Hello,
Since I loved taking part in Middle Grade March and I tend not to reach for those middle grade titles on my shelf, I’m excited to take part in Believathon II: Journey to the Stronghold.
This is a two week readathon dedicated to reading children’s literature. It take places from the 11 May 2020 to 25 May 2020.
This readthon is hosted by Gavin from How to Train Your Gavin over on BookTube. For information and to get a copy of the Believeathon compendium head over to Gavin’s challenge.
This readathon has a map to help you complete your quest. We begin at the Poacher’s Pocket Inn and follow the story to the end of the quest. From the Inn there are three paths in which to choose and each location has a different prompt.
To complete your quest you need to visit 5 location, including the Poacher’s Pocked Inn, and therefore complete 5 books. Upon completing the first prompt, a mysterious stranger will provide you with a magic lamp which comes with a choice of three wishes however you can only chose one wish to help you on your journey.
On to the books
Poacher’s Pocket In
Read the first book in a series
I didn’t get to this one for Middle Grade March so I’ve decided to pick this one first. I get Rick Riordan vibes from this one but instead of myth we have fairy tales.
Each year two children are taken some years it’s a pair of boys and others a pair of girls and spirited away into the Endless Woods. But each year it is an opposing pair. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth.
Best friends, Sophie and Agatha are about to discover that all the lost children go to the fabled School for Good & Evil where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl, Sophie has dreamed of being taken into the an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil. Neither could expect their roles reversed.
I love the sound of the classes that Sophie and Agatha are enrolled in — Uglification, Death Curses, Henchmen Training, Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. I cannot wait to see how this story plays out. And if I love it, luckily I have the rest of the series!
The Yellow Brick Road
Read a book you were supposed to read years ago!
I’ve been meaning to read this book for years. I first saw it on Jen Campbell’s booktube channel and it sounds all kinds of wonderful. The world has a Wonderland or Neverland vibe — both of world I adore and can always use more of in my life.
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.
Also this book has dragons! Yay for dragons. It will be awesome to finally get to this and make a start on this series.
100 Acre Woods
Read a book with yellow on the cover
I’ve been missing the Percy Jackson world after I finished the series this time last year. I was lucky enough to receive the Heroes of Olympus for my birthday.
We follow Jason, Piper and Leo when they crash land at Camp Half-Blood. They have no idea what to expect. Apparently this is the only safe place for children of the Greek Gods — despite the monsters roaming the woods and demigods practising archery with flaming arrows and explosives. But rumours of a terrible curse —and a missing hero — are flying around camp.
It seems the trio are the chosen ones to embark on a terrifying new quest, which they must complete by the winter solstice. In just four days time.
Yes I know this cover doesn’t have a ton of yellow on it but I’ve been trying to prioritise the books of my shelves rather than buying anymore.
The Brolly Rail
Read a book that featuring transportation or has transportation on the cover
This is one of the newest middle grade additions to my shelves. It sounds all kinds of wonderful and I love that it appears to have a Steampunk elements.
A new, incredible technology has been discovered in the city of Medlock, where a secretive guild of inventors have developed a way to capture spirits of the dead in animal-like machines, bringing them back to life.
A year after the death of her older brother, Prue Haywood’s family is still shattered by grief. But everything changes when a stranger arrives at the farm. Prue knows that the “Ghost Guild” might hold the key to bringing her brother back, so she seizes the stranger’s offer to join as an apprentice. But to find her brother, she needs to find a way to get the ghost machines to remember the people they used to be.
The Bookkeeper’s Stronghold
Read the next book in a series
I have been loving this series. If you love the Percy Jackson series I think you will like this. The Blackwell Pages is set in modern day America and features Norse mythology. We follow Matt Throrsen, a descendant of the great God Thor, who’s chosen to represent Thor in Ragnarok. He along with Loki’s descendants Laurie and Fen, they must gather the other descendants stand, defeat a giant serpent, and save the world.
I won’t say too much about the plot as this is the final book of the trilogy. I’m excited to see how this story ends!
For the full synopsis of each of these book click on the image it will take you to the related goodreads page!
That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if you’re taking part in round two of Believeathon and what Middle Grade books are you planning to read.
Until next time, happy reading!
Words of the Roses 