Reviews of Middle Grade Fiction on The Candid Cover YA Book Blog.
Comparing the book vs. the movie for The Giver is quite difficult. The Giver is a book written by Lois Lowry two decades ago that has now become a movie. It is a dystopian book that has captured the hearts of many. The leap to the big screen in 2014 has excited many fans of Lowry’s The Giver Quartet, however, the drastic changes to the plot make this movie one to wonder why such changes were necessary. Continue reading
Title: Chasing Secrets
Newbery Honor–winning author Gennifer Choldenko deftly combines humor, tragedy, fascinating historical detail, and a medical mystery in this exuberant new novel.
San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.
The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.
❃ 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. ❃
Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko is a book that really has it all! This story is an excellent read that promotes history, while keeping readers on their toes. Choldenko has created another incredible middle grade historical fiction in Chasing Secrets. This time we learn about a deadly plague, a determined main character, and themes of family, friendship and secrets in the fast paced mystery. Continue reading
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead is a book that will definitely appeal to you if enjoy a quick mysterious read. This book is a really engaging middle grade contemporary novel. Its middle school setting is very relatable, well-developed characters and a second-person narrative are the perfect mix for an enjoyable and hard to put down read. Continue reading
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen is such a beautifully written book. This is a story that is entertaining, educational and uplifting. The issues examined by Nielsen are so important for today’s students to grasp. This book is diverse and is written in a compelling fashion that will keep readers wanting to learn and know more. Continue reading