middle grade

Book Review: Vespers Rising

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Vespers Rising
The 39 Clues #11
by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, & Jude Watson

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Though it’s billed as the last book in the main 39 Clues series, this book is really more of a launching point into a spinoff series: Cahills vs. Vespers. This book is a collection of 4 vignettes of different key points in the history of the Cahill family—the death of the patriarch of the family after he split the Clues into 4 sets and sent them with his four children; the fifth Cahill child grown up and trying to figure out how to proceed with her task; Grace Cahill coming into her role in the family; and Amy & Dan learning about the rival family and being sent off on another adventure.

Each of these stories dives in quickly and gives you just what you need to catch up and follow the action. Some are a little confusing at first, but I found each of them to be engaging in its own way.  However, it’s easy to feel like the Vespers were made up after the main series had found enough success that the authors/publisher wanted to be able to keep it going, because it seems strange that, with as dogged as these people are, they would not have come up even once during the Clue hunt in the first 10 books. Whether or not that will prove to be a detraction for the coming books remains to be seen (by me, at least), but I’ll definitely give it a try. I’m also not entirely sure how necessary this book is to the rest of the series. It’s definitely not at all important to finishing the main series. Whether it contains information that is crucial to the spinoff or not, I don’t know. I’m also not sure it would be quite as fun a read for middle grade readers as the rest of the series.

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Book Review: The Groundworld Heroes

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The Groundworld Heroes
by Adrian So

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s fantasy

The continual war between humans and ground-dwelling animals comes to life in this fun, well-crafted adventure by (then) 13-year-old Adrian So. The main character is a mole named Benjamin who is basically just trying to follow rules and be the best Soiland citizen and member of the mole-digger team that he can be, but the incursion of the humans causes all sorts of chaos. While Benjamin gets left behind, the rest of the Soilanders, under the direction of the president, Mr. Hare, who gives his own POV to the story, run into trouble as refugees. The inclusion of terms like “bunny-hops” as units of distance and “badger-winces” as units of time added to the immersion of the underground world, though at times some were a little difficult to follow. There were parts here and there that felt unnecessary or confusing that perhaps may be cleaned up before the book releases (I received an ARC to review at the author’s request), and sadly that includes the dragonfly fossil thread that ran through the story in a way that I don’t think I ever understood. But overall, the story felt like a fun adventure that kids in the 7-10 age range will enjoy.

I received a free review copy from the author in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Publication date: August 6, 2024

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Book Review: The Mystery of Locked Rooms

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The Mystery of Locked Rooms
by Lindsay Currie

My rating:2.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade adventure

When her family is faced with foreclosure and moving to another state, Sarah and her friends West and Hannah decide to try to find the fabled treasure in a nearby abandoned funhouse built in the 1950s. They’ve solved lots of escape rooms together, so they know they have the best chance of making it past the riddles and puzzles to find the prize at the end.

I’ll get to the part of this review about the escape room side of this book in a bit, but I’ll start with talking about the plot and characterization. The plot was fairly basic—MC desperately needs money to save herself/her family, fabled treasure is available, she enlists her friends to help her get it. The ER elements aside, it plays out about like you’d expect. There’s even one character with a far-above-average memory, which I guess I don’t know how rare it is, but I have a feeling the statistics are something vastly lower than 1 in 4 people with that kind of memory, which is what a lot of MG books make it seem like. Throughout their experience in the funhouse, these kids are pushed to their limits and end up opening up to each other in ways that they haven’t in the past, and their conversations sound a lot more insightful and self-aware than kids would really be at this age (pre-teens, I think? I don’t remember if their ages are stated). Add to that the way the funhouse is just somehow magically set up to test each of their unique strengths and weaknesses, and I feel like it definitely could have been done better.

If this book had not been billed to be about escape rooms, I would have rated it higher. I’ll just say up front that if you’re thinking about reading this book because you enjoy escape rooms, maybe give it a pass. However, it is for younger readers, and most of them will have never played any escape rooms, or at least not enough to see the problems with that aspect of this book, so I doubt that would be much of an issue for them. I’ve only played about 30+ escape rooms, which is a low number amongst enthusiasts, but I have a difficult time believing that these 3 kids have played as many as they have at their age (and income level for one of them at least—escape rooms are expensive, and though it’s mentioned that she got a subscription or something to a particular business for a birthday present, that one business couldn’t include enough different rooms to account for the seemingly high number of rooms the book makes it seem like these kids have done). At the beginning of the book, they’re all excited because they beat a game with a very low escape rate, and then later it’s mentioned that it was their 3rd time attempting the room. In my experience, playing an ER multiple times is very uncommon. Plus, it’s mentioned later in the book that many ERs have multiple exits to the next room…also not something I’ve really seen or heard of much, if ever. Then the details within the funhouse, the way the escape room elements play out, just…don’t really make a lot of sense to me. The kids get excited over things they figure out that don’t actually mean anything or advance them, and riddles they find are somehow perfectly tailored to what they’ve done or the order in which they’ve done things, even though the puzzles are way too non-linear for that to be possible. In the end, this felt like every book or movie I’ve ever read/seen about a not-quite-mainstream fad (like when TV shows try to include MMORPGs) that is clearly written by people who do not have enough experience about the subject matter. I really can’t say if that’s the case with Currie or not, but it definitely fell short for me.

I was so excited to read this book. I figured that ERs have now been around long enough for them to be more correctly used, and this book certainly sounded like it would be a good one for that. It really wasn’t, at least to me. Between that and the drama in the plot, it just wasn’t as exciting as it seemed like it was meant to be. I didn’t hate it by any means, and it was a quick read. And as I said above, I am certain that pre-teens wouldn’t have any issue with the lack of escape room realness. That leaves the story and characters, which I still think were a bit weak, but it’s also entirely possible that they’ll resonate more with those of the age group this is meant for.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Kids for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit

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Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit
by Clare Harlow

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy, mystery

Ista Flit has traveled to Shelwich to find her father, one of many who have gone missing recently. The disappearances are attributed to monsters that come with the mist and seem connected to the rising and falling of magic that comes with the tides—magic that has given Ista the ability to “borrow” someone’s looks. With the help of some new friends, Ista won’t stop until she finds out what happened to her dad.

I’m going to do things a little out of order for this review and give my recommendations up front. I struggled a lot with writing this review and assigning a rating, but in the end, I rated it based on what I thought of the story, world-building, and characters. However, I don’t really know that I could recommend it to anyone in the age group it’s meant for, due to the subtle inclusion of LGBT elements. The attempt to normalize these things for kids is a major issue for me, and I am certain that there are others who will want to be aware of this in advance. At the very least, if have the same concerns at all, I would recommend reading the book before allowing your child to read it, to evaluate for yourself whether you feel it’s okay for them to read.

That being said, I do think that Clare Harlow is a talented author and world builder. The fantasy elements are interesting, and the mystery surrounding the monsters and disappearances is engaging. It ends with a cliffhanger and a clear opening for future books, though it takes such a turn from the rest of the book that I am not sure it did it’s job, for me, in making me want to come back and read more, especially when coupled with what I mentioned above. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: The Minor Miracle

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The Minor Miracle: The Amazing Adventures of Noah Minor
by Meredith Davis

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

When he was a baby, Noah Miracle survived a sixteen-story fall with no explanation. Fast forward to twelve-year-old Noah, who is an average kid wishing he was as extraordinary as his miraculous fall made him seem. Then he is contacted by a secret government group called Gravitas and told that he does have abilities, if he can only learn how to use them. But they also tell him that the man who dropped him from a balcony as a baby, his uncle Saul, is a villain with powers of his own, and that they need Noah’s help to stop him.

This was a fairly quick read with characters that may start out a bit stereotypical, but I think the author took some interesting turns with them. The powers possessed by Noah and other gravitars were a bit deeper than your average super hero or magical powers, especially at this age group, but I liked the way the author explained the gravity-controlling powers. It’s really more sci-fi than fantasy in that way. I also appreciated that Noah, though possessing stronger-than-average powers, still struggles a lot to learn to use and control them. And that his stronger powers aren’t just a coincidence because he’s the MC or a “chosen one,” but rather were caused by something specific.

Though I understood Noah’s difficulty in basically having to choose between Gravitas and Uncle Saul, certain aspects of the plot were fairly predictable (though would probably be less so to the younger audience this book is meant for). It was no surprise to me that Noah couldn’t keep a secret and used his powers in public, though I’ll admit I was a little surprised that there seemed to barely be any consequences. I also think there was a lot that could have been expanded upon and some things that could definitely continue on into another book. I see no signs that there will be more to follow this book, but if there is, I’ll definitely be reading it. I would recommend this book for pre-teens or young teens, especially those interested in fantasy, sci-fi, or super heroes.

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: The Black Book of Buried Secrets

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Storm Warning
The 39 Clues
by Mallory Kass

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review will contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

After the 39 Clues finale, a new threat has arisen, leading the separate branches of the Cahill family to come together and share their secrets. Broken down into a section for each of the 5 branches, this book covers founders and agents (though I’m not 100% sure what the difference is, since some of the founders are current…how can they be founders 500 years after the branch was founded?), strongholds, and tools and tricks used by each branch. It’s a good follow-up to the series, with some reminders of locations, names, or events that were brought up during the series, as well as new information. The brief vignettes that show some of the major characters from the series after the end of the clue hunt were great to have, and there are even a couple of short stories about historical characters looking for clues or being recruited by Cahills. There are a few things explained in this book that I at first thought must be spoilers of what is technically the final book in the series, though also a launching point for the first spin-off series. That book was published after this one, so I hope that’s not the case, but I won’t know until I read it (Vespers Rising).

The introduction by Rick Riordan, which depicts the different authors from the series as members of the Cahill branch, meeting to discuss sharing their secrets for this book, is clever and enjoyable. Fans of the 39 Clues series will probably find the brief stories and extra information in this book worth reading.

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Book Review: Nazi Architects of the Holocaust

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Nazi Architects of the Holocaust
by Corona Brezina

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade nonfiction

I read this book to fulfill a nonfiction requirement for a reading challenge at my local library. It’s meant to give kids an understanding of the Nazi party’s rise to power in Germany and how the camps evolved to be part of the “final solution.”  Complete with pictures that shed some light on the situation without being too graphic for younger readers, one of the things that struck me as I read, as is also mentioned in the text, is how normal these men looked. Hitler, who has become the face of the Holocaust for many of us, brings to mind thoughts of darkness and evil. But other men who were just as much a part of the murder of millions wouldn’t be easily recognizable to me as being part of this atrocity. They’re just men, though their names bring to mind giants and monsters, at least in my mind.

As an adult, there is not a lot of information here I didn’t already know, but there are details given I’ve probably forgotten over the years and maybe some I didn’t know. I don’t know for sure the exact age group this is meant for, but I’d guess around 10-12. Though some of the information can be difficult to follow, and in general it would probably be good for a parent to be on hand to discuss some of the information in the book, I think it could be a good book for kids to learn some facts about this time in history. It’s also part of a series of other books related to the Holocaust, so they could all be worth checking out.

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Book Review: Fortunately, the Milk

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Fortunately, the Milk
by Neil Gaiman
Read by the author

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s fantasy

I’ve always been intimidated by Neil Gaiman, and at this point, I’m pretty sure I’ll never read any of his adult books. But when I heard about a children’s book written by this famous author, I thought it would at least give me a chance to see what all the fuss is about. Though it’s a bit chaotic and I listened to the audiobook, thus forgoing the pictures almost entirely, I appreciated the cleverness of the story. For one thing, I always like it when time travel is done well and connections are made at different parts of the story where the time traveler(s) interact with themselves in big or small ways. For such a short story, this happens a few times, and I think it’s a great introduction to well-done time travel stories for kids. I also enjoyed the running joke from the title, with the innocuous breakfast milk playing such a large role in the story. It’s a ridiculous, goofy “dad story” through and through, and I appreciated Gaiman’s narration. Though I’m sure kids would be much better off seeing the pictures and perhaps hearing their own dad (or other parent) read it to them.

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Book Review: Al Capone Does My Shirts

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Al Capone Does My Shirts
Tales from Alcatraz #1
by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction

Moose Flanagan’s family moves to Alcatraz in 1935, where his dad will be working as a prison guard. Now Moose has to get used to a new school, keep his sister out of trouble, and deal with strict rules imposed by the prison warden, whose own daughter does whatever she can to break them.

I’d heard of this book and seen it around for a long time before deciding to read it. I expected something pretty light, maybe a little goofy or immature. And while it’s not exactly heavy, it’s definitely deeper than I expected. Moose’s sister, who is a few years older than him, is autistic, in the days before it had a name and when kids with autism were given a lot of different diagnoses. She tends to live in her own world, and sometimes that means fits of anger that can’t be controlled. Moose is left with Natalie now and then, and eventually his mother asks him to take her everywhere he goes. On top of that, his mother grasps at every possibly cure for Natalie that she hears about, in a way that is detrimental to her own mental health.

The author did a great job of making me feel connected to the characters in such a way that I felt a lot of emotions while reading the book. I was annoyed with the warden’s daughter, her schemes, and her dad’s refusal to see the truth about her. I both felt for the mom who didn’t know how to deal with having a daughter with mental issues and wanted to give her a stern talking to sometimes. And Moose himself is just trying to be a kid in very unusual circumstances. Though Al Capone is kind of obsessed over throughout the book, it seemed like he was to be more of an abstract figure than anything. But without giving any spoilers, he actually does have a more active part by the end, in a moment that actually made me let out a gasp and made me really intrigued about the next book. I’ve already recommended this book to my 13-year-old daughter, who might be on the top end of the age group for it, but I think she’ll like it. I also recommend it for other pre-teens and young teens as well as any adults who enjoy younger-audience books.

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Book Review: Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown

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Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown
by David A. Adler

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s mystery

My now-adult son read some of the Cam Jansen books when he was young, and I remember him quite liking them. I had never read any, so this was my first Cam Jansen book. I have to say, I understand the appeal. Though this is written for kids, the mystery is engaging—not too easy or too hard. And Cam Jansen herself is an interesting character, with her quirk of making a camera sound whenever she wants to store or recall a memory (hence her nickname: “Cam,” short for “Camera”). Set against the backdrop of a circus, this illustrated book would definitely be a fun early mystery for young readers.

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