Reviewing middle grade books
In Merlin's Blade (2013), the opening book in Robert Treskillard’s Arthurian saga, Merlin begins as a bashful, gawky teenager, son of a blacksmith, nearly blind. Some unknown druids come to his tiny town in post-Roman Britain, bringing with them a … [Continue reading]
I’d heard this anime-style 2016 feature film praised by some in the industry, so I decided to watch it. My takeaway: religious families will want to discuss various elements of the story together. An example: identifying ancestor worship as a … [Continue reading]
The Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes, Book One of the Celestine ChroniclesPublished 2012 by Tanglewood Press, 347 pagesGenre: Middle grade fantasy, not specifically Christian In The Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes (2012), Marcus … [Continue reading]
In the book Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson (2006), Silver is a plucky 11-year-old whose parents and sister vanished four years ago. She’s being cared for by a selfish mean woman in the family mansion, Tanglewreck, one of those old English manor … [Continue reading]
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (2007) is a hot book where middle-schoolers are concerned. It's a #1 New York Times bestseller, and its many sequels are too. Many parents, though, aren't so thrilled about this tale of a manipulative cheat. So … [Continue reading]
In One Realm Beyond (2014), a YA series opener from Donita K. Paul, Cantor D'Ahma has grown into a young man. He leaves his elderly mentors and sets off to learn how to become a Realm Walker, using the gifts he was born with. His mentors don't tell … [Continue reading]
How to engage kids in STEM subjects? One way is to have them read intriguing picture-book-biographies of STEM scientists of note, especially ones that have an engaging story or two in their past. Grace Hopper is one of these people. Laurie … [Continue reading]
The Book of the King (2007), by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, tells a tale full of the supernatural. Its young protagonist, Owen, is one courageous guy. Owen evades violent bullies and comes home to the bookstore where he lives with his … [Continue reading]
Rise of the Dragons by Angie Sage (2019), a middle-grade series opener, involves two worlds. In one, young Sirin Sharma is in the slow process of losing her only parent to illness (and her cat to hard-hearted caregivers). It seems to be the same … [Continue reading]
Getting published take time when you're not indie publishing. Which I am not. So, I have five book manuscripts in various states of finish. I'm hopeful for all of them, of course! And so glad to have an agent, Bob Shuman! I went to two writers' … [Continue reading]
Reviewer, editor and writer for young people--with a background as an engineer and in the news business. As a homeschooling veteran, I review middle-grade stories to help parents, librarians, and teachers choose good books .
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