Tag: Middle Grade

Children's, Historical, Middle Grade

The Boy, the Witch & the Queen of Scots by Barbara Henderson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

12-year-old Alexander Buchan was once content, training as a falconer at Strathbogie Castle in Huntly. But when his Earl sends him to Edinburgh to the court of the newly arrived Mary, Queen of Scots, the boy finds himself lured into a world of intrigue, terror and treachery. Alexander knows right from wrong, but how can he hope to outwit his master’s murderous messenger? Surely no one can defy an Earl – especially one whose wife is rumored to be a witch!

Soon, more than the boy’s own life is at stake: his friend Lizzie is arrested and the angry clouds of Reformation Scotland gather around the young Queen.

It seems that Alexander must spy – or die.

About the Author

Barbara Henderson has lived in Scotland since 1991, somehow acquiring an MA in English Language and Literature, a husband, three children and a shaggy dog along the way. Having tried her hand at working as a puppeteer, relief librarian and receptionist, she now teaches drama part-time at secondary school. Writing predominantly for children, Barbara is the author of the Highland Clearances novel Fir for Luck, The Crystal-Kite, the eco-thriller Wilderness Wars, the Robert Burns smuggling novella Black Water, the medieval Siege of Caerlaverock, the Viking adventure The Chessmen Thief and the Jacobite adventure The Reluctant Rebel. Her latest book is Rivet Boy, about a young Victorian breadwinner employed on the construction site of the iconic Forth Bridge. She has twice won the Historical Association’s Young Quills Award. Her only title for adults to date is the immigration memoir Scottish by Inclination. Barbara lives in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.

My Thoughts

This is a well-written and entertaining story that could appeal to middle grade readers, especially those fascinated by the period of history presented here. I don’t know how much young students will know about Mary, Queen of Scots and her accurate portrayal in history, but that knowledge isn’t necessary here to pique interest. Instead, we have a young male protagonist who is smart, clever, and appealing, displays extraordinary honesty and bravery, and is rewarded for it.

The action starts almost immediately and doesn’t stop until the end, which is a pace that will keep kids reading. The vocabulary is appropriate to the age level. Reading this could easily prompt kids to investigate falconry, tall ships, and even embroidery.

An more enticing cover would surely encourage kids to pick this one up.

Publication Date: April 11, 2024
Published By: Luath Press
Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy

Children's, Fairytales, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery

Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Strange and terrifying things are suddenly happening in a mysterious town where people are disappearing and changing into characters from the Grimm fairy tales.  

Twins Willow and Jake Grimm are not prepared for the bizarre gadgets and scary changes in their new home of New Marburg, the location of the top-secret Think Tank where their parents now have jobs as scientists. In this town, people jetpack to work, robots direct traffic, and senior citizens duel with laser swords.

Yet nothing compares to what happens the day after lightning strikes the twins’ house. Their school building transforms around them, becoming a medieval castle—complete with moat, drawbridge, and a dangerous giant who looks strangely like the school’s overly aggressive hall monitor.

Barely managing to escape before a massive beanstalk lifts the castle above the clouds, Willow and Jake learn that their ancestors, the original Brothers Grimm, were more than storytellers. They were Grimmwalkers, able to travel from our universe to Grimmworld: the universe where all fairy tales are born.

Somehow, Willow and Jake have been transported to Grimmworld as well. But before the twins can figure out how to get back to their own universe, they discover that their best friends, Hank and Pearl, have morphed into the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel and been captured by a candy-obsessed witch deep in the Cursed Forest.

Now, aided by a mysterious wizard with shimmering golden eyes and a befuddled, talking naked mole-rat named Chet, the twins must trust in each other, believe in themselves, and find the courage to face their darkest fears in order to save their friends, return to their family, and maybe—just maybe—save the world.

My Thoughts

The middle grade adventures coming out this spring are some of the best I’ve seen in years, and this one adds a lot of fuel to an already hot list. I was completely taken in by the imaginative blend of 21st century science and traditional Grimm fairytales in this fast-paced and fascinating mystery-adventure.

The modern day Grimms, Willow and Jake, are as appealing a set of characters as I’ve come across. They display the best and worst of sibling rivalry and support – very real life. The theme of family devotion and strength runs throughout the story, leading up to an ending that points to more adventures to come.

Middle grade readers who are familiar with Grimm’s Fairy Tales will thoroughly enjoy this 21st century upgrade.

Well done!

Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Published By: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Action Adventure, Children's, Indie

Lili Gray & the World’s Most Embarrassing Superpower by Ada Loewe

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Buckle up for a wild ride with Lili Gray, a ten-year-old with a super-secret power so bizarre, it could either be the most cringe-worthy thing ever or the coolest trick up her sleeve. Lili’s about to learn that what makes you different can also make you mighty.

The plot thickens with a twisty mystery—Lili’s dad has vanished into thin air! Is he just pulling the world’s longest coffee break, or is something more sinister afoot? Lili’s on the case, and she’s got her eyes on her stepmom, who Lili suspects is the supervillain behind it all—though she might be more misunderstood than truly wicked.

But this isn’t just a tale about Lili and her hush-hush hilarity. It’s sprinkled with a squad of quirky characters: a crafty uncle who’s got his eye on the prize (a.k.a. Lili’s special power), and a best buddy who’s the brain to Lili’s impulsive—well, let’s just say she’s the muscle of the operation.

Together, they’ll navigate a maze of laughs, life lessons, and the occasional laser beam of awkwardness. “Lili Gray” is a salute to the power of friendship, the ties that tangle in family, and the discovery that sometimes the things we’re most nervous to show the world are the ones that make us shine. Perfect for anyone who’s ever felt a little out of place, this story is a heartwarming reminder that true greatness comes in all sorts of surprising packages.

My Thoughts

Middle grade readers will absolutely cackle over this hilarious story. It has all the things kids love – super heroes, villains, triumph over evil (and snotty, stupid bullies), and a super power that is – ah – unusual to say the least.

The author writes in a colorful, comfortable, and accessible way that will appeal to young readers. As I read this, I was reminded often of the first time I read the Captain Underpants series and I predict this one could rise to that level it’s so appealing.

Published independently in 2024.

Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy.

Children's, Ghosties, Middle Grade, Mystery, Psychological

Mystery of Raspberry Hill by Eva Frantz

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A CHILLING MIDDLEGRADE GHOST STORY SET IN A SPOOKY SANATORIUM DURING THE 1920S

The grown-ups all think she’s going to die soon-she can see it in their eyes. Still, when poor twelve-year-old Stina is sent to remote Raspberry Hill Sanatorium she can’t believe her luck. She gets to ride in a real motor car to the hospital, which looks like a magnificent castle hidden deep in the forest.

But as Stina explores the long, echoey corridors of her eerie new home, she begins to suspect that the building is concealing a dark secret. How did the old East Wing burn down? Why doesn’t her mother reply to any of her letters? And what are the nurses all so afraid of? Stina is determined to solve the mystery of Raspberry Hil­l-but as she edges closer to the truth, she finds herself in terrible danger…

My Thoughts

This exciting middle grade mystery will appeal to young readers who like a lot of drama and a little bit of ghostly activity in their stories.. It is dark, to be sure, but experienced readers who like scary stories will appreciate the spooky nature of the sanatorium and the danger in which Stina finds herself.

The ghostly element is actually pretty tame. However, children who are sensitive to scary stories involving humans (not ghosts) should avoid this. Foreshadowing adult horror, here the scariest monster is flesh and blood, not supernatural.

There are many potential triggers here: abandonment, confinement, deceitful adults, and chronic illness, all of which the author conveys with a smooth delivery of story. The main character, Stina, is a very adult-like child similar in ways to Dickens’ child characters who were born into poverty and lived in unimaginable conditions. Stina, while a “poor child,” is also a loved child from a solid family, which is the red thread throughout the story. I just knew her family would come through.

Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Published By: Pushkin Press
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Children's, Mystery

Mystery at Movie Manor by Stuart McPherson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Iain lives in the Highlands where a movie is being filmed. He has been chosen to play a part alongside twin child stars Carol and Melody. Odd and unpleasant things start to happen. Wild animals are released from a nearby open-air zoo – wolves and a wild ape disrupt filming and threaten the children. When they join up with old friends of Iain, Raj and Raveena, they witness one of the film crew being attacked and injured, and discover jewel thieves are operating in the area. 

The Laird’s mansion (jokingly called Movie Manor by the locals), where all the actors are based, is burgled and personal items stolen. The Laird blames friends of Iain for everything, so the children investigate – a rather awkward investigation as they need to squeeze it in between filming scenes in the movie. Could their burglar be the same burglars who are stealing jewels? Are they releasing the wild animals? 

Despite facing terrible danger, the children solve a puzzling double mystery – and discover an unexpected secret about the manor.

My Thoughts

I’m going to date myself, but this fast-paced middle grade mystery is a cross between The Bobbsey Twins and Marykate & Ashley movies, making it accessible, fun, and engrossing for young readers. We start out with a trio of young people, twins Carol and Melody and village boy Iain, soon joined by two more village kids, Raj and Raveena. These five form an impenetrable and persistent quad of young investigators, each bringing their own talents to the investigation. And what an investigation! There are jewel thefts, a serious beating (handled with care), wildlife activists, and hidden passages all surrounding a core story of a movie being filmed in a gorgeous Scottish location.

This is exactly the kind of mystery that got me hooked on the genre when I was 8 and reading Nancy Drew & the Phantom of Pine Hill. I envision a new generation of mystery readers growing out of this one.

Recommended.

Publication Date: August 28, 2023
Published By: Troubador
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Action Adventure, Children's, Detective, Fantasy, Mystery

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But the Lilac has set her goals on becoming the best bounty hunter in the Thirteen Kingdoms—and when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta are eager to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

But when their investigation brings them to a dinner party at Castle Angbar, and they meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among them. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last. . . . 

My Thoughts

A bounty hunter called The Lilac who also happens to be a witty, clever, capable detective? Yes please!

Lila and Dulcinetta are a set of tag team adventurers who find themselves smack in the middle of a locked-room murder mystery. They manage to outsmart the bad guys, solve the mystery, and save the day while barely breaking a sweat.

While the characters are familiar from earlier Healy books, this one can stand on its own. The writing is irreverent and somewhat silly at times and could certainly be a gateway to Terry Pratchett’s work for young readers.

Published By: Harper Collins Childrens Books; Golden Pond Books
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Children's, Fantasy, Magical, Middle Grade, Mystery, New Releases, Teens, Young Adult

New From Penguin Random House

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I recently received a lovely package of upcoming middle grade and young adult books from Penguin Random House and thought I’d give you all a taste of what’s to come!

The Winterton Deception #1: Final Word by Janet Sumner Johnson

In this twisty middle grade mystery for fans of Knives Out, The Inheritance Game, and The Westing Game, thirteen-year-old twins Hope and Gordon enter a spelling bee in a last-ditch effort to save their family from financial ruin, only to find themselves in a cut-throat competition to uncover a fortune and dark secrets about the wealthy relations they’ve never known. Coming October 24, 2023.

The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby by G.Z. Schmidt

When six-year-old Beatrice Willoughby vanished at the Amadeuses’ annual All Hallows Eve party, people in the tiny mountain town of Nevermore were quick to whisper: They were always odd. Their house is full of dark magic. And when Mort Amadeus was pegged for the crime, the Amadeuses, once the center of society, retreated. They closed their doors, disappeared from life. People almost forgot. Until thirteen years later, when six envelopes land at the doorstep of six households in town: We cordially invite you to a celebration on the 31st of October this Saturday evening at the Amadeus household. So begins the mystery of who was really responsible for the missing girl thirteen years ago. Coming September 5, 2023.

Dawnbreaker by Jodi Meadows

The thin membrane of magic separating the human and demonic planes has been destroyed. Nightrender, the immortal warrior of the gods, must find a way to rebuild it, but Hanne—the serpent girl, always too cunning to be trusted, too hungry for power—has become High Queen, and is too consumed with ambition to cooperate. Meanwhile, Rune—married to Hanne, but in love with Nightrender—is lost in the realm of demons after a disastrous battle, wandering alone in a  twisted landscape of mercury seas, black-glass spires, and winds blowing ash … In this second and final installment of the Nightrender duology, the circle will close, and the world will be saved—or burnt to a cinder. Coming November 7, 2023.

Plotting the Stars: Seagarden by Michelle A. Barry

Forced to hide her new-found magic or risk imprisonment or worse, Myra enrolls in an interplanetary academy exchange program to dig up more about the government’s many conspiracies, but instead uproots even darker secrets that could drown everything she’s grown to trust. The second book in the searing STEAM-inspired Plotting the Stars middle grade series perfect for fans of The City of Ember and Divergent. Coming October 3, 2023.

Nightspark by Michael Mann

Michael Mann returns for the riveting sequel to Ghostcloud! Several months after the ghosts freed the children of Battersea and uncovered Tabatha Margate’s sinister experimentation on ghostclouds and cloudghouls, Luke Smith-Sharma struggles to divide his time between learning the ropes of being a ghostcloud and studying to become a detective. But not everyone made it out of the power station, and as he tries to adjust to “normal” life by pursuing his dreams, the guilt over his friends left behind is eating Luke alive. Coming October 10, 2023.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause 

Part folkloric fantasy, part journey into the bizarre, this delicious blending of tall tales and Latin American surrealism will haunt you as you devour it! It’s 1836, Wisconsin. Catalina lives with her pa and brother in a ramshackle cabin on the edge of the wilderness. Mamá died years ago, and the harsh winters have brought the family to the brink of starvation. Catalina has replaced her poet’s soul with an unyielding determination to keep Pa and her brother alive, period. Coming October 3, 2023.

I have been so impressed by the quality of middle grade fiction coming out in the last couple of years. The authors represented here by PRH are fantastic, and I’ll add some other favorites: B.B. Alston, Angie Thomas, Lora Senf, Nic Stone, Katherine Arden, Jess Redman, MarcyKate Connelly, and Kenneth Oppel. If you have middle grade readers in your life, check out these authors!