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

Sunday, April 25, 2021

#BookReview: Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, Andrew Paul Barr (Illustrator)






Synopsis: Join TV’s Survivorman on twelve edge-of-your-seat adventures as he proves anyone can be an outdoor explorer. 

From surviving a frigid night in northern Canada to munching on grubs in the Australian Outback, Les Stroud’s passion for the outdoors has driven him to some of the planet’s most remote and beautiful locations. In Wild Outside, he invites readers into his world of wilderness adventures with fast-paced
stories, nature facts, and practical advice for spending time outside. Featuring kid-friendly activities and tips like how to safely observe wildlife, Stroud shows readers that adventure awaits everywhere—whether in a jungle or a city park. Andrew P. Barr’s dramatic illustrations amp up the excitement alongside photos of Survivorman’s adventures.


Saturday, April 17, 2021

#NerdBlast: IT DOESN'T TAKE A GENIUS by @olugbemisola @JeanBookNerd #Giveaway



Emmett and his older brother Luke have always been "Batman and Robin," though they're quick to bicker about who's who. Spending the summer at a historic Black summer camp seems like a wonderful adventure for the two to share, but since Luke is there as a junior counselor, he seems to spend all of his time being everyone else's big brother, and ignoring Emmett.

As Luke seems to be moving on to new adventures, Emmett struggles in unexpected ways, especially in swim class and the "It Takes A Village" entrepreneurship class. Without his brother to turn to for support, Emmett works to build a new crew of "superfriends," who'll help him plan something spectacular for the end-of-camp awards night and celebration. Along the way, Emmett learns that no matter what, there can be many ways to define family.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

#BookReview: The Memory Thief (Thirteen Witches, #1) by Jodi Lynn Anderson






Synopsis: From acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes the fantastical and heartfelt first installment in a new trilogy about the thirteen witches who are responsible for all the evil in the world—and the girl who sets out to defeat them. Full of magic and bittersweet truths, this tale is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Twelve-year-old Rosie Singer’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother. 

In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable. 

At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing.
 


Monday, February 15, 2021

#BookReview: The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson






Synopsis: From acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes the fantastical and heartfelt first installment in a new trilogy about the thirteen witches who are responsible for all the evil in the world—and the girl who sets out to defeat them. Full of magic and bittersweet truths, this tale is perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.

Twelve-year-old Rosie Singer’s mom is missing whatever it is that makes mothers love their daughters. All her life, Rosie has known this...and turned to stories for comfort. Then, on the night Rosie decides to throw her stories away forever, an invisible ally helps her discover the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book that claims that all of the evil in the world stems from thirteen witches who are unseen...but also unstoppable. One of these witches—the Memory Thief—holds an insidious power to steal our most precious treasures: our memories. And it is this witch who has cursed Rosie’s mother. 

In her quest to save her mom—and with her wild, loyal friend “Germ” by her side—Rosie will find the layers hidden under the reality she only thought she knew: where ghosts linger as shades of the past, where clouds witness the world, and a ladder dangles from the moon leading to something bigger and more. Here, words are weapons against the darkness, and witch hunters are those brave enough to wield their imaginations in the face of the unthinkable. 

At the core of this stunning novel—the first of the Thirteen Witches trilogy from critically acclaimed author Jodi Lynn Anderson—is a passionate argument that stories have the power to create meaningful change...and a reason to hope even when the world feels crushing.
 


Friday, February 12, 2021

#BookReview: Escape Room: Thorn House by J.E. Hailstone @Honeybourn






Synopsis: Five Nights at Freddy’s meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library when three kids are invited to an escape room challenge at a notoriously haunted house, and they find themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game that they must win if they want to make it out alive.

The door to Thorn House is open.

The game has begun.

There’s nothing Luca Price wants more than a great adventure. But with just a week to go before seventh grade starts, he and his best friends Owen and Kylie are starting to think that this will be the most boring summer of their lives. So when Luca’s invited to an escape room at a creepy abandoned estate called Thorn House—in the middle of the woods and at midnight, no less—it’s too good to pass up. Even if town legend says it’s haunted. Armed with all the snacks and supplies they’ll need, the three friends bike into the woods, ready for their biggest adventure yet.

But as the night progresses, they start to realize that the rumors of evil at Thorn House might be more than just stories. And when an exciting game turns into a fight for their lives, the kids will have to uncover the mysteries of Thorn House, and its connection to Luca’s family, if they ever hope to escape.


Wednesday, January 27, 2021

#BookReview: Clues to the Universe by @CLiwrites @HarperChildrens #QuillTreeBooks






Synopsis: This #ownvoices debut about losing and finding family, forging unlikely friendships, and searching for answers to big questions will resonate with fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead.

The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, all Ro has left of him is an unfinished model rocket they had been working on together.

Benjamin Burns doesn’t like science, but he can’t get enough of Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, he’s thrilled. Too bad his dad walked out years ago, and Benji has no way to contact him.

Though Ro and Benji were only supposed to be science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn’t he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?

As the two face bullying, grief, and their own differences, Benji and Ro must try to piece together clues to some of the biggest questions in the universe.
 


Saturday, January 23, 2021

#BookReview: Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) by @bb_alston






Synopsis: Quinton Peters was the golden boy of the Rosewood low-income housing projects, receiving full scholarship offers to two different Ivy League schools. When he mysteriously goes missing, his little sister, 13-year-old Amari Peters, can’t understand why it’s not a bigger deal. Why isn’t his story all over the news? And why do the police automatically assume he was into something illegal? 

Then Amari discovers a ticking briefcase in her brother’s old closet. A briefcase meant for her eyes only. There was far more to Quinton, it seems, than she ever knew. He’s left her a nomination for a summer tryout at the secretive Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari is certain the answer to finding out what happened to him lies somewhere inside, if only she can get her head around the idea of mermaids, dwarves, yetis and magicians all being real things, something she has to instantly confront when she is given a weredragon as a roommate. 

Amari must compete against some of the nation’s wealthiest kids—who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives and are able to easily answer questions like which two Great Beasts reside in the Atlantic Ocean and how old is Merlin? Just getting around the Bureau is a lesson alone for Amari with signs like ‘Department of Hidden Places this way, or is it?’ If that all wasn’t enough, every Bureau trainee has a talent enhanced to supernatural levels to help them do their jobs – but Amari is given an illegal ability. As if she needed something else to make her stand out. 

With an evil magican threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.


Monday, January 18, 2021

#BookReview: The List (The List #1) by Patricia Forde






Synopsis: In the city of Ark, speech is constrained to five hundred sanctioned words. Speak outside the approved lexicon and face banishment. The exceptions are the Wordsmith and his apprentice Letta, the keepers and archivists of all language in their post-apocalyptic, neo-medieval world. 

On the death of her master, Letta is suddenly promoted to Wordsmith, charged with collecting and saving words. But when she uncovers a sinister plan to suppress language and rob Ark’s citizens of their power of speech, she realizes that it’s up to her to save not only words, but culture itself.
 


Monday, January 11, 2021

#BookReview: Alone in the Woods by @rebeccabehrens @SourcebooksKids






Synopsis: From the author of The Disaster Days comes a thrilling survival story about two former best friends who must work together to stay alive after getting lost in a remote national forest.

Jocelyn and Alex have always been best friends...until they aren't. Jocelyn's not sure what happened, but she hopes the annual joint-family vacation in the isolated north woods will be the perfect spot to rekindle their friendship.

But Alex still isn't herself when they get to the cabin. And Jocelyn reaches a breaking point during a rafting trip that goes horribly wrong. When the girls' tube tears it leaves them stranded and alone. And before they know it, the two are hopelessly lost.

Wearing swimsuits and water shoes and with only the contents of their wet backpack, the girls face threats from the elements. And as they spend days and nights lost in the wilderness, they'll have to overcome their fractured friendship to make it out of the woods alive.


#BookReview: They Threw Us Away (The Teddies Saga #1) by Daniel Kraus






Synopsis: "Buddy wakes up in the middle of a garbage dump, filled with a certain awareness: he’s a teddy bear; he spent time at a Store waiting for his future to begin; and he is meant for the loving arms of a child. Now he knows one more thing: Something has gone terribly wrong.

Soon he finds other discarded teddies—Horace, Sugar, Sunny, and Reginald. Though they aren’t sure how their luck soured, they all agree that they need to get back to the Store if they’re ever to fulfill their destinies. So, they embark on a perilous trek across the dump and into the outer world. With ravenous rats, screeching gulls, and a menacing world in front of them, the teddies will need to overcome insurmountable challenges to find their way home.


Thursday, January 07, 2021

#BookReview: The Nightmare Thief (The Nightmare Thief #1) by @niclesperance






Synopsis: A girl. A dream shop. And a nightmare thief, determined to get revenge.

Maren Partridge loves working in her family’s dream shop, where she can handcraft any dream imaginable. There is only one rule: dreams cannot be given to a person without their consent. 

Maren has no problem with this—until her sister, Hallie, has an accident that leaves her in a coma. Maren’s certain she can cure Hallie with a few well-chosen dreams. And when no one is watching, she slips her a flying dream.

But a new customer from the shop has been following Maren and knows what she did. And the stranger has laid the perfect trap to blackmail Maren into creating custom nightmares for a dark and terrible purpose. As Maren gets drawn further into the woman's sinister scheme, she must make a choice: to protect her family or to protect the town from her family’s magic.
 



#BookReview: Unplugged by @gordonkorman






Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables, the Masterminds series, and Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries.

As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, Jett Baranov has always gotten exactly what he wanted. So, when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of Little Rock, Arkansas, at a wellness camp called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids.

At the Oasis, he meets Grace, who is his polar opposite. She thrives in the wellness atmosphere and resents Jett’s terrible attitude. Then there’s Tyrell, who suffers from a dizzying list of food allergies that render him constantly itchy. And also Brooklynne, a girl who definitely seems to be hiding something.

As the weeks go on, Jett starts to get used to the unplugged life and even bonds with the other kids over their discovery of a baby lizard-turned-pet, Needles. But he can’t help noticing that the adults at the Oasis are acting really strange…

Jett is determined to get to the bottom of things, but can he convince the other kids that he is no longer just a spoiled brat making trouble?


Thursday, December 10, 2020

#CoverReveal: The Problem at Wisteria Gardens (A Pekin Dewlap Mystery, #3) by #PamelaMcCord @RABTBookTours @PublishingAcorn #Giveaway


 


A Pekin Dewlap Mystery

Middle Grade Mystery

Date Published: 3/9/21

Publisher: Acorn Publishing



The ghost haunting Wisteria Gardens Antiques appears to be a charming and loving mother who can’t stand the thought of being separated from her son.

But appearances can be deceiving.

The Ghosties are moved by her expression of devotion, until they discover the truth. Her attachment to the real world has nothing to do with love.

As the teen ghost hunters struggle with the case, Althea’s determination to stay threatens their very lives. Will Pekin, Scout, and Amber convince the ghost to move on before it's too late?

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

#NerdBlast: Girls Can!: Smash Stereotypes, Defy Expectations, and Make History! by @MarsinCharge @BlackMajiik



Girls Can!
Innovate! Discover! Create! Lead nations AND rule kingdoms.
Girls can change the world!


This book puts to rest the tired adages of things girls "can't" do with powerful proof that girls not only CAN, but they DO!

Featuring profiles of over 75 remarkable women from across centuries and around the world, from math whiz Katherine Johnson to legendary leaders like Queen Elizabeth I, game changers like Serena Williams to avant-garde artists like Frida Kahlo, and so many more, you'll discover amazing, diverse women, both famous and little-known, who smashed stereotypes, overcame odds, and achieved their goals.

With interviews and encouraging advice from world-changing women of today such as media mogul Oprah Winfrey, philanthropist Melinda Gates, renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour, National Geographic explorers and planet protectors like Sylvia Earle, and more, as well as concrete tips for breaking barriers and raising your voice, this inspirational book will have you ready to follow in the footsteps of women who made-and are making-history.


Tuesday, November 10, 2020

#BookReview: Malcolm and Me by Robin Farmer






Synopsis: Philly native Roberta Forest is a precocious rebel with the soul of a poet. The thirteen-year-old is young, gifted, black, and Catholic—although she’s uncertain about the Catholic part after she calls Thomas Jefferson a hypocrite for enslaving people and her nun responds with a racist insult. Their ensuing fight makes Roberta question God and the important adults in her life, all of whom seem to see truth as gray when Roberta believes it’s black or white.

An upcoming essay contest, writing poetry, and reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X all help Roberta cope with the various difficulties she’s experiencing in her life, including her parent’s troubled marriage. But when she’s told she’s ineligible to compete in the school’s essay contest, her explosive reaction to the news leads to a confrontation with her mother, who shares some family truths Roberta isn’t ready for.

Set against the backdrop of Watergate and the post-civil rights movement era, Angel Dressed in Black is a gritty yet graceful examination of the anguish teens experience when their growing awareness of themselves and the world around them unravels their sense of security—a coming-of-age tale of truth-telling, faith, family, forgiveness, and social activism.


Tuesday, October 20, 2020

#BookReview: Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly






Synopsis: From Jennifer Donnelly, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Stepsister, comes a fairytale retelling that'll forever change the way you think about strength, power, and the real meaning of "happily ever after."
Once upon a time, a girl named Sophie rode into the forest with the queen's huntsman. Her lips were the color of ripe cherries, her skin as soft as new-fallen snow, her hair as dark as midnight. When they stopped to rest, the huntsman took out his knife . . . and took Sophie's heart. 

It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Sophie had heard the rumors, the whispers. They said she was too kind and foolish to rule -- a waste of a princess. A disaster of a future queen. And Sophie believed them. She believed everything she'd heard about herself, the poisonous words people use to keep girls like Sophie from becoming too powerful, too strong . . .

With the help of seven mysterious strangers, Sophie manages to survive. But when she realizes that the jealous queen might not be to blame, Sophie must find the courage to face an even more terrifying enemy, proving that even the darkest magic can't extinguish the fire burning inside every girl, and that kindness is the ultimate form of strength.
 


Thursday, October 15, 2020

#ReleaseBlitz: The Chimera's Apprentice by @rosmuir @RABTBookTours #Giveaway



 

Book One of a trilogy

(Upper) Middle Grade fantasy adventure

 Date Published: October 15, 2020

Publisher: Rainscape Media Inc.


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 Walking talking rats aren’t real, right? After Kyra, 13, is transported from Earth to another world, Antiica, she’s thrust into her father’s war with the rat people, the Raturro, and must save her kidnapped mother. Kyra sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue her and is aided by Coyne, a teen who deserted the army and Mercy, a teen rat girl who was once Kyra’s childhood friend. But it’s Kyra’s new bond with the Chimera, a magical creature that travels through stone, which changes her life completely. The Chimera’s Apprentice is the story of a girl and her monster—and a desperate search for her family.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

#BookReview: Dog Show Disaster (Princess in Camo #3) by Missy Robertson, Mia Robertson, Jill Osborne






Synopsis: In the third book in the Princess in Camo series—Dog Show Disaster—just maybe, reality TV star Allie Carroway is in over her head! When Allie is unanimously elected by her schoolmates as the Student Project Manager of this year’s end-of-the-year school carnival and fundraiser she is excited. Her friends and family love her idea of having a dog show as part of the festivities and know it will be the perfect way to raise money for the local animal shelter.

But almost immediately things start going haywire. Big and small disasters start to happen, one after the other, and soon Allie cannot imagine how the Ouachita Middle School Bark Fest can possibly be a success. But with the super support of the Carroway cousins, family, and friends, and a strong faith and trust that God knows exactly what is needed and when, things start to turn around … but not without a few hurdles, including a bit of bullying and rivalries, along the way!

This third book in the Faithgirlz Princess in Camo series is the perfect addition to this unique storyline about a fun and faith-filled family in a world of class and camouflage.
 

Monday, October 12, 2020

#BookReview: In the Role of Brie Hutchens... by Nicole Melleby






Synopsis: Introducing Brie Hutchens: soap opera super fan, aspiring actor, and so-so student at her small Catholic school. Brie has big plans for eighth grade. She’s going to be the star of the school play and convince her parents to let her go to the performing arts high school. But when Brie’s mom walks in on her accidentally looking at some possibly inappropriate photos of her favorite actress, Brie panics and blurts out that she’s been chosen to crown the Mary statue during her school’s May Crowning ceremony. Brie’s mom is distracted with pride—but Brie’s in big trouble: she has not been chosen. No one has. Worse, Brie has almost no chance to get the job, which always goes to a top student.

Desperate to make her lie become truth, Brie turns to Kennedy, the girl everyone expects to crown Mary. But sometimes just looking at Kennedy gives Brie butterflies. Juggling her confusing feelings with the rapidly approaching May Crowning, not to mention her hilarious non-star turn in the school play, Brie navigates truth and lies, expectations and identity, and how to—finally—make her mother really see her as she is.

Tuesday, October 06, 2020

#BookTour & #Interview: Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries) by @ElizabethCBunce @AlgonquinYR @AnnieBookReader






Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England.

When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor.