Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

Oliver is a major history nerd – and proud of it. He loves all things Civil War.  He reads Civil War books and even does battle reenactments. His room is decorated with flags and other memorabilia he has found online. When his history teacher announces a Civil War project, Oliver is thrilled.

He’s less thrilled about the details of the project. First, he has to have a partner. And his teacher puts Oliver with Ella, an unkempt girl who seems to be failing all of her classes. Second, they have to research Private Raymond Stone – a guy no one’s heard of. It’s bad enough to Ollie that he has to work with a partner he doesn’t want. But he doesn’t even get to focus on one of the generals or battles he already loves.

Everything about this project is going to challenge Oliver – challenge his concept of friendship, his understanding of history and the Civil War, and his understanding of himself.

Review

Outstanding! I absolutely adored this book! It’s smart and informative and SO funny! The premise is excellent. There are some great history lessons worked in around an engaging story with great characters. The three kids at the center of the story are fantastic. Ella is maybe the most complex, but Ollie and Kevin have some fun depth and interesting stories. Mr. Carrow, the history teacher, is a hoot! He’s my favorite kind of teacher – he knows his material, he’s committed to keeping his students engaged with creative lessons, and he’s funny. The English teacher plays an excellent role in the story, too.

Family is another fascinating theme in this book. Ella’s family is the obvious one that first comes to mind – distracted parents, perfect older sibling, and Ella feels invisible. Ollie’s family, by contrast, is committed to helping Ollie and his sister pursue their own interests. And there are hints at other interesting families throughout the book.

The Civil War sections of the story are fascinating. The author is a history teacher, and he does a great job of making the information accessible and interesting to readers.

This book is the full package – terrific story, characters you care about, and lots of laughs and heart!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

REVIEW: The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

Three kids from different schools have a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. But they are not the kids you would expect to be chosen for a scholarship contest:

  • Melissa does homework for other kids for money so she and her little brother can have lunch at school. Her teacher assumes she is copying off of others. Her guidance counselor is convinced Melissa was included by mistake and assumes she will fail spectacularly.
  • Bondi is “Mr. Personality,” a guy who uses his people skills to help out kids in need at school and get a class pet elected school president.
  • Wilf has smooth moves, able to stealthily steal tardy slips. He’s not much of a go-getter at school or at home.

The scholarship coordinator, Mr. Smith, gives each of the kids a cell phone, a driver, a debit card for expenses, and three clues to solve. The first to correctly solve them wins the $10,000. As the kids work their own angles on the puzzle, though, they start to think there’s more going on than Mr. Smith has explained

Review

This fun, clever story feels like The Westing Game (♥♥♥♥♥). The puzzles are tricky and lead to various Chicago landmarks. There are fun twists that lead the kids to the truth of what’s really going on.

I enjoyed the three kids at the center of this story. I loved Melissa. Her guidance counselor was HORRIBLE. I loved that Melissa excelled beyond whatever pathetic assumptions and expectations her school personnel had for her. Bondi has the healthiest situation. His parents were great, and his situation was pretty normal. I didn’t get as good of a feel for Wilf as the other two. His relationship with his driver and the way Wilf approaches the contest does give some hints to his life.

This is a terrific, smart, and satisfying story! It will appeal to mystery fans as well as readers who enjoy clue and puzzle stories like The Puzzling World of Winston Breen or The Westing Game. This would be a fantastic class read aloud or a book club selection. You can find other reviews of terrific middle grade mystery and puzzle stories, including The Great Pet Heist by this same author, here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Great Hibernation by Tara Dairman

REVIEW: The Great Hibernation by Tara Dairman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

In the community of St. Polonius-by-the-Fjord, the annual Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver is the highlight of the year. Every citizen 12 or older eats a bit of the bear liver to commemorate the winter long ago when “saints” put the citizens into a winter-long sleep to survive the season.

This is the year for Jean to do her first bear tasting. But the liver makes her sick. Her parents hustle her home telling her not to give it another thought. Then they both fall asleep.

Jean and her little brother Micah, do what they can to help their folks, but it turns out all of the adults and teens have fallen asleep. Jean and one other boy are the only ones who were to be in the tasting who aren’t asleep. The mayor’s son assigns everyone jobs to keep the town running until the adults wake up But Jean is determined to get help rather than wait. But then she discovers some clues that this Great Hibernation is no accident. Jean may be in over her head.

Review

This was terrific! There’s a slight dystopian feel as the “mayor” and “police” start working their own agendas on the town and the kids. There’s lots of suspense as Jean works against them to try to save the day. And there’s a little math, science, politics, and law thrown in.

The team of kids that work with Jean made a great ensemble. Each brought something special to the team and to the plan to save the day. I would have loved another chapter or two at the end in order to see the schemers get their comeuppance. But I can imagine my own satisfying wrap up to everything that transpires.

This is an excellent middle grade story that would work for upper elementary readers as well as middle schoolers. The plot is intricate and fun. I also loved the author’s previous books, All Four Stars (♥♥♥♥♥)  as well as The Stars of Summer (♥♥♥♥♥). Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ + I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy

REVIEW: No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free, electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Emerald Axe of Angbar has been stolen from Baron Angbar, and he thinks Runar the sorcerer has stolen it. So he sends a servant to hire a bounty hunter. The servant hires “the Lilac” after hearing a bard sing about her accomplishments – only to find out that the Lilac is a teenaged girl. The Lilac, and bard/best friend Netta, are hoping to make a name for themselves – and finding the Emerald Axe would be a great way to do that!

Unfortunately for the Lilac, the axe returns on its own, and the Baron weasels out of paying her. But at least she and Netta will get a fancy dinner out of their trip to the castle.

When the axe goes missing again, Runar magically seals the whole castle until the axe is found and he is cleared of suspicion once and for all. And he wants the Lilac to find the real thief!

But then Runar is found dead, and the Lilac’s first case goes from solving a theft to solving a murder.

Review

This was a treat to read from start to finish. The voice and fun-but-chaotic story reminded me why Christopher Healy’s The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom has long been a favorite. In fact, reading this made me want to pick that book up again some time soon. The Lilac and Netta are a fantastic team – I would love to read more stories about their adventures together.

Nearly everyone in this book is hiding a secret, so there’s a LOT to uncover here besides a thief and a murderer. But each reveal keeps the frantic pace of the story up – and I loved that high energy. It made me want to get right back to the book each time I had to put it down.

I would absolutely read this again. This would make for a high-energy classroom read-aloud. Kids will beg for one more chapter. For the same reason, it would be a fun bedtime read, too. I think reading groups would get a kick out of digging into this mystery, too. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School by Mike Cavallaro

REVIEW: Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School by Mike Cavallaro

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Eowulf is back from a summer of monster hunting and adventuring, and it puts her regular kid life in a new light. It also changes her thinking about the town black sheep, Amadeus Hornburg. When Eowulf befriends Amadeus, her D&D friends pull away, telling her to choose between him or them.

When a monster attacks Eowulf and Amadeus outside his house, Eowulf discovers her parents have been keeping secrets from her that could change her understanding of her friends, Amadeus, and even her herself.

Review

This was spectacular! I knew it was a spin-off of the Nico Brave series, but I struggled to connect with those stories. But I clicked with Eowulf immediately in this. I loved this nuanced friendship story with fun fantasy elements. The artwork is great, and the story was captivating. I hope Eowulf will have more adventures in the future – I will absolutely be watching for more!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

REVIEW: Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free, electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Aviva and Holly have grown up knowing they were adopted. For Aviva, sometimes that makes her feel like she’s not really Jewish, like her grandmother. But with Bubbe’s encouragement, she agrees to perform a Hanukkah song at a holiday pageant at the Senior Center. Performing is like breathing to her!

Holly isn’t a performer like Aviva – her creativity is in her writing. It’s something she and her grandfather have in common. Her family is checking out the Senior Center for her grandfather who has had a few scary falls at home lately. But when Holly and Aviva come face to face at the center, it’s like looking into a mirror.

Could they be twins?!

Review

“I barely know you, but that expression on your face looks like trouble.”

Who doesn’t love a twin-swapping story? And this is a fun one! I enjoyed every bit of this. The two girls are great – separately and together. Their families are lovely, too.

There’s a fascinating piece of this story were Aviva wrestles with her identity as an adoptee in a Jewish family, wondering if she is “Jewish enough” while also realizing how much she doesn’t know about the Jewish faith, holidays, and traditions. Both girls get to explore this in the book while Aviva also gets to check out some pieces of Christmas while she lives with Holly’s family for a few days.

The swap is a lot of fun for the reader. And it opens up some other places where the girls get to think about identity and family and what they hope their discovery of each other can mean for the future.

This is exactly the right mix of holiday cozy and middle grade fun, and I highly recommend it. It would make for a great classroom read aloud around the holidays.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

REVIEW: Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair by Bob Scott

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Molly’s parents leave her home alone for the first time, and a bear crawls into the house. At first he’s scared, but Molly’s nice – and there’s yummy food in the house, so Bear decides to stay! He’s afraid of nearly everything which really starts to complicate Molly’s life.

This is darling! Bear is smart and sweet, and Molly is determined and compassionate. There are sweet moments and laugh-out-loud moments. Bear’s fear and anxiety is on display for most of the book. But it never overwhelms the optimistic friendship story.

Graphic novel fans and fans of animal books should absolutely check this one out. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would happily read more stories with these characters!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Kyle Keeley is back, and this time he’s hoping to win it all! Mr. Lemoncello is giving away his entire empire to a 13-year-old kid, and Kyle wants to be that kid.

Kyle isn’t the only kid hoping to win. There’s Simon and Soraiya in New York and Gloria in Florida as well as Betina in California. As Kyle gets to know the other contestants – 13 in all – his confidence starts to waver. Most of his closest friends chose to sit this one out, and he could have too. He’s not sure his gaming skills are best in the group. And running the Lemoncello empire requires more than game skills. But he also knows that Charles Chiltington is up to no good. Kyle has to stay in the game to keep Charles from ruining the Lemoncello legacy.

Review

A lovely send-off for, as Chris Grabenstein says in his acknowledgements “this particular arc of the Lemoncello universe.” While there are new stories – and graphic novels – still to come, this is a satisfying conclusion to the initial book series. The games are fun, and the contestants for the most part are endearing kids who hope to succeed. I loved that there was space for several series regulars to sit this one out. They set a boundary for themselves and pursued their passions – it was great!

Thankfully the Chiltingtons did most of their scheming off-page because I have been over Charles since the All-Star Breakout Game. But he got to make a final appearance and close out his arc while Kyle and Mr. Lemoncello closed out theirs. At least for now.

Teachers, librarians, and series fans will want to finish the series and pick this one up. There’s tons here to love!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements

REVIEW: The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Josh Willet’s Language Arts teacher, Mr. N, is like someone from the stone age! No computers in class. An honest-to-goodness CHALKBOARD in the classroom. And handwritten homework. What century is this guy living in?!

One night while working on his (handwritten) homework, Josh’s pen runs out of ink. The one he borrows from his mom has the word “Frindle” written on it. Josh looks up the word online and get’s an unbelievable surprise. The kid who invented the word Frindle? Nicholas Allen?

He looks just like Mr. N!

So Josh opens a new file on his computer, names it “The Frindle Files,” and starts investigating his teacher and this “Nick Allen,” the creator of Frindle.

Review

This. Was. Incredible.

It’s everything I wanted it to be. I should never have doubted Andrew Clements.

This has a familiar and similar dynamic as the original book without being an outright copy. And it’s sharp and contemporary without trying too hard. The main characters of The Frindle Files are like Nick and his friends from Frindle – smart and clever kids who aren’t perfect but who have good intentions. Their grown ups – both at school and at home – want what’s best for the kids. And that’s provided with both freedom and boundaries.

And the teacher/student relationship is everything I loved from the original.

Of course, I re-read Frindle for a refresh before diving into this – and I’m so glad I did. It made the call backs so easy to recognize. And I cried happy tears through both books. Clements fans and Frindle fans – do NOT miss this!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alex and Zoe Sherlock have decided to live up to their last name. Instead of babysitting or mowing lawns for money, they start a detective agency. With their friends, Lina and Yadi, and their grandfather serving as Director of Transportation and Logistics, they are ready to take on their first case.

After a couple of false starts, the Sherlock Society stumbles onto an environmental case. The kids use the reporting skills they learn from Alex and Zoe’s grandfather to start looking for a suspect. They also use Yadi’s film experience and drone skills to look for clues. Zoe’s understanding of people comes in handy, as does Alex’s understanding of the law and Lina’s grasp of the big picture, when their case literally explodes out of control.

Review

This is so fun! There’s great balance between the kid pieces – friendships, family conflict, learning to investigate – with  the case pieces. There’s tons for readers to learn – about investigating, about Al Capone, about Florida, about videography – and it’s all modeled by the characters in the book. It’s “showing, not telling” at it’s best.

The kids and the family feel authentic – conflict, confrontation, support, teasing, and teaching, all on a foundation of love. And the case is grounded in some details real middle schoolers would or could do. This is a terrific series kick off from a tried and true middle grade mystery author, James Ponti. His fans should not miss this one. Mystery lovers, kids who care about the environment, and readers who like ensemble stories should pick this one up, too!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.