Category: Middle-Grade

The Big Sting by Rachelle Delaney

August 29, 2023

Have you ever taken a personality test and felt dissatisfied with the result? According to a website called Fatefinder.com, eleven-year-old Leo is an Auditor. This means he is curious and cautious, but he’s tired of being labelled so. His dad is a Problem Solver, his mom is a Counselor, and his younger sister, Lizzie, is an Adventurer, which Leo wishes he could be. Luckily, his wary ways are tested on a trip to visit his Grandpa on Heron Island in Western British Columbia. When the beehives that Leo’s Grandma cared for before her passing away are stolen late at night, Leo, Lizzie, and Grandpa undertake a bold mission of getting the hives back—they call it their big sting. … More The Big Sting by Rachelle Delaney

Butt Sandwich and Tree by Wesley King

July 13, 2023

Cheese sandwiches, Crocs, and PlayStation. These are eleven-year-old Green Bennett’s favourite things. Green is excellent at math, reads a lot of books such as The Hardy Boys, and is happy with who he is. Oh, and he has autism spectrum disorder, also known as Asperger’s Syndrome, but that is his least defining quality of all. However, when Coach Nelson’s necklace holding his late wife’s ring goes missing, Green is the first person everyone suspects because he’s different. His older brother, Cedar, is the thirteen-year-old star player on the basketball team and the only one who believes Green’s innocence. … More Butt Sandwich and Tree by Wesley King

Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef

July 6, 2023

Every adult knows the awe and wonder make-believe stories instilled in us as young children. We all imagined ourselves riding a unicorn or fighting a dragon or dancing with fairies. But what if these magical beings turned out to be real? And you were the only one who could help save them? This is exactly what happens to Marjan Dastani in Kiyash Monsef’s book, Once There Was. In this epic debut, readers follow Marjan as she begins to discover a secret world of mythical creatures– and all the dangers that come with it. … More Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef

The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy

June 29, 2023

At some point or another, every kid wishes for exciting adventures, real magic, and a trusty animal sidekick. Janelle McCurdy’s The Lightcasters encompasses all those childhood dreams but with a twist. The umbra—hybrid animals made of shadows and magic—come to life in McCurdy’s prose with a unique reimagining of the bond between humans and animals. The novel begins with 12-year-old Mia’s first-day training to be an umbra tamer, a first day which quickly turns dangerous as Mia’s city falls under attack and most of its people are captured. Thrown into an adventure outside the city walls, Mia must learn to tame umbra in the field with only her wits and Jada—an older girl and taming mentor—to guide her. It’s up to Mia, Jada, her best friend TJ, her little brother Lucas, and her newly bonded umbra to brave all kinds of new dangers in the name of saving their world. … More The Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy

Heart Sister by Michael F. Stewart

June 15, 2023

Emmitt’s world comes crashing down the day his twin sister Minnie is officially declared brain-dead following a devastating accident. His family is on the brink of falling apart, and the thread holding them together has snapped. With nothing to lose, Emmitt sets out to make a film starring all the fortunate recipients that received an organ from his 16-year-old twin — a film that he hopes will piece his family back together and mend his mother’s shattered heart.  … More Heart Sister by Michael F. Stewart

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

June 8, 2023

What if you weren’t at all who you thought you were?

Iris Hollow and her two sisters Vivi and Grey went missing mysteriously ten years ago. When they returned home one month later, their dark hair turned white, their eyes went black, and strange, magical things started happening around them. No one knows what happened to them during the month they were gone, and neither do the three girls. One day, Grey disappears again, leaving her sisters a cryptic note. Iris and Vivi set out in search of her, but the clues reveal that Grey and their parents have been keeping a much more dark and ominous secret from them. … More House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland