Tag: #MiddleGrade

Book Review: The Hurricanes of Weakerville #baseball #booksaboutbaseball #Veryfunny

BonnieReadsAndWrites13 Comments

Alex Weakerman is an almost eighth-grader who loves baseball, especially the Hurricanes of Weakerville, Iowa, an independent league professional baseball team owned by his Grandpa Ira. Alex’s talents don’t lie in actually playing the game–he once struck out at tee-ball–but he is a whiz at statistics, and he knows everything about every player and every at-bat the Hurricanes have ever had. But the Hurricanes are a shadow of what they once were, and are losing money. And Alex has other problems–his lack of confidence is legendary. When his Grandpa Ira passes away, Alex is crushed, but Ira leaves him a legacy that can change everything. He becomes the manager of the Hurricanes.

This is a hilarious middle-grade story with a great cast of characters who will keep you laughing. Although it is about baseball, it’s also about the wonderful relationship between a boy and his grandfather, and a bequest that will turn out to be much bigger than it appears. It is about the magic that happens when you step out of your comfort zone and trust others, and about the gift of good friends. This book was enjoyable from beginning to end. It had me laughing out loud in some places and misting up in others. It was a pleasure to read. Fans of fiction about sports and family will love this lively tale of a thirteen-year-old professional baseball manager, his amazing grandpa, and his group of friends.

I received a free copy of this book from Walden Pond Press via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(From His Website: ChrisRylander.com)

Follow Chris on Twitter

BUY LINKS

Amazon | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

The Seeing Scroll

BonnieReadsAndWritesLeave a comment

Here is a book description and links to buy of a thrilling Middle Grade fantasy/mystery adventure. It is also available to borrow on Kindle Unlimited for free. I have updated this post to include my review at the bottom of the page.

“Stray too long where you don’t belong and the world you’re from could be forever gone.”
A children’s mystery adventure with a little bit of magic.

When police exhume the body in her grandfather’s coffin, 12-year-old Gia Lance already knows that it isn’t him. And given that her dad won’t believe her, what choice does she have but to enlist the help of her drama-king best friend? Their daring, behind the scenes search for her grandfather leads to the discovery of a secret riddle, a hidden plateau and an enchanted scroll steeped in mystery. It lures them by exposing visions – fragments of well-kept secrets.

Gia soon grapples with an eerie tale of a dungeon, an ill-fated ship, a missing child, and the legendary curse of the Seeing Scroll. But whose secrets are they? How does the scroll decide what she sees? Who can she trust? More importantly, what does it any of it have to do with her grandfather?

Time is running out. For Gia to connect the dots, she must confront the idea of her grandfather not being who she thought he was and acknowledge the possibility of him being cursed. But there are people after the scroll. Dangerous people! Clearly, they’ll do anything to ensure their secrets remain buried. Maybe even their crimes. Can Gia evade them on her quest to solve the riddle and figure out how to save her grandfather without being duped by the scroll’s delicious secrets, or will he be forever lost?

BUY ON AMAZON (OR BORROW ON KINDLE UNLIMITED)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

.T. GROBLER lives with her husband and daughter. She shares her space with two formidable Staffordshire terriers. Her dog of choice, but honestly, anything four-legged that lets her hug it surely has a kind soul. 

When she isn’t writing, she’s probably strolling with her furry friends through the local farmer’s vineyards or dawdling along the beach. She adores boat rides, watching an active slipway and the wind on her face. 

She also has a pair of African Grey parrots who love to jabber about what she said yesterday. 

Her first writing job came from a third-grade teacher – 100 lines of “I must not eat in class”.

Thank you for reading!

You can visit her at this link

REVIEW–BONNIE READS AND WRITES

This is a middle grade fantasy thriller/adventure set in South Africa that takes you right into the action from the first page. Gia knows with all her heart that her grandfather is alive. Along with her best friend Vuyo, she follows a sometimes treacherous path of clues to a mysterious scroll. The scroll may help her find her grandfather, but it comes with a high price, and dangerous people are trying to possess it. The story can get a little complicated and sad at times, but it is an intriguing tale full of magic, adventure, danger, love, and loss. The importance of family and friendship, and the sacrifice of those who love us, are underscored in this thrilling tale. I would recommend to young adults and above, as well as middle graders with parental supervision.