Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: MAMBA POINT by Kurtis Scaletta

This week is going to be tremendous! We are going to be joined by middle grade author Kurtis Scaletta himself on Thursday and today we are going to discuss his newest book, Mamba Point, which comes out today! That’s right, the ninja got himself an exclusive advanced reader copy and I have been enjoying Mamba Point […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: THE MAGNIFICENT 12: THE CALL by Michael Grant

Today we’re chatting about The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant. I’d like to tell you he’ll be here on Thursday to do one of our writer interviews, but it’s looking like that’s not going to work out after all.  Mr. Grant, if you’re reading this,we’d love to have you by anytime to face […]

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 Review: LOOKING FOR JACK KEROUAC by Barbara Shoup

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): IT WASN’T DUKE WALCZAK’S FAULT that I took off for Florida, like Kathy thought. The truth is, we started getting […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book Review: LIZZY SPEARE AND THE CURSED TOMB by Ally Malinenko

First Paragraph: Her feet didn’t seem to touch the steps. She pounded, step after step, Sammy right behind her. Each footfall fell in line with her thumping heart. Downstairs, in the kitchen she could still hear her father fighting with the man who rang their bell. Her father had told her and Sammy to get upstairs. He sounded […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book Review: KILLER SPECIES #1: MENACE FROM THE DEEP by Michael P. Spradlin

Quick Plug: I’ve written a guest post over at Pearls Cast Before a McPig. Comment to win a copy of my book:)  First Paragraph: The boat slid silently across the surface of the water. At the stern the man turned the tiller to the left on the nearly silent electric motor. The craft responded instantly […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: JUNIPER BERRY: A TALE OF TERROR AND TEMPTATION by M.P. Kozlowsky

Can I confess something? I read books upon books and articles about how to write a great opening for a book, and every last one of them claims you need a hook. I accept this and it’s the reason why of all the things I notice in each week’s book, I’m so often reporting here […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: JULIE OF THE WOLVES by Jean Craighead George

Hello there, Esteemed Reader. Lovely to see you as always. You’ll remember last week when I reviewed The Giver, I promised that Lois Lowry would be the first of two of my favorite authors from childhood to appear on this blog and that the second would be revealed this week. I know you’ve been losing sleep over […]

Middle Grade Ninja: Book of the Week: JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH by Roald Dahl

It’s to be another Roald Dahl classic this week, Esteemed Reader. Whoo hoo! As you know, Roald Dahl is my favorite author and James and the Giant Peach is one of my all-time favorite stories. It’s the sort of book that will convince even the Mike TV’s of the world to pause their video games […]