
ELVIS AND THE WORLD AS IT STANDS by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough
I met Lisa Frankel Riddiough at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators gathering and when I heard the premise of ELVIS AND THE WORLD AS IT STANDS, I had to feature this delightful middle grade book with an animal protagonist.…

THE WITCHING WIND by Natalie Lloyd
Long ago, I saw Natalie Lloyd's middle grade magical realism book, A Snicker of Magic in the Scholastic booth at a conference. I finally snagged my copy of it this year, along with her newest book, THE WITCHING WIND. Natalie Lloyd is an author…

FIRST TO FIND by Catherine Arguelles
I was thrilled to feature Catherine Arguelles's debut middle grade book Flip Turns, especially as part of a group post last summer before the 2024 Olympics. Her newest middle grade novel, FIRST TO FIND, centers on a missing girl and her friend…

BIRDIE'S BILLIONS by Edith Cohn
I met Edith Cohn at the Annual American Library Association Conference in June 2024, and when I learned the premise of her middle grade book, BIRDIE'S BILLIONS, I had to feature it. Have a look:
A savvy young girl finds half a million…

UNSINKABLE CAYENNE by Jessica Vitalis
I got the ARC of this book on NetGalley and it positively blew me away. This is one of the most beautiful novels in verse I've read this year. The story is real, visceral, and epitomizes the sacrifices we all make to "fit in." It debuted yesterday,…

The Whispering Pines series by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski
I always enjoy interviewing middle grade co-authors Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski! I featured the first book in this series, Whispering Pines, and I'm thrilled to announce that the whole series is finally available as a boxed set.
Rae’s…

THE CIRCUS AT THE END OF THE SEA by Lori R. Snyder
I met Lori R. Snyder at the Annual American Library Association Conference in June, and when I learned the premise of her middle grade book, THE CIRCUS AT THE END OF THE SEA, I had to feature it. Have a look:
Maddy Adriana knows…

A MOUSE AND HIS DOG by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
I was honored to feature the first book in this series, Dogtown, and also enjoyed featuring the other books from these authors that debuted this year, including Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Family and Gennifer Choldenko's The Tenth…

STRANDED by Nikki Shannon Smith
I've featured Nikki Shannon Smith's books before, and I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy of middle grade book STRANDED, due out on September 17, 2024. In STRANDED, readers will find a whirlwind survival story!
Eleven-year-old…

WISTERIA by Kelly Webber
When I first heard the premise of WISTERIA by Kelly Webber, I was immediately intrigued! A middle grade book with an animal protagonist? Sign me up! WISTERIA has been out since April 2, 2024 and I'm thrilled to spread word about it:
A…