Category Archives: Reviews

I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

It’s been a long time since I was first introduced to Joey Pigza. In fact, 1998 to be exact. I picked up a copy of JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY and loved the story of Joey, a boy getting engulfed … Continue reading

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BOOM! for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

In 1994 I took my one and only trip to London. I loved every precious minute spent in the city, but have unfortunately never been back. On my last day before coming home I wandered into a charming bookstore. My … Continue reading

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DESTINY, REWRITTEN for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Earlier this year I enjoyed THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice. I grabbed the opportunity to read her newest, DESTINY, REWRITTEN. It’s a beautifully written story told from the viewpoint of 11-year-old Emily Davis. As I read the book … Continue reading

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CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

My personal goal this year has been to reduce the growing list of books I want to read. So far it’s going like gangbusters. I’ve never read so many books in a short amount of time – unless you count … Continue reading

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The Adventures of Beanboy for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

First off, a reminder. If you have written a contemporary middle grade novel, Writer’s Digest is running a contest that ends on March 18th. Click on the image to get the details. Previously published works like THE ADVENTURES OF BEANBOY … Continue reading

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Blog Award

Awards are great, especially when you get one. This blog has been honored by Middle Shelf Online Magazine as one of the best blogs for “for promoting and exemplifying the spirit of middle grade books.” Thank you! If you’d like … Continue reading

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Nine Best Baseball Books for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Baseball spring training is in full swing this week in places like Arizona and Florida. If you or your baseball loving middle grader can’t wait for the season to start, here are nine books about our nation’s pastime that never … Continue reading

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THE 7th LEVEL for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

One goal I had for this year was to shorten my list of middle grade books to read, and so far I’ve been doing a fairly good job. THE SEVENTH LEVEL has been on the list for some time – … Continue reading

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THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

I have read many stories recently with young male protagonists. I decided it was time to balance that out. After a lengthy online search to come up with a few female heroines, DESTINY REWRITTEN by Kathryn Fitzmaurice surfaced. I liked … Continue reading

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THE PET WAR for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

First off, I have a love/hate reaction with the cover. Scholastic knows their marketing in that kids (and many big kids) love a good story about animals. The dog and cat are cute, (that’s why I picked it off the … Continue reading

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