Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

6 Favorite Quotes from Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne

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6 Favorite Quotes from Winnie the Pooh

The 100th Anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh

October of this year marks the 100th anniversary of the beloved classic, Winnie-the-Pooh. I grew up with Pooh stories and Milne’s poetry (my mom used to quote his poem about turning five pretty regularly).

Simon & Schuster sent me a really nice copy of the 100th Anniversary edition, which has a soft, flocked cover with a simple illustration of the bear himself. It’s a great size for little hands, and the cover has a great texture. The inside features the original illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard.

Quote from Winnie the Pooh Disney Movie: "If there … <a class= Continue reading →

MMGM Review: A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

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A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania

A Year Without Home
V. T. Bidania
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published January 13, 2026

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About A Year Without Home

A poignant middle grade novel in verse about a Hmong girl losing and finding home in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. For fans of Jasmine Warga and Veera Hiranandani.

For eleven-year-old Gao Sheng, home is the lush, humid jungles and highlands of Laos. Home is where she can roll down the grassy hill with her younger siblings after her chores, walk to school, and pick ripe peaches from her family’s trees.

But home becomes impossible … Continue reading →

Review: Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

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Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen

Garlic and the Witch
Bree Paulsen
Quill Tree Books
Published September 6, 2022

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About Garlic and the Witch

Bree Paulsen’s brave little protagonist, Garlic, is back in this charmingly illustrated standalone companion to Garlic and the Vampire, serving up another tale of friendship, magic, and self-discovery. Give both books to readers who fell in love with Tidesong or Witch Boy!

Garlic loves spending time with Witch Agnes, Carrot, and her new friend, the Count, who has proven to be a delightful neighbor to the village of vegetable people rather than a scary vampire. But despite Agnes’s best attempts to home-brew … Continue reading →

Review: Song of the Court by Katy Farina

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Song of the Court by Katy Farina

Song of the Court
Katy Farina
Union Square Books
Published October 6, 2020

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About Song of the Court

A charming fairy tale—told in graphic novel style—about two unlikely friends who encourage each other to pursue their dreams.

In order to buy seeds for her beautiful garden, Arietta plans to sell her treasured family violin. Then music-loving Princess Cassia spots Arietta with the instrument and excitedly asks her to perform at her upcoming birthday party. What the Princess doesn’t realize is, Arietta can’t play! Too ashamed to tell Cassia the truth, Arietta sets out to learn a … Continue reading →

Review Once for Yes by Allie Millington

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Once for Yes by Allie Millington

Once for Yes
Allie Millington
Feiwel & Friends
Published March 25, 2025

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About Once for Yes

The Odenburgh, an old apartment building made of brick and blunt opinions, is the last of its kind in a swiftly changing neighborhood. After years of putting up with people and their many problems, the Odenburgh knows there’s no point in getting attached. They all just leave eventually. A truth that comes all too soon when the building is sold and slated for demolition, giving tenants a month to move out.

No one is more troubled by … Continue reading →

Review: The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith

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The Peach Thief by Linda Joan Smith

The Peach Thief
Linda Joan Smith
Publisher
Published March 4, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Peach Thief

This shimmering middle-grade debut set in 1850s Lancashire, England, explores longing, belonging, and the courage it takes to find your place—and bloom.

The night that workhouse orphan Scilla Brown dares to climb the Earl of Havermore’s garden wall, she wants only to steal a peach—the best thing she’s ever tasted in her hard, hungry life. But when she’s caught by the earl’s head gardener and mistaken for a boy, she grabs on to something a temporary job scrubbing flowerpots. If she … Continue reading →