Category Archives: Middle Grade

Detectives Week Review: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Brianna

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief  by Wendelin Van Draanen. Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Mystery Face Value: I checked out an old library bound copy, and I love the oddly colored images on the cover. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Detective Week Review: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Brianna

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. Grosset & Dunlap, 1930. Currently available. Genre: Mystery Face Value: The copy I own, an 80th Anniversary Limited Edition, has a terrifically boring cover.It’s the book cover equivalent of a yawn. But I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Brianna

Addie on the Inside by James Howe. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Poetry Face Value: Even though it has that “cut off the body parts of the girl” element that can be really unappealing, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Brianna

PIE by Sarah Weeks. Scholastic Press, 2011. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction Face Value: It certainly grabbed my attention. I look at this cover and have a slew of questions: Why is the cat staring at that pie? Why … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Sarah

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis Wendy Lamb Books, 2011 (Currently Available) Genre: Historical Fiction Face Value: Just about perfect. Seriously, this is one of my favorite middle grade covers in ages. As Elizabeth Bird so aptly put … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Review: The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Brianna

The Friendship Doll by Kirby Larson. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction Face Value: They might as well just slap a sticker on this cover that says, “Boy Readers: Look Elsewhere.”  It is alarmingly … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Review: The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Sarah

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell Harper Collins, 2011 (Currently Available) Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale Face Value: It works. I might not be head over heels for this cover, but it offers up a classic fairy tale vibe while … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Best of 2011: Our Favorite Middle Grade Titles

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Sarah

It’s the last week of 2011. That means both of the Slatebreakers have left Arizona for the freezing cold of Wisconsin and Michigan, that most of us are celebrating a range of holidays with our family members, that we’re preparing … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Miscellaneous | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Review: Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Brianna

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Realistic Fiction. (The reading level of the book leans toward the middle grade category, but the content is more YA. I’m calling it Middle … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Brianna

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. Walden Pond Press, 2011. Currently available. Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy Face Value: This is definitely an intriguing cover. When I saw this cover image popping up around the blogosphere, I was interested enough to Google the title … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments