middle grade
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⭐ Five Star Reads: Monthly Favorites (September 2026) ⭐
Here are the titles I gave five stars this month. A list of all the titles I read this month is at the end of this post. In September 2026 I read 22 books, 7 of those were picture books and 10 were audiobooks. The top genre I read was fiction, tied with cozy mystery.The… Continue reading
banana ball, beth brower, book blog, Book Review, books, busted, carter avery’s tricky fourth grade year, chanel miller, dan geminhart, emma m lion, five star reads, get a candle on crime, glenmyre whim mysteries, half double murder, jesse cole, laura shapiro, magnolia we unfolds it all, marshall thornton, middle grade, reading, reinventing dinner in 1950s america, rub buyea, sarah burr, September 2026, something from the oven, the unbelievably true story of the savannah bananas, the unselected journals of emma m lion vol 8 -
🍁When I Think of Fall: A Book List
What do you think of when you think of Fall? Here’s a list of things I think of when I think of Fall and an accompanying book for each item. 👻Haunted Houses & Ghosts The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies – a wonderful, not too spooky middle grade mystery/ghost story–perfect for your fall… Continue reading
all aboard for murder, Auralee Wallace, book blog, Book Review, book-reviews, books, cozy mystery series, darci hannah, Ellen Byron, fall books, fall reading, Ghosts, Halloween, haunted houses, Heather Vogel Frederick, jacqueline davies, leaves, leaves changing colors, Maureen Klovers, middle grade, Middle Grade Mystery, murder at the pumpkin pageant, Mystery, pumpkins, reading, The international house of dereliction, The Legend of Acorn Hollow, truly madly sheeply, when I think of fall, when the crows away -
📚Middle Grade Spotlight: September 2026 Edition
On or around the third Monday of the month, I’ll be highlighting recent middle grade reads that I’ve enjoyed. I am so happy working part time in a school library – it’s wonderful to be with kids and books, and my reading life is so much richer! Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes… Continue reading
beyond the kingdoms, book blog, Book Review, books, busted, chris colfer, dan gemeinhart, five star reads, jewell parker rhodes, middle grade, middle grade adventure, Middle Grade books, Middle grade fantasy, middle grade historical fiction, Middle Grade Monday, middle grade spotlight, reading, The land of stories, will’s race for home -
🧳Time Travel Thursday: What Was I Reading Last Year At This Time (August 2026 Edition)
Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) Last year, towards the end of August 2025, I had just finished The Sherlock Society (The Sherlock Society… Continue reading
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🕰️Way Back Cozy Wednesday: August 2026 Edition
One Wednesday a month, I’ll feature a cozy mystery I read long ago. Backlist titles make my heart sing and hopefully you’ll find some new to you reads for your cozy TBR. This month we’re going back to the year 2014. Three Times Lucky (Mo & Dale Mysteries #1) by Sheila Turnage – Newbery honor… Continue reading
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☕The Sunday Salon: July 19, 2026 🎆
Happy Sunday! Thanks to Deb Nance at Readerbuzz for hosting The Sunday Salon. Weekly Reads Round Up: Favorite Read of the Week Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes – “It’s 1889, barely twenty-five years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and a young Black family is tired of working on land they don’t get to… Continue reading
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📚Middle Grade Highlights (June 2026 Edition)
On or around the third Monday of the month, I’ll be highlighting recent middle grade reads that I’ve enjoyed. I am so happy working part time in a school library – it’s wonderful to be with kids and books, and my reading life is so much richer! Max in the House of Spies: A Tale… Continue reading
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Middle Grade Monday: March 2026 Edition
On or around the third Monday of the month, I’ll be highlighting recent middle grade reads that I’ve enjoyed. I am so happy working part time in a school library – it’s wonderful to be with kids and books, and my reading life is so much richer! I read the following middle grade books between… Continue reading
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Five Short Books For A Short Month
While January 2026 felt like it went on for a 100 years, February is a shorter month and hopefully a more positive one? We can dream. Here are five short(ish) [how we each define short is personal] books that I loved! No. 10 Doyers Street by Radha Vatsal (273 pages) Set in New York City… Continue reading
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Five Star Audiobook Listens: October, November, & December 2025
I love audiobooks and listen to so many books each month. I love being able to get in book time when I’m at the grocery store or folding laundry. Here are nine I gave FIVE STARS in October, November, and December 2025. The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer Murder… Continue reading
About Me
Welcome! I started my career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now I’m a stay at home mom. While my career might have changed, my love of reading has been a constant since I was in 4th grade, and I read over 200 books a year. I love talking about books and connecting readers of all ages with just the right book. Thanks for reading!
Recent Posts
- ☕The Sunday Salon: November 1, 2026 🦃
- 👻Virtual Book Tour & Book Review & #Giveaway: The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery) by Cleo Coyle
- 📚Middle Grade Spotlight: October 2026 Edition
- ☕The Sunday Salon: October 25, 2026 🎃
- 🌲Virtual Book Tour & Book Review & #Giveaway: Eggnog & Evidence: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery by Nikki Weber
