Rachel Reads & Reviews

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Tag: #middlegrade

  • Top 5 I Am Canada

    I finally got my hands on this Scholastic series for our Northern neighbors. Much like the My Name is America books, this male-focused line tackles the journals of young men at important historical junctures in Canadian history. It seemed to be short-lived as there were only thirteen novels, but they were a rollicking ride. Unlike…

  • Bianca Turetsky Interview

    Bianca Turetsky is the author of The Time-Traveling Fashionista trilogy, and co-author of the Magic on the Map series with Courtney Sheinmel. She graciously took the time to answer my questions about her love of fashion, co-authoring and more. Enjoy! 1. How did your first novel come about? The inspiration for The Time-Traveling Fashionista came to me…

  • History Mystery P2

    The second half of the series gets a little bit darker. The mysteries involve dangerous individuals whose actions are not explained away as a misunderstanding or bitterness. Often there is real hate or greed motivating them, and they have the weapons to back them up if others get in their way. There is more exploration…

  • History Mystery P1

    I have discussed this a little bit in my historical fiction pages but as I’m rereading this for the first time in years, I thought I’d go a little more in-depth with my thoughts. For those that are not in the know, History Mystery was a 1997 spin-off of Pleasant Company’s very popular American Girl…

  • Nov Books

    Private Label by Kelly Yang A perfect title for the private things that Serene and Lian hide from their peers and their family in this moving, coming of age romance. Serene is the daughter of single mom and major fashion designer, Lily Lee. Her real name is Liu but her mother’s Board of Trustees thought…

  • Fall Comics

    Titans: Starfire by Kami Garcia. Illustrated by Gabriel Picolo. After the less than steller preceding books, Garcia gets the plot momentum moving with a good dose of character development. Much like the others, Kori thinks she is a normal teenage, albeit a bit more introverted due to her Ehlers-danlos syndrome making socialization a literal pain…

  • Author Highlight: Suzanne Nelson

    I may have briefly mentioned Suzanne Nelson’s works before as her Heart and Salsa novel was the book that got me into the global coming of age series, S.A.S.S. Today I’m going to focus on her Foodie series which is just as the title implies- A collection of stand-alone novel focusing on how sweet and…

  • Oct Books

    The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava The job market is a difficult one. Just out of her accounting program and saddled with debts from paying her brother’s court fees, Ember Lee Cardinal knows she’s capable but no one is hiring her. Until she fudges her qualifications and chooses Caucasian instead of Chicksaw when…

  • Author Highlight: Lauren Myracle

    The 70s and 80s brought us Judy Blume who gave the kids stories they needed and wanted to read about their lives, their fears, and questions about themselves. She was honest without being preachy, fun without being too silly. She got kids and their trials in growing up in this messed up world. I’d argue…

  • Sept Books

    Hera by Jennifer Saint Hera usually gets a bad rap by modern perspectives. A shrew, a horrible mother, a jealous bitch are the most common modifiers. Her husband cheats but she punishes the mistresses instead of Zeus himself. Then again, it’s not like she can go on a one on one attack with the King…