Thank you to the mentioned publishers for these books.
I want to use Middle Grade March to knock some middle grade reads off my Netgalley list. Somehow these have remained on my TBR even though they all sound amazing (mood reader problems!)
Whispering Alaska
by Brendan Jones
Thanks to Netgalley & Random House Kids
In this eco-focused middle-grade novel, readers follow the story of twin sisters who move with their father to a small town in Alaska for a new start after the devastating loss of their mother.
It's been four months since their mother died. The twins and their father have moved from Pennsylvania to a small town in Alaska to be near extended family. Nicky and Josie find the wilderness mysterious and beautiful, and a much-needed refuge. The girls drifted apart somewhat during their transition, each dealing with grief in a different way. Now, as they settle into a new normal, they become involved in a community debate that threatens the very land they are growing to love.
For the local adults, livelihoods are at stake, and tensions are high. But it's the young people who take the lead, especially newcomers Josie and Nicky, who find a way to speak up for what they believe, reconnecting with each other and with their father in the process--and, they hope, doing their mother proud. Will their heartfelt plea keep the peace and save the trees that have existed for hundreds of years?
Author Brendan Jones's passion for Alaska shines through in this, his debut middle-grade novel. Indeed, Brendan's day-to-day subsistence lifestyle in his own Alaskan community--a place he's called home for decades--and his appreciation for young activists greatly inspired Whispering Alaska. The rich detail with which he describes the earth's largest intact temperate rainforest will make readers wonder whether they too can hear the trees whisper.
These Unlucky Stars
by Gillian McDunn
Thanks to Netgalley & Bloomsbury Children's
From the highly acclaimed author of Caterpillar Summer comes a sweet and heartfelt story of a girl's unexpected friendship that changes her forever, perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Ever since her mother left a few years ago, Annie has felt like the odd one out in her family. Her dad and brother are practical and organized--they just don't understand the way she thinks, in lines and color. Everywhere she turns, she feels like an outsider, even at school, so she's been reluctant to get close to anyone.
When a Ding-Dong-Ditch attempt goes wrong, Annie finds herself stuck making amends with Gloria, the eccentric elderly lady she disturbed. As she begins to connect with Gloria and her weird little dog, it becomes clear that Gloria won't be able to live on her own for much longer. But it's this brief and important friendship that gives Annie the confidence to let people in, and see how rich life can be when you decide to make your own luck and chart your own path to happiness.
In this heartwarming novel, acclaimed author Gillian McDunn shows us that even the most unexpected friendship has the power to change us forever.
The Samosa Rebellion
by Shanthi Sekaran
Thanks to Netgalley & Katherine Tegen Books
Critically acclaimed author Shanthi Sekaran makes her middle grade debut with this timely and stunning novel in which a young boy and his friends must rescue his grandmother from a relocation camp after their country's descent into xenophobia. Perfect for fans of The Night Diary and Front Desk.
Before his grandmother moved from India to the island of Mariposa, Muki Krishnan's life was good. But now? He has to share his bedroom with Paati, his grandmother, who snores like a bulldozer and wakes him up at dawn to do yoga.
Paati's arrival coincides with even bigger changes in Mariposa. The president divides citizens into Butterflies--families who have lived in Mariposa for three generations--and Moths, who, like Muki's family, are more recent immigrants. The changes are small at first. But then Muki and his friends find a camp being built to imprison Moths before sending them away. Soon after, his Paati is captured and taken there.
While devising Paati's escape, Muki discovers that a secret rebellion is underway, and as he digs deeper, he realizes that rescuing Paati will be the fight of his life.
The Night Ride
by J. Anderson Coats
Thanks to Netgalley & Simon Kids
The Black Stallion meets Tamora Pierce in this adventure-filled middle grade novel about a young stable girl who discovers a secret that endangers her beloved horse and threatens her future.
Sonnia loves horses more than anything. She works at her family's struggling pony ride business but dreams of the beautiful steeds in the royal stables, especially Ricochet, who she's been slowly saving money to buy--even though she knows people from her impoverished neighborhood are rarely so lucky.
Then Ricochet is moved to the racetrack across town, and Sonnia lands a job there. Now, she can see Ricochet every day and earn enough money to buy him in no time--all while helping her family with her new wages! She even joins the junior racing cadre to train to become a jockey. But then she uncovers their secret pastime: competing in the Night Ride, a dangerous and highly illegal race in the darkest hours before dawn. Every race puts the horses at risk.
Sonnia wants to protect the horses she's grown to care for, but she's only a kid from the poor side of town--considered expendable, just like the horses. If she just keeps her head down, soon she can buy Ricochet and get him out of there--and keep supporting her family. But would she be able to live with herself?
Across the Desert
by Dusti Bowling
Thanks to Netgalley & Little Brown Young Readers
One girl sets out on a journey across the treacherous Arizona desert to rescue a young pilot stranded after a plane crash in this gripping story of survival, friendship, and rescue from a bestselling and award-winning author. Twelve-year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old "Addie Earhart" shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. While watching this daring girl fly through the sky, Jolene can dream of what it would be like to fly with her, far away from her own troubled home life where her mother struggles with a narcotic addiction. And Addie, who is grieving the loss of her father, finds solace in her online conversations with Jolene, her biggest--and only--fan.
Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won't survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator. Packed with adventure and heart, Across the Desert speaks to the resilience, hope, and strength within each of us.
Faceless
by Kathryn Lasky
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Kids
Newbery Honor winner Kathryn Lasky, author of the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, delivers a riveting adventure about young British spies on a secret mission in Germany in WWII.
Over the centuries, a small clan of spies called the Tabula Rasa has worked ceaselessly to fight oppression. They can pass unseen through enemy lines and "become" other people without being recognized. They are, essentially, faceless.
Alice and Louise Winfield are sisters and spies in the Tabula Rasa. They're growing up in wartime England, where the threat of Nazi occupation is ever near. But Louise wants to live an ordinary life and leaves the agency. Now, as Alice faces her most dangerous assignment yet, she fears discovery, but, most of all, she fears losing her own sister.
This upper middle grade novel is a mix of espionage and historical adventure and will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys. Lasky masterfully spins a tale filled with mystery, suspense, and intrigue that will have readers hooked.
Faceless is also a springboard for the study of Word War II, with special interest to classrooms that would like to teach subjects such as Hitler, the Nazi regime, and anti-Nazi resistance.
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