Category: Middle Grade

Kestrel Takes Flight by Joy McCullough

I think the main thing I need to get over when reading books in verse is that the poetry is never going to grab me as art in and of itself. None of these poems stand alone, at least in my initial read of the book, but they all stand together beautifully to tell a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/13/kestrel-takes-flight-by-joy-mccullough/

Camp Catastrophe (Dante N Ferno #2) by Brian Gordon

This Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-Inferno mashup is back, as our hapless middle school demon hero takes on a new challenge: sleepaway camp! Now that Dante has a best friend, he’s willing to do practically anything to keep their relationship strong, including going to summer camp in the woods. Angelic Virgil insists that Camp Sulphur …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/10/camp-catastrophe-dante-n-ferno-2-by-brian-gordon/

The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor & Tana Ford

I vastly overestimated the number of books I still had to read for the 2026 Hugo for Best Graphic Story, so this is the last and, dare I say, my favorite of the slate! Full ranking at the bottom, once I’m done discussing this utterly charming graphic novel that reimagines the life of Nnedi Okorafor’s …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/06/the-space-cat-by-nnedi-okorafor-tana-ford/

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo & John Picacio

When I opened the part of the Hugo 2026 voter’s packet for Best Professional Artist, I did not expect to find an entire kid’s book in there! I’m so glad I did tho, as this is a gorgeously illustrated, heartfelt book about grief, culture, and learning to mourn in a healthy way. It’s Dia de …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/07/27/the-invisible-parade-by-leigh-bardugo-john-picacio/

Adventure In The City Of Stories by Emma Otheguy

with wonderful illustrations by Poly Bernatene. This sequel to Cousins In The Time Of Magic finds our three young protagonists Siggy, Camilla and Jorge heading back in time for an even more personal reason than in the first book. Camilla is already having a terrible day after being humiliated at her Florida school by the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/07/20/adventure-in-the-city-of-stories-by-emma-otheguy/

The Strange Disappearance Of Imogen Good by Kirsty Applebaum

Okay, but what happens neeeeeext?! That is less a complaint than a plea for Kirsty Applebaum to keep writing more books about the garden at the heart of The Strange Disappearance Of Imogen Good. The book itself opens with Imogen about to sneak into a forbidden garden, in hopes of ditching her once best friend …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/06/26/the-strange-disappearance-of-imogen-good-by-kirsty-applebaum/

The Mystery Of The Stolen World Cup Trophy by Angela Cervantes

Men’s World Cup season has officially begun! Ever since 1998, this has been THE most exciting global sporting event for me, and even tho this year’s promises to be the worst run and most corrupt tournament of all time, not even that can dampen my love of the sport and the community who actually care …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/06/11/the-mystery-of-the-stolen-world-cup-trophy-by-angela-cervantes/

A Fishboy Named… Sashimi by Dan Santat

I almost feel bad reading this after the copious amounts of sashimi I had as part of my Mother’s Day dinner last night (but only almost, lol.) Sashimi is a fish boy who swims out of Barnacle Bay one night looking for refuge… and answers. He figures that infiltrating the local middle school will help: …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/05/11/a-fishboy-named-sashimi-by-dan-santat/

Hafsa’s Way by Aisha Saeed

Back when I was growing up in Malaysia, the private school I went to for a good part of my primary and secondary schooling essentially gave up on teaching after the General Certificate of Secondary Education exams, and organized fun extracurricular activities for us instead. One of these was trips to the nearby zoo, and …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/04/22/hafsas-way-by-aisha-saeed/

More Spring Speculative Fiction by Beloved Authors!

Three teens smile in a magical bubbly atmosphere on the cover of the genie game by Jordan Ifueko

The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko comes out today! It’s extremely exciting to have the start of a new middle grade series from this beloved author. Joining it this Spring, we also have The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale, a cozy new standalone from C.M. Waggoner, and A Long and Speaking Silence, a new installment in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/04/21/more-spring-speculative-fiction-by-beloved-authors/