Category: Middle Grade Fiction

Reviews of Middle Grade Fiction on The Candid Cover YA Book Blog.

Book vs. Movie: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie is a feature on The Candid Cover spotlighting and reviewing book to movie adaptations.

Book vs. Movie: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls is a unique middle school story that digs deep into the themes of death and the grieving process. It is a heart-wrenching and moving audiobook and film, The movie is perfectly cast and is only slightly different from the original story, making it one of the best book to movie adaptations that I have seen in a while. Continue reading →

Book vs. Movie: The BFG by Roald Dahl

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie is a feature on The Candid Cover spotlighting and reviewing book to movie adaptations.

Book vs. Movie: The BFG by Roald DahlTitle: The BFG
Author: Roald Dahl
Narrator: David Walliams
Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall
Director: Stephen Spielberg
Screenplay: Melissa Mathison
Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Publication Date: June 28, 2013 (first published 1982)
Rating: three-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Captured by a giant!

The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

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Book vs. Movie: The BFG

The BFG book is simply put, classic Dahl. There is a fantastical world that the reader can get lost in, wonderful and vividly described characters and humorous word play. In the audio version narrated by David Walliams, we are given a voice to these relatable characters that makes the listener feel like part of the story. It is a perfect book for an 11 year old. The film adaptation of this middle school book has some fun aspects and maintains the theme of friendship from the original story, however, it falls short of Dahl’s original work and just doesn’t seem to measure up. Continue reading →

Books Like Harry Potter: Magical Series to Read Next

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Books Like Harry Potter: Magical Series to Read Next

Books like Harry Potter to read next? There are so many similar magical books for people who love Harry Potter to read next. After finishing the Harry Potter series,  this list of books similar to Harry Potter is sure to give you some great alternatives to fill that void and get you excited about a new series. Just like Harry Potter, there are many similar book series that have elements of incredible world-building, fantastic characters, and lots of magic. So grab your reading tracker and get ready to fill it with all sorts of books like Harry Potter to read next. We have a list of similar Harry Potter books for kids, YA, and adults. We highly recommend them all! Continue reading →

Book vs. Movie: The Little Prince

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Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie is a feature on The Candid Cover spotlighting and reviewing book to movie adaptations.

Book vs. Movie: The Little Prince

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one classic childhood book that everyone should revisit. The touching tale of the innocence of childhood, friendship, and loss is presented in a way that children can relate to, but there is so much that can be taken and learned as adults from this beautifully written story. While the movie is extremely moving and well done, there are some differences that might surprise fans of the book. Nonetheless, this film really does explore the themes and messages that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry intended in this wonderful film. Continue reading →

Review: The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman

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Review: The Rosemary Spell by Virginia ZimmermanTitle: The Rosemary Spell
Author: Virginia Zimmerman
Publisher: Clarion
Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Rating: four-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Best friends Rosie and Adam find an old book with blank pages that fill with handwriting before their eyes. Something about this magical book has the power to make people vanish, even from memory. The power lies in a poem—a spell. When Adam's older sister, Shelby, disappears, they struggle to retain their memories of her as they race against time to bring her back from the void, risking their own lives in the process.

Amazon “iBooks”

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃


Review: The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman

The Rosemary Spell by Virginia Zimmerman really drew me in and refused to let go. This book has such an amazing and creative concept, and a mystery all rolled into one. Mystery is a genre that I have been loving recently and this book did not disappoint. Geared for a middle grade audience, The Rosemary Spell is quite enjoyable and makes for a quick read. Continue reading →