middle grade fiction » The Novel Hermit

REVIEW • A Myrtle’s Afoot (Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce)

October 5, 2020 Comment : 1

Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England.

When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor.

myreview

I received this book for free from Algonquin Young Readers for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

First sentence: “‘Correct me if I’m wrong.’ My governess, Miss Judson, strolled into the schoolroom, her sharp bootheels clicking like a telegraph.”

Move over Sherlock Holmes, there’s a new detective in town! Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle is making a run for his money, and she will not let any stones be unturned until she gets to the truth behind the murder! And the the murder she’s investigating? Well, it’s her wealthy elderly neighbor—Miss Wodehouse—who supposedly died in the bath. Did she though, or was there a sinister reason for her death?

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REVIEW • Appleton Full of Puns and Fun! (Don’t Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise & M. Sarah Klise)

February 26, 2020 Comment : 1

Is the sweet town of Appleton ripe for scandal?

Consider the facts:

Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.)
Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her.
Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous’s controversial “green dot” collection.
The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop.

Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton’s fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town’s juiciest scandal. Don’t miss this seedy saga!

myreview

I received this book for free from Algonquin Young Readers for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

First sentence: Welcome to Appleton, Illinois. Home of the GIant Red Apples. Population: ~~800~~ ~~713~~ ~~620~~ ~~479~~ ~~198~~ 83

The sweet town of Appleton has been thrown off its apple crate by a new librarian by the name of Rita B. Danjerous! Rita has quickly become a beloved member of the community bringing amazing books to the students at Appleton’s Elementary School, yet despised by Ivana Beprawpa, the new school board president, for going against the “manners and morals” she desperately want to bring back.

How does this clash of personalities and priorities affect this sweet as apple pie town?

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REVIEW • My Pet Black Hole and A Dog With No Name (The Care and Feeding of A Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas)

September 12, 2017 Comments : 2

When eleven-year-old Stella Rodriguez shows up at NASA to request that her recording be included in Carl Sagan’s Golden Record, something unexpected happens: A black hole follows her home, and sets out to live in her house as a pet. The black hole swallows everything he touches, which is challenging to say the least—but also turns out to be a convenient way to get rid of those items that Stella doesn’t want around. Soon the ugly sweaters her aunt has made for her all disappear within the black hole, as does the smelly class hamster she’s taking care of, and most important, all the reminders of her dead father that are just too painful to have around.

It’s not until Stella, her younger brother, Cosmo, the family puppy, and even the bathroom tub all get swallowed up by the black hole that Stella comes to realize she has been letting her own grief consume her. And that’s not the only thing she realizes as she attempts to get back home. This is an astonishingly original and funny adventure with a great big heart.[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Penguin for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “This story began on an afternoon the color of comets, with a girl dressed all in black. “

“Have you heard about the new book about anti-gravity?”

“What about it?”

“It’s impossible to put down.”

The Care and Feeding of A Black Hole isn’t about anti-gravity, but it is a book that you won’t be able to put down.

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(ARC) REVIEW • Not Your Abuela’s Music (The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez)

August 29, 2017 Leave a Comment

On Day One, twelve-year-old Malu (Maria Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School’s queen bee, violates the school’s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.

The real Malu loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malu finally begins to feel at home. She’ll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself!

Black and white illustrations and collage art throughout make The First Rule of Punk a perfect pick for fans of books like Roller Girl and online magazines like Rookie.[/note]

myreview

First sentence: “Dad says punk rock only comes in one volume: loud.”

The First Rule of Punk hits every note with a perfectly pitched scream. Malu—don’t call her Maria Luisa—is into two things: punk music + zines. When her mother moves them to Florida, she finds herself doing things she never thought she would back home: making friends in her new home and getting in touch with her Mexican heritage.

It’s certainly not any book your Abuela has encountered.

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(ARC) REVIEWS • One Code At A Time (The Friendship Code by Stacia Deutsch + Girls Who Code by Reshma Saujani)

August 28, 2017 Leave a Comment

Loops, variables, input/output – Lucy can’t wait to get started with the new coding club at school. Finally, an after school activity that she’s really interested in. But Lucy’s excitement turns to disappointment when she’s put into a work group with girls she barely knows. All she wanted to do was make an app that she believes will help someone very special to her.

Suddenly, Lucy begins to get cryptic coding messages and needs some help translating them. She soon discovers that coding – and friendship – takes time, dedication, and some laughs![/note]

myreview

First sentence: “Lucy…Lucy…Lucy…”

If (you_read_this_book) {
you’ll_learn_coding ( ) ;
you_get_to_see_girls_excited_about_it ( ) ;

}

Reviews

REVIEW • Swords for Everyone (Katana at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee)

July 6, 2017 Leave a Comment

Get your cape on with the DC Super Hero Girls™— the unprecedented new Super Hero universe especially for girls! Readers of all ages can fly high with the all-new adventures of Wonder Woman™, Supergirl™, Batgirl™, and some of the world’s most iconic female super heroes as high schoolers!

Sword-wielding Katana isn’t like most high school students–but with classmates like Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl, Super Hero High isn’t like most high schools!

In addition to training to be a super hero, Katana also follows the noble warrior traditions of the Samurai. Now an unknown source has given her the responsibility of guarding a hundred ancient Samurai swords–but why her, and for what purpose? With the help of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Ms. Martian, and some of her other super friends, she intends to find out. But she just made captain of the fencing team, she has a huge school project due, and a villain with ties to her family’s past seems to be amassing an army. Maintaining her inner peace isn’t going to be easy . . .

. . . but Katana has the steel to save the day![/note]

Welcome to the fourth Super Hero High blog tour!! That’s right! Random House has published Katana’s story in the series, and it is amazing and adorable.

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from Random House for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “‘C’mon Supers, let’s get this party started,’ Harley Quinn cheered.”

“These Samurai Swords
Entrusted to Katana
The story unfolds.”

Katana’s story unfolds with a message from conch shell. Right at the start, Katana goes missing, after she was supposed to bring back a celebration cake for Batgirl, and the Supers go on a search to find their friend. Katana is found in the hidden underground tunnels at Super Hero High with Samurai sword surrounding her like a protection seal. Since that moment, she tries to figure out what she’s meant to do with these swords, how she’s meant to protect her friends and family, and what happened to her grandmother who went missing years ago.