Welcome to Litsy!

Overall I liked this historical fiction from the point of view of a girl who stows away on the Titanic, but there were a few issues for me as a reader. Hazel sneaks onto the ship and then makes herself way too visible, including spending time in the first class areas. She asks specific questions that provide lots of clear information about the flaws/mistakes that led to the catastrophe, and of course it all works out well for her in the end.

This was a novel in verse about a girl who is struggling more with her neurodivergence as she gets into middle school. She comes to realize that she‘s on the autism spectrum and other members of her family probably are as well. She becomes an advocate for herself as she learns there are others who feel the same and more about accommodations that can be helpful.

#TRS2024 #NovelInVerse #MiddleGrade

When Marian‘s father is murdered she suddenly learns about the magical creatures in the world and her own abilities to communicate with them. As she learns to help them, she also learns about the business of selling and holding them captive. Is this why her father was murdered and how can she truly help these amazing creatures? I loved the mythological aspects of this story, but I was disappointed in the ending.

#TRS2024 #MiddleGrade #YA

A book, a mug of boozy cocoa, and a blanket make for a perfect evening.

I‘m finding this story fascinating so far, but I‘m also far enough in that I am ready for some more answers.

#TRS2024 #MiddleGrade #YA

Happy Saturday! It‘s snowing outside, but I‘m cozy inside with Christmas music playing while I enjoy a late lunch and more of this book.

#ReadAndEat #TRS2024 #MiddleGrade

This had an interesting story, but there were also aspects that that just didn‘t work well for me. I thought the information about virtual reality and how it could be used with hospital patients was great, and the development of the friendship between Addie & Mateo was wonderful. The backstory with Addie‘s mom and opiate addiction was originally very vague and wasn‘t resolved in a way that felt logical to me.

#MiddleGrade #GraphicNovel #TRS2024

This was a cute YA romance about a teenage blogger and a boy who spends his time outside of school helping in his family‘s traditional tea shop. Online, they‘re enemies, but you can guess how it goes when they unknowingly meet in real life to work together for small businesses in Chinatown threatened by a corporate buyout.

One book completed during #DeweysReadathon #DeweyOct

#audiobook #YA #TRS2024

Maudie lives with her mom and stepdad during the school year but is starting another summer with her dad when they have to evacuate due to a wildfire. As they find a place to stay near the beach, Maudie begins making new friends. As the reader learns about autism through her experiences, she keeps secrets from her dad about learning to surf and life with her mom. I loved Maudie‘s first person story.

#audiobook #MiddleGrade #TRS2024

This is the start to another middle grade fantasy series about people who bond with flying creatures, and I loved it. In this case, Kei is a girl who flies as a courier (think Pony Express) on her skysteed, N‘Rah (think flying horse). Then, terrible monsters from the past called chimerae start attacking again, and Kei takes information and weapons from her uncle‘s old resources to help in the battle.

#audiobook #MiddleGrade #TRS2024

Will is dealing with a diagnosis of Crohn‘s disease and how that impacts his life while also navigating middle school friendships. He goes from being an integral part of his school soccer team to not playing or even traveling with them to away games. At the same time he‘s becoming friends with Griffon who just asked another boy to a school dance. The reader experience all of Will‘s uncertainties with him.

#MiddleGrade #audiobook #TRS2024