Happy book birthday to MONSTER CLUB by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel! Almost everyone calls Eric "Doodle" because he doodles a lot. And he's so good at it that he got into Mark Twain Middle School for the Gifted and Talented. His favorite thing to draw is Brickman, a fighting monster he designed for the game he and his best friend, Yoo-Hoo created. They, along with three other friends play it during lunchtime. They [...]
Join us in welcoming these exciting September releases. The Curse on Spectacle Key by Chantel Acevedo (September 6, 2022) Spooky middle grade with Cuban flair. When a Cuban American boy moves into a lighthouse, he hopes it will be his forever-home. But soon his parents are arguing, and supernatural forces awaken. When he makes friends with ghosts, he sets out to discover the island’s secrets and uncovers his family roots along the way. [...]
Today is the launch of a wonderful middle grade book set in Atlantic City in the 1970s. The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz is a suspenseful and inspirational story with rich characters that jump off the page. Joey is a skeet ball wiz and during a trip to the boardwalk, he gets the attention of a dangerous mobster, Artie Bishop, known as the King of Steel Pier. Joey comes from a large Jewish family with [...]
In 1913, thousands of Mexicans, including 12-year-old Petra Luna, her six-year-old sister, one-year-old brother, and her grandmother cross the Rio Grande into Texas to escape the violent civil war in Mexico. They stay in an overcrowded refugee camp with little food and a smallpox outbreak. When the revolutionists take back the Mexican border town, the refugees are given the option to go back to Mexico or get a job in the United States. Petra [...]
Congratulations to Leah Cypess on her second installment in the Sisters Ever After series, Glass Slippers. In this story, we meet Cinderella's third, never-before-mentioned "wicked" stepsister, Tirza. In this fairytale retelling, Tirza has lived with the shame of what her family did to Cinderella for years. Against everyone's advice, Cinderella—now Queen Ella—took a chance on young Tirza. She gave Tirza a home in the castle instead of banishing her. The queen told everyone Tirza was good and [...]
Happy Book Birthday, JUST RIGHT JILLIAN! I don't know if you can tell, but I'm pretty excited about this book. :) I met author Nicole D. Collier at a conference in Atlanta years ago, and she's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. That in of itself is a reason to cheer her success, but she also happens to be a terrific writer. I had the honor of reading an early [...]
Congratulations to Lisa Stringfellow on her middle grade debut, A Comb of Wishes. Stringfellow is a masterful storyteller who writes prose like a seasoned pro. A Comb of Wishes is one of the most creative and captivating books I've read in a while. Set in the Caribbean and rich with culture and folklore, the book is a journey of recovery and resilience. When Kela and her friend Lissy stumble across an ancient-looking comb in a coral [...]
Join Mojo in putting these new releases on your reading list. From Dr. Tamara Pizzoli comes a powerful celebration of Black women in this collection of inspirational quotes from fifty women from activists to artists. From John David Anderson, acclaimed author of Posted, comes a story for every kid who ever wondered if their middle school was haunted.
The Kingston duology are two books every elementary and middle school should consider for their classrooms. Ruckers Moses and Theo Gangi created an accessible fantasy that's perfect for grades 4th-6th. The characters are genuine, the pacing is quick and the magic feels like a natural part of the story. Set in Brooklyn, these books are a fun read for all levels of readers. The first book is Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found - Magic [...]
Happy Book Birthday to Wendy Xu for her middle grade graphic novel released today. Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and Kiki's Delivery Service, this is a magical tale that blends elements from Chinese mythology with witches! Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother want her to attend the Royal Magic Academy. Her magic however needs some work. She's sent to relatives she's never met before to train. When one of her spells [...]
