MG Novels – Page 4 – Susan Uhlig

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Right Back at You

Posted on May 25, 2026May 16, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Right Back at You (Scholastic Press, 2025) by Carolyn Mackler was so good and had a surprising ending. I enjoyed it immensely.

It’s 2023, and 12-year-old Mason’s parents have split up, plus he’s being bullied at school, partially about his dad leaving. Mason says his life, “sucks” and is the equivalent of a “black hole.” Told to write a letter about his troubles to someone, Mason chooses Albert Einstein. Embarrassed by what he wrote, Mason throws it in his closet, but when he decides to destroy it, the letter is missing. In it’s place is a letter from a girl named Talia who claims it’s 1987.

Talia is also 12 and has troubles of her own–her best friend ditching her and a boy at school teasing her about being Jewish. How did Mason get a letter in her closet?! Especially since he says he lives in New York and she lives in Pennsylvania…

The book is a National Jewish Book Award Finalist and a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book.

Carolyn writes both middle grade and young adult books. Read about the award-winning author here. And here’s an interview with Carolyn about this book.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

24 Hours in Nowhere

Posted on May 18, 2026May 11, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

24 Hours in Nowhere (Stirling Children’s Books, 2018) by Dusti Bowling is a fantastic tale of events that happen in 24 hours. (Honestly, I didn’t plan to recommend two books with the same time frame two weeks apart–I just happened to read them both now.)

13-year-old Gus can’t wait to get out of the town of Nowhere, Arizona. Their town is number one in things like poverty, high school drop outs, and drunken mine deaths. His hope is the SAT, which will get him to college. But meanwhile, Rossi gave up her motorbike to the local bully to save Gus from eating a cholla (nasty cactus), and Gus has to buy it back. His only hope is gold from the dangerous Dead Frenchman Mine.

I loved seeing how Gus grew and how his relationships changed on this adventure that involves a cave-in, a mountain lion, a black underground lake, and of course, a failing light source. Definitely a compelling read.

Check out all the awards for this book:
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
One of Shelf Awareness’s Best Books of 2018
A Golden Kite Honor Winner
A Silver Nautilus Award Winner
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

Last year I recommended Dusti’s book Holding on for Dear Life. Dusti’s newest book is a YA coming out this October–The Drowning Game. She has many other books I haven’t read…yet. Go to her website for more info.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Popcorn

Posted on May 4, 2026May 29, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Popcorn (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024) by Rob Harrell is such a good book–full of humor and heart! And it only covers one day in the of the main character. Well worth a read.

Seventh-grader Andrew has problems. His grandmother, G, is living with them and has Alzheimer’s, he has to hide his odd behaviors at school, there’s always the threat of Mean Gene, and it’s school picture day. If that’s not enough to provoke anxiety in anyone, it’s worse for Andrew who struggles with anxiety. His biggest fear is to explode into a panic attack at school.

Andrew was inspired by the author’s own experiences with anxiety, so comes across as very real. I had such sympathy for Andrew and for others in the book. I loved his relationship with his best friend, Jonesy. I enjoyed all the mishaps during his day.

Popcorn received a Schneider Family Book Award for Middle Grades (2025) and has been nominated for others this year. Inside are sketches “by” Andrew of what his life is like.

Read about Rob here and see his other books here.

Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

City Spies

Posted on April 27, 2026April 20, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

City Spies, Book 1 of 7, (Aladdin, 2020) by James Ponti is a fun romp with kid spies. It’s also an award winner: Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2021.

12-year-old Sara Martinez hacked into the New York City foster care system to expose her abusive foster parents, but she’s the one arrested in jail. Ready to be convicted a man shows up saying he’s her new lawyer, but really he’s recruiting her for his MI6 spy team in Scotland. Sara says yes and is flown to meet the other four kids on the team with a mission only three weeks away. Can she fit in and learn the ropes before they go to Paris?

It’s very fun that the kids in the story are mostly from different countries.

The author has several other series–see them here. Read about James here.

MG Novels, So Many Good Books

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne

Posted on April 20, 2026May 29, 2026 by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2021) by Jonathan Stroud was a fun and harrowing adventure story. This is book one of the trilogy (Although it definitely stands on its own.)

Red-headed Scarlett McCain is an outlaw in a dystopian Britain. After robbing a bank, she accidentally saves skinny and weak Albert Browne from a horrific bus accident and the Tainted. Both have secrets and are the run (The Brothers-Scarlett, and people from Stonemoor-Browne).

Albert is especially a sympathetic character. Though aimed at younger audience, I think many YA readers would enjoy this book too.

Read about the author here and see his many books here.