Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

BLACK MAGIC de Nicole Austen

An exciting middle-grade duology, telling the story of a special litter of pups born to the Alpha of Willow River pack.

BLACK MAGIC
(Shadow of the Pack, Book 1)
by Nicole Austen
‎ Month9Books, August 2022
(via Levine Greenberg Rostan)

The once-powerful and proud Willow River pack is struggling. But when a special litter of pups is born, hope of a bright future returns. Mala, born different, will never be given a chance to prove that she can be anything other than the runt of the litter. Some say her differences may even put the pack at risk. Now, her parents worry how the rest of the pack will react. Will they mistreat her? Will they fear her? But Mala doesn’t think she’s a threat to anyone, least of all her own family. Before Mala can change the hearts and minds of her pack, she must find out once and for all exactly why she is so different. In her search for the truth, Mala discovers something surprising about her pack and herself. Could she be the one wolf who changes everything?

Nicole Austen is a writer based in Los Angeles. A lifelong love of animals and fantasy inspired her to begin writing the Shadow of the Pack duology when she was thirteen-years-old, a draft of which won a National Scholastic silver medal for novel writing in 2019.

THE GUSTAV GLOOM SERIES d’Adam-Troy Castro

Award-winning author Adam-Troy Castro evokes Roald Dahl and Tim Burton with this spooky favorite about a gloomy boy raised by shadows and his cheerful best friend who joins him on adventures.

THE GUSTAV GLOOM SERIES
by Adam-Troy Castro
illustrated by Kristen Margiotta
Grosset & Dunlap, 2012-2016
(via JABberwocky)

Book 1: GUSTAV GLOOM AND THE PEOPLE TAKER – August 2012

Fernie What finds herself lost in the Gloom mansion after her cat appears to have been chased there by its own shadow. Fernie discovers a library full of every book that was never written, a gallery of statues that are just plain awkward, and finds herself at dinner watching her own shadow take part in the feast!
Along the way Fernie is chased by the People Taker who is determined to take her to the Shadow Country. It’s up to Fernie and Gustav to stop the People Taker before he takes Fernie’s family.
Featuring a unique cover and beautifully dark full-page illustrations by Kristen Margiotta, Gustav Gloom is sure to be a hit with fans who love a little darkness in their lives.

• A Scholastic Book Fair selection, complete with animated promo video!
• Selected following a 25,000 copy initial special market sale to Scholastic
• An Amazon Best Book of the Month
• A Costco selection for Fall 2017

Adam-Troy Castro has said in interviews that he likes to jump genres and styles and has therefore refused to ever stay in place long enough to permit the unwanted existence of a creature that could be called a « typical » Adam-Troy Castro story. As a result, his short works range from the wild farce of his Vossoff and Nimmitz tales to the grim Nebula nominee « Of a Sweet Slow Dance in the Wake of Temporary Dogs. » His twenty prior books include a nonfiction analysis of the Harry Potter phenomenon, four Spider-Man adventures, and three novels about his interstellar murder investigator, Andrea Cort (including a winner of the Philip K. Dick Award, Emissaries from the Dead). Adam’s other award nominations include eight Nebulas, two Hugos, and three Stokers. Adam lives in Florida with his wife, Judi, and three insane cats named Uma Furman, Meow Farrow, and Harley Quinn.

THE VERY UNFORTUNATE WISH OF MELONY YOSHIMURA de Waka T. Brown

In the vein of When You Trap a Tiger and Coraline, this contemporary magical realistic retelling of the Japanese folktale The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku follows one girl who must save herself and her loved ones from a deceitful demon she befriended.

THE VERY UNFORTUNATE WISH OF MELONY YOSHIMURA
by Waka T. Brown
Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins, July 2023

Readers will be taken on a riveting, chilling, and alluring adventure led by a shape shifting, mischief making creature who promises Melony the world and often delivers. But with that comes a price to pay, and readers will be shocked when they find out what that is!
Though the Amanjaku acts like your best friend, its true aim is to take over your life. While it helps you get whatever you want and assuages any feelings of guilt you have about it it will also take whatever it wants. Its true form is a gray, fuzzy, Muppet like creature, but it can shapeshift to look like anyone…
This novel has the best of both worlds—a relatable, accessible tween heroine trying to achieve her autonomy and figure out who she is, as well as a touch of the fantastic, which will hook genre readers looking to get lost in the possibilities of magic.

Waka T. Brown is a Stanford graduate with a Master’s in Secondary Education. An instructor at the Stanford Program on International and Cross Cultural Education, she has won the national Franklin Buchanan Prize and the national 2019 Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher award.

THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF DERELICTION de Jacqueline Davies

In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool wielding Alice Cannoli Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!

THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF DERELICTION
by Jacqueline Davies
Clarion/HarperCollins, July 2023

A motley crew of ghosts, some friendly and others curmudgeonly, bring comic relief as Alice repairs the House. This suspenseful, action packed mystery will keep readers guessing as Alice uncovers the secrets of the House and its ghosts. A spooky yet heartwarming and funny tale that delivers just the right amount of spine tingling scares. Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and The Vanderbeekers series.

Jacqueline Davies is the bestselling author of the Lemonade War series. She is also the award winning author of the Sydney and Taylor series, illustrated by Deborah Hocking, and Bubbles . . . UP!, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, which was selected as an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice.

THE WILDES de Roland Smith

A brother and sister travel the world helping to save endangered species in this new commercial middle-grade series.

THE WILDES: THE AMAZON (Book 1)
by Roland Smith
Sleeping Bear Press, March 2023
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)

Ring and Asia Wilde’s life is anything but ordinary. Some of their closest friends are endangered monkeys and rare birds. Instead of attending middle school, they accompany their parents (scientists who work to save endangered species) on adventures around the world. They spend more time climbing trees, tracking animal prints, and taking on three-hundred-pound anacondas than they do filling out worksheets. But a research trip to the Amazon rainforest turns into a dangerous mystery when their mother goes missing. Who kidnapped Dr. Jane Wilde, and why? Ring and Asia have the skills to survive the jungle–but do they have what it takes to rescue their mom?

New York Times Bestselling author Roland Smith is a former Zoo Curator and Research Biologist. He has published more than twenty novels for young adults. He and his wife, Marie, who is also an author, live on a small farm near Portland, Oregon.