Tag: middle grade

The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz [Wyrd and Wonder Review]

27 May 2018 / review / 0 Comments
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz [Wyrd and Wonder Review]

The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz Illustrator: Hatem Aly Format/Source: Hardcover/Library Published: September 2016 Publisher: Dutton Books Length: 353 pages Genre: Middle grade historical/speculative fiction ★★★★½       1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the […]

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A Properly Unhaunted Place Offers A Creative Twist on Ghost Stories [Review]

26 April 2018 / review / 0 Comments
A Properly Unhaunted Place Offers A Creative Twist on Ghost Stories [Review]

A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander Illustrator: Kelly Murphy Format/Source: Hardcover/library Published: August 2017 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Length: 192 pages Genre: Middle grade speculative Cybils 2017 finalist ★★★★½       At the start of A Properly Unhaunted Place, Rosa and her mother, a talented appeasement librarian, have just moved to Ingot. Rosa feels frustrated with the movie because Ingot is “the only unhaunted place that Rosa had ever […]

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A Graphic Novel Review?! Yup, and it’s a Stunning One!

15 March 2018 / review / 0 Comments
A Graphic Novel Review?! Yup, and it’s a Stunning One!

Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez Format/Source: Hardcover/library Published: 2017 Publisher: Nobrow Press Length: 70 pages Genre: Middle grade spec fic (spooky) ★★★★½  Lorena Alvarez’s debut graphic novel for middle grade readers, Nightlights, tells the story of Sandy, a young girl who loves to draw. Sandy’s focus on her talent makes her an outcast among her peers at school. At night, Sandy catches the little lights that float around her bedroom. As she explains, “I catch the […]

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Middle Grade Castle Fantasies: Wednesday in the Tower + The Castle Behind Thorns

19 January 2018 / brief reviews / 0 Comments
Middle Grade Castle Fantasies: Wednesday in the Tower + The Castle Behind Thorns

Here are two books I would have loved as a kid. They would have been an appreciated change from the unicorn fantasy books I devoured. Wednesdays in the Tower (Castle Glower #2) by Jessica Day George Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren’t needed. Celie’s brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire […]

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A Delightful Early Chapter Book: Yours Sincerely, Giraffe [Review]

7 January 2018 / review / 5 Comments
A Delightful Early Chapter Book: Yours Sincerely, Giraffe [Review]

Yours Sincerely, Giraffe written by Megumi Iwasa and illustrated by Jun Takabatake Format/Source: Hardcover/library Published: March 2017 (Originally published 2011 in Japan) Publisher: Gecko Press Length: 104 pages Genre: Speculative fiction – early chapter book ★★★★½       I came across this wonderful little book while browsing new children’s books at the library. The discovery made me fondly recall those days when library browsing was my primary way of finding hidden […]

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