Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

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The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart
Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury
Published May 30, 2017

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About The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart
Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she’s ready to prove it to her family by leaving the safety of their mountain cave and capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when the human she finds tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, Aventurine is transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw.

But she’s still the fiercest creature in the mountains — and now she’s found her true passion: chocolate! All she has … Continue reading →

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Dragon with a Chocolate Heart and The Frog Princess Returns

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I’m today’s stop on the Bloomsbury Blog Tour celebrating the release of two fantastic middle grade books: The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis and The Frog Princess Returns by E. D. Baker. I’m so excited to share both of these books, and I’ve got excerpts to share and a chance to win both books, so read on and enjoy!

The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart
Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury
Published May 30, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart
Continue reading →

Mini Reviews: Tales of the Frog Princess by E. D. Baker 1-3

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I started reading an e-book version Tales of the Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, and for some reason thought it was a short story collection. Only after I finished did I realize it was actually the first three books in the series packaged together as one e-book. Which actually made me feel better, because it took me a lot longer to read than I anticipated! Here’s a quick take on each of the first three books in the series.

Tales of the Frog Princess 1 by E. D. BakerThe Frog Princess (Tales of the Frog Princess #1)

Probably the most significant departure from the familiar fairy tale which inspired this story is that Princess Emeralda (Emma) is also a witch. Her aunt and mentor, also … Continue reading →

Review: Quest for the Golden Arrow by Carrie Jones

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Quest for the Golden Arrow by Carrie JonesQuest for the Golden Arrow (Time Stoppers #2)
Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury
Published May 2, 2017

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When the demon Raiff kidnaps Annie’s guardian, Miss Cornelia, the magical village of Aurora, Annie and her friends must journey to the Badlands to rescue her. Annie, a young Time Stopper who can stop time on command, doesn’t make the journey alone. Together with a team of misfits—an elf who may be the last of his kind, a boy who might be a troll, an irritable dwarf, and a stone giant obsessed with quotes—Annie embarks on a quest to find the last dragon and a … Continue reading →

Review: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline WoodsonBrown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulsen Books
Published August 28, 2014

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From Goodreads
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through … Continue reading →

Review: Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

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Dream Magic by Joshua Khan

Dream Magic (Shadow Magic #2)
Joshua Khan
Disney-Hyperion
Published April 11, 2017

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About Dream Magic

People throughout Gehenna are disappearing, even the feared executioner Tyburn. Many of the nobles believe the kidnappings to be the work of the northern trolls, raiding south for the winter, and when Baron Sable and others head off to fight them, Castle Gloom is left guarded by only the squires.

Lily is struggling with her growing necromantic powers. The castle fills with ghosts, drawn like moths to a flame by the brightness of her magic. Zombies roam the country, some left over from those raised in SHADOW MAGIC, … Continue reading →