Put on your radar!! Two Fall MG Titles

 

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Skye Nickson’s world changed forever when her dad went on the run with her brother, Finn. It’s been four years without Finn’s jokes, four years without her father’s old soul music, and four years of Skye filling in as Rent-a-Finn on his MIA birthdays for their mom. Finn’s birthday is always difficult, but at least Skye has her best friends, Reece and Jax, to lean on, even if Reece has started acting too cool for them.

But this year is different because after Finn’s birthday, they get a call that he’s finally been found. Tall, quiet, and secretive, this Finn is nothing like the brother she grew up with. He keeps taking late-night phone calls and losing his new expensive gifts, and he doesn’t seem to remember any of their inside jokes or secrets.

As Skye tries to make sense of it all through the lens of her old Polaroid camera, she starts to wonder: Could this Finn be someone else entirely? And if everyone else has changed, does it mean that Skye has to change too?

"This story brings lots of good discussion topics, especially related to adjusting to change and moving forward in its aftermath."

"This is a well constructed tale of family trauma and resilience that will circulate well, especially given the intriguing cover."

"Hits close to home. I cried." 

"This is a beautifully told story about an emotionally complex situation that is handled with the care it deserves. The characters are all flawed at points, but we see positive adult role models, therapy sessions, and art all used as coping strategies."

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Set at a camp over the course of six summers, this novel dives into the falling-out of two girls from different backgrounds who thought they'd be friends forever. Claire Swinarski, regional indie bestseller of the ALA Notable What Happened to Rachel Riley?, tackles privilege, perspective, and the power of friendship in this page-turning puzzle that readers will devour.

Eowyn Becker has waited all year to attend her sixth summer at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp. Here, she’s not in the shadow of her Broadway-star older brother; she’s a stellar performer in her own right. Here, the pain of her mom’s death can’t reach her, and she gets to reunite with her best friend, Jules Marrigan—the only person in the world who understands her.

But when she gets to camp, everything seems wrong. The best-friend reunion Eowyn had been dreaming of doesn’t go as planned. Jules will barely even look at Eowyn, let alone talk to her, and Eowyn has no idea why.

Well, maybe she does…

There are two sides to every story, and if you want to understand this one, you’ll need to hear both. Told in a series of alternating chapters that dip back to past summers, the girls’ story will soon reveal how Eowyn and Jules went from being best friends to fierce foils. Can they mend ways before the curtains close on what was supposed to be the best summer of their lives?

"Readers who have theatrical aspirations will definitely want to pick up this book, and will envision themselves in the role of Glinda or Elphaba as the camp stages WICKED."

"I absolutely loved this story! Eowyn and Jules are both wonderful and wonderfully-crafted characters. "

"I think any kid who likes musical theatre will love this book with all the Mat references. It’s an early coming of age type of story where the MC needs to learn to deal with her grief, difficult friendships as well as privilege. It’s handled simply but very nicely." 

"A must read for middle grade readers who love musical theater, summer camp, and Wicked! Please check the content warnings as there are some heavy topics, including loss of a parent and grief."

FALL YA MUST READS

 

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Amateur sleuths and wannabe influencers Kerry and Annie are back on the case when a social media festival inspires some killer content—and several on-camera influencer deaths—in this page-turning and sidesplitting sequel to Murder on a School Night from author and comedian Kate Weston.

After catching the menstrual murderer red-handed, Annie and Kerry are now the Tampon Two, Barbourough’s most famous—well, only—detective duo. So Annie (and decidedly not Kerry) is enjoying her five minutes of fame.

Except life in the spotlight seems to be a magnet for death these days. After a famous prankster is found dead with a condom stretched over his entire head, the Tampon Two are on the scene at their small village’s Festival of Fame to catch another killer.

Honestly, Kerry doesn’t know how she ended up here again, but this might be her one chance to prove to the folks at the local paper that she has what it takes to be a reporter—and to prove to herself that she doesn’t need her boyfriend, Scott, to save the day. Or even Annie, who definitely has stars and hearts in her eyes investigating all these influencers.

With Annie distracted, Kerry has to work quickly, before one more live stream can be cut off by yet another grisly death. And this time, the murderer might be following her—and not just on social media—in their quest to create some truly killer content.

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Award-winning author Jen Ferguson has written a powerful story about teens grappling with balancing resentment with enduring friendship—and how to move forward with a life that’s not what they’d imagined.          

Before that awful Saturday, Molly used to be inseparable from her brother, Hank, and his best friend, Tray. The indoor climbing accident that left Hank with a traumatic brain injury filled Molly with anger.

While she knows the accident wasn’t Tray’s fault, she will never forgive him for being there and failing to stop the damage. But she can’t forgive herself for not being there either.

Determined to go on the trio’s postgraduation hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, even without Hank, Molly packs her bag. But when her parents put Tray in charge of looking out for her, she is stuck backpacking with the person who incites her easy anger.

Despite all her planning, the trail she’ll walk has a few more twists and turns ahead. . . .

Discover the evocative storytelling and emotion from the author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, which was the winner of the Governor General's Award, a Stonewall Award honor book, and a Morris Award finalist, as well as Those Pink Mountain Nights, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year!

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It’s Black Friday—and the apocalypse is on sale!

Ever since the world filled with portals to hell and bloodthirsty demons started popping out on the reg, Jasper’s life has gotten worse and worse. A teenage nobody with no friends or family, he is plagued by the life he can’t remember and the person he’s sure he’s supposed to be.

Jasper spends his days working as a checkout clerk at the Here for You discount mart, where a hell portal in aisle nine means danger every shift. But at least here he can be near the girl he’s crushing on—Kyle Kuan, a junior member of the monster-fighting Vanguard—who seems to hate Jasper for reasons he can’t remember or understand.

But when Jasper and Kyle learn they both share a frightening vision of the impending apocalypse, they’re forced to team up and uncover the uncomfortable truth about the hell portals and the demons that haunt the world. Because the true monsters are not always what they seem, the past is not always what we wish, and like it or not, on Black Friday, all hell will break loose, starting in aisle nine.

Rising star Ian X. Cho delivers an unforgettably freaky and hilarious YA debut with Aisle Nine, perfect for fans of Grasshopper Jungle or The Last of Us.

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The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist—Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!

What are you most excited to read or share this fall?? 

J.E. Thomas - Control Freaks Author Interview!

 

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself as an author and everyday person? What are your likes/dislikes?

A: I’m definitely an early bird. My best writing time begins about 5:30 a.m.   The characters I create live loud, full, noisy lives in my head for years at a time. For this reason, even though the Control Freaks cast have conflicts and deal with complicated issues like blended families, social anxiety and career choice, they’re all good humans. That was a plot decision, and it was a gift to myself.   I procrastinate more than I should. This is true in writing and in regular life.   I love puppies and kittens. I’m terrified of moths and bats. And I once registered for a sprint triathlon without knowing how to swim. (I finished it, too!)

Q: Where did you get the idea for Control Freaks?

A: I borrowed a bit from my own life for Doug’s story. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be an author. However, my parents had a different dream for me. I followed their path and only came back to creative writing later in life. I changed that scenario for Doug.   I’m also fortunate to have made friends in middle school who remain friends to this day. I wanted to write a story that incorporated that element.   And lastly, I love the idea of a competition that encourages kids to learn to work together and to realize that some things are more important than winning.

Q: I love how you were able to write directly for and to kids - where did this ability come from?

A: Thank you so much! A writing instructor once told my class that people sometimes get locked into a specific emotional age. In my case, that seems to be 12!   I experimented with a lot of different genres, but I found my voice when I started writing middle grade. I remember the swirl of emotion; the feeling that solutions to major issues were not nearly as complex as grown-ups made them sound; and the sense of not being heard or understood as though those experiences happened just yesterday.   Writing from that perspective is something I very much enjoy.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about your STEM experience?

A: Sadly, my STEM claims to fame are (a) failing to adequately close the lid on a container of live frogs in science class—and yes, they all did escape (we were only studying how much they weighed, by the way; they would have been released after class); and (b) accidentally setting an experiment on fire in chemistry class.   To paraphrase Taylor Swift, I am never, ever, ever going to be a STEMster.

Q; What was the hardest scene to write?

A: Oof—that’s a tough question. I don’t know if one scene in particular stands out. I think the biggest challenge overall was to avoid getting so caught up in the STEAMS challenges that I neglected the kids’ overarching goals.   Also, keeping track of all of the teams was daunting!

Q: What are you currently reading?

A: I read voraciously, so I’ll break this into categories:   Currently Reading Middle Grade: Far Away (Lisa Graff) YA: The Beauty Trials (Dhonielle Clayton) Adult: It’s Elementary (Elise Bryant)   Recently Read: Middle Grade: Faker (Gordon Korman); Shark Teeth (Sherri Winston); The Misfits #1 (Lisa Yee and Dan Santat) YA: The Belles (Dhonielle Clayton); The Everlasting Rose (Dhonielle Clayton) Adult: The Measure (Nikki Erlick); The Truth About the Devlins (Lisa Scottoline); Redshirts (John Scalzi); Starter Villain (John Scalzi)

Q: How do you get started on your writing, and what advice would you give to middle grade students who are writing?

A: I made up stories at a very early age—roughly when I was about four, I think. Those stories were about as basic as basic could be. (Once upon a time, there was a dog named DeeDee. She wanted a bone. She got the bone. She was happy. The End.)   In grade school, I started imagining how episodes of TV shows I liked could have been different. By middle school, I was writing fanfic—Star Trek fanfic, to be exact. I’d write the equivalent of a full-length movie in a narrative format. As fate would have it, my first published piece of creative writing was a Star Trek short story.   My advice for middle-schoolers is to write to your passion. If you like short stories, write a short story. If you like graphic novels, write a graphic novel. (If illustration isn’t your thing, maybe you can partner with a classmate.) If you like novels, write a novel. It doesn’t matter if it's five words or 50,000. Find the story that gets you so excited that you think of it every day. Then write it!

Q: Can you describe your revision/editing process for students? Also, do you start writing on paper/computer/etc?

A: My revision process is actually kind of gnarly. I’ve dreamed of being one of those authors who could complete a first draft before starting to revise, but that’s not the case.   I start writing with a burst of enthusiasm—and this is true whether I’m writing a novel, a short story or even a blog post. In that haze of energy, I’m convinced that I have a handle on whatever I’m writing, and I’m good to go.   At some point in the process, I’ll get a vague nervous feeling in my stomach. This is an early alert that something isn’t working, that I’m headed down the wrong path. Then—no matter how many times I’ve experienced this before—I’ll push forward, determined to write my way through to the end. The writing process becomes a slog. Words come slower and slower. Finally my creative energy grinds to a stop. It doesn’t restart until I go back to the point I first sensed something was awry, fix that and then move forward, albeit with a detour. Not only does this happen with every project, but it happens several times within each work. Again, it’s a gnarly process…but it’s mine. Once I finish the first draft, I try to put whatever I’ve been working on away for a few days or weeks before I reread and revise the text.   With regard to my medium of choice: I write high-level thoughts longhand in a project journal. I draft on a computer.

Q: Future projects that you are currently working on?

A: I'm so happy you asked! My second book, The AI Incident, is slated for release in June 2025. It’s centered around the unluckiest kid in Colorado foster care, whose world is turned upside down when an autonomous AI is assigned to his school. As with Control Freaks, The AI Incident takes place in Denver, Colorado.

Q: What else would you like teachers and young readers to know?

A: I truly believe that reading + imagination is the best streaming service available, and I encourage students to read as often as possible. I also believe that teachers and librarians are superheroes. As a student, I didn’t realize how instrumental they were. Now, however, I am forever grateful.

 

 

Summer Releases for Middle Grade!

 

Breaking Down Numbers for Kids

 Understanding numbers may seem intimidating to children, but with the proper approach it can become an exciting  journey. In this blog we will look at various approaches that will help your kid better grasp this concept. Everything from basic counting through more complex arithmetic.

Photo by Eric Tompkins on Unsplash

The Building Blocks of Numbers

Before diving headfirst into mathematics, it's important to build up from its foundations. Numbers are everywhere around us and help make sense of life's adventures, from counting toys to telling time. They serve as our constant companions on this path of knowledge.

Count with Confidence

Counting is the gateway to mathematical development in children, so introduce it through everyday activities, for instance counting steps you take while walking or apples in a fruit bowl. Make it fun, the more enjoyable they find it is for them, the quicker they will take to learning new mathematics.

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers: Understanding the Difference

Once your child becomes more adept with counting, it's important that they grasp the concept of cardinal and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers refer to counting them: 1, 2, 3..., while ordinal ones describe something else such as first place. Your child can benefit greatly by helping them grasp this distinction of ordinal versus cardinal numbers. It will open up new worlds of numerical possibilities.

Adding Some Spice: Introduction to Addition

As your child becomes adept with counting, it is time to introduce addition. Visual aids like blocks or drawings can make addition much more understandable. For instance, if three blocks were added and two more added on top, how many did that bring total? Taking this hands-on approach encourages critical thinking skills as well as problem-solving abilities.

Subtracting Stress: A Playful Take on Subtraction

Subtraction can be approached in everyday scenarios just like addition: for example, when eating two cookies from five, how many are left? This approach helps children understand that subtraction is more than numbers on a page and is part of daily life. Providing story-based examples and visual aids will keep their interest alive as they learn subtraction concepts.

Multiplication: The Magic of Repeated Addition

Multiplication may initially seem intimidating for young learners. By framing it as a repeated addition, however, you can help simplify its concept for them. Instead of explaining that "3 times 4 is" try  "3 groups of 4," you can help your child to visualize this through drawings or grouping objects together. This creates an instantaneous connection and boosts confidence.

Division: Sharing is Caring

Division is like the final piece to any puzzle, you can introduce it through sharing. Imagine having 12 candies to share among four friends equally, how would this work out in terms of division and cooperation between peers? Practicing division can also teach us valuable life lessons while encouraging community spirit among peers.

Fun with Fractions: A Tasty Introduction

Fractions may seem complex at first, but they're much easier to explain using food. Pizza and pie make great examples for showing how fractions work. Cutting them into slices allows children to see and understand halves, quarters and eighths. Or why not host a fraction pizza night where kids "create" their own pizzas by choosing from various toppings.

Decimals: Tenths and Hundredths

Once children understand fractions, decimals often follow naturally. Explaining them together using simple examples, like showing that "0.5" means half, may help clarify confusion between the concepts. A number line can also provide visual aid in showing how fractions and decimals connect.

Applying Math in Everyday Life

Once your child has formed a strong foundation in math, it's time to apply what they've learned in real-life scenarios and reinforce what they know while showing its practical application. Here are some fun ideas on how you can do just that:

Grocery Store Adventures 

Turn your grocery run into an educational and enjoyable mathematical adventure by engaging your child in adding up prices as you shop, calculating discounts or helping with weighting produce. Not only will this activity reinforce counting skills but it will also encourage them to participate actively and feel included. Helping them apply math knowledge in everyday situations while turning a mundane grocery run into an engaging learning experience.

Cooking and Baking Fun

Cooking offers children a fantastic opportunity to learn about measurements and fractions in an engaging setting. As they measure out ingredients for cookies or work on doubling recipes, their math skills will develop naturally. This hands-on experience not only reinforces concepts like volume and proportion but also shows them real world applications of math concepts as they taste their delicious creations. Cooking truly transforms math learning into a delicious adventure.

Board Games and Apps

Board games provide an engaging way of incorporating math skills into playtime. Popular examples such as Monopoly and Chutes and Ladders involve counting, addition, and strategic thinking activities, offering an entertaining alternative to standard learning methods. Furthermore, educational apps exist which make learning numbers fun for children while expanding their mathematical understanding. A combination of board games and digital apps may create an unforgettable educational experience.

What Not to Do

When teaching math to children, certain approaches can impede their learning experience. First and foremost is making sure not to rely solely on memorization of formulae and concepts without providing context or explaining their purpose in teaching math. Children benefit from understanding the "why" behind math. Therefore presenting it in terms of isolated facts may lead to disengagement and confusion. Discouragement of mistakes is another common pitfall. Children should feel free to make errors as these represent invaluable opportunities for learning and growth. Avoid overly complicated language or concepts that go beyond their developmental level as this could lead to frustration and undermine confidence in their math abilities. By avoiding such missteps, you can foster a more positive and effective learning environment.

Photo by Austin Pacheco on Unsplash

Conclusion

Teaching your child numbers doesn't need to be an unpleasant chore, it should be an engaging and memorable experience. From counting and addition through fractions and decimals, every step they take lays a stronger foundation for future learning. Celebrate each small success when learning subtraction or solving tricky fraction challenges. By including numbers into everyday life activities you are not only strengthening their mathematical skills, but also helping them appreciate its beauty in society at large. So take this adventure of discovering numbers together, it will surely be exciting.