Forgotten Oath by Dorothea N. Buckingham Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Hawaii ISBN: 9798891321489 Print Length: 124 pages Publisher: Atmosphere Press Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Samantha Hui A delightful mix of historical, fantastical, and adventurous Stories are rarely just stories. They are tradition and history and even promises. Forgotten Oath reminds readers of the power of the stories they hear and the stories they decide to make. Dorothea Buckingham’s novel plants a seed of Hawaiian history, nourishing and watering it with her imagination and creative story ..read more

Treasonous Tycoon (The Adventures of the Flash Gang, 2) by M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Historical ISBN: 9781646034031 Print Length: 218 pages Publisher: Fitzroy Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Warren Maxwell Rich in crooked schemes and youthful hijinks, this noir-tinged sequel returns to a band of memorable depression-era street orphans as they investigate a Nazi plot. Betrayal, malaise, and the simple exhaustion of being the underdog challenge Lewis and his band of friends as they try to reveal corruption hidden in plain sight. H ..read more

Magic Beyond the Mark by Emily Swiers Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy ISBN: 9798989640409 Print Length: 232 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Samantha Hui A young girl gains the voice to speak up and the courage to save her town Broken promises sprinkled into tea. Creatures that feed on fleeting thoughts. Curse eating eels. Magic Beyond the Mark invites audiences into a world in which our feelings and fears are made tangible. “‘Magic can be very specific, mostly because people believe what they want. Magic just pushes us along.’” In the world of Emily Swiers’ Magic ..read more

Just Like Click by Sandy Grubb Genre: Middle Grade Fiction ISBN: 9781646034390 Print Length: 188 pages Publisher: Fitzroy Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Audrey Davis An endearing story of a brave boy willing to go to great lengths for his biggest secret More than anything, Nick Townley, a curious, creative 11-year-old with a passion for superheroes, longs for connection after the loss of his great-grandfather. His parents pressure him to excel in school, sports, and to make more friends his own age. But Nick prefers visiting and caring for his great-grandfather ..read more

The Brothers Dragon by J.F. Baker Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy ISBN: 9798218258436 Print Length: 226 pages Publisher: Foxburg & Stern Books Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Warren Maxwell In this coming of age fantasy, two young brothers travel from World War Two ravaged London to a dangerous world of dragons, pirates, and family secrets. Hidden on an island in the Atlantic, dragons, mermen, gargoyles, and witches have maintained a peaceful existence for centuries. When a malevolent force begins threatening this bucolic existence, it falls on Luke and Nick—the you ..read more

Santa Claus: The Beginning by Terry Broxson Genre: Middle Grade Fiction / Holiday ISBN: 9798891320130 Print Length: 84 pages Publisher: Atmosphere Press Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Samantha Hui Love, happiness, and reindeer games! Santa Claus: The Beginning is a fresh reimagining of children’s favorite gift giver. “Santa is not a what. Santia is a who, and Santa is you. You’ll be known as Santa Claus. It’s a name which means to give freely and lovingly.” Santa Claus: The Beginning is a reimagining of how the well-known, all-seeing gift giver came to be such. Terry Broxson’s story of Sa ..read more

The Dragon Garden by Resa Nelson Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy ISBN: 9798399397375 Print Length: 278 pages Buy from Amazon Buy from Bookshop Reviewed by Elena Bellaart  A spunky young girl and her grumpy guardian must learn to trust their instincts and identify a demon in disguise. Eleven-year-old Pingzi Po is no ordinary little girl. She is a demon queller, responsible for identifying demons at work throughout the kingdom of the Far East and helping those they may be possessing. Her friend and guardian, a Northlander named Benzel, is one such case. Readers quickly learn that ..read more

Book Review: Turning the Corner Reviewed by Samantha Hui At not even twelve years old, Ruozhen Ma imbues her writing with a charm and insightfulness well beyond her years. “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I haven’t discovered my talent and interest yet. I feel like I am digging in the dark tunnel and constantly bumping into tree roots.” The fifth grade is a year of transition. It signals the change from childhood to young adulthood, from formative elementary school into daunting middle school. And with society only recently emerging from the isolation and discombobulation of th ..read more

Book Review: The Greatest Cause of Mia Dubois Reviewed by Audrey Davis An inspiring read with a powerful message Chris Casavant’s middle grade novel The Greatest Cause of Mia Dubois tells the story oftwelve-year-old Mia who, after facing the danger and shock of a hurricane head-on, learns about climate change and realizes this multi-faceted problem requires solutions much more in-depth than simply recycling.  Through meeting new friends, strengthening relationships with old ones, and passionately standing behind her beliefs, Mia boldly yet confidently takes her first steps on a path she ..read more

The Mystery Next Door by Michael Rodney Moore Genre: Middle Grade / Mystery, Thriller & Suspense ISBN: 979-8393679699 Print Length: 259 pages Buy from Amazon Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth Whatever kind of literary magic Michael Rodney Moore has composed, it’s working! There’s something about southern mystery that brings out a childlike wonder. The Mystery Next Door becomes addictive when Moore brings out old tales of piracy and long-lost treasure. It’s the type of adventure one would recognize from movies such as The Goonies (1985) and Tom & Huck (1995). Whose inner child d ..read more