Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Category Archives: Middle School


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New MG Sci Fi a Kick in the Pants

Rieden Reece and the Dark Shadow

By Matt Guzman (Mindfast Publishing, July 2025)

Genre: Middle Grade/YA Fantasy

Pages (Kindle): 257

Via: Author Request

“We’ve got a million things to do and ten seconds to do them.”

Rieden Reece is busy. He must save his big bro. His Mom. Himself. And rescue humanity from AI “integration” (think The Borg). As in, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. So no pressure, broseph in this delightful and uber absorbing sci fi adventure for middle grade readers and up.

Here’s the 4-1-1:

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Reece-aholics of the World, UNTIE! (That’s not a typo)

Yo, wassup?

A confession. Mom and me? We’re Reece-aholics. (Not to be confused with a Reese-aholic of the peanut butter variety. Or crispy bacon. That’s diff. But just as tasty.)

Ever since we read Matt Guzman’s riotous fantasy/sci fi romp, Rieden Reece and the Broken Moon, we’ve been hooked on this kid and his madcap adventures. Rieden grows on ya. So we were delighted to hear Ri’s back for another crazy adventure in this fourth and latest installment. Here’s the 4-1-1:

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‘Groundworld Heroes’ Digs Into Unexpected Adventure

The Groundworld Heroes

By Adrian So (Monarch Press, 2024)

Genre: Fiction/Middle School/Animals

Pages: 149

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I know. I’m AWESOME!

So there we were. Her Royal Momness and I. Hanging out. Chasing frisbees. Munching on extra crispy bacon. When that stupid ping thingy pings. Telling She Who Must Be Obeyed she has email. Seems a fourteen y.o. in Canada or some other foreign country has a debut novel coming out about animal heroes.

Well. Who can resist that? So here’s the scoop:

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THIS MS Fiction Will Knock Your Socks (and Phone) Off

Alone in the Woods

By Rebecca Behrens (Sheridan Books, 2020)

Genre: Middle School Fiction/Children’s Friendship/ Children’s Action & Adventure 

Pages: 301 (Hardback)

Via: Library

Cold. Defenseless. Hungry. Bleeding. Sick. Lost.

It’s not a good day for two middle school girls lost in the vast untamed wildness of Wisconsin’s Northwoods during the shank end of summer. The two ex-best friends must find a way to put their differences aside and work together in order to survive. Can they? Will they?

Uh-Oh

Jocelyn (Joss) and Alejandra (Alex) have been BFFs since kindergarten. But after two weeks at summer Spanish camp with uber cool Laura Longbottom hanging on her every wood, Alex isn’t interested in brainy and “nerdy” Joss. But their families have been taking joint vacations to “Allard’s Roost” family cabin on Wisconsin’s Buttercup Lake for years. So Joss hopes that their upcoming trip will provide an opportunity to restore and rekindle the friendship.

Will it?

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