Roundup of Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am on my final roundup for the holiday season! Now I am going to start with some honesty. My life has been so crazy this fall. Between teaching and having Hazel at boarding school (I'm almost always driving there on the weekends), I have not had a lot of time or energy to read, so all of these books I have not completed and really just started. I am sharing them today because I want to share them before the holidays, so you are aware of them! Today's books range from ages 8 - 18. We will go in order of the ages. The first book is Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood by Robert Beatty. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12.

The Mystery of Mystic Mountain -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Janet Fox to bring you this post and giveaway.

Middle school can be hard. New friends plus personal changes and add in fighting and possibly splitting up parents and you have a very hard time. Today I get to share a middle grades book full of a mystery, adventure, friendships, family relationships and more. The book is The Mystery of Mystic Mountain by Janet Fox.

Hannah Edwards Secrets of Riverway -- Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you know someone with ADHD? Have you ever wondered what their thought process is? Today we are sharing a new book written by an author with ADHD who bases her character on her own experiences. The book is Hannah Edwards: Secrets of Riverway by Ashley Hards. It is recommended for ages 9 to 12 and is the first book in a series of nine books. 

Witch-Themed Books

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It is hard to believe that Halloween is next week! October is flying by. Today I am going to share two witch-themed books for different ages. The first is a new picture book about the Salem witch trials. Did you know that the Salem witch trials were not the first witch trials and executions in North America. There were significant ones in Connecticut early in the 1600s. (Source) There were even accusations and a trial in Virginia before the Salem ones. (Source) However Salem had the hysteria that was not present in these other places. It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Brad Holland. It is recommended for ages 9 to 12, so a bit older than most picture books.

The Math Inspectors Series Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a set of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a high school math teacher, I love finding fun ways to share math with kids. Recently I have been reading Learning to Love Math by Judy Willis, M.D. In it she mentions how math is the one school subject that conjures up a series of emotions for most people and usually they are negative. I cannot tell you how many times people tell me they can't do math or hated math when they find out I'm a math teacher. One of the things Dr. Willis mentions is we need to change this in society. We need to stop telling kids that adults didn't do well or hate math. Parents, teachers, coaches, etc. are giving kids permission to not do well in math and to not really try. So please if you are one of the people who does not like math or didn't do well, please keep it to yourself. Don't give kids the permission to be like you. It is something we are working on at our school this year. With that said I get to share a great series of middle grades mystery novels about a bunch of math loving students who use their math to solve mysteries!! The series is The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever.  This series is recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Nate the Great and the Star-Spangled Parrot -- Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I am sharing a new easy reader chapter book, and it has an Independence Day theme. It is part of the Nate the Great series. It is Nate the Great and the Star-Spangled Parrot by Andrew Sharmat and illustrated by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with Sherry Ellis and The Children's Book Review to bring you this post and giveaway.

Today I get to share a fun short mystery book for the early middle grades. It is the third book in a series of books and to be honest I want to read the fourth book now because it ends on a cliff hanger!! The book is Bubba and Squirt's City of Bones by Sherry Ellis. It is recommended for ages 8+ and since this post is part of The Children's Book Review Book Tour for it there is a giveaway at the end!

The Body on the Beach -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Chris Wieland to bring you this post and giveaway.

One of my all-time favorite genres for books is a mystery. I love Mary Higgins Clark novels!! I couldn't wait to get my hands on them. I have explored many different mystery authors and really just love them all. Today I get to share a middle school mystery novel with you, and it is amazing!! The book is The Body on the Beach by Chris Wieland. It is recommended for ages 9 and up. 

Math Mysteries: The Triple Threat -- Math Monday Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It is very rare to find a good math novel. I was once gifted The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzenberger by a student's family. It is a middle grade novel, so I thought it was a bit strange (to receive as a high school teacher), but then I read it. I loved it. Unfortunately, it is out of print, and I loaned my copy to someone and never got it back. That is my biggest experience with a math novel. However today I am sharing a new math novel with you. It is not a fantasy as The Number Devil, but it has some great math in it and it is explained in ways that kids will be able to understand. The book is volume 1 of the Math Mysteries series. It is Math Mysteries: The Triple Threat by Aaron Starmer and illustrated by Marta Kissi. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. 

The Book Bandit -- A Phoebe Chen Mystery -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Caron Pescatore and will receive a small stipend for posting my review.

Do you have an emerging reader who is ready for easy chapter books? Does he or she love mysteries? I have a fun, new multicultural book (and eventually a series) for you to check out. It is The Book Bandit by Caron Pescatore and illustrated by Amanda Neves. It is part of the A Phoebe Chen Mystery series. 

Cold -- Engaging Young Adult Mystery with LGBTQ+ Characters

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am working my way through several young adult, middle grade and adult books. Today I get to share a riveting young adult mystery. It is perfect for the upcoming Pride Month (June) as it has many characters in the LGBTQ+ category. The book is Cold by Mariko Tamaki. It is recommended for ages 12+.

The Red Palace -- YA Historical Fiction Perfect for Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As May marches on, we continue to look at Asian and Pacific Island heritage products. Today I am sharing a historical fiction young adult novel that takes place in Korea in 1758. It is The Red Palace by June Hur.

NEW this week--Middle grade books Plus a GIVEAWAY!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Yesterday I shared two new this week picture books and today I have two new this week middle grade novels to share. Middle grade novels have a recommendation for ages 7 to 12. One of the books is a mystery having to do with sports and the other is a multicultural book about family, friends, and math. Plus there is a giveaway for one of them. We are going to start with Danny Chung Sums It Up by Maisie Chan and illustrated by Natelle Quek. This book is recommended for ages 8-12.

The Silver Box & The Enchantment Lake Series

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of all the books in this series in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today I get to share with you the Enchantment Lake series by Margi Preus. This book is part of the blog tour for the third book, The Silver Box. Before I get into this book, though let me talk about the first two. The first book is Enchantment Lake and the second book is The Clue in the Trees.

Mindware Games & More -- Perfect Gifts for Tweens

Disclosure: Mindware sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was hoping to get this post written before the holidays, but I got the items a bit late and then went on vacation. However these products are wonderful gifts for birthdays or other occasions as well as just great additions to your family games and activities or home school. One of the many things I love about Mindware products is how they are fun and educational. All of these fit that description. Three of these products are games that are fun additions for family game night. The first is Leaps and Ledges. 

Digging for Trouble -- a Fun Middle Grades Mystery

Disclosure: Penguin Random House sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hazel LOVES mysteries!! She loves reading them. It is her favorite genre. However she a bit picky about them. We took the first Nancy Drew book out of the library and she didn't like it. She couldn't relate to Nancy because she could drive and do things Hazel cannot do. Ever since we have been looking for mysteries she will enjoy. She liked the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series for a bit but they are a bit young for her reading level. UGH!! She loves the American Girl Mysteries but there are not that many of them. I was very excited to find The Devlin Quick Mysteries. In the second book, Digging for Trouble by Linda Fairstein, Devlin and one of her best friends, Katie, are on an archaeological dig in Montana as part of their summer vacation to Katie's family's vacation home. It is a far cry from their New York City homes. But the mystery begins when some of the dinosaur bones Katie uncovers get switched. 

Merry Monday -- Where to Shop for Educational Gifts & a Quick Craft

Disclosure: MindWare sent me these products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Even though we had our Multicultural Monday post this morning, I wanted to be sure to share a Merry Monday post with you. Instead of books this week I thought I would share some educational gifts and where to buy them as well as a fun and easy hack on a decoration I saw at Michael's today. Now one of our favorite places to shop is Mindware. Mindware sells different brands however our favorite category is the Created by MindWare one. We chose three products this year to share with you. However I have to mention that we have gotten some amazing products from them over the years including one of our all time favorite games--DestiNation USA, which everyone we have introduced to this game loves it. 

The World's Greatest Adventure Machine -- Grades 4 -7 Book Review

Disclosure: Media Masters Publicity sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Are you ready for the adventure of your life? Are you daring enough to try this new ride? It is not like any ride you have ever been on, and if you ride it more than once the experience will be completely different. Four lucky preteens have won a contest to be the first to try CastleCorp's new adventure machine. Their parents are wondering if it safe and the kids are wondering what it will be like. This is the premise for this exciting new book: The World's Greatest Adventure Machine by Frank L. Cole. 

Fracture Point - a Mommy Time Book Review

Disclosure: Jeff Altabef sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Today I am going to share an adult book with you. I fell in love with Jeff Altabef's books with his and his daughter's Chosen Series. I jumped at the chance to read his newest book Fracture Point. 

The Cover Story -- Mommy Time Review

Disclosure: Kregel Publications sent me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today I am sharing with you a book in my favorite genre--mystery!! Mary Higgins Clark has been my favorite author for a very long time, but Deb Richardson-Moore is challenging that with The Cover Story. This book was released yesterday!