Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

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How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby

How to Become a Planet
Nicole Melleby
Algonquin Young Readers
Published May 25, 2021

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About How to Become a Planet

For Pluto, summer has always started with a trip to the planetarium. It’s the launch to her favorite season, which also includes visits to the boardwalk arcade, working in her mom’s pizzeria, and her best friend Meredith’s birthday party. But this summer, none of that feels possible.

A month before the end of the school year, Pluto’s frightened mom broke down Pluto’s bedroom door. What came next were doctor’s appointments, a diagnosis of depression, and a big black hole that still sits on Pluto’s chest, making it too hard to do anything.

Pluto can’t explain to her mom why she can’t do the things she used to love. And it isn’t until Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move with him to the city—where he believes his money, in particular, could help—that Pluto becomes desperate enough to do whatever it takes to be the old Pluto again.

She develops a plan and a checklist: If she takes her medication, if she goes to the planetarium with her mom for her birthday, if she successfully finishes her summer school work with her tutor, if she goes to Meredith’s birthday party . . . if she does all the things that “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom in Jersey. But it takes a new therapist, a new tutor, and a new (and cute) friend with a checklist and plan of her own for Pluto to learn that there is no old and new Pluto. There’s just her.

My Review

I feel like Nicole Melleby does an incredible job bringing issues to the middle grade stage with poise and poignance but without softening the truth about how hard some of those challenges can be. Both of the books she’s written that I’ve reviewed (HOW TO BECOME A PLANET and HURRICANE SEASON) have explored mental health and identity issues as well as complex relationships with single parents. This book also included resolving conflicts within a friendship.

All those topics felt handled really well in the context of a middle grade story. I didn’t feel sheltered from Pluto’s anxiety or her depression. I felt like I experienced those things along with her, but in a really accessible way. Like they would still make sense (I think) to someone whether or not they’d shared that experience personally.

I liked that Pluto’s parents both wanted to help her and be present and loving with her, but that the story showed how complicated that was for Pluto, too. I liked that no one in the story is perfect. It was also really cool that the story focused on building Pluto’s support team: friends, parents, mentors, and her therapist, all working together to create a network that Pluto could lean on when she needed them.

HOW TO BECOME A PLANET may not be the book that resonates with every reader, but it’s such a sweet, deep story. It’s about learning to recognize what you need and how to be loved even when you don’t feel lovable. Readers who enjoyed BREATHING UNDERWATER or ASTER’S GOOD RIGHT THINGS will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes for How to Become a Planet

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Several characters, including Pluto, identify as queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
A kiss between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Pluto has a meltdown and lashes out physically.

Drug Content
Pluto takes medication for her anxiety and depression.

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 HOW TO BECOME A PLANET in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Storm Keeper’s Battle by Catherine Doyle

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Storm Keeper’s Battle (Storm Keeper #3)
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury
Published December 28, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Storm Keeper’s Battle

Fionn Boyle, Storm Keeper of Arranmore, is facing the fight of his life. The terrifying all- powerful sorceress Morrigan has been raised from the dead and has sealed off the island from all help.

Fionn is the only thing that stands between her and a dark future. He’s got to find a way to defeat her. But there are some terrible choices in store for Fionn as the dark sorcerer begins to take his nearest and dearest for her own. With only two candles left to burn, will Fionn master his powers in time to stop her?

In the thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Storm Keeper’s Island series, evil sorceress Morrigan rises, and Fionn and his friends must use their wits to save Arranmore Island’s future.

“Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson can add Fionn Boyle as a generous and brave hero from the Emerald Isle.” –SCHOOL LIBRARY CONNECTION on THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND.

My Review

Confession: I learned that THE STORM KEEPER’S BATTLE came out in the UK in March, so I ordered a copy and read it long before the US release date. This is something I’ve never done before, but I seriously could not wait to read this book all the way until October. So technically I read the UK release of the book, but I waited to post my review until close to the release date here in the US.

I have too many favorite things about this book. The friendships between Fionn, Shelby and Sam. The way it again ties together all these moments in the island’s past and Fionn’s role in those events. The memories of and presence of Fionn’s grandfather. I may have sobbed through a couple of scenes.

At the beginning of the book, I’ll admit I was a little nervous that it would be tons of chapters of Fionn and friends stumbling around looking for clues and killing time until the final battle with Morrigan. But as the trail of breadcrumbs began to take shape pretty quickly and the stakes continued to go up higher and higher, I felt like I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I got completely lost in the story and couldn’t stop reading until I reached the very last page.

This is one of my favorite series ever. I want to have ten children so that I can read these books aloud to each one of them. I love the story of courage, family, friendships, and community. And I love the magic and the candles and the way that love speaks across time. It’s so, so good.

If this is the first you’ve heard of the Storm Keeper books, please check out my review of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND, the first book in the series as you’ll definitely want to read that one first.

If you liked THE RAVEN HEIR by Stephanie Burgis, definitely check out the Storm Keeper series!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Representation
Characters are Irish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used twice.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
An evil sorcerer gathers the souls of others to her, making a cape from them and controlling their bodies, commanding them like an army. Fionn also has some magical abilities. He has candles from his grandfather which allow him to visit other times in the island’s history.

Violent Content
Situations of peril and battle violence. Fionn and his allies must battle a sorceress and her powerful, Titan-like brothers.

Drug Content
Fionn’s uncles drink wine and share stories with the family.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog.

Review: Birdie’s Billions by Edith Cohn

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Birdie’s Billions
Edith Cohn
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Published December 14, 2021

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About Birdie’s Billions

For as long as eleven-year-old Birdie can remember, it’s always been just her and her mom, which means there’s not a lot of extra money to spend on things like new clothes and batons from the fancy gymnastics store. Still, they always find a way to make ends meet. Then Birdie makes one silly mistake that has a big consequence: Mom loses her job. Now things are more dire than ever, and Birdie knows it’s up to her to fix it.

When Birdie discovers a huge stash of cash in an abandoned house, she just knows it must be the answer to their problems. But the people who left that money behind aren’t willing to give it up so easily. Does “finders, keepers” count when it’s half a million dollars?

In this heartfelt small-town story from beloved author Edith Cohn, Birdie learns how to balance what’s right for her family-and herself-with what’s the right thing to do.

A savvy young girl finds half a million dollars and wonders if she can keep it in this charming middle grade mystery that asks big questions about right, wrong, and what you’d do for family.

My Review

Oh. My. Goodness. This book. First of all, I adore that the story explores ideas about integrity versus lying with good intentions. I thought it was really cool the way Birdie wrestles with what to do with the money she finds and what lies are justified so that she can use it to help others.

I also thought it was awesome that she’s a skater. It’s another hobby that I feel like is still underrepresented in books, though it’s possible that I just don’t encounter the books that are out there? Either way, there aren’t enough skateboarding characters in my life.

True to a lot of middle grade books, Birdie not only wrestles with family relationships, she also faces challenges in her friendships. I like that this book explored differences that can come from class but that those differences weren’t the whole story about what went wrong with Birdie and her bestie. I liked that there was more to the story there.

I also enjoyed the goofy characters and sweet moments of connection as well as Jackpot, the amazing cat.

On the whole, this is a great book for readers who enjoy stories about strong girls facing relationship challenges or complicated moral choices. I think readers who enjoyed CHIRP by Kate Messner or THE KATE IN BETWEEN by Claire Swinarski will enjoy this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Birdie’s dad is in prison and her family is poor.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None in the text. Birdie calls her friend’s mom a curse word (which isn’t spelled out) after she blames Birdie for something unfairly.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A couple of older boys bully Birdie and her friend while they’re skateboarding on the street. A girl gets injured when she’s walking in a part of a house she’s not supposed to be in and falls through the floor.

Drug Content
None.

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 BIRDIE’S BILLIONS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Great Cookie War by Caroline Stellings

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The Great Cookie War
Caroline Stellings
Second Story Press
Published April 13, 2021

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About The Great Cookie War

Life in her traditional Mennonite community is peaceful if a little dull for twelve-year-old Beth, who dreams of being an artist. One day excitement shows up in the form of a determined lawyer from New York who insists she needs a family cookie recipe to win a million-dollar lawsuit.

Beth’s parents are bemused, but her grandmother is determined that the recipe will not leave her kitchen. As Beth tries to balance her love for her family and faith with the promise of adventure in New York, she learns that she is stronger than she believes.

My Review

So, two things I loved about this that didn’t get enough attention in the cover copy:

  1. It’s based on or inspired by (I’m not quite sure where the line is there) real events! There really was a lawsuit about cookies where one company had a patent for a cookie recipe which produced cookies that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When another company made and sold cookies with a similar claim, they were sued. The Mennonites were involved because a woman had written a cookbook with Mennonite recipes called FOOD THAT REALLY SCHMECKS. The lawyer representing the company that had been sued wanted to see the family recipe for rigglevake cookies, a type of spiral cookie made with two types of dough: one that came out crispy and one that came out soft.
  2. Beth is the real star of the show. The whole cookie conundrum places her in a position where she’s watching two strong-willed women facing off, each pushing hard for what they want. That experience encourages her to speak up for herself and pursue the art classes she dreams of. Then, she faces a choice: guaranteed opportunity to go to art school if only she’ll swipe the recipe book from her family without their permission.

It’s probably obvious from all that, but I enjoyed reading this book. It’s got peppy, fun characters and a great setting as well as some really cool scenes exploring and celebrating Mennonite life. I think readers who enjoyed PIE by Sarah Weeks will absolutely need to read this one.

Content Notes for The Great Cookie War

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Beth and her family are Mennonites.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Beth and her family are Mennonites.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

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 THE GREAT COOKIE WAR in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi

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Spell Sweeper
Lee Edward Födi
HarperCollins
Published November 30, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Spell Sweeper

Magic is messy. A standalone middle grade fantasy featuring a failed young wizard and her chaotically fun cleanup crew.

Cara Moone is a wizard—and she’s basically flunked out of wizard school. Now she’s in training to be a MOP, a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger, a.k.a. it’s Cara’s job to sweep up the hazardous dust a real wizard’s spells leave behind.

A real wizard, that is, like Harlee Wu, the so-called “Chosen One” destined to save the magical world. But when one of Harlee’s spells goes awry and leaves behind a rift in the fabric of magic itself, it’ll take more than magic to clean up that mess. Luckily, messes are kind of Cara’s thing.

My Review

I feel like snarky books can be kind of a risk for me, because sometimes I love the quirkiness and confidence of the main character, and other times it kind of grates on my nerves and seems like the character can never be happy with anything. This book packs a lot of snark, but it brings an awful lot of fun, too, so I felt like the upbeat, quirky fun elements created the perfect balance.

I enjoyed the way the relationships developed and watching Cara learn new things about the magical world in which she lives as well as her journey toward finding her place in it. I really liked the idea that certain types of magic leave behind a residue that has to be cleaned by specialists like Cara. I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I loved that at the end of the story, there’s a note from the author about his family member who made his own brooms, too. How cool to be able to bring something so personal to life in a fantasy novel. I loved that it was part of the inspiration.

To be honest, I’m a little bit sad that SPELL SWEEPER is a standalone! I would definitely read another book about Cara, Harlee, Gusto and their friends. I feel like readers looking for stories about schools for wizard students will love this fresh, fun book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
There’s a magical hierarchy at Cara’s school. Wizards get additional privileges and access to certain coursework that Cara, as a Spell Sweeper, doesn’t get.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
There are some made up swears, like “dratch”.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic or can use objects to perform magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
Some teen characters vape or smoke cigarettes.

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 SPELL SWEEPER in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Tidesong by Wendy Xu

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Tidesong
Weny Xu
Quiltree Books
Published November 16, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Tidesong

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy–the best magic school in the realm–even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she’s never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can’t remember where he came from. Even so, he’s everything Sophie isn’t–beloved by Sophie’s family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir’s attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she’s doing is wrong, but without Lir’s help, can she prove herself?

My Review

I don’t read graphic novels very often, but I have really enjoyed the few I’ve read– and this one is no exception! I didn’t realize until I began reading TIDESONG how much I missed this style of storytelling. Once I finished reading it, I looked up MOONCAKES by Wendy Xu, and I’ve heard so many great things about it that I want to order myself a copy of that, too. I also had to look and see if Ethan Aldridge had anything new coming out, and yes! He does! So I can tell next year is going to include some amazing graphic novel stories, and I’m excited.

But back to TIDESONG. I loved the vibrant depictions of characters in this book. It’s always fascinating to me the way that illustrations and a few words in the hangs of a brilliant storyteller can bring a story so fully to life. I felt like I knew the characters and could hear them in my head. I loved Sophie so much.

The story hit the perfect level of complexity, too. Like, a lot happens, and there are some unexpected moments that pull things together in different ways. It never felt overwhelming and there weren’t any moments that dragged. The pacing was perfect.

I’m definitely interested in adding this one to my family library. I’ve seen several reviews listing TIDESONG as perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli. I think it’s also a great fit for fans of Ethan Aldridge’s The Changeling King duology.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Written by a Chinese-American author and artist.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to do magic and are called Water Witches. Sea Dragons also have power and some are able to transform into a human form.

Violent Content
One of Sophie’s guardians uses a lot of strict rules and sometimes cruel words. Sophie also has a deeply negative voice in her head that says critical and hurtful things to her.

Drug Content
None.

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 TIDESONG in exchange for my honest review.