Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Trials of the Trash by Tyler Whitesides

Trials of the Trash by Tyler Whitesides

Trash Transformers for Middle-grade Readers Landon, Jade, and Sabra, along with their magical pets and teachers must work together to fight the Megalajunk and Thingamajunks—evil beings made out of trash and junk from the landfill. The story is funny, the thingamajunks are fantastically unique, and the ending is a surprise. (Okay, really. Got a 10 or 11 year old who likes Transformers? This tells you all you need to know about the book.) There’s some fantasy violence as the kids fight the monsters with brooms […]

September 5, 2024 | 0 Comments
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Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves byLiesl Shurtliff

Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves byLiesl Shurtliff

Fractured Fairy Tale I’ve read one of Shurtliff’s other books and really liked it, but this one was just awesome! I loved the slow lead in to the Snow White story. Shurtliff took her time, letting us get to know “Grump” and the dwarf community. This is important later in the story. I loved the fun and unique descriptions and their food! What they ate is awesome. Once we actually got into the Snow White part of the story, it was close enough to be […]

February 18, 2019 | 0 Comments
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The Iron Trial by Cassandra Claire & Holly Black

The Iron Trial by Cassandra Claire & Holly Black

Love This Book! I love Cassandra Clare. I don’t now how I missed this series. Book 1 was great. You think the main character is going to be the hero, and then there’s a twist and it’s amazing! And isn’t that cover awesome!!! Can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Some paranormal violence, on the level of Harry Potter. In fact, there are several similarities to HP: it’s a year at magic school, there’s a bad guy that everyone is afraid to […]

January 7, 2019 | 0 Comments
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The Darkdeep by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

The Darkdeep by Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs

Quick Review Sometimes being bullied can push you into doing things you’d never do on your own. And sometimes bullies can become unlikely allies. That’s just one of the themes of this book. The kids are forced to go to a creepy, off-limits island to try to save their friend. While there, they discover a land of magic and ghosts. This started out creepy, then became funny, then creepy again. The ending was awesome! Well-written, great characters, spooky plot line. Glad this will have a […]

January 4, 2019 | 0 Comments
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The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale

Ridiculously, Hilariously Awesome! I am not familiar with the Marvel universe, but if Squirrel Girl isn’t a recognized superhero, she should be! Doreen is 14 years old, and was born with a tail. She and her parents have recently moved, and Doreen just wants to make some friends. There are three cliques in her school and none of them really want her to join them: the Skunk Club (juvenile delinquents), Somebodies (the popular girls), and LARPers (Live action role players). Fortunately, Doreen makes friends with […]

January 25, 2018 | 0 Comments
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Potion Masters: The Eternity Elixir by Frank L. Cole

Potion Masters: The Eternity Elixir by Frank L. Cole

Good Enough to Fight Over! I won a copy of THE ETERNITY ELIXIR in a Facebook Giveaway. Which is awesome because I follow a lot of authors and I try to win books all the time, but I rarely do. The book just happened to arrive in the mail on a day I was tending two grandsons—one is 10 and the exact target audience. Here’s a photo of the two of them fighting over who gets to read it first. When the 6 year old […]

January 8, 2018 | 0 Comments
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The Wrong Side of Magic by Janette Rallison

The Wrong Side of Magic by Janette Rallison

I am a HUGE fan of Janette Rallison! I love Janette Rallison as an author. I have loved every book that she’s written. So when I was contacted about doing a review for the release of The Wrong Side of Magic, of course I said YES! But. Then my day job went nuts and I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, which makes me sad. So instead of a review, I’m going to post a short excerpt from the book. And also tell […]

November 17, 2016 | 0 Comments
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Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage

Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage

I was one of the lucky ones to get an ARC of Farworld: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage. I looked forward to reading it because I’ve really enjoyed his Shandra Covington series (House of Secrets and Dead On Arrival). I love fantasy so when the package came, I ripped it open and started reading right away. I’ve had to wait to post my review—and that’s been hard because I’ve wanted to share the love for the two main characters in this book. Water Keep […]

July 8, 2008 | 3 Comments
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Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull is book #3 in the Fablehaven series. I didn’t get reviews posted of either of the first two books, but I gave them both a 4.5 out of 5. I really like this series and suggest it for middle grade readers and people who love simple fantasy. I felt this book could have been edited just a bit tighter, losing maybe 50 pages. There were a few places where it went on longer than needed. Also, I […]

May 12, 2008 | 0 Comments
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The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

[This is going to be a positive review. I promise. Just bear with me.] Before I review The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters, I have to say something about the only other James Dashner book I’ve ever read. I didn’t like it. While the basic plot was good, there were a few places where it got cloudy and confusing. I didn’t care for his writing style—it sounded too much like an adult trying to talk like a kid. There were also some typos […]

May 1, 2008 | 6 Comments
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Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

I loved this book! This is a debut book and there are a few little glitches. It starts a little slow and sometimes gets a little silly. But really, I thought it was a fun and clever read. I loved the idea of a preserve to protect magical creatures—and the fact that Kendra and Seth have visited before and had no clue about the secret life of their grandparents. I loved the set-up, the discovery, the magic. The fairies were great and the satyrs were […]

September 15, 2007 | 0 Comments
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Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Like it or hate it, Harry Potter is part of our cultural identity. I would guess that J.K. Rowling has added more new words to our collective lexicon than any other single individual. She is certainly the only author I know of who has created a 7 book series that has continued to grow in popularity and gain readership with each new installment like this one has. The Star Wars franchise is the only other thing I can think of that comes close, and personally, […]

August 2, 2007 | 3 Comments
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Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy  by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy is written for 9 to 11 year old girls and I think it absolutely hits that target reader. As an adult reader, I thought the story moved a little slowly at times, but that is a reflection of life on Mount Eskel—and most middle grader readers won’t even notice. Although learning to be a princess and the unexpected win of the underdog are common plot scenarios in a lot of middle grade fantasy stories, in this book it felt fresh and new. I […]

July 6, 2007 | 5 Comments
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