Category Archives: Middle Grade

Review: The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine. Penguin, 2012. Currently available. Genre: Middle grade historical fiction. Face Value: Hurrah! An illustrated cover! I’m happy to see this cover because it is gender neutral and a graceful representation of interracial … Continue reading

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Review: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz. Candlewick, 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Novel Face Value: This cover is exquisite. First, the dark colors and brooding artwork perfectly capture the gothic tone of the story. Then, when … Continue reading

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Review: Temple Grandin by Sy Montgomery

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Middle Grade Nonfiction Face Value: I have major font love for this book. It’s a … Continue reading

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Review: The Wild Book by Margarita Engle

The Wild Book by Margarita Engle. Harcourt Children’s Books, 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Historical Fiction, Poetry Face Value: The colors are beautiful, evocative of the setting and the wildness of Fefa’s imagination. The girl on the cover is visibly Latina, … Continue reading

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Review: Son by Lois Lowry

Son by Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Dystopian, Speculative Fiction Face Value: Oh, I love this new set of covers for the quartet that’s being released with Son. Simple and evocative, these covers capture … Continue reading

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Election Week Review: Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

Babymouse for President by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. Random House, 2012. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel Face Value: Babymouse is doing The Nixon. Babymouse is rocking that podium. There are just no words that can adequately … Continue reading

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Review: Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles

Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles. Henry Holt and Co., 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction. Face Value: This cover is understated, but quite beautiful. I love the pastel rendering of a sick ward. It captures the loneliness of … Continue reading

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Review: Laugh With the Moon by Shana Burg

Laugh With the Moon by Shana Burg. Delacorte, 2012. Currently available. Genre: Middle grade realistic fiction. Face Value: I like this cover a lot. Even though it is definitely PINK, I find the silhouetted characters and landscape to be very … Continue reading

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Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery. Philomel Sleuth, (2006). Currently available. Genre: Middle grade mystery/historical fiction Face Value: This is a terrific cover illustrated by Peter Ferguson. I love Enola’s hunted look, her bicycle, her period-specific … Continue reading

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Review: The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford

The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford. Scholastic, 2012. Currently Available. Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction (with a bit of fantasy-ish) Face Value: Classic, standard middle grade. This cover doesn’t grab me and scream “Read Me Now” but it’s totally classic upper … Continue reading

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