Category: Award Winners

Purple background with white lettering and a circular pin showing a snake on one side and a bird on the other.
Posted in Award Winners, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Sunrise on the Reaping

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

How can a book you know the ending too (it’s a prequel) be so compelling? But that’s how I found Sunrise on the Reaping (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Suzanne Collins.

Set in The Hunger Games world, it’s about Haymitch–yes, the drunken mentor! This story takes place when he’s young and has to go through the trials himself. Haymitch isn’t selected as tribute from District 12, but when the boy tribute does a runner and is killed, Haymitch is shoved into his place and forced to reenact his “choosing” as if his name was really drawn. It doesn’t get better from there.

Seeing the contrasts and similarities between this time period and other other books set in the world is fascinating. Living with Haymitch’s experience is very different than “knowing” he went through it. And, yes, if you haven’t heard, there will be a movie. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about read The Hunger Games.

Read some of the bestselling author’s thoughts on this book here. Here is a link to her other books and Suzanne’s bio.

Cover of The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman features a falling boy with papers, pencils, a backpack, a skateboard, and a pug all falling against a blue background
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024) by Gennifer Choldenko is a heart-wrenching story. Of course, her middle grade novels often are.

Hank, almost 12, and his sister Boo, 3, haven’t seen their mom in a week. The food has run out, so have the scrounged coins. The landlord is threatening eviction through the closed door. With Grandma Mae gone, what can they do? A name and address written on an unsigned permission slip is their only hope.

You’ll love both kids–such sympathetic characters.

The book has too many awards to list, but you can see them here. Read fun facts about Newbery honor author Gennifer here. I love her Alcatraz books, but I think Notes from a Liar and Her Dog is still my favorite. Check out all her books here.

Cover of A Place to Hang the Moon shows three children on the doorstep of a library
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

A Place to Hang the Moon

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

A Place to Hang the Moon (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2021) by Kate Albus is marvelous. I loved it so much.

It’s the beginning of World War II in London, and siblings William, Edmond, and Anna have just lost their sole relative, their grandmother. With no appointed guardian, the solicitor decides the best thing to do is to send the children to the countryside with others their age who are being evacuated. Perhaps there they can find a suitable family to become their guardians. But first they can not tell the secret that they have no one to care for them in London and that they’ll inherit their grandmother’s money.

At twelve, William, is in charge of his siblings, eleven and nine, and it’s his duty to take care of them and keep them together. But, who would want to take in three child evacuees after all? Or keep them. Suffering is ahead for all three. But at least there’s a library.

I read this award-winning book almost in one sitting–the children in the story were so cold I had to stop and make myself some hot chocolate.

This historical novel is an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner, a New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, Kids Indie Next List pick, a ALSC Notable Children’s Book, a CCBC Choice, and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Read about the author here and check out Kate’s books here.

cover of Cuckoo Song
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Cuckoo Song

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Cuckoo Song (Amulet Books, 2014) by Frances Hardinge is a creepily good book.

Triss wakes up feeling very strange. Her parents tell her she was in an accident. But she doesn’t remember a thing. Though maybe it has something to do with her younger sister Pen who is often not very nice. The one thing that Triss does know is that she’s ravenously hungry–all the time. And then there’s the dolls that talk to her. And scream. A voice in her head is also giving Triss a countdown from seven. In spite of being told to stay in bed to recover, Triss must find out what’s going on, and sneaks away from her house.

Spoiler alert: The author uses scary dolls and the changeling idea in this story.

Cuckoo Song won the Robert Holdstock Award for Best Novel at the British Fantasy Awards 2015.

Read about Frances here and check out her numerous books here. Previously, I recommended one of her later books, A Face Like Glass.

cover of Sherlock Society Art Attack features an illustration with four kids looking for clues with flashlights in a building
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Sherlock Society Art Attack

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

I got a sneak peek* at the upcoming The Sherlock Society Art Attack (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, September 2026) by James Ponti and it was a fun romp. It may be the third book in a series, but the story sands alone just fine. (I have not read the others, but now I want to.)

Twelve-year-old Alex Sherlock, best friend Yadi, sister Zoe, new friend Lina, and former journalist grandpa make up the Sherlock Society in Miami, Florida. They agree to take on the case of finding who the graffiti artist Funky Monkey is for a developer who wants to hire the artist to do a mural. The team of five divide their search up into the five Ws: who, what, when where, and why. Along the way they meet a number of people in the tagging scene via Grandpa’s girlfriend, plus get involved with a podcaster who features Funky Monkey, and get involved in a some city arson cases.

The inside look at graffiti artists was interesting, although a bit too detailed in a few places. But I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, and their solving of multiple mysteries. It’s also fun how fluent the kids are with technology, and how they manage when that isn’t available. Can you say, “grounded”?

Check out this page for more about the series including a fun book trailer for the second book.

Read about the bestselling author of four series here and see all his awards here–it’s impressive! James will be doing a number of events for this book, which you can find here.

*I received access from the publisher to a digital advanced reader copy.