Genre: Middle Grade

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa: Review & Giveaway

Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD I’m a huge fan of Kagawa’s YA books, so I was excited to see what her MG has to offer, and I was definitely not disappointed. Apparently this book is a spin-off of existing Society of Explorers and Adventurers lore that you can find in the actual Disney theme parks. I didn’t know anything about that storytelling, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book (and I’m actually headed […]

Posted April 8, 2022 in Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 8 Comments

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi: Review & Giveaway

Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD This final installment in the Pandava Series starts out with our heroes at their lowest. The kids have to figure out how to rely on their own innate talents to stop the Sleeper now that they’re weaponless. All while fighting the sting of betrayal and massive self-doubt. As always, this series is a fun ride. We get adventure, magical hijinks, and a heaping serving of Hindu folklore with a dash of romance and a […]

Posted April 7, 2022 in Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 2 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of New From Here, Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Breaking the News, and the Welcome to Wonderland Series

Today, I’m reviewing a MG contemporary, a kid’s chapter book, a MG non-fiction book, and a MG humorous contemporary series. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Set at the beginning of 2020, this book highlights the extra stresses of being an Asian American family at the start of the pandemic. Most kids will relate to the confusion and fears portrayed in the book, but the themes will especially […]

Posted March 15, 2022 in Reviews / 6 Comments

Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang: A Dual Review with Danielle Hammelef

(No actual dueling—or even arm-twisting—was involved. Don’t worry, this is a dual review, not a duel review. Sorry if you’re disappointed.) It’s been so long since I’ve done a dual review. I was excited to be able to buddy read this newest book with Danielle Hammelef, the latest winner of my Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up “Make Me Read It” giveaway. Danielle chose to make me read Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang. I read the […]

Posted March 9, 2022 in Dual Reviews, Reviews / 5 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Instant Karma, Inkling, and Kingdom of Secrets

Today, I’m reviewing an adult contemporary/historical fantasy (Surprise! I don’t review adult books here on the blog often), a YA and a MG contemporary fantasy, and a MG steampunk fantasy. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! I know I don’t review many adult books here on the blog anymore, but I couldn’t resist mentioning this one. And since so many of my YA blogger friends read V.E. Schwab, […]

Posted February 11, 2022 in Reviews / 8 Comments

Great Kids’ Reads for Black History Month (and Every Month!): Amari and the Night Brothers, Moving Forward, and the Parker Easy Readers

Today, I’m focusing on kids’ books with Black protagonists for Black History Month, but these books are great reads any time! Watch for more posts dedicated to Black History Month coming soon. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Amari and the Night Brothers is the best MG fantasy I’ve read in a long time! I LOVED this book!! As it says in the description, it has a bit of […]

Posted February 9, 2022 in Black History Month, Reviews / 5 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Across the Desert, Our Violent Ends, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, and How to Be Ace

Today, I have a MG contemporary, a YA historical fantasy, a MG historical, and a YA graphic novel memoir. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed your fiction addiction! Across the Desert is a captivating survival story about not giving up on someone who needs you. Jolene feels helpless in her home life—ever since a serious accident, she constantly skates the boundaries of a panic attack while her mom grows more and […]

Posted January 22, 2022 in Reviews / 9 Comments

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee: Review & Giveaway

Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD Tiger Honor is a mythological sci-fi adventure that explores the bounds of loyalty and the complications of competing interests. The main character Sebin has to decide if their oaths to their family outweigh their dedication to the Space Force. They want to do what’s right, but the real trick is figuring out what the right thing even is. This is a follow-up to Dragon Pearl, and while you don’t necessarily need […]

Posted January 20, 2022 in Giveaways (Ended), Reviews / 4 Comments

Cybils Poetry Finalists! And Bite-Sized Reviews of Everywhere Blue, Snow Birds, You Don’t Have to Be Everything, and Call Me Athena

As my regular readers know, I was a round-one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Poetry category. Well, the finalists have been announced, so I thought I’d share them! You can check out the lists of finalists for the other categories on the Cybils website. Since I hadn’t yet reviewed four of the finalists on the blog, I thought I’d feature those reviews for you now. (I’ve already posted reviews of Me(Moth), Starfish, and […]

Posted January 7, 2022 in Cybils, Reviews / 8 Comments

Bite-Sized Reviews of Cybils Nominees: Red, White, and Whole; Muted; Dear Ugly Sisters; and Rez Dogs

As my regular readers know, I’m a round-one judge for the Cybils Awards in the Poetry category. Because of that, I’ve been reading tons of verse lately! I’m not allowed to share any details about our process for choosing the finalists, but I am allowed (and encouraged) to review the books as I read, so I figured I’d share four of them with you today. I hope these bite-sized reviews will be enough to feed […]

Posted December 30, 2021 in Cybils, Reviews / 8 Comments