It’s time to celebrate the latest and greatest middle grade reads… I have a massive of book stack, packed with adventures and great reads for all chapter book lovers.
Adventure Stories
Isaac Turner investigates – The Series.
This is the sequel to The Clockwork Conspiracy, and the kid in me would love this series… hello, there are maps!!! I had to catch up and quickly read Book 1, but actually you can read them both independently and they are excellent reads for curious mystery lovers and middle grade adventure seekers. I love that these books assume the reader is ready to solve tricky problems, there is no dumbing the reader down at all.
Book 1: In The Clockwork Conspiracy we are introduced to Isaac Turner, a young man with a very inventive mind. His father is the chief horologist that looks after Big Ben. On the night the clocks turn back Isaac’s father disappears, and so begins an adventure through the landmarks of London. Chasing down cryptic clues, and racing against time itself, this is an excellent read.
Book 2: The Forbidden Atlas introduces a new adventure, this time in the streets and catacombs of Paris. Isaac and his friend Hattie, are attending an extravaganza to celebrate their achievement in saving “time.” Only during the event there is what looks like an “attempted assassination,” but Isaac and Hattie quickly realise this is something else, and there is another mystery at play. Again, the race against time… tracking down clues and long buried secrets.
Book 3: The Galileo Heist – I just spotted this one, and it has gone straight onto my wishlist.
Murder at Wintertide
A proper crime novel for kids… I loved this book!!! George and his family have traveled to a small seaside town to celebrate a wintry Christmas… the weather is dreadful and there are a lot of strange happenings. Firstly, a body washes up on the beach… secondly, what are the strange lights spotted on the cliff tops. George and his cousin Isla, are determined to find out what is going on… but the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in. This is an unputdownable, exciting read for adventurous young crime readers. Look out for more Fleur Hitchcock, her mystery books are fantastic!!!
The Helmersbruk Manor: A Christmas Mystery
This is a great family read-aloud book, can be read anytime, but sweet in the twelve days (twelve chapters) leading up to Christmas. Flora Winter arrives in a small town, to stay in the cottage of a country manor, over Christmas. Flora and her mum have recently lost her father and together they are hoping that the countryside might ease their pain. Her mum vanishes into her writing and Flora herself is left to her own devices… there is a mysterious boy in a green cap, there are Christmas ornaments that appear magically… there is a mystery that resolves on Christmas Eve, there is a a supernatural mysterious slant, and somewhat compelling to read on… I say it’s a great family read, I wasn’t sure what age group it was aimed at, but it there is a little something for everyone… and a sweet resolution… so a good read if you are looking for something different just before the holidays.
Animal Stories
Cobweb
You cannot beat Michael Morpurgo for beautiful books written about animals, packed with history and suitable for family reading. This is a story of bravery and kindness, about Cobweb, a pup who is the runt of the litter and of no value on a remote, coastal farm… Bethan who is grieving a serious loss after serious loss, has raised the pup and won over her Pa. But then her father comes home with a “dreadful step mother,” who sells Cobweb to the local drover. Cobweb is new at droving, together he and an older more experienced dog, take the local livestock across trails and trials, to a distant town. Weeks later the dogs must return home unattended… until a French Drummer Boy, who has escaped to the English countryside after the Battle of Waterloo, joins the dog-duo, and together the adventure their way home across the countryside and back to the safety of Bethan. This is a lovely story, beautifully written – any young animal lover will thoroughly enjoy it, and a fantastic family read-a-loud for kids of all ages!!!
Finding Bear
Hannah Gold is an author who has captured the heart and soul of environmental writing for children. Finding Bear follows on from The Last Bear. Her books cover topics that are newsworthy and tragic, but in a gentle way, filled with gentleness, hope and optimism. I love the illustrations beautiful snow-filled illustrations are scattered throughout, just enough to keep the beginner-chapter book reading engaged.
In The Last Bear, April travels to the Arctic with her scientist father, they stay on Bear Island, where there are no more Polar Bears. Except all is not entirely lost because in her wanderings April discovers a Bear, and they have a truly wonderful bond. A wild adventure, this is exciting reading, bringing comfort and hope.
In Finding Bear, April and her father have returned to the mainland, but April and Bear seem to still be able to communicate. When April hears a Bear cry out in the night, and then reads that a bear has been shot in the Arctic, she must return to see that her Bear is safe. A wild storm and getting separated from her expedition and Bear discovers more than her friend, there is a little bear that needs to be taken care of and re-wilded.
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How to Train Your Dragon School
I have loved the entire How to Train Your Dragon Series with my kids, it was bedtime reading for years on end!!! This is a spin-off from the series and it is fantastic, richly packed with with Cressida Cowell’s incredible illustrations. This book is about our poor friend Hiccup, and his dragons: Toothless and Wind Walker… Hiccup may be destined to be a Viking Hero one day… but he will never be top of the class. His failure is simple and complete, time after time his inability to succeed, for so many complicated reasons… will leave you turning the pages at high speed, hoping against all hope that he eventually will succeeds. There is everything to love here: hilarity, compassion, kindness and deep understand of a future Viking Hero trying to survive the school system (and associated bullies)… this is a heroic and relatable tale on so many levels!!!
Not to mention, it includes a dragonese dictionary!!!
The Mizzy Mysteries: A skeleton in the Closet
What a great introduction to Mizzy. This is a murder mystery for beginner-chapter-book readers… it’s a proper story for kids heading into their own reading journey. This is also my first super-positive read about a heroine with down-syndrome, not to mention a terrible fear of escalators. Mizzy is determined to find out what happened to her great aunt, and the entire family keeps playing it down. “Mizzy leave it be, Mizzy you don’t understand…” But Mizzy really does, and when she finds her great aunt’s diaries hidden away… well. She sets up a “Family Tree Project for School” and interviews every family member. Top tip for all her relatives, don’t ever underestimate Mizzy!!! There is nothing gruesome in this book, despite the theme, just good, honest detective work. Honestly, this book is a triumph, fantastic, exciting reading… Mizzy is a gutsy, determined young detective… watch out for more of her.
Nancy Drew Diaries: The Blue Ladies of Coffin Hall
Pure comfort reading, and loads of school holidays spent reading ALL the Nancy Drews again and again… so somewhat of a nostalgic read for me. Ned is looking into the local legend about library ghost, when strange things start to happen in the library. There is a fire, while Ned is in the library and he is accused of arson… Nancy not only needs to set the record straight but she needs to figure out the truth behind the library ghost.
Hardy Boys Adventure Series
I have to say that while Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were definitely great childhood book reads for me, they have slipped into the “nostalgia and collector” series category. That being said, the revised and updated versions, like the Hardy Boys Clues are great reads for beginner chapter book readers, they are fun and interesting and a great stepping stone into middle grade chapter books.
Mystery on the Mayhem Express: The Hardy boys and their friends are on an immersive “murder mystery” train journey, and it turns out the acting isn’t great, murder isn’t that mysterious and actually it is not quite the experience they were after… until things really start to go wrong. The acting hasn’t improved, but the game has gone from pathetic to deadly quite quickly, and luckily the Hardy Boys are there to figure things out.
Hardy Boys Clue Books
These are easy readers, modern versions of the Hardy Boys, written for the younger set, with somewhat wholesome themes. These are sweet “mystery” stories and filled with illustrations, perfect for beginner chapter book readers. There are loads of books in this series and if your child likes one… then they will like them all!!!
The Garden Plot: The local science centre has a eco-friendly competition, edible garden competition. Frank and Joe, have been hard at work turning their lawn into a vegetable garden… only to discover that the better their garden grows the more it is under attack. And the attack it turns out is not so much hungry critters, but rather someone in the competition.
The Bad Lucky Skate: The local ice-hockey team is under attack, what appears to be bad luck again and again is actually sabotage, and Joe and Frank are determined to find out who is interfering with their team.
The Baxter Family Children Series
Gentle story telling at its best, about a christian family of five children: Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke. Just your regular family, with kids doing their best, it is packed with mischief and anecdotes that make you feel like you could be there. These are sweet stories and if you are looking for kind and wholesome, easy bedtime reading… then this series is a great place to start.
Book 1: In Best Family Ever the Baxters are introduced to us, sweet kids with gentle hearts that tend to get into trouble and up to mischief… the family is gently rolling along until they hear that they have to move to a new town.
Book 2: In Finding Home the family has relocated and as summer draws to an end and a new school year begins, everyone has their own way of trying to settle in. The oldest daughter, especially, struggles as she misses her friends and life “back home.”
Book 3: In Never Grow Up the family have settled into their new home and while they love it, there are all the typical problems that kids have to face in school… an essay on “what to do when you grow up” and a dramatic production of Peter Pan, leaves everyone wondering if they should grow up.
Book 4: In Adventure Awaits there is a science camp looming on the horizon, some of them are nervous, most of them are excited… it’s going to be great!
Book 5: In Being Baxters a character award competition at school is set to divide the siblings, until they remember what they stand for and “together forever” is actually the way they want to be.
These books were given to us for review purposes by Jonathan Ball Publishers. This is not a sponsored post and opinions expressed are entirely our own.