Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

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A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill

A Song for You and I
K. O’Neill
Random House Graphic
Published March 4, 2025

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About A Song for You and I

Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan … Continue reading →

Review: Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time by Sheena Dempsey

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Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time by Sheena Dempsey

Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time (Pablo & Splash #2)
Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury
Published March 4, 2025

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About Pablo and Splash: Frozen in Time

Time-traveling penguins Pablo and Splash must rescue their friend from the Ice Age in this brilliantly funny, full-color graphic novel for young readers.

Pablo and Splash go to visit Professor O’Brain in her lab, only to find that their friend has been left behind in the Ice Age by her misbehaving time machine. The brave penguin buddies set out on a rescue mission – destination 68,000 years ago! When a Neanderthal man accidentally … Continue reading →

Review: Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

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Cousins in the Time of Magic by Emma Otheguy

Cousins in the Time of Magic
Emma Otheguy
Aladdin
Published February 25, 2025

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About Cousins in the Time of Magic

Three cousins get transported back to 1862 to play an important role in the Battle of Puebla, the reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, in this enchanting middle grade fantasy adventure.

History is alive with magic. That’s what zany Tía Xia is always telling cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy. Daredevil Jorge couldn’t be more different than his cousins: Camila is a dreamer who adores animals and Siggy is an aspiring influencer who has an exclusive party to … Continue reading →

Review: Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

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Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance
Nikki Grimes
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published January 5, 2021

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About Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

From Children’s Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a feminist-forward new collection of poetry celebrating the little-known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance–paired with full-color, original art from today’s most talented female African-American illustrators.

For centuries, accomplished women–of all races–have fallen out of the historical records. The same is true for gifted, prolific, women poets of the Harlem Renaissance who are little known, especially as compared to their male counterparts.
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Review: Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith

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Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith

Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons
James Otis Smith
TOON Books
September 15, 2020

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About Black Heroes of the Wild West

True stories from the Wild West, but not like you’ve seen in the movies.

This graphic novel by James Otis Smith celebrates the extraordinary true tales of three black heroes who took control of their destinies and stood up for their communities in the Old West. Born into slavery in Tennessee, Mary Fields became famous as “Stagecoach Mary,” a cigar-chomping, cardplaying coach driver who never missed a … Continue reading →

Review: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

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The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 21, 2014

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About The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

An astonishing World War II military story of civil rights from New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin.

A National Book Award Finalist
A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

On July 17, 1944, a massive explosion rocked the segregated Navy base at Port Chicago, California, … Continue reading →