Bibliophile Support Group

The Lost Track of Time is a debut middle grade novel by Paige Britt. With her mind full of ideas and bursting with imagination, Penelope has aspirations of being a writer. Yet her mother’s plans for her are quite different – and every minute of Penelope’s days are scheduled and planned, leaving no time for her dreaming since she must use time to be “productive.” But when the unexpected happens – a hole in her schedule lasting an entire day! – Penelope somehow falls into it. Suddenly she is in a wonderful place called the Realm of Possibility that is being destroyed by the Clockworkers, led by the villain Chronos. Thrust into a position where her imagination is desperately needed, Penelope begins an adventure like no other – looking to find the Great Moodler, the one person that can save the Realm of Possibility and answer her many, many questions. The Lost Track of Time was a charming, intelligent, warm novel of brilliant wordplay! Anyone who is familiar with my reading ha...

The School for Good and Evil: The Last Ever After is the final book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy by Soman Chainani. As a huge fan of The School for Good and Evil and The School for Good and Evil: A World Without Princes , I pre-ordered this last book. If you have not read the prior two books, I would strongly suggest avoiding this review for any potential spoilers – the books are too good to spoil!! I am trusting that you are not continuing to read unless you are already a fan… Back in Gavaldon, Agatha is happy that her prince, Tedros, is not really a prince in her hometown – and neither is she a future queen. Yet, very quickly, she begins to doubt their Ever After. Part of the problem is that Tedros and Agatha’s story has not truly finished yet – it is still being written. Their tale is still connected with Agatha’s old best friend, Sophie. Now enemies with Agatha, Sophie has embraced the now young School Master, whom has convinced her of their love and that love o...

A World without Princes is the second book in the middle grade fantasy trilogy The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. As you may recall from my review of The School for Good and Evil , I absolutely LOVED book one. I strongly, strongly suggest reading these books in order. If you have not done so already – run, don’t walk, to a copy of The School for Good and Evil. In the meantime, avoid this review of book two for potential spoilers of book one. If, however, you have devoured The School for Good and Evil already – feel free to proceed in learning about A World without Princes . Best friends Sophie and Agatha have returned to their hometown of Gavaldon to live out their Happily Ever After. But things don’t seem as perfect as they expected… When Agatha secretly wishes she chose a different happy ending – with Tedros – she inadvertently reopens the gateway from Gavaldon to the School for Good and Evil. And it’s not at all the way they left it. Inextricably changed...

Coraline is a middle grade contemporary fantasy by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps you’ve already read Coraline . Perhaps you are wondering, “How on earth could a self-proclaimed bibliophile have not yet read this modern classic?” Perhaps I am wondering the same thing. Yet this is an issue that has been rectified! In Coraline’s new flat there is a door that when opened reveals nothing but a wall of bricks. Yet being the young adventurer she is, Coraline tries it again another day and instead finds it is an entrance to another house – a house just like hers but better. Instead of always working and being very busy, these new versions of her parents want to spend time with her and want her to stay with them on this side of the door. Coraline, though, wonders why. There appears to be something sinister and secretive beneath the improved surface of this mirror house – and Coraline will have to use her wits and her nerve to save herself. I can’t say my summary of the premise of Cora...

The Truth About Twinkie Pie is a middle grade contemporary novel by Kat Yeh. What would you do if you won a million dollars from a national cooking contest? Intellectual twelve-year-old GiGi is not real impressed by her hairdresser big sister DiDi’s choice of living the same modest lifestyle – not even buying a new car! However, DiDi does move them out of the trailer park of South Carolina and into a little apartment in the North Shore of Long Island, enrolling GiGi in a fancy school to better her academic gifts. That’s all fine and good, but GiGi feels that a change should mean things actually change – so she decides that she is going to try and make friends, let herself indulge in a crush and try to do more “normal” things than studying 24/7. Yet, GiGi’s changes seem to be putting a strain on her relationship with DiDi – something they’ve never had, like this, before – and leads GiGi to a road full of unexpected family secrets that could change everything… The Truth Abo...

How to Destroy the New Girl’s Killer Robot Army is a middle grade, humor horror novel by Mick Bogerman and the third in the Slug Pie series. Again, I think it’s not necessary to read these books in order but it could certainly enhance the fun! After zombies and ugly mermaids, you wouldn’t think much would faze Mick Bogerman. Until the new girl. She gets on his nerves – using her Big Words and her Big Brain to mess with him. She’s even spending time at his Mr. Gee’s comic shop – pushing him out of his own territory! So… maybe he does something about it. But that doesn’t excuse her creating a robot army that is dead-set on terrorizing Mick and his friends and family!!! Another strong entry in the Slug Pie series, this was a whole lot of FUN! Again we get more of Mick’s personal life – all fairly quick as these books are so short they could practically be called novellas, but it’s effective nonetheless – and his mom, brother and friends. Score! Truly an entertaining r...

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman, and the second book in the Slug Pie Series. Though I think you would enjoy reading these books in order, these are ones I can honestly say should be just fine not to – if needed. All Mick wanted was to fulfill his promise to his little brother – teach him how to swim. To do so, he agreed to do wealthy PJ’s lawn moving in exchange for access to his pool. But there’s a mermaid in there. And not a gorgeous, sweet, innocent mermaid. Oh, no. A bloodthirsty, man-eating, red-scaled monstrosity! Well, Mick is just going to have to figure out how to rid the pool of it. After all, how else will his little brother learn to swim? Now, I felt that How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid was a great improvement on the first book, How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete , for a few different reasons. Reason One: Far more setup – thank you...

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman. Mick Bogerman is a typical 12-year-old boy. That is, the kind that is determined to fight off zombies with a pitchfork and locate long-lost pirate gold, all the while doing everything he can to avoid gagging on the smell. And if this is an endeavor that interests you, Mick is happy to provide this “how to”, which regales his experience and the tips he’d provide. Time to get some pirate gold! How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is the first in Slug Pie Story series narrated by Mick Bogerman. It’s a fast paced, gory, gross, funny debut that made me wince and laugh at the same time. I can see 12-year-old boys loving it, or anyone with a penchant for middle grade horror, such as the Goosebumps series. This first outing is not as substantial or story driven as I prefer and ended up feeling a bit forgettable, but I am happy to say that I personally feel ...

The True Meaning of Smekday is a middle grade sci-fi contemporary humor novel by Adam Rex. Hoo Boy! I think I’m in love!!! When young Gratuity (Tip) Tucci is assigned a school five-page essay to explain the true meaning of Smekday (previously Christmas, now the day the first aliens invaded and renamed Christmas), she ends up writing a WHOLE LOT MORE than five pages. Instead we get the full story of just what happened to Tip when she determined to find her Mom as the aliens stated that all American humans must migrate to Florida, how she joined forces with the alien J.Lo and kept track of her cat, Pig. I can’t really imagine saying more without giving away too much laugh-out-loud goodness! The True Meaning of Smekday is AWESOME!!! It’s very funny – yet also has enough seriousness and legitimate emotion to have a level of care and investment in the characters to make it, well, all the more AWESOME! I absolutely adored J.Lo – a hilarious, adorable, lovable alien that pr...

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making is a middle grade fantasy for all ages by Catherynnne M. Valente. Twelve-year-old September has gotten rather tired of the sameness of each day – washing the same dishes, sleeping on the same pillow, etc. That is why she leaps at the chance to go to Fairyland when the Green Wind and his flying leopard extend an invitation. Adventure at last! Yet Fairyland is in turmoil – things are not as they once were now that the evil Marquess is ruling after the suspicious disappearance of the beloved Queen Mallow. With the help of a dragon-like creature who has memorized A-through-L of the encyclopedia and a blue boy who is almost, but not quite, human – September will try to restore Fairyland back to its former glory. Days after finishing The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making I am still thinking about it! The prose and plot is astonishingly rich in its cleverness, inventiveness and beaut...

The Lightning Thief is the first book in the middlegrade contemporary twist on Greek mythology series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Considered a troublemaker, twelve-year-old Percy has been thrown out of more schools than he can count – with his dyslexia and penchant for a temper he finds it difficult to fit in. Even at a school for misfits. Before being kicked out of his latest school, though, he notices some rather odd occurrences. He knows weird things have happened around him before – but having a teacher turn evil, attempt to kill him, dissolve into tiny bits when defeated and then no one remember her being a teacher at his school in the first place is only the latest. And, admittedly, the strangest. Before long, Percy realizes that the mythological monsters and gods of Mount Olympus are not just something to be studied in his textbook – but are real and walking around. Or trying to kill him. Pulled into this stunning revelation, Percy is brought t...

House of Many Ways is a middle grade/YA fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones and the sequel, of sorts, to Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Air . Due to this, I recommend reading the books in order to get the full, fun effect. When Charmain’s great-uncle, the royal wizard of their land, becomes mysteriously ill and is carried off by elves to be tended to, Charmain is volunteered by her wealthy aunt to look after his house in his absence. To Charmain this is an opportunity to read nonstop without pesky, bothersome parents about to disturb her – but she soon discovers that time to read at this unique house may be tougher to come by than she expected. A humble, ordinary dwelling on the outside, Charmain’s great-uncle’s residence is a wonder from the inside – with the ability to bend space and time. There’s also a clingy, stray dog in residence that may or may not be magical and an inconvenient arrival of a clumsy wizard’s apprentice. To top all of this off, Charmain becomes...

Castle in the Air is a middle grade/YA fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s also a companion to Howls Moving Castle . To keep from being spoiled at all on Howl’s Moving Castle – I recommend you read it first. You can read my review here . Young carpet merchant Abdullah makes smart buying decisions and spends his free time with his friend Jamal and Jamal’s people-hating-except-for-Jamal-and-Abdullah dog. He also spends a lot of his time dreaming. When one day a mysterious man sells him a persnickety magic carpet, things begin to get complicated. That very same night, Abdullah awakens to find himself in his imagined palace garden and meets girl just like the one he’d daydreamed about – she is a princess and her name is Flower-in-the-Night. Just as Abdullah begins to think all of his dreams are coming true – Flower-in-the-Night is kidnapped by a wicked djinn. A quest has begun – as he must save her! Along the way his stubborn magic carpet leads him to a shady genie a...

The Phantom Tollbooth is a classic children’s/middle-grade fantasy novel by Norton Juster. How have I never heard of this book until recently??? All I can say is THANK YOU to a bookish bud that told me about the GEM!!! Have YOU heard of The Phantom Tollbooth ? Have YOU read it? Milo finds little interest in any place he’s at when he’s there or anything he’s doing when he’s doing it. When Milo finds a tollbooth in his room one day, he decides to go ahead and drive through it in his little electric car – if only because he’s got nothing better to do and this is certainly something different. For once, though, where he ends up doesn’t have him thinking about leaving. Milo finds himself in a world that’s very different from his own – meeting the residents of the Doldrums, being at a market of words at Dictionopolis, taking a look over Point of View, jumping to the Island of Conclusions – and much, much more. As he embarks on an adventure for the ages – involving a daring r...

When Did You See Her Last? is the second middle-grade amusing mystery novel in Lemony Snicket’s All the Wrong Questions series. If you haven’t read Who Could That Be at This Hour? the second book may be confusing to you, as it does have follow-up and a continued storyline. So I’d recommend reading the books in order! Nearly thirteen years old and graduated from an enigmatic school, Lemony Snicket finds himself still in the nearly empty town of Stain’d-by-the-Sea and still apprenticed to the crazy-haired S. Theodora. When a request comes in to investigate the disappearance of a young, brilliant chemist named Cleo Knight who also happens to be the daughter of the wealthy family of Ink Inc. fortune, Lemony and S. Theodora are on the case. But sightings of Cleo taking off in a taxi and advising she was off to join the circus have come in, and S. Theodora calls it a closed case. Yet Lemony is most definitely not certain of that. After all, there is the issue of Cleo’s expensive...

Who Could That Be at This Hour? is the first book in Lemony Snicket’s All the Wrong Questions series, a middle grade mystery humor story. Are you a fan of A Series of Unfortunate Events ? If your answer was no – what’s wrong with you?! Ah, just kidding! Though, seriously, I don’t understand that – but we’re all different. Anywho, I personally love A Series of Unfortunate Events and look forward to reading those ridiculous, ingenious books again and again when I have all the time in the world. If that ever happens. So, when I found out that “Lemony Snicket” was writing a new series about his mysterious younger years – well how could I not be ecstatic? Here we find newly graduated from an enigmatic, clearly out-of-the-ordinary type of school, thirteen-year-old Lemony becoming an apprentice to an agent involved in an organization that is also enigmatic. Hopeful that by picking the lowest-ranking agent on the list he’ll be able to pursue his own secretive designs in the ...

File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents is a middle-grade comical mystery novel by Lemony Snicket, and around book 2.5 of the All the Wrong Questions series. Personally, I strongly recommend you read this series in order – first Who Could That Be At This Hour? and then When Did You See Her Last? I have read (and loved) them. Due to my weird reading and blog schedule, though, the actual reviews aren’t posting until June. Stay tuned! Anywho, in the midst of young apprentice Lemony Snicket’s time in the mostly abandoned Stain’d-by-the-Sea and his larger, overarching mystery (which we shall not get into now, so as not to spoil all you lovely bibliophiles), File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents covers his smaller, but no less tantalizing mysteries. Here we dive into the details of ghostly hauntings, neighborhood kidnappings, potentially rhyming vandals, and missing food – and more! Oh, Lemony Snicket, how I love thee!!! File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents is humorous and wonderfull...

The Wolf Princess is a middle grade contemporary fairy tale of sorts by Cathryn Constable. Sophie, orphaned without a family and only a distant friend of her late father’s as a guardian, lives at a boarding school in London most of the time. Yet she dreams of snow, of silver forests… of Russia. Her friends, fashionable Delphine and academic Marianne, are the only things that make life at school pleasurable. Yet Sophie’s mind still wanders to winter and log cabins warmed by a roaring fireplace… When, as if by magic, Sophie and her friends are offered a trip to Russia she cannot believe it. And then when a blizzard leaves the three abandoned and fearing for their lives, they are rescued by a lovely, regal, mysterious princess named Anna Volkonskaya who takes them to a magnificent, dream-like winter palace that is now in disrepair. Among the wild white wolves and snowy surroundings, Sophie feels her dreams have come true. But underneath she cannot help but wonder - why is...

The Lost Kingdom is a middle grade historical adventure by Matthew J. Kirby. In colonial times, Billy Bartram has received the invitation he has waited for years to hear – an invitation to join his father on one of his expeditions into the immense American wilderness, utilizing his excellent sketching skills to find and log their botany discoveries. However, Billy quickly learns this is not just a botany excursion, but that his father is a member of the American Philosophical Society backed by none other than Benjamin Franklin. Billy will be joining his father on a voyage to locate the lost kingdom of the Welsh prince Madoc alongside a secret organization of academics and scientists. As their purpose is to seek aid in the coming war with the French, their journey is fraught with danger as they set off via flying aeroship. And there may be a traitor in their midst… I very much enjoyed Matthew J. Kirby’s previous works The Clockwork Three and Icefall , so I was looking forward...

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci , Volume I includes Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant , the first two novels in Diana Wynne Jones’ fantasy series. Neither Cat or Christopher Chant can perform even the simplest of spells – they’ve given up the idea of being good at magic. So, when they’re introduced to situations that greatly need it – what will they do? Cat relies on his sister – strong in magical abilities and personality – as they enter the Chrestomanci’s castle as wards and find little to like there. Christopher yearns to please his uncle as his nighttime childhood jaunts to other worlds appear to be useful, if secretive, to him. Both are involved in dangerous schemes without knowing it… will they defeat them? It was difficult coming up with a synopsis for this novel, since it’s an omnibus of the first two and I really didn’t want to give much of anything away. There’s a strong chance that you’ve already read Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Ch...