Tag: friendships

cover of Growing Home - goldfish in a hat above an ivy plant in a pot. The pot has eyes and a smile. The fish is frowning.
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Growing Home

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

I found Growing Home (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025) by Beth Ferry and illustrated by The Fan Brothers a delightful read.

Meet the Tupper family, and more importantly, Ivy the plant, who will tell you she’s Jillian’s favorite, and a grumpy goldfish named Toasty, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive. From his eight-sided antique fish tank, Toasty can see everything on the first floor–Mrs. Tupper using the adding machine, Mr. Tupper sneaking downstairs for ice cream, and Jillian singing, dancing and kissing Ivy. Their lives are all about to be disrupted. Prepare for rescues, magic, a villain, new friends, and lots of cheese puffs.

This story will definitely appeal to the younger middle grade readers. It sure left a smile on my face.

This is the author’s first novel–she usually writes picture books. I hope she writes more long fiction. Read about Beth here and see all her books here.

Read about the illustrators here and see their books here.

Cover of book 24 Hours in Nowhere - a reddish orange desert scene, bright blue sky, hot yellow sun, a trailer house, and four kids silhouetted as the climb.
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

24 Hours in Nowhere

Posted on 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.

Bright yellow cover with red words POPCORN, half of a face of a boy in glasses and a collared shirt
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Popcorn

Posted on 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.

cover of Loon Cove Summer
Posted in #Giveaway, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Loon Cove Summer

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Loon Cover Summer (Wild Trail Press, 2025) by Donna Galanti is a heart-warming tale of family, friends, and healing. Plus disappearing loons.

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson has planned a great summer, then finds out her best and only friend will be gone for six weeks. What will she do? Yeah, still work at the wild bird rehabilitation center. Yeah, still do her jobs at the Maine campground her father owns. Gemmi recommends a “Summer Dream Do List” and they each choose five things. Number one on Sarah’s list is “save a loon,” but how can she do that when she hasn’t been able to face going out on the lake since her mother died of cancer?

Readers of The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner and The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart will enjoy this story.

You can watch a book trailer of Loon Cover Summer here, read about the author here, and check out Donna’s other books here.

I have a gently-read paperback copy to share (US only). For a chance to win, comment on this post. Get an extra entry by telling me where you shared this post on social media–please include a link. Drawing will take place September 10th.

cover of Tornado Brain
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Tornado Brain

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Tornado Brain (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020) by Cat Patrick was an insightful story of neurodivergency with themes of friendship, hurt, and forgiveness. It’s a really good read full of voice.

Frankie is 13 and fascinated by tornadoes, tornado facts, and tornado shows. In fact that’s how she met her best friend Colette back in kindergarten–during an actual tornado. Colette, Frankie’s former friend, is now missing.

Because Frankie has several neurological conditions (attention deficit disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, and sensory processing disorder–labels the psychologist gave her), she doesn’t react the “right way” or say the “right things” about Colette’s disappearance. Yet, she believes she has the clues to figure out where Colette is. With the help of her older twin sister, Frankie uses her mixed up tornado brain to solve the mystery.

Each chapter has a tornado myth or fact at the beginning. Also, her family has an unusual living situation, which is fine with Frankie as long as you don’t change her routine. I especially recommend this story to anyone trying to understand someone on the “spectrum.”

The book was a 2022-2023 Truman Readers Book Award Nominee, 2021 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, 2021 Texas Lone Star Reading List Pick, 2021 Washington State Book Award for Young Readers Finalist, and a Junior Library Guild Pick.

Paper Heart is a companion book with Frankie’s twin, Tess, as the main character. Chronologically it follows Tornado Brain. See all of the author’s middle grade books here.

You can check out Cat’s young adult books here and learn more about her here.