Michelle Isenhoff

Ages 10-12

The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Book Review

Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM) on his Always in the Middle website each week. Check it out for more great kidlit! Published in 1961 and receiving Newbery honors the next year, The Golden Goblet still rates high on any reading list decades later. Within, young Ranofer wants nothing more than to become a goldsmith in […]

The Beast of Talesend: After Beauty and the Beast (Beaumont and Beasley, 1), by Kyle Robert Shultz, 2017

Greg Pattridge hosts Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM) on his Always in the Middle website each week. Check it out for more great kidlit! This is the first time I’ve participated in MMGM in a few years, and I picked a great book for my return. The premise grabbed me right away. I’ll post a […]

King of Malorn, by Annie Douglass Lima

A couple weeks ago, I promised you three reviews over the next three weeks. Well, uh, I switched web hosts and can’t seem to figure out the new scheduler. Last week’s post is still sitting in my draft folder. Sigh. I’ll try again. In the meantime, I’ll publish this week’s manually. I’ve highlighted Annie Douglass […]

Joss the Seven (Guild of Seven, 1), by J. Philip Horne, 2016

The next book I’d like to feature from my Colorado trip is an example of self-publishing at its finest. J. Philip Horne has a natural ability to craft a story, his prose flows smooth as fresh cream, and he’s taken great care with the editing process. That’s a great beginning. Kudos, Mr. Horne!! So…how about […]

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham, 1955

One of my favorite things as a reader is to find an aging book that has worn well. That is certainly the case for this 1956 Newbery winner. It tells the life story of historical figure Nathaniel Bowditch. Bowditch spent most of his life in the seaport of Salem, Massachusetts. He was only two years old […]

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia, by Candace Fleming

You all know I love history. Usually, I prefer it as historical fiction, but this factual narrative of the last ruling dynasty of Russia is utterly compelling. Written for a fifth- to sixth-grade reader, it often uses “quotes right in the middle of its sentences” to tell the story. I found it mildly annoying at […]

The Paperboy, by Vince Vawter

Along with capturing Newbery honors back in 2014, The Paperboy won a whole slew of awards. Check this out: A Newbery Honor Award Winner An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book An IRA Children’s and Young Adults’ Choice An IRA Teachers’ Choice A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year A National Parenting Publications Award Honor […]

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