Welcome to my Blog!
This is where I put my musings that don’t make it into my paper journal. I try to write about things that might interest other writers and readers, including reviews of MG books I’ve been reading.
The Fourteenth Goldfish (Believe in the Possible) by Jennifer Holm
The set up for this story is wacky, because Ellie’s grandfather, Melvin,injects himself with an experimental serum he made that reverses aging. He shows up on their doorstep as a 13-year-old boy. No...
Ice Cream Machine
Do you like stories about five-limbed, flying robots, aliens, sorcerers, sorcerers’ assistants, throw up, snot, belching, castles, kings, outer space, bad guys selling ice cream, good guys selling...
Stand Up Yumi Chung!
Jessica Kim’s novel, “Stand Up Yumi Chung!”, is a masterpiece of pacing, emotional story arc and all the things aspiring fiction writers notice. For its target audience, middle-grade readers,...
Maya and the Rising Dark
This story of a magical quest — of Maya and her friends fighting the forces of evil — is not my usual genre but I gave it a try because Rena Barron is an Illinois author and I like to support...
What’s Cookin’ Elliott?
The Elliott in Gillian McDunn’s book, “Honestly Elliott” is a sixth-grade boy who struggles with ADHD and some family issues but who also has a passion for cooking. Elliott lives in a smallish town...
More Alike than Different:Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign
Sara Schacter’s novel, “Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign,” is a marvelous read. It is destined to be a classic middle grade read, a friendship story with STEM at its heart. The main...
“Birdie’s Billions” : Watch Out What You Wish For
Birdie Loggerman is poor. She feels this more acutely ever since her mom and she moved to a fancier town in improve her job prospects. The fact that Birdie is poor doesn’t bother her much until her...
24 Hours in Nowhere
If you know (or are) a young reader who loves reading the survival stories of Gary Paulsen, you might want to pick up Dusti Bowling’s “24 Hours in Nowhere,” which was published in 2018 by Sterling...
They Broke the Mold When They Made This Grandma
“Clean Getaway” by Nic Stone, illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile, is the latest in a trend I’m seeing of middle grade stories featuring the grandparental relationship. It’s a trend I applaud and...
Blackberry Farm Stories Demonstrate the Joys of Differences
I haven’t reviewed a book on the younger end of the middle grade spectrum for a while and so this week I want to write about the Blackberry Farm series by Adele Griffin. Books at this level...
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