Join Mojo in welcoming these three amazing April middle grade releases. A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn (April 11, 2023) Maya’s grandmother might be losing her memory, but she’s not losing her magic in the kitchen. When one delicious bite sends Maya back in time to Seoul, Korea, she is forced to question everything she knows about her family and time itself. Far Out by Anne Bustard (April 18, 2023) When eleven-year-old MJ’s grandmother [...]
Congratulations to Payal Doshi on her middle grade adventure, Rea and the Blood of the Nectar. Rea discovers that she is a princess with magic! Only she has no idea how to use it. She must solve clues that lead to her missing brother, find a way to rescue him, and save Astranthia from a potentially deadly fate. It's a South Asian adventure that appeals to everyone. I asked Rea about her own writing adventure. [...]
All athletes need dedication and persistence to succeed, but some women athletes had to overcome obstacles to get a chance to play before they could be successful. Such as Maria Toorpakai Wazier from Pakistan, who pretended to be a boy so she could play squash without the Taliban knowing. Other ground-breakers include: Diane Crump, the first woman jockey in the Kentucky Derby; Jen Welter, the first woman to play in a contact position in professional [...]
The Secret Garden meets Miss Peregrine’s Home of Peculiar Children in this exciting new middle grade adventure where a girl helps a witch find a potion for immortality hoping to save her father. When Piper’s father gets sick, she's sent to live with her grandmother in a house townsfolk say is home to a witch who steals children. Her grandmother is not there. Instead, she finds her mother, who abandoned her when she was a [...]
Alan L. Hart (1890-1962) was a leader in the field of medicine. He pioneered the use of the new x-ray technology to diagnose tuberculosis which was the number cause of death at the beginning of the 20th century. His innovative test meant tuberculosis could be diagnosed early enough to save patients’ lives. The death rate dropped dramatically after his method became standard. Alan was also the first person in the United States to have gender [...]
It's here, it's here, it's finally here! Happy Book Birthday to BUBBA AND SQUIRT'S BIG DIG TO CHINA by Sherry Ellis. We're super excited about this book release because Sherry is in our critique group and we've seen first hand how talented she is! The Blurb: You can't dig a hole to China! Squirt doesn't believe Bubba can dig a hole to China. But when the hole swallows them, the kids find themselves in Xi'an, China, [...]
We have a very special guest with us on the Mafia blog today. Kailey Harmon won 1st Place in the 10/11-year-old category of The Bertie short-story contest! An avid reader and a great writer, we were thrilled when she agreed to be interviewed. Welcome, Kailey! M: What is the first book you remember reading? KH: The first book I remember reading? Well, it was a while ago, but I think it was my Veggie Tales [...]
I enjoyed Dana Middleton's debut book, THE INFINITY YEAR OF AVALON JAMES, so I was very interested when I heard she had another book publishing soon. The second I read the blurb on the back of OPEN IF YOU DARE, I was hooked! Like Birdie Adams didn't have enough problems this summer. But Birdie's Birdie. And if a long-buried box has "Open if you dare" written on its lid, then Birdie and her best friends, Ally [...]
Growing up, I remember seeing books featuring girl lead characters who enjoyed brushing horses or babysitting. In the time of strong female characters such as Wonder Woman, it is perfect to have a story of a girl who is up for a little danger and intrigue. MRS. SMITH'S SPY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (Aladdin) by Beth McMullen is a fast-paced adventure with a great balance of humor and heart. The main character, Abigail, is sent off [...]
Ask any author and they'll tell you the same thing - to be a good writer, you need to READ. Believe it or not, as much as the Mafia loves to read, we still have to be deliberate in making time for it. I polled the family to ask for their 2017 Reading Goals. Ours are below. Add yours in the comments and we'll check back in a few months to see where we are! [...]
