadlands Series by Skye Melki-Wegner

If you’re a returning visitor, chances are, you’ve heard me talk about The Deadlands series already. As a kid who grew up watching The Land Before Time (and too many of its sequels), these books made me remember why I loved those dinosaur movies. If you’d asked me whether I needed more dinosaur middle grade books in my life, I probably would have looked at you sideways, yet, as soon as I read the opening pages of the first book, I was hopelessly hooked. I knew it would be one of the few series I follow from beginning to end.

Though I follow young adult literature more closely than middle grade, I still expected to see more buzz about The Deadlands than I actually did. Maybe I don’t travel in the right MG circles, or maybe it’s just stayed very much under the radar, but I think these books are well worth checking out. The pacing moves pretty quickly. The characters are well-developed, but their personal stories don’t distract from the overall plot. They feel fresh and new to me in a way that I didn’t even know I needed.

At any rate, I had an excellent time reading them, so when the publisher offered a set of finished copies in exchange for posting about the series, that was a no-brainer for me. I don’t usually do promo posts, but this is a comfortable exception, since it really gives me an excuse to talk about a series I wanted to create more chances to recommend. Also, it was really fun to do a bookish photo shoot outside in my yard. Ha!

Note: This post contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything to use. I received free finished copies of the books in this series from the publisher to photograph for my post.

Books in the Deadlands Series by Skye Melki-Wegner

The Deadlands: Hunted (The Deadlands #1) by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I love the blend of familiar and unknown dinosaurs in this book. Eleri’s love for stories and misfit feelings hooked me immediately. Fabulous series opener.

Published April 4, 2023 | My Review

The Deadlands: Trapped (The Deadlands #2) by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: Book one may have hooked me, but this book made me fall in love. What a great cast of unforgettable characters, all with distinct voices and personalities. This is perfect for young animal lovers.

Published October 3, 2023 | My Review

The Deadlands: Survival (The Deadlands #3) by Skye Melki-Wegner

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I could not wait to read this action-packed conclusion to the series. I followed Eleri and his friends to the very last page. This book will very likely be on my top ten for the year.

Published April 2, 2024 | My Review

About Skye Melki-Wegner

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Skye Melki-Wegner started writing as soon as she could hold a pen. She was immediately drawn to fantasy — and soon her notebooks overflowed with dragons, pixies, wizards and various magical shenanigans. After graduating with an honours degree in law, she decided to pursue her passion and prioritised writing fantasy books over pursuing a legal career.

Skye’s YA fantasy novels include the Chasing the Valley trilogy, The Hush and the Agent Nomad books. Her first Middle Grade trilogy, The Deadlands, will be published in 2023.

Are You Familiar with The Deadlands Series?

Have you heard of this series before? Do you recall seeing other bloggers, book influencers, or educators talking about it? If you remember where you saw the books, let me know! I would love to expand the middle grade-centered blogs or bookish content that I follow.

If you’re familiar with the series, tell me who your favorite character in the comments. For me, it’s easily Eleri, the oryctodromeus. I love that he’s a storyteller, and the he uses stories to lead and problem-solve. Sorielle, the ankylosaur is my second-favorite.