Middle Grade Monday: Reviews, a Retelling and a New Guest Post

This week’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday brings together reviews, an author guest post and a giveaway. The selections range from a retelling of a familiar classic to a Gary D. Schmidt book, with several other titles for readers looking for their next middle grade pick. Each link offers a different way into the week’s conversation: a closer look at a book, a chance to hear from an author, or a route to more reading and writing resources.

For readers choosing what to read next, reviews can help identify the kind of story a book offers and whether its themes might suit a particular reader. Guest posts provide another angle, giving authors room to discuss their work. This roundup keeps those options together, so readers can browse by title or follow the contributors whose recommendations and writing interests they already know.

Reviews of new stories and familiar names

ALWAYS in the MIDDLE reviews ABSENT by Rex Ogle. The roundup points readers directly to the review rather than summarizing its verdict, leaving the reviewer’s response and discussion of the book at the original post. That distinction matters in a list of recommendations: readers can find the opinion, but it remains clearly attached to the person who wrote it.

At Carol Baldwin, guest reviewer Kate Lundeen takes on A STORM INSIDE HER by Lola Mae. A guest review adds another reader’s perspective to the roundup, making this link a useful stop for anyone curious about the book and interested in Lundeen’s take.

Susan Uhlig was fascinated by Maire Roche’s LITTLE MONSTERS, described here as a Little Women retelling with a big twist. That premise gives readers an immediate point of interest: the book draws on a well-known story while promising a surprising turn in its approach. The linked post is the place to learn what caught Uhlig’s attention.

Classic fiction has a place in the week’s mix, too. Rosi Hollinbeck shares her next review of a Gary D. Schmidt classic, WEDNESDAY WARS. The entry also includes three links of interest for her writing friends. Readers who arrive for the review may find those additional resources useful; writers can explore them as a separate part of Hollinbeck’s post.

A guest post, a giveaway and more to browse

Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles features a guest post by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, alongside a giveaway of SISTERS ALONE. The combination offers two reasons to visit: the author’s contribution and the chance to enter the giveaway. The post’s link provides the details for readers who want to take part.

Jenni Enzor is featuring Thunder and Mercy by Jennifer Robin Barr. The roundup doesn’t give further details about the feature, so readers can follow the link to see how Enzor presents the book and what information the post offers.

There’s also a steady source of reading ideas at Karen Yingling at Mrs. Yingling Reads, where a book is shared every day. The roundup directs readers to her MMGM review for the day and to posts from the week, including Sunday’s review of EVERYTHING NEW AGAIN. For readers who like to browse beyond a single recommendation, that archive offers a wider set of recent posts to explore.

That variety is what makes a recurring book roundup useful: it gathers several reading routes in one place without asking every reader to want the same sort of story. Someone drawn to a retelling can begin with LITTLE MONSTERS; another reader may prefer a review of WEDNESDAY WARS, or an author’s own guest post. The linked pages carry the full reviews and details, while this list makes it easy to find the voices and titles that fit your interests.