The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: February 23, 2010 Review Although I do have the “retro review” label on this one, it is a much newer book than I expected when I saw the style of illustrations and read the first few pages. So many … Continue reading
Dan O’ Mahony has been a lifelong fan of the fantasy genre. It is the home of dreamers and outsiders who do not feel quite at home in the ‘normal world” but know, deep down, that they are heroes at heart destined for epic adventures and great deeds. He currently resides near Chandler, Arizona but … Continue reading
The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant Genre: Historical Fantasy Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: February 2, 2021 Review Tamzin Merchant’s middle grade novel tells the story of the magical Hatmakers, who have served the royal family of England for generations. Into each hat, they are able to add magic through various ingredients, always carefully weighing, … Continue reading
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Genre: Portal Fantasy Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: September 1961 Review The Phantom Tollbooth holds a special place in my reader’s journey as a kid. It was read aloud to me in fifth grade–a grade when most kids think they’re too old to still listen to read-alouds. It’s … Continue reading
The Second-Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street by Cory Putman Oakes Genre: Paranormal, Humor Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: August 18, 2020 The Second-Best Haunted Hotel on Mercer Street is a fun book that isn’t afraid to make its characters fight hard for their goals. At the crux of the story is a competition … Continue reading
Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter Genre: Fantasy/Graphic Novel Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: September 29, 2020 Review Dungeon Critters is a fun-filled graphic novel that may take its inspiration from the standard tabletop RPG but ultimately creates into a fun and original world that stands on its own as well as … Continue reading
Story magic by Laurel Gale Genre: Fantasy Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: August 3, 2020 Review Story Magic by Laurel Gale has one of the more unique magical systems I’ve read about in a long while. In this world, spells are cast by calling upon invisible creatures known as “listeners” and enticing them to … Continue reading
Hi, everyone! Well, we’re halfway through April, and I’m happy to say we’re back on our regular interview schedule. I’m very excited to have as our guest today B. A. Williamson, the author of The Chronicles of Gwendolyn Gray. I wrote up a review of the second book in this series back in February, and … Continue reading
The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills Genre: Paranormal Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: September 10th, 2019 Review There’s lots of kidlit out there about extraordinary children–children who have magical powers or are secret saviors of hidden worlds or just prodigies of some kind. It’s empowering with a sort of general understanding from readers that … Continue reading
The Fantastical Exploits of Gwendolyn Gray by B.A. Williamson Genre: Portal Fantasy Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: April 28, 2020 Review When it comes to children’s entertainment, there’s always two categories: the stuff kids will like and the stuff grown-ups want them to like. It’s a rare work that fits into both, yet Gwendolyn … Continue reading
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke Genre: Graphic Novel Age category: Middle Grade Release Date: September 5, 2017 Review It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a book aimed at the younger crowd, something I like to do on occasion. Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is actually the second of a … Continue reading
The Lightning Thief was first published in June of 2005. Since then it’s pretty much become a staple of middle grade fiction and a required part of the conversation if you’re going to chat about literature that incorporates Greek mythology. The first time I read this book to see what all the fuss was about … Continue reading