Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: Twinepathy by C. B. Cook

By | | , , ,
2 Comments

Twinepathy by C B CookTwinepathy
C. B. Cook
Available July 14, 2016

Amazon  | Goodreads | Author’s Website

Twins Albany and Brooklyn keep their telepathic connection a secret from everyone. After all, who would believe them anyway? But when a strange girl shows up on their doorstep with no memory of how she got there and an inexplicable power of her own, the twins begin to realize there may be more people with powers, and not all of them use them for good. They learn about an organization of people with abilities and a terrible plot to destroy it. At first committed to sit on the sidelines, Albany soon realizes she and Brooklyn might be the group’s only hope for survival. … Continue reading →

Review: Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz

By | | , , ,
5 Comments

isle-of-the-lostIsle of the Lost
Melissa de la Cruz
Disney-Hyperion
Available May 5, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, and her best friend Jay, the son of Jafar, live on the Isle of the Lost, where their villainous parents were banished from the fairytale kingdom of Auradon twenty years ago. Surviving on leftovers shipped in from Auradon and prevented access to magic, the villains scrape by. But all long for the day when the magic returns and they can take revenge on those who imprisoned them. For Mal, that day comes when Carlos, Cruela de Vil’s son, creates an invention that sparks changes in the Isle, and the possibility of escape seems just within reach. … Continue reading →

Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2016

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2016

oct16monthly-wrapupFall is flying by! In Central FL, it’s finally cool enough to walk to your car without breaking a sweat. I’m gearing up to go to YALLFEST in Charleston next month, so I’m super excited about that. I’m sure I’ll be tweeting and will write up a post about my experience there afterward. If you’re going to be there, leave me a comment! I’d love to meet up.

This month, I received a few more books in the mail. Actually, I’m kind of cheating here, because I received Every Exquisite Thing and The Secret of Goldenrod a couple of months ago and somehow they never made it into my calendar of books for review. So I’m including them here. … Continue reading →

Review: The Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan

By | | , , ,
1 Comment

friendship-experimentThe Friendship Experiment
Erin Teagan
HMH Books for Young Readers
Available November 1, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Middle school isn’t at all what Maddie hoped it would be. Not when her best friend has changed schools. Not without the calm, sure presence of her grandfather. If only friendships were as simple, as reliable as science. Though she finds herself surrounded by new potential friends, Maddie can’t help but think about all the reasons those students are wrong or annoying. To cope with her losses, she writes Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in her journal. When Maddie’s new would-be friends read some of the SOPs that features how to escape them, they feel hurt and betrayed. Maddie realizes … Continue reading →

Review: The Goblin Crown by Robert Hewitt Wolfe

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Review: The Goblin Crown by Robert Hewitt Wolfe

goblin-crownThe Goblin Crown
Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Turner Publishing
Available November 15, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A strange force drags Billy, Lexi and Kurt to the land of goblins, where prophecy claims a goblin king will come in the hour of goblins’ greatest need. Hop, a timid soldier in the goblin army, knows there can be no greater hour of need than right now. The ruthless General Sawtooth plans to lead what remains of the goblin army into battle against a foe that cannot be defeated. He will only bring them death. So when the goblin crown pulses with the glow that announces the king’s arrival, Hop is determined to find him and see him crowned, even … Continue reading →

Review: Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

By | | , , , ,
2 Comments

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamilloFlora and Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Flora saves a squirrel from a powerful vacuum cleaner, she discovers that he has super powers. She names him Ulysses and brings him home to teach him what it means to be a hero, and she watches and waits for his true superpowers to emerge. Ulysses’ powers do emerge: a deep love for Flora and the gift of poetry. Her desire to protect him and his power to communicate changes Flora’s life in unexpected ways.

My family and I listened to this as an audiobook on our vacation. I loved the comics that Flora reads and how they were a bond between her and … Continue reading →