Middle Grade
Books Intended for kids age 8-12
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Book Review: Thorns Among Shadows
I will admit that fantasy is not my most-read genre. For me to give a fantasy story five stars is a big deal, but Thorns Among Shadows earned every one of them.
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Book Review: The 4midables: How They Came to Be
When a former writer for the Inspector Gadget television series decides to write a novel, you can bet it's going to be full of gadgetry, right?
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Book Review: Bad Boy Wizard #1: The Astral Gatecrashers
Charlie's just your average kid living in a boring village (there's no way a village called Upper Bottom could be exciting), struggling with school and putting up with the most insufferable mom on…
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Book Review: How To Cook Everything Kids
This well thought out cookbook goes beyond recipes, taking deep dives into food preparation, kitchen tools and gadgets, and contemplation of what sort of foods your budding chef would be happiest making.
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Book Review: Halloween Treats to Make and Bake
At just 32 pages long, and loaded with brightly colored illustrations and photographs Halloween Treats to Make and Bake" is a cookbook your novice baker won't feel intimidated or overwhelmed by.
- Action and Adventure, Book Reviews, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magical Realm, Middle Grade, Suspense and Thriller
Book Review: Vera Warden and the Two-Faced Demon
It’s always fun when I’m drawn into a book by its cover… and then find out that the story not only lives up to that cover, but exceeds my expectations. Author J. Rose’s Vera…
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Book Review: The Secret of the Old Clock
When I was eight, I discovered a secret at my Gramma's house. Behind her huge console television, there was a bookcase built into the living room wall. I had to squeeze my way…
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Book Review: One Giant Leap
One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner My rating: 5 of 5 stars “I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.” is how Finley “Fin”…
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Book Review: Adventures of Jake the Snake V.I.P.E.R.
Jake is a snake, to be sure, but he's also a massssster words ssssmith who knows how to entertain kids while ssssneakily (ssssnakily?) increasing their vocabulary as well as knowledge of the world…
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Book Review: Let’s Make Bread
What might seem at first to be a simple kid's recipe for baking a loaf of bread is really more than meets the eye.
- Biographies and Autobiographies, Book Reviews, History, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Womens Literature, Young Adult
Book Review: The Rebel Girls Handbook
This colorful, engaging book provides an introduction to 300-plus notable women throughout history, along with a few facts about each of them and what they've accomplished.
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Book Review: The History of the Computer
While I enjoy the illustration style and find it engaging in a way that will help readers feel comfortable with the learning process, I have concerns about the book's content.
- Biographies and Autobiographies, Book Reviews, History, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Womens Literature
Book Review: Rebel Girls Awesome Entrepreneurs
This well-titled book is indeed awesome! It's filled with mini-biographies of innovative women who started with a dream, and went on to created their own successful companies, or vastly improve companies they worked…
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Book Review: Arko: The Dark Union
While scientists in Mexico work on Mayan ruins research , their offspring are off discovering—and playing around with—ancient alien technology.
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Book Review: Happily Ever After Rescue Team: Agents of H.E.A.R.T.
What if you could make wishes and have them granted by fairytale princesses who leap out from the pages of a magical book? What could possibly go wrong?
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Book Review: Rebel Girls: Climate Warriors
Rebel Girls Climate Warriors: 25 Tales of Women Who Protect the Earth by Rebel Girls My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read Rebel Girls: Climate Warriors in one sitting. I kept telling…
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Book Review: Just Right Jillian
Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier My rating: 5 of 5 stars Jillian is a smart, talented 5th grader. She’s got loving, supportive parents, a teacher who really cares, some good friends,…
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Book Review: Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa
While I love Pilar's personality and love of filmmaking, other aspects of this book didn't appeal to me. The decision to blend/mix languages was extremely jolting as I don't speak the second language…
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Book Review: The Trouble with Half a Moon
A thirteen-year-old girl growing up in the projects faces all sorts of challenges. But even readers who are living in other home situations will find plenty of reasons to connect with Delilah -…
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Book Review: Lemon Drop Falls
Twelve-year-old Morgan's mom, a professional life-coach and creator of a life planning system, has unexpectedly died. Her last words to her oldest daughter were, "Keep them safe, Morgan. Be brave for them. Help…
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Book Review: Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil
Tia Lugo Speaks No Evil by Danette Vigilante My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tia is a thirteen-year-old Latino girl growing up in a close-knit family in Brooklyn. Her best friend lives close…
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Book Review: The Timble Family Curse
The Timble Family Curse by Laury Falter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Timothy Timble is having a lousy childhood. Orphaned as a babe, he’s being raised by mean Storka Ickle in a…
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Book Review: The Places We Sleep
Imagine being twelve years old, a battle-weary Army brat trying to adjust to yet another new school in Tennessee, just about to get your first period... and it's September 11, 2001.
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Book Review: Riverland
Riverland by Fran Wilde My rating: 5 of 5 stars I went into the story knowing in advance that aspects of our protagonist’s home life might be difficult to read. Fran Wilde has…