Tag: middle grade

Contemporary Feminism in Middle School: Dress Coded and Maybe He Just Likes You [MG Reviews]

5 July 2020 / review / 2 Comments
Contemporary Feminism in Middle School: Dress Coded and Maybe He Just Likes You [MG Reviews]

Dress Coded by Carrie FirestoneFormat/source: ebook/NetGalleyPublished: 7 July 2020Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin Random House)Length: 320 pages Genre: ContemporaryTarget Age: 10+ Molly Frost is FED UP… Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top when she had to keep her sweatshirt wrapped around her waist. Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn’t, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit. Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and […]

Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020 [TTT]

30 June 2020 / top 10 tuesday / 18 Comments
Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020 [TTT]

The title of this post says it all. List ordered by release date. Entirely speculative fiction and primarily middle grade fiction, with one adult (#1) and two young adult (#5 and #9) titles. Middle grade continues to impress. As you’ll see below, so many great stories, so many awesome covers. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (Jul. 21) – Puritanical society + dark powers + feminist fantasy + […]

Dominican Spirits and Caribbean Jumbies: A Dual Review [MG Review]

7 June 2020 / brief reviews / 4 Comments
Dominican Spirits and Caribbean Jumbies: A Dual Review [MG Review]

Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega πŸ‚ Interview @ Spooky Middle Grade πŸ‚ Review by Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense πŸ‚ Review by Cande @ Latinx Book Magic πŸ“ Plot summary: 12 year old Lucely lives with her papi Simon, who runs ghost tours in St. Augustine, Florida. Lucely can see the ghosts of her family. These ghosts live with her and Simon and take the form of firefly spirits (cocuyos, based on […]

18 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Books by Black Authors [List]

5 June 2020 / list / 16 Comments
18 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Books by Black Authors [List]

I originally wasn’t sure if I was going to create a booklist, because many people have already compiled more extensive lists. But I think I can play a small part in boosting Black authors by sharing my knowledge of middle grade speculative fiction. Because I’m highlighting what I know here, this isn’t the most comprehensive list. I’ve linked lists that offer more middle grade recs, as well as books for […]

#RamadanReadathon Wrap-up [MG and YA Reviews]

24 May 2020 / brief reviews / 0 Comments
#RamadanReadathon Wrap-up [MG and YA Reviews]

Amal Unbound by Aisha SaeedFormat/source: ebook/LibraryPublished: May 2018Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Random House)Length: 240 pages Genre: Contemporary fictionTarget Age: 9+#OwnVoices: Author is Muslim and of Pakistani descent πŸ‚ Q&A @ PW πŸ‚ Review by Sara @ Hijabi Librarians πŸ‚ Review by Fadwa @ Word Wonders 12 years old Amal, growing up in a Pakistani village, has just begun to realize that society places less value on girls than boys. She is the standard contemporary middle grade character with […]