Tag: magic

fantasy style cover showing four children - one with knitting needles and yarn (Peri, main character), a girl with a magical wand, a boy with a dagger, and a girl with a bow. Behind them is a lit house on a cliffside with bare spooky looking trees.
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Socks & Secret Quests

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Socks & Secret Quests: The Wandering Shop, Book 1 (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026) by Triona Murphy and illustrated by James Firnhaber is a fun light-hearted fantasy. The author describes it as “Howl’s Moving Castle meets Dungeons & Dragons.” I’d definitely wondered if she’d been inspired by Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl books.

Peri is an apprentice in a magical shop that moves around and supplies adventurers with what they need. She worries that her magical abilities have not shown themselves. Although she’s a bit concerned about how fast she can knit sometimes. Then when a dark wizard takes the master shopkeeper, Peri goes out to find the closest adventuring team to get help. However, that team is really bad at cooperating. Can she pull them together to help her rescue Master Hema?

I really like how the story uses a mundane skill for so much more.

The book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection for 2026!

This is the author’s debut book* that just came out the end of September. Obviously, it’s a series, so we can look forward to more about Peri. Read about Triona here. (Yes, she does knit–her patterns are here.)

See the some of the illustrator’s work here and here. Read about James here.

*I received an advanced paperback copy from the publisher. Opinions expressed here are my own.

cover of Adventures in the City of Stories shows three kids in front of one of the lions at the NY Public Library
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Adventure in the City of Stories

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Adventure in the City of Stories (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026) by Emma Otheguy and illustrated by Poly Bernatene is a fun novel of time travel that just came out in July.

Seventh grader and honor roll student Camilla is crying because she got in trouble with the school principal for bringing inappropriate books* to her Miami school, and now a letter has been sent to all the parents talking about how they were confiscated. Cami thinks she can’t ever go back to school. To cheer her up, Jorge shows her their aunt’s old folktale book and puppets. But when an eighth grade bully threatens to throw the book in the dumpster, the two jump into a magic tinajón (large pot) to escape and get transported in time and place. Back to 1930s New York. Where more trouble awaits.

I loved the mix of contemporary and historical in this story. It was a pleasure to “meet” some people from the past, including Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. I learned some Spanish as well as history. And who doesn’t love magic?

The book is a companion to Cousins in the Time of Magic, which I hadn’t read, but now want to. This story definitely stands alone. (I was given a copy of the book from the publisher for review.)

Read about the author here and see Emma’s other books here.

Read about the illustrator here–there are spot illustrations throughout the book. See Poly’s books here (he’s an author as well) and check out his his kid friendly illustrations here.

*The books were in Spanish about Latino students.

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 Elsetime
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Elsetime

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Elsetime (Everything with Words, 2020) by Eve McDonnell is a fascinating historical set in two time periods (1864 and 1928) with time travel, and was inspired by the 1928 Great Flood of London.

First we meet orphaned Glory, an eleven-year-old looking for a job, who is dressing up to look older. She’s been expelled from school because of her wooden hand–it would be a waste to educate her. But not only is she determined to get a job, she plans to own an emporium someday. Meanwhile, she and her older sister must earn enough to keep the landlord at bay.

Then the story switches to Needle, also eleven, whose father is missing. A mudlark who digs up lost treasures at the river’s edge, Needle senses the story behind each piece. He takes his found bits and pieces and makes beautiful things to sell so he and his mother can survive.

What connects them? A crow named Magpie and a list of who will die in the flood.

The novel has won awards: Winner Children’s Book Award (pre-publication) Wells Festival of Literature 2017,  Book of the Year 2020: Halfway Up Books, and  Children’s Book of the Year 2020: Bridge Street Books.

Read about this Irish author here and check out her other books here. Eve is also an artist!

cover of Amari and the Night Brothers
Posted in Award Winners, MG Novels, So Many Good Books, YA Novels

Amari and the Night Brothers

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, #1) (Balzer & Bray, 2021) by B. B. Alston is like a cross between Men in Black and Harry Potter at summer camp.

13-year-old Amari Peters struggles with anger against those who think she doesn’t fit in since she’s a scholarship student and black. It’s worse since her older brother Quinton has been missing. Many believe he is dead, but Amari knows he’s alive. A chance to tryout for the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs this summer may help her find out where Quinton is. But again in a world of magic, there are those who don’t think she belongs. Amari must stand up for herself and learn all she can about this new world to have any chance of finding her brother.

This was B.B.’s debut novel. The books have been published in over 30 countries and a movie is in the works! Wow! Here’s the Spanish version, Amari y Los Hermanos de la Noche. The third book in this trilogy is expected out this summer.

Awards:

  • ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 1995-2024. Commended, 2022. (Association of Library Services for Children)
  • Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 1997-2023. Selection, 2022. (Children’s Literary Assembly)
  • Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 1997-2024. Commended, 2022. (YALSA)
  • Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2011-2024. Selection, 2022. (YALSA)
  • SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2010 – 2023. Selection, 2021. (School Library Journal)

Read about this NY Times bestselling author here.