Middle Grade Ninja: Book Review: THE ACTUAL AND TRUTHFUL ADVENTURES OF BECKY THATCHER by Jessica Lawson

First Paragraph(s): My left leg twitched at the tickle of another night-boy. Hidden by the wide trunk of a river sycamore, I shifted in my crouch and reached a hand inside Jon’s overalls to trap and smack the creeping skitter. Darn things had been a considerable nuisance since I settled myself along the Mississippi to […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book Review: CAMINAR by Skila Brown

First Poem: Where I’m From Our mountain stood tall, like the finger that points. Our corn plants grew in fields, thick and wide as a thumb. Our village sat in the folded-between, in that spot where you pinch something sacred, to keep it still. Our Mountain stood guard at our backs. We slept at night […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: DRIZZLE by Kathleen Van Cleve

I hope you’re not worn out from all of the celebrating we’ve been doing around here lately, Esteemed Reader. Because this week we’re back at it, celebrating Kathleen Van Cleve and her wonderful middle grade novel, Drizzle. Mrs. Van Cleve will be joining us on Thursday to face the 7 Questions, so come back for […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: THE GIVER by Lois Lowry

I’m so excited, Esteemed Reader (and I just can’t hide it). This week marks the first of two very big surprises at this blog. As I’ve said before and often, I’m thrilled every time a writer agrees to appear here. I feel the same way about the literary agents we’ve interviewed, as they are a […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

WARNING: This week’s book is actually edgy YA and is filled with adult content. It’s absolutely not appropriate for younger readers and adults should view it as the equivalent of an ‘R’ rated movie. First Paragraph(s): Beginnings are tricky things. I’ve been staring at this blank page for forty-seven minutes. It is infinite with possibilities. […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: THE NIGHTMARYS by Dan Poblocki

We haven’t had a chance to discuss horror in middle grade fiction. How did that happen? I love horror! Before I decided to devote all of my ninja training to middle grade fiction, I used to read and write adult horror and when I fantasize about having lunch with any writer, living or dead, it’s […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: THE SMOKY CORRIDOR by Chris Grabenstein

The Smoky Corridor is actually the third book in The Haunted Places Series. Though references are made to events that obviously occurred in previous books, The Smoky Corridor is a standalone tale and I had no problem jumping in without having read the first two books. Nor do I feel that the first two books […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: WHIRLWIND by Alison Hart

To be fair, Whirlwind is actually a book for teens, or a young adult novel, or possibly even a tween novel. Some of you may remember that a few weeks ago we discussed Emma’s River, a middle grade novel by Alison Hart. If you don’t remember that, here’s the link.I’m trying to leave YA books […]

Middle Grade Ninja: A Great Resource for Hunting Literary Agents

Hey there, Esteemed Reader. So I’ve been trying to come up with interesting content for this blog and I had a brilliant idea. I thought I would provide research on agents here to share with you. After all, I need to be researching agents anyway and that strikes me as something you might also have […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “An Exclusive Interview with Andrew the Alligator Boy” by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester

Esteemed Reader, we have a first ever today. I got to interview my first ever fictional character. Those of you Esteemed Readers who’ve read to the end of Banneker Bones and the Giant Robot Bees know how much I love alligator people. I jumped at this chance to chat with Andrew the Alligator Boy, a character in […]

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