by Carolyn | For fun, Middle School, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Poetry
When I finished reading I’m Just No Good at Rhyming (And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups) by Chris Harris, illustrated by Lane Smith, to my kids, my older two begged for their own copy of this hilarious book. We laughed together and...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Fantasy, Highschool, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Young Adult
I almost didn’t read Beyonders by Brandon Mull. After I had read several recommendations for his book Fablehaven and found I didn’t care for it, I hadn’t planned to pick up another book by the same author. However, one of my readers encouraged me to...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Bible, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Read Alouds, Recommendations
The Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers is a delightful middle-grade fantasy series. It’s based loosely on the life of King David from his shepherd days to his coronation. I had previously read the first book, The Bark of the Bog Owl, and recommended it on the...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
Do you get super excited when one of your favorite authors comes out with a new book? Me too! (I’m assuming you said yes, right?) I loved Cassie Beasly’s debut middle-grade novel, Circus Mirandus, so when her new novel, Tumble & Blue, arrived in the...
by Carolyn | Audiobooks, Book Deals, Chapter Books, Early Readers, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Picture Books
Audible has done it again! They have another amazingly huge sale on some great children’s books! I’ve hand-picked over 50 of the best books from this massive sale from picture books to middle-grade novels to recommend to you. Enjoy! These books are all...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Parenting
Orphan Island is a beautiful, poignant story for kids on the verge of leaving childhood. My older two kids are about the same age my brother and I were when we started sharing book recommendations back and forth (which we still do to this day). So it’s no...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Character Training, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Magical Realism, Middle School, Middle-grade, Scary Stories
Sometimes, when you have been anticipating a new book in a series, it won’t measure up. Well, I’m happy to say that’s not the case with The Door Before. It was stunning. The Door Before surprised me in multiple ways. First of all, it’s not just...
by Carolyn | Cultural Diversity, Education, Girls, Historical Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Recommendations
I loved Esperanza Rising. I love being surprised by a book, and this one surprised me. I know I had heard some good reviews, but I had also read some critical ones. I’m not sure what I expected, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did (I finished...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi is one of the most fascinatingly beautiful books I have read in recent memory. I finished it (the audiobook version) in less than a day. The Story In a fantastical land where color and magic are intimately connected, Alice is born...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Chapter Books, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds
One of the first things that struck me when I began reading Henry and the Chalk Dragon is that Jennifer Trafton’s prose sings. This book will make a great read-aloud. The second thing that struck me is that his book is hilarious. It reminded me of the Scholastic...
