Tag: middle grade book

ARC Book Review: A Sky Full of Dragons (The Wand Keepers #1) by Tiffany McDaniel

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: MG Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Tiffany McDaniel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For younger fans of Witchlings and Eva Evergreen comes a light-hearted and whimsical middle grade fantasy about a young girl who must save her witch aunt from an uncommonly voracious hat.Where dragons take flight, through the dark of the night. Where the fire ignites, you will find the light. Aunt Cauldroneyes is always looking into cauldrons. She’s found everything from giggling moons to troll nose rings, but when she looks inside a purple cauldron one stormy night, she finds a girl with blue freckles. The old witch raises the girl and names her Spella. They live in Hungry Snout Forest in a crooked house with doors enchanted to smell like chocolate. In the attic full of floating fabric and biting buttons, Aunt Cauldroneyes teaches Spella how to make magical hats for creatures like unicorns and dragons, giants and goblins. When Spella turns eight, she receives an invitation to Dragon’s Knob, a school for wand witchery and wizardry. But on the very night Spella is set to leave, a stranger appears with a growling hat that swallows Aunt Cauldroneyes and steals her away! To rescue her aunt, Spella must go up into a sky full of dragons and to her new school. With protesters outside the gates threatening the school’s academic freedom and a deepening mystery within the walls, Spella and her new friend Tolden are thrust into the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance and a long-buried secret hidden somewhere in the school.

Thank you Tiffany McDaniel for the gifted copy and Simon Audio for the ALC.

A SWEET GEM.

I absolutely adored this book. It had all of the things I kind of look out for when reading middle grade. It felt like a book I could read to my little’s and that we could all enjoy together and I loved that vibe the most.

The world is whimsical and FULL of magical creatures. I liked the little footnotes explaining each one. It better builds the world and all of the different aspects to the plot. I loved the general theme of appreciating and taking care of nature. It’s playful and imaginative.

I am intrigued by the beginnings of some found family moments within Spella’s journey through her new school. I happened to have listened to the audiobook and thought it was fantastic too. I absolutely will be continuing this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle Grade Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3) by Victoria Schwab

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Middle-Grade Paranormal
Length: 304 pages
Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Where there are ghosts, Cassidy Blake follows … unless it’s the other way around?

Cass thinks she might have this ghost-hunting thing down. After all, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, have survived two haunted cities while travelling for her parents’ TV show.

But nothing can prepare Cass for New Orleans, which wears all of its hauntings on its sleeve. In a city of ghost tours and tombs, raucous music and all kinds of magic, Cass could get lost in all the colourful, grisly local legends. And the city’s biggest surprise is a foe Cass never expected to face: a servant of Death itself.

Cass takes on her most dangerous challenge yet.

FAV OF THE SERIES.

Really liked this one! A very quick audio read that I felt more invested in than the previous books. I attribute that mostly to the fact that I’ve really gotten to know and love all of these characters. Cassidy is such a great, younger main character. I love how strong she is and committed to her friends. Jacob is always there for Cassidy and I love that he started finding a common ground with Lara! The characters are the best part of the book.

The setting was fantastic!! Since I’ve visited New Orleans I felt it come even more alive through the writing. The depictions of The French Quarter and surrounding areas brought me there. All of the ghosts were creepy (and sometimes charming). A great spooky atmosphere without being over the top (since it is meant for a younger audience).

An enjoyable read as always. They make me smile and reaffirm that power of strong friendships.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle grade paranormal
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: being attacked by ghosts
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: slavery and racism (in reference to the history of some of the New Orleans locations)

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Book Review: The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life #1) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: MG Historical Fiction
Length: 316 pages
Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Publisher: Dial Books
Release Date: January 8th, 2015
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars.
 
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
 
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?
 
This masterful work of historical fiction is equal parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the making.

TEAR INDUCING.

This book hits hard. Personally as a Mom, this hit even harder. I was wrapped up in many many emotions by that ending and found this book utterly captivating in its poignancy.

I love how many things were handled. Ada is clearly suffering from the abuse she dealt with living with her Mom. When she and her brother end up with Susan things start to slowly turn around. This wasn’t some flip of a switch and everything was sunny. It was hard work and Susan showed so much compassion and patience that it made my heart burst.

This is a middle-grade book that is without a doubt appropriate for all ages. The depth of the writing and characters made everything feel so real. I felt like this gave another angle to World War 2 and what was happening with a lot of the children at that time. Ada had incredibly growth throughout the novel and wow did I want to hug her so many times. I love that she found a passion she could enjoy and a friend or two to lean on.

Watching Susan, Ada and Jamie find a way to heal together through grief and depression brought my soul hope. This is really a story for all and I am definitely reading the next book. I need more of this story and these characters.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle grade historical fiction
  • Language: none
  • Violence: war themes
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and emotional child abuse, ableism, depictions of grief and depression, PTSD (from abuse), depiction of anxiety and panic attacks

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Book Review: City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆  
Audience: Middle-Grade Paranormal
Length: 285 pages
Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 28th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They’re here.
They’re watching.

Cass can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead.

When Cass’s parents start hosting a TV show about the world’s most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh. Here, graveyards, castles and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms.

But when Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift”, she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil—and herself. And she’ll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

DELIGHTFUL AND SPOOKY.

And a fantastic audio book!! I really enjoyed this. I haven’t read a middle grade book in a long while and this reminded me why I like adding these into the mix. This was fun in a creepy way, and had cute friendship moments that I adored.

I thought Cass was a great main character. The writing was amazing in that I felt like she was definitely younger, but it never became annoying or drew me out of the story. I wanted to be her friend, cheer her on, and keep reading this story. The dynamic between her and Jacob was so sweet. I’m curious how that relationship will grow and evolve over the books (tears coming? MAYBE).

The plot was complex in its simplicity and I feel that really sways to middle grade. You knew exactly where things were going, but because of the writing and set-up, enjoyed the ride it took you on.

I just love Schwab’s books. And this is her first middle grade book I’ve read. After this, I have plans to read more of these!

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle grade paranormal contemporary
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: a little physical, nothing intense

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