middle grade

The 13th Sign Kristin O’Donnell Tubb Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I can’t be the only person who has ever been suckered by horoscopes. You guys, I went through a stage where I actually believed they were real and kind of a big deal — you know those horoscope predictions. Granted, I am a Cancer and I am very emotional and kind of a total home body — however, sometimes I really like going out. Just because I have not checked my horoscope in months does not mean that I’m not interested in astrology as a theme, though. Like, you guys remember in 2011 when there was talk of adding another sign to the Zodiac? No? Okay well it was totally in the news. Anyways, I found this bit of the news quite interesting and followed the story. Seems like maybe Kristin O’Donnell Tubb did too, because her latest middle grade book The 13th Sign postulates just what would happen if there was a new sign added. ALSO SIDEBAR, isn’t that cover EXTREMELY gorgeous! I love it. Moving on…

The 13th Sign Kristin O'Donnell Tubb Book Cover

It is tradition for Jalen to go to this weird fortune teller shop and buy something on her birthday with her Nina or, her grandmother every year. Unfortunately, Nina is battling breast cancer and cannot go with Jalen. So, instead Jalen goes with her best friend Ellie. The two find a mysterious book and are totally drawn to it, so they buy it. The book is locked up you guys, like under a lock and key. Jalen figures out how to unlock it and happens to unleash all of the zodiac signs including The 13th Sign, Ophiuchus. Unfortunately, this means that every single person’s personality changes with the shifting of the zodiac. It is up to Jalen with the help of Ellie and Ellie’s brother Brennan to defeat the 13 zodiac signs in order to put the universe back in order.

Jalen is actually really not annoying for a thirteen year old girl. Like, she starts the book as a Sagittarius, but after she unleashes the thirteenth sign, becomes an Ophiuchus, or a leader and basically awesome. Like, Jalen stops second guessing herself and just does things. I love that. I mean, okay there are some things that she sits and thinks about like — a dilemma concerning Ellie. Speaking of which, Jalen is a totally awesome friend, like she will do whatever she can to help her BFF out. Also. Jalen doesn’t spend the whole book mooning over some guy. Yay middle grade. YAY.

I quite liked the setting of The 13th Sign. It’s set in New Orleans, which I’ve never been to, unfortunately. Anyways, the tasks to save the world take the trio all over New Orleans and they come into contact with quite the interesting melting pot. I loved that, also I got really hungry while eating because food was described several times. I am also under the impression the New Orleans has good eating. Can any of you confirm or deny that? ALSO! The worldbuilding is fairly cool. Like, I enjoyed the magic involved. I liked that each of the signs embodied the personality traits ascribed to them and that the traits had something to do with the challenge. Seriously, big yay for quests.

The 13th Sign by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb is a pretty decent middle grade book. It’s easy to follow. The plot doesn’t go into confusing territory. The concept is interesting. And seriously? Awesome setting. However, The 13th Sign isn’t exactly a book that reached down into my soul and left me feeling changed. I’d recommend it to actual middle school students as well as to people who’ve been through the whole hey baby what’s your sign phase.OH and I did like this one as a palate cleanser sort of read.

Disclosure: Received for review

Other reviews of The 13th Sign by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb:

All Things Urban Fantasy – “The intriguing premise was squandered by poor execution.”

Ashley Loves Books – “A lot of the resolutions to the battles were abrupt”

The Housework Can Wait – “It’s the whole “don’t judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree” thing”

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1 and #2 Charles Gilman Book Review

by Allison L

Professor Gargoyle is the first book in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series written by Charles Gilman. It is a VERY fun , a little creepy, and equally cute middle grade book. Anyone else remember The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids series? They had stories like Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots and Werewolves Don’t Go To Summer Camp. Tales from Lovecraft Middle School reminded me of those types of stories except with a more paranormal and fun twist. In a way, they’re like a modern day Goosebumps!

The main character of the series is a boy named Robert Arthur who is a victim of redistricting. At the beginning of the new school year, all of his friends will go to Franklin Middle School on the north side of town while Robert must attend the new Lovecraft Middle School on the south side of town. He knows no one there except for Glenn Torkells who is the bully who has tormented him practically forever. Lovecraft Middle School has its perks though as it is a completely new school with new classrooms, new equipment, and a gigantic new library with never been touched books. Yet things aren’t exactly as they seem at the school. There are rats in the brand new lockers — and there are some very strange teachers — and children seem to be disappearing left and right! And that is only the beginning…

Side note #1: HOW AWESOME IS THIS COVER?!? So cool!

Professor Gargoyle is a really quick paced story. I felt like I was being taken on a journey with Robert as he attempted to uncover what was really going on at his new school. There is just enough detail where you can picture what is happening but it still in a way leaves you with the ability to imagine the story in your mind as you would like. There are also some really engaging illustrations created by illustrator Eugene Smith through out the book which really help the characters and the storyline come to life. I really do think that all the images were one of my favorite parts of reading the story. They made it so much fun!

Another thing I really enjoyed about Professor Gargoyle was the way that Charles Gilman brought in the insecurities of a young boy trying to fit into a new school. It was all very realistic feeling. Also, the fact that there was a “bully” in the story, I think will make it very relatable to middle grade readers. I especially loved how all of this was blended in with the magic of the school. Magic is a pretty big part of the school but the magic doesn’t necessarily come from just the characters. The location and the setting are also very important to the story. There are definitely some H.P. Lovecraft undertones in the story as well which were fascinating. Oh, and the ending is a fabulous cliffhanger which sets up the second book in the series PERFECTLY!

Side note #2: AND HOW AWESOME IS THIS COVER?!? Once again, so cool!

Book number two is called The Slither Sisters, and it really continues with the magic and fun of series. I don’t want to say too much about it because I’m afraid I will wind up giving away spoilers. I can say though that the second book in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series is not a slump! I was able to read this book in one sitting, and truly enjoyed it. Just like with the first book in the series, Charles Gilman refuses to talk down to the reader, and instead allows them to use their imagination while still instilling how important reading is for the mind. It is cute, and spellbinding and entertaining, and I’m really looking forward to the third book in the series called Teacher Pest which comes out in May 2013!

Disclosure: Received for review from the publisher for an honest review.

Other reviews of the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series by Charles Gilman:

A Bookish Way of Life: “Tales From Lovecraft Middle School is a must read for all fans of YA fiction – especially ones who enjoy captivating reads about monsters, different dimensions, and middle school dramas!”

Amanda’s Writings: “This was a great read, and I highly recommend it to lovers of middle grade novels and people looking for a quick and entertaining read.”

Alexis Loves Books: “Strange, quirky, weird and cute – Professor Gargoyle was a read that I was pleasantly surprised by.”

The Dragonet Prophecy Tui T. Sutherland Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I won’t even pretend that I didn’t immediately add The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland to my TBR pile because of the raging dragon on the cover. OH MY GOODNESS YOU GUYS I WILL FOREVER AND ALWAYS READ BOOKS WITH DRAGONS ON THE COVER. Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed the first book of the Wings Of Fire series. I’m surprised because typically I prefer books with human characters, romance, and aimed at an older age level. However, The Dragonet Prophecy is a fast paced middle grade book with earnest characters who exemplify loyalty and friendship. Plus, it has a really cool world with interesting mythology.

Wings Of Fire The Dragonet Prophecy Tui T Sutherland Book Cover

The dragons are all at war with each other. You see, there are various races and tribes of dragons who live in various parts of this island shaped like a dragon — there’s an awesome map in The Dragonet Prophecy that shows you what the land looks like. The queen of the Sand Dragons was murdered by a scavenger and unfortunately she did not select an heir, and thus she left behind three daughters who are warring for control of the Sand Dragon tribe. Each sister has brought in factions of dragons from other tribes. The war has been raging for almost 20 years leaving many dead dragons in it’s wake. Fortunately, there was a prophecy stating that five dragonets would be born and eventually save the day. The five dragonets are taken by this faction known as the Wings Of Peace and hidden underground, where they bond and train with each other and aren’t exactly treated kindly or with love by their guardians. Fed up with being kept in the dark, the dragonets decide to escape and see what is going on in the world. It is then that the bounds of their friendship will be tested.

The central focus character for The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland is Clay. Clay is a Mud Wing dragon and what this means is that he’s happiest in the mud and the dirt. He’s not exactly the brightest lightbulb in the room but he has a big heart and cares strongly about his friends. He experiences growth in that he learns to be confident in himself and his decisions. Plus, his patience is extolled as a virtue, which is a good lesson to teach children. Further, free will and destiny are explored on a elementary school level that adds a nice amount of depth to the book.

The relationship between the five dragonets particularly pleased me. The five dragonets each have various roles to play within their group. Tsunami is the fierce fighter of the group, she is the strongest. Starflight is the scholar. Sunny is the cheerful one. Glory is the one who often gets underestimated, so she’s like the secret weapon. Clay is the dependable one. Team work is one of the biggest themes within The Dragonet Prophecy teaching great lessons about working together to solve problems and overcome adversity as well as cooperation.

The world building is fairly basic, however I think that the target age group — 3rd-7th graders will love reading about the world of the dragons and the various tribes and factions. It’s pretty cool how each separate faction of dragon has special abilities and drawbacks. No one is written as the perfect warrior. In nerd terminology, each character has a certain amount of hit points, none of them have unlimited hit points which I really respected.

If you’re looking for a particularly fast moving fantasy book to hand to a kid who might not be quite ready for Pern or Eragon, hand them a copy of Wings Of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland. It has a cool map, pictures, and a storyline that is filled with action. The values espoused within the book are excellent ones for children to learn. Both boys and girls will really enjoy this tale of warring dragons.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland:

Charlotte’s Library – “story of friendship, impossible expectations, and a world at war.”

Escape Through The Pages – “engaging writing, good characters, some great action and mystery”

Fantasia – “has me bursting with tremendous joy”

The Spindlers Lauren Oliver Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am pretty sure Lauren Oliver could re-write the phone book or the dictionary and I would read the hell out of it. Seriously, I am consistently blown away by Oliver’s talent with each book she writes. Y’all, I went into The Spindlers with pretty low expectations because it was panned by some people I actually really trust A LOT and it turns out when you have low expectations they are easily exceeded. I found The Spindlers to be an utterly charming story about the lengths we go to for those we love and the bond of siblings through good and bad. In short, I loved The Spindlers, Lauren Oliver’s latest middle grade book.

The Spindlers Lauren Oliver Book Cover

Liza wakes up for breakfast one day and notices that there’s something odd about her brother, Patrick. He seems to have changed overnight and is acting very, very strange. It’s then that Liza remembers what her old babysitter Anna told her about the world Below and the Spindlers. The Spindlers are these spider-like creatures who hide in the cobwebs and steal souls. She realizes that the Spindlers have stolen Patrick’s soul and so, she must journey to the world Below and face all sorts of trouble and toil to get him back. While in the Below, Liza meets a rat named Mirabella who offers to guide and assist her, but there’s something a bit strange about Mirabella.

Liza is a courageous and strong character, evocative of Carroll’s Alice or Gaiman’s Coraline. Her life is far from perfect — her parents are currently stressed and experiencing money troubles. She’s a lonely girl with only her brother and babysitter for friends. Yet, Liza has a big heart and consistently thinks of others. Liza uses her intellect to navigate the Below and it serves her quite well. However, she’s a tad bit naive and it’s to her detriment when dealing with others. This stated, Liza is a wonderful lead character for The Spindlers.

I’d be utterly remiss if I did not take the time to mention Mirabella the rat. I think Mirabella is the most interesting character in The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver, in that Mirabella is quite unusual and different from your typical rat. You see, she starts the book dressed as a human — she wears clothes and makeup and a wig. She wants desperately to be liked and to be accorded the respect that people get rather than the disdain and fear received automatically by rats. Yet, there’s more to her character. There’s a bit of a dark side and it is awesome. I think she has the best character arc within the book and makes the most change. Mirabella was a nice bonus to an already enjoyable story.

Perhaps my favorite element of The Spindlers were the nocturni, creatures that show the scope of Oliver’s imagination. The world she creates is creepy and fantastical. I loved that the more scary elements were balanced out by outstanding bits — like the nocturni, and I won’t go into depth on what they are because I don’t want to spoil you but be on the look out for them.

Lauren Oliver’s writing continues to be wonderful. Girl knows how to weave a story. The Spindlers reminded me of the fantasy that I read in my youth and I thought it was a lovely send up to the genre — we’ve all read stories before of changelings and mysterious worlds right under our noses whether it’s Narnia or Wonderland. I’d recommend The Spindlers to elementary age children and those who love the middle grade genre and have a soft spot for Lucy and Alice, respectively.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver:

Justin’s Book Blog – “I would say that The Spindlers falls more on the lighter side”

A Reader Of Fictions – “The Spindlers was my least favorite, but still contained some of the wonderful bits that make Oliver’s work such a joy to devour.”

Midnight Book Girl – “a wonderful mix of Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth, and Oliver’s wonderful imagination and originality.”

Books by Lauren Oliver:

Before I Fall
Delirium
Pandemonium
Liesl And Po

Allison Reviews The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell

by Allison L

When one of your closest friends suggests a book to you and swears that it is “TOTALLY BITCHIN’”, you know you must go out and purchase that book, right? Well that is what happened to me when April suggested that I check out The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell, and I can assure you that once again she knows exactly what she is talking about. Girl has amazing taste in books! I should probably mention that this recommendation came before I joined Good Books and Good Wine as co-blogger which just goes to show you how carefully I listened to April’s recommendations even before I entered the world of book blogging. Anyway, now it’s my turn to put my thoughts on this book down, and I am so excited to do so. Why you ask? Because truthfully The Aviary is simply divine!

The main character of The Aviary is twelve-year-old Clara Dooley. She has spent her whole life confined to the Glendoveer mansion where her mother is a servant to the very kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has been confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition but normally she doesn’t mind it. It’s actually a pretty comfortable quiet life except for the creepy birds in that aviary out back that always seem to be squawking. Growing up, Clara never had any reason to question her life but now that she’s a bit older, she’s getting restless. She’s tired of being alone all the time. She wants a REAL friend that she can visit and share secrets with. She wants to go outside. Oh, and she wants to know WHY the birds are squawking all the time. Especially when she swears that one actually spoke to her saying the word “Elliot”. But birds can’t talk, can they? Or can they? How is this connected to the fact that the Glendoveer’s youngest child was named Elliot? WHAT does all of that mean?

The writing for The Aviary is gorgeous. I’m serious about this. It has a vibrant old school gothic feeling to it which you can become easily wrapped up in. Major kudos to Kathleen O’Dell. You are able to guess a few of the things regarding the mystery but, there are still a few twists and turns which you do not expect. It is all exquisitely woven together, and provides a very strong frame work for the characters to interact within. Speaking of the characters all of them have such a strong foundation. There is not a weak character in the group! They all have their own personalities, and sense of drive and direction, and they were wonderful to read about.

Another thing that was wonderful about The Aviary was the pacing of the story. I was never bored with this story. Even though it took me a while to read due to my work schedule at the time, whenever I did get a chance to read it, I never wanted to put it down because just like Clara I wanted to solve the mystery of the Glendoveer mansion and the birds and find out if she was able to set things right. Also, speaking of the Glendoveer mansion, I loved the description of the mansion and the surrounding area. It really left me with a gothic feel that resonated with me through out the entire novel.

If you’re looking for a magnificent middle grade book filled with mystery, magic, and a lesson on the value of a good solid friendship, I highly recommend The Aviary to you. I honestly feel that you will not regret picking this book up and giving it a chance. I know I don’t!

Disclosure: Purchased copy

Other Reviews of The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell:

April’s Review: “The Aviary is fan-fricken-tastic.”

The Book Smugglers: “Oh my, The Aviary is lovely.”

The Lupine Librarian: “The mystery at the heart of the story will keep you reading, but the book also brings up good points about independence and family and friend relationships.”

The Bookinista: “While many parts stretched the limits of imagination I still enjoyed my reading of the book.“

The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons Barbara Mariconda Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

Y’all, I am attracted to a bright orange cover. Hello eye candy. So, of course when The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons by Barbara Mariconda was up for grabs on Vine, I immediately snatched it up. ESPECIALLY because I love middle grade books with a nautical theme and for the most part, I thought The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons delivered on my nautical expectations.

The Voyage Of Lucy P. Simmons opens with a tragedy. Lucy and her parents are out for a bit of a pleasure cruise, when the sky turns dark and all of a sudden, a storm is brewing. While the ship is tossing, Lucy’s parents notice a man is out on the water and drowing, so they try to save him. Unfortunately, Lucy blacks out and when she wakes up, she is in her bed and discovers that her parents are dead. Even worse, her long lost Uncle Victor and his wife appear from out of nowhere for the reading of the will — and they are hoping to hit paydirt. When it’s discovered that Lucy is the sole heir and that her Uncle does NOT have guardianship of her, her relatives begin scheming for a way to get rid of Lucy and lay their hands upon her inheritance, which includes the huge mansion she lives in.

[click to continue…]

Will Sparrow’s Road by Karen Cushman Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

When I think of children’s historical fiction, one of the first names that comes to mind is Karen Cushman, whether it’s for Catherine Called Birdy or The Midwife’s Apprentice, her name makes me think of journeys to the past. However, I’m not entirely sure if I have read her books before, you know my childhood was kind of a haze. When I came across Will Sparrow’s Road on Vine, it had a few qualities that attracted me — Elizabethan England setting, intrepid young boy, and an assortment of misfits who come together so of course I picked it as a book to review. For the most part, I was satisfied with Will Sparrow’s Road with a few things that prevented me from loving it.

Will Sparrow has had a hard life. Sold at a young age by his father for a pint of ale, Will works at an inn but is not fed well so he must resort to stealing food. One day he steals a pie from the innkeeper which results in the innkeeper deciding to sell Will to the chimney-sweeps. He takes issue with this, and so goes on the run. Will Sparrow sees himself as a thief and a liar with no cares for anyone but himself. By happenstance, he ends up traveling with a troupe of oddities including an intelligent pig, a dwarf and a cat-girl. He does not realize the leader of the troupe is not exactly a kind and caring person. What drives Will Sparrow’s Road by Karen Cushman is the hope that Will overcomes his trust issues and lets others care about him.

The character of Will Sparrow was quite realistic for a 12 year old boy who has been kicked around. Cushman does a decent job showing how Will’s backstory affects his attitude towards others. He is not wise beyond his years like plenty of other middle grade main characters. Instead, Will Sparrow is given the freedom to make mistakes and bad decisions and then grow from them. I thought that for Cushman’s first main character that happened to be male, she did well.

Cushman’s writing style isn’t very hard to follow. She uses some vocabulary words that are fitting with the time period that Will Sparrow’s Road is set in which enhances the story and really provides a sense of place and time. I liked the setting of the Elizabethan market fairs, because it is one that I have not encountered very much in my reading. I did find the pace to be a bit slow and I was not all that compelled to pick up Will Sparrow’s Road in my free time, as I didn’t entirely connect with will. However, I think this book has an audience.

Perhaps the best thing about Will Sparrow’s Road by Karen Cushman is the lesson it ultimately teaches — not to judge others by their appearance. Cushman wonderfully shows how Will’s snap judgments about others are wrong. It’s a lovely lesson to learn and isn’t exactly rammed down the throat of the reader. I’d recommend this book to 8-12 year old children with an interest in historical fiction as well as children with an interest in animals.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine

Other reviews of Will Sparrow’s Road by Karen Cushman:

Drop your link in the comments and I’ll add it.

Dark Lord: The Early Years by Jamie Thomson Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

While I absolutely love and don’t discount middle grade as a whole, sometimes books can skew a little young for me and thus I end up not really being a fan. Unfortunately, this was the case with Dark Lord: The Early Years by Jamie Thomson. It’s not an awful book by any means, but it’s not one I would go about recommending to people whose tastes are extremely similar to mine. I guess if I really had to boil down my opinion of Dark Lord: The Early Years, I’d say, on the whole the main character was a little MUCH for me.

Dark Lord: The Early Years opens with the main character, Dark Lord, waking up in the parking lot of a grocery store in the body of a young boy, missing all of his evil powers. He is taken to the hospital and has like zero concept of how humans work. Then he is sent to a foster home where one parent is a doctor, the other a pastor and they already have a son. From there we see Dark Lord, whom everyone else calls Dirk Lloyd adjust to life on Earth. He keeps scheming to go back to his universe and if that doesn’t work, enslave humanity. Along the way important lessons are learned.

Straight up, as a grown up, I found Dirk Lloyd, the Dark Lord, whatever kind of annoying. I imagine some people will be charmed and amused by him, but I don’t know he just seemed like the type of person who takes Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer a little TOO seriously. It’s kind of a bit much to read long rambling bits about how in his universe lots of creatures suffer under his evil dominion and he would have magical powers, blah blah blah. And then all the weird evil laughing. I don’t know? What I do know is reading and thinking I am way too old for this, which I do not often think while reading middle grade speculative/science fiction/fantasy.

On the upside, Dark Lord: The Early Years was a pretty quick read. It’s kind of a short book and besides all of Dirk’s rambling about his home universe, gets right to the point. So, on the whole I wasn’t too upset about wasted time while reading Dark Lord: The Early Years.

Look, obviously Dark Lord: The Early Years did not work for me, but honestly I could really see a set of young middle school male readers LOVING this book. I think a lot of kids would get a kick out of Dirk. In all honesty, this is one of those times where a book didn’t click with me but that is absolutely not to say that it would not click with other people and judging by goodreads and the people I am friends with, plenty of people actually enjoyed Dark Lord: The Early Years but I am not among those people.

Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley

Other reviews of Dark Lord: The Early Years by Jamie Thomson:

Mundie Kids – “I feel like my review needs to start off with an evil laugh”

Evergreen Library – “I think that this book is a SPOT ON choice for middle school boys”

The Fake Steph – “an imaginative story with characters that are easy to root for”

The Whispering House Rebecca Wade Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am pretty sure ghosts don’t get enough love any more, especially the kind that haunts, not the kind you pseudo-make out with. Y’all, when the readathon rolled around, I was totally down for a few hours with a middle grade ghost story, because I knew there would be no kissy faces, just thrills and chills. The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade is a suitably creepy read, with mild flirtation but some totally goose bump inducing scenes — particularly if you are creeped out by dolls. And frankly, I’ll admit, dolls are kind of creepy now that I am an old.

Set in England, Hannah’s family must move out of their house because of a damaged foundation. Apparently the house is unlivable until it gets repaired. They end up moving into Cowleigh Lodge, a place that hasn’t really been inhabited for awhile, but the rent is definitely a steal. Hannah comes across an old book of fairy tales in her room, belonging to a girl named Maisie who died 140 years ago at the age of eleven. It is up to Hannah to discover the circumstances surrounding Maisie’s death in order to get Maisie to stop haunting her and The Whispering House.

Hannah is an awesome main character. I mean, she’s not exactly a loud, in your face character. However, she’s subtle. She uses her intellect to triumph, rather than brute strength. I love that she uses logic to get through her sleuthing. Plus, she keeps such a calm head during moments that would probably have me panicking. AND GET THIS, she has a great relationship with her parents, but maybe that’s common in middle grade? I’m not entirely sure, but it’s refreshing to see characters who don’t have those dysfunctional relationships. Also? There’s sort of a potential for romance in The Whispering House and I was like come on just kiss or something pleaseeeee and then I was like, oh yeah this is middle grade and that’s not bloody likely. Still, I liked Hannah’s characterization because it was different from the typical BAMF girl that I read about.

Honestly, I didn’t find The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade to be all that terrifying. I mean sure, it was good. There were moments where I was like, yes that’s kind of creepy. However, it takes either zombies or a whole lot to scare me. Plus, I read this in the light of day during a readathon. Thus, it wasn’t really a super huge deal. I think the target audience, actual middle grade children, might get a little bit nervous while reading, BUT given all the violence and gore and parents who are totally cool with their kids watching rated R movies at young ages, there’s not much here to give a kid nightmares. Yet, this is still a fun, slightly chilling Halloween or fall read.

If you’re looking for a seasonal read, but are kind of a chicken and can’t handle legit Stephen King style horror, then I think that The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade will be right up your alley. It’s got a good back story, interesting characters, ghosts, creepy dolls, friendships AND decent family relationships. The writing flows rather well and is free of purple prose. I quite enjoyed the brief amount of time I spent reading The Whispering House and think that middle graders will enjoy this book too.

Disclosure: Received For Review

Other reviews of The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade:

Charlotte’s Library – “I was so utterly engrossed by the ghostly shenanigans”

The Bookish Babes – “I will recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery books”

Birth Of A New Witch – “a fun little mystery – light, fluffy, and an easy read”

Monsters On The March Derek The Ghost Book Review

by April (Books&Wine)

I am totally PRO-middle grade books where you can pick up the series in the middle and be just fine following along and not lost at all. This happened when I read Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins and also when I read Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost and I just have to say THANK GOODNESS I do not have to take a lot of time out of my schedule to get all caught up on a series. Plus, I imagine that it’s nice for a middle grader to just be able to pick up a book. ANYWAYS, rant aside, I definitely thought Monsters On The March was pretty decent October Readathon material and I think it will also be decent Autumn reading material for actual middle graders.

Monsters On The March is the second book in the Scary School series and so I have no idea if I am giving spoilers because I haven’t even read the first book. Anyways, it’s basically a book written by a ghost, although I am pretty sure the actually writer is not a ghost in real life but A GHOST WRITER BAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, I am so hopped up on the caffeine right now. In Monsters On The March, there is a new sixth grade teacher. The students at Scary School are a mix of humans and paranormal creatures. They are back from summer and find that oh, hey there’s a new teacher who is elephantine in form and cannot remember a thing. Derek The Ghost has been living at the school over the summer and is excited to have new things to write about. Anyways, the school ends up in a rift with the monster kingdom AND THERE ARE BATTLES y’all. And that’s pretty much the most in-depth I can get with the plot without spoiling.

I liked the large cast of characters, especially when a side plot or a chapter would specifically focus on that character. Like, for example, Petunia who has purple hair. She’s mad cool but doesn’t exactly fit in all that well. Or, this one character who knows he is a character in a book and gets all existential on us which is WAY awesome for middle grade. I thought that over all, Derek The Ghost was a competant narrator and interjects a bit of humor, but also makes for an exciting story.

As an adult, I thought Monsters On The March was a very quick read, what with the large print and pictures and all. It’s also fast-paced and doesn’t drag, but instead has a ton of action. The plot definitely moves along without ever getting boring. Plus, I was never confused as to the characters or what was going on. No eye glazing here, y’all. The tone is fairly light, I was never like UGH SO DEPRESSED while reading. I also laughed a lot while reading, because it is pretty humorous. This is more a Halloween-ish book for kids who are too chicken for horror, which is FINE.

What really enhanced my enjoyment of Monsters On The March were the pictures which are in almost every chapter. Scott M. Fischer is the illustrator and definitely brings some skills to the table. I loved being able to see what the various monsters looked like, especially the monster princess ha ha ha.

If you are looking to stock your library shelves or your classroom library with some Halloween appropriate reading, definitely add Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost to your list. It is a zany sort of reading with fun characters and in all, a good time.

Disclosure: Received for review.

Other reviews of Monsters On The March by Derek The Ghost:

I Smell Sheep – “If you have a kid in middle school, you have to get this series for them!”

Imaginary Reads – “Boys will love this series for the action”

Word Spelunking – “Readers of all ages will be captivated by the humor, chills and fantastical setting”