2027 Forest of Reading Nominees Spotlight Picture Books and Middle Grade Fiction
The first 2027 Forest of Reading lists span picture books, nonfiction and fiction, with nominees for readers from kinder...
Book Reviews
2027 Forest of Reading Nominees Spotlight Picture Books and Middle Grade Fiction
The first 2027 Forest of Reading lists span picture books, nonfiction and fiction, with nominees for readers from kinder...
Esther Yi’s To God Treats Love as an Uncompromising Ideal
In To God, Esther Yi’s strange, searching stories take love seriously, even as their dreamlike turns and uneven prose ca...
Yiyun Li on John Field, Percherette and the Hope Behind *Music Against the Night*
Yiyun Li discusses the musical world behind her new novel, its prodigious young artists and the hope Percherette finds i...
Sonora Jha’s *Foreign* Finds Its Heart in the Lives of Rural Indian Farmers
Sonora Jha’s debut novel centers farmers’ struggles with empathy, though its family story and supporting characters feel...
Bonnie Jo Campbell on Family, Memory and The Spirits
Bonnie Jo Campbell discusses the haunted Christmas dinner at the heart of The Spirits, its Dickensian roots and the Whit...
At the Zoo by LeeAnn Dominick: A Lift-the-Flap Board Book for Animal-Loving Kids
LeeAnn Dominick’s At the Zoo pairs colorful animal illustrations with lift-the-flap puzzles for young readers, earning r...
Middle Grade Roundup: Reviews and Author Features for October 12, 2026
This week’s middle grade roundup links readers to reviews, an author guest post, and features on new stories and a Gary...
The Land Speaks by Jadyn Williams: A Picture Book About Family, Memory and the Seasons
Jadyn Williams’s picture book follows a child and her Mosôm as they learn to listen to the land—and carry his teachings...
15 Sapphic Thrillers and Suspense Reads for Your Book Bingo Card
From a haunted theater to a remote train, these 15 sapphic picks mix romance, mystery and high-stakes suspense.
At the Aquarium: A Five-Star Board Book for Young Sea-Life Fans
Jill Jemm ett gives Taffy Tales’ At the Aquarium five stars for its sea-creature illustrations and trivia tucked behind...
Middle Grade Roundup: Reviews, a Space Mystery and a Spooky Novel in Verse
This week’s middle grade links range from a spooky verse novel and a space mystery to classic fiction, a giveaway and wr...
LeeAnn Dominick’s Trick or Treat Introduces Halloween Through Flaps and Finds
LeeAnn Dominick’s Trick or Treat pairs Halloween costumes with lift-the-flap finds and facts for young children explorin...
Bibi Belford’s Soccer to the Max and Kelly Yang’s Front Desk Graphic Novel
A soccer-camp summer gives way to new friendships in Bibi Belford’s middle-grade novel, while Kelly Yang’s Front Desk re...
Monkeys and Apes by LeeAnn Dominick: A Tactile Board Book for Young Animal Fans
LeeAnn Dominick’s Monkeys and Apes pairs animal images with textured details, showing each species as a baby and as a gr...
Middle Grade Monday Roundup: Reviews, Author Interviews and New Books
This week’s middle grade roundup pairs book reviews with author conversations, a fantasy giveaway and a writer’s update...
‘Don’t Pat the Bunny’ Review: A Tactile Farmyard Board Book for Young Readers
LeeAnn Dominick’s ‘Don’t Pat the Bunny’ turns a farmyard warning into playful touch-and-feel reading, with a different t...
Joel A. Sutherland’s Haunted Canada Graphic Novel Returns with Four Chilling Tales
Four Canadian ghost stories bring history, eerie art and just enough fright for readers ages 9–12.
Zoulfa Katouh’s The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue Blends School Bullying and Magical Realism
Laura Krause praises Zoulfa Katouh’s YA novel for its vivid Syrian and Vietnamese influences, memorable friendship and m...
LeeAnn Dominick’s Petting Zoo Animals Brings Baby Animals to a Tactile Board Book
Jill Jemmett praises Petting Zoo Animals for its realistic baby animals and textured pages, making it an inviting inte...