Showing posts with label Middle Grade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle Grade. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 05, 2023

#BookReview: Bad Girls Don't Die (Bad Girls Don't Die, #1) by @KatieAlender






Synopsis: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?


Monday, October 09, 2023

#BookReview: Marie's Nutcracker by Margaret Marie Klenzing






Synopsis: Marie’s Nutcracker is a new young-adult novel by up-and-coming author Margaret Marie Klenzing. It is fully illustrated with nineteen original drawings by Rori Alexander.

Marie’s Nutcracker tells the charming story of a seventeen-year-old dancer on the cusp of becoming a professional ballerina. Marie is a good dancer, one of the best in her local dance studio. Yet she often feels insecure, particularly around Jasmine, a self-centered prima donna who has the starring role in the yearly production of the Nutcracker. Surprisingly, a Hollywood movie company comes to town to film its own production of the Nutcracker at the local mall. Many dance school students, including Marie, are hired as extras for the film and are delighted to be cast. During filming, Marie bonds with Whitney, a teenage popstar hired to sing in the film production of the Nutcracker. As friends, they find a path toward reinforcing the love of their art.

Exciting behind the scene action with many new twists and turns make Marie’s Nutcracker relevant to today’s teenagers. It is written for general audiences and contains no strong language or sexual situations. Fun and enjoyable and focused on dance.


Monday, July 10, 2023

#BookReview: Dear Mothman by @gow_robin_frank @abramskids






Synopsis: A moving middle-grade novel in verse, about a young trans boy dealing with the loss of his friend by writing to his favorite cryptid, Mothman

Halfway through sixth grade, Noah’s best friend and the only other trans boy in his school, Lewis, passed away in a car accident. Lewis was adventurous and curious, always bringing a new paranormal story to share with Noah. Together they daydreamed about cryptids and shared discovering their genders and names. After his death, lonely and yearning for someone who could understand him like Lewis once did, Noah starts writing letters to Mothman, wondering if he would understand how Noah feels and also looking for evidence of Mothman’s existence in the vast woods surrounding his small Poconos town. Noah becomes determined to make his science fair project about Mothman, despite his teachers and parents urging him to make a project about something “real.”

Meanwhile, as Noah tries to find Mothman, Noah also starts to make friends with a group of girls in his grade, Hanna, Molly, and Alice, with whom he’d been friendly, but never close to. Now, they welcome him, and he starts to open up to each of them, especially Hanna, who Noah has a crush on. But as strange things start to happen and Noah becomes sure of Mothman’s existence, his parents and teachers don’t believe him. Noah decides it’s up to him to risk everything, trek into the woods, and find Mothman himself.


Friday, April 07, 2023

#BookReview: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen @BookSparks






Synopsis: Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn't mean her heart doesn't break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or have faked a fascination with whale migration for a chance to visit his hometown? Millie may not be Rory’s only fan at Susan B. Anthony Middle School, but she's convinced she's the biggest—and the best.

Rory’s new song “Worldwide Crush” is climbing the charts, and his lyrics are he’s looking for love—and he’s looking in the audience. Meaning Millie’s secret fantasies of running in the surf and eating waffles with him may not be crazy after all . . . she could be that girl! But first she has to get to his concert—his completely sold-out concert in a city nowhere near her home for which she does not have tickets or a ride. She just has to figure out how.

This title will be released on July 11, 2023.

Thursday, April 06, 2023

#BookReview: Mrs. Franchy's Evil Ring and the Six Months that Changed Everything by @johannyconchole






Synopsis: At just nine years old, Isla Delgado had already endured more than her fair share of trauma with her first stepmom when she was only five. Her anxiety worsens as her mom tells her she must go live with her dad and his new wife for six months. 

Determined to protect herself, Isla sets out to expose her stepmom as the evil witch she's sure she is. But as she gets to know her stepmom, she begins to realize that things aren't always as they seem. 

Join Isla on her journey of self-discovery and learn how even the most traumatic experiences can be overcome with the power of love and understanding. 

“Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring and the Six Months that Changed Everything” is a heartwarming tale about family, trust, and the power of compassion that will leave readers of all ages feeling uplifted and inspired.


Tuesday, March 28, 2023

#BookReview: The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by @TarynSouders @SourcebooksKids






Synopsis: When Grady and his dad learn that the town oddball, Eudora "Kooky" Klinch left something for them in her will, they can only imagine what it might be. When it turns out it's an old 300-year-old piece of cloth, they are bitterly disappointed. But the cloth comes with a note saying, "This is no ordinary piece of needlework. It's a treasure map. Riddles and Clues. To the victor go the riches." Grady's dad dismisses it, but Grady thinks this could be the chance of a lifetime. With the help of his friends Thad, Clemmie, and the town dog Ophelia, Grady is determined to crack the clues and find the treasure.

But when someone tries to break into Grady's house one night, and then the local antiques expert who examined the tapestry is found unconscious, Grady realizes that he's not the only one who knows about the treasure map. There's more at risk than he bargained for, and solving this mystery just got a lot more dangerous.

This title will be released on July 11, 2023.

#BookReview: The Carrefour Curse by @diannesalerni @HolidayHouseBks






Synopsis: The Addams Family meets The Westing Game in this exhilarating mystery about a modern magical dynasty trapped in the ruins of their once-grand, now-crumbling ancestral home.

Twelve-year-old Garnet regrets that she doesn't know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way, living far from the rest of the magical Carrefour clan and their dark, dangerous mansion known as Crossroad House. But when Garnet finally gets summoned to the estate, it isn't quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room in Crossroad House is more dilapidated than the last, and she can't keep straight which dusty hallways and cobwebbed corners are forbidden. Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others. Every accident that isn't an accident, every unexpected illness and unexplained disappearance grants Jasper Carrefour a little more time. While the Carrefours squabbles over who will inherit his role when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters evidence of an even deeper curse. Was she brought to Crossroad House as part of the curse . . . or is she meant to break it? Written with loads of creepy atmosphere and an edge-of-your-seat magical mystery, this thrilling story reads like The Haunting of Hill House for preteens. Perfect for late-night reading under the covers.


Monday, November 28, 2022

#BookReview: The Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio (Hayley Mysteries #1) by Hayley LeBlanc






Synopsis: The start to an exciting new middle grade mystery series from Youtube sensation Hayley LeBlanc! When Hayley is cast as the lead in a Nancy Drew like kids TV show, strange things start happening around the studio and she becomes a real life sleuth.

When Hayely LeBlanc is cast as the lead of a new Nancy Drew-like TV show, she's so excited...even if there are rumors of hauntings surrounding the Silver Screen Studios. It's LA, she thinks—there are ghost stories everywhere!

But to her surprise, strange things actually start happening as production ramps up. Lights flicker, cold blasts of air come out of nowhere, and one day the electricity is cut to the studio entirely with no clear cause. Can Hayley and her two best friends solve the mystery of the haunted studio...before it means curtains for their show?


Thursday, November 17, 2022

#BookReview: Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo






Synopsis: The magical story of a hex that goes haywire, and the power of friendship to set things right!
In the town of Howler's Hollow, conjuring magic is strictly off-limits. Only nothing makes Delpha McGill's skin crawl more than rules. So when she finds her family's secret book of hexes, she's itching to use it to banish her mama's money troubles. She just has to keep it quieter than a church mouse -- not exactly Delpha's specialty.

Trouble is, Katybird Hearn is hankering to get her hands on the spell book, too. The daughter of a rival witching family, Katy has reasons of her own for wanting to learn forbidden magic, and she's not going to let an age-old feud or Delpha's contrary ways stop her. But their quarrel accidentally unleashes a hex so heinous it resurrects a graveyard full of angry Hearn and McGill ancestors bent on total destruction. If Delpha and Katy want to reverse the spell in time to save everyone in the Hollow from rampaging zombies, they'll need to mend fences and work together.

Fans of A Snicker of Magic and The Witch Boy will love this funny, folksy, fresh debut from Ash Van Otterloo that proves sometimes it takes two witches to make the strongest magic happen.
 


Tuesday, October 11, 2022

#BookReview: Pegasus (Pegasus, #1) by Robin McKinley






Synopsis: On her twelfth birthday, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon. For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived in peace, relying on human magicians and pegasi shamans to converse. But close friends Sylvi and Ebon can talk. As their bond strengthens, can their friendship threaten to destroy the peace between their nations?


Wednesday, September 14, 2022

#BookReview: The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie






Synopsis: Sweet Molly once lived in Eastport
Sweet Molly once loved the sea
Sweet Molly lost Liam to the shadows
Now Sweet Molly is coming for ye …

Mallory hasn't quite adapted to life in her new town of Eastport yet. Maybe it's because everyone is obsessed with keeping the town's reputation as one of the most haunted places to visit.

And thanks to the nightmares she's had since arriving, Mallory is having a hard time sleeping. Combined with the unsettling sensation of being watched and losing chunks of time, she’s worried that maybe the ghost stories she’s been quick to dismiss might actually be real.

When Mallory has a terrifying encounter with the same old woman from her dreams, she's not sure what to do. With Eastport gearing up to celebrate the anniversary of their first recorded legend Mallory is forced to investigate the one legend she's always secretly been afraid of . . . Sweet Molly.


Sunday, September 04, 2022

#BookReview: The Haunted Studio (The Hayley Mysteries, #1) by Hayley LeBlanc






Synopsis: The start to an exciting new middle grade mystery series from Youtube sensation Hayley LeBlanc! When Hayley is cast as the lead in a Nancy Drew like kids TV show, strange things start happening around the studio and she becomes a real life sleuth.

When Hayely LeBlanc is cast as the lead of a new Nancy Drew-like TV show, she's so excited...even if there are rumors of hauntings surrounding the Silver Screen Studios. It's LA, she thinks—there are ghost stories everywhere!

But to her surprise, strange things actually start happening as production ramps up. Lights flicker, cold blasts of air come out of nowhere, and one day the electricity is cut to the studio entirely with no clear cause. Can Hayley and her two best friends solve the mystery of the haunted studio...before it means curtains for their show?


Friday, September 02, 2022

#BookReview: The Pants Project by @cat_clarke






Synopsis: Whoever wrote the uniform policy decided (whyyy?) that girls had to wear skirts, while boys were allowed to wear pants.

Sexist. Dumb. Unfair.

“Girls must wear a black, pleated, knee-length skirt.”

I bet I read those words a hundred times during summer vacation. The problem wasn’t the last word in that sentence. Skirt wasn’t really the issue, not for me. 
The issue was the first word. Girls.

Here’s the thing:
I may seem like a girl, but on the inside, I’m a boy.


Tuesday, June 07, 2022

#BookTour: Slip by @aatmajapandya, Marika McCoola @algonquinyr






Synopsis: From Eisner-Award nominated writer Marika McCoola and debut artist Aatmaja Pandya, an emotional coming-of-age graphic novel for fans of Bloom and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me.

Right before Jade is about to leave for a summer art intensive, her best friend, Phoebe, attempts suicide. How is Jade supposed to focus on herself right now?

But at the Art Farm, Jade has artistic opportunities she’s been waiting for her whole life. And as she gets to know her classmates, she begins to fall for whimsical, upbeat, comfortable-in-her-own-skin Mary. Jade pours herself into making ceramic monsters that vent her stress and insecurities, but when she puts her creatures in the kiln, something unreal happens: they come to life. And they’re taking a stand: if Jade won’t confront her problems, her problems are going to confront her, including the scariest of them all—if Jade grows, prospers, and even falls in love this summer, is she leaving Phoebe behind?


Monday, May 09, 2022

#BookBlitz @RABTBookTours: A Trip On The Tundra Explorer by Jacob Deskins @mkwebsiteandseo





 

An Alaskan Adventure Story


Middle-Grade / Action / Adventure

Date Published: November 19, 2021

Publisher: MindStir Media


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The new school year is here, and Sean is worried about starting the fourth grade. When his grandmother organizes a trip to meet Sean's new teacher, we learn that Mr. Simmons is nervous, too. Will their adventure into the Alaskan tundra build their confidence, or will it end in disaster?

Jacob Deskins had just graduated Cincinnati Christian University in 2020 when he saw an ad that said, "Teach in rural bush Alaska!" Three weeks later, he and his wife left everything they knew behind in Columbus, Ohio, population 1.2 million, to start his teaching career and an adventurous new life in Kwigillingok, Alaska, population 320. A Trip on the Tundra Explorer is the first of the author's forthcoming series inspired by his adventures in Alaska, and in the classroom.

Tuesday, March 08, 2022

#BookReview @jhouserwrites #Giveaway: Seeder Shadow Wars (Seeder Wars #1) by J. Houser






Synopsis: DATING AND HIGH SCHOOL: HARD ENOUGH. NOW ADD ASSASSINS.

Avoiding assassination wasn’t on Mel’s to-do list for her junior year. Learning she wasn’t human hadn’t made the list, either.

An only child with overprotective parents, Melody Walters just wants a drama-free year—and to be able to date. She gains the interest of more than one suitor, but doesn’t realize any one of them could be an enemy on the hunt. For her, the dating scene could prove deadly.

Mel discovers she’s a member of a botanical race, forced to hide their daughters in the human world until they mature enough for their powers to bloom. Something goes wrong with her blooming process, breaking her cover and jeopardizing the lives of her protectors and the large family she’d never known about.

With the enemy threat ever-looming, in a rush to master her new powers before she’s stranded in the human world forever, Mel struggles to decide who she can trust and if the sacrifice being asked of her is too great.
 


#BookReview @Papercutz #Giveaway: The Case of The Girl from Deja Vu (The Nightmare Brigade #1) by Frank Thillez, Yomgui Dumont (Illustrations)






Synopsis: The Nightmare Brigade is a dream team led by Professor Angus. With his two young sidekicks, 14 year-olds Esteban and Tristan, they have one goal: help people get rid of their worst nightmares. With unique skills, the team members can literally infiltrate their patient’s nightmare to seek its root and destroy the cause. Things are shaken up a bit, however, when they meet the young Sarah. The Brigade has a feeling they have seen her before… Then, an insomniac is invading other’s dreams. How does he do it and how can he be stopped? It’s a paranormal story you won’t want to sleep on!


Wednesday, November 10, 2021

#BookReview: Mermaid Tears by Susan L Read






Synopsis: There's no such thing as normal. 

Sarah has always been a hard-working student, even if she has felt her grades don't reflect her efforts. She is a good friend, a kind daughter, and she loves being creative. But lately she is struggling with school and friendships, and nothing brings her much joy. Her family doesn't seem to understand what's happening, and neither does Sarah. Everyone keeps telling her to do better, and Sarah is trying her hardest, but when her first year of middle school begins, what was supposed to be a fresh start turns into a disaster that quickly spirals out of control. Sarah, who can't understand why she is feeling this way, begins to seriously wonder if the world would be better off if she was no longer alive. Sarah has always felt a connection with mermaids, and she now wishes she was a mermaid herself, so she could just slip under the ocean and swim away, disappearing from everyone's lives forever.

Finally, Sarah reaches her breaking point, and in desperation, seeks help from a trusted teacher. Everyone in Sarah's life reaches in to pull her from her own drowning emotions, and with the help of her family, friends, teachers, and mental health professionals, Sarah learns there is a name for what she is feeling. She develops tools, not only for coping, but for thriving. In learning about her condition and gaining the support she needs for managing it, she begins the long journey back to her life.

Rewarding, memorable, and deeply evocative, this gorgeously written story about a girl who learns to navigate the choppy and scary waters of her mental health, is nothing short of remarkable.


Saturday, November 06, 2021

#BookReview: PliƩs, Pranks, & Hocus-Pocus (Lyssa's Holiday Hijinks #1) by C.J. Kavanaugh






Synopsis: Pranks are the best thing about Halloween — until a ghost pulls one on you.

When 11-year-old Lyssa Klarken discovers the legend about her ballet school being haunted is true, she thinks she’s won the candy-filled jackpot.

But treats turn to tricks when Nadia, the ghost of a star ballerina, starts pranking her. Nadia only agrees to leave Lyssa alone if she frees her from her unfinished business. There’s just one problem: Nadia can’t remember what that is.

Lyssa has six days to figure it out and save Nadia from torment. If she fails, the tables will turn: Lyssa will be haunted for the rest of her life. Can she solve the mystery before the curtain rises on October 31st?
 


Friday, November 05, 2021

#BookReview: Wilds, Warnings, & Little Wolves (Lyssa's Holiday Hijinks Book 1) by C.J. Kavanaugh






Synopsis: Camping is a real snooze-fest—unless you meet a werewolf.

Eleven-year-old Lyssa Klarken hates camping. Until she learns Candis Campground is home to a wealth of werewolf rumors.

When they arrive at the campsite, a poster for a missing boy catches her eye. Later that night she finds a wolf pup with a suspiciously high IQ who looks oddly familiar. Could the rumors be true after all?

Only one way to find out.