Tag: Middle Grade

MacKids Spotlight: Daniel Kraus

Meet the author of the middle grade series The Teddies Saga, Daniel Kraus! Daniel shares more about his inspiration for this series, his most memorable teachers and librarians, his favorite childhood books, and more in this Q&A!

Book 2 of the Teddies Saga, They Stole Our Hearts is now available! Plus Book 1, They Thew Us Away, is now available in paperback! Five teddy bears set out on an epic journey to figure out why they were left behind—and maybe learn the meaning of life, too—in this action-packed middle grade trilogy from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel Kraus. Perfect for Five Nights at Freddy’s fans!

Read a Q&A with Daniel here →

MacKids Spotlight: Lizz Huerta

Lizz Huerta is the debut author of The Lost Dreamer. A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

Lizz shares more about her inspiration for the story and her advice for young writers here! Plus, request a digital review copy of The Lost Dreamer on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Lizz Huerta here →

Discussion Guide: Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa de la Cruz
Ages 10-14
On Sale Now!

Discover a new middle-grade fantasy saga from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants series, Melissa de la Cruz, where real life and fairy tales collide!

Nothing ever happens in Filomena Jefferson-Cho’s sleepy little suburban town of North Pasadena. The sun shines every day, the grass is always a perfect green, and while her progressive school swears there’s no such thing as bullying, she still feels bummed out. But one day, when Filomena is walking home on her own, something strange happens.

Filomena is being followed by Jack Stalker, one of the heroes in the Thirteenth Fairy, a series of books she loves about a brave girl and her ragtag group of friends who save their world from an evil enchantress. She must be dreaming, or still reading a book. But Jack is insistent—he’s real, the stories are real, and Filomena must come with him at once!

Soon, Filomena is thrust into the world of evil fairies and beautiful princesses, sorcerers and slayers, where an evil queen drives her ruthless armies to destroy what is left of the Fairy tribes. To save herself and the kingdom of Westphalia, Filomena must find the truth behind the fairytales and set the world back to rights before the cycle of sleep and destruction begins once more.

Download the NEVER AFTER discussion guide here!

Learn more about NEVER AFTER here →

MacKids Spotlight: Julian Randall

Julian Randall is the debut author of the blockbuster middle grade fantasy, Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa. The Land of Stories meets Dominican myths and legends in a new duology for fans of Tristan Strong and The Storm Runner.

Julian shares more about his inspiration for the story and his advice for young writers here! Plus, request a digital review copy of Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Julian Randall here →

Discussion Guide: Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani
Ages 10-14
On Sale Now!

Grab some coins for the jukebox, and get ready for a colorful, time-traveling, musical tale about family and courage.

A mysterious jukebox, old vinyl records, and cryptic notes on music history, are Shaheen’s only clues to her father’s abrupt disappearance. She looks to her cousin, Tannaz, who seems just as perplexed, before they both turn to the jukebox which starts…glowing?

Suddenly, the girls are pulled from their era and transported to another time! Keyed to the music on the record, the jukebox sends them through decade after decade of music history, from political marches, to landmark concerts. But can they find Shaheen’s dad before the music stops? This time-bending magical mystery tour invites readers to take the ride of their lives for a coming-of-age adventure.

Download the JUKEBOX discussion guide here!

Learn more about JUKEBOX here →

Enter Here for Your Chance to Win a Digital Review Copy of The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls!

From James Bird, author of The Brave, comes a new middle grade novel The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls!

The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls
Feiwel & Friends
ISBN: 9781250811561
On Sale April 19, 2022
Ages 10-14

A middle-grade novel by James Bird about a boy sent to his Ojibwe family to straighten out his life.

Benjamin Waterfalls comes from a broken home, and the quickest fix he’s found for his life is to fill that emptiness with stuff he steals and then sells. But he’s been caught one too many times, and when he appears before a tough judge, his mother proposes sending him to “boot camp” at the Objibwe reservation where they used to live.

Soon he is on his way to Grand Portage, Minnesota, to live with his father – the man Benny hasn’t seen in years. Not only is “boot camp” not what he expects, but his rehabilitation seems to be in the hands of the tribal leader’s daughter, who wears a mask. Why? Finding the answer to this and so many other questions prove tougher than any military-style boot camp. Will answers be enough for Benny to turn his life around and embrace his second chance?

Click here to win a digital review copy of The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls!

The Brave
Feiwel & Friends
ISBN: 9781250247759
On Sale Now!
Ages 9-12

Perfect for fans of Rain Reign, this middle-grade novel The Brave is about a boy with an OCD issue and his move to a reservation to live with his biological mother.

Collin can’t help himself—he has a unique condition that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It’s a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father.

When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he’s never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.