I read and loved so many middle-grade books in 2022! While some of these are early middle-grade books (I've read four of them with my book club for ages nine and ten), others are for ages ten and above. When I review a book, I usually indicate what age-group I think it is suited to, but do remember that reading levels vary widely! Secret Friends Secret Friends is heartbreaking, and that's the only reason I haven't introduced it to my book club. I meet children just twice a week, and online at that, so it's tough to see how affected a child is by a book. With my regulars, I know I can introduce a book like this as long as I include a trigger-warning. With newcomers, not really.Secret Friends is about the need to fit in, and about how we are willing to go to any lengths to belong. The problem is - how far can a child go? Read a … [Read more...]
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
How does one even begin to talk about a book like The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise? Coyote - why is she called Coyote? Why does the cover image show her sitting on top of a school bus?Coyote's mother and sisters die in a road accident and for her father, the only way to overcome grief is never to look back. So, he begins to call himself Rodeo, and never lets Coyote call him Dad. Nothing, nothing should remind them of the past. And returning to a place full of memories? That's a no-go.But when Coyote learns that she is about to lose one tangible aspect of her memories of her mother and sisters forever, she must go back. And somehow, she must get Rodeo to take her back without letting him find out what she's doing because if he finds out, there's no way he'll take her there. How she does it is what makes her journey remarkable. The people she meets, the acts of kindness … [Read more...]