Book Reviews By & For Kids - Rapunzel Reads

Author Interview: Megan Reyes

6/5/2023

Megan Reyes is the author of the Heroes of Havensong series for young readers. Megan lives in Northern California with her husband, four sons, two dogs, and an ever-growing collection of dragon and fox figurines. When she’s not writing, she’s probably drawing, painting, going on walks, or getting lost in a new book. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @MReyesWrites.

We absolutely loved Dragonboy, so we were thrilled to interview Megan Reyes for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: One of my favorite parts of Dragonboy was the worldbuilding--I was always completely engrossed in the setting, and there were many elements, like the companion magics, unlike anything I can remember reading before. Do you have a favorite part about the world of Haven? If so, why?

Megan Reyes: I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed your journey in Haven. Honestly, imagining Haven took years and it is such a blast for me to come up with details about each and every corner of the Northern and Southern realms (both of which will be explored further in future books). It's hard to choose a favorite part, but if I could visit, I would first want Blue to give me a tour of the Gerberan stables, where he grew up. Then I'd want to visit Meraki Island because I imagine it to be as beautiful as Hawaii--plus I'd love to see all the Magics roaming around. Lastly, I'd probably mostly want to hang out on Dragon Mountain because the Dragon Growers are really low-key and relaxed.

Author photo credit: Elaine Kendrick

Author Interview: A. J. Sass

4/3/2023

A. J. Sass (he/they) is an author whose narrative interests lie at the intersection of identity, neurodiversity, and allyship. He is the critically acclaimed author of the ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 titles Ellen Outside the Lines, which was also a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and Ana on the Edge, as well as the co-author of Camp QUILTBAG (with Nicole Melleby). All three books are Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections.

When he’s not writing, A. J. figure skates and travels as much as possible. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his husband and two cats who act like dogs. Visit him online at sassinsf.com and follow him @matokah on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

We were absolutely thrilled to get the chance to interview A. J. Sass this month!

Rapunzel Reads: Too often, especially in middle-grade, books will focus on a single 'issue' and neglect to fully develop the many competing challenges and story-lines that make up everyday lives, but Ana on the Edge does nothing of the sort--instead, Ana's story both on and off the rink is full of subplots, complexities, and unexpected layers that bring her and her

Author photo credit: Deven Sass-Cao

Author Interview: Deva Fagan

3/6/2023

Deva Fagan (she/her) is the author of Rival Magic, Nightingale, Circus Galacticus and other books for young readers. She lives in Maine with her husband and her dog. When she’s not writing she spends her time reading, playing video games, doing geometry, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

We recently read and loved her most recent novel, The Mirrorwood, and were thrilled to get the chance to interview her about favorite characters, inspiration, and more!

Rapunzel Reads: The Mirrorwood's characters are phenomenal and all strikingly unique--I particularly loved Lyrian and Vycorax, who always did what I least expected them to in the best possible way. Do you have a favorite character? If so, why are they your favorite?

Deva Fagan: I’m so glad you loved the characters and that they surprised you! They surprised me too sometimes!

The most fun character to write was definitely Moth, the talking cat. I love cats but sadly I’m allergic and thus have never had a cat of my own (I do have a lovely and adorable dog though!). So in a way, writing about Moth was a chance to have a cat of my own without sneezing my nose off!

Author photo credit: Paul Van Der Werf

Author Interview: Amy Noelle Parks

11/7/2022

Amy Noelle Parks is the author of the YA romantic comedy The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss and the middle-grade realistic fiction novel Summer of Brave, both of which we absolutely loved! We were thrilled to interview her for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: Middle-grade books often focus on a single issue or topic, or become waylaid by too many plot threads--but Summer of Brave does neither, instead painting a beautiful, nuanced portrait of the many layers of one girl's life. How did you go about weaving together the many aspects of Lilla's life in such a balanced, realistic way?

Amy Noelle Parks: Thank you so much for the kind words. I really wanted to write a book that captured—for me anyway—what it was like to be twelve or thirteen. And for the most part, that means many things happening at once. I don't really love issue books in part because they can be heavy handed but also because issues don't tend to wait neatly on the sidelines until we can give them our full attention. The rest of our life doesn't stop because we get catcalled. For Lilla's story I really wanted to explore themes of people-pleasing, introversion and bravery so I tried to think about all the ways those might come up in a girl's life and then weave them together—hopefully in a way that made sense!

RR: Lilla constantly feels the pressure of how she's 'supposed' to be a girl, particularly when she struggles with wanting to do things that are seen as 'girly', or not do things which would be groundbreaking for her gender, and I loved how she slowly realizes there is no one

Author photo credit: Katie Murray

Author Interview: Janae Marks

10/10/2022

Janae Marks is the author of the highly acclaimed middle-grade novels From the Desk of Zoe Washing-ton and A Soft Place to Land. Her next book, On Air with Zoe Washington, will be released next February. We loved From the Desk of Zoe Washington's thoughtful plot, realistic characters, and compelling writing, so we were thrilled to interview Janae Marks this month!

Rapunzel Reads: What inspired From the Desk of Zoe Washington?

Janae Marks: I was actually first inspired by a podcast! Back in 2014, I listened to the first season of the podcast Serial, which told the story of a man who's in prison after being convicted of murder, but many people believe he's innocent of the crime. The podcast got me thinking about wrongful convictions--when someone is convicted of a crime they didn't commit. Since I like writing for kids, I started to wonder what it would be like to be the child of someone who may have been wrongfully convicted. Zoe was born from there! Because I love watching baking competition shows for fun, I decided to make her an aspiring pastry chef.

RR: The characters in From the Desk of Zoe Washington are layered and feel completely real, particularly Zoe

Author photo credit: Jerri Graham Photography

Author Interview: Diana Farid

9/5/2022

Diana Farid is a poet and award-winning author. Her debut novel in verse, Wave, tells the story of thirteen-year-old Ava, who must draw on every bit of hope and resilience within her to help her best friend fight for survival. Eloquent, heart-wrenching, and tender, we absolutely loved Wave, so we were thrilled to inter-view Diana Farid for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: One of the things that makes Wave such a standout is the gorgeous free verse it's written in. What's it like to write a novel in such spare lines, and what influence did that format have on the story as you were developing it? Was it a challenge to create such emotional depth with so few words?

Diana Farid: Writing a verse novel in free verse with spare lines was a wondrous experience. It required me to hone in on the heart of the story and find the most powerful and direct words that would transmit that heart. I developed most of the story before I started writing WAVE. So when I went to put words to paper that would eventually become the book, I knew what I wanted to say. What was left to work out were some of the more creative poetic questions like, “What should a poem that says [insert feeling or plot point] look like?” or “How will I show dialogue here that will show the action and underlying themes?” and one of my favorites, “How can I be the most honest about what the experience I’m describing feels or sounds like?” Writing WAVE was one of the most challenging things I’ve done, because of the

Author photo credit: John Thomas Leppert

Author Interview: Claribel A. Ortega

8/8/2022

Claribel A. Ortega is the author of Ghost Squad and Witchlings, a middle-grade fantasy novel about three young witches who must complete an impossible task to keep their magic--and avoid being turned into toads. The second book in the series, The Golden Frog Games, will be released next year. We loved Witchlings's whimsy, strong sense of place, and characters, so we were thrilled to interview Claribel A. Ortega for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: The world of Witchlings blends magic with technology in a way that feels vivid and utterly believable, full of quirky details and beautiful imagery. How did you go about creating this setting? Do you have a favorite part about it?

Claribel A Ortega: When I started the world building process for Witchlings I knew I wanted it to feel like a place that was not that far removed from our own world. The use of technology was deliberate in that sense. It’s such a huge part of our everyday life that I didn’t feel it would be grounded in our world without it. I also saw it as an opportunity to create fun names and interesting gadgets, although it was a challenge sometimes. The more tiny details you can put into your world building the more fleshed out and immersive it can feel and that was really my goal with Witchlings. My favorite part about it is probably how it takes so many of the real life places I love and gives it a magic twist. The Twelve Towns themselves are inspired by

Author photo credit: Clarinet Orchestra

Author Interview: Harry Harvey

6/6/2022

Harry Harvey is the debut author of The Summer My Grandmother's Yard Tried to Kill Me, a humorous and action-packed summer adventure about a boy and his newfound friends who must save an island from a botanical experiment gone very wrong. We loved its quirky characters and witty writing.

Rapunzel Reads: What was your favorite part of writing The Summer My Grandmother's Yard Tried to Kill Me?

Harry Harvey: I think my favorite part of writing the book was the original rough draft. Every day I would fill pages of a notebook and the story was unfolding as I was writing it. I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen, so most days were fun and exciting and surprising. My second favorite part was the help I received from everyone when I was revising and applying different suggestions.

RR: One of our favorite things about The Summer My Grandmother's Yard Tried to Kill Me is the irresistibly quirky characters. What's your process for creating them? Who is your favorite, and why?

HH: I think I create most characters out of my imagination. Others are slightly based on people I meet. My favorite characters probably are the twins. They came out of a short reference of Peter talking about Godzilla versus Mothra. In that classic monster movie there were two magical twins on a magical island where Mothra lived. I thought why not

Author photo: Harry Harvey

Author Interview: Barbara Dee

4/4/2022

Barbara Dee is the author of numerous middle-grade realistic fiction novels, including the upcoming Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet and Maybe He Just Likes You, which tells the story of seventh grader Mila, who's beginning to get some odd--and unwanted--attention from boys, which seems to be much worse than the flirting everyone else makes it out to be. We loved the story's characters, realism and deftness, so we were thrilled to interview Barbara Dee about it!

Rapunzel Reads: The characters in Maybe He Just Likes You are all relatable, particularly Mila's friends: even when they're not helping her--or perhaps then specifically--they always feel honest and believable, like someone I could know myself. How do you create your characters? Do you have a favorite among them?

Barbara Dee: Thank you! Of course I relate most strongly to Mila. But I have a special place in my heart for her bratty little sister Hadley, who cracks me up. Also, I’m pleased with Zara, the toxic friend. Everyone has a Zara in their life!

When I’m creating a character, I always try to give them some quirks and inconsistencies—little (and sometimes big) surprises. So for example, Zara is the leader of their friends group--a loud, charismatic, extroverted kid who is also insecure about her body.

RR: Do you have any tips for an aspiring writer?

BD: First, if you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader. Read constantly. Read what you love, and ask yourself: Why do I love this book?

Author photo credit: Carolyn Simpson

Author Interview: Scott Reintgen

3/7/2022

Scott Reintgen is the author of several books for young adults and kids. His middle-grade Talespinners series (Saving Fable, Escaping Ordinary, and Breaking Badlands) tells the tale of Indira Story, an aspiring character who, despite being relegated to the role of Side Character, may still have it in her to become a hero. We loved the series' quirky humor, clever plot twists, and detailed world, so we were thrilled to interview Scott Reintgen for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: What inspired Saving Fable?

Scott Reintgen: I really just wanted to explore what it would look like for someone to prepare for a role in a story. What kind of training would they need? And who would their teachers be? But maybe the main inspiration was this: I wanted to have fun writing. I'd been reading darker stories and writing darker stories--and this world let me enjoy the whimsical and fun of writing.

RR: Saving Fable's world is full of quirkiness and writing references in a way which makes it awesome to read. Do you have a favorite part about it?

SR: My personal favorite might be Detective Malaprop. I just have a soft spot for the bumbling detective type character? I also love the Sepulcher. I truly have

Author photo credit: York Wilson

Author Interview: Lisa Fipps

2/7/2022

Lisa Fipps is the author of Starfish, a middle-grade realistic fiction novel in verse. It tells the story of Ellie, who has spent years trying to keep people from targeting her because of her weight, but who maybe can learn that she's worthy of respect and love, too. We loved Starfish (it was one of our favorites from 2021), and so we were thrilled to interview Lisa Fipps for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: Ellie is a multi-dimensional character who feels real, and who we both quickly fell in love with, and your supporting characters (especially Doc!) are also irresistible. What's your process for creating characters?

Lisa Fipps: Characters come to me through what I call movie trailers in my head. A little weird, huh? For example, one movie trailer I had was Ellie swimming in the pool. She was angry. I could tell from how hard her arms slapped the water, how hard she kicked. She swam and swam until she calmed down. Then she floated. I could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking. And then she stretched out her arms and legs — starfished — and her mouth drew up in a smile. Watching that movie trailer made me ask all kinds of questions about her. Why is she angry? What is she thinking about? Why is she stretching out like a starfish? That movie trailer became the poem I’m a Starfish. I don’t get a movie trailer for every poem and I don’t get them in chronological order. Darn it. I get them for the big moments and have to piece together the story. I’d like to get a full-length movie in my head sometime. That’s be sooo helpful! LOL. The closest I’ve come to that is with book two. I saw what I call a mini-movie, showing

Author Interview: Graci Kim

12/6/2021

Graci Kim is the author of The Last Fallen Star, an instant New York Times bestseller and the first book in the Gifted Clans trilogy. The sequel, The Last Fallen Moon, will come out this June. We loved her first novel for its awesome protagonist, constantly surprising plot, and vivid world--we can't wait for book two! We were thrilled to get the chance to interview Graci Kim for this month's feature.

Rapunzel Reads: Who is your favorite character in The Last Fallen Star, and why?

Graci Kim: My favorite character has got to be Emmett Harrison. I love him because he claims to be allergic to emotions and pretends to be all snarky, but really deep down, he's this baking-obsessed, uber loyal dude who loves dressing dogs up in funny costumes. I wish I could meet him in real life!

RR: Hattie and Riley's relationship feels extraordinarily real, and is one of the strongest I've come across in fantasy novels. What inspired it?

GK: I have two younger sisters and they were my inspirations for the sisterhood between Hattie and Riley. They are four years and five years younger than me, and I love them with

Author photo credit: Joyce Kim

Author Interview: Sarah McGuire

11/1/2021

Sarah McGuire is the author of the middle-grade fantasy fairy tale adaptations Valiant (based on "The Brave Little Tailor") and The Flight of Swans (based on "Six Swans"). We loved The Flight of Swans for its detailed worldbuilding, strong plot, and unique reimagining of the original story--we were thrilled to interview Sarah McGuire about it for this month's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: The Flight of Swans stays close to the original story, 'Six Swans', while expanding in new directions. What was your process for writing The Flight of Swans in this way, and what inspired your particular adaptation of it? How did you brainstorm? What inspired the Queen?

Sarah McGuire: For me, retelling a fairy tale involves exploring something I loved or fixing something I hated. In the original story, I loved that the younger sister saved her brothers. The original stories detailed her strength and heroism. But there were a few things I didn't like: both fairy tales (Grimm with six brothers and Andersen with twelve) seemed to concentrate on the sister's endurance. It felt like someone was chucking stuff at her to see how much she could handle. I wanted to focus on her agency, how this girl drives the story forward, not that she just sticks around for the ride.

Author photo credit: Jordan Weiland

Author Interview: Karah Sutton

10/4/2021

Karah Sutton is the author of A Wolf for a Spell, a middle-grade fantasy novel inspired by Russian fairy tales. We loved it for its complex characters, layered plot, and exquisite atmosphere. We were thrilled to interview her for this week's feature!

Rapunzel Reads: Who is your favorite character in A Wolf for a Spell, and why?

Karah Sutton: I am especially fond of Veter, the lone wolf. I love how expressive he is. How he's always optimistic even though he has experienced so much pain. He was a lot of fun to write.

RR: What books inspired you when you were growing up?

KS: Growing up I was an especially big fan of Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede, and The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. Even though I'm now an adult I still read a lot of books for young readers and I'm grateful to have found books that I didn't read growing up such as Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, both of which were major sources of inspiration for A Wolf for a Spell!

RR: The world of A Wolf for a Spell clearly echoes folklore, but also adds its own elements, with Zima’s forest feeling

Cover of A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton - Author Interview: Karah Sutton - Rapunzel Reads

Author photo credit: Tabitha Arthur Photography

Author Interview: Padma Venkatraman

9/6/2021

Padma Venkatraman is the author of four novels for teens and middle-grade readers. Her most recent book, The Bridge Home, tells the story of sisters Viji and Rukku when they run away from home, and make friends who help them survive on the streets. We loved its believable characters, vivid imag-ery, and beautiful, heartbreaking humanity. Her next novel, Born Behind Bars, will be released tomor-row. We were thrilled to interview Padma Venkatraman for this week's post!

Rapunzel Reads: The narrative of The Bridge Home is an interesting combination of first and second person, which I don't remember having seen before, and powerfully anchors the story around Rukku, despite being told from Viji's perspective. What inspired you to write it in that way, and what was it like doing so?

Padma Venkatraman: It is, indeed a very way to write a story - and it's also really hard to pull off (luckily I

Author Interview: Padma Venkatraman - author photo - Rapunzel Reads

Author Interview: Padma Venkatraman - cover of The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman - Rapunzel Reads

Author Interview: Padma Venkatraman - cover of Born Behind Bars by Padma Venkatraman - Rapunzel Reads

Book Reviews By & For Teens

Everyone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We like to think she read plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our favorites.

We’re two teen siblings who have been reviewing and recommending great middle-grade (MG) and young adult (YA) books since 2014 (9 years and counting!). We’re particularly passionate about fantasy, queer books, and any story beautifully told.

Explore our site more for author interviews, favorite picture books & audiobooks, and more!

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Young Adult Reviews!

We're now featuring reviews for YA (ages 12+) books alongside our middle-grade reviews on our main page! (If you're not sure if a book is young adult, check the age range--if it's 12, 13, or 14+, it's YA.)

Looking for more YA recommendations? Until 2022, we had a separate For Older Readers page, where we highlighted over two dozen awesome YA books. Check it out here!

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