Review: Nicola's Ghost by John Kitchen

Author: John Kitchen
Publisher: New Generation Publishing
Publication Date: January 2009

There is a dark secret haunting the Sharpe family. They are strange and remote, and when Stephanie Topham is told she must work with Nicola Sharpe in a science project at school, she is horrified. As part of their project, they have to make a pinhole camera. But when they take a photo with the camera, there is a ghost-like figure in their picture. This figure becomes a key to opening up Nicola Sharpe and revealing the secrets of her family. Through a series of appearances in various photos the ghost directs Nicola and Stephanie into a past that is full of revelations, twists and surprises. Some are painful, some tear at the fabric of the Sharpe family. But the unraveling of Nicola's past is the saving of the Sharpes, and, in a final twist it gives Nicola something more amazing than anything she has ever dared contemplate, even in her deepest dreams.

In Nicola's Ghost, Stephanie is paired up with the "weird girl", Nicola, for a class project.  When their homemade camera shows a ghost girl, Nicola begs Stephanie to help her investigate what is going on. 

I really enjoyed this one.  It is set in modern times, but had a very old timey feel to it.  The friendship that developed between Nicola and Stephanie was a pleasure to watch. I also loved the relationship that Stephanie had with her older brother.  It's a has a twisty ending that leaves you with a good feeling.  It's exactly the type of ghost story that would have fulfilled my middle school needs. I highly recommend checking it out.

Review: Unmasked by Lorien Lawrence

Author: Lorien Lawrence
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: August 2022

Having suffered from anxiety attacks since she was eight years old, creating monsters has become a sort of therapy for Marion Jones. When she sculpts and paints, her fingers don’t tingle, the heaviness lifts from her chest, and she can actually breathe. So instead of grabbing pizza and milkshakes after school like most other kids in South Haven, Marion holes up in her room, working away on her monsters. And it’s paid off, because she’s just finished her first full-face a gruesome sea monster she’s named Winston.

However, Halloween arrives with a Super Blue Blood Moon, and its powers somehow manage to bring Winston to life. To make matters worse, Marion’s crush, Tyler Dash, becomes the object of Winston’s possession as soon as he tries on the mask, turning him into a red-flannel-and Converse-high-top-wearing creature from Connecticut. Marion has no She has to follow Tyler to the Halloween dance to try and stop him. Will she be able to figure out what’s happened to Tyler and stop the monster from wreaking further havoc on the school? Or has she made a real-life monster that’s here to stay?

Unmasked is the third book in the Fright Watch series.  This one focuses more on Marion, a muddle schooler who is amazing at making monster masks and make-up.  She has suffered from anxiety since she was little and her craft is an outlet.  When Tyler steals her sea monster mask, Marion has no choice but to get it back.  That could prove to be very dangerous for Marion and the kids in her middle school.

I thought this was a fairly enjoyable follow up to the first two books. Quinn and Mike do play a big part in the book, but Marion is more of the protagonist.  I thought the portrayal of a child with anxiety was pretty accurate.  I didn't love the rubber band method but I guess it might work for some kids.  It was great for Marion to finally realize that she did have friends. People did genuinely liked her, not just for her monster make-up skills.  I didn't find this one as creepy as the first two.  The dance scene was a little cheesy, but not too cheesy to be off putting.  I hope that there is a 4th book because I love the idea of this trio having another paranormal adventure together.

Review: The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien

Author: Celia Krampien
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 2023

Everyone knows Fall Hollow is haunted. It has been ever since Abigail Snook went into the woods many years ago, never to be seen again. Since then, it’s tradition for the sixth graders at Beckett Elementary to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night. Three kids are chosen to go into the woods. Whoever rings the bell there wins the game and saves the town for another year, but if Abigail’s ghost captures the players first, the spirit is let loose to wreak havoc on Fall Hollow—or so the story goes.

Now that it’s Bailee’s year to play, she can finally find out what really happens. And legend has it the game’s winner gets a wish. Maybe, just maybe, if Bailee wins, she can go back to the way things used to be before her grandma got sick and everyone at school started hating her. But when the night begins, everything the kids thought they knew about the game—and each other—is challenged. One thing’s for something sinister is at play…waiting for them all in the woods.

The Bellwoods Game is a middle grade horror book that is the perfect book to read around Halloween.  In the story, Bailee is determined to play and win the annual Bellwoods game.  It's a sixth grade rite of passage.  Three kids are chosen and the one who rings the bell can save the town.

This is exactly the type of book that I would have loved as a middle school reader. The characters were fun.  I liked all of them and how they ended up helping each other in the game.  Even the ones that didn't get along. All of the kids who participate have a secret or issue that the end up having to face during the game.  The book is really creepy and would be a great intro into the horror genre for a middle schooler.  The main villain was also well written and gave me the chills.  I don't want to spoil the story and tell you who wins or if the town was saved.  I highly recommend this one and think it would be a great addition to any middle school library.

Review: Only If You Dare by Josh Allen

Author: Josh Allen
Publisher:  Tantor Media
Publication Date: October 2022

Thirteen chilling short stories to keep you up at night--but only if you dare. You never know what's out to get you. Though you might think you're safe from monsters and menaces, everyday objects can turn against you, too. A mysterious microwave. A threatening board game. A snowman that refuses to melt. Even your own heartbeat has its secrets. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. When you stop to listen, each beat sounds more menacing than the last. Master storyteller Josh Allen brings thirteen nightmare scenarios to life in this must-listen collection that's perfect for budding horror junkies. In his wondrous world, danger waits behind every doorway . . . even in the most ordinary places. Listeners will sleep with one eye open!

Only if You dare is a collection of 13 short stories that are perfect for the middle school reader. I really enjoyed listening to this one.  I would have absolutely devoured this collection when I was in middle school.  Every story was just creepy and disturbing enough some someone who is just starting to get into horror.  I was really impressed with the balance of the stories being just a little step above Goosebumps, but not so over the top that they would scare a young reader who is trying out horror.

 

 My favorites ones were "The Substitute", "Scrabbled", and "My Right Hand, Right There".  There is something in here for every reader.  Most of them have modern issues that kids might have fears about.  I highly recommend this one.  It would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library.

Review: Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

Author: Daka Hermon
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: September 2020

I went up the hill, the hill was muddy, stomped my toe and made it bloody, should I wash it?

Justin knows that something is wrong with his best friend. Zee went missing for a year. And when he came back, he was . . . different. Nobody knows what happened to him. At Zee's welcome home party, Justin and the neighborhood crew play Hide and Seek. But it goes wrong. Very wrong.

One by one, everyone who plays the game disappears, pulled into a world of nightmares come to life. Justin and his friends realize this horrible place is where Zee had been trapped. All they can do now is hide from the Seeker.

Hide and Seeker is a middle grade horror that definitely satisfied my inner middle school self.  It involves a Justin, who attends a welcome home party after his best friend returns home after being missing for a year.  The biggest problem is that Zee is different.  When another party goer suggests playing Hide and Seek, things go very wrong.

 Adult me, enjoyed this one and middle school me would have devoured it.  It was creepy and honestly actually scary at times. I liked that the author was willing to put the kids in danger to a point that the reader isn't quite sure if they will survive the ordeal.  The characters were interesting and not annoying.  Each character has fears that they have to face in order to survive.  I'm not going to lie, they were all creepy.  I highly recommend this one.  It was a lot of fun and would be a great addition to any middle grade library.

Review: Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Author: Mary Downing Hahn
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: September 2015

Thirteen-year-old Daniel Anderson doesn’t believe Brody Mason’s crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster’s Hill with Bloody Bones, her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody’s probably just trying to scare him since he’s the new kid . . . a “stuck-up snot” from Connecticut. But Daniel’s seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong. Did the witch strike? Has Erica been “took”?

Took is a middle grade horror story that takes place in the back country of West Virginia.  Daniel and his family have relocated from affluent Connecticut to a run down farm house.    It's bad enough that there is a creepy legend of disappearing girls, the house is surrounded by dark woods where the girls have been said to disappear.  When his sister Erica goes missing, Daniel will do anything to get her back.

I thought this was a good middle grade horror.  I think this book would have creeped me out when I was 10 or 11. The atmosphere was spooky.  Auntie was scary and creepy. There is even a creepy doll.  I did like Daniel as a character.  This was a great coming of age story for Daniel.  When he loses his sister, he finally realizes family is important.  I liked that he showed bravery, yet admitted to fear as well.  I thought his relationship with his little sister was realistic and endearing.  I definitely recommend this one to middle grade readers.  It was a good time.

Review: The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Author: Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: February 2022

 

The first letter turns up on his desk. The second is stuck between the spokes of his bike. The third flies through the kitchen window.

And they are all addressed to James from someone called the Keeper.

Moving from Texas to Oregon was a bad idea. No sooner have James and his family arrived in their “perfect” new town than he starts getting mysterious and sinister letters from someone called the Keeper. Someone who claims to be watching him. Someone who is looking for “young blood.” James and his sister, Ava, are obviously in danger. But the problem with making a fuss about moving and having a history of playing practical jokes is that no one believes James—not even his parents.

Now James and Ava need to figure out who is sending the letters before they become the next victims in their neighborhood’s long history of missing children. Because one thing is clear: uncovering the truth about the Keeper is the only thing that will keep them alive.

The Keeper is a middle grade horror story involving siblings, James and Ava.  When they move to a new state, they start getting weird letters addressed to James.  Is it a prank or something more sinister?  This is exactly the type of story I would have loved in middle school.  It was engaging, mysterious and scary.  I mean, I'm an adult, so the horror was mild for me. But, I know I would have been on the edge of my seat had I read this in middle school.  

One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was the family dynamic.  I loved that their parents were present and involved in their lives.  I also loved the sibling rivalry and prank war that James and Ava had going on.  They may have fought, but when it came down to the wire, family meant the world to them. It proved to be their strength.  It was a great lesson.  I loved the stories and advise  that their grandmother left for them in videos before she died.  

James and his family are Mexican American and this also plays a large role in the story.  They use a lot of Spanish words and phrases.   I don't know Spanish.  But listening to the audio book, I was able to figure out a lot of the words through context.   I do know the print version has a glossary for non-Spanish speaking readers.  I was happy to see that it was included.  It allows for kids to be fully engaged while also learning about another culture and language.   I highly recommend this one and think it would be a great addition to any middle grade library.

 

Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt of Camp Lenape by Timothy R. Baldwin

Author: Timothy R. Baldwin

Narrators: Brittany Goodwin, James David West

Length: 3 hours 3 minutes

Publisher: United Publishing House, LLC⎮2020

Genre: Mystery; YA

Series: A Kahale and Claude Mystery Series, Book 1

Release date: May 28, 2020

Synopsis: It’s supposed to be a fun summer…then a girl goes missing.

When a girl goes missing, and none of the adults can give a straight answer, a childhood game suddenly turns into a real, secret mission. 

Phone lines are down. Strange men roam the campgrounds. Financial documents indicate something’s amiss. And hidden security cameras point to a mysterious cottage in the woods. 

With heightened suspicions, junior camp counselors Marcus and Alissa recruit their friends to help find the missing girl. In their search, the teens will learn to rely on each other, especially when they encounter a terrible and dangerous secret.

Buy Links

Buy on Audible

My thoughts:

Camp Lenape is a middle grade/YA mystery.  This is exactly the type of story that I would have devoured as a middle-schooler.  It's a quick story that takes place at a summer camp.  A group of friends thine there is something strange going on at the camp and decide to investigate.  

I thought it was a fun mystery.  I enjoyed the characters.  They were well written and actually acted and sounded like kids in Junior High.  I appreciated that. It's  a short audio book with great narrators.It looks like this one is the first in a series, so I look forward to more adventures with these characters.  I would highly recommend this one, especially to any middle grade or younger YA reader.

About the Author: Timothy R. Baldwin

Tim grew up in Syracuse, New York. He currently resides in Maryland where he teaches English, Creative Writing, Film, and Theatre on the middle school level. At the insistence of his own students, he began writing seriously in 2014. He credits his love for story to his mother, who spent countless hours reading to him and his siblings when they were growing up. Growing up, he devoured the literary works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, and many others. Mysteries, thrillers, and fantasies are among the genres he most frequently reads. When he's not writing, he's reading, teaching, camping, or at a live music concert.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

About the Narrator: Brittany Goodwin

Brittany Goodwin is a Nashville-based director, screenwriter and actor know for her faith-based films "Secrets in the Snow", "Secrets in the Fall", "Be Still & Know" and "If You're Gone", a feature film based on Goodwin's best-selling novel of the same name. Acting credits include the 2019 theatrical release "The Perfect Race", as well as her ongoing work as a motion capture actor for Epic Games, and dozens of voiceover and narration credits.

Website

About the Narrator: James David West

James David West is an actor and producer, known for Teraphobia (2020), The Reflections Project: Subsequent Rumination (2018) and God Country.

Website

Review: The Babysitter's Coven by Kate Williams

Author: Kate Williams
Publisher: Delacourte Press
Date of publication: September 2019

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home. 

Back in the day, I was a huge Buffy fan.  (OK...I still am) So when I saw this synopsis, I knew I had to give it a try.  Esme is a great babysitter.  She and her friend are the best in town and make good money doing it. When a new girl shows up at school and wants into their "club" things start to get strange.  

I wouldn't say this was necessarily a YA.  It read more like a middle grade book or a younger YA.  I think that demographic will think this was a lot of fun.  As for me, I thought it was cute.  The characters were funny and interesting.  There were some great one-liners and I did laugh in a few places.  I liked that Esme and her friend had their own style.  Overall, it was a cute read.

What brought my rating down to about 3 stars was the blatant rip-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with demons not vampires...right down to town having its very own Hellmouth and a Watcher.   I mean, the show is referenced in the book several times.  I guess if it's mentioned, that makes it OK?  I wanted something original, like a new twist.  But, it just wasn't there.  I also feel that the author needs to spend some time with actual teens.  They don't speak using acronyms.  I know because I have one and I asked her.    So that didn't feel authentic and took me out of the story.

I would probably recommend this to middle grade level readers.  I think it could be a fun introduction into the paranormal genre.  I may pick up the next one to see the fallout of the events of this one.   

Review: The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher:Disney Hyperion
Date of publication: 

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

The Whispering Skull is the follow up to the Screaming Staircase.  IT picks up about 6 months after the first book.  This time around, the team are paired up with another agency to find a dangerous haunted object.  The two teams are rivals and of course chaos and danger lurks around every corner. 

 I have to admit that I didn't love this one as much as the first book. For me the pacing wasn't as consistent. It was really dragged in parts.  I had no problem stopping the audiobook for long stretches of time.  It did pick up in the last third of the book though.  The strength of the story is it's spooky setting.  The author does a great job of setting the tone and making the reader feel like they are ghost hunting along with the team.  I also enjoyed getting to know George a bit more.  He plays a larger role in the mystery than he did in the first book.  Lucy is beginning to really hone her skill for speaking to the dead. 

We do learn a bit more about the Fittes agency and some secrets are revealed. The book also ends on a cliffhanger with a reveal about the mysterious locked room in Lockwood's house.  Despite its slow pace, I still did enjoy it.  I definitely recommend this series to lovers of middle grade paranormal.

Review: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Author: Jonathan Stroud
Publisher: Doubleday Children’s Books
Publication Date: August 29th 2013

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .

The Screaming Staircase is the first the Lockwood & Co. Series/  It's a middle grade paranormal mystery that takes place in kind of a dystopian future.  Ghosts are very real and have become a real danger to England.  Children and teens can see and sense them much easier than adults.  Agencies have been formed and employ  kids to get rid of the ghosts.  Lockwood & Co. is a very small company and is run by Anthony Lockwood.  Lucy Carlyle is their newest agent.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  I don't usually read a lot of middle grade books, so I wasn't sure if I would like it.  Having said that, I know I would have loved it in middle school as well. 

 The story was fast paced, action packed and really spooky.  Exactly the right combination for a fun read.  The characters were interesting and I genuinely felt invested in their adventure..  Lucy, Lockwood and George made a great team.   The way Lockwood  was so focused at times really reminded me of  a young Sherlock Holmes character.   The world building was wonderful.  I felt like I was able to really immerse myself in this paranormal, alternate world.  I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed the experience. I also got the sense that there is a lot more to learn about what is really going on and hopefully, there will be more reveals in the future.   If you have been putting off trying this series out (like I have), I do recommend moving it up on your TBR.  There are four more books in the series, so I have some catching up to do.

Review: Doll Bones by Holly BLack

Author: Holly Black
Publsiher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: May 2013

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. 

But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

I went into Doll Bones expecting a good spooky middle grade book.  That was the impression I got when I read the synopsis. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations.    It had a lot of potential but fell short for me.  The book ended up being more of a coming of age story about a boy and his two childhood friends making the transition from children to teens.  Navigating the time when you put away the dolls and move onto more mature things can be hard for kids to figure out.

The story is told from the perspective of Zach only.  So we never really get to know Poppy and Alice enough to care about them or their reasons for going on their "adventure".  Had we seen what Alice says she saw with the doll through her own perspective, I think the story would have been a lot creepier.  The "quest" they went on because of the doll was interesting, but kind of unrealistic at the same time.  The ending was abrupt and completely unsatisfying.  I would have loved to find out what happened after the kids got home.  

I know that, obviously, I am not the target audience for this book.  However, I still probably wouldn't recommend this one for any of the middle graders that I do know.  There are much better books out there with more exciting spooky stories.

Review: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Date of publication: June 2015

A hidden book. A found cipher. A game begins . . . .

Twelve-year-old Emily is on the move again. Her family is relocating to San Francisco, home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger, a game where books are hidden all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. But Emily soon learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold and leads to a valuable prize. But there are others on the hunt for this book, and Emily and James must race to solve the puzzles Griswold left behind before Griswold's attackers make them their next target. 

Book Scavenger was a really fun middle grade mystery.    It involves Emily, who is a book worm who also loves puzzles. She loves to play the Books Scavenger online game.  The game involves people leaving books out in the wild and posting clues to the app.  When her family moves to San Francisco, she gets involved in the biggest hunt of her life.

I thought this was a really cute story. It reminded me of The Westing Game and Harriet the Spy, both of which I loved when I was younger. I enjoyed following Emily and her friend James as they solved the clues. I'm not going to talk plot because I don't want to give anything away.  I will say that I I enjoyed the references to Edgar Allen Poe as he is one of my favorite authors.  I also liked the use of ciphers.

More than the plot, I really liked the characters. Emily is a girl after my own heart.  She loves books and loves to spread her love of books.  She also loves puzzles.  I loved her friendship with James. Moving school frequently has caused her to have issues making and trusting friends.  So their friendship was special. I also thought her relationship with her older brother was wonderful.  One of the best parts of this book, from a parental point of view, was the 12YO kids did not run around San Francisco alone.  There was actual parental involvement.  They made sure that the kids were accompanied by Emily's older brother when they went on their book hunt adventures.  I feel like there isn't enough of that in middle grade books.

I definitely recommend this one, especially to middle grade readers..  It's a series, so I'll be seeking out the next book, The Unbreakable Code very soon.

Review: No way Out by Dan Poblocki

Author: Dan Poblocki
Publisher: Scholastic
Date of publication: August 2017

Shadow House always wins . . .

Poppy, Dash, Azumi, and Dylan may have made it out of Shadow House--but the grounds are a whole new nightmare. Someone they thought was a friend is hunting them, and there's no place that's safe now that they've woken the shadow creature.

If they want to survive, they'll have to figure out once and for all what the house wants from them, and what-or who-they'll need to leave behind in order to escape . . . or risk being trapped within Shadow House forever.

This is the third book in the Shadow Hosue series.  It picks up immediately after the events of the second book, You Can't Hide.  I caution that this does not work well as a stand alone.  Without reading the first two in the series, you won't really get what is going on.   That being said, I thought this was a solid end to the series.

The main characters that are left standing, Poppy, Dash, Azumi, and Dylan are out of the house  trying to make it off the property.  They realize that they need to give the ghosts of the house the things that they need in order to finally make it out.  As I said this was a pretty solid addition to the series.  It was even creepier than the first two with the addition of haunted clowns.  I felt like there was a greater sense of why they were trapped in the house here and I got some of my questions answered.  I would have loved an epilogue at the end , however, so know how the ones that made it out fared.  This is a fun spooky series that I think middle school readers will enjoy.

Blog Tour: Review of The Royal Order of Fighting Dragons by Dan Elish

Author: Dan Elish

Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Date of publication: August 2018

Ike Rupert Hollingsberry is haunted by the past because complete strangers won’t let him forget when his famous father died on the set of The Fighting Dragons, a cult favorite that still has people talking.

But when he’s attacked by a large locust, like the one that killed his dad, Ike is helped by the geekiest nerd of all, Elmira Hand.

Killing the giant locust was only the beginning of the surprises in store for Ike as he is whisked away from New York City to an isolated Florida compound to assume his role as the next in line to lead the Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons—that are NOT supposed to exist—and learns his dad’s death was a cover-up for a far greater purpose …

If you didn't know by now, I am a HUGE advocate for the importance of reading, especially among children.  I am always on the lookout for books that will interest middle grade level readers, because that is the age I feel like we tend to lose them.   The Royal Order of the Fighting Dragons is a new middle grade adventure that I know will be a favorite among those kids who love fantasy adventure stories.  

The characters were fun.  Ike was a very relatable 11 year old boy.  His father was killed in an accident while filming a TV show. People keep trying to give him their conspiracy theories. Ike just wants to people to forget and think of him as ordinary.  I loved how he immediately rose to the occasion when he was forced to fight. The rest of the cast of characters added to the flavor of the book.  The story is filled with some twists and  nail biting action scenes.  Even the first scene with the giant locust was pretty intense.  The story is clean and kid appropriate. I do recommend checking this one out.  I was sucked in right away.  What more could adventure readers want than a secret society, dragons, swords and giant locusts?  

Purchase Links

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About Dan Elish

Dan Elish is the author of the novel Nine Wives (St. Martins Press, 2005) and The Misadventures of Justin Hearnfeld (2008), both published by St. Martins Press. Dan is also the author of Born Too Short, Confessions of an 8th Grade Basket Case, which was picked as a Book for the Teenage 2003 by the New York Public Library and won a 2004 International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award. He has also written several other novels for young adults including, The School for the Insanely Gifted, The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks, 13, The Worldwide Dessert Contest, Jason and the Baseball Bear, and The Great Squirrel Uprising. “13,” the musical for which he co-wrote the book with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown ran on Broadway from September 16, 2008 through January 4, 2009. In his career, Dan has also written non-fiction books for young adults, scripts for kids’ TV shows (in particular Cyberchase (PBS)), music and lyrics for six musicals, funny corporate videos, and played piano for various Off-Broadway productions. He has received fellowships and scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and is a member of the Dramatist Guild. Dan lives in New York City with his wife, daughter and son.

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Review: City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Author: Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Scholastic
Date of publication: August 2018

Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself. 

City of Ghosts is the first in a middle grade series featuring 12 YO (I think) Cassidy Blake.  Cassidy almost died in a river the year before.  After being rescued by a ghost, she can now see ghosts.  Her parents are paranormal investigators and are spending the summer touring haunted cities all over the world.

I think I am going to have to admit defeat when it comes to this author.  So far, I haven't finished or enjoyed a book she has written.  I had hopes that a middle grade book would be different.  City of Ghosts was just an OK read for me.  The story was nice enough, but I'm not convinced middle grade readers will flock to it.  The story lacked any real world building and left me with so many questions.   I would hope they will be further explored later in eh series.  

One thing that I found really annoying about the book was the amount of Harry Potter references.  I'm not sure packing the book with those will make it more popular with the middle grade  readers.  I also got tired of the constant explanations for the explanation of terms like what fish and chips were or crisps.  It felt like exposition and slowed the narrative down.  Would I recommend it to my middle grader?  Maybe.