Tag: middle grade historical

Cover of Each and Every Spark - shows a diagonally split page with a girl in Paris with WW2 planes flying and a girl in modern Paris
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

Each and Every Spark

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Each and Every Spark (Quill Tree Books, 2026) by Claire Swinarski is a duel timeline story set in Paris, where the past intersects with the present. (Isn’t that a beautiful cover?!)

Penny Marks is unhappy her family has moved to Paris for Mom’s new job and has no difficulty in sharing her displeasure. But her interest in Paris of 1943 is sparked by finding a letter from a girl in the past.

Marie Bonnet lives with her sister Heloise under the fear of the German occupation. Will their father ever return? When she discovers her sister is part of the Resistance, Marie wants to join.

Both girls are keeping secrets. Both girls must change. Plus there’s a mysterious painting that connects both girls.

Read about the author here and check out her other middle grade books here.

cover of By the Light of Fireflies
Posted in MG Novels, So Many Good Books

By the Light of Fireflies

Posted on by Susan Uhlig

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

By the Light of Fireflies : a novel of war hero Sybil Ludington (Wyatt-McKenzie Publishing, 2021) by Jenni L. Walsh is a fun historical about a little known heroine. (And has such a gorgeous cover.)

Sybil is the oldest of eight children and dearly wants to be more than a farmer’s wife. When her papa and his men need help to fight the Loyalists (loyal to King George), Sybil and her sister help the spy ring and Sybil makes a night ride longer and farther than her hero Paul Revere.

This is a fascinating story that builds on the basics known about Sybil. The novel is a Publishers Weekly BookLife Editors Pick.

Jenni is a storyteller of women throughout history. She writes for adults and middle grade readers. Read about her here and check out her other books here.