The Book Search

 Now that school is in full swing, it's time for some realistic middle grade fiction!  Check out these two books by favorite middle grade authors. The first one is called "Absent" by Rex Ogle.  You might remember some of Rex's other works like "Free Lunch" or his series "The Supernatural Society".  This one is an excellent combination of graphic novel and searing social commentary.  It's told from three points of view, Manny, Calvin and Liam and on the surface, they could not be more different.  Manny is angry at the world-his dad is in jail, his mom left when he was small, he lives with his grandparents, and he feels like the teachers at school don't see him.  Manny loves to write and writes rap lyrics, which he finds out are actually poetry.  His story is written in verse. Calvin lives with his dad and two little brothers.  Calvin's mom is not in the picture and Calvin's dad expects Calvin to co-parent with him.  Calvin wants to d...

 Magical mysteries?  Yes please!  And these have a side helping of social issues!   The first one is called "Raven, Rising".  It's written by Christine Hartman Derr.  I haven't read any of her other books but I really liked this one.  It's about Raven, a 13 year old girl who lives with her aunt because her parents were killed 8 months ago.  Raven and her aunt Coral have relocated to the Cherokee Nation in NC from Oklahoma because of an amazing job opportunity for Coral.  They had been living in the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, and this is an important part of both Coral and Raven's lives.  Raven misses her parents desperately and one of the things Raven used to do with her mom is bake, but the accident that killed her parents was a gas leak and Raven was the last one who used the stove, so she blames herself.  She has vowed to never bake again.  Except that ingredients seem to be following her around, trying to get noticed, and...

 Summers SHOULD be full of magic!  Here are two of my new favorite magical middle grade books. The first one is called "Song of the Yellow Dragon" by Ying Ping Low.  It's about two kids, Kai and Mengyao.  Kai is the 12 year old emperor but he's controlled by his uncle and one of uncle's friends.  It turns out the two have orchestrated the deaths of Kai's dad and his siblings and Kai is next on the list.  Kai decides his best bet is run away and he ends up in a small village that has no name because it's so isolated. A girl named Mengyao finds him and he swears her to secrecy, which totally doesn't work because it's such a small village and everyone knows everything.  Once he's healed up, the two decide to go on a quest for the Dragon Pulse, which should give him the power to be the Emperor he wants to be.  Mengyao is also hoping to get some magic, she wants to be a healer.  Their quest is filled with danger and surprises and eventually a sati...

 Need some great new fiction to inspire your middle grade readers?  Check out this pair! The first one came out in early May, 2026 and it's by one of my favorite authors-Gary D. Schmidt.  Schmidt has such a gift for characters-he writes about some of the most interesting people I've ever read about and this one is no exception.  It's about Simon, a 12 year boy, who when he is sent to Hades, chooses not to drink from the River Styx and forget his former life.  For the next 2,451 years, he tries to escape, unsuccessfully, until one day, he figures out a way past Cerebus and across the River Styx and ends up in a middle school, where thankfully, a kind boy named Zeke helps out.  He gets Simon some clothes and invites Simon to stay with him.  At the same time Persephone misses Simon, he was one of her favorites, and when she finds out that he's gone, she tells Hades, who is determined to get Simon back.  In the meantime, Simon is trying to find his be...

 And in case you thought there was only realistic fiction being published this spring, fear not!  There is also so much speculative fiction!  Here are two of my newest favorites! The first one is by Erin Entrada Kelly.  It's called "The Second Life of Snap".  It's about Zuzu Santos, middle schooler living in a dystopian world where big companies control virtually everything.  Her dad has been working security at the big corporation and they live in a small trailer that's subsidized by the local community, keeping the workers separated.  She runs with a group of kids that call themselves the Valleycats.  When her dad gets fired, part of his severance package includes a guardian robot that he thinks will be perfect for Zuzu to help keep her safe.  Except Zuzu doesn't trust a guardian robot so her bestie reimages the robot and makes it more like a friend than a guardian.  As she grows to trust the robot, Snap, more, she realizes she would d...

Strong female characters are one of the things I love about middle grade fiction.  Girls trying to find their way as they grow and mature.  These two are a perfect example of those young women.   The first one is "The Queen's Granddaughter" by Diane Zahler.  I loved her books "The Blackwood Magicians" and "Baker's Magic" so I was excited to read this new one.  This is the story of Blanca, the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Blanca has been living a happy life with her sister, Uraca, her loving parents, and her new baby sister Eleanor.  Blanca understands that her job is to marry well but at 12, she hopes that it's going to be awhile until she gets married.  Her oldest sister is already married and so when her grandmother shows up at the castle, ready to announce the latest arranged marriage, Blanca doesn't want Uraca to go, so she badmouths her sister to her grandmother.  When her grandmother makes her announcement, it's Blanca,...