Middle Grade Fiction Book Reviews

Review: Sir DoGoody Button and Fleabins the Great…Troublemaker by K. Frances Carson

Sir DoGoody Button and Fleabins the Great...Troublemaker by K. Frances Carson

A delightful children’s book collecting the exhilarating adventures of two inseparable friends who wreak havoc everywhere they go, Sir DoGoody Button and Fleabins the Great…Troublemaker by K. Frances Carson is a charming work for new readers.

DoGoody is a well-dressed but goofy dog, while Fleabins, always attired in the most elegant garments, is a chaotic creature with a rather high self-esteem. Their explosive friendship turns an ordinary day into a wonderful adventure, sure to leave the Button family speechless, and make readers laugh out loud, as the book contains some authentically hilarious scenes. From a wedding to a public library, […]

2024-10-31T16:35:28+02:00October 11th, 2024|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |

Pixylations by Joe Laudati

Pixylations by Joe LaudatiA delightful book that revisits Irish folk tales and legends, Pixylations by Joe Laudati tells the story of a rebellious and talented pixy called Faela, immersing the reader in a spellbinding story about friendship, love, and self-acceptance.

The Irish countryside of the 18th century is thriving with magic creatures that have their own world and problems. Faela is not like all other pixies – first of all, she is blue and not a warm shade of yellow or pink like her peers. She is also not as tidy, or well-dressed, and certainly not as disciplined. She loves experimenting with […]

2023-10-04T10:54:51+02:00September 28th, 2023|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Eudora Space Kid: The Greatest Matchmaker in Space! by David Horn

Eudora Space Kid: The Greatest Matchmaker in Space! by David Horn

Expanding his Eudora Space Kid series with another interstellar romp, author David Horn crafts another hilarious and heartfelt adventure in The Greatest Matchmaker in Space! A wild and whimsical story set onboard the AstroLiner Athena means more adventures and mischievous plots by Eudora, a human adopted by alien parents on an intelligence-gathering mission across the stars.

Nothing gets past Eudora onboard her star-crossing home, and whether it is an impossible engineering puzzle to solve, or the personal problems of the highest-ranking man on the ship, she is ready to take on the challenge. However, inventing a foolproof scheme for falling […]

2023-06-30T17:40:11+02:00May 1st, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Boy from Three Worlds by Farida Mirza

Boy from Three Worlds by Farida Mirza

Boy from Three Worlds by Farida Mirza is a tender and acutely observed middle grade story of family and belonging, identity and self-hood, what it means to be a child and what it means to grow up, for an engrossing blend of social realism and adventure.

As the title indicates, the novel is about the meaning of home in a world where so many people find themselves torn between different countries, societies, customs, and worldviews. Within this swirl of cultures, the choices you make reveal who you are as an individual, and set your place within your family, bridging the […]

2023-05-02T16:52:45+02:00March 27th, 2023|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

The Zalthagor Box by Terrie Schultz

The Zalthagor Box by Terrie Schultz The supernatural and the uncanny are at the heart of Terrie Schultz’s The Zalthagor Box, a fun and chilling middle-grade read that will appeal to adults as well as young readers.

Not yet 14, Evelyn discovers she has a rare power: she can see things before they happen. So far it has been more of a curse than a gift, as not only does her mother not believe her, but she’s bullied by everyone at school. When her great-aunt Lillian passes away unmarried and childless, Evelyn and her family travel down to Virginia to settle Lillian’s affairs. While learning […]

2022-12-13T13:55:53+02:00December 12th, 2022|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Elvia and the Gift of Passion by Ruthy Ballard

Elvia and the Gift of Passion by Ruthy Ballard

Elvia and the Gift of Passion, the third installment of Ruthy Ballard’s Tales by Moons-Light series, is a magical middle grade fantasy that follows plucky Elvia as she travels from Oregon to Africa to the two-mooned planet Urth, where a beautiful purple-skinned, fashion-obsessed Uppie takes her on the trip of a lifetime.

Ten-year-old Elvia Hill’s passion for adventure is endlessly thwarted by her overly protective parents, who won’t even let her ride a bike, but that changes when her mother wins a trip to go on a safari in Tanzania. Although they rarely let their daughter out of their […]

2022-11-29T15:48:46+02:00October 9th, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman

Heartfelt and uniquely heroic, Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex by Carole P. Roman is an electrifying opening chapter to a new superhero series. An average kid lands an impossible spot at the most exclusive high school in the world, and must overcome his own self-doubt, recognize his powers, and seize his birthright.

Fueled by the same YA fervor as Harry Potter, this superhuman high school series deals with the supernatural and superhuman, but also explores the deeply relatable issues of growing up feeling different. Regularly challenging the boundary between reality and fantasy, from the prologue onwards, this is […]

Review: The Mime by Tommy Tutalo

The Mime by Tommy Tutalo

The Mime by Tommy Tutalo is a fantastical middle-grade story about finding the power in your voice.

Eleven-year-old Florina is a neurodiverse girl living in Mexico, who will not speak, as she struggles to find a place in the ordinary world while taking refuge in her own wonderfully imagined one she draws in her precious sketchbook. With exquisitely inked illustrations by Mexican artist María Gabriela Guevara Sánchez showing young readers Florina’s adventures throughout, Tutalo has created an appealing narrative with fully imagined characters and motivations.

Florina lives in Oaxaca with her guardians the Mochados, who own the ramshackle Indigo theater, […]

2022-09-13T11:53:33+02:00July 22nd, 2022|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: , |
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