I’m the moderator of a fantastic group on Goodreads called GREAT MIDDLE GRADE READS. This group has a forum that provides a tool for real kids to read and publish their very own reviews of middle grade books.  Who better to review middle grade books than the kids themselves.

Keep checking back here from time-to-time for more REVIEWS BY KIDS of great middle grade reads.

Kid’s Review by DeAnnah (age 10 years)

Michaela’s Gift – by Cordelia Dinsmore

Goodreads Blurb

Michaela Cochran still believes in enchanted mountains and fairytale castles, but her happily-ever-after will never happen if she can’t convince her mother to accept the magical gift Michaela has inherited.

Michaela Cochran and her family make the trip to her father’s ancestral home every year, but this year is special. Michaela is now twelve, the age when every girl in the family receives a special gift. When Aunt Sharon explains that Michaela’s gift is a magical ability to bring one of her drawings to life, Michaela begins making plans.

What she wants most is a castle high on the mountain, where her family can live together. But if she can’t figure out how to resolve the growing hostility between herself and her mother, her gift is meaningless.

DeAnnah’s Review

Michaela’s Gift is a mix of magic, fun, family and a bit of mystery. There were some shocking moments in the book to. I loved this book so much that I read it in a matter of hours! Sean, Michaela’s brother, is funny and sometimes clever. Michaela is smart and resourceful. I’m really glad that I read this book.

4 Bookworms

This is what DeAnnah’s mom thought

My daughter and I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Michaela has come with her family to her Grandparent’s to receive the gift that all girls in her family receive on their 12th birthday. While she is excited that she is going to finally get her gift,  she doesn’t understand why her mother is so upset about her gift and is so angry with her.  I really enjoyed this story. It is full of magic of all sorts, from magical gifts to the magic of a family’s love for each other. There were some very good twists and turns throughout the book that kept it interesting.

I thought this author did a good job of portraying the tension that was between Michaela and her mother as well as showing how families can overcome difficult circumstances and still care for each other. I originally thought that some of the issues in the book might be a bit heavy for the reading level but after my daughter read it and I read it wasn’t a concern any longer. The only thing that I was left wanting was to know more about how the gift worked.

Thanks DeAnnah, your review was published as part of the GREAT MIDDLE GRADE READS
group’s REVIEWS BY KIDS initiative.

You’re review will help other readers around the world!!

The rating scale is ‘Bookworms’.

1 = I didn’t like this book.
2 = This is an ok book.
3 = This is a good book. I liked it.
4 = This is a great book. I really enjoyed it.
5 = This is an awesome book. I loved it and so will the world.