Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

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Available now

Ages 8-12, 288 pages

I was first introduced to Aldridge’s work with his graphic novel Estranged. The Kid selected that one during one of our many bookstore runs and I fell instantly in love with his art style. When I saw the news about Deephaven, I immeadiately went to all the usual ARC request sites and placed my request. Yes, I was sent an advanced digital copy and yes, life got in the way and I’m late getting the review out.

From the Publisher:

When Guinevere "Nev’" Tallow receives an acceptance letter to Deephaven Academy, an exclusive and secluded school, they know it’s the fresh start that they’ve been looking for.

But things are strange from the moment they arrive—the house itself seems to breathe, students whisper secrets in dark corridors, and the entire east wing of the academy is locked away for reasons no one wants to explain. And Nev knows something strange and ragged stalks the shadowy corridors, something that sobs quietly and scratches at the walls, waiting to be released.

With the help of another first-year student, Nev takes it upon themself to unravel the mysteries hidden in Deephaven's halls. But will they risk their fresh start to bring the academy’s secret to light?

Deephaven is a beautifully written coming of age story set in a magical boarding school. If you have a young fantasy reader in your life, this book is a perfect addition to their bookshelf. It's the perfect balance of compelling story, quiet character development, and a gentle spookiness perfect for young readers. There are several parts that involve some fantasy violence and scariness, but it’s all age appropriate and written with care for the readers.

You can feel the love and care Aldridge has put into his characters and their story. Nev is struggling with a complicated home life and knows that Deephaven could be their way to a happier life. But with a fresh start comes other complications that many readers will readily identify with: finding new friends, the stress of a new environment, and wanting to fit in. Anyone who has been the new kid knows how scary that can be.

I loved this book and if you want to add it your shelf, you can click on the cover above, or here, for ordering information.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may also contain associate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Holiday Book Gift Guide: Action and Adventure Books for Kids

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If you have a kiddo who loves a bit of adventure, maybe with a dash of danger, here are some of the most popular books getting checked out at my Library. All of these books contain kids, and maybe a couple of dogs, that set out to see our big wide world or, even better, are tasked with saving it. Click on the covers for ordering information and more about each book. Happy Reading!

Holiday Book Gift Guide: 9 Spooky Middle Grade Books That I Love

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Here’s a post from October with my favorite middle grade spooky books for your young spooky book fan!

It’s Spooky Reading Season! These are some of the most popular books going out at the Library right now, and, they also happen to be some of my favorite middle grade horror novels. I’ve done my best to add in any content warnings that I remember from my reading, but as always, you may want to preview before handing these off to kids. All are super spooky but some contain more humor than spook so there should be something for everyone.

CW: Parental death, grief, bullying, threats to children

Eleven year-old Ollie has been dealt a tragic blow that is affecting her relationships at home and at school. When a magical book finds it’s way to her through troubling means, Ollie becomes obsessed with the book and the characters found within. Ollie’s obsession becomes reality when a class field trip takes her to the graves of the very people she is reading about.

Now, Ollie and two of her classmates must battle unimaginable forces to save themselves and the lives of their classmates.

CW: Violence, Mild Violence, Discrimination, Disability

From the Publisher: When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned’s village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother’s last words: “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

Barnhill is an excellent writer and crafts beautifully written fantasy stories about family and friendship.

Charlie Hernández loves the myths and stories his abuela told him growing up. When he begins to turn into something similar to a creature from one his favorite stories, Charlie knows he’s in for an adventure. Charlie is quickly thrown into a world of brujas, magic, monsters, and danger!

This is a great pick for kids who are looking for action, adventure, and lots of magic!

CW: Cruelty to Animals, Mild Language, Mild Violence

When Mup’s father is kidnapped by witches, Mup and her mother must set off on a journey to rescue him from the evil queen who has outlawed magic. This evil queen also happens to be her grandmother…

For readers who love a character on a magical journey, as well as family and political drama.

CW: Parental death, majority of the book takes place in a funeral parlor, kid danger and peril

When Molly’s neglectful father passes away, Molly returns to her mother’s home to collect her inheritance. What she finds, is a brother who doesn’t want her around and his business partner who really wants her to leave. But Molly is persistent and she has a plan to get what she wants.

What she doesn’t anticipate is the business she so badly wants a stake in is a mortuary for monsters.

Yep. She’s about to find out the supernatural is all around her and she and her brother will have to work together to keep the monsters safe.

CW: death of a grandparent, racism, segregation, harassment, gun violence

After the death of their grandmother, eleven year-old twins Jezebel and Jay begin training in root work with their uncle. Their family has crafted small potions and charms for their community for generations but when a dark force begins to threaten their home and community, Jez and Jay discover their magic goes far deeper.

An excellent story that weaves history, culture, magic, and mystery seamlessly.

Portal fantasy! When her parents go missing after a series of mysterious letters are delivered to their home, Emily must gather her courage and clues to rescue them. Emily discovers a parallel London, full of magic, mystery, and the fae.

This is book 1 in a 3 book series so if your Reader loves it, there are more books!

A funnier take on the spooky tale

This is a much lighter and funnier take on the spooky story. Will Hunter is dealing with his parent’s divorce, a move to a new town, and a brand new school. On top of all that stress, he seems to be the only one who notices all the spooky stuff in his town. There are monsters where his teachers should be and weird stuff all over the town’s streets. Luckily for Will, he makes friends with the school outcasts and together, they work to solve the mystery of the super spooky shenanigans.

This book is a ton of fun and has a mysterious secret narrator!


This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.


Holiday Book Gift Guide: Silly Kid Edition

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I am That Aunt who always gives books as gifts. I’m a big believer in letting kids read whatever they want and trusting them to pick books that are a good fit in both reading level and content. This means that books with unicorns that poop cupcakes and main characters named Fart will always be bought when asked for.

If you have young readers who like their books full of silliness and loads of laughs, here are some of my favorites! You can click on the book covers for ordering information.

Ame Dyckman is one of my go-to authors for both gifts and storytime books. All of her books are hilarious and kids really, really love them. In You Don’t Want a Unicorn, readers discover that owning a unicorn is not just a lot of work, some of the clean up is quite interesting. I’ve read this to kids Prek-5th and all loved it.

 

I read this to every class that came for Library visits at the end of the school year and they loved it! The bookmobile is back in town and one kid is so excited to see the Librarian and get a new book. Unfortunately, it’s a new Librarian who doesn’t let him pick a book because it’s a “girl” book. He also can’t have the cat book because it’s only for cats, the dog book is apparently only for dogs, and next thing you know, all sorts of critters and creations are lounging and reading books meant just for them. That is, until a dinosaur walks up and demands a book about ponies! No one says no to a dinosaur.

You must use a fun dinosaur voice when reading this book. It’s a delightful requirement.

 

Hilarity ensues when it’s nearly time for Grandma’s arrival, but the house still needs cleaned and a sneaky cat, who really doesn’t want a bath, keeps interfering with the family’s chore list.

 

Pig the Pug is one of our most popular series and Pig is especially naughty on the night he should be the nicest! This greedy little Pug finds himself on a wild adventure in Santa’s sleigh.

 

This book is perfect for fantasy and adventure readers who love fart jokes. Fart, along with his fellow apprentices, impersonate their masters to embark on a quest for the king of the realm. The quest? Finding the Golden Llama and it’s magical fart.

So many farts.

 

Will and his mother have just moved to a new town after his parent’s divorce and everything is going wrong. The town seems way too excited about Halloween with all the weird decorations, his dog goes missing, school seems full of monsters, and actually, there seems to be monsters everywhere! But only Will seems to be the one noticing, until he meets two new friends who also have some insider knowledge on why the town is so spooky.

Very funny, very charming, and one of the best funny/spooky books out there for kids.

 

Look, becoming a zombie after eating a weird school lunch is NOT going to stop Tulah from auditioning for the fall musical! How do you keep becoming a zombie a secret? Just follow Tulah on her zany adventures to keep her secret double life from ruining middle school.

 

If a fairytale was turned upside down and then inside out, you’d get Moldlylocks and the Three Beards. Princess Pink is a muddy sneakers and adventure loving thrill seeker who finds her way to The Land of Fake-Believe through a portal in her fridge…

It’s super silly and full of very colorful illustrations.

 

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Middle Grade Horror Review: Mine by Delilah S. Dawson

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Available now

Reader Friends, kids these days don’t understand how good they have it. Mine by Delilah S. Dawson is legit scary!

CW: ghostly harm to children, very strained parental/child relationship, the dog is fine at the end

From the Publisher:

Lily Horne is a drama queen. It's helped her rise to stardom in the school play, but it's also landed her in trouble. Her parents warn her that Florida has to be different. It's a fresh start. No theatrics. But this time, the drama is coming for her.

The Hornes’ new house is awful. The pool is full of slime, the dock is rotten, and the swamp creeps closer every day. But worst of all, the house isn't empty . . . it's packed full of trash, memories, and, Lily begins to fear, the ghost of the girl who lived there before her.

And whatever is waiting in the shadows wants to come out to play.

Mine is extremely creepy and chilling. Lily and her parents have moved to swampy Florida, thousands of miles from her beloved Colorado, to live in a house that was too good of a deal to pass up. The reason it’s such a good price? The former tenant was a hoarder and the house is bursting at the seams with all of the trash and delivery boxes. Because the state of the house is so overwhelming, and the family’s storage container hasn’t shown up yet, the already tense relationship Lily has with her parents is at a near breaking point. We know something happened in Colorado that forced the family to move suddenly, and we’re led to believe Lily feels it’s her fault throughout the entire book. Lily’s dad starts his new job immediately and it’s up to Lily and her mom to clean out the mountains of trash and turn their disaster of a house into a home. So when creepy things start happening in the house, Lily’s parents have zero patience for her drama and insist it’s all in her head. Lily spends most of the story feeling ignored, hurt, and betrayed by her parents actions. Lily feels like a character that many kids will be able to relate with. She has to move unexpectedly, leave her friends behind, and finds herself alone and terrorized by a ghost that no one believes is there. Lily is also a smart and determined kid who knows she’s the only one who can save herself and she does.

If you have a middle grade reader who loves horror, this book is perfect. It’s chilling, atmospheric, and very creepy. If you’d like a copy of your own, you can find ordering information here:

As always, this post may contain affiliate links and I may earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions and mistakes are my own.


Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen

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Available now

Have you read so far down the spooky book lists that you can no longer sleep and jump at every unknown noise?

Just me?

Ok, well here is the cutest book about a vampire that I have ever read. Garlic lives in a village of vegetable people and helps out in the garden of Witch Agnes. Garlic is always running a little late, tends to bump into things, and is just kind of anxious and stressed all the time. She would really love it if she could just stay in her garden all day and tend to her little garlic bulbs.

One day, her fellow villagers notice smoke coming from the chimneys of an abandoned castle. But when they ask Witch Agnes about the castle, she tells them a scary tale of a vampire who used to live there. Now, if anyone is going to go find out if their neighbor is indeed a bloodthirsty vampire, it only makes sense that Garlic be the one to go. She has a natural defense against vampires and because she can’t stand to let her friends down, she agrees to go.

What ensues is the cutest thing you will read this week.

I promise.

The art is just as beautiful as the friendships found within and I really loved how adorable the story was. I found this book through a cozy fantasy booktok account and immeadiately put it on hold from the Library. It’s also now in next month’s book order because I just can’t wait to share this with the Library Kids.

If you want to add this adorable graphic novel to your collection, you can click on the book cover for ordering information. As always, this post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

9 Spooky Middle Grade Books That I Love

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It’s Spooky Reading Season! These are some of the most popular books going out at the Library right now, and, they also happen to be some of my favorite middle grade horror novels. I’ve done my best to add in any content warnings that I remember from my reading, but as always, you may want to preview before handing these off to kids. All are super spooky but some contain more humor than spook so there should be something for everyone.

CW: Parental death, grief, bullying, threats to children

Eleven year-old Ollie has been dealt a tragic blow that is affecting her relationships at home and at school. When a magical book finds it’s way to her through troubling means, Ollie becomes obsessed with the book and the characters found within. Ollie’s obsession becomes reality when a class field trip takes her to the graves of the very people she is reading about.

Now, Ollie and two of her classmates must battle unimaginable forces to save themselves and the lives of their classmates.

CW: Violence, Mild Violence, Discrimination, Disability

From the Publisher: When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Across the forest that borders Ned’s village, Áine, the daughter of the Bandit King, is haunted by her mother’s last words: “The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.” When the Bandit King comes to steal the magic Ned’s mother, a witch, is meant to protect, Áine and Ned meet. Can they trust each other long enough to cross a dangerous enchanted forest and stop the war about to boil over between their two kingdoms?

Barnhill is an excellent writer and crafts beautifully written fantasy stories about family and friendship.

Charlie Hernández loves the myths and stories his abuela told him growing up. When he begins to turn into something similar to a creature from one his favorite stories, Charlie knows he’s in for an adventure. Charlie is quickly thrown into a world of brujas, magic, monsters, and danger!

This is a great pick for kids who are looking for action, adventure, and lots of magic!

CW: Cruelty to Animals, Mild Language, Mild Violence

When Mup’s father is kidnapped by witches, Mup and her mother must set off on a journey to rescue him from the evil queen who has outlawed magic. This evil queen also happens to be her grandmother…

For readers who love a character on a magical journey, as well as family and political drama.

CW: Parental death, majority of the book takes place in a funeral parlor, kid danger and peril

When Molly’s neglectful father passes away, Molly returns to her mother’s home to collect her inheritance. What she finds, is a brother who doesn’t want her around and his business partner who really wants her to leave. But Molly is persistent and she has a plan to get what she wants.

What she doesn’t anticipate is the business she so badly wants a stake in is a mortuary for monsters.

Yep. She’s about to find out the supernatural is all around her and she and her brother will have to work together to keep the monsters safe.

CW: death of a grandparent, racism, segregation, harassment, gun violence

After the death of their grandmother, eleven year-old twins Jezebel and Jay begin training in root work with their uncle. Their family has crafted small potions and charms for their community for generations but when a dark force begins to threaten their home and community, Jez and Jay discover their magic goes far deeper.

An excellent story that weaves history, culture, magic, and mystery seamlessly.

Portal fantasy! When her parents go missing after a series of mysterious letters are delivered to their home, Emily must gather her courage and clues to rescue them. Emily discovers a parallel London, full of magic, mystery, and the fae.

This is book 1 in a 3 book series so if your Reader loves it, there are more books!

A funnier take on the spooky tale

This is a much lighter and funnier take on the spooky story. Will Hunter is dealing with his parent’s divorce, a move to a new town, and a brand new school. On top of all that stress, he seems to be the only one who notices all the spooky stuff in his town. There are monsters where his teachers should be and weird stuff all over the town’s streets. Luckily for Will, he makes friends with the school outcasts and together, they work to solve the mystery of the super spooky shenanigans.

This book is a ton of fun and has a mysterious secret narrator!


This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.


Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko

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Available Now

Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one.

It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even . . . a ghost.

When she tells her classmates, only her best friend Elijah believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl.

But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways.

To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.

I absolutely adore this book! Filled with delightfully spooky elements, fierce friendships, and a complicated family life, Ghost Girl is a dark adventure perfect for middle grade readers. Zee is an outsider. Picked on by the class bully Nellie, Zee spends most of her time with her best friend Elijah. Together, the two of them can overcome anything, even the strange events that seem to coincide with the arrival of their new principal, Principal Scratch. People around town are acting strangely and suddenly, the rumors about Zee’s mother having the ability to speak to ghosts don’t seem so far-fetched. As tensions increase around town, Zee and Elijah must work together with an unlikely ally to save their town from the dark and sinister Principal Scratch.

This book is very relatable to young readers. There are many different types of families and living situations represented in Ghost Girl. Zee and her sister are living on their own after their father leaves town to look for work. Elijah has a mother who is battling mental illness and a father who is constantly criticizing him and desperately wants his son to live the same the childhood fueled by football that he had. Nellie, a spoiled bully, has parents who seem to be uninterested in her and pay her little attention, but do shower her in the latest clothes and tech.

I really enjoyed the creepy school principal elements. The author has imbued Principal Scratch with all the characteristics of a shady motivational speaker who is secretly trying to take over the town. Watching the principal quickly worm his way into the hearts and minds of the members of the town was eerie and disconcerting. The entire town is filled with a weirdness that is hard to put your finger on and helps to enhance the overall haunted feel of the story.

Ghost Girl is an excellent spine-chilling read for middle grade readers. It has the right amount of spookiness to draw readers in and a fast-paced plot that will keep them engage.

Thank you so much to Katherine Tegen Books for sending me a beautiful copy of this book. All mistakes and opinions are completely my own. Interested in putting this amazing book into the hands of your favorite middle grade reader? You can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

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Available 6/22/21

Shaheen and her father’s relationship has always been strained by his obsession with music. Moments spent together centered around new music her father had found or interesting, to him, musical trivia. Shaheen’s attempts to connect on other levels such as books, food, or just what’s going on in her life, haven’t landed and when her father goes missing, she blames an argument they shared on his absence. With her cousin Tannaz’s help, the two girls break into the local record store for clues on his disappearance. While they don’t find her father, the two do discover a magical jukebox that can transport you through time. Convinced that he is trapped in time, the two girls do everything they can to find Shaheen’s missing father and find themselves in the front row of history along the way. 

I love Nidhi Chanani’s illustrations and her ability to find magic in everyday objects. Her other book, Pashmina, about a magical pashmina scarf that can transport people is one of my and my son’s favorites. In Jukebox, vinyl records become our vehicle for transporting through time, landing on important historical events when the records were created. Chanani does an excellent job of conveying the significance of the events without taking the reader out of the story. I really appreciated the way Tannaz coming out as bisexual to Shaheen was written. I think many kids will be able to relate to both Tannaz’s hesitancy and Shaheen’s reaction of dating is just gross! 

Readers are sure to be captured by Chanani’s beautiful illustrations and will fall in love with her imaginative storytelling. 

If you would like to add this marvelous book to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. 

This post also contains affiliate links and I may earn from qualifying purchases. 




Root Magic by Eden Royce

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Available Now

Reader Friends, this book is amazing. While it's audience is 8-12 year-olds, this 30-something, I have a couple years left, was absolutely enthralled from start to finish.

Set in 1963, Jezebel and her twin brother Jay have just lost their grandmother days before their eleventh birthday. Struggling with their grief, their small family has to deal with harassment from the local police and stares and whispers from the neighbors and classmates who don't understand their use of root magic. As Jezebel and Jay begin root magic lessons with their uncle, they discover there was more to the stories their grandmother would tell them, and the simple cures and potions their uncle mixes up for neighbors are just the beginning of their powerful heritage.

This books truly has everything. There is history, family drama, school drama, two children coming of age, magic, and adventure. These characters are written with such love and care you can feel it pouring from the page. Jezebel and Jay are very close and have a very realistic relationship. Many children will be able to see themselves in the studious and kind Jezebel as well as in the fun-loving and practical Jay. I really loved how the author showed the strain on their relationship when Jezebel was asked to skip a grade while her brother was not. While you know Jay is proud of his sister, it has to hurt to know that your twin is better at something than you. This dynamic is shown again as the twins discover more about their magical gifts and develop those gifts in different ways.

I loved how the author really focused on family and history in telling the adventures of Jez and Jay. Their deep connection to their family's practice in root magic grounds and guides both children. As the twins discover more and more about the magical world around them, knowing that they have a connection to their family gives them courage and hope to deal with some very scary situations.

If you have a middle grade reader who loves magic and adventure, this will be a perfect book for them. I absolutely love and adore it and I can't wait for more children to discover it.

If you would like to add this wonderful book to your collection, you can find ordering options here:

 

 

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. I read my Library's copy of this book and as always, request books from your Library. Librarians love to buy books.

Last Minute Valentine's Gifts for Book Loving Kids

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I love to give books as gifts for kids. The choices are endless and it’s a gift that can spark a life-long passion. Here’s a collection of my favorite books, grouped by age, for your special Reader. What are your favorite books to give as gifts? Do you have a favorite author or series?

Toddlers

Early Elementary

Late Elementary

Beginning Readers

Independent Readers

This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases.

City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda

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Available January 12, 2021

This is an incredible magical adventure for all fantasy lovers. Set in New York City, Sikander Aziz discovers there is more to the stories his family has been telling him his whole childhood. Spending his days split between school and his family’s deli, Sik wants more out of life, but his brother’s accidental discovery of an ancient flower leads to his brother’s even more accidental immortality. Now, ancient gods have waged war between each other and Sik, along with all of NYC, is caught up in the middle. With an uncontrollable plague taking over the city. Sik and his new ally Belet must discover a way to bring back peace and stop the plague. 

This is a fast paced adventure full of action that will keep younger readers riveted. Sik is not only smart and quick-witted, but he’s also a bit mouthy and tells it like it is. He misses his older brother fiercely and young readers will easily relate to his expressions of grief, especially with the current events taking place. I really liked Belet and her ability to be so loyal to her cause but also so prickly! She doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone and when paired with Sik and the talking sword, Kasusu, the three have a great dynamic.  That’s right, a talking sword. And, Gilgamesh makes an appearance in the most unlikely of ways.

This story is centered around a plague god that spreads a horrible and disgusting disease around the city and that may be a bit too on the nose for some readers right now, however, I think the theme of protecting and fighting for family and our community will win over reluctant readers. Knowing that Sik will overcome and defeat a plague god, when we are currently living through our own pandemic and watching scientists and medical professionals fight to overcome this virus, keeps the tone hopeful.   

I’m very glad that a novel based on ancient Mesopotamian myth is now out in the world and you can feel the author's love for the story and characters. This book is full of interesting historical and mythological facts and characters that will grab the reader's attention and keep them enthralled until the very end. This will be great for readers that have loved other books in the Rick Riordan Presents series and for the readers just getting into the fantasy genre. 

Want a copy for yourself? You can find ordering information here:

 



Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.





The Girl in the Witch's Garden by Erin Bowman

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Available June 23, 2020

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

This book does have some discussions of parent illness and death, divorce, and the mother is magically spelled to be mean to children.

This book is absolutely delightful.

When her father becomes too ill to care for her, 12 year old Piper is sent to live with the mother who left her when she was only four. Hurt to find her absent mother has been fostering children, Piper is even more shocked when the children begin speaking of spells and magical gardens. Highly skeptical, Piper is convinced the children are playing a joke on her. But after meeting her mother for the first time in years, she learns her mother not only comes for a long line of witches, but is cold and dismissive of Piper when she learns Piper doesn’t have an affinity for magic.

Hurt, scared, and frustrated that she can’t communicate with her father, Piper spends her days bitter towards her new foster siblings and exhausted by their long list of chores. When Piper joins the children in their search for the secret, and magical, entrance to the dead gardens, she discovers that there is more to the story than she has been led to believe.

Full of mystery and action, The Girl and the Witch’s Garden is a beautiful story of family, friendship, and finding our inner strength.

I really enjoyed this middle grade fantasy novel. Piper is such a complex character that many children will relate to. She has grown up feeling abandoned by her mother and now has a dad with cancer and his treatments aren’t working. Her feelings of abandonment are intensified when she discovers her mother left not only for work, but begins fostering children. Not once has she tried to have a relationship with Piper but she wants one with other children? Piper has so much to deal with in this story and yet still remains strong and determined to make it to the end of the summer and see her father again. When she finds that she does have magical ability, Piper doesn’t use it just for herself, but to help out the children her mother has promised adoption to only if they can give her the secret to the gardens. Piper doesn’t want the other children chosen over her, but she also wants them to have a home.

The magic system is really well done with each child having their own affinity, or special ability. There is a creepy cat that always appears to be spying on the children-cats are creepy so I love that it was a cat. The children have to solve clues and find keys to unlock various parts of the secret garden mystery and it’s all very action packed and full of self discovery.

Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

Sound like something you want to read? Want your own copy? You can get one here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Gloom Town by Ronald L. Smith

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Available Now

Set in a fictional seaside village on the continent Europica, Gloom Town is an atmospheric and delightfully creepy story of magical planes, mythical creatures, and dark secrets. 

Desperately wanting to help his single mother with the family finances, Rory applies for a valet job at the mysterious Foxglove Manor. When he gets the job, his excitement over financial freedom quickly diminishes with every dark and lonely day on the job. Days spent dusting and cleaning are followed by cold nights and mysterious dinner parties. When Rory’s life is put in danger, he and his best friend Izzy must use their smarts and bravery to save themselves, and the whole of Gloom Town. 

This is a fantastic middle grade adventure with lots of spooky elements that can get a bit dark so it’d be best for those over ages 9 or 10. Rory and Izzy are great characters who are both relatable and interesting. Both children have been gifted some sort of magical power that they learn the true strength of their powers with each other’s help. Even with their special gifts, both children are incredibly brave and strong and show true loyalty to their families and each other. 

Rory and his mother are struggling to make it financially and that’s even with her working two jobs. Their desire for financial security is, unfortunately, going to be very relatable to many young readers. 

The story moves quickly with plenty of action to keep readers interested. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the town and the way that the townspeople are seen as a close knit community. Foxglove Manor is a dark and creepy mansion with mysterious suits of armor and creepy paintings and you could feel how cold and hungry Rory was while there. This would be great for those readers that a book with a strong sense of place and atmosphere. Ronald L. Smith is a multiple award winner including the Coretta Scott King award for his novel Hoodoo and his writing is a delight to read. I’m very excited to add this to our Children’s Department Spooky and Scary shelf. 

I don’t call it the Horror section, the grown-ups get weird about kids reading horror.  Call it Spooky and Scary and they don’t blink an eye. 

If you have a middle grade fantasy lover in your life, you can grab them a copy of Gloom Town, and help support the site, here:




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The Bookwanderers by Anna James

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It’s been a bit since I’ve added in a Chick Pick and this one is absolutely delightful!

What could be a more wonderful ability for a book lover than the ability to actually wander inside books?  Could you imagine getting to talk to your favorite book characters and join them in their adventures?  That's what Tilly Pages learns to do in this delightful and imaginative middle grade novel. 

Growing up in a bookstore, Tilly Pages spends her days surrounded by her favorite books and an endless supply of new possible favorites.  One day, she meets a young girl named Anne with an "e" who is remarkable like Anne from Green Gables.  Turns out-she is that Anne from Anne of Green Gables.  When she meets Alice and joins her for a tea party, she knows she's in over her head.  Turns out, her family comes from a long line of book wanderers, people who have the ability to journey inside books and live alongside the characters. 

But it's not all tea parties and caucus races.  The secret society that oversees the safety of book wanderers and their books has other darker secrets that Tilly will become caught up in when she and her friend Oskar venture into her mother's favorite book to find clues about her mother's disappearance not long after Tilly's birth. 

This is a wonderfully written, imaginative, and fast paced story that will intrigue any young, or not so young, book lover.  Tilly and Oskar are both brave, intelligent, and ready to explore their new abilities.  Their adventures will keep readers enthralled from beginning to end.  And who wouldn't be intrigued about wandering through books?

Interested in a copy for yourself or your favorite young reader? You can get your copy here, and help support the site:





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This is Anna’s first book but book 2, Pages & Co. The Lost Fairytales comes out in May!

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I love books about books!


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