Category: Middle Grade Fiction Review

REVIEW: Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life by Susan Hill Long

REVIEW: Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life by Susan Hill Long

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books  in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Josie has been living with her grandfather since her mom died. But lately things have gotten… odd. Her grandfather has been stashing wads of cash in weird places around the house. And Josie’s found a bunch of past due notices on their bills. And her grandfather often blurts out nonsense words. She hopes others aren’t noticing.

Her teacher at school IS noticing some other things. Josie’s grades aren’t great. Neither is her hygiene. Her teacher is getting suspicious.

Worst of all is the overdue mortgage bill. Once Josie figures out what a mortgage is, she realizes if she can’t come up with the money, they could lose their house. What would happen to her and her grandfather then?

Review

There’s a LOT going on in this book. Josie is trying to be the responsible grown up in her home, but she doesn’t understand mortgages and checking accounts. She doesn’t know where her grandfather’s cash is coming from. And the two of them end up at cross purposes at times while each is following his/her own plan. Then Josie’s best friend, Winky, is a baseball fanatic who is going blind, so he can’t play the game he loves. His favorite player, Joe Viola, becomes a regular character in Josie’s life. And finally, Josie’s teachers are trying to help out where they can see there’s need, although none of them know the whole story.

It took me awhile to connect to the heart of this one. The different threads felt willy nilly, and I couldn’t lock in to the characters or where the story was going. The timing of the story wasn’t well anchored for me either; I thought this was a contemporary story until it suddenly wasn’t.

But when everything fell apart, and Josie acknowledges the relief of not having to shoulder these burdens on her own any more, I found my connection point. I enjoyed the satisfying conclusion to the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

REVIEW: The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

A girl has been kidnapped and the police have come to the Liberty of Gammerbund, and Marzana’s parents, for help. Marzanna’s parents have had “adventurous” lives, and they have contacts in the Liberty who might not respond to police questions, but would answer theirs. So her parents start working their contacts, investigating the crime.

Marzana and her best friend Nialla have been looking for an adventure of their own, so they decide to follow their own leads to try to find the missing girl. Teaming up with a ghost named Meddy, a girl from school named Emilia, and two boys, Ciro and JJ, they form the Thief Knot. And together they start looking for the kidnappers.

Review

I know that’s a pretty short summary, and it doesn’t say a whole lot, but this is a hard book to explain. It’s really best read for itself. This was terrific! I didn’t realize it was part of a larger story until I started digging into the book. It’s not a series, necessarily, but maybe more of a spinoff of the Greenglass books. And I loved it. Some of the history of the characters and the magic of the world was missing for me because I haven’t read any of the other stories. But I was able to follow this without those details with no issue (other than wondering about the stories I have missed).

I love ensemble stories like this. The Thief Knot crew is terrific – with interesting connections and skills they bring to the adventure. The mystery was top notch. Lots of great twists – one big one I only half predicted and another big one I didn’t see coming at all. It was so fun to read! I don’t know that I’ll go back to read the other books in this world – I can only read so many things – but I will absolutely read more books with these characters if this becomes a series of its own. I loved these kids!

This would be a fascinating read aloud for a classroom or a family. Terrific for mystery fans. There’s a slight “heist novel” feel to this that I loved, too. This might also appeal to fans of books like The Great Greene Heist (♥♥♥♥), and other heist stories. This book is targeted to older middle grade readers (ages 10-12+).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Diana, Princess of the Amazons by Shannon and Dean Hale

REVIEW: Diana, Princess of the Amazons by Shannon and Dean Hale

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Diana, princess of the Amazons, is lonely. It’s hard to be the only kid on Themyscira. She’s too old for her dolls and other things she used to play with. And she’s too young for warrior training or to be included in her mother’s work running the Paradise Islands.

While playing with some clay, Diana fashions a friend the way her mother formed her. She doesn’t expect magic to happen – like with her own “birth.” But it would be awfully cool!

Then her creation, Mona, comes to life. At first, it’s everything Diana hoped it would be. She has a friend to play with, someone her age. But Mona doesn’t want Diana to tell anyone about her. And some of her choices lead Diana to do things she’s never done before – like lie, steal and rebel.

When one of Mona’s “great ideas” puts everyone on Themyscira – and the world – in danger from monsters, Diana has to rethink her choices and her new friendship.

Review

This was great! I loved this new look at young Wonder Woman. Poor Diana is struggling as the only kid on the island. Add to that the fact that all of the Amazons are strong and perfect. How can a young girl live up to all that? And when the business of the islands consumes her mother’s attention, Diana is set to take a fall.

I think kids will see the trouble Mona is up to before Diana does. And there’s lots to talk about and think about in her manipulations.

The wrap-up is perfect – there’s a happy ending, Diana takes responsibility for her actions, AND the adults actually listen to her concerns and ideas and take action. I loved it.

The art work in this graphic novel is lovely. Kids are going to adore this. Mythology fans (and Percy Jackson or Kate O’Hearn fans) will see some familiar references here. And kids who haven’t moved to Percy Jackson yet will find a place to launch their mythology journey here.

Librarians and teachers should stock up on this one. It’s going to be a hot commodity in your schools and libraries!

DC graciously sent me some pictures of the art for this one that I wanted to share with you so you can see how great it is.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

REVIEW: Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In 1955, as Albert Einstein lay dying and under the influence of morphine, the great genius spoke of a secret work. One he never trusted to humanity. And ever since then, the CIA has been trying to find it.

They aren’t the only ones. Over the years different governments – and spies – of the world have tried to track it down with no luck. The latest group calls themselves the Furies. They are disgruntled white supremacists, angry at the world and bitter about all they feel has been “stolen” from them. They would be among the worst of those hunting for Einstein’s final equation. And they are close to finding it.

The CIA has become desperate. That’s the only reason they would bring in a reckless, impulsive 12-year-old genius named Charlie Thorne. Agent Dante Garcia knows Charlie’s story and believes her brilliance could be just what they need to solve the mystery and find the equation before the Furies. But Charlie may be more trouble than the CIA is prepared for. And Charlie might not be prepared for what could happen to her once the CIA has what they want from her.

Review

This was great! I enjoyed the combination of mystery and action/adventure. Charlie is an interesting character – so smart but at times immature and naive. For much of the book, she was the only one I trusted. And that was a factor in the story, too. There was no super-surprising twist. The puzzles are pretty straightforward once Charlie figures them out. I loved the things I learned about Einstein and other scientists from the story. The ending was great.

There were parts that seemed too easy or too perfect. It was easy to suspend disbelief, though, because I was having so much fun with the story.

This has a lot more violence and death in it than you’ll find in most middle grade books, even if this one is for Older Middle Grade readers (ages 10 and up). It felt more like a YA novel in that way, although the 12-year-old protagonist would be young for a straight up YA novel.

Readers who can handle the violence (gun battles, fighting, death threats, death, etc.) will find a smart, fun adventure story here! I can’t wait for book 2.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Pavi Sharma's Guide to Going Home by Bridget Farr

REVIEW: Pavi Sharma’s Guide to Going Home by Bridget Farr

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Pavi Sharma has become something of an expert on foster care. In fact, she has a little business helping other foster kids in transition. She’s paid in Sharpies and Hot Cheetos. She teaches kids things like The Front Door Face, the expression to use at a new home to garner the right balance of sympathy and security so a foster family feels you will be a good placement. Pavi also uses her network of foster kids to get the real scoop on a new school or foster family to help a kid feel comfortable with a new placement.

But when Pavi hears that the new girl, Meridee, is going to the Nickersons, she doesn’t need to do any research. She knows from personal experience that no kid should go there. And she’s going to do whatever it takes to keep Meridee safe and far away from the Nickersons.

Review

I love a good, moving story about foster care like Touch Blue (middle grade) or A List of Cages (YA). And this definitely fits in that category. While I expected a bigger punch at the climax when everything comes out, this story is just right for a middle grade audience.

Pavi was a delight. My favorite part of the whole book was how she took on the role of mentor and guide for other foster kids – even the ones older than she is. The shelter folks seem to know something is going on, and they walk the line between confidentiality and filling Pavi in on some details. But they don’t seem to take her seriously in this mentor role. But the reader sees how important it is. And she’s doing it not to help kids scam the system or the foster parents but really to help the kids have a successful start at a new placement.

At the same time, Pavi does show some of the negatives that can happen with kids in the system – self-protective secrets (which shouldn’t be secret), easy lying, using her status as a foster kid to deflect some scrutiny, etc.. In this case she uses all those things not really for herself but ultimately to help Meridee. It’s handled well in the story.

Pavi’s relationship with her foster brother, Hamilton, is lovely. She trusts him, and he is eager to back her up in her work. He’s a nice contrast to Piper who bickers with Pavi because they both want Hamilton’s attention and time. Also, Pavi bristles at Piper’s seemingly perfect life and “first world problems” compared to what she feels she needs to do to protect Meridee.

The characters in this book are EVERYTHING. Don’t miss them. Be sure to check this one out.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty

REVIEW: The World Ends in April by Stacy McAnulty

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Elle’s grandfather is a “prepper,” a survivalist. He is always prepared for a disaster or catastrophe. And he’s trained Elle and her younger brothers to be ready for unexpected disaster at any time. All three kids have go bags full of ready-to-eat meals, first aid supplies, etc.. Elle’s getting older, though, and she finds most of the survivalist stuff eye-rollingly dull. But her brothers still find the drills fun, and Elle’s best friend Mack thinks the whole thing is fascinating.

On a search for end-of-the-world memes to share with her grandfather, Elle stumbles across a website that says the world will end next spring due to an asteroid strike. She’s appropriately skeptical. But when she finds out the author of the web post is a professor at Harvard, and she researches other asteroid hits, Elle starts to wonder if the guy is onto something.

When other kids at school overhear Elle and Mack talking about “TEOTWAWKI” (The End of the World As We Know It), they beg for more information and check out the website for themselves. Before long, Elle finds herself leading a club of kids who want to know how to prepare for the asteroid strike and the end of the world.

Review

Elle grew on me over the course of this book. By the end I was quite attached to her, and my heart broke for her as things played out at the end of the story.

On one level this is Elle’s story. It’s about her family dynamics and her school experiences. It’s about her friendships and her protective abrasiveness. On another level you get all the science and survival bits along with information on screening internet sources. I was intrigued by the asteroid information shared. There’s a good chunk of back matter in this about asteroids and the author’s research.

I think this would be an excellent class read-aloud or book club book. How do readers see Elle’s choices for informing her peers about the impending doom? Are there things they are as passionate about as Elle? So many threads of the story students can dig into! And reading this with support will ensure some kids who might not otherwise get it understand Elle’s devotion to her cause. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author pulled everything together in the end.

Fans of the extraordinary The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl (like me!) should not miss the author’s latest work. If you aren’t a fan of either title yet, be sure to check them both out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland

REVIEW: The Poison Jungle by Tui T. Sutherland

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Sundew the LeafWing is headed home with unexpected companions – Blue and Swordtail, the SilkWings, and Cricket the HiveWing with the dragonet Bumblebee. She’s taking them to her home in the Poison Jungle, the place where the LeafWings have been hiding for 50 years. But now the LeafWings are ready to stop hiding and fight back against the HiveWings. Sundew’s mother, Belladonna, has been leading raiding parties out, and her tribe is ready to unleash decades of anger on those who destroyed their home and the rest of their tribe.

But Sundew and her friends have discovered some secrets about Queen Wasp and her mind control. Sundew has a sample of the vine and flower she grows to control the other dragons. If they can find a LeafWing who knows what it is, they might be able to stop Wasp. But the Poison Jungle holds more secrets than the LeafWings know. Sundew is even keeping some secrets of her own. And secrets have a way of coming into the light whether you want them to or not.

Review

This was great! There’s significant suspense in this one. The jungle itself is a major source of suspense. And the characters are fantastic. I loved digging into Sundew’s story more. I adored her relationship with Bumblebee. The romantic subplot also gives new insights into the character. I loved it.

It’s hard to review this well because there are spoilers in almost everything I want to say. This ends with a major event and NO hints for what is going to happen next. And the next book – Dragonslayer (February 2020) – goes back to the history of Pyrrhia. Readers will be chomping at the bit to get back to this story by the time book 14 is released!

There were two places where I felt the story had things to say about contemporary issues. One is in the wrestling Sundew does with her feelings about the HiveWings. Her anger burns hot at the whole tribe, but when she considers them rationally, she knows none of the HiveWings – except Wasp – have acted on their own free will. So what responsibility do the HiveWing’s hold for their actions? They may not have taken action of their own free will, but they have enjoyed the privileges garnered by being the top race on their continent. Aware readers may see the racial comparisons to our own world. The second piece is a spoiler, but I will say it introduces the idea of immigration and raises some of the questions we wrestle with today. I’m eager to see how that part of the larger story plays out.

Fans of the series should dive right into this one if they haven’t already. You don’t want to miss it! (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Power of a Princess by E. D. Baker

REVIEW: Power of a Princess by E. D. Baker

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The fairy Queen Suriner and King Darinar are moving their kingdom back to the human world. And their half fairy, half pedrasi granddaughter, Princess Aislin, will be a big part of operating their new kingdom.

As such, Princess Aislin gets to choose her guards/ladies-in-waiting to help her. And her choices are pretty revolutionary – a fairy, an orc, a living doll, and a giant just to name a few.

But a mysterious “She” is trying to cause trouble for the new fairy kingdom. Whoever she is, she’s spreading ugly rumors and provoking attacks on creatures who are friendly to Aislin or her family. But she has something much more serious than nasty rumors planned for Aislin. And this unknown “She” is willing to use a familiar face to get what she wants.

Review

This was so fun! I loved Aislin once again. And her guards, her “mestari,” are just as terrific. This is a great girl-power story with an emphasis on character qualities like kindness and loyalty.

This is also a great fantasy story. There are great creatures like manticores and griffins as well as giants and fairies. There’s magic and spells and curses and such. But none of the magic is more enjoyable than the character and the leadership of Princess Aislin.

It takes awhile for Aislin and her friends to get the information they need on the villain for this story. But the slow build on that front was offset by the building of Aislin’s team and some fun fairy world building. The battle is wrapped up by the end – no cliffhanger. But the war is not yet over. There’s more adventure to come for Aislin and her mestari. And I am here for it! You can read my review of book 1, More Than a Princess, here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: More Than a Princess by E. D. Baker

REVIEW: More Than a Princess by E. D. Baker

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Princess Aislin is half fairy and half pedrasi. She may not be able to do the sorts of magic her fairy best friend Poppy can do, but her pedrasi connection to various stones gives her strength and magic all her own.

Long ago, the fairies left the human lands to live as a people set apart in their own lands protected by magic. But one day as Aislin and her friends are playing, the forest animals announce there are humans in their forest! Princess Aislin places herself in danger to save her friends. And she is “rewarded” when the human king she saves in turn take her to his kingdom.

Aislin is willing to do almost anything to keep her family and her people safe from the humans. So she endures taunts and thinly veiled insults from the nobility of Morain. But it becomes clear that the king is planning for war with another kingdom. And Aislin’s people could be caught in the middle.

Review

In the first few chapters, I was worried about keeping up with all the names and figuring out the magic of this world. But I was quickly caught up in Aislin’s story, and all the rest fell into place.

Aislin is a fantastic heroine! Smart, fiercely protective and confident. She might play things cool to gather information, but she also feels secure enough to stand up to the bullies, both adults and teens. I loved watching her fight for her people and learn what her magic could do along the way.

There’s a ton of action here. I loved the pacing of this – never too fast or too slow. And Aislin rises to each challenge she faces. Fantasy fans should be sure to check this series out.

I picked this up at the library when I was approved to review book two, Power of a Princess, which releases next week. I’ll be reviewing book 2 next week as well. Be sure to come back and see what I thought.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Shine! by JJ and Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an 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

Piper’s life revolves around music, although she says she personally can’t carry a tune in a lunch box.

Her mother was a cellist and also a singer. At Piper’s age she had a full music scholarship to Chumley Prep. Piper’s dad has always dreamed of writing musicals and directing orchestras on Broadway, but he never caught a break like that. When Piper’s mom died, he started directing music at Fairview Middle School so he had a steady job to take care of the two of them.

And now, her dad’s a cappella group has won the Winter Sing-Off, beating the Chumley Prep group. It’s a huge achievement for Piper’s dad. And it gets him invited to take the director’s job at Chumley after Christmas. A “perk” is that Piper can go to the school for free. She’s less than thrilled.

At the Winter Sing-Off, Piper overheard the arrogant Chumley kids mocking her dad and his group, but she was too shy to speak up. What is she going to do now when she has to go to school with those kids every day?

Review

“The brightest stars don’t just shine for themselves.”

What a DELIGHT! This is the kind of book I want to hug. I loved this – the characters, the plot, the message. It was a treat to read!

Piper is my favorite sort of middle grade character. She’s bright and sweet and over time she gets comfortable in her own skin. She finds a fantastic crew at Chumley which offsets some of the social issues at the school. Piper’s not perfect. She struggles with the pressure to be a star at Chumley and with her expectations of herself, and that leads her to vent that frustration onto a friend. But she finds her way back, on her own, given some time and space – exactly what you hope kids can do.

The story was almost as excellent as Piper. It’s a new kid story combined with an identity story as Piper is trying to figure out who she wants to be in this new setting. As an outsider, she catches glimpses of what the pressure of a school like Chumley can be like for kids, especially kids with parents who have sky-high expectations and the money to make things happen. And while Piper puts up with some taunting and some unfair treatment, she mostly has the freedom to find her place and be herself while she figures out the Chumley system and competes for an all-school award.

This would be terrific for a classroom read aloud, for book groups, or for family/bedtime reading. Don’t miss out on this one. You can check out my reviews of some of Chris Grabenstein’s other books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥