Whatcha Reading? July 2021

Happy August, friends!

We cannot believe that July is already over - the good news is we read some great books!

Today, we’re sharing with you some middle grade book recommendations that the OwlCrate Jr team read this past month. If you've read any of these great picks, let us know what you thought, or tell us what you read this month in the comments below!

Gargantis
by Thomas Taylor

In anticipation of Shadowghast, my kiddos and I read Gargantis by Thomas Taylor. It was so much fun to head back to the Grand Nautilus Hotel to adventure with Herbert and Violet. We cannot get enough of this seaside atmospheric series.

A giant storm looms and talk is that there's an ancient sleeping creature that lives deep in the caves under the town. Someone was stolen something from the creature, and when something goes missing it usually turns up at the Lost-and-Foundary in the Grand Nautilus Hotel. And so Herbert Lemon’s third eerie seaside adventure begins.

(P.S. Get your copy of Shadowghast here!)

—Kellie

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Tidesong by Wendy Zu

I LOVED this new witchy middle grade graphic novel from Wendy Xu, the author of Mooncakes. The story is all about Sophie, a young witch in training, who is sent to live in a seaside town with her Great Aunt and cool older cousin to prepare for her big audition to the elite Royal Magic Academy. In a fit of frustration, a spell goes wrong and Sophie's magic becomes entangled with a water dragon named Lir. In order to get untangled and bring back his memories, Sophie has to learn to calm her nerves (and her temper) and trust her own magic. It was such a fun story and the illustrations are perfect for any Studio Ghibli fans.

—Sally

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The Forgotten Girl
by India Hill Brown

This book gave me chills! Literally. We follow Iris and her best friend Daniel who on a winter night sneak into the woods by their house to play in the fresh snow - but just when Iris is completing the perfect snow angel they uncover the grave of a young girl named Avery Moore. And then strange and spooky things start happening to Iris.

Determined to find out what is happening, Iris and Daniel discover the grave is part of a forgotten Black cemetery and the two go on a mission to learn more about their town's past and give the cemetery the respect it deserves. 

This book was definitely on the spookier side, but it was also a fantastic story! The perfect chilly read for a hot summer night! Maybe keep a nightlight on standby.

—Cori

What books are you starting off your summer with? Let us know in the comments below!

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