Welcome to Jennie Mayes, our guest reviewer. When Jennie recommended that Middle Grade Mojo write a review of A SMALL ZOMBIE PROBLEM, her obvious enthusiasm for this series prompted us to invite her to write the review. And now we can't wait to read it ourselves. This is the first book in the series of three. Thanks, Jennie! August DuPont has never been outside his falling-down ancestral home where he lives alone with his Aunt [...]
Middle Grade Mojo loved Chris Negron’s new book The Last Super Chef. We had to know, is he a super chef? Middle Grade Mojo: The level of detail in the cooking scenes is remarkable. Are you a super chef yourself, or is it all researched based? Chris Negron: I should have realized writing The Last Super Chef would mean I’d have to confess I’m not much of a cook over and over again! But yes, [...]
Happy book birthday to Alysa Wishingrad and her debut novel The Verdigris Pawn. Beau is the heir to the Land, and because of his importance, he is kept in his apartments to protect him from any danger including the deadly fever that has spread through the guards’ barracks. His only activities are horseback riding and studying The Histories to prepare him to be the next leader. Beau’s angry, demanding father, known as “Himself”, doesn’t bother [...]
Curtis Pith is a culinary genius and he’s only in the 5th grade. He has learned almost everything he knows from the best cooking show ever, Super Chef, which features the best chef in the world, Lucas Taylor, who also happens to be Curtis’s father, except no one knows that. Curtis only knows because his mom let it slip a few years ago, but Curtis hasn’t told anyone, not even his little sister Paige or [...]
Enjoy this month's Mojo picks---middle-grade historical fiction. Chains (The Seeds of American Trilogy) by Laurie Halse Anderson: As the Revolutionary War begins, thirteen-year-old Isabel wages her own fight...for freedom. Promised freedom upon the death of their owner, she and her sister, Ruth, in a cruel twist of fate become the property of a malicious New York City couple, the Locktons, who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Ruth and Isabel. [...]
Recently released, Nightingale by Deva Fagan, has launched with rave reviews! It's a middle grade fantasy with many layers, including a diverse group of friends, fighting for social equality, and being one's own hero in a way that is enlightening and inspiring. I asked Deva about her own writing adventure. What was your favorite part about writing the book? One of the things I do often when building a fantasy world is to start with [...]
Congratulations to Ellen Booraem and her recently released middle-grade novel, River Magic. This book is a wonderful mix of real-life challenges, friendship, adventure, and a little bit of magic thrown in. I asked Ellen about her own writing adventure. BUY HERE What was your inspiration for River Magic? I volunteer as a middle-school writing coach in my local elementary school. Several years ago a couple of seventh graders wrote companion stories about dragons. [...]
Marisol Rainey has a tree in her backyard which she calls Peppina. This wonderous, glorious, giant Magnolia tree is exceptionally perfect for climbing, just ask her 12-year-brother Oz and her best friend Jada who both love to climb it. Marisol hates Peppina because she can’t climb it. She’s too afraid. This is Newbery author Erin Entrada Kelly’s newest book about the very imaginative 8-year-old Marisol who lives in Louisiana with her science teacher mother [...]
Erin Entrada Kelly was recently awarded a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space and she won the Newberry Medal in 2018 with Hello, Universe. Middle Grade Mojo was honored to get to chat with her new early middle grade novel Maybe, Maybe, Marisol Rainey which released on May 4th. Middle Grade Mojo: In Maybe, Maybe, Marisol Rainey we meet the wonderfully imaginative, yet fearful, 8-year-old Marisol. You have said Marisol is a lot like [...]
We’re so excited to talk to Aileen Weintraub, the author of more than 50 books for children. Her newest book, We Got Game: 35 Female Athletes Who Changed the World releases on May 4th. Middle Grade Mojo: You’ve written many other nonfiction books for kids with a wide range of topics from rocks and minerals to a knock-knock joke book to a book about the band Kiss. Why did you decide you wanted to write [...]
