Category Archives: Middle Grade

City Kids: Thank you, Omu! and Dragons in a Bag

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are some short takes on books with city settings for kids on the younger end of the spectrum.  Side note: both of these authors were at KidLitCon this year, and I had a lovely conversation with Zetta Elliott.   Thank … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Middle Grade, picture books | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Starring Kids with Hearing Loss: You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! and The Collectors

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Katy K.

My daughter wears hearing aids, which has shone a light for me on how difficult it is to find mainstream books whose main characters are Deaf or hard of hearing.  There’s El Deafo, which is great, but not a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic, Reviews | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

2019 Newberys: Merci Suárez Changes Gears and The Night Diary

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are reviews of this year’s Newbery and Newbery honor books.  I had read just one of these when it first came out, The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.  And shout-out to my blogging friend Sondy at Sonderbooks, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Historical, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Week of Reading

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Katy K.

Today I looked at the pages of review notes I have and decided to just give you shorter reviews of the books I read this week.  It’s a big mix of styles – two realistic fiction (one teen and one … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Audiobook, books, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, nonfiction, Print, Realistic, Reviews, Sci-Fi, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Everything I Know about You and Halfway Normal by Barbara Dee

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are some more books I read for my KidLitCon panel on taboo topics in middle grade this year.  I’d previously read and very much enjoyed her Star Crossed, but she has written a lot of books, all with very … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Katy K.

Here’s a magical midsummer book for the summer solstice!  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book at KidLitCon, and waited to read it until closer to its release date. Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca. Yellow Jacket, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

4 Kids’ Fantasies from Outside the US

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are four middle grade fantasy books from the English-speaking world outside of the US – South Africa, Australia, Ireland, and the UK.  (Shorter reviews as part of my trying to catch up with my reading.) The Turnaway Girls by … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Katy K.

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. Rick Riordan Presents/Disney Hyperion, 2019. The story starts with the raw chicken in the locker.  Sal put it there, to get bully Yasmany off his case in hopes of making it … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Katy K.

I first saw Jerry Craft’s work illustrating the massively underappreciated Zero Degree Zombie Zone. Now he’s come out with his own graphic novel, which is receiving a lot of very deserved attention.   New Kid by Jerry Craft. HarperCollins Childrens, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Realistic | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

3 Fantastic Graphic Novels for Kids

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are three recent fantasy and science fiction graphic novels for kids Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill. Oni Press, 2018. I’m really fond of Katie O’Neill’s beautiful art style paired with woman- and queer-power storylines and couldn’t resist getting this … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments