stuckinthemiddlegradewithyou's reviews
313 reviews

The Stories Behind Astrology by Alison Davies

informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

A interesting book filled with beautiful illustrations. This book features the tales behind each of the 12 zodiac signs as well as dates, characteristics, the element and planet associated with each sign and a ritual for you to try. 
Very well laid out and easy to read cover to cover or dip in and out of. 
Thank you NetGalley and Quarto publishing for my arc copy. 

City Bird: Explore the Charming Metropolitan Melodies of Our Feathered Friends by Angela Harrison Vinet, Janis Hatten Harrison

funny informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

A delightful guide to birds to be found in American cities. Filled with cute illustrations and funny descriptions, “I’m walking here!” For rock pigeons and ‘king of the punks’ for the belted kingfishers being my favourites. 
This book is the perfect starting place for those who want to start bird watching and live in US cities. It features tips to get you started and journaling pages at the back to jot down your notes and observations. 
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my arc copy. 

Cave of Legends by Florian Garbay, Scott Charles

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fun, fast read reminding us to be ourselves and stand up for our beliefs. Filled with cute illustrations this book is perfect for young readers to build confidence with the easy to read, bite size text. 
Thank you NetGalley and Yellow Morning Press for the arc. 

Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween by Andrew Shaffer

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A cute "spoopy" picture book allowing younger readers to get into the Halloween spirit. 

It's Halloween and moth man is expecting bus loads of children to come pumpkin picking at his farm, however the weather has other ideas and Halloween is a wash out. In an effort to cheer up the children mothman hatches a plan with his cryptid friends to give them a Halloween they will never forget. 

I loved how bright and colourful this book was and the humour used to make mothman and friends cute and not scary. It's an adorable story from characters not often seen in children’s literature. 
Thank you NetGalley and 8th circle for the arc. 

The Hangman's Belief: A Trials of the Servunday Novel by Christopher Harvard

dark funny mysterious fast-paced

4.0

I loved the comedic elements in this book, it reminded me of the Dresden files series. The characters are fun and interesting although I would like to know more about them, maybe that comes in book 2. 
The gore was toe curling and very well described, especially in the beginning scene. 
The perfect light hearted horror with just the right amount of gore. 
Thank you NetGalley, Free mouse publishing and Christopher Harvard for my copy of this arc. 

Trail of Spool and Shadow by T.I. Avens

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The cover art is extremely cute and the story itself was full of fantasy and adventure. I would liked to have had a little more description of the different characters and creatures as them being unique and unknown does make it a little difficult to imagine and follow. 
The back and forth changes of pov could be difficult for middle grade readers to follow and some of the language may go over their heads or be misunderstood. 
A solid story with some charming characters that could benefit for a few tweaks. 
Thank you so much to T. J. Avens, NetGalley and book sirens for the arc.

The Tiger and the Crane: a legend of courage and honor in the 19th Century by Trevor Spisto

adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

An engaging tale of overcoming prejudice and feeling like you fit in. Set in China’s 19th century Qing Dynasty, we follow Mung (a crane) and he saves an orphaned tiger cub Xingfu and raises him against the wishes of his fellow villages. Together they face many challenges as Xingfu grows until the other villagers prejudices become too much. They then learn that sometimes differences can be a strength of only they work together. 
A beautifully written story filled with wonderful characters and great world building. The names may be a little challenging for younger readers but the handy terminology and pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book helps immensely. 
Thank you NetGalley, Monarex Hollywood and Trevor Spisto for allowing me to read an advanced copy. 

Frankie and the Beastly Bog Song by Caitlin Rose Boyle

emotional informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A cute graphic novel about finding your feet and realising we all need to muster courage to face whatever life throws at us. Full of colourful illustrations and a sweet mother daughter relationship. 

Creaturepedia: Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth by Adrienne Barman

informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

Jam packed with colourful fun illustrations of many different animal categories such as long necked, jumpers, homebodies and more. This book is full of snippets of information about the animals from cover to cover, a great companion novel for plantopedia. 

Watts & Whiskerton: Buried Bones and Troublesome Treasure by Meg McLaren

funny hopeful informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A fun twist on Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. We follow Watts and his friend Pearl as he tries to find out if he wants to follow in his detective parent’s footsteps or find his own way. Together they solve a few mysteries and find out about themselves along the way. Full of cute illustrations, this is the perfect book for younger readers ready to sink their teeth into chapter books. 
Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier books for my review copy.