Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (and sequel). Chapter Book.On the surface, 11-year-old Nathan is like many other boys. His parents are divorced, and he’s a little upset with his father. His paternal grandmother, Nali, is supportive, and he’s eager to spend the summer with her on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, […]

Gregory the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (and sequels). Chapter Book. “When his two-year-old sister Boots tumbles into an air duct in his building’s laundry room, Gregor leaps after her and they fall, à la Alice, into another world. Gregor wants desperately to get home—until he hears that his father, who left Gregor heavy-hearted by disappearing […]

The Ghost of Rancho Espanto by Adrianna Cuevas. Chapter Book. “Between his father’s strict nature and his mother’s worsening illness, Cuban American Rafa has retreated into playing The Forgotten Age with Beto and Yesi. However, after they attempt to steal a slushie machine from the school cafeteria as part of the game, Dad decides Rafa […]

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Chapter Book. “Ten-year-old Livy, who lives in Massachusetts, hasn’t visited her Gran Nicholas’s house in Australia for five years. When she returns for a visit, Livy is struck by the feeling that something very important is waiting for her. Sure enough, a peek inside her closet reveals “a […]

Fantasy is a quite popular genre for Middle Grade (ages 10 to 14 generally) readers. Six out of ten of the current NY Middle Grade Kids’ Best Sellers are fantasy. (Let’s not sleep on non-fiction though!) High Fantasy books are set in another world (think Lord of the Rings and Narnia). Low Fantasy books are […]