I was scheduled to review a new non-fiction book today, but the publisher changed the release date so I will hold off until October. This gives me an opportunity to share what I am looking forward to reading the next few months.

First though we have a winner in the giveaway for National Geographic Kids new title: It’s Rosi Hollinbeck! She is an author and blogger. View her website here. Rose will be getting a copy of the food book and a tin full of David’s Cookies. Congratulations!

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I have so many books in my to read pile and can’t wait to feature a review on many of them. Here are five on the top of my list:

When best friends Abbi and Skylar witness a suspicious meeting between a mysterious woman and someone in a dark van, they’re thrilled. Finally, a mystery to spice up the summer! But when a local woman goes missing and is found dead in the woods, Abbi and Skylar realize that their detective work could hold the keys to solving her murder. Suddenly, sleuthing isn’t so fun anymore. As tensions rise and their friendship frays, the girls find themselves in increasing danger, and must choose between keeping a secret or exposing a life-altering truth.

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Author Ying Chang Compestine draws on her own experiences growing up in Wuhan to illustrate that the darkest times can bring out the best in people, friendship can give one courage in frightening times, and most importantly, young people can make an impact on the world. 13-year-old Mei, grieving the death of her mother and considered an outcast at school, finds solace in cooking and computer games. As the coronavirus spreads and Wuhan locks down, Mei finds herself alone, trying to find a way to help. Through her love of cooking, she makes a difference in her community.

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Eleven-year-old Ruby is a Black girl who loves studying insects and would do just about anything to be an entomologist, much to the grossed-out dismay of her Gramma. Ruby knows everything there is to know about insects so when she finds the weirdest bug she’s ever seen in her front yard, she makes sure no one is looking and captures it for further study.

But then Ruby realizes that the creature isn’t just a regular bug. And it has promptly burned a hole through her window and disappeared. Soon, random things around the neighborhood go missing, and no one’s heard from the old lady down the street for a week. Ruby and her friends will have to recover the strange bug before the feds do.

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Becca Singer is having the Worst Day Ever. Her best friend, Harper, dumped her, and Becca is totally friendless and alone.

Then the box arrives in the mail.

Inside the box? One bracelet, plus a mysterious note telling Becca to make a wish. So Becca puts on the bracelet―why not, right?―and wishes to have friends. Lots of friends. So many friends.

And just like that, the magic works. Suddenly, EVERYONE wants to be Becca’s BFF, from all the kids at school to the teachers (!) to her own mom (!!).As things spin out of control, Becca starts to wonder: Is this wish a curse?

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Daphne doesn’t want to be stuck in Oakland with her dad. She wants to get on the first plane to Prague, where her mom is shooting a movie. Armed with her grandparents’ phone number and strict instructions from her mom to call them if her dad starts drinking again, Daphne has no problem being cold to him. But there’s one thing Daphne can’t keep herself from doing: joining her dad and her new friend Arlo at a weekly skate session. 
When her dad promises to teach her how to ollie and she lands the trick, Daphne starts to believe in him again. He starts to show up for her, and Daphne learns things are not as black and white with her dad as she used to think. The way Daphne’s dad tells it, skating is all about accepting failure and moving on. But can Daphne really let go of her dad’s past mistakes? Either way life is a lot like skating: it’s all about getting back up after you fall. 

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Coming up next week is another edition of MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY! It’s here I share highlights from other individuals blogging about middle grade books. Many of the posts will have reviews, interviews, and tips on writing. Take a look at PAST MMGM POSTS.

It’s easy to join the lineup. All you have to do is email me the title of the book or feature and a link to your blog at gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com

Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and don’t forget to say what you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.