Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

THEY CALL ME NO SAM de Drew Daywalt, illustré par Mike Lowery

A hilarious new offering and middle-grade debut from Drew Daywalt, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Day the Crayons Quit and acclaimed illustrator Mike Lowery.

THEY CALL ME NO SAM
by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Mike Lowery
Clarion Books, June 2024
(via Writers House)

Meet Sam: an insolent pug—and incidental hero—who will stop at nothing to protect his family! When scientists Elaine and Gary Peterson adopt Sam to keep their son, Justin, company in the midst of a top-secret research project, they never imagine the precocious pup will cause more harm than good. But from chewing up Elaine’s hairdryer (the “brain melting heat cannon”), to his inability to be house-trained (who could resist the “pooping rug”?), the Petersons aren’t sure how much more they can take. And that’s before Sam starts harassing Justin’s crush (and potential new friend), Phoebe, whom Sam is sure is an evil wizard out to harm Justin. But when a pair of crooks encroaches on the Peterson household in an attempt to steal their confidential findings, Sam’s actions—never mind his reasoning for them—just may save the day.

Drew Daywalt is the award-winning author of The Day the Crayons Quit, which has been on the New York Times bestseller list for close to 400 weeks. He lives in Los Angeles with his family and his dog, Sam.

Mike Lowery is a New York Times bestselling illustrator who has worked on dozens of books for children and adults, including the Mac B., Kid Spy series by Mac Barnett.

MAGIC BELOW STAIRS de Caroline Stevermer

In an alternate Regency England, a plucky young boy is hired be a wizard’s assistant and with help from his fairy guardian, he will excel at his job and break a curse on the wizard. This charming Middle Grade novel is set in the same world as Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede’s beloved Cecilia and Kate novels.

MAGIC BELOW STAIRS
by Caroline Stevermer
Dial Press, 2010
(via JABberwocky Literary Agency)

11-year-old Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a servant to the wizard Lord Schofield. With help from Billy Bly, the brownie who has been his « fairy guardian » over the years, Frederick quickly proves his worth and excels at the difficult tasks assigned by Lord Schofield.

However, Lord Schofield has banished all magical creatures from his holdings so Frederick must keep Billy Bly’s existence a secret. When Billy Bly discovers dark magic within the Schofields’ manor house, it’s up to Frederick and Billy to break the curse and save the manor.

Caroline Stevermer is the multiple-award-winning author of the Cecelia and Kate Novels, the College of Magics Series, the Glass Magician Series, and the middle grade novels River Rats and Magic Below Stairs.

RIVER RATS de Caroline Stevermer

In a post-apocalyptic world, a group of kids living on a steamboat rescue a downtrodden man and race to uncover a buried treasure before their enemies get there first.

RIVER RATS
by Caroline Stevermer
Open Road, 2022)
(via JABberwocky Literary Agency)

The award-winning author of the Scholarly Magic series delivers the thrilling adventure of a crew of young kids working their way through a post-apocalyptic world on a steamboat they call home . . .

No one knows for sure what caused the Flash. They just know that nothing has been the same since. Cities have been destroyed by pestilence, riots, and fires. The paddleboat River Rat, once a museum, was turned into an orphanage. But a dangerous storm forced the children to flee with the boat to safer waters, making it theirs for good.

Since then, Tomcat, Toby, Esteban, Lindy, Spike, and Jake have traveled, bartered, and performed their way up and down the Mississippi River. One rule that has served them well: no passengers. But after watching a man on shore being pursued by a vicious pack of locals, the group has no choice but to save him.

At every stop, the boat is met by the man’s tireless hunters. They want what the fugitive knows: the location of a bunker filled with guns. A currency more valuable than gold . . . and one that the crew of the River Rat might well pay for—with their lives.

This standalone Middle Grade novel was highlighted as a “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association (ALA), the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), and the New York Public Library. It also won the Golden Duck Award and the Golden Kite Award, both regional awards in the United States.

WINK de Rob Harrell

A hilarious and heartwrenching story about surviving middle school–and an unthinkable diagnosis–while embracing life’s weirdness.

WINK
by Rob Harrell
Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020
(via Writers House)

Ross Maloy just wants to be a normal seventh grader. He doesn’t want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don’t know what to say to « the cancer kid. » But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, blending in is off the table.

Based on Rob Harrell’s real life experience, and packed with comic panels and spot art, this incredibly personal and poignant novel is an unforgettable, heartbreaking, hilarious, and uplifting story of survival and finding the music, magic, and laughter in life’s weirdness.

Rob Harrell created the Life of Zarf series, the graphic novel Monster on the Hill, and also writes and draws the long-running daily comic strip Adam@Home, which appears in more than 140 papers worldwide. He created and drew the internationally syndicated comic strip Big Top until 2007. He lives with his wife in Indiana.

THE EIGHTY-NINTH WITCH de Dimitri Balcaen

Music, art, and magic meet in this spellbinding tale about a young witch recruited to a mysterious coven that draws its powers from the stars. When the coven discovers there is an imposter among them, she must help find and stop them.

THE EIGHTY-NINTH WITCH
The Observatory Series, Book 1
by Dimitri Balcaen
ReadMore Publishing, April 2023
(via JABberwocky)

Seren has enjoyed her cozy life by the sea with her Granny Calloway, until the day she is whisked away to the mysterious Observatory to join the coven of eighty-eight witches who help protect the universe, along with members of the Zodiac.

There must always be that eighty-eight witches at the Observatory in order to keep the balance of the magic. But when there suddenly turns out to be one witch too many at the initiation, the search begins for who among them is the one who doesn’t belong.

Seren and her new friends take it up on themselves to solve the mystery of who the intruder is and what her purpose might be. Is this mysterious false witch here to bring down the Observatory? Is she responsible for the growing disappearances of the members of the Zodiac?

As Seren develops her magical powers, she will uncover more secrets about the Observatory than she ever imagined.

Book 2 THE KNIGHT OF ORION published in April 2024.

Dimitri Olivier Balcaen is a Belgian novelist and screenwriter. He has written several books for Readmore Publishing, including the Peter & Pan series and Grimoire the World Tree cycle.