Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

REVIEW: Primer by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski

REVIEW: Primer by Jennifer Muro and Thomas Krajewski

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Ashley’s been in multiple foster homes as well as a group home before she goes to live with the Nolans. Mr. Nolan is an artist and a professor. He’s funny and relatable and down to earth. His wife is a scientist. Ashley’s convinced Dr. Nolan doesn’t like her.

Ashley notices Dr. Nolan acting suspiciously. She thinks that the box Dr. Nolan puts in the family safe must be her birthday present. She has no idea that Dr. Nolan has stolen this box from her job because what’s inside it is dangerous. She doesn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.

What Ashley thinks is just a kit of body paint for fun is actually a military project. Each paint color gives Ashley a different power. When a group of villains calling themselves the Night Knights starts trouble, Ashley uses the paints to fight them. She likes being a superhero. And she chooses her own hero name – Primer.

Review

This was so fun! I loved Ashley and the Nolans. They are pretty chill about her new super hero life – more relaxed than you think parents would be – but otherwise I loved the interplay with the three of them.

Ashley’s biological father, who is in jail, is far more alarming with his psychological abuse than the villain of the larger story here. This book only teases at this father/daughter relationship, but it will be a bigger focus of future stories. I will definitely be reading any sequels to see what the writers decide to do with that creepy relationship, especially as Ashley grows more attached to the Nolans.

The art wasn’t completely finished in my review copy, but what I saw was terrific. I can’t wait to see this one in person. DC has graciously provided a few sample pages so you can see the art for yourself:

The story here falls neatly between the light plots in the DC Super Hero Girls graphic novels and the more serious teen titles like Oracle Code and Raven. You can read my other DC reviews here. Hand this one to fans of Black Canary: Ignite and Batman Overdrive. I think they will love it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton

REVIEW: The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The pets enjoyed their life with “Mrs. Food.” It was Butterbean the dog, Walt the Cat, Oliver the bird, and the two rats, Marco and Polo.

The animals’ routine is upended when Mrs. Food slips on a mess Butterbean left on the floor. Paramedics come and take Mrs. Food away. The animals start to panic about who will take care of them. Then a girl named Madison arrives with the building manager to be their pet sitter.

The girl means they will get fed and Butterbean will get walked. But at some point the animals will either need to get jobs or find some money to buy food and supplies.

When all of the animals pool their personal treasures, they don’t have much to work with. But Butterbean does have a coin she found in the elevator. If the animals can find the human who dropped the gold coin, maybe they can find more of them. That would keep them all in kibble and litter and newspaper until Mrs. Food comes back home.

Review

This was a hoot! The different animal characters have fantastic voices. I adored them. The premise is wacky, and it helps to have it anchored by these great personalities.

The heist is pretty intricate. The author does a great job of keeping the story within the realms of pet fantasy stories (not reality, but in keeping with some of the basic ideas for the genre) with what fantasy pets are “capable” of.

There’s a bonus mystery to this of a secret that Madison the pet sitter is keeping. It dovetails perfectly into the story and adds a layer of satisfaction to the ending of the book.

This was fantastically fun to read! It’s funny and engaging. There are no slow spots. I hope there will be more books with these characters in the future. Do NOT miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington

REVIEW: The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Lexington was around 5 an EF5 tornado blew her into the Lexington, Nebraska zoo. An elephant named Nyah protected Lex from the storm. Her family never came to claim her leaving everyone to assume they had been killed in the devastating storm. Lex had no memory of her name or her life before the tornado. So one of the zoo employees took her in and became her guardian, raising her at the zoo. He named her Lexington after the town and the zoo.

Lex loves her life at the zoo. Roger takes great care of her. Her best friend, Fisher, lives there, too, as his dad is the zookeeper. Lex even does school at the zoo with Fisher’s mom. And best of all, Nyah is at the zoo.

Lex’s connection with Nyah is special. She communicates with Lex through a deep rumble and in images directly in Lex’s mind when she gets close enough. They had this connection that night of the storm, and it’s still there now, seven years later.

And Nyah’s message for Lex this time is urgent. The images she sees send Lex into the woods outside the zoo where she meets a ghost on a quest to find lost treasure.

Review

This unusual book – a contemporary story which takes place at a zoo but also has a ghost and elephant telepathy – was an unexpected delight!

As I first dug into the story, I read it with an eyebrow raised. Magical elephants? A ghost? It’s an odd story at first and those magical pieces were not what I was expecting.

But Lex is an endearing character. I loved her. My heart broke for her in her loss and in the harassment from other kids that sends her running for the zoo more than once. I was intrigued by the quest the ghost sends Lex on. The pacing of the treasure hunt was great.

By the end, I couldn’t read fast enough to see how the mystery would wrap up and what would happen with Lex. And I think the ending is perfect. This is intriguing, entertaining, and heart-warming – and so satisfying!

Give this to fans of elephants/elephant stories. I think readers who adored The One and Only Ivan might enjoy this. This would also be good for readers who enjoy magical elements in their books. This would make for a great book club book or a family/classroom read aloud.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Voyagers: The Third Ghost

REVIEW: Voyagers: The Third Ghost

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher – Dancing Lemur Press – in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is a collection of short stories for middle grade readers. There’s a mix of genres – fantasy, science fiction, history.  As examples, there’s a story with ghosts, some with time travel, one with a character on a slave ship, and another with nature-based magic. It’s an eclectic mix so readers are likely to find a few stories that click for them no matter what genre they prefer.

I think the format of short stories can be especially helpful for developing readers. Shorter stories means a shorter time commitment. For the longest time the books my students all wanted to read were 400 page behemoths. My poor kiddos who weren’t strong readers languished for weeks trying to make some progress on those longer books. A collection of short stories might have allowed them a sense of accomplishment when they finished some of the stories. They can also be great for classroom use as a group of students could all read one story fairly quickly and move on to discussion, where reading whole novels takes longer.

“The Orchard” was probably my favorite of the stories – I liked the characters. “The Blind Ship” was good and also horribly sad. I liked that it was based on a true story and that the actual journal the character was keeping was used to fight slavery. “The Third Ghost” is the story that has stuck with me the most since I finished reading.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Rival Magic by Deva Fagan

REVIEW: Rival Magic by Deva Fagan

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Antonia Durant wants nothing more than to be a wizard. She’s been apprenticed to Master Betrys for almost 6 months. She’s learning so much all the time. But her magic isn’t getting any better. She can’t even make a turnip dance.

Moppe Cler works in the kitchen at Master Betrys’ home. She has enough magic to make a whole kitchen full of turnips dance! But she’ll likely never have Antonia’s magical knowledge.

Antonia’s afraid her mother will make her leave Master Betrys if her magic doesn’t improve. But then she finds out her mother only let her go in the first place because she wanted Antonia to spy on Master Betrys. Betrys knows something about the lost crown of Medasia. Rival factions want the crown for their own purposes. And Master Betrys and the girls are caught in the middle.

After a disastrous magical display at a gala, Master Betrys is ready to expel both of her apprentices. But when she is later falsely accused of treason, Antonia and Moppe are her only hope for freedom.

Review

This was fantastic! It’s well-written middle grade fantasy with magic and mermaids, sea serpents and secrets. The world-building and the pacing was great.  I especially enjoyed how the author chose to deal with magic words/spells. Brilliant. And if you get a close look at the cover, you will see all sorts of great references from the book.

At its core, this is a friendship story. Antonia and Moppe see a lot to envy in one another. They are antagonistic to each other out of jealousy and competition. The envy/jealousy was realistic without being too angsty or overplayed. But in time they start to see they are better together. There’s great foreshadowing of the conflict that will arise. And all of it plays out so well!

I would absolutely read more books from this world if this becomes a series. Hand this to fans of the Twinchantment books or the Fairytale Reform School series or the Camelot Code series – or really any middle grade fantasy.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

REVIEW: Nat Enough by Maria Scrivan

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Just before Natalie starts at the local middle school, her best friend Lily moves across town. They’ll still be at  school together, but Lily’s been “busy” since she moved. So Natalie is feeling disconnected when school starts. Natalie’s nervous about starting at the larger school, but she feels secure knowing Lily will be there, too.

But Lily has made a new friend – Alex. Alex is super popular – athletic, talented, and stylish. Nat is desperate to get Lily back as her best friend, but it’s hard to compete with someone like Alex.

Review

This is lovely! Hand this new graphic novel to fans of Smile (♥♥♥♥), Real Friends (♥♥♥♥), or Just Jaime (♥♥♥♥), and I think they will love it! The art style here is great. The story is told through Natalie’s sketchbook. Readers should keep an eye on Nat’s pets because they are usually doing something fun on the pages where they appear.

There are hints in the art work early on for the sort of “friend” Lily is. Careful reading of the pictures will clue kids in that Lily is Nat’s friend because Nat lets Lily do whatever she wants. It’s pretty sad. But through the course of the book, Natalie makes some REAL friends – friends who point out what Nat isn’t ready to see yet.

The message of the story – focus on who you ARE rather than on who you are not – is reinforced in Nat’s contest entry which is presented at the end of the book. I love that the author included it – it’s a fun complement to the story.

Readers will enjoy this middle school friendship story (with a crush thrown in). The characters are endearing, the artwork is captivating, and the ending leaves you wanting to cheer. Don’t miss this one! Book 2, Forget Me Nat, will release in the fall. You can read about more great graphic novels for kids here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

REVIEW: The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House/Wendy Lamb Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Bea was 8, her parents sat her down to tell her that her dad was gay and they were getting a divorce. At the same time, they gave her a notebook. Inside they had made a list – The List of Things that Will Not Change. It included affirmations of love from both of her parents as well as a reminder that they were still a family, even if the family looked different in the future.

Now that Bea’s dad and Jesse are getting married, Bea is thrilled with the idea that she is going to finally have a sister. Jesse’s daughter, Sonia, is Bea’s age. She lives in California, but after Christmas she’ll be visiting New York for a week. Bea is certain they’ll become the best of friends and that Sonia will be as happy as she is.

But as the wedding gets closer, Bea discovers that different people, and different families, can have complicated feelings about big changes. And she discovers she has some complicated feelings herself.

Review

This was delightful! I adored Bea from the very beginning. She is creative and insightful and completely realistic for her age. The entire cast of characters is fantastic. No one is perfect or perfectly happy. There are complex situations and complex feelings. But the adults are committed to Bea and Sonia and to supporting one another. And Bea’s friends are a great support for her.

My favorite relationship in the whole book is Bea’s relationship with her therapist. It’s matter-of-fact and never something for her to be self-conscious about. Bea is honest about places where she holds back. She listens to what Miriam says, even if she isn’t sure Miriam is right. The whole thing is SO well done.

Because the relationship between Bea and Miriam is so strong, there are a ton of great pieces here about feelings and emotions – anger, emotions that can be masked by anger, acting on our feelings, dealing with worries, and imagining the feelings of others. I loved all of it!

The relationship between Bea’s dad and his boyfriend is great. Each has his own “voice” and way of relating to Bea that feels realistic. I especially loved Jesse’s relationship with Bea.

Not everyone in the book is on board with the gay relationship, which adds to some of the conflict in the book. It’s painful to watch, but also honest . And the book gives Bea space to process that.

There are SO MANY rich things that could be done with this book in a classroom setting – read-alouds with discussion, book groups, etc. But I think kids will also love just spending time with Bea and her friends and family, soaking up all the goodness here. Fans of Rebecca Stead should not miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Untwisted by Elise Allen

BONUS REVIEW: Untwisted by Elise Allen

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Kaloon has changed. Magic is allowed now. And to help foster a positive relationship between Mages and the general population, the teens of Kaloon will attend Maldevon Academy together (along with any Magical Animals of appropriate developmental level).

The transition to accepting magic came with a high price. The Battle for Unification was a terrible war between the kingdom and Dark Mages. It was only after Kaloon won that the kingdom’s twin princesses, Flissa and Sara, could truly live as individuals instead of pretending to be one Princess Flissara (see Twinchantment for the whole story).

Sara is far more excited about starting school than Flissa. While Flissa’s great with all the academics, the social scene stresses her out completely. Flissa would be happy to stay at home.

School doesn’t turn out like either of the girls expected. Sara keeps saying the wrong thing and offending her new classmates. And she freezes up in front of the magic teacher she wants to impress. Flissa is actually the one who makes a friend on the first day.

Soon the girls’ personal experiences are secondary as they watch the various groups on campus strike out at one another. Kids and teachers are still fighting the magic vs. non-magic war, just in more secretive ways. Is there any chance of Kaloon truly being unified?

Review

I liked this one even more than the first book! The integration storyline with magical and nonmagical factions was fascinating. Even better was the way the relationship between Sara and Flissa evolved! For the first time, the girls get to publicly be themselves. But they’re still discovering who they are after having a shared identity for so long. I loved this aspect of the story!!

There’s a great mystery here, too. Who is trustworthy? Who is working a secret agenda? The relationship between the princesses gets fractured over these questions. Sara is determined to uncover the truth. And her suspicions include some of Flissa’s new friends. For the first time there’s a wall between the sisters – literally and figuratively.

Fans of middle grade fantasy should be sure to check out this series! I think the books are better enjoyed if they are read in order. You can see my full review of Twinchantment here. I’m hopeful that there will be more stories starring Sara and Flissa and all their friends.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams

REVIEW: Eye of Zeus by Alane Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Phoebe Katz is a foster kid, a ward of the state. Her case worker found her abandoned at a bus stop when she was a baby. All that was with her was a note and a mirror, two precious possessions now.

Phoebe seems to be a magnet for trouble. She never causes the trouble, but it always seems to find her.  And it’s never made sense before.

Then, a statue of Atlas comes to life and speaks to her, calling her Princess of Argos and telling her she’s in danger. He tells her to talk to Athena to get the answers she seeks.

Thankfully, Phoebe’s friends Damain and Angie are able to help her find the statue of Athena at Athens Square Park. There, the statue comes to life and tells the three kids that Phoebe is a daughter of Zeus. The gods of Olympus are real, and their timeline and Phoebe’s on Earth are intersecting. Ares, the god of war, has broken the barrier between the two worlds, and Phoebe was sent away to protect her from a prophecy.

Now Ares has Phoebe’s caseworker as a hostage. Phoebe discovers a prophecy that says she must collect items from dangerous mythical creatures. Those items are the only way she can rescue her caseworker and thwart a prophecy that insists she will ultimately destroy Olympus.

Review

This was fun. There’s a Percy Jackson feel to this – 12 year old hero demigod with unexpected powers discovers her true heritage and heads off on a quest to fight monsters thanks to a prophecy.

Phoebe’s team includes one demigod and two humans, which changes things up a bit in the quest dynamics. I felt like there was some inconsistency with Phoebe’s friends. There were moments when they were cautious and reluctant and others when they were all in on the next step. I couldn’t find the thread to explain the vacillation in their engagement. Also, there’s no camp for training or preparation. Phoebe acquires all of her skills by instinct. It was one of the disappointing parts of this for me. She just somehow knows magical words to activate powers she never knew she had and what powers are part of her repertoire.

While there are a couple pieces unresolved at the end of this (Who is the school counselor who knew to give her ambrosia?), the quest is resolved and there’s no cliffhanger. There are a ton of monsters to fight and challenges to their quest. There are some moments of violence and mild gore as the kids get covered in monster goo.

Fans of mythology stories like the ones from Rick Riordan (or his imprint) or Kate O’Hearn should check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

REVIEW: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

April has lived in foster care since her mother left her with a note and a key April’s always worn around her neck but never understood. That key was the launching point for April’s adventure.

While on a museum visit, April recognizes that her key matches a Winterborne family heirloom – a jewel-covered box. She sneaks into the museum only to discover the key won’t turn. Then, she accidentally sets the museum on fire.

When April wakes up in the hospital, she finds her life has changed. Ms. Nelson represents the Winterborne Family Foundation, and they offer to take April in. She and four other kids are cared for at the huge and mysterious Winterborne mansion.

April is eager to see if her key will lead her to any answers about her mother, so she explores the mansion. As she slowly gets to know the other kids, she also discovers some mysterious goings on at the mansion. How far will a mysterious figure go to make sure no one believes what April says she has seen and to keep their own secrets?

Review

This was fantastic!! I only planned to get a few chapters in when I stared this. Next thing I knew, I was at the end. I could not put this down! The kids, the mysteries – all of it was perfect!

I am a sucker for a book with a great ensemble, and this has one. Each one of the kids has a story I would eagerly read. And even though I fell in love with each one just on the little I discovered in this book, it’s clear there is so much more to learn about each of them.

The mysteries are exceptional. Tons of twists and turns, including some at the very end. And even more unanswered questions to be addressed in future books.

And I hope there will be TONS of future books! This is the sort of book I would hand to every kid I know. This is for older middle grade readers (10+) and teens, I imagine due to the action and some violence involved in the mystery. I have yet to read an Ally Carter novel I didn’t love. But this is now one of my all time favorites. Fans of her previous books should run right out and get this one. You will not be disappointed.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥