Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson

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The Other Side of Luck by Ginger Johnson

The Other Side of Luck
Ginger Johnson
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Published August 10, 2021

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About The Other Side of Luck

Follows two children from opposite circumstances as their fates cross and change both their lives forever.

Ever since her mother’s death, Princess Una has suffered through years of loneliness in the royal palace, where girls are treated as an afterthought. She yearns for a different life but is unsure how to make anyone notice her. Then her father announces a special contest: Whoever finds the rare Silva Flower can present it to Una for her twelfth birthday and … Continue reading →

Review: The Magic and Mystery of Trees by Jen Green

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The Magic and Mystery of Trees by Jen Green

The Magic and Mystery of Trees
Jen Green
Illustrated by Claire McElfatrick
DK Publishing
Published March 5, 2019

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About The Magic and Mystery of Trees

Discover how they communicate and warn each other of predators, how they nurture their networks, record the past, and anticipate the future to ensure their survival. There’s so much more to trees than meets the eye.

Learn about the amazing natural science of trees in this nature and science children’s book. From the highest branches, all the down to the complex wood wide web of roots, every part of a tree plays an … Continue reading →

Review: Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morrell

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Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morell

Kingdom of Secrets
Christyne Morrell
Delacorte Press
Published August 3, 2021

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About Kingdom of Secrets

Prismena’s father is the hot air balloonist in the peaceful kingdom of Oren. She assists him by mending torn balloons, but she yearns to build and fly the complicated machines herself. One day, a waif named Abi steals Prissy’s only remaining memento of her deceased mother – a silk scarf – and promises to return it only if Prissy smuggles a mysterious box onto one of her father’s flights. Since balloon travel is strictly regulated in Oren, that single act of rebellion results in … Continue reading →

Review: Rea and the Blood of the Nectar by Payal Doshi

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Rea and the Blood Nectar by Payal Doshi

Rea and the Blood of the Nectar (Chronicles of Astranthia #1)
Payal Doshi
Mango and Marigold Press
Published June 15, 2021

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About Rea and the Blood of the Nectar

It all begins on the night Rea turns twelve. After a big fight with her twin brother Rohan on their birthday, Rea’s life in the small village of Darjeeling, India, gets turned on its head. It’s four in the morning and Rohan is nowhere to be found.

It hasn’t even been a day and Amma acts like Rohan’s gone forever. Her grandmother, too, is behaving strangely. Unwilling to … Continue reading →

Review: The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer

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The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer

The Double Life of Danny Day
Mike Thayer
Feiwel & Friends
Published June 15, 2021

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About The Double Life of Danny Day

My name is Danny Day, and I live every day twice.

The first time, it’s a “discard day.” It’s kind of like a practice run. At the end of the day, I go to bed, wake up, and poof everything gets reset, everything except my memory, that is.

The second time, everything is normal, just like it is for everyone else. That’s when everything counts and my actions stick. As you could probably guess, “Sticky Day” … Continue reading →

Review: The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

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The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe
Tricia Springstubb
Margaret Ferguson Books
Published June 1, 2021

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About The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah’s surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than … Continue reading →