Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

19 Fantastic Books for Your Spring 2021 Reading List

Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,
19 Fantastic Books Coming Spring 2021

19 Fantastic Books for Your Spring 2021 Reading List

It’s finally spring! And there are so many amazing books coming out this season. What’s on your Spring 2021 Reading List so far?

My list feels completely out of hand, packed with so many amazing books to read and so many more that I hope I’ll be able to squeeze into my reading time. I’ve broken the list into two groups: middle grader for readers 8-12 and young adult for readers 12+. You can also find this list on Bookshop, where you can browse either the whole middle grade or young adult list and support indie bookstores.

8 Middle Grade Books for Your Spring 2021 Reading List

Breathing Underwater by Sarah Allen

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Sisters. Photography. A cross-country road trip in an RV to reclaim lost memories.

Available March 31, 2021

Thornwood by Leah Cypess

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A young princess desperate to protect her older sister from the curse that will put the whole kingdom to sleep. The first in a three-book series of fairy tale retellings.

Available April 6, 2021

Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists are Saving the Earth by Rachel Sarah

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Tells the story of 25 female activists under 25 years old who are making a difference for the planet.

Available April 6, 2021

Ways to Grow Love by Renée Watson

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Ryan Hart is back with new adventures like waiting for a new baby, summer camp, and hoping her new recipes turn out great.

Available April 20, 2021

Six Feet Below Zero by Ena Jones

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: “A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she’s the dead body.” (from Goodreads)

Available April 20, 2021

Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Friendship, magic, and a quest through a portal to find a missing twin brother.

Available May 4, 2021

Glitter Gets Everywhere by Yvette Clark

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A New York City newbie battles grief over losing her mom, starting over, and discovering how to remake her family in this heartwarming debut.

Available May 4, 2021

The Firebird Song by Arnée Flores

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A mysterious message, a missing princess, and a powerful sorceress who must be defeated.

Available May 4, 2021

11 Young Adult Books for Your Spring 2021 Reading List

Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Set in Paris and features an American ballerina and a charming French boy.

Available April 6, 2021

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Best friends and theater buds discover they have a crush on the same boy.

Available April 20, 2021

These Feathered Flames by Allison Overy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Notes.

Available April 20, 2021

Sky Breaker by Addie Thorley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Called WICKED SAINTS meets the Grishaverse. The first book in the duology was inspired by THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.

Available May 4, 2021

The People We Choose by Katelyn Detweiler

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Unexpected love, family, and friendship.

Available May 4, 2021

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Sci-fi fantasy with mind-blowing twists from the author of DESCENDANT OF THE CRANE about a girl who only remembers her missing sister.

Available May 4, 2021

Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: An underage winning lotto ticket holder frantically hides the truth from her hoarder mother and suspicious small-town neighbors.

Available May 11, 2021

Every Body Shines edited by Cassandra Newbould

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: “An intersectional, feminist YA anthology from some of today’s most exciting voices across a span of genres, all celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance through short stories.” (from Goodreads)

Available May 11, 2021

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: Opposites Hani and Ishu fake date for personal gain… and then start to develop feelings for each other.

Available May 25, 2021

The Hollow Inside by Brooke Lauren Davis

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A small town. A family that must be taken down. Secrets that change everything Phoenix believed to be true.

Available May 25, 2021

Misfit in Love by S K Ali

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

What you need to know: A summer of love goes sideways at Janna’s brother’s wedding.

Available May 25, 2021

What’s on your Spring 2021 Reading List?

Have you read any of the titles on my list already? Are there any on your list that I didn’t mention? Leave me a note in the comments!

Review: Breathing Underwater by Sarah Allen

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

Breathing Underwater
Sarah Allen
Farrar Strauss & Giroux
Published March 30, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Breathing Underwater

Olivia is on the road trip of her dreams, with her trusty camera and her big sister Ruth by her side. Three years ago, before their family moved from California to Tennessee, Olivia and Ruth buried a time capsule on their favorite beach. Now, they’re taking an RV back across the country to uncover the memories they left behind. But Ruth’s depression has been getting worse, so Olivia has created a plan to help her remember how life used to be: a makeshift scavenger hunt across the country, like pirates hunting for treasure, taking pictures and making memories along the way.

All she wants is to take the picture that makes her sister smile. But what if things can never go back to how they used to be? What if they never find the treasure they’re seeking? Through all the questions, loving her sister, not changing her, is all Olivia can do—and maybe it’s enough.

Breathing Underwater is a sparkly, moving middle grade novel from Sarah Allen, and a big-hearted exploration of sisterhood, dreams, and what it means to be there for someone you love.

My Review

I love so many things about this book. The relationship between sisters Olivia and Ruth. The road trip. Olivia’s photography. The descriptions of the places they visit. The perspective of someone watching a beloved sibling struggle with depression.

Some parts of the story are hard and sad. Ruth’s depression is so present and real. Olivia’s love for her sister, her frustration and grief over the things she’s lost in her relationship with Ruth because of her illness, and her agony and guilt over feeling invisible and lost as her family focuses on her sister’s needs all felt so real and searing and raw.

In spite of those hard/sad things, though, Olivia is a bright, optimistic person at heart. She rallies and tries again. She finds beauty and humor. And she watches the people around her, looking for the ways they reach her sister that seem to work and to help. I love her ingenuity and her love for her sister.

I think fans of CHIRP by Kate Messner or ASTER’S GOOD RIGHT THINGS by Kate Gordon will love this story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Olivia’s sister Ruth has been diagnosed with depression.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A pedestrian has a near accident with a car.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: A Walk Toward Peace: The True Story of Peace Pilgrim by Kathleen Krull

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

A Walk Toward Peace: The True Story of Peace Pilgrim
Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by Annie Bowler
Flyaway Books
Published

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Walking Toward Peace

She gave up everything: her home, her possessions, even her real name. She called herself Peace Pilgrim, put on her sneakers, and started off on her quest to walk thousands of miles all around America. Step by step, mile after mile, Peace Pilgrim traveled tirelessly, inviting everyone she met to consider a world where each person and each nation chooses peace.

This true story about a little-known woman who sacrificed everything for her convictions inspires us to step out for what we believe in, gathering others to join us along the way.

My Review

What an awesome, inspiring story! As soon as I saw the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I had heard of Peace Pilgrim before but didn’t really know much about her, and this book is a really great introduction that makes her story really accessible to young readers.

The images are bright and simple but evocative. I really enjoyed the way they brought the words to life.

At the end of the book, there’s a one page, more in-depth biography of Peace Pilgrim, which is especially great for readers at the upper end of the target audience (as well as for curious parents!).

All in all, I’m super glad I read this book and think it’s a great one to add to your bookshelf, library, or classroom.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 6 to 10.

Representation
Peace Pilgrim was a white American woman.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
The story vaguely mentions that many people were talking about whether the country should go to war.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of WALKING TOWARD PEACE in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Spotlight: Healers: Secrets of the Academy by L. L. Smith

Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, News and Fun, , , , , ,

Healers: Secrets of the Academy
L. L. Smith
Published January 21, 2021

Amazon | Goodreads

About Healers: Secrets of the Academy

The students of SalVaneerie Academy face a gruesome end at the hands of Shadow Knights! This army of mysterious and hollow Knights close in from the Dark Forest surrounding their campus. Healers, Warriors, and Brains must band together to repel these Shadow Knights and uncover their peculiar origins. Will Nicole amass enough friends to repel the attack? Will Hunter be able to overcome his performance anxiety? Will Theodore be able to discover the truth he seeks? Find out, inside!

Map of the Academy

I love when books have a map included, so I wanted to be sure to share this one in my post. When I’m reading a book with a map, I find I flip back to the map as I’m reading to help me visualize what’s happening. Do you find that you use maps when they’re available?

About L. L. Smith

Amazon Author Page | Instagram

L L Smith: small-town living and music binging. Self published two books deep and counting. He’s ready to share some laughs, gasps, and tears with reader folk from all walks of life!

Healers: Secrets of the Academy Tour Stops

Here are the other stops on the Healers: Secrets of the Academy blog tour through Breakeven Books. Lots of these stops are Booktubers, so if you’ve been thinking about finding new bookish channels to follow, be sure to check them out!

March 21

Kitty n Shadow Hobby Room on YouTube

Kathryn Books Blog

Breakeven Books Livestream on YouTube

March 22

Leosthetics Blog

March 23

One Book More Blog

March 24

Her Bookish Obsession Blog

What Polly Reads Blog

March 25

Penned by KDB Blog

The Story Sanctuary Blog – you are here!

March 26

Paperback Mo on YouTube

Roro Is Reading Blog

March 27

Kristi Reads on YouTube

Enchanted Reader on YouTube

After Tour Posts

Pablo Suarez on YouTube

BunnyCakes Tomes of Endless Wonder on YouTube

Kasandra on YouTube

Middle Fantasy on YouTube

Review: Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School by I. M. Maynard

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, , , , ,

Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School
I. M. Maynard
Taft Publishing
Published February 1, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar: Surviving Middle School

Fresh off achieving middle school greatness, 11-year-old Roger Tarkington sets his sights on something bigger than himself. He plans to use his magic calendar to help the powerless at Jefferson Middle School and turn the tables on the school’s powerful bullies.

Just call Roger a modern-day Robin Hood!

But Roger’s very first attempt could be his last, as he uncovers a secret at the school so big that even his magic calendar may not be able to fix things!

Is Roger’s plan to right the wrongs at Jefferson Middle School foolproof or foolhardy? Are some middle school wrongs impossible to be righted?

My Review

More goofy antics, time traveling adventures, and grand schemes begin immediately in this second book in the Roger Tarkington and the Magic Calendar series. This time, we get to know Roger’s best friend, E3, a bit better, as she works with him to solve a mystery about cheating on homework among the football players. She’s a smart girl, piecing together things that Roger sometimes overlooks, and pretty much keeping laser-focused on solving the case.

The story also forces Roger to recognize his dependency on the calendar and find ways to achieve his goals without solely using the calendar, which I thought was really cool. A couple of the people who he has “protected” end up being able to help him, too.

To be honest, though, I was a little disappointed with the Robin Hood theme. I kind of felt like Roger didn’t really GET Robin Hood. Robin Hood was about justice and protecting people who didn’t have the ability to protect themselves. Roger seemed to want to protect people he thought were cool from people he thought were annoying. He also has snarky nicknames for so many people, and I guess that got a little bit old after a while. It made him seem like a jerk sometimes.

He does learn some lessons about truth and justice, and his own misjudgments, though. I liked the way the mystery unraveled and the way Roger couldn’t solve everything on his own. All in all, this was a fun, goofy story that will appeal to fans of the first book in the series.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Most characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Roger holds hands with a girl.

Spiritual Content
A calendar gives Roger the ability to time travel to the date or event he’s touching on the calendar.

Violent Content
Some instances of bullying, including trapping someone in a locker.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of ROGER TARKINGTON AND THE MAGIC CALENDAR: SURVIVING MIDDLE SCHOOL in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Pets of Elsewhere by Jaimie Engle

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

Pets of Elsewhere (Ghost Dog #1)
Jaimie Engle
JME Books
Published March 3, 2021

Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Pets of Elsewhere

Haunted by four-legged ghosts in St. Augustine, a 12-year-old must help vengeful shadow-pets find rest or watch them pick off his family one-by-one.

Colten never wanted to leave Satellite Beach. His dad, a now retired Air Force Captain and his mom, a homemaker, couldn’t wait to open a bed and breakfast in St. Augustine, in a gorgeous Victorian that once belonged to a world-renowned veterinarian. Only, Colten sees things, hears things, and his sister almost dies—twice. Animal ghosts are reaching out from the other side with hints that the doctor may have been hiding things behind the Victorian’s closed doors, leaving Colten with two choices: help them or watch his whole family die.

PETS OF ELSEWHERE is a haunting middle grade thriller that blends elements of Pet Sematary with The House on Haunted Hill for kids who have outgrown Goosebumps and become die-hard fans of Supernatural.

My Review

I’m a little bit of a ‘fraidy cat when it comes to books like this, but I had a lot of fun reading PETS OF ELSEWHERE. I liked the sibling relationship between Colten and his sister Kennedy. It felt spot on from the way they picked at each other to the loyalty and protectiveness underneath. I liked the mystery elements and the way the ghost animals drove Colten toward the clues. The added element of danger, because the ghosts could cause real harm, was an interesting twist that I didn’t expect, and it really boosted the intensity and stakes.

PETS OF ELSEWHERE reminded me a little bit of THE DARKDEEP by Brendan Reichs and Ally Condie. I don’t know if it’s because I kept thinking of that book, but I kind of wanted a team or more of a solid friendship to emerge in PETS OF ELSEWHERE. Colten does make a couple friends and they sort of float in and out of the story, believing him about the ghosts, but no one really sticks with him to solve the mystery. I think having a friendship develop through the story like that would have been cool, but I still enjoyed it a lot just as is.

The descriptions of St. Augustine were also great. I felt myself nodding along to some of the descriptions of different places and the commentary on the way the town is. It was really fun to read a book set in a place I’ve been. Readers who enjoy creepy paranormal stories will definitely want PETS OF ELSEWHERE on their shelves.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Major characters are white. There are a couple of minor characters that are POC.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Colten sees and interacts with ghosts of dead animals. He figures out that he has to help them resolve unfinished business so they can move on to their afterlives.

Violent Content
Ghost animals attack Colten and his sister in a couple of scenes, leaving them with real injuries.

Drug Content
None.

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