Millie is one unusual fox, and she knows it. She comes up with highly unusual thoughts, invents ingenious excuses to get out of her homework, and her classmates are not always sure quite what to make of her. But thankfully she has Ozy, one of the most loyal friends anyone could ask for. Together the two of them, their friends, and Ozy’s dad, Llewellyn (who happens to be a red dragon) enjoy various misadventures, whimsical conversations, elaborate schemes, and delightful bouts of mischief. Whether they’re navigating cliques, inventing new games, or just trying to make sense of life, Ozy and Millie are the perfect companions for upper middle grade readers as well as fans of Dana Simpson’s bestselling Phoebe and Her Unicorn series.
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Rating: 4 out of 5.
I didn’t know this web comic existed, but now I’m glad I do. The adventures that Ozy and Millie have are adorable and the two of them seem to balance each other well. Plus other characters, such as their parents, were great voices in the comics as well. I loved the art style and how vibrant the colors were. These comics are great for all ages and I do really enjoy that they included a glossary in the back for younger readers to learn about words they may not know and people mentioned.
Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp–something that’s way out of Katie and her mom’s budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting. First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they’re not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city’s most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie’s upstairs neighbor is really a super villain? Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who’s this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city’s history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats!
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
I was initially sucked in just from the description because it mentioned lots of cats, but I loved this! The surface layer of the story is a superhero/supervillain story, but beyond that it is a story about things that happen when a friendship starts to become distant and fade away. All of us have gone through it at some point, but an often time it does happen is in those transition years between middle school and high school.
It isn’t just a story about Katie catsitting and finding out things about the superheroes and villians in her city, it’s also somewhat about her figuring out what trajectory her life is going to take and who she’s going to spend time with.
I loved so many things about it and have to point out the details and personalities that went into all of the cats. I’m not going to say much more because spoilers, but I adored it! The art also was a shining part of this book, with a muted palette that perfectly suited the mood.
In the Night Realm, vampires, shifters, weirns, and other night things passing for human prowl the streets… but they still have to go to school! Ailis and Na’ya are pretty average students (NOT losers), but when a shadow starts looming and a classmate gets all weird, they are the first to notice. It gets personal, though, when Na’ya’s little brother D’esh disappears-It’s time to confront the secrets of the forbidden mansion in the Silent Woods!
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
I have read some of Svetlana’s previous works and absolutely loved them, so I was excited to have the chance to read her newest one. This is set in the same supernatural world as her Nightschool series and features some young Weirn teens who are not only living in their night world, but also dealing with some of the insecurities and difficulties that young teens face. The adventure that the two cousins go one while trying to solve the mystery before them is fun and has the perfect amount of spooky elements.
Chmakova’s art style is beautiful and the color palette perfectly suited the story and characters. I really enjoy how she depicts astrals especially and how each one of them had a different personality and look.
I think people of all ages would enjoy this story and it’s great if your looking for a light spooky read for younger readers. Svetlana Chmakova writes amazing stories for the middle grade age range and I recommend checking out any of her works if you think you might like her artwork or style.
Thank you again to the publisher for reaching out and sending a copy of this book to me!
Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy. For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late. With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
I cannot adequately emphasize how much I loved this book. If you enjoy middle grade and want a great adventure including Dominican folklore, tons of Goonies references (and that’s a sweet spot for me), an amazing grandmother and spooky ghosts with nefarious motives. There are so many characters I loved that I can’t tell you specific favorites, but the fireflies are definitely special.
Ortega’s writing flows wonderfully and I really love the voices that she gave her characters. Lucely herself has a lot of baggage that she’s dealing with and trying to figure out, but it’s not always at the forefront of her thoughts. There’s a strong found family element, but also knowing and loving where you come from. I just loved Lucely and Syd’s adventures and will definitely be checking out what comes from Ortega in the future.
There’s so much more I could say about this book, but I’m going to resist so that you all can experience it too! I’m lowkey upset with myself that it took me so long to read, since I preordered it – still I’m so happy I was able to include it in my October reads.
I’m excited to give you some info on this book, which is out TODAY! Check out the synopsis and info below and make sure to click on the link to the retailer of your choice to pick it up!
In this highly anticipated contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Maya’s search for her missing father puts her at the center of a battle between our world, the Orishas, and the mysterious and sinister Dark world. Perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent’s Secret.
Twelve-year-old Maya is the only one in her South Side Chicago neighborhood who witnesses weird occurrences like werehyenas stalking the streets at night and a scary man made of shadows plaguing her dreams.
When Papa goes missing, Maya is thrust into a world both strange and familiar as she uncovers the truth. Her father is the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark—where an army led by the Lord of Shadows, the man from Maya’s nightmares, awaits. Now that the veil is failing, the Lord of Shadows is determined to destroy the human world and it’s up to Maya to stop him. She just hopes she can do it in time to attend Comic-Con before summer’s over.
Rena Barron grew up in small-town Alabama where stories of magic and adventure sparked her imagination. After penning her first awful poem in middle school, she graduated to writing short stories and novels by high school.
From a very young age she loved reading stories where kids saved the world, tamed dragons, wielded magic, flew spaceships, became the chosen one. She desperately searched for characters in books who looked like her and was always disappointed to find none, which fueled her early interest in writing.
Before HarperTeen acquired her Young Adult Epic Fantasy, Kingdom of Souls, Rena spent 10 years in the query trends–writing across multiple genres and age groups in the pursuit of publication. In 2017, she entered Pitch Wars, a popular and highly sought-after online mentorship program that included an agent showcase round. Rena’s entry (then titled “The Last Witchdoctor”) received multiple offers of representation. She signed with Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary shortly after, and the manuscript went on to sell in a heated auction.
In addition to the Kingdom of Souls series, Rena also has written a middle grade epic fantasy titled Maya and The Rising Dark debuting in Spring 2020, pitched as Stranger Things meets Percy Jackson, that sold in a pre-empt to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
On a personal note, Rena loves all things science fiction and fantasy, ghosts, and superheroes. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading or brushing up on her French.
Olive is sure she’ll have the best time at summer camp with her friend Willow – but while Olive makes quick friends with the other campers, Willow struggles to form connections and latches on to the only person she knows – Olive. It’s s’more than Olive can handle! The stress of being Willow’s living security blanket begins to wear on Olive and before long…the girls aren’t just fighting, they may not even be friends by the time camp is over. Will the two be able to patch things up before the final lights out?
After reading Click I was excited to pick up the next installment and follow more of Olive’s adventures. Kayla Miller perfectly captures real life situations that kids go through. This story ticks a lot of boxes as we follow Olive and Willow to summer camp, and Olive – being an extrovert, starts making friends immediately and dives into summer camp, while also spending a lot of time with Willow. Willow, who is homesick and feels like she only has Olive, sees things from a different perspective. It’s a great look at young friendships, making new friends and learning that you don’t have to be the only person in someone’s life. I really enjoyed the story, though sometimes Willow’s reactions to things seemed a little over the top. The message that it would give young readers would help them navigate friendships of their own as well as enjoy a great story about two friends going to summer camp.
Can’t Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. In this weekly post people share a book that they’re excited about being released.
Today’s pick is one I hadn’t heard of until I was browsing through upcoming releases, and immediately upon reading the blurb had to add it to my list!
I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.
Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable.
But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness.
Fans of Holly Black’s Doll Bones and Tahereh Mafi’s Furthermore series will love this ghostly middle grade debut that explores jealousy, love, and the extraordinary power of friendship.
Aster and his family are adjusting to his unconventional talent for witchery; unlike the other boys in his family, he isn’t a shapeshifter. He’s taking classes with his grandmother and helping to keep an eye on his great-uncle whose corrupted magic wreaked havoc on the family.
Meanwhile, Aster’s friend from the non-magical part of town, Charlie, is having problems of her own — a curse has tried to attach itself to her. She runs to Aster and escapes it, but now the friends must find the source of the curse before more people — normal and magical alike — get hurt.
I was a little worried that this volume would be like a bridge between the first volume and the third, and while it did have some bridge elements it still stood really well on its own. There was a lot of character growth and transformation in this one and anyone who doesn’t love Aster and Charlie even more after reading this obviously will have read something different than I did.
I really loved the progression of some of the other characters that we met in the first volume, as well as introduction of new characters. Sedge’s sub plot in this one really hit me in the feels, and seeing him and Aster interacting and communicating more was great.
I’m kinda mad I slept on reading this one for so long, but so glad I did finally get to it. I can’t wait to pick up the next one!
After learning the truth about her own fairy tale, twelve-year-old Gracie wants nothing more than to move past the terrible things author Gertrude Winters wrote about her and begin a new chapter in the real world. If only things were going as planned. On the run from the evil Queen Cassandra, the characters from Gracie’s story have all been forced to start over, but some of them cannot forget Gracie’s checkered past.
Even worse, Gracie discovers that as long as Cassandra has her magical book, the Vademecum, Gracie’s story is still being written and none of the characters are safe, including her mom and dad. In a desperate attempt to set things right, Gracie finds herself transported into another one of Gertrude’s stories—but this one is a horror story. Can Gracie face her destiny and the wild beast roaming the night, to rewrite her own story?
After thoroughly enjoying the first book, Unwritten, I definitely wanted to pick this one up when it was available. This one pulls you right back into Gracie’s story not too long after the ending of the first book, and you quickly realize the different difficulties that the group is facing and the repercussions of the events of the first book. This book really becomes a discovery and acceptance of self for Gracie as they once again come up against Cassandra.
I really enjoyed Gracie’s journey in this installment, and while I didn’t really like some other character’s behavior, Gracie did come to internally work through the pain caused by a number of things and definitely grew up a bit in the process.
Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!
Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng’s care, Greta still can’t chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.
Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth.
I won’t lie, I will probably read anything Katie O’Neill writes, her stories are filled with so much heart and her art style is beautiful. I really enjoyed how this installment brought all of the tea dragon stories together, but I did want more when I reached the end. I wish there was going to be more in the series/world simply because I feel like there was so much potential for more to be added to the story. Still, it was wonderful to see all of the characters again and see where they are in life and where life is taking them. While I did want more, I still loved the story overall and fell even more in love with tea dragons.
The Wandering Wordsmith 