Best Middle Grade Books from Spring 2020

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Best Middle Grade Books from 2020

I don’t know if I’m reading more books than usual because of trying to stay home and avoid COVID-19, or if I’ve just got better contacts and a better sense of the middle grade book world these days, or if I’ve just gotten incredible lucky, but it seems like there have been a LOT of really amazing books published this year.

This list will focus on middle grade books, which are aimed at kids 8 to 12. I’ll do a separate post featuring young adult books, because there have been some fabulous titles there, too.

If you’re looking for a book that will sweep you away, make you laugh out loud, or make you get lost in … Continue reading →

Review: Hard Wired by Len Vlahos

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Hard Wired by Len Vlahos

Hard Wired
Len Vlahos
Bloomsbury YA
Published July 7, 2020

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About Hard Wired

Quinn thinks he’s a normal boy with an average life. That is, until he finds a trail of clues the father he barely knew left behind.

After Quinn unravels his father’s puzzles, he “wakes up” … and realizes his world was nothing more than a virtual construct. In reality, he’s the first fully-aware A.I. in the world, part of an experiment run by a team of scientists—including the man he thought was his father.

As the scientists continue to … Continue reading →

Review: Nevertell by Katharine Orton

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Nevertell by Katharine Orton

Nevertell
Katharine Orton
Walker Books US
Published April 14, 2020

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About Nevertell

After escaping a Soviet prison camp, Lina is pursued by a powerful witch and her shadow wolves in a riveting debut that imbues frozen wilderness with fairy-tale magic.

All that twelve-year-old Lina knows of the world is the Stalinist labor camp where she was born, a place of hunger, cruelty, and deprivation. After a daring escape into the frigid Siberian wilds with her best friend, Bogdan, Lina vows to reach Moscow and find her long-lost grandmother, whom she hopes will help her return to … Continue reading →

Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

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Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Melissa Bashardoust
Flatiron Books
Published July 7, 2020

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About Girl, Serpent, Thorn

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.

As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that … Continue reading →

Review: The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala

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Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy #2)
Swati Teerdhala
Katherine Tegen Books
Published May 26, 2020

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

About The Archer at Dawn

The Sun Mela is many things: a call for peace, a cause for celebration, and, above all, a deadly competition. For Kunal and Esha, finally working together as rebel spies, it provides the perfect guise to infiltrate King Vardaan’s vicious court.

Kunal will return to his role as dedicated Senap soldier, at the Sun Mela to provide extra security for the palace during the peace summit for the divided nations … Continue reading →

Review: What Unbreakable Looks Like by Katie McLaughlin

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What Unbreakable Looks Like by Katie McLaughlin

What Unbreakable Looks Like
Katie McLaughlin
Wednesday Books
Published June 23, 2020

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

About What Unbreakable Looks Like

Lex was taken – trafficked – and now she’s Poppy. Kept in a hotel with other girls, her old life is a distant memory. But when the girls are rescued, she doesn’t quite know how to be Lex again.

After she moves in with her aunt and uncle, for the first time in a long time, she knows what it is to … Continue reading →