Middle Grade – Page 11 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Samira Surfs

Title: Samira Surfs
Author: Rukhsanna Guidroz, Fahmida Azim (illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Kokila
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 29, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A sparkling middle-grade novel in verse about Samira, a twelve-year-old Rohingya refugee living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who finds peace, empowerment, and sisterhood in a local surf club for girls.
Samira thinks of her life as before and after: before the burning and violence in Burma (now Myanmar), when she and her best friend would play in the fields, and after, when her family was forced to flee. There’s before the uncertain journey to Bangladesh by river, and after, when the river swallowed her nana and nani whole. And now, months after rebuilding a life in Bangladesh with her mama, baba, and brother, Khaled, there’s before Samira saw the surfer girls, and after, when she decides she’ll become one.
With Khaled’s help, Samira pushes past her fear of the water and begins secret surf lessons. She forges a friendship with the Bengali surfer girls of Cox’s Bazar and learns of a surf contest for kids that could change her life in so many ways. But as more Rohingya seek refuge in Cox’s Bazar and the dynamics of her community change, it becomes harder for Samira to keep her surfing a secret, potentially putting her family at risk.
Samira Surfs, written by Rukhsanna Guidroz and illustrated by Fahmida Azim, is an effervescent novel in verse about a young girl’s journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power as she reclaims her childhood.

Review:

Samira is a twelve-year-old Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh. Her family escaped violence in their home country of Burma (now Myanmar) and made the treacherous trip to their new home, losing Samira’s grandparents along the way. Samira has to work hard at selling eggs on the beach to help support her family. When she hears about a surf contest with a huge prize, Samira is eager to learn to surf and compete to earn money for her family. The problem is that Samira is not allowed swim or surf. Samira builds friendships with other girls who want to learn to surf as well, but she also must face discontinuation because of her religion and gender.

Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about Rohingya refugees. This was a devastating story told from the perspective of a child. Samira had to grow up quickly when her family was in danger and they had to flee their home. There was a lot of pressure put on Samira to support her family. She wasn’t allowed to go to school because she was a girl, and she had to work even harder when her dad was injured and couldn’t work. These circumstances pushed Samira to discover surfing, which ended up being a good thing for her.

Samira found hope in learning to surf. It gave her something to look forward to. She was eager to learn and improve her skills. I’ve never surfed but Samira’s experience was inspiring!

Samira Surfs is an important middle grade read!

Thank you Kokila for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow

Title: The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow (The Okay Witch #2)
Author: Emma Steinkellner
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 6, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novel, The Okay Witch, half-witch Moth Hush uses magic to boost her confidence with disastrous results—perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Molly Ostertag!
Moth Hush is starting to settle into her newfound witch heritage and powers, but life at school continues to be rough. Even her best friend, Charlie, doesn’t entirely understand what it’s like for her to always be the one who gets mocked, and things only get worse when Moth’s mom starts dating one of the dorkiest teachers in the school! Then Moth gets hold of a mysterious charm that can unleash another version of herself—one who is confident, cool, and extremely popular. What could possibly go wrong?

Review:

Moth Hush is a witch, but she’s not allowed to do magic at school. She gets teased at school, and it would be easier if she could just use a spell to make herself more likable. The bullying gets worse when her mom starts dating one of her teachers. Then, Moth discovers a magic charm necklace that can make her popular. But every kind of magic has a price.

This graphic novel started out with a recap of the first book. I was really glad to see that because it’s been a while since I read the first book. It was told by her talking cat, Lazlo, who is a hilarious character. I appreciated seeing this brief recap at the beginning of the book.

Moth faced bullying in her school. Her classmates were quite mean. Moth felt like an outsider since she had just discovered she was a witch, but she couldn’t tell anyone except for her best friend. Using a magic charm didn’t solve her problem. It masked it for a while, but it ended up causing a bigger issue in the end. Rather than fighting back or changing what kind of person she was to please her classmates, Moth had to learn how to be herself.

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow is a great middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Other books in the series:

The Okay Witch

Have you read The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow? What did you think of it?

Review: The House of Serendipity

Title: The House of Serendipity
Author: Lucy Ivison
Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 6, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Fans of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy series and budding fashionistas everywhere will love this charming, delightful middle-grade novel about two girls with a talent for dressmaking set in 1920s London.
As Myrtle Mathers and Sylvia Cartwright know, the perfect dress can change everything. When Myrtle leaves her family’s tailoring shop to work as a lady’s maid in the grand home of the aristocratic Cartwright family, she thinks her days of sketching and stitching are over for good. That is until the spirited Sylvia Cartwright runs into a big problem–her older sister Delphine’s debutante ball is about to be ruined by a truly horrendous dress. Desperate, Sylvia calls on Myrtle to help her save the night, and a serendipitous partnership begins.
Their design for Delphine catches the eyes of all of London’s debutantes, including the prominent Agapantha Portland-Prince, who has the whole city buzzing about what she will wear to her extravagant ball. So when she practically begs Myrtle and Sylvia to dress her, the two girls make a plan: create something special for Agapantha without revealing their true identities. If the Cartwrights find out what Myrtle and Sylvia are up to, it could spell disaster for the girls’ futures.
But as it turns out, Agapantha is looking for more than just a gorgeous outfit–she needs a disguise that will help her escape high-society life forever. And for Myrtle and Sylvia, what starts out as a plan to prove their design prowess soon becomes a secret mission to defy expectations.
In this fabulous, fantastical adventure through 1920s London, author Lucy Ivison introduces a delightful new series about the magic of friendship, fashion, and being yourself.

Review:

1920s, London: When Myrtle’s mother has to sell their tailoring shop, Myrtle is sent to be a lady’s maid at the home of the Cartwright family. There, she meets Sylvia, the young daughter of the house. Sylvia’s older sister is supposed to make her debut to society but she hates the dress that was made for her. Sylvia enlists Myrtle’s help to remake the dress so her sister likes it. When that dress is a hit in society, others want the be dressed by the same designer. Sylvia’s friend Lady Agapantha hires them to create a special look for her debut and to help her form a new identity to follow her dream. This project is almost too big for Sylvia and Myrtle, and can either make or break their designing partnership.

This story reminded me of Downton Abbey, but for a middle grade audience. Myrtle worked as a lady’s maid but she became friends with Lady Sylvia. The other workers in the palace had to remind Myrtle that she shouldn’t be too friendly with the family of the house because she was there to work for them. However, Sylvia was able to persuade Myrtle to help her with designing clothes. I kept imagining Sylvia and Myrtle as Lady Mary and Anna from Downton Abbey, if they were young girls who became friends in unlikely circumstances.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the sketches of the outfits. Since this story had so many descriptive outfits created by Myrtle and Sylvia, it was nice to see what they would have looked like. This was a great addition to this fashion themed story.

The House of Serendipity is a fun middle grade novel!

Thank you Razorbill for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Pizazz

Title: Pizazz
Author: Sophy Henn
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Discover the annoying side of being a superhero from snarky, reluctant hero Pizazz in this hilarious and highly illustrated new series for young middle graders—perfect for fans of Dog Man and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Most people think superhero work is awesome and fulfilling. Pizazz knows better. Whenever she’s in the middle of a movie or having fun with her friends, she has to dash off the save the world. And she’s always in the same outfit, including an embarrassing glittery cape, and the wedgies are unreal. Plus, being the good guy all the time is so not easy. Superheroes have bad days like everybody else, but Pizazz always has to be cheerful and noble and brave. More than anything, she just wants to be normal.

Review:

Pizazz is a superhero, but it isn’t easy. She has to dash off to fight villains while she’s with friends or even while she’s sleeping. And she always has to go to school the next day. Pizazz has to put on a happy face, because she’s a superhero who saves the world, even if she’s having a bad day. Plus, she thinks she has the worst superpower ever, but she has to use it sometimes to defeat villains. Even though Pizazz doesn’t like being a superhero, she’s always there to help her superhero family.

This was a fun superhero story. Pizazz feels like a lot of middle graders, which is uncomfortable with herself. She doesn’t like her place in her family because everyone else has a better superpower than her, even her little sister. She had to start at a new school so she didn’t feel included by the kids in her new class. Pizazz wanted to fit in with the popular kids, like her sister did, but she didn’t. Though most middle graders aren’t superheroes, I think a lot of them can relate to feeling out of place during that time in their life.

There were a few funny moments in this book. Pizazz and her family had a dog that would report to them on what villain they had to go fight. They had to fight unusual villains. There was Twerknado, who would twerk and destroy the city. There was also Goo Go, who was a giant baby fighting with baby toys. Pizazz’s secret superpower was saved and only revealed at the end of the book, so that was a funny part since she hated it so much but always ended up using it.

Pizazz is a fun start to a new series!

Thank you Simon Kids for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Shark Summer

Title: Shark Summer
Author: Ira Marcks
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When a Hollywood film crew arrives on Martha’s Vineyard with a mechanical shark and a youth film contest boasting a huge cash prize, disgraced pitcher Gayle “Blue Streak” Briar sees a chance to turn a bad season into the best summer ever.
After recruiting aspiring cinematographer Elijah Jones and moody director Maddie Grey, Gayle and her crew set out to uncover the truth of the island’s own phantom shark and win the prize money. But these unlikely friends are about to discover what happens when you turn your camera toward the bad things lurking below the surface.

Review:

Gayle Briar was the pitcher on her softball team until she broke her arm. Now, her mother has moved them to Martha’s Vineyard because her mom has fond memories of spending the summers there when she was a kid. Their plan to open an ice cream stand is put on hold when her mom has to get a higher paying job to pay for Gayle’s hospital bills. Gayle explores the island and watches the filming of a shark movie. Gayle ends up finding Elijah, a young eager filmmaker, and Maddie, a local girl with a ghost story. The three of them make a shark film to enter into a film competition, but they end up uncovering an ancient island secret.

This is the perfect summer read. Gayle had moved to Martha’s Vineyard, but since it was her first time spending the summer there, it was like she was on a vacation and learning about the island for the first time. Elijah was just in town for the season and Maddie had lived there all her life, but she was bullied by the local children. They were each outsiders in some way. The three of them made a good group to discover the island secrets.

I love it when characters explore an ancient ghost story! Those stores about ghosts and hidden histories fascinated me as a kid. Maddie knew a ghost story and they used it as inspiration to make their film. What Gayle and Elijah didn’t know was that the ghost story was part of a deeper secret on the island. This secret reveal at the end of the story tied everything in together, and made the story feel complete.

Shark Summer is a fun middle grade graphic novel for the summer!

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Strong Like the Sea

Title: Strong Like the Sea
Author: Wendy S. Swore
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Featuring a secret ocean code with a hidden message for YOU to decipher!
Even though twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii, she won’t surf or swim with her friends—not since the ocean and its hidden creatures swept her out to sea. Instead, she grabs her best detective hat and decodes her mom’s latest challenge
Alex’s mom works in counterintelligence and leaves codes, ciphers, and puzzles behind for Alex to solve, always with a “treasure” at the end. It’s a brilliant game between them, and Alex loves figuring out her mom’s puzzles—especially the tricky ones—but when an emergency at sea puts her mom in possible danger, solving the next one suddenly feels far more urgent.
Friends help as Alex races to decipher each clue before time runs out, but when the trail leads to grumpy old Uncle, his enormous dog Sarge, and a sea turtle unlike any other, the challenge changes into something bigger than any before. With storms on the horizon and lives on the line, Alex must face her fears to solve Mom’s challenge and save those she loves. With her ohana to help, she must be strong like the sea.

Review:

Twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii but she’s scared of the water. Her mom travels with the navy, and she leaves codes and puzzles for Alexis to solve while she’s gone. Alexis has to solve her most difficult puzzle yet. She needs help to solve it, including from her grumpy Uncle. Before she can finish it, her mom goes missing. This becomes Alexis’s most important challenge, as she races to finish it to make her mom proud.

I would have loved this book when I was a kid. I loved puzzles and mystery stories. Alexis had many different types of puzzles to solve, including treasure hunts and codes. These sounded so fun, and may spark an interest in puzzles for young readers.

I loved the island setting. I haven’t been to Hawaii but I definitely want to go after reading this story. There were many Hawaiian terms used throughout the story, but they were either explained in the context of the sentence or in the glossary at the end. Food was an important part of the story as well. Most of it sounded really delicious, except for the stinky fruit they used to make a healing tea. I loved learning about Hawaiian culture in this story.

Strong Like the Sea is a great middle grade novel!

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour Review: The Edge of Strange Hollow

Title: The Edge of Strange Hollow
Author: Gabrielle K. Byrne
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Imprint
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 18, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Welcome to Strange Hollow. Beware the Grimwood.
Poppy Sunshine isn’t like everyone else in Strange Hollow. She’s not afraid of the Grimwood, home to magical creatures like shape-shifters, fairies, witches, and even a three-headed dog.
Banned from the wood by her parents, Poppy longs to learn everything about it and imagines joining her mother and father as they hunt the forest’s cursed magical objects. So when her only family disappears on a routine expedition, she and her friends must break every rule to save them. But Poppy soon discovers that things in the Grimwood are rarely what they seem…
And the monsters who took her parents may not be monsters at all.

Review:

Poppy Sunshine is a human who lives in Strange Hollow. The Grimwood is outside of her house and filled with magical creatures. Poppy isn’t scared of the Grimwood like the other people in town because her parents are the only humans allowed in. However, Poppy’s parents won’t let her go inside. Poppy decides to break their rule and enter the woods with her friend, Mack the elf. She soon learns that her parents have disappeared. Poppy has to travel through the Grimwood to find her parents and unite her divided world.

I love it when fantasy worlds have a connection to our real world. Strange Hollow is a town filled with humans who are scared of the magical creatures in the Grimwood. This human connection to the fantasy world always makes it seem like the story is closer to our reality.

This story was about two groups who were divided by their beliefs. Penny bridged the gap between the humans and the magical creatures since she was friends with both of them. This is both a timely and an historical issue, since there always seem to be large and dangerous conflicts going on in the world. Penny was a strong character who fought for both sides since she was connected to both of them. She was the only one who had this unique position between the humans and the magical creatures. This was an example of how a conflict that had lasted for many generations could be resolved with the strength of a little girl.

The Edge of Strange Hollow is a great middle grade fantasy novel.

Thank you Imprint for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Gabrielle Kirouac Byrne lives in the rainy wilds of the Pacific Northwest, where she writes fantasy for kids of all ages. Gabby studied opera in Philadelphia, medieval studies in New York, literature in Scotland, and marine biology in Washington. Stories are the common thread that tie all her interests together. When she’s not writing, you can find her fishing spineless zooplankton out of the Salish sea with her family. In Gabby’s debut MG fantasy, RISE OF THE DRAGON MOON, the princess of a frozen Queendom fights to free her mother from the clutches of treacherous dragons. Gorgeous world building, and lush prose will immerse readers in this coming-of-age adventure in which a fierce girl tackles insurmountable odds with wit, strength, and heart.

Tour schedule:

May 17th
Kait Plus Books – Interview
lousbookstuff – Review & Favourite Quotes
TLC Book Nook – Review & Mood Board

May 18th
Twirling Book Princess – Promo Post
The Writer’s Alley – Review & Mood Board

May 19th
Stuck in Fiction – Promo Post
Sugar, Spice and Stories – Review
Mahkjchi’s Not-So-Secret Books – Review & Mood Board

May 20th
Subtle Bookish – Interview
The Book Dutchesses – Review

May 21st
Nine Bookish Lives – Promo Post
Books tales by me – Mood Board
Jill’s Book Blog – Revew

May 22nd
dinipandareads – Review & Top 5 Reasons to Read The Edge of Strange Hollow
I Dream in Books – Review & Playlist

May 23rd
Frolic Media – Interview
The Nuttybookworm Reads Alot – Review
Balancing Books and Beauties – Review & Top 5 Reasons to Read The Edge of Strange Hollow

Where to buy:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Strange-Hollow-Gabrielle-Byrne/dp/1250624665/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Edge+of+Strange+Hollow+by+Gabrielle+K.+Byrne&qid=1615750133&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-edge-of-strange-hollow-gabrielle-k-byrne/1136619246

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Edge-of-Strange-Hollow-Gabrielle-K-Byrne/9781250624666

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-edge-of-strange-hollow/9781250624666-item.html?ikwid=The+Edge+of+Strange+Hollow+by+Gabrielle+K.+Byrne&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=fb1607e37d9139d15f4cd3420c11cda1IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250624666

Giveaway:

One winner will receive a finished copy of The Edge of Strange Hollow. The giveaway starts on May 17^th and ends on May 24^th.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fc15a59532/

Have you read The Edge of Strange Hollow? What did you think of it?

Review: Rescue at Lake Wild

Title: Rescue at Lake Wild
Author: Terry Lynn Johnson
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: April 27, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this funny and moving animals-in-peril adventure, a twelve-year-old girl and her two best friends determine to rescue two orphaned beaver kits—and soon find themselves trying to solve a local environmental crisis.
Everyone knows that twelve-year-old Madison “Madi” Lewis is not allowed to bring home any more animals. After she’s saved hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray tom cat that ended up destroying the front porch, Madi’s parents decide that if they find one more stray animal in the house, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall at an upcoming gala event.
But when Madi and her two best friends, Aaron and Jack, rescue beaver kits whose mother was killed, they find themselves at the center of a local conspiracy that’s putting the beavers and their habitats in danger. As Madi and her friends race to uncover the threat targeting the beavers, Madi must put her animal whisperer skills to the test in both raising the orphaned beaver kits and staying out of trouble long enough.

Review:

Twelve-year-old Madi Lewis is known for rescuing animals. She’s banned from bringing any more home. When her and her friends Jack and Aaron find a mother beaver who was killed, Madi insists on finding her babies and saving them. Madi brings the two baby beavers home and hides them from her family. Madi and her friends look after the baby beavers while also searching for the person who shot the babies’ mother.

This is a great story to introduce children to looking after wildlife. Madi had some experience with helping her grandmother rescue wildlife, so she knew what to do with the baby beavers. She had to use her own knowledge to look after them, including mimicking what their mother would do to keep them warm and make them food. Interacting with wildlife can also be dangerous, so she had to be cautious while handling the babies.

This story reminded me of the Animal Ark series that I read when I was a kid. Those books were about kids rescuing and helping animals. These stories about kids helping animals can get them interested in going outside and learning about nature.

Rescue at Lake Wild is a great middle grade story!

Thank you HMH Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Just Pretend

Title: Just Pretend
Author: Tori Sharp
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 18, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A graphic memoir, in which a young girl uses her active imagination to navigate middle school as well as the fallout from her parents’ divorce.
Tori has never lived in just one world.
Since her parents’ divorce, she’s lived in both her mom’s house and her dad’s new apartment. And in both places, no matter how hard she tries, her family still treats her like a little kid. Then there’s school, where friendships old and new are starting to feel more and more out of her hands.
Thankfully, she has books-and writing. And now the stories she makes up in her head just might save her when everything else around her—friendships, school, family—is falling apart.

Review:

Seventh grader Tori lives with her mom and her older twin siblings, and she visits her dad on weekends. Her parents treat her as a little kid, even though she’s growing up. At school, she struggles with making new friends and keeping her old ones. When they begin to bond over their love of writing or their friendships, something comes between them. Tori continues to write her own story while she tries to cope with the rest of her life.

In this graphic novel, Tori has to deal with many issues of growing up. She had problems at home, with juggling the two homes of her parents, as well as older siblings who liked to tease and bully her. She also had problems at school with her friends and her school work. The middle school years are filled with emotional relationships. Between her family and friends, Tori had to figure out many relationship dynamics that come with growing up.

I could relate to Tori in this story. Tori tried to write a story with her best friend, and I did the same thing in middle school. My friends got bored with writing after a while, like Tori’s did, but writing is still my passion. I could relate to the way Tori got lost in her fantasy world. I think other young artists will be able to relate to Tori as well.

Just Pretend is a great middle grade graphic novel!

Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review: How to Save a Queendom

Title: How to Save a Queendom
Author: Jessica Lawson
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: April 20, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From critically acclaimed author Jessica Lawson comes a whimsical fantasy about an orphaned twelve-year-old girl who is called upon to save her queendom when she finds a tiny wizard in her pocket.
Life’s never been kind to twelve-year-old Stub. Orphaned and left in the care of the cruel Matron Tratte, Stub’s learned that the best way to keep the peace is to do as she’s told. No matter that she’s bullied and that her only friend is her pet chicken, Peck, Stub’s accepted the fact that her life just isn’t made for adventure. Then she finds a tiny wizard in her pocket.
Orlen, the royal wizard to Maradon’s queen, is magically bound to Stub. And it’s up to her to ferry Orlen back to Maradon Cross, the country’s capital, or else the delicate peace of the queendom will crumble under the power of an evil wizard queen. Suddenly Stub’s unexciting life is chock-full of adventure. But how can one orphan girl possibly save the entire queendom?

Review:

Stub is an orphan, who is an apprentice at a tavern. She is kept outside and lives with her only friend, her scrawny pet chicken, Peck. Then one day, while she’s in the woods, she discovers a tiny wizard who can fit in her palm. The wizard, Orlen, comes from the Queendom, but has been magically bound to Stub. Along with her new friend Beaman, Stub has to return Orlen to the capital city to save the Queendom from an evil queen.

This was a fun adventure story. Stub started out the story as an orphan who didn’t have any control over her life. She was bullied and threatened by the woman she lived with and worked for. She didn’t have a choice but to stay there. Once she met Orlen, she had a reason to sneak away and escape the evil woman she worked for. She was finally able to take control of her life.

The story was also fast paced. The characters passed through different parts of the land, from the small town to a forest to a swamp and ultimately the capital city. It was fun to see all of these different places in the fantasy world. The ending was action packed with magical deception.

How to Save a Queendom is a fun middle grade fantasy.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

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Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

What to read next:

Just Pretend by Tori Sharp

The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag

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Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby

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About the author:

Tour schedule:

Where to buy:

Giveaway:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Review:

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Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

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