OwlCrate Jr Book-A-Like: Vol 2

By: Cheryl Long

OwlCrate Jr Book-a-like: Vol. 2

You know that feeling when you finish a great book and you immediately want to pick up something just like it? Well, I got you! Back with another Book-a-like article in which I pair an excellent past OwlCrate Jr pick with a similar middle grade title. Let me know any themes or past picks you’d like to see featured next in the comments below!

 

OwlCrate Jr Pick: 

Futureland Battle for the Park by H.D. Hunter

Futureland: Battle for the Park by H.D. Hunter: Cameron is heir to the infamous floating theme part that flies around the world. Deciding to park in Atlanta so Cameron can attend a real school for the year, things start to go downhill very quickly as someone is trying to sabotage the park! A fast paced, mixed media story that combines an epic Disneyland-adventure-ride futuristic theme park, a band of friends — both real and AI — and a sinister plot involving missing kids, stolen parents, and malfunctioning dangerous AI, our recent December 2022 pick is an epic adventure! 

 

Book-a-like:

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia: My daughter and I both fell in love with the dynamic characters and whip fast pace of this excellent middle grade adventure that is full of Black Mythology. Grieving seventh grader, Tristan, goes to live on his grandparents farm after his best friend is killed in a tragic bus accident. While here a strange — and oddly sticky — animated doll tries to steal his beloved friends notebook. During the struggle he accidentally rips open a hole between our world and the world of MidPass and now he must set things right and close the hole before it completely destroys everything. But first he must survive oceans made of flame, ships made of bones, talking forest creatures, and evil iron monsters hunting the inhabitants of MidPass.


 

OwlCrate Jr Pick: 

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston: It’s been such a joy to watch this middle grade novel take off and soar, gaining massive popularity not just with middle grade readers by older readers as well! Because it is such a great adventure! After her brother’s sudden disappearance Amari is thrust into his secretive world that involves a world full of supernatural creatures, a magical school, and an evil magician threatening not just the supernatural world but the human world as well! 

 

 

Book-a-like:

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu: Described as Black Panther meets X-men, readers are going to fall in love with Onyeka. Onyeka hates her unruly hair, until the day her best friend almost drowns and her Afro hair actually saves her! Apparently Onyeka has psychokinetic powers and is a descendant from the Solari — a secret group of people with superpowers unique to Nigeria. Soon, Onyeka finds herself a new student at the Academy of the Sun where the Solari are trained.

 

 


 

 OwlCrate Jr Pick:

Amira & Hamza the war to save the worlds

Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds by Samira Ahmed: On the night of the rare super blue moon Amira and her younger brother Hamza attend a museum event to celebrate. But when their constant bickering leads to the activation of a long forgotten object — (and the subsequent opening of a door between our world and many others) — a series of apocalyptical events is set into motion. Now the siblings must put aside their constant arguing to save ALL the worlds! 

 

 

Book-a-like:

Maya and the rising dark

Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron: When 12-year-old Maya begins to witnesses many weird occurrences in her Chicago neighbourhood, her friends are quick to try to explain it away. But these occurrences — like were hyenas stalking the streets — sound familiar to Maya. They sound just like the stories her dad has told her before. When her dad disappears, Maya is determined to find him and soon discovers he is actually the guardian of the veil between our world and the Dark. Her journey will take her deep into this Dark world, ruled by the Lord of Shadows.