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Reading Middle Grade

Books for Kids and Grown Ups

  • Book Reviews
    • Picture book
    • Middle-Grade Book Reviews
    • Graphic Novels
    • Young Adult
    • Adult Fiction
    • Adult Non-Fiction
  • Book Lists
    • Picture Books
    • Middle Grade Books
    • Book Lists by Theme
    • Book Lists by Grade
    • Audiobooks
  • Join My Newsletter!
  • Go to the Blog
  • Work with Me
    • Review & Promotion Policy
    • School Visits
  • 2024 releases

Review & Promotion Policy

Why Promote on Reading Middle Grade?

Table of Contents

  • Why Promote on Reading Middle Grade?
  • Promotion for Authors
  • Promotion for Publishers
  • Working with Brands
    • Brands I’ve worked with
  • Review Policy

Each month, the blog gets at least 150,000 unique monthly visitors and over 120,000 overall views, 90% of which are US-based readers. Teachers and librarians regularly return to this blog for trusted book lists and reviews.

Please note that as much as I am excited about supporting brands and authors, I will only promote books and products that I like and think would be a good fit for my audience. Thank you for understanding.

Promotion for Authors

Reading Middle Grade offers a variety of promotional content on this blog and in my newsletter, including sponsored posts, cover reveals, and sidebar advertising. If you’re interested in promoting a forthcoming or backlist title, please contact me at [email protected]. Advertising options start at $50 for authors.


Newsletter Ad $50

  • My newsletter is the weekly email I send to over 4500 subscribers. It has a 65% engagement rate, which means over 2500 people open it and click on links every week. Many of these readers don’t check my blog daily and are not on social media, so their only exposure to posts is via the newsletter. To get your book across to a new set of readers, start with this!
Inquire >

Sponsored Post $80

  • Reading Middle Grade runs a variety of book list posts every week! You can choose to sponsor a themed book list, a readalike list, or even a list of books for specific ages or grades, which I share regularly.
Inquire >

Author Interview/Guest Post $100

  • Authors looking to reach out to a new audience can use this service. I generally prepare “Meet the Author” questions for a short interview on the site, which loyal readers can enjoy. The interview will also feature links to the author’s book, as well as social media and website links.
Inquire >

Promotion for Publishers

I’m happy to collaborate with publishers in several ways:

  • Running free book giveaways in my newsletter
  • Doing cover reveals (like this one) or revealing book trailers (like this one) for a fee
  • Sponsoring a book list or other blog content for a fee

If you’re a book publisher and would like to work with Reading Middle Grade in any capacity, please reach out to [email protected].


Working with Brands

I am also open to promoting products and services (as in this post). If you’re a company or organization who would like to work with me, please send me an email at [email protected].

Brands I’ve worked with


I’m happy to share my media kit upon request. Please note that my prices for working with brands and organizations differ from those of author promotions.


Review Policy

While I deeply enjoy books, I have to admit that I am partial to certain genres. So, if you’re considering sending me an Advanced Readers Copy of your book, kindly take note of the information below:

Please note: I am currently NOT accepting unsolicited books from indie publishers/self-published authors for review. Reading Middle Grade does not currently offer paid book reviews. I only review books I’ve read and enjoyed. You may submit books for potential review, but I am under no obligation to read or review them.

I am especially interested in contemporary children’s books — picture books, middle grade, YA — by women in general and authors of color. I do not enjoy fantasy titles with magical realism or supernatural elements. As such, I do not accept those titles for review.

Finally, please, always send full information about your book in your email. You may find the format below of assistance:

Title:

Genre:

Name of Author:

Publisher:

Date to be published:

Summary:

I prefer physical copies wherever possible and I will read physical galleys before electronic ARCs. However, I also accept electronic ARCs where it is impossible to send hard copies. Please note that I live in Nigeria, should you be interested in sending physical galleys.

I look forward to hearing from you!

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Comments

  1. Deb Rice says

    May 7, 2021 at 7:12 am

    Hi there – love your blog, I was wondering if you ever are hiring?

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      May 7, 2021 at 8:04 am

      Hi Deb, thank you! No, not hiring at the moment 🙂

      Reply
  2. Paula Howard says

    April 14, 2023 at 10:42 am

    Hi, my name is Paula Howard and am a school librarian in a K-8 Catholic School. I have been using your reviews and book suggestions to help add books to my middle school section. I am interested in a vitural school visit but the links won’t work.

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      April 14, 2023 at 12:17 pm

      Hi Paula, sorry about that! I’m emailing you now.

      Reply
  3. Heather says

    August 10, 2023 at 11:33 pm

    I’m a writer honing my own contemporary middle grade novels (maybe I’ll see one on your amazing site one day!). I had to drop a note to let you know how much I enjoy your lists, and how often I use them for research! Thanks, Afoma, for sharing your love for kidlit with the world!

    Reply

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About Me
Hi, I'm Afoma! Thank you for stopping by. Learn more about me here.

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Afoma
🎤 new chapter book series alert 🚨 Frankie 🎤 new chapter book series alert 🚨 

Frankie and Friends: Breaking News is the first in the new Frankie and Friends series. Frankie's mom is off on a reporting trip, and the whole family is missing her. 

With her stuffed animals as partners, Frankie decides to use the journalism tidbits she's learned from her mom -- like finding your beat and being honest -- to solve a surprising family mystery.

This is a charming, educational, and imaginative start to a fun series that's perfect for new readers. With a good mix of journalistic terminology, sister relationships, and depictions of imaginative play, supported by gorgeous full-color illustrations, kids will love Frankie and her determined efforts to break the news.

#chapterbook #booksforkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
🕵️‍♀️ a new mystery for spelling bee fa 🕵️‍♀️ a new mystery for spelling bee fans

If you’ve been looking for more high-stakes mysteries for tweens, let me introduce you to THE WINTERTON DECEPTION! Meet 13-year-old twins Hope and Gordon. They’ve just found out that their dad was Brandon Winterton (of the wealthy dictionary magnate family). Unfortunately, Hope can’t stand rich people, especially since the twins and their mom are barely making ends meet and living in a motel. But their fortune is about to change.

When Gordon enters the family into the Winterton Bee, they’re thrust into into the midst of family’s secrets, with a deadly enemy, and a scavenger hunt set up by the family’s dead matriarch. 

This is a fast-paced mystery with plenty to gnaw on between the twin relationship, family drama, character development, and flashbacks that help readers learn more about the Winterton family.

So happy that more and more mysteries are coming out for readers in the 6th-8th grades. This one does touch a bit on addiction and there’s a scene where the kids’ lives are in danger but all ends well!

It’s out at the end of October! 🤩

#mysteriesforkids #middlegradebooks #bookstagram
👯‍♀️ TWINS in middle grade literature 💕 

I love seeing more twins in middle grade books. For a long time, the only twins I knew in middle grade lit were the Sweet Valley High girlies. Then, I got a glimpse of twin life with Issa and Jessie in @karinaisreadingandwriting’s THE VANDERBEEKERS. 

Since then, we’ve seen more depictions of twins, including Varian Johnson’s TWINS (a graphic novel about twin sisters Francine and Maureen entering 6th grade), MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, and Hope and Gordon in THE WINTERTON DECEPTION (review to come)!

And of course, these two books, TWIN CITIES and SAVING SUNSHINE (which I just started and am loving)! While these stories will appeal to twins, I think everyone who’s ever been curious about twins will love getting a glimpse into what life feels like as one half of a whole. 

Which middle grade twin stories have you read and loved? 😍 

#middlegrade #twinbooks #mglit #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks
📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the 📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the truth 

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. 

After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. 

Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

Although, this book is closer to fantasy (but without magical elements), it’s set in a Renaissance-style Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.

Look out for it in November! Have you read this graphic novel? Thoughts? Is it on your radar already?

#graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

Looking for an upper middle grade book about ballet, friendships, and body image? Meet TURNING POINT. 

This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

At the ballet intensive, Mo comes face to face with her competitive attitude which is fueled by feelings of not “fitting in” with the mostly white, skinny ballet dancers. Even though she makes a couple of friends (who basically lovingly force her to befriend them), she’s insecure at times, afraid to be vulnerable because everything feels so different. On the other hand, Sheeda is desperate for something new. Unfortunately, she falls into a risky situation with Mo’s brother whom she happens to have a crush on.

Paula Chase is one of my favorite writers for this audience and this may be my favorite of hers so far. It’s in the same universe as two of her previous books, DOUGH BOYS and SO DONE but you don’t need to read them in order. 

I’d say her books are great for kids ages 12+
Have you read any books by this author? Which ones are your favorites?

#booksbooksbooks #mglit #bookstagram
🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

I’d seen this book floating around for ages but was never drawn to it (the cover maybe?) until I saw a review somewhere I can’t remember 🤪 I was pleasantly surprised!

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

I’d recommend this one to 6th graders and up (heads up for content warning: text mentions and depicts illicit drug use by a minor, although portrayed in a negative light) as a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

#kidlit #graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man An ♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man

Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. 

When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying.

There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.

If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. 

Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner).

I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

This book is perfect for family readalouds especially for kids in grades 3-5. Dog lovers and kids who like a good adventure with a sprinkle of mischief will love it too.

#mglit #summerbooks #booksforelementaryschoolkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
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