Nancy Campbell Allen’s You Had Me at Bigfoot starts off exactly as you might expect a series called a Daphne Drew Mystery to start. Yep, all of the clichés and stereotypes fall right into line and yet…
This gripping, middle grade, historical fiction novel is a 2026 Newbery Honor Book. Chapters are brief and alternate between Han Yu in China, 731 and Luli in New York City, 1931. This format, along …
For those who advocate that middle grade literature is the best, The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest validates that claim. Author Aubrey Hartman's voice and literary style exemplify first rate craftman…
Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson starts out swinging with some crazy dialogue and a lot of intense emotions. It is almost comical and feels a bit unrealistic, until you think about how often people …
A simplistic definition of a corrido is it is a Mexican narrative folk ballad told through the eyes of the protagonist and often about social topics and oppression. There is quite a bit more to the a…
The 2026 Newbery Medal Winner, All the Blues in the Sky, is bittersweet. It takes the reader on the journey through grief with thirteen-year-old Sage, whose best friend was killed by a drunk driver. …
As usual, Katherine Arden's writing does not disappoint. She crafts a compelling narrative with one foot in history and the other firmly planted in fantasy. In Ms. Arden's hands, Anne of Brittany beco…
Author Daniel Nayeri is definitely on a roll. On the heels of his 2024 Newbery Honor Book, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, his middle grade historical fiction novel, The Teac…
A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski reminds us that nothing is more exciting than a rollick through the social season in London. Who doesn’t love vying for the attention of a marriage-eligible…
Megan Walker’s The Duke’s Bargain delves into the strict rules of propriety governing London society. In a true proper romance, it involves all of the intrigues and scandals amongst the social classes…
In Pursuit of Civility is Jen Turano’s second book of the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies series. It is a piece of historical fiction set during the Gilded Age. It makes the most sense to the re…
Raging Waters is Dana Mentink’s second book in the Elements of Danger series. Reading the first book is not required to follow and understand the events in Raging Waters. The story begins with a stran…
