My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Firefly Summer was the perfect middle grade read for the last week of August with this book’s warm, feel-good vibes and immersive summer life. My summer was wrapping up. I had saved this book for when the weather was about to change. When I was yearning for one…
Tag: mglit
My Reading List 2024
I can already tell you one of my new year’s resolutions for 2025 because it’s something I didn’t do in 2024 — I didn’t keep track of the books I read! I resolve in 2025 to keep an ongoing list. But for now, I will cobble together a list, knowing I will forget some books….
My Reading List of Middle Grade and Young Adult Books for 2023
While 2023 may have had some ups and downs, it was a great reading year for me. Along with beta reading, reading ARC’s (Advanced Reader Copies) and indulging in the occasional romance or adult sci-fi, I also read some fantastic middle grade and young adult books. Since the book I drafted this year is a…
Book Spotlight: Karma Moon: Ghost Hunter by Melissa Savage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Karma Moon: Ghost Hunter is an engaging middle grade read filled with quirky characters and hilarious banter between Karma and her best friend, Mags. When Karma’s dad lands the job of lifetime – a documentary series with Netflix – he and Karma have to pack up for spring break…
Book Spotlight: Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read Ravenfall twice this year. The first time I read it because the story looked spooky and fun. The second time, I read the book with my boys because I thought they would enjoy it. They did, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time through….
“Midnight Echoes” featured in The Burgeon Zine
A touch of good news at the end of 2023: My short story, “Midnight Echoes” is featured in the first issue of The Burgeon Zine, a selection of excerpts and short stories from the cohort of The Burgeon Mastermind 2023! For those Only You fans out there (yes, the 1994 film with Marisa Tomei and…
My #FallWritingFrenzy submission – Scared A Latte
#FallWritingFrenzy is a free writing contest for kidlit writers hosted by literary agent, Kaitlyn Sanchez, and supported by an amazing list of prize donors. The writing challenge is to pen a 200-word poem or flash fiction for any kidlit age, inspired by one of the photos on Kaitlyn’s blog. Scared A Latte is a middle…
Book Spotlight: The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten by Krista Van Dolzer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars The premise for The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten is both intriguing and humorous – what if you are heading to an art summer camp but end up at a math summer camp instead? A rainstorm lands Esther and her stepdad, Toby, at summer camp full of math nerds,…
Book Spotlight: The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the third book I’ve read by the talented Adrianna Cuevas. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and Cuba in my Pocket were very different books from The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, but they each capture the genuine struggles of preteens and their very real challenges with changing…
Book Spotlight: Flip Turns by Catherine Arguelles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars What an engaging read and well-crafted story! This was a fun book from beginning to end with an intriguing mystery and a little middle grade romance. But this book also handles some sensitive topics for middle grade kids like anxiety, parental pressure, alopecia, and boy harassment. Maddie, 13, is…
Christine Letizia 