Fantastic Middle Grade Reads!

Get ready for wish-granting competitions and magic-stealing mysteries as we welcome a panel of incredible middle authors and their fantastical new books! We're thrilled to be hosting TRACEY BAPTISTE, author of Kid X (Boy 2.0. #2), LEIA HAM, author of The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia, JORDAN IFUEKO, author of The Genie Game, and RON KOERTGE, co-author of Styx and Stones. Tune in from anywhere to hear about these amazing reads!

About the Books:

Kid X (Boy 2.0. #2) by TRACEY BAPTISTE

Win “Coal” Keegan is starting to get the hang of his new life. He’s come to love his foster family and is becoming more confident with his invisibility powers. Too confident. When rumors surface about a “ghost” in the neighborhood, Coal realizes it might be best to keep his talents under wraps. But someone is tracking him.

Coal isn't the only one with powers. Is his pursuer friend or foe? What would it be like to meet someone just like him? As the stakes rise and Coal finds allies and enemies in unexpected places, he’ll have to channel a new level of bravery to protect himself, his family, and his world. 

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia by LEIA HAM

In a world where only kids have magic, being a super-rare fire mage should give Sparrow Xia the edge she needs for her magical years. But she feels like a fraud—her weak magic can barely conjure more than a match flame. Zenith Academy for Magical Development is her one chance to finally strengthen her magic—to turn her pitiful match flame into something powerful. Something special.

But a strange illness begins to seep into the school, draining students of their magic. When Sparrow and her friends are drawn into the search for a cure, they’ll soon find that when magic means everything, some people will go to terrifying lengths to keep it . . .

The Genie Game by JORDAN IFUEKO

Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear.

Valentine is forced to be a member of GENIE: the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so they host a wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist? The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease.

To free her sister and escape the Genie Game, Valentine has to win.

Styx and Stones co-written by RON KOERTGE

Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. He commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. And after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.

With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. But the god of the Underworld has sent a demon to bring Simon back.