Tag: middle grade

Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi [MG Review]

5 January 2023 / review / 2 Comments
Spell Sweeper by Lee Edward Födi [MG Review]

Spell Sweeperby Lee Edward FödiSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Nov 2021Publisher: HarperCollinsLength: 368 pages Genre: FantasyTarget Age: +9 Summary 💬 Most students at Dragonsong Academy spend their days practicing spells and wielding wands, but after flunking her sixth-grade standardized tests, Cara Moone is on the fast track to becoming a MOP (a.k.a. Magical Occurrence Purger). See, when a real wizard casts a spell, it leaves behind a residue called spell dust—which can be dangerous if not disposed […]

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and The Last Cuentista [MG Reviews]

21 December 2022 / brief reviews / 9 Comments
The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy and The Last Cuentista [MG Reviews]

These two middle grade speculative fiction titles had me thinking “Did I read the same book as everyone else??” Read on for some grumbly reviews. Click through the additional reviews for more positive takes! The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu Source: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Oct. 2021Publisher: Walden Pond PressLength: 423 pages Genre: FantasyTarget Age: +9 The Last Cuentistaby Donna Barbara HigueraSource: ebook/libraryPublished: Oct. 2021Publisher: Levine QueridoLength: 320 pages Genre: ScifiTarget Age: +9 Did you read any books this year […]

Medieval Middle Grade: The Beatryce Prophecy, Healer & Witch, and The Green Children of Woolpit [Summer Reading Recap]

20 November 2022 / brief reviews / 4 Comments
Medieval Middle Grade: The Beatryce Prophecy, Healer & Witch, and The Green Children of Woolpit [Summer Reading Recap]

Brief reviews of medieval middle grade novels Kate DiCamillo’s The Beatryce Prophecy, Nancy Werlin’s Healer & Witch, and J. Anderson Coats’ The Green Children of Woolpit.

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It [Nonfiction Nov]

9 November 2022 / review / 4 Comments
If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It [Nonfiction Nov]

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 Inspiring Individuals Found Their Dream Jobs by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac Illustrator: Scot RitchieSource: Hardcover/purchasePublished: 25 Oct. 2022Publisher: Pajama PressLength: 64 pages Genre: Non-fictionTarget Age: +8 Summary 💬 What does it take to become a stuntperson? How does a mathematician spend her days? When does a barber become the center of a community? In this refreshing take on a careers book, meet […]

Queer Middle Grade: The Best Liars in Riverview and Different Kinds of Fruit [Summer Reading Recap]

6 November 2022 / review / 2 Comments
Queer Middle Grade: The Best Liars in Riverview and Different Kinds of Fruit [Summer Reading Recap]

The Best Liars in Riverviewby Lin ThomsponSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: 10 Mar./15 Sept.Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette)Length: 327 pages Genre: ContemporaryTarget Age: Middle grade (suitable for 9+)Rep: Questioning/nonbinary protagonist, Black gay supporting character Different Kinds of Fruitby Kyle LukoffSource: Hardcover/libraryPublished: Apr 2022Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (PRH)Length: 313 pages Genre: ContemporaryTarget Age: Middle grade (suitable for 10+)Rep: Transgender parent, femme parent, “not straight” protagonist, nonbinary supporting character What are your favourite queer middle grade titles?What other contemporary 2022 […]