Middle Grade – Page 86

Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Give The Magical Animal Adoption Agency a home on your shelves!

Posted on January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Magical Animal Adoption Agency: Clover’s Luck, by Kallie George (Feb. 2015, Disney Book Group), $14.99, ISBN: 9781423183822

Recommended for ages 8-12

Clover feels decidedly unlucky, despite her name. One day, walking through the woods, she comes across a cottage in the woods – it’s an animal adoption agency! It’s not just any adoption agency, either – it’s a magical animal adoption agency, and Clover manages to convince the owner to let her work there as an assistant this summer. When the owner has to leave unexpectedly, Clover’s in charge – and finds herself faced with a very strange customer. Can Clover make sure the animals are safe, and manage to find some of them good homes?

This book is perfect for kids just stepping into chapter books. Aside from being one of the sweetest books I’ve read lately, The Magical Animal Adoption Agency is fun. Where else can you find out about the care and feeding of unicorns and baby dragons? The story is well-paced, sets up what promises to be a fun series, and has enough drama to get readers’ attention, without dipping into bleaker territory. Add Alexandra Bolger’s adorable artwork, and you have a fully engaging story.

I’m looking forward to seeing what other magical animals come through the doors of the Magical Animal Adoption Agency. In the meantime, this one will be a fun addition on my Intermediate shelf.

There’s a great Magical Animal Adoption Agency website, where you can submit a wish for a magical pet of your own, draw pictures of your magical pet – or print out Lost! posters, if you should misplace yours, and even adopt a magical pet of your own. Send your stories and artwork in – the site publishes contributions!

Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

Cybils Finalists Announced!

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m sorry to be a bit late on the news, I’ve been in bed with an awful head cold. But the great news is that the 2014 Cybils Finalists have been announced!

You can find the full list of finalists, across all categories, here.

I had the honor and privilege of being a first round judge in the Middle Grade Fiction category this year – and WOW, what an amazing experience that was! We had over 130 entries this year; 34 of which I ended up reading. And I was in the minority, which fills me with even more amazement and respect of my fellow children’s book bloggers/teachers/librarians/bibliophiles. Here’s hoping that next year, I’ll get to participate again, and I promise, I’ll get more of those books in. In the meantime, I’ve discovered so many new, exciting books that I can now handsell to the kids at all of my libraries and in my life. It’s a great feeling.

If you’d like to just go straight to the Middle Grade Fiction nominees, click here – I wrote the blurb for The Meaning of Maggie, a book which I hope everyone will read and find meaning in as I did.

More reviews to come in this New Year – and I resolve to get more picture book reviews in; I seem to have gone lacking in that area. If you have a book you think I’m missing out on, please let me know!

Have a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Alistair Grim’s Odditorium – fantasy and steampunk fun!

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alistair Grim’s Odditorium, by Gregory Funaro (Jan 2015, Disney-Hyperion), $16.99, ISBN: 9781484700068

Recommended for ages 9-12

Poor Grubb. He’s 12 – or thereabouts, and leads a pretty miserable existence. He was a foundling, and the woman who took him in died, leaving him at the mercy of her drunk, abusive husband, who feeds him only enough to keep him from starving and forces him to work as a chimney sweep. After he stows away in a trunk to hide from his master/stepfather after an on-the-job incident, he discovers Alistair Grim and his Odditorium, a weird and wonderful place where he meets a young prankster, an honest-to-goodness fairy, a talking pocket watch, and a samurai army powered by blue energy. Right after the mysterious Mr. Grim agrees to take him on as an apprentice, the Odditorium falls under attack, and it’s up to Grubb to make sure that the mysterious blue energy doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Alistair Grim’s Odditorium is a fun steampunk read for fantasy fans. Grubb is the classic orphan protagonist, whose origin is surrounded in mystery; Mr. Grim is the mysterious benefactor who takes him in to teach him his magic. There are automatons, there are evil forces, there’s good vs. evil, and a mysterious aether-type magic. All the elements are there, and Mr. Funaro makes them blend together to provide an exciting story that kids will love.

The author’s webpage offers a bio and links to social media, information about the Odditorium, and contact information.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Remember The Time Warp Trio? Now, meet the Left Behinds!

Posted on December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Left Behinds and the iPhone That Saved George Washington, by David Potter (Jan. 2015, Random House) $16.99, ISBN: 9780385390569

Recommended for ages 10-14

Mel and his schoolmates, Brandon and Bev, are the Left-Behinds: children of wealthy and/or famous parents who make little time for them, they’re shipped off to boarding school and spend the holidays there. On a holiday school trip, the three find themselves transported through time, ending up in Colonial America – just in time to save the life of one General George Washington right before the historic crossing of the Delaware. Armed with just his iPhone, Mel must figure out how to save his friends, save George Washington, and save America! Oh, and he’s on, like, 8 percent battery.

The story is the next step for fans of Jon Sciezska’s Time Warp Trio series, who are on a higher reading level and ready for a more challenging novel. The book looks like it’s the first in a promising new series, with likable characters, a rogue iPhone app, Benjamin Franklin (who makes anything in which he appears even better) and a mysterious nemesis. There’s solid history here: the author did his research and his love for American history is clear here. This would be a great book to have students read alongside a unit on American history.

The author’s website offers information about the book, a bio on the author, and transcripts of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, along with a section on where to catch historical re-enactments. For now, there’s only the Washington Historic Crossing available; I hope we’ll get some more as the author writes more!

The Left Behinds and the iPhone That Saved George Washington releases next week, on January 5th.

Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Not a Dr. Logan’s Divorce Book – a Survival Guide for Kids Stuck in the Middle

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Not a Dr. Logan’s Divorce Book, by Sydney Salter (2014, Character Publishing), $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-9890797-5-4

Recommended for ages 8-13

Eleven-year-old Logan’s parents have split up, turning her life upside down. Her father has already moved on and is dating; she and her mother have relocated from their house to a small apartment, and she’s feeling left behind by her friends, her father’s family – even her father, himself. Logan’s mom immerses herself in the teachings of a self-help author/TV host, Dr. Donna; Logan finds Dr. Donna quotes taped up all over her home. To combat her feelings of helplessness and frustration, Logan begins her own (Not a) Doctor Logan’s Divorce Book, part journal, part book of lists for dealing with the hurdles of being a child of divorce, all survival guide for kids.

I did not expect this book to bowl me over as hard as it did. Like half the country, I’m a child of divorce. Although my parents split when I was 18, rather than 11, I went through many of the same emotional upheavals and experienced so many of the same feelings that Logan describes – especially the feelings of anger and frustration with the parent that left. Ms. Salter covers the depression one parent experiences, and the almost teen-like personality the other parent takes on – how is a kid supposed to deal with this? She also manages to find the humor in every situation, from Logan’s botched “love magic” that she hopes will reunite her parents, to her idea that shirking her schoolwork will reunite her parents, albeit in the principal’s office. We take Logan’s journey with her, and see her through to the other side, when things just may get better after all.

The story, written in the first person, allows readers to place themselves in Logan’s shoes. Illustrations by Chelsea Eaton give firmer shape to the story, and I loved the journal entries, complete with notebook spiral rings. Different fonts help emphasize Logan’s writing versus her overall narrative.

Book discussion questions at the end are helpful to both book discussion groups and parents who may want to read this book with their kids, letting the questions lead them into deeper conversations about any life changes going on. There are also links to divorce resources for children and parents alike.

Sydney Salter dedicates the book to us readers, and to her nine-year-old self. My 40-something self thanks her for it. I’ll be getting this on the shelves at my library, where kids who need it will be able to find it.

The author’s webpage includes a Q&A, discussion questions about her other books, links to her social media, and a link to her blog.

History, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Women Heroes of the American Revolution introduces us to the unsung heroines of history

Posted on December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue, by Susan Casey (Mar. 2015, Chicago Review Press), $19.95, ISBN: 9781613745830

Recommended for ages 10-14

You’ve heard about Dolly Madison saving Washington’s portrait as the White House burned during the War of 1812. You’ve probably even heard of Molly Pitcher, who took up arms against the British after her husband fell in battle. But did you know about Sybil Ludington, the daughter of a revolutionary colonel, who rode twice as far as Paul Revere in order to warn her father and his troops of an impending attack? Or Deborah Sampson, who donned a man’s uniform and went to war, only to be denied a pension until George Washington himself intervened? Did any of us learn Phyllis Wheatley, kidnapped and sold into slavery at the age of 7, who supported America’s independence and wrote poetry celebrating George Washington?

You can find stories about these women and 11 more in Susan Casey’s Women Heroes of the American Revolution. The book is divided into five parts:Resistors, Supporters and Rescuers; Spies; Saboteurs; Soldiers and Defenders of the Homefront, and Legendary Ladies. Each section highlights 3-5 women who contributed, each in her own way, to the American Revolution. There are images and sources aplenty available for further research, along with a bibliography and further notes available for readers who want to learn more. A glossary helps readers with some terms they may be unfamiliar with.

This is a great go-to reference when beginning a project. I’ve had students come in and ask for books on the American Revolution, where they want to write on a more specific historical figure, but aren’t exactly sure where to begin. Getting some focus on lesser-discussed historical women would be a great way to generate interest for those students who may want something, or someone, “new”.

Women Heroes of the American Revolution is a great addition to Chicago Review Press’ “Women Heroes” series.

Susan Casey’s author page has great resources for librarians, particularly about her Women Invent! and Kids Invent! books.

Middle Grade, Teen, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Sticky Fingers – Duct Tape Fun for All!

Posted on December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sticky Fingers, by Sophie Maletsky (2014, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), $16.99 ISBN: 9781936976546

Recommended for ages 8+ with an adult

I’ve been trying to get back into crafting for a while now, and being a kids’ librarian is helping in a big way. My latest fascination is with duct tape crafts – I’m a public librarian in an urban community library, so this is an affordable craft that kids can create really useful things from, and have you seen the wild duct tape that’s out there these days? Hit up your local big box store, or craft store, and see for yourself – there’s everything from wild colors to licensed characters on duct tape.

Sophie Maletsky’s Sticky Fingers is a perfect craft resource for beginners and for far more advanced duct tapers than I. There’s a MESSENGER BAG in here, for heaven’s sake, and it’s fabulous. There are nine chapters, featuring crafts for home, school, to wear, wallets, even ideas for using the end of the roll itself.

Ms. Maletsky provides tutorials on creating duct tape “fabric” – the basis for many crafts – and goes from there, creating simple pouches, wallets, and even gets magnets and Velcro into play, creating clutches and purses. There are crafts for guys, too – belts, ties, sunglass and smartphone cases, wallets – it’s an equal opportunity craft, and it’s totally sustainable. Heck, if you check your parents’ toolbox, you’ll probably find a roll to practice with (just ask first, please).

Many of these crafts call for a pair of scissors, and some call for an X-acto blade – younger users need some adult supervision to work on these projects; no one wants a trip to the hospital marring their craft session. It’s a great way for parents and kids to create some fun projects and memories together. I’ve not only bought this book for my library, I’ve built a program around it.

Sophie Maletsky’s website offers even more craft ideas, including a whole section on recyclable material crafts. (I’ve bookmarked this site – I see many programs in my future!) You can also find party ideas, games (some, with a focus on Science, STEM people!), information about the author, and the ability to enroll in online crafting courses led by Sophie.

Graphic Novels, Guide, Middle Grade, Uncategorized

Lego: Legends of Chima Gift Guide over at WhatchaReading!

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve been in gift guide mode these days, as I’ve been getting a lot of my holiday shopping done thanks to the Internet (which helps save my sanity and avoid crowds). I’ve written a few of these up, and thought I’d share my Lego Legends of Chima Volume 3 review and gift guide, written for WhatchaReading.com.

By now, you may be in that panic mode, wondering what the heck to buy for kids who seemingly have everything: video games, action figures, cool sneakers. What the heck do you get a 9 year-old who has a better phone than you do? Relax. I’m here to help.

Kids love building stuff. I’m a librarian to a population that may guffaw when I try to get them to read, but when I bust out the Lego for STEM/STEAM time, it’s an entirely different story. So when I started adding Lego graphic novels to my collection, I knew these books were going to move, and I was right. I put the latest Lego Legends of Chima graphic novel, Chi Quest, on the shelf a couple of weeks ago, and it hasn’t been back yet.

Read the rest over at WhatchaReading!

Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

The Soldier – Bravery takes many forms.

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Soldier, by M.G. Higgins (2014, Saddleback Educational Publishing), $7.95, ISBN: 978-1-62250-901-0

Recommended for ages 8-12

Leyla is a 12 year-old girl living in a war-torn area. She knows the rules for going to the water pump near the market – always stop between the buildings, see who is there. One day, she notices a soldier who looks different from the others: the soldier is female.

When Leyla’s life intersects with the female soldier’s life, Leyla finds herself making big decisions. Can she keep herself out of trouble while keeping her new friend safe?

The Soldier is one of Saddleback Publishing’s Hi-Lo novels written for struggling readers. The ideas are complex, but are communicated with succinct text, and short, direct sentences. The illustrations add extra interest, and at 60 pages, allows the reader the experience of reading a full novel without the stress. I love this idea! I’ve got some struggling readers at one of my library sites, and books like this could really be the thing that makes readers out of those kids.

Saddleback offers teacher resources and more hi-lo novels at their website, and are sold through Amazon and BN.com. Take a look at The Soldier, and realize that Higgins communicates an impressive story in a concise and engaging way that will invite any reader to sit down and spend some time.

M.G. Higgins is an award-winning children’s and YA novelist and non-fiction writer. Her author website offers information about her books and a bio.

Fantasy, Fiction, gaming, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Minecrafters! GameKnight999 is writing another adventure!

Posted on November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hey, remember back when we were getting all excited for New York Comic Con, I had the opportunity to get a set of Minecraft novels written by Mark Cheverton, and so did you? I promise, PROMISE, promise, those reviews are coming – the Cybils awards are currently taking over my entire nightstand and starting to head toward my living room – but in the meantime, Mark Cheverton is writing another Minecraft adventure, and Sky Pony Press is publishing it!

The new book sounds like it’s going to be part of another GameKnight999 series, and it’s called The Mystery of Herobrine. We’re going to get more Minecraft secrets, and meet some new villains in this series. Mr. Cheverton even treated us to a glimpse of one of his new villains, Xa-Tul, the zombie king:

I’m really excited to get to these books. My son loved them, and was VERY excited to see this sneak peek. I also bought a set for my library, and I haven’t seen them since the day I put them on the “New Books” shelf. The kids are EATING this book, I swear it. In fact, once I get a book budget again, I may have to invest in another set. And I think I need to look at this Winter Morgan Minecraft series, also available through Sky Pony.