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UNSETTLED by Reem Faruqi, narrated by Ariana Delawari HarperCollins, 2021 ISBN:  9781665077606 (AUDIOBOOK) Source: school library -- Sora Ages 9-12 Middle grade contemporary fiction (novel-in-verse) All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK For fans of Other Words for Home and Front Desk, this powerful, charming own voices immigration story follows a girl who moves from Karachi, Pakistan to Peachtree City, Georgia, and must find her footing in a new world. Reem Faruqi is the ALA Notable author of award-winning Lailah's Lunchbox. A lyrical coming of age story exploring family, immigration, and most of all belonging. Nurah is a compelling main character who I was rooting for all the way through. --Aisha Saeed, New York Times bestselling author of Amal Unbound When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah...

MORE SURPRISNG STORIES BEHIND EVERYDAY STUFF by Stephanie Warren Drimmer National Geographic Kids, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-4263-3865-6 Source: Media Masters Publicity Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Ever wonder how haunted houses got their spooky rep; where cheese originally came from; and when and where people decided hitting a tiny ball with a long stick (ahem, golf?) was their idea of fun? Prepare to be amazed by the surprising backstories behind the things you use or do every day! From familiar foods and common clothing items to bizarre beauty regimens and quirky products, this book covers all your burning questions: Who thought of that? Where did that come from? Why is that a thing? This riveting little treasure is jam-packed with awesome facts, fun stories, and colorful visuals. Once you know all this cool stuff about the origins of everyday stuff, you can "wow" your friends and family. REVIEW Each of the chapters in More Surprising Stories B...

DAN UNMASKED by Chris Negron Harper, 2020 ISBN: 9780062943064 Source: ARC from Blue Slip Media Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Whether they’re on the baseball field or in Nate’s basement, devouring the newest issue of their favorite comic book, Dan and Nate are always talking. Until they’re not. After an accident at baseball practice—an accident that Dan is certain he caused—Nate’s stuck in a coma. Usually, Dan can rely on his and Nate’s superpower—the secret language that only they know, a language of raised eyebrows and subtle nose taps. Now, if Dan ever wants to see Nate tap his nose again, he’s got to figure out a way to wake him up. But for all the time he’s spent reading about the adventures of Captain Nexus, Dan knows he’s no superhero. Heroes have powers—and without Nate, all Dan has is a closet stuffed with comics and a best-friend shaped hole in his heart. There’s no way a regular kid can save the day all on his own. Right? REVI...

AMERICAN AS PANEER PIE by Supriya Kelkar Aladdin, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-5344-3938-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK An Indian-American girl who struggles to navigate her two very different lives: the one at home, where she can be herself, and the one at school, where she is teased for her culture. When a racist incident rocks her small town, she must decide to continue to remain silent or find her voice. REVIEW This book was eye-opening in a lot of ways.  The themes that permeate the book are so relevant to the world today.  The story revolves around Lekha Divekar, a young Indian American girl who wants so badly to belong with her classmates.  Her parents are immigrants from India and have kept many of their traditions.  Lekha enjoys many of these traditions but she dislikes having to always answer questions about her traditions and beliefs.  She's also been bullied and stereotyped by those around her....

PREMEDITATED MYRTLE A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #1 by Elizabeth C. Bunce Algonquin Young Readers, 2020 To be released in October 2020 Source: ARC from publisher for review (Thank you!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor. REVIEW Myrtle Hardcastle...

INV ESTIGATO RS by John Patrick Green First Second, 2020 ISBN: 9781250219954 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK MANGO and BRASH are the INVESTIGATORS: sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T.* and scourge of supervillains everywhere! With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks—or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp? *Special Undercover Investigation Teams REVIEW In this amusing tale of mystery and mayhem, two alligators investigate the disappearance of a famous chef.  In the process they stumble across another crime involving the theft of a mysterious device called the Thingamabob.  Using secret passages through toilets and mustache disguises, Mango and Brash ...

BOB by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead illustrations by Nicholas Gannon Feiwel & Friends, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-250-16662-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade speculative (fantasy) All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A classic middle-grade tale of magic and friendship, about a girl who helps an old friend find home, by two New York Times–bestselling authors Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house. It turns out she’s right. Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who—or what—he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him f...

THE INQUISITOR'S TALE, OR The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2016 ISBN: 9780525426165 Ages 9-12 Middle grade historical fantasy Source: library ebook All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK   An exciting and hilarious medieval adventure from the bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm . 1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their quest drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, where all will come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints. Join William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Je...

This book seemed an appropriate one to have read after the last week of grief and shock.  Neither of those things are easy to face no matter who is or is not to blame.  This site is where I share my thoughts on books, but today I couldn't help but share my empathy for those who are hurting at this time. It's my hope that with the Lord's help we, as Americans, can learn to listen to each other, and work together to help each other heal. PAX by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen Balzer + Bray, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-06-237701-2 Ages 8-12 Middle grade  Source: purchased All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern fath...

I meant to have this up earlier since the list was revealed last week, but frankly it was nice to have a break! :) Be sure to check out the other finalists as well, there are lots of great books to read and share! I must say that I really enjoyed being a part of this and hope to do it again in the future! Middle Grade Fiction Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Chris Grabenstein Random House Books for Young Readers Nominated by:  Melissa Fox When a book is compared to  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Night at the Museum, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler , and  The Westing Game , you know you have something very intriguing in your hands.  A quirky benefactor invites 12 kids to spend the night in a new library. While there, they have to solve puzzles that involve famous literary characters both classic and contemporary. They also have to learn to work together. My avid readers have loved this book because of the mystery, t...

PAYING PIPER, or WHAT HAPPENED IN HAMELIN TOWN by Ilana Waters Kindle Edition, 2013 Appropriate for all ages Free on Amazon ABOUT THE BOOK The people of Hamelin have a problem with rats. There are rats in their houses, their stores—even swimming in their stew! The rats don’t think they’re a problem. They just want to live their lives in peace. With the town’s approval, the mayor thinks of a clever way to solve the problem. He offers twenty gold pieces to a piper to rid the town of rats. He delivers only five. But he’s cheated the wrong piper, who’ll have to use both skill and wit to teach this town a lesson. Because there’s more than money at stake. An evil pattern is emerging in the way Hamelin treats any creature it considers inferior. And the Piper vows to put an end to it—once and for all. Think you know everything about this classic folktale of greed and cunning? In “Paying Piper,” you’ll learn what really happened the day a magical musician came to Hame...

Tour Schedule   THE BUTTERSMITHS' GOLD by Adam Glendon Sidwell BATTLES.BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES. TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA. Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins.Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all. Young TorbjornTrofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and hi...

THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET by Shawn Thomas Odyssey Egmont, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-60684-143-3 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 3-6 Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK **A 2012 Edgar Award nominee** and **A 2011 Agatha Award Nominee** Oona Crate was born to be the Wizard’s apprentice, but she has another destiny in mind. Despite possessing the rare gift of natural magic, Oona wants to be a detective. Eager for a case to prove herself, she wants to show her uncle—the Wizard of Dark Street—that logic is as powerful as magic. But when someone attacks the Wizard, Oona must delve even deeper into the world of magic to discover who wanted her uncle dead. Full of magic, odd characters, evil henchmen, and a street where nothing is normal, The Wizard of Dark Street will have you guessing until the very end. ABOUT THE AUTHOR (see website )  For eight mysterious years Shawn Thomas Odyssey labored extremely long hours in a 140-seat (and rumored to be haunted) profes...