We'd like to introduce you to our Marmalade Junior Book Reviewer, 11-year-old Kiva. Kiva has been a Marmalade reader since July 2020 and is such an enthusiastic reader that we asked if she would like to review some of our Middle Grade Novel picks. Here's what she had to say about our November 2020 Middle Grade Novel Box (drawings by Kiva too!).
Very Rich by Polly Horvath
"A treasure for kids who love adventures."
Ten-year-old Rupert Brown joins a very rich family, The Rivers, for Christmas dinner. He goes on some very wacky adventures with them, including travelling in a cardboard box time-machine, cooking magic food, and even getting kidnapped!
These adventures give him a new perspective of life, very different from his poor life in the “very poor’ section of town.
I think this story shows imagination will actually make you very rich...very rich with happiness! My favorite part is when the librarian tells Rupert that library cards are free! Then he realizes he can finally read stories with his favorite sister, Elise! It’s just such an exciting book, and I love how enthusiastic Rupert is about all the adventures that he’s having and how he waits, fantasizing about what would happen next. Very Rich is now pretty much my favorite book, filled with many thrilling adventures.
The Witches Graphic Novel by Pénélope Bagieu
(Based on the book by Roald Dahl)
“For those of us who love Roald Dahl, this graphic novel of The Witches will amaze you.”
Beware children of the world! The witches are plotting to turn children everywhere into…MICE! Brave boy Bruno Jenkins and his wise grandmamma set out to expose these witches ONCE…AND FOR ALL! While suffering loss of limbs, and the threat of Death, will these brave heroes rise up in time to stop The Grand High Witch from adding to the rodent population? Courage can come in all shapes and sizes, even the tiniest mouse can be a hero!
These big and colorful pictures will bring you right into the story, and the characters are drawn just as I thought they would look! I think this book was really fun to read and I recommend it to other kids. It was a funny adventure with great details and drawings. My favorite part of the book was at the end when the mouse-boy is in his house. There are ladders everywhere and he takes a bath in a tea-cup. It was super cute!