The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow My Rating: 3 stars Genre: Cozy Myster Age Category: Middle Grade Type of romance: m/f Blurb: The Great British Bake Off meets Knives Out in this fun and propulsive middle grade novel following two best friends who must solve the mystery behind a baking competition gone awry. Laila gave Lucy a cupcake on the second day of kindergarten, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. But the summer before eighth grade, they find out that since they live on opposite sides of town, they’ll go to different high schools. Yuck! Then Laila’s […]

The Talent Thief by Mike Thayer narrated by Kate Coventry My Rating: 5 stars Genre: Contemporary Fiction with a bit of magic Age Category: Middle Grade Blurb: A girl with the ability to borrow other people’s talents must use her powers to find her own spotlight in The Talent Thief, a wish-fulfilling middle-grade novel from Mike Thayer, the author of The Double Life of Danny Day. Tiffany Tudwell is cursed. She once tripped over a backpack and fell face-first into a trashcan. She had pink eye on picture day. One time she tried to hold back a sneeze and farted […]

Camp QUILTBAG Nicole Melleby and A.J. Sass My Rating: 4 stars Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age Category: Middle Grade Blurb: From the acclaimed authors of Hurricane Season and Ana on the Edge, an unforgettable story about the importance of and joy in finding a community, for fans of Alex Gino and Ashley Herring-Blake. Twelve-year-old Abigail (she/her/hers) is so excited to spend her summer at Camp QUILTBAG, an inclusive retreat for queer and trans kids. She can’t wait to find a community where she can be herself—and, she hopes, admit her crush on that one hot older actress to kids who will […]