When R. L. Stine started making headlines as a writer with the Fear Street novels, I was already aging out of his target audience. I know that that’s a weird thing to say given how I voraciously read books across all age ranges now, but having grown up on Nicholas Fisk and Scary Stories To …
Tag: Middle Grade
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/10/09/spinetinglers-3-by-r-l-stine/
Sep 27 2024
Heebie Jeebies by Matthew Erman & Shelby Criswell
There isn’t anything super innovative about the plot of this terrific middle grade graphic novel, but the storytelling choices that the creative team have made give it a truly profound 21st century edge. Blue literally lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Their mom works multiple crappy jobs to make ends meet and they’re …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/27/heebie-jeebies-by-matthew-erman-shelby-criswell/
Sep 23 2024
Rise Of The Spider by Michael P Spradlin
This first book in The Web Of The Spider series for middle grade readers could not come at a more relevant time! Young Rolf von Heusen is eleven years old in the spring of 1929. His main interests are football and palling around with his friends Ansel and Joshua. He thinks that his hometown of …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/23/rise-of-the-spider-by-michael-p-spradlin/
Sep 16 2024
Camp Twisted Pine by Ciera Burch
Oh wow, getting into this hit hard. Like Ciera Burch, I never went to sleepaway camp, and wound up writing a book/game on the subject. I designed that roleplaying game on my former best friend, the same way choreographers create dances on certain performers. Unfortunately for me, that person I relied on and trusted more …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/09/16/camp-twisted-pine-by-ciera-burch/
Aug 30 2024
The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
Does anyone write about smart, funny, quirky middle school kids as well as James Ponti does? I genuinely do not think so, especially when it comes to placing them in exciting, crime-solving adventures. Mr Ponti’s latest series centers on siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock, who are inspired by their last name to start a detective …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/08/30/the-sherlock-society-by-james-ponti/
Aug 08 2024
Eight Days Of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones
The second book in the A Year Of Diana Wynne Jones challenge that I could join in on was this, Eight Days Of Luke. I’m honestly still torn over how I feel about the various covers: some seem a little spoiler-tastic, but if I’m being perfectly honest, I didn’t even look properly at the cover …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/08/08/eight-days-of-luke-by-diana-wynne-jones/
Aug 05 2024
A Bite Above The Rest by Christine Virnig
Oh gosh, I really do hope this is the start of a series! It’s so cute, and the ending is the perfect setup for sequels galore! Eleven year-old Caleb isn’t super thrilled to have to leave California and all his memories of his late dad. But his mom enjoyed growing up in small town Wisconsin …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/08/05/a-bite-above-the-rest-by-christine-virnig/
Jun 24 2024
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith & Boulet
When I saw that a copy of this title hadn’t been included in the Hugo Voter’s Packet, I was ready to skip over it entirely. I’d heard good things about Bea Wolf elsewhere, and I’m always interested in what modern creators do with the classic Beowulf tale, but I wasn’t about to do anything to …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/06/24/bea-wolf-by-zach-weinersmith-boulet/
Jun 18 2024
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer
A graphic novel about viola players, whaaaaaaat! Haha, sorry, as an orchestra cellist, it’s always fun for me to read about underrepresented instruments and their players. Perhaps more importantly, this Middle Grade comic is about two nonbinary teenagers who meet at the title summer camp, which has the no-pressure name of Camp Prodigy, lol. There …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/06/18/camp-prodigy-by-caroline-palmer/
May 20 2024
Plain Jane And The Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
I love pretty much everything First Second Books publishes. My relationship with them started with the excellent Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel, and while I haven’t had the time to cover as many of their books as I’d honestly like to, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review their latest title that also features …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2024/05/20/plain-jane-and-the-mermaid-by-vera-brosgol/