Middle-Grade Novels
Dancing Shoes
by Noel Streatfeild
Orphaned sisters Rachel and Hilary must move in with their Uncle Tom, his wife Cora, who runs a local dance troupe, and their talented yet arrogant daughter Dulcie. Rachel is determined to honor her mother's dying wish and help Hilary become an accomplished dancer at the Royal Ballet School. But when demanding Aunt Cora forces them both to dance for her lesser-known Wintle's Wonders group, Rachel thinks all hope is lost. Hilary is more accomplished than Cousin Dulcie but can never showcase her true talent. Rachel, on the other hand, has no dancing ability and prefers the theatre instead. Will her sense of responsibility and her admirable but misguided plans for Hilary ruin both of their chances at happiness?
This is one of eleven stand-alone books in Noel Streatfeild's "Shoes" series. Please note: One of the characters says, "Shut up!" Additionally, Dulcie exhibits very spoiled behavior, which drives a wedge in the cousins' relationships throughout the entire book.
Wild Life
by Cynthia DeFelice
Instead of going on his first-ever hunting trip, Native New Yorker Erik must abandon his plans when both of his parents are deployed to Iraq. He's sent off to no-wheres-ville, North Dakota, to live with the grandparents he's only met once in his life. To make matters worse, upon his arrival, Erik is forced into the shadow of his uncle, who died decades earlier. Big Darrell and Oma struggle to love a boy again. When an injured hunting hound wanders onto the family land, Erik devises a plan to run away with him. With a rifle in his hands and a trusty bird dog by his side, he's confident he can survive on his own.
This domestic fiction showcases the complex emotions that can embroil a family after a tragic loss, but it also reveals the hope of healing and forgiveness. While the publisher has slotted Wild Life as a middle-grade book, the complicated storyline is better suited for older tweens and teens, in my opinion.
Please note: One character says "heck," and another uses "hell" as a swear word twice. Additionally, when Erik finally returns to his temporary home, his grandparents are too relieved to punish him for his actions. That said, repentance and forgiveness are both given and received by all three.
The Silver Sword
by Ian Serraillier
Polish siblings Ruth, Edek, and Bronia Balicki have been tragically separated from their parents. Together, they must make their way across war-torn Europe to find their missing family. With the help of street-smart Jan, an orphaned vagabond in need of a loving home, the trio faces numerous hardships but learns to survive in a post-Nazi world.
Meanwhile, their father Joseph, a former schoolmaster, escapes from a prison camp and is desperate to reunite with them. After walking many miles, he arrives at their beloved house only to discover that his family has gone. Little does he know that the children are trying to reach him. Will their paths eventually cross?
Older readers who grew up enjoying The Boxcar Children will appreciate the ingenuity and survival instincts of the three Balicki kids.
Please note: One minor character is referred to as a "hussie," but the term is never defined or expounded upon.
The Year of Miss Agnes
by Kirkpatrick Hill
At the close of WWII, British teacher Miss Agnes finds herself in rural Koyukuk, Alaska, teaching Native American children. The children had lost teacher after teacher, all of whom abandoned the post when they realized just how uncivilized the area truly was. But Miss Agnes is determined to mold the young minds entrusted to her. She tosses aside the outdated textbooks, and with creativity and pluck, she makes a real difference, especially in the lives of 10-year-old Frederika (Fred) and her deaf sister.
This heartwarming living book will teach young readers what it means to be committed to a task in the face of adversity.
Parents, Be Aware
The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall
by Ali Standish
Desperate to help support his indigent family, young Arthur Conan Doyle agrees to be shipped off to a prodigious school for gifted children. While there, he learns of a series of break-ins. But why would someone want to burglarize a school? More importantly, why would the thief not steal anything? And most importantly, what do the robberies have to do with the Clover, the clandestine student group Arthur has been invited to join? To enroll in the secret society, he must complete three impossible missions, one of which just might lead him to the criminal mastermind behind the unusual invasions.
This is the first in a three-part Sherlock Holmes fan fiction series. Several key players, including James Moriarty, Dr. Watson, and Holmes himself, make an appearance.
Things to know: Dr. Watson's classroom is filled with specimen jars containing human eyeballs and hands. One professor dabbles in hypnosis, and another is thought to be a witch or a god. Both theories are disproven. One boy is anxious to begin a class dedicated to necromancy to communicate with Shakespeare beyond the grave. Additionally, one character says, "d*mned."
Just for you, Mom
The Voice We Find
by Nicole Deese
Blacklisted Broadway hopeful Sophie Wilder must move back to her childhood home--a place of secrets, pain, and plenty of dysfunction. The moment she's on her feet again financially, she plans to return to New York. To make ends meet, she takes a side hustle gig as an audiobook narrator with Fog Harbor Books.
August Tate, sound engineer to some of the music industry's most talented, must take a giant step back in his career to care for his younger sister, now permanently deaf from the train accident that killed both their parents. To keep the lights burning, he reluctantly agrees to produce a series of audiobooks for his friend and editor at Fog Harbor Books. The job lacks luster, but the pay is steady.
While collaborating on a new book project, Sophie and August will be forced to confront their lifelong fears and their long-standing failures. In the middle of it all, they will find faith in Christ. Together.
This is the third title in the developing Fog Harbor series. Though the books are numbered, they are each a stand-alone story with completely different characters and plots and can be read in or out of order.