September 8, 2026 | 'Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest' by Corinne Purtill [Middle Grade Review]9/8/2026
From the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes the historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist from Kenya. Wangari lives in a magical place in rural Kenya where the soil is rich for planting, the trees abundant, and the nearby pond full of mysterious creatures. She drinks from cool, clean streams and plays beneath her favorite fig tree under her mother’s watchful gaze. Then Wangari grows up and goes away to school, and things start changing at home. Farmers chop down the trees. Landslides bury the stream. The pond dries up. The soil becomes overworked, dry, and unusable for planting. And people go hungry. Dr. Wangari Maathai has a simple solution to all of these problems: plant trees. Read a review by Kathryn Longfellow:
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Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, when something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all. Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado. Read a review by Samantha Armstrong:
The piano is free, but fame has a price. On the sleepy streets of Cascade Cove, lonely Margot knows that when she stumbles across a discarded synthesizer with a “not haunted” sign, she’s discovered the key to realizing her dreams. Determined to become a real songwriter and earn her absent father’s admiration, Margot dives headfirst into trying to gain followers and fans online. But her musical journey takes an unexpected turn when she realizes the (not haunted) piano is very much…haunted. Enter Vision, teen pop sensation of 1979 whose untimely demise left her spirit intertwined with the keys of her synthesizer. Though Margot and Vision couldn’t be more different, the girls form an unlikely bond fueled by their shared passion for music. But as Margot’s obsession with fame and recognition grows, she may come dangerously close to losing what she loves about music…and herself. Read a review by Kathryn Longfellow:
Will Scarlet is on the run. Once the sheltered son of nobility, Will has become an exile. While his father, Lord Shackley, has been on the Crusades with King Richard, a treacherous plot to unseat Richard has swept across England, and Shackley House has fallen. Will flees the only home he's ever known into neighboring Sherwood Forest, where he joins the elusive gang of bandits known as the Merry Men. Among them are Gilbert, their cruel leader; a giant named John Little; a drunkard named Rob; and Much, an orphan girl disguised as a bandit boy. This is the story of how a band of misfit outlaws become heroes of legend - thanks to one brave 13-year-old boy. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think—she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins. Read a review by Kathryn Longfellow:
Join Sam Force on a fast-paced adventure through Egypt that’s part National Treasure and part Indiana Jones with the start to a brand-new series packed with puzzles and clues for readers to figure out along the way! When Sam Force goes to Egypt to spend the summer with his uncle Jasper, he’s ready for the usual vacation filled with museums and lessons about the pharaohs and ancient gods. Instead, Sam arrives at the airport and learns that his uncle is missing and wanted by the police. After narrowly escaping his own arrest, Sam sets off to find his uncle using the series of clues that Jasper left behind. But a group of mysterious men are hot on his trail, and Sam knows they’re willing to do whatever it takes to track down Jasper and whatever Jasper was looking for. Now all Sam has to do is find it first. With the help of his new friends Hadi and Mary, and by using the knowledge of ancient Egyptian history and culture that he once hated, Sam makes his way across Egypt determined to find his uncle. And if he does, if he finds Jasper before it’s too late, he may also uncover the secret of the Iron Tomb…a secret that could change Sam’s life forever. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
Strange things are happening in Village Drowning, and a terrifying encounter has Rye O'Chanter convinced that the monstrous, supposedly extinct Bog Noblins have returned. Now Rye's only hope is an exiled secret society so notorious its name can't be spoken aloud: the Luck Uglies. As Rye dives into Village Drowning's maze of secrets, rules, and lies, she'll discover the truth behind the village's legends of outlaws and beasts...and that it may take a villain to save them from the monsters. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone's only half elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he'll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys' dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn...and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild. And when the boys uncover a conspiracy that threatens all of Freestone, Zed, Brock, and their new allies-Liza, a fierce noble, and Jett, a brave dwarf-must prove their worth once and for all. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
Ghosts, witches, pumpkins, and candy are great baking inspiration. This book is chock-full of themed Halloween recipes for young bakers to tackle during the spookiest time of the year. Including baked items for every taste preference, this book breaks down each yummy recipe into an easy-to-follow set of instructions, as well as provides an ingredient and equipment list. Safety tips remind readers to ask for help with sharp or hot baking tools, but recipes have been specially chosen to be appropriate for young bakers of all experience levels. Read a review by Gennifer King:
“Tell no one what I’ve given you.” Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way. But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, the trail of murders grows closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop. With time running out, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover the key to a terrible secret with the power to tear the world apart. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
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