Tag: Middle Grade Book Review

Witchstorm by Tim Tilley, reviewed by Aysha (12)

I think Witchstorm is an amazing book that everyone should read!

It has good and bad witches, magical places, friendships and a treasure hunt.

“I absolutely loved this book . . . It made me desperate to read another Witch book.”

Aysha (12)

One day Will awakes to find his Ma missing. Curiously, he looks around and discovers Agatha’s amulet. Agatha is a witch that died a thousand years ago but before she died she made stormstone that controls all the elements. Will meets a witch called Magma, will she help Will find his Ma?

I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was well thought out and detailed and the illustrations were fantastic. It made me desperate to read another Witch book. I can’t choose which character was my favourite but it would be between Will and Aunt Hera. I loved how Aunt Hera loved sword fighting and was a really fun aunt to be around. For Will, I loved his skills in solving mysteries and I was very impressed with how dedicated he was in his search for his Ma.

I would recommend this book for ages 11 upwards.

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski, reviewed by Rosa (11)

The plot in Jamie is well written and altogether very good. Jamie is on the last stretch of year six and has not really thought about secondary schools. But as they get closer to leaving, they realise the only two options are for male and female genders only.

If you want an uplifting and feel-good book, Jamie is the one for you.

Rosa (11)

With the decision coming nearer and nearer they must take matters into their own hands and go on a great adventure that not only changes their life, but many other non-binary kids who are in the same situation as them too. 

Jamie is an easy one to read in two sittings it’s so fabulous. If you want an uplifting and feel-good book, Jamie is the one for you. Their friends and family (especially Olly) are funny and interesting. This brilliant read will make you laugh, cry and cheer, pure brilliance. 

Jamie is for everyone, but its especially good for tween/teen readers. It was amazing from start to finish, well done L.D Lapinski!  

Glitter Boy by Ian Eagleton, reviewed by Niamh (10)

Glitter Boy is Ian Eagleton’s amazing middle-grade book debut, after previously publishing the picture books Nen and the Lonely Fisherman, Violet’s Tempest, and The Woodcutter and the Snow Prince. It’s also got a fantastic cover design by illustrator Melissa Chaib. 

The story follows the main character James on his journey to overcoming multiple challenges that include homophobic school bullies, falling out with friends, coping with grief, and dealing with the separation of his parents.

Glitter Boy is one of the best books I’ve ever read… you want nothing to dim his light! 

Niamh (10)

A fabulous, sparkly and aspiring future song writer for his music idol Mariah Carey, James starts to lose his sparkle and shine when things start to become hard to cope with on his own. 

Glitter Boy is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Even though it deals with important and serious issues, it doesn’t feel like a depressing and sad book. James is such a fantastic, likeable and relatable character that you feel like you want nothing to dim his light! 

I loved James’s poetry throughout the book (worthy of any Mariah song!) and there were many funny moments like the nan/ham poem and the school jumper sniffing incident! 

It’s got loads of brilliant information about famous LGBTQ+ people throughout history, such as the activist Marsha P Johnson, and there’s even a quiz at the end! 

James’s experiences are based on the bullying the author, Ian Eagleton, went through himself at school and his book highlights how using the word gay in a negative way is absolutely unacceptable. The story overall celebrates that everyone should be allowed to be themselves and that kindness should always win over hate.

I recommend that all schools should be reading Glitter Boy in class, and I’m going to suggest it to my own teacher. Although I’m not really a Mariah fan, it feels right to end on that I’m ‘Obsessed’ with this book and Ian Eagleton you are my ‘Hero’. 

Perfect for fans of: Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean; The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean; The Last Fire Fox by Lee Newbery; and Jamie by L. D. Lapinski.

If You Read This by Kereen Getten, reviewed by Leontine (12)

I really enjoyed this book, it was entertaining and quite short so it was a nice story you could read at your own pace. A heart-warming story packed with adventure, good friends and love.

This was a great book about Brie going on a treasure hunt her mum made her before she died as Brie takes a path of self-discovery.

This was an engaging novel that I’d recommend to people who like adventure stories.

When I See Blue by Lily Bailey, reviewed by Leontine (12)

I really liked this book because it talked about OCD which I didn’t know about before. It was a really enjoyable read because it was written in a way that made you feel the characters emotions strongly.

A story of courage and friendship about Ben, who has OCD, and April, battling against his OCD as April and Ben form an everlasting friendship.

I would recommend this to all my friends.

The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name by Reece Carter, reviewed by Leontine (12)

This spooky adventure was a page turner!

Full of witches, ghosts and more, this book is perfect for people who like dark, mysterious books.

Corpse is a ghost made of wax, seaweed and seashells. She’s lived on-the-rock-that-doesn’t-exist for as long as she could remember and for the first time ever she finds herself escaping to the mainland to find out who she really is . . .

Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One by Maggie Horne, reviewed by Leontine (12)

This was a really nice book to read since it is not something I’d normally read. It was interesting and captivating. 

Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One is about Hazel and her new friends standing up against harassment and bullying at their school when no one else could.

This was really engaging and nice to read. I would recommend it for people 9+.

Wren by Lucy Hope, reviewed by Aysha (11)

This thrilling historical adventure story is set in Wren’s ancestral home in Anglesey, in North Wales in 1870. 

Wren is not like other girls, she is adventurous and she likes taking risks. One day, Wren hears a strange noise coming from the walls of her house. A song or a call? Later at  breakfast, her strict father tells her there was no sound and tells Wren that he is planning on sending her to Boarding school where she will learn how to behave like a proper ‘lady’. 

“I loved this book as I never thought that it would have so much to the story…”

Aysha (11)

Wren notices a letter left on the table from a famous French inventor who built a flying bird and includes his plans. Deciding to escape from her home, Wren decides to build the flying bird in order to escape. Wren gathers the equipment, and with some help from her friend, they make it. However, the day she decides to use it, the weather is terrible and she lands in the cold sea, but when she was up in the sky, she spotted something…

What could it be?

I loved this book as I never thought that it would have so much to the story. I would recommend this book for 10-13 year olds but I think there should not be an age restriction on books so if you are an adult, go for it too!

(Cover illustration fan art by Aysha)

Peanut Jones and The Twelve Portals by Rob Biddulph, reviewed by Aysha (11)

Peanut Jones, her friend Rockwell, her sister Little Bit and the pencil that can make drawings come to life go on their second adventure. This time to try and stop Mr White (the baddie) from making the world and the illustrated city colourless and also to try and get famous paintings back after they had mysteriously disintegrated.

I loved this book because it had lots of beautiful illustrations on each page.

Aysha (11)

I loved this book because it had lots of beautiful illustrations on each page. It was exciting to read and nerve-wracking too! This would make a great gift to get with Christmas coming up!

Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak, reviewed by Aysha (11)

This story has to be read aloud! 

The story is all about a mouse who someone has stolen from a science lab and placed inside a mailbox.

This story is really good and will make you laugh out loud.

Aysha (11)

What makes this story brilliant is that it is told by Clementine the mouse, who smells of raspberries and is very bright.

Each chapter is a letter she is writing in her head to her friend back in the lab.

She meets wonderful new people and discovers her love for playing chess, while also trying not to get caught by the researchers from the lab.

This story is really good and will make you laugh out loud.