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Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Fantasy:
Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland features a little bit naughty dragon and a jury of magical creatures – and what more could you really want?
The book in The Menagerie series really takes a fantasy mystery feel and Zoe, Logan, and Blue try and prove that Scratch the dragon is innocent.
Another book full of all sorts of magical creatures – some that you might not have heard of before.
About Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the second exciting adventure in the Menagerie trilogy! Combining the magic of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and the charm and humor of Carl Hiaasen, The Menagerie #2: Dragon on Trial is perfect for young readers who love myths, fairy tales, and fantastic creatures.
Someone or something has murdered the goose who laid the golden eggs, and the evidence points to a dragon named Scratch. Zoe and Logan are back on the case—but this mystery won’t be that easy to solve….
Scratch, the dragon, is in trouble. He’s on trial for eating the Golden Goose. And while he’s quite happy she’s gone, he swears he didn’t do it. But all the signs point to him. Zoe doesn’t believe that Scratch would (or could) hurt the goose, so she rounds up Logan and Blue to prove he’s innocent.
Dragon on Trial was a delight. While I wish more of the clues had given me a chance to guess what happened before the kids did, I really enjoyed discovering right along with them. It’s quite a twisty journey, and they get to make a new and unexpected friend along the way.
Logan is starting to find his place in his small group of friends. And seeing him discover that feeling of belonging that he had been missing was more than just a little cool. Although I have no idea how they all manage to do “ALL THE THINGS” in the time span in the book. Time flies so fast and things just keep zipping right along.
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy:
The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland is an incredibly fun adventure full of fantasy creatures and the people that care for them (or find them when they get lost).
The run-away griffons cubs really steal the show from all the human kids – and the names they pick for themselves had me laughing so hard.
The way the kids interact with each other (even though they are all very different) was fun, and watching them grow closer as they searched for the griffons was so sweet. (But not so sweet that reader-kids won’t enjoy it too.)
About The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the Menagerie series, perfect for fans of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and The Spiderwick Chronicles.
In the small town of Xanadu, Wyoming lies the Menagerie, a top secret facility filled with unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, and other fairy tale creatures. At least, it was a secret—until six griffin cubs escaped.
If Logan and Zoe don’t get the cubs back fast, the entire Menagerie will be shut down. The race is on and the resulting adventure is only the beginning of a thrilling series that will leave readers wanting a magical menagerie of their very own.
The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland is the perfect read for any kid (or adult) lover of mythical creatures of any sort. The griffon cubs have escaped from the super top-secret menagerie. And Logan meets Zoe and Blue as they are trying to hunt them down. Sure, he may think they’re just looking for Zoe’s dog at first. But his tracking skills quickly become the very thing they need to find the cubs.
Logan figures out it isn’t a dog, and his cat, Persimmon (I had to give this awesome feline a shout-out), is not happy about the development of learning about these creatures. As the kids track the babies down, they start to realize that all may not be right at the menagerie. Odd things (besides the griffon escape) are going on, and they are on the verge of being shut down.
The Menagerie is full of friendship, unexpected magic, and just a little mystery. Full of magical creatures, it draws across cultures and mythos to build a place full of things to discover.
Viva Durant, teen detective, is back in New Orleans to crack her latest case! This audio original features original music from the creator, Ashli St. Armant, and an engaging performance from Audible Hall of Fame narrator Bahni Turpin.
Now that she’s returned to New Orleans for Thanksgiving break, Viva is charged with figuring out the truth behind a mysterious bout of illness traced back to a local creole restaurant called Madame Bouchard’s. Were customers poisoned on purpose, or was it a simple cooking mistake? And who could be behind the chaos? Viva only has a week to solve the culinary mystery, and to do so, she’ll have to contend with a longtime rivalry, rumors of voodoo magic, and Thanksgiving dinner with her extended family!
Listeners will love the continued detective adventures of Viva Durant and her stern-yet-spirited Gram!
Viva is back in the Audible Original Viva Durant and the Madness of Madame Bouchard. This time, she’s teamed up with her grandmother – who is an excellent detective – to clear the name of the renowned New Orleans chef, Madame Bouchard. Accused of poisoning her diners, Madame Bouchard is in danger of losing everything she’s worked so hard to build.
This case is a tricky one. And there’s a lot more on the line than her previous mystery. But Viva is up to the challenge. It all comes down to the details this time, and Viva will need to pay really close attention.
Another fun addition to the Viva Durant mysteries, and I hope there are more eventually. I could see how this series could get a little addicting to listen to. My only complaint is the breaks between chapters are really really long. Long enough that I thought my device had stopped playing for some reason.
Viva’s search for the silver buttons has her traveling all over New Orleans and the surrounding area, and if even half of the locations are real, then I need to take a trip.
Fun surprises scattered along the journey really made this story a lot of fun.
Viva Durant, New Orleans’ youngest detective, is on a quest to solve a jazzy mystery involving hidden treasure, while exploring the city’s unique culture, history, and music. This family-friendly audio original features original jazz music from the creator, Ashli St. Armant, and an enthusiastic performance from Audible Hall of Fame narrator, Bahni Turpin.
Plucky 14-year-old Viva Durant heads to New Orleans every summer to spend time with her loving but stern grandmother, known as Gram. After Gram reads Viva an article in the local paper about a missing treasure related to the world-famous song, “Miss Mary Mack,” Viva traverses the Crescent City on an epic adventure to solve the mystery. Along the way she meets some of the city’s most colorful characters as her journey takes her to the French Quarter, a jazz club, a creepy cemetery, and even the circus. Can Viva rise to the occasion and solve this musical mystery? Listeners will find Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons a joy to listen to!
When Viva Durant hears about a missing treasure linked to a set of silver buttons. She just has to follow the clues and see if she can find them. Her investigation takes her deep into the jazz history of New Orleans, and she has a chance to visit some pretty incredible places.
While she tries to keep her sleuthing a secret, she’s still a kid, so she ends up finding ways to get assistance in some pretty inventive ways. She never gives up, even when she seems to be facing a dead end, and her intelligence and persistence just might pay off.
This Audible Original title is a great listen for middle graders that love to solve puzzles.
A short and sweet audio novella that’ll leave listeners wanting second helpings, You Can Thank Me Later follows an unforgettable family over the course of three Thanksgivings.
When the Dickenson clan sits down for Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, it is the last holiday when their tight-knit family will ever be the same. Oldest brother Pete and his wife are expecting their first child. Youngest sibling Sophie is too busy running her restaurant, The Little Plum, to bother with any kind of social life. And middle child Charlie’s happy, uncomplicated life as a Midwestern science professor is upended when his wife Annette is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing this will be her last Thanksgiving, Annette asks Sophie to look after Charlie after she’s gone. Which would be a lot easier if Charlie didn’t show up with an insufferable new girlfriend at the next holiday meal.
From the best-selling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, this heartwarming novella embraces the spirit and gratitude of the holiday, and shows how a family’s love can endure anything.
You Can Thank Me Later by Kelly Harms is an Audible Original (only available there as of writing this). Sophie Dickenson is telling the story of several Thanksgiving dinners with her siblings – where is the chef and host (mostly). This is an interesting way to really capture how much can change over the course of a year. Each Thanksgiving there are changes, big and small and sometimes world-changing, that we get to glimpse as Sophie gets ready for and serves dinner.
At first I was a little hesitant about this whole concept of telling stories through Thanksgiving dinner – but Sophie won me over from the first minute when her voicemail greeting – it was a gem. And as I got to know a little about her siblings and their families through the messages they left, you could just her the love among them. But don’t worry, this isn’t a story told in voicemails, it was just enough to give me a small glimpse into who these people were before they all showed up to eat.
You Can Thank Me Later is a quick listen that really brings out all the feels. Be careful if you listen in the car, because you may tear up a few times – pull over if necessary.
Packed with superheroes, supervillains, and epic showdowns between good and evil, TheUnforgettable Logan Foster from debut author Shawn Peters shows that sometimes being a hero is just about being yourself.
Logan Foster has pretty much given up on the idea of ever being adopted. It could have something to with his awkward manner, his photographic memory, or his affection for reciting curious facts, but whatever the cause, Logan and his “PP’s” (prospective parents) have never clicked.
Then everything changes when Gil and Margie arrive. Although they aren’t exactly perfect themselves—Gil has the punniest sense of humor and Margie’s cooking would have anyone running for the hills—they genuinely seem to care.
But it doesn’t take Logan long to notice some very odd things about them. They are out at all hours, they never seem to eat, and there’s a part of the house that is protected by some pretty elaborate security.
No matter what Logan could have imagined, nothing prepared him for the truth: His PP’s are actually superheroes, and they’re being hunted down by dastardly forces. Logan’s found himself caught in the middle in a massive battle and the very fate of the world may hang in the balance. Will Logan be able to find a way to save the day and his new family?
My 10yo and I read The Unforgettable Logan Foster as part of the Owl Crate Jr book box. While he isn’t a reluctant reader – he is reluctant to try new authors or series. So we made a deal that he had to read one month’s book before he could open the next box. Once he started The Unforgettable Logan Foster, he had a hard time putting it down. Superheroes combined with a kid that is “different than the other kids, like I’m a little different, but in a different way than I’m different” really drew him into the story. Now he can’t wait for more in the series.
The other part of our deal was that I would read the book when he was done so we could talk about it. What I enjoyed most with the very untraditional family unit Logan found himself adopted into. Throw in a very untraditional neighborhood friend, and all the unusual types built a beautiful picture.
Throw in a fun adventure to defeat a super villain and his friends, and you have the makings for a great MG adventure. Some of the heroes reminded me a little of contemporary comic books with a fun and colorful twist. And with a few really great surprise reveals (I didn’t see them coming at all), I found the book hard to put down as well.
“Soren went home.” The voice is male, low, and dark. If possible, he sounds even more ruthless than Soren, and my body reacts immediately. I haven’t even seen this guy. Just three small words, and my body is excited. It clearly has no sense of self-preservation. I had thought this reaction was exclusive to Soren, but no, it’s just men like Soren. With my body obviously against my survival, it’s a miracle I haven’t already ended up dead in a ditch somewhere.
Like Soren, this man has an overpowering ruthless energy that I can feel heavy on the air around me. It makes every nerve ending light up in response with the desire to be consumed and ripped apart by this new storm.
I can feel it in the air. He is darkness. I am light. He is guilty. I am innocent. He is war. I am love.
I’m sick. There probably isn’t even a diagnosis for what’s wrong with me.
I wish I could control my body’s reaction. There are just some things that set me off in this primal animal way. Intellectually I know this man may really hurt me. Or he may be gross. Or he may be any number of horrible things, but even so, I’m wet. He’s cast in too much shadow for me to see his face, which calls back my fantasy from this morning, something else I definitely don’t need to be thinking about right now. I’m not an idiot. I know I’m in real trouble here, and that this isn’t some fantasy that’s come to life. But I feel pulled into him as though the storm can provide me shelter.
KITTY THOMAS writes dark stories that play with power and have unconventional HEAs. She began publishing in early 2010 with her bestselling COMFORT FOOD and is considered one of the original authors of the dark romance subgenre.
To find out FIRST when a new book comes out, subscribe to Kitty’s New Release List: KITTYTHOMAS.COM
Title: The Indigo Author: Heather Siegel Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Jett Hart, a 16-year-old girl from New Jersey, refuses to accept the diagnosis that her mother is brain-dead. Yes, Mom’s long-comatose body seems like an empty shell. But there was that split-second, weird time Jett swears she lifted out from her own body and travelled to an indigo-colored, starry space, where she felt Mom’s presence.
Now, as Jett’s caretaking Aunt threatens to pull Mom’s life support, Jett must find this mysterious indigo place again and return her mother to her body before it’s too late. The bad news is that only her schoolmate Farold — who may or may not give off a more-than-friends vibe — believes she can do this. The good news is that he’s an amateur quantum physicist in training and has some ideas about how to help Jett get back “up there.”
Even if Jett manages to find Mom in the “indigo,” can she bring her back to her body? While also staying connected to her own “empty shell” below? And, what if . . . someone is trying to stop her?
A teen thriller offering astral projection cosmology, life cords, parallel universes, and wormholes, THE INDIGO is a wild trip through one person’s consciousness “above,” her interconnected reality “below,” and the psychological and potentially fatal dangers of being disconnected from both.
Day 787. I sponge Mom’s stringy arms and pronate her elbows. Suction saliva from her white gums, careful not to disturb the psst-psst of the breathing tube. I attach cotton-ball-size muscle-stimulation pads, all forty of them, to her biceps and triceps, her deltoids and extensors, her flexors and hamstrings. As the pads pulse against muscle atrophy, I crayon Chapstick on her lips, rub cream down her pointed nose and waxen cheek skin, brush her dark hair splayed over the starched pillow. I leave the waste bags for the nurses but check the connections out of habit — the tubes to the catheter and colostomy bag, the one to her nutrients. Then I sit, holding her hand, pretending to talk to her for the sake of passersby, even though I know she’s not listening. Not even in the room.
Her body is an empty vessel. A coat on a hanger waiting for her arms to slip in. A mollusk on the beach, abandoned by its host. An empty carton of milk I’m here to make sure they don’t throw out.
Because when I find her — and bring her back — she will need her container.
They’ve told me it’s dangerous to think this way. Psychologically damaging, Aunt Margaret has claimed. A byproduct of grief, the therapists have said. Denial is a natural defense mechanism, Dr. Horn has counseled. “But we can’t ignore the reality of what the scans tell us.”
He means the X-rays of Mom’s gray folded matter. The regions of her brain that still incite spontaneous reflexes — causing her arm to jerk here, her leg to twitch there. “All seemingly normal manifestations of brainstem function,” he’s told me repeatedly. “But should not be confused with actual brainstem function. Without which she has little chance of waking up.”
I can’t fault him for thinking this way. The guy’s a neurologist — his business is brains.
But I know there has to be more to us than our bodies and brains.
Call it what you want — a consciousness, a soul, a spirit, a light being. It’s the thing countless comatose patients swear gave them the ability to live whole other lives while on respirators. The thing that philosophers and spiritualists spent their lives writing about. The thing that makes us who we are. And maybe even fuels the brainstem. And Mom’s brainstem went missing two years ago the moment she crashed her car.
Heather Siegel is the author of THE KING & THE QUIRKY, and OUT FROM THE UNDERWORLD. She teaches academic and creative writing, holds an MFA from The New School University, and lives with her family in Southern Florida.
Title: Surrender Author: Ariana Rose Genre: Contemporary Romance
Ava Caron, a successful and hardworking PR strategist, finds herself in unfamiliar territory when her engagement is unexpectedly and dramatically called off. A getaway with her best friend seems to be exactly what’s needed to clear her mind, body and spirit. She never expects to make a connection with a man who appears to have walked right off the silver screen and into her life without warning, much like the heroes of her favorite fairy tales.
Rafael Varallo is made of leading man material with his rugged good looks, chivalry, and charm that would make any woman fall at his feet. The last thing he’s expecting is to take a fall of his own, when an accidental encounter involving spilled coffee and a pair of beautiful hands capture his attention immediately. His proposal for adventure to step outside of their comfort zones is all it takes.
To surrender isn’t weakness, it’s strength.
Sand, sex, laughs and perhaps even love make for a heady combination and in paradise things may not always be what you expect.
Author and hopeless romantic, Ariana Rose, dabbles in all forms of contemporary romance. All of her novels do have one thing in common. Her heroes and heroines are as passionate about life and love as they are about each other.
A proud mother of two, she was born and raised in the Minneapolis area. She’s always been a storyteller and known to have a flair for the dramatic. Her daughter is just across the border finishing her college career and is a go to for all things graphic design. Her son is a busy middle schooler who loves all things penguins, science, gaming, cars and the weather. Ariana’s fur baby (a beagle/lab) can be found curled next to her while she writes unless chasing squirrels and finding puppy friends become a higher priority.
When Ariana is not writing, she can be found at the rink in a figure skating lesson, binge watching her favorite shows, screening an 80s movie she’s seen hundreds of times, exploring history or traveling to any of her current or new favorite places.
Ariana first published in August of 2018. Her Stone Series was the leaping point. It’s fourth installment will debut in October 2021. She has two novels in K. Bromberg’s Driven World, Twisted with its sequel Entwined. The concluding chapter Pivot, will follow in February 2022. You can find her first sports romance, Bitter Edge, in the Cocky Hero World. Double Exposure, her first co-write, also releases in February 2022.
You can find her exclusively in Kindle Unlimited. You can also sign up for her newsletter, watch her website or find her on all her social media to catch all the latest and greatest on upcoming projects.
Always remember that passion is never a bad thing, it’s where dreams and reality collide.
Title: Serenade Author: Morgan Shamy Series: The Dark Nocturne #1 Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Mystery
St. Paul’s Academy of the Arts isn’t your usual boarding school…
When November Huntington is sent away to live with her long-lost family, she’s forced to attend a music school for the gifted—which wouldn’t be a problem if November were musical. She’s an athlete through and through, and hates being different.
The kids at the school don’t welcome her, they’re wary of her presence, especially Vincent, a brooding teenage boy involved with dark spirits, who can make time stop when he plays his piano. In fact, all her classmates are all obsessed with playing their instruments. And odd things happen when the do.
But something is off about the school. Deaths have occurred through the years, students showing up dead the same way November’s parents were killed—with their throats ripped out.
A killer is on the loose… November must figure out a way to stop whoever it is, balance her feelings for Vincent, and solve her parents’ past before she, too, is numbered among the dead.
The first in a Paranormal Fantasy Saga by debut author Morgan Shamy.
She started forward once more, silently cursing, when a soft melody drifted from the woods. The sound jarred her to a stop, and her heart suddenly spiked. She wasn’t alone. Someone was out here. The music drew closer, heightening. It was slow and haunting, tinkling, like a music box. It didn’t sound like music from a radio or phone. It moved through the trees, wrapping around the bushes, spreading out toward her. She could feel it all around her, soaking into her.
“Hello?” she asked, backing up a step. She squinted into the trees. “Hello?”
No one answered.
The music continued, and she wrapped her arms around herself, backing up further.
“Hello?”
Deep into the forest, a bright light appeared, small at first until it burst outward. The light seared her eyes, large and white, and she ripped her gaze away. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to run. The music continued to play on the air, soaring toward her. It was getting closer, becoming thicker, heavier.
This couldn’t be happening. She was having hallucinations. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find stability. Ground herself.
She pushed herself faster, her feet pounding on the forest floor. But the music slithered after her, brushing along her back, carrying with her as she ran.
“Stop!” she yelled. “Stop!” She continued to race, until she dropped to her knees. She covered her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. “Stop!”
In a blink, the music halted, and the light dissipated, but the music still echoed inside her head, hanging on the air. She stretched her eyes wide, her gaze darting side to side. She stayed frozen, her knees on the dusty ground. Her heart beat loud as the breeze picked up and tickled the hair off her face. Birds chirped, and the forest came alive again. She slowly lowered her hands.
Everything was normal. Everything was fine. She had been hallucinating.
She huffed out a frustrated breath and headed back down the trail, shaking out her arms. She was stupid to think someone had been after her, or to think she’d heard music or seen such a bright light, but the sweet melodic sound wouldn’t leave her alone. The melody lingered inside her head, weaving through her memory. Maybe someone had been there, and maybe she had been its target.
Morgan Shamy is an ex-ballerina turned YA writer. She has been immersed in the arts since the young age of 4, where she performed various roles alongside a professional ballet company for over seven years, and has danced on prestigious stages like soloing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has taught hundreds of girls in her fifteen years of teaching, where some of her students have received full-ride scholarships to schools like School of American Ballet, the Harid Conservatory, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, to name a few.
Morgan discovered writing when her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. It was through that experience which instilled the need to share art and magic with children through words on the page.
Morgan is also an accomplished concert pianist. She was the first girl in Utah to receive the 75 pt. Gold Cup in the Utah Federation of Music in piano solo/concerto competition. Morgan currently lives with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and four children in Salt Lake City, Utah.
