The Great Ice Cream Truck Heist by JJ Johnson, a review
The Great Ice Cream Truck Heist by JJ Johnson tells a funny and memorable tale. Full of bravado and self-doubt, Iggy, age 12, leads or tries to lead his neighborhood kids working together to solve a mystery. This is Book 4 in the Iggy and Oz series, and it’s a...
Vincent in Wonderland by C.E. White, a review
Vincent in Wonderland, a tale for middle grade, is quite a surprise. Vincent Van Gogh, age 11, meets Alice, age 12. They each chase a white rabbit into a hole and find themselves together in Wonderland, also called Sian in this story. It’s no ordinary white...
Woodencloak, by Dawn Ford, a review
Woodencloak by Dawn Ford tells a tale for middle graders of a troll princess fighting to free her father and her people. It’s a page turner, all right, as Horra barely escapes her castle during a coup. Together with her pet eagle, Horra flees into the wilderness and...
The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford, a review
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford leads the reader on a young adult fantasy journey spanning two worlds. Tambrynn hates her indentured servitude, basically slavery since there seems to be no end in sight. She’s been a kitchen helper/scrubber of things...
Amy Coney Barrett: A Justice and a Mother, a review
A Justice and a Mother The picture book biography I am looking at today is Amy Coney Barrett: A Justice and a Mother, by Joyce Claiborne-West, illustrated by Ivana Besevic. I’ve been curious about Barrett. This book goes over her many strong points: a sharp mind,...
First Contact by T.D. Patrick: A Good Homeschool Read-Aloud
This chapter book for early readers makes a very good homeschool read-aloud. In First Contact, Book 1 of Terra Prime Adventures, T.D. Patrick tells the story of Zack, 12. He’s one of 1500 colonists snoozing in hyper-sleep for nine months while rocketing away...
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment by James Patterson, a review
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment is a middle grade book that takes the female scientist character to a whole ‘nother level. But does the book grab our hearts? Maxine Einstein, an orphan who has no idea where she came from, lives with other homeless folks...
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, a book review
In this book, Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, the author channels his twelve-year-old self, an immigrant from Iran living in Edmond, Oklahoma. He tells his life story to his fifth-grade class as part of an assignment. And it’s a long story–for...
Hi, I'm Phyllis Wheeler
Award-winning middle-grade Christian fiction writer extraordinaire! I'm excited to have you here. To learn more about me and my story as an author and homeschool mom, visit the About page.
Featured Book by Phyllis Wheeler
The Dog Snatcher: Guardians of Time Book 1
The kid just wants his beloved dog back. Before it’s too late.
Disbelief and shock fill eleven-year-old Jake when a stranger grabs his beloved dog. Jake and his twin Ava chase the scruffy teen down their suburban street, but the thief simply vanishes. So … what is this ancient-looking skeleton key Jake finds in the street? Turning it in the air takes the twins—somewhere else!