#book 22: Book 22: MAX IN THE HOUSE OF SPIES by Adam Gidwitz -- This middle-grade story set during WWII softens tough topics through the use of humor. Read in print or audio: the #audiobook is fantastic.
Five stars: Haunted Holiday by Kiersten White (2024) is the conclusion to the Sinister Summer series. Twins Theo and Alexander are back at their aunt's house while their older sister and Edgar go to save their parents. Neither twin wants to sit still and let things happen, so they too find a way to do their part.
Five stars: Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (2024) is a modern day middle grade retelling of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892). It's set in the post-COVID years and looks at how autoimmune problems are often undiagnosed or even ignored, especially in children.
#Book 14: Averil Offline by Amy Noelle Parks -- a well-thought-out story about two tweens longing for some independence in an app-happy, helicopter-parent world. THanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Click, Camp, Act, Clash, Crunch, and Break by Kayla Miller- a graphic novel series for middle grade readers. The most recent addition, Break, finds Olivia spending Spring Break with her dad who recently moved back from New Zealand. Spending so much time without her father around makes Olivia mad that he suddenly is there. We dive into Olivia's world and figure this new life out together.
After returning to the real world, Luca couldn't wait to go back to his home. Little does he know that his special bunny friend snuck a ride in his backpack.
Moonlight Blade will continue later this Spring. Hope you're all enjoying the series so far :3
Five stars: My Aunt Is a Monster by Reimena Yee (2022) is a middle grade graphic novel about a family of adventurers, a curse, and a lifelong rivalry. Safia was born blind but had a good, enriching early childhood with her parents who filled her world with nightly bedtime stories and audiobook when they couldn't read to her. When she's the only survivor from a house fire, she's sent to live with her aunt and companion. The house she's sent to has a reputation for being the home of a monster!
#Book 6: Amil and the After by Verra Hiranandani -- A moving story of life in India after the Partition as told by a 12-year-old boy. Emotionally strong, the novel addresses several important & relevant issues.