We have been writing middle-grade and children’s picture book reviews on Fairday’s Blog for about 12 years. We started our book blog when we began our journey to publish The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow. In attending book shows, like the BEA, The Children’s Book Fair, various writing conferences, and book events, we were able to meet and interview many of the authors whose books we reviewed. It has been fascinating and fun to get the scoop on the story behind their stories and understand the books on a deeper level. We’ve read and reviewed many books on our path to publishing the Fairday Morrow books, and it’s been amazing connecting with readers and authors all over the globe and sharing our stories.
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s certain she’ll die of boredom.
As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past. Before she can unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where a series of clues takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.
The Phantom Tollbooth is a book that masterfully opens the reader’s mind to different perspectives through his brilliant storytelling. Milo is a character who you learn to love as he winds his way through a divided world desperate to find Rhyme and Reason.
Norton Juster was a master at scene setting- taking an idea or concept and showing it in a unique way that resonates meaning. I gained insight into my feelings about certain situations. I was immensely entertained by the story, and certain scenes in the book will stick with me forever. The illustrations by Jules Feiffer are fantastic.
The power to show another person what you mean lies in crafting a good story. The Phantom Tollbooth is a book that takes the reader on a whirlwind journey along with Milo as he tries to stop a divided kingdom of words and numbers from collapsing. Norton Juster weaves his tale along the twisty turns Milo takes on his journey, and you can’t help but follow along in pursuit of Rhyme and Reason. I highly recommend this fascinating book!
With almost 5 million copies sold 60 years after its original publication, generations of readers have now journeyed with Milo to the Lands Beyond in this beloved classic. Enriched by Jules Feiffer’s splendid illustrations, the wit, wisdom, and wordplay of Norton Juster’s offbeat fantasy are as beguiling as ever.
“Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet. And teach us some wisdom, too.” --Phillip Pullman
For Milo, everything’s a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only…
I absolutely loved this book! Anne Ursu has a brilliant way with words. The Real Boy was the second book I picked up by this author- Breadcrumbs was the first, and I was hooked on Ursu’s unique and genuine style of storytelling. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories that tie in legends and whisk you off on a magical adventure.
National Book Award Longlist * Bank Street Children's Book Committee Best Book of the Year
"Beautifully written and elegantly structured, this fantasy is as real as it gets."—Franny Billingsley, author of Chime
The Real Boy, Anne Ursu's follow-up to her widely acclaimed and beloved middle grade fantasy Breadcrumbs, is a spellbinding tale of the power we all wield, great and small.
On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy named Oscar. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, and spends his days in…
Each year the people of the Protectorate leave a baby in the woods as a sacrifice. Xan, the witch, is kind and saves the babies, giving them to families who will love them. Until there is one baby she doesn’t give away and both of their lives are changed forever. The story and characters sucked me right into another world. I couldn’t put this book down! I loved thinking about the way the story was told and the way information was presented. There were a lot of layers to this book and I enjoyed making my way through each one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a modern-day fairytale.
THE NO 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER
'This beautifully written, darkly funny coming-of-age story will enchant and entertain' Daily Mail
Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is in fact a good witch who shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest,…
I got lost in the pages of this middle-grade historical fiction book. Ada’s character tugged at my heart and I was completely invested in her story. The cruelty her mother showed her added to the dangers of the war going on around her, and I rooted for Ada to survive and thrive. As she and her younger brother fled from London to the countryside I was hoping they would find safety and love. The storytelling is masterful and readers will feel like they are in the story with Ada. This is a book that will stay with you after you turn the last page.
*Newbery Honor book *Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
This #1 New York Times bestseller is an exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II, from the acclaimed author of Fighting Words, and for fans of Fish in a Tree and Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
I know better than to judge a book by its cover. Still, I didn’t want to read Gregor the Overlander when I first saw the cover. It was recommended for 5th graders and I read it so I would be able to talk to my students about it. I am so glad I did because I loved the story, characters, and world building. When Gregor and his sister, Boots, fell through the grate in the laundry room I was right there with them. The world they discovered was so well described that I felt like I was in the Underland meeting the cast of characters that awaited them. The prophecy that involves Gregor made me nervous and excited, as I hoped he would be able to do what he needed to do. This is an adventure that will become a favorite of fantasy lovers!
The first in a gripping young fantasy series from the author of THE HUNGER GAMES.
When eleven-year-old Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats and giant cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans.
This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident.
But Gregor wants no part of it - until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
As a child, one of my favorite places was in the top branches of a tree. From up there I could watch the world pass by, remaining invisible. I could make up stories about the world below and no one would challenge me. The second best place for me was inside the story of a book, the kind that took you to magical places where children always found a way to win the day. I knew when I “grew up” I would write one of those empowering books. I became a middle school teacher and have since read many wonderful books for this age. Enjoy my list of favorites.
Where do you turn when the only adult who gets you, your grandpa, is gone, and the world seems to be in self-destruct mode?
On his 12th birthday, Thomas runs away to the forest he used to visit with Grandpa. It is dying. Will saving it from a deadly parasite bring him closer to Grandpa or make his world safer? Before he can find out, he is enticed into a magical world under an attack of a different kind.
Welcomed by a garden of talking plants, mind-reading creatures, tree-climbing, nature-loving beings, Thomas conquers the stinging, prickly hedge that guards the portal to this alternate world. At last, a place where he fits in. A place that needs him. But what about his and Grandpa’s forest?
“…a magical book...” John Perkins, New York Times best-selling author
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