Mundie Moms

Monday, February 20, 2012

Must Have Middle Grade Reads

Welcome to this week's edition of Must Have Middle Grade Reads, a weekly feature here on Mundie Moms where I spotlight last week's middle grade books I reviewed on Mundie Kids. This week's Must Have Middle Grade reads are:



Published by: Scholastic
Released on: May 1st, 2011 (this edition)
Source: book from publisher to review
Ages: 10 & up
5 stars: I Loved It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Quaker girl's diary reflects her experiences growing up in the Delaware River Valley of Pennsylvania and her capture by Lenape Indians in 1763. -quoted from Goodreads

I absolutely love this series, and this particular story is by far my favorite out of all the ones I've read so far. Mary Pope Osborne has done such a beautiful job at bringing to life what living in Delaware Valley, PA in 1763 was like, as well as capturing the emotions that young Catharine felt during this time. Mary paints a beautiful and yet heartbreaking picture of both sides of the Quaker settlements, and the settlements of the Native Americans, and the friendships and wars the consumed both sides. This beautifully told story follows that of young Catharine who was a young teenage girl during time and wrote about life on her family's settlement, and the frightening accounts of the attacks by the local Indians on them as well as the small band of local residents who attacked the Indians in her journal. It's also a story about the bravery, courage and love Catharine developed during her captive time with the local Lenape Tribe that captured her, and her brother.

You can read the rest of my review here.


Released on: January 3rd, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
5 stars: I Really Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature—he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is, and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.

Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the Mor rules here, and Fer can sense that the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.

Sarah Prineas captivates in this fantasy-adventure about a girl who must find within herself the power to set right a terrible evil -quoted from Goodreads

An enchanting story that's full of magic, adventure, danger and action. Sarah Prineas's WINTERLING is an exciting read that will take readers on an unforgettable fantasy adventure, introduce them to a young fearless heroine and leave them wanting more. I really loved the way in which Sarah wove together and introduces young readers to various folklore. This not only captured my attention, but it kept me completely invested in Fer's story. I wanted to know about her ability, what her Grandmother was hiding her from, what is really going on in the world of Way and who the strange boy that can turn into a dog and horse is.

You can read the rest of my review here.


Released on: January 31st, 2012
Source: ARC from author/publisher to review
Ages: 8 & up
5 stars: I Loved It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Princess Meriel's brothers have been cursed. A terrible enchantment--cast by their conniving new stepmother--has transformed the handsome princes into swans. They now swim forlornly on a beautiful heart-shaped lake that lies just beyond the castle walls.
Meriel will do whatever it takes to rescue her beloved brothers. But she must act quickly. If Heart Lake freezes, her brothers will be forced to fly south or perish.
With help from her newfound friends Riona and Liam--a pretty half-witch and her clever brother--Meriel vows to finish a seemingly impossible task. If she completes it, her brothers may be saved.
But if she fails . . . all will be lost. -quoted from Goodreads
What an enchanting read! I love a well written fairy tale re-telling and Diane has done a wonderful job with her story of Meriel and her brothers whom are all turned into swans. I really enjoyed being swept away with the classic fairytale aspect of this story. There's magic, danger, a lovely, well written innocent romance, witches and fey lore. Plus I love that it takes a Princess and good hearted towns people to bring down a wicked, evil witch.

You can read the rest of my review here.


Middle Grade Monday:
Don't miss my Marvelous Middle Grade Monday meme on Mundie Kids, a weekly meme hosted by author Shannon Messenger's. You can check out this week's Mundie Kids feature here

12 comments:

  1. I just got Winterling from the library. Can't wait to read it. And Princess of the Wild Swans sounds good too. Glad you're spotlighting your middle grade reviews here so more people know how awesome middle grade books are.

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    1. I hope you enjoy Winterling! It's a fabulous read. I'm glad you enjoy my MG spotlight. :)

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  2. As always, I love your round-ups. Thanks for doing them...and like you, I loved Winterling!

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    1. Thank you Deb! You're so welcome. I'm thrilled that you loved Winterling too. I hope more readers pick this book up.

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  3. I haven't heard anything about Princess of the Wild Swans, but I love that particular fairy tale and its retellings. I shall have to find a copy. Also: I read and LOVED Winterling. Great picks!

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    1. Princess of the Wild Swans is a fabulous retelling. I think you'll like it if you enjoy fairy tale retellings. I'm so happy to hear you loved Winterling!

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  4. I just saw Winterling on Shannon's site. Looks awesome! Can't wait to read it. And as a history buff, I always enjoy the Dear America books.

    My MMGM pick this week was Sabotaged (The Missing, book 3), by Margaret Peterson Hadix. My first week participating in the meme. Yay! :)

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    1. I love the Dear America series. I'll have to check out Sabotaged. I've not heard of it before.

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  5. All of these sound terrific! I'm happy to see the Dear America series is still going strong. I remember reading them when I was in middle school, oh, fourteen-fifteen years ago. :) I still have my one about the Titanic.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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    1. These are fabulous reads. To me the Dear America series is timeless. Like you, I love that they've revamped them a tiny bit (at least w/ the covers) so a whole new generation of girls can fall in love with them.

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  6. I haven't heard of any of these. Winterling looks especially good. Thanks for the recommendations.

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  7. I hadn't heard of any of these. Thanks for the heads up!

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