Who Knows the Way to Mr Grimly's Classroom? by Chris Priestley

When I first saw this one, I thought that it'd be a great read for the upcoming school year....then, I read the blurb and was very intrigued. Fogged-up playgrounds and ziplines and a hint of fantasy? Obviously, this isn't a normal situation. So, let's open this one up and see what it's really about.

WHO KNOWS THE WAY TO MR GRIMLY'S CLASSROOM?

by Chris Priestley

Illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

Candlewick Press

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING AUGUST 4th!!!

From an award-winning author and the masterful illustrator of The Midnight Fair comes a tale for anyone who has ever gotten lost in an unfamiliar place—or is drawn to gothic worlds.

When Miss Flytrap asks if anyone knows the way to Mr. Grimly’s classroom, Grace’s hand flies up—she can’t help herself, even though she’s a new kid in school and has no idea where to go. Nonetheless, with a book to deliver proudly in hand, Grace sets off on a long, strange journey through a very odd place, full of twists, turns, and creepy characters who give puzzling directions. Climbing dark, cobwebby staircases, feeling her way through a fogged-up playground, careening by zipline from the top of a treacherous tower right into a kitchen window—will she ever find Mr. Grimly’s classroom? With equal parts suspense and humor, author Chris Priestley leads an unsettling school tour for the ages, while Mariachiara Di Giorgio’s atmospheric, immersive illustrations beckon readers on with mesmerizing visual riddles.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

This is a book to get lost in for those readers, who love to twist reality just enough to open up a realm of unexpected possibilities.

Grace has only been in the new school for a week or so but has the habit of always raising her hand right away. When her teacher asks her to return a book to Mr. Grimly's classroom and wants to know who knows the way, Grace can't help herself but to volunteer immediately even though she has no clue how to get there. While she finds some school staff along the way to ask for directions, each one leads her to more unexpected paths. But Grace is determined to complete her task, no matter what.

This is a read, which lets fantasy leak through the cracks of reality to form a world of possibilities, oddities, and dreams. Grace comes across as normal as can be as does the opening, classroom scene. The imaginative elements start to seep in as Grace visits many hallways, staircases, and more as the scenes grow a little eerie. The characters she meets pack unique personality, which balances a fine border between familiar and strange. The school soon becomes so much more with fog, towers, and other aspects, and yet, everything stays close enough to reality to not quite step completely into imagination. In other words, it's a grabbing mix with surprises.

The illustrations are very well done and carry a large portion of the wonder. There's a slight sense of creepy but just enough to add tension as the more whimsical elements surprise. The gray tones add to this atmosphere to help the reader wonder if Grace will make it through or what she'll run into. The text creates a nice, read-aloud as there are pages with none, and then, pages with a couple of paragraphs. Even the heavier text pages aren't overwhelming, though, as the larger and well-spaced font makes it easy to read. Plus, it never weighs down but rather keeps the story going nicely and lets the reader sink into Grace and her adventure.

It's a read, which gives a timeless impression and is going to receive a possible place on my bookshelves.

And here they are...

Chris Priestley had been a successful illustrator, political cartoonist, and strip cartoonist for twenty years before publishing his first work of fiction for young readers. Among his novel credits are Still Water, Seven Ghosts, and Freeze, each evidence of the inspiration he finds in the gothic genre and in authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Mary Shelley. He is best-known for his award-winning Tales of Terror series, illustrated by David Roberts, which has been translated into many languages and been performed as plays in several countries. Chris Priestley has also contributed an illustrated story to Hellboy: An Assortment of Horrors. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Mariachiara Di Giorgio studied illustration in Rome and Paris and worked as a storyboard artist and concept designer for movies and advertising agencies. Her picture books include Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup and Professional Crocodile, both by Giovanna Zoboli, and The Midnight Fair by Gideon Sterer, which won a Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Award for Illustration and was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year, a Booklist Editors’ Choice, and a Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year. Mariachiara Di Giorgio lives in Rome.

On the Loose in London by Dan Yaccarino

Time for a little fun! Today's read is part of a series...the third, I believe, but it's the first one I'm picking up, and I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem. It appears to be a bit humorous and circles around two siblings, who are on their way to discover London. This is aimed at those readers out there, who are very sure of their words but might need a little more practice before hitting complete chapter books. I'm excited to see what these two are up to because I have a feeling it will be anything but boring.

Let's open it up and take a peek, shall we?

ON THE LOOSE IN LONDON!

Dog Meets Dog

by Dan Yaccarion

Illustrated by Ethan Long

Simon Spotlight

Chapter Book

112 pages

ages 5 to 9

Star Chapter Books are the perfect bridge for kids moving beyond beginning readers but not yet ready for longer chapter books. With short chapters, bold two-color illustrations, and fast-paced, funny stories, these confidence-building books make reading fun and rewarding.

In this tip-top tale of chaos and mayhem, dog siblings Betsy and Bones take London by storm—bungling plans, muddling maps, and turning their sightseeing into one hilarious disaster after another!

On their latest vacation, Betsy wants to stick to her carefully organized itinerary, but Bones is determined to follow his own whims. From Big Ben to Buckingham Palace to Tower Bridge, the siblings’ clashing styles turn every stop into comic confusion—but when it counts, they will need to work together to make the most of their London trip.

Each Star Chapter Book is 112 pages long, divided into six to eight short chapters with illustrated panels on every page to keep kids engaged from start to finish. This highly visual early chapter book format supports the transition from leveled readers to chapter books, making Star Chapter Books a perfect fit for independent reading, classroom libraries, or shared story time.

Look for more Star Chapter Books adventures to help kids grow confident and discover the joy of reading, including Betsy and Bones’s next adventure, Framed in Paris!.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Traveling with these two to London creates an adventure with one unexpected situation after the next...and it might just be enough to test their relationship.

Betsy and Bones are siblings and headed to London to vacation together. Betsy has everything prepared and knows exactly where they can go, what they can see, and what there is to do. Bones...not so much. When they meet up at the Piccadilly Circus to start their vacation, the first problem hits as Bones can't help but be disappointed that it isn't a true circus. Soon, he's ignoring his sister's suggestions ends up landing them in the Thames River, they're rescued by a guard from the Tower of London, and they end up hiding in a closet after trying on the displays at the Jewel House. At one point, Betsy can't take his nonsense anymore and heads off for time apart, but this might not be the best idea.

The two siblings clash in personalities and, yet, pack sibling goodness. There's quite a bit of humor as the two go from one problem to the next and chaos after chaos hits. It's quick-paced, fun and engaging  all the way through. There's also some travel goodness as the two discover London and little details surrounding the city slide in. Then, there's a message surrounding being open to other opinions and ways of doing things, and working together. All of this combines into an easy read with many surprises.

This works very nicely as an ease-over read for beginning readers into chapter books. The style leans heavily toward the graphic novel format, but instead of letting the dialogue and images propel everything forward, each panel has a short text describing the scene. A bit like a book. The sentences are short and the vocabulary fits nicely to the age group. This allows readers to practice their reading skills while taking cues from the scenes. There is, of course, some usual dialogue bubbles too, but by keeping the text, it also nods at the usual, book reading style. The graphics aren't overly colorful, but rather stick orange and gray tones. This allows the scenes to come across clearly and bring across the emotions and situations nicely without distracting too much from the reading. All of it works well and makes an enjoyable read.

I'm going to have to go back and take a peek at the other two books in the series because this pair of siblings is packed full of surprises.

And here they are....

Dan Yaccarino is the author and illustrator of over fifty books for children, including Piccolo, Unlovable, Every Friday, and The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. Awards and honors for his work include being named The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Children’s Books, the Bologna Ragazzi Award, and an ALA Notable Children’s selection. Dan has also had the honor of being invited to the White House to read his books. He created and produced the animated series Doug Unplugs, Oswald, and Willa’s Wild Life and character designed the series The Backyardigans. You may visit him online at YaccarinoStudio.com.

Ethan Long is the acclaimed author and illustrator of many books for children, among them the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Up, Tall, and High. He is also the creator of the animated, Emmy Award–nominated interactive series Scribbles and Ink at PBSKids.org, which is also a digital book series on Epic. For more about Ethan and his work, visit EthanLong.com.

NO. 9 by Jack Scorer

I wanted to sneak in one more book to give a nod at the World Cup before heading into all the other reads lined up this month. This one was released already in 2024 and is one of a four book series. I believe it is the first in the series, which is a great place to start. So, let's do just that!

NO. 9

by Jack Scorer

KickBooks Publishing

Middle Grade Sports Fiction

196 pages

 ages 8 to 12

FROM TEXAS DREAMER TO LONDON LEGEND, Jack has never played for a real team—until now.

When a surprise trial lands him at England’s top soccer academy, Jack swaps his small Texas town for the cutthroat world of elite football in London. But it’s nothing like he imagined.

Every mistake is punished. Every pass is judged. Rival players want him gone. Alone, out of his depth, and way behind the others, Jack starts to question everything.

Then he finds The Bandits—an underground crew of street soccer legends. No whistles. No coaches. No limits. Just pure, electric soccer that rewrites every rule he's ever known.

As Jack sneaks between two worlds—the rigid academy and the wild freedom of street ball—he learns that becoming a star isn’t about being perfect... it’s about playing with heart.

Can a total outsider rise to the top before he's kicked out for good?

🔥 Why Kids Love
✔ Fast-paced matches, epic rivalries, and jaw-dropping street skills
✔ Jack’s a relatable underdog you can’t help but root for
✔ Bursting with energy, emotion, and soccer action from start to finish

💡 Why Parents Love
✔ Teaches resilience, teamwork, and confidence
✔ Inspires kids to dream big and never give up
✔ Perfect for 8–12 year olds—especially reluctant readers

⚽ Ideal book series for fans of soccer, sports, and fast-paced underdog stories.

🎯 Join Jack’s thrilling soccer journey today!

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Hard training is only the first step in a fast-paced read, which will keep more than just sport fans gripped until the last page.

Jack can't believe that he was accepted to the academy in London. It's the first step in having his soccer dreams come true...or rather, football. He already knows that the training at the academy will be harsh, but he hasn't even considered the language differences and soon feels like he's learning a new language: field to pitch, practice to training, cleats to boots, and so much more. Plus, the competition is fierce and some of the other students are ready to do anything to make sure they keep themselves in the limelight. When it almost becomes too much, he runs into a street team outside of the school walls, and this team isn't one to be scoffed at. Soon, he finds himself caught between the two worlds, and extra stress might not be exactly what he needs.

From the very first moments, this read propels forward to keep the reader engaged the entire way through. There's always something happening, whether soccer, grades, coaches, friendship, or dealing with living abroad. The author uses short, clipped sentences to keep up this atmosphere and only feeds in enough descriptions to make the scenes clear. Even the inner-depth is kept very concise, giving characters enough to be interesting but never dwelling on anything. There is drama on the friendship end, but this weaves right into the soccer world so as not to distract from the main plot line. Instead, plenty of training and game scenes keep the tension high...and even stay clipped to short scenes on this end. The vocabulary is also relatively simple to create an easy, quick-flowing read. So, this is one reluctant readers will want to take a look at. I'd also recommend this one for the lower end of the middle grade audience. Older readers will buzz right through, though, and enjoy the excitement as well.

It's a great start to the series, keeps the reader in the pages, and will be fun to see what happens to Jack next.

Keystone Plants and Fungi by Laura Perdew

It's time to head out into nature! With the great outdoors calling, there are plenty of opportunities to go exploring. Today's read should help out on that end as it explores various plants and fungi, and looks at certain ones, which have a special role in the balance of the ecosystem. Or so the blurb claims. Telling by the cover, these pages hit exotic as well as, maybe, local categories. There are activities included, too, and I'm eager to see how practical and fun these are.

Grab those explorer hats because we're headed outside with this one!

KEYSTONE PLANTS AND FUNGI

Discover the Organisms Vital to Ecosystem

Health and Biodiversity

by Laura Perdew

Illustrated by Micah Rauch

Nomad Press

128 pages

ages 9 to 12

COMING OCTOBER 15th!!!

A fascinating companion book to Keystone Species!

Who's keeping the ecosystem healthy?

In any ecosystem, every species has a role to play. From towering trees and enormous whales to the smallest microorganisms, and from plants and fungi to animals and insects, each species is important to the overall health of the ecosystem. But some of those species play such vital roles that without them, the ecosystem is in danger of collapsing. These are called keystone species.

In Keystone Species: Meet the Animals Key to Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity with Hands- On Science Activities for Kids, young scientists are introduced to several different types of keystone species from around the world as they discover the crucial roles these organisms play in their ecosystems. Meet the sharks, gray wolves, beavers, American alligators, bees, flying foxes, wildebeests, bison, and coral that all play a vital role in regulating an ecosystem.

Try these science activities!

• Map a wildebeest migration
• Create an African savannah food web
• Dissect a flower
• Model ocean acidification

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Keystone plants and fungi gain the spotlight in an interesting and hands-on way.

After carefully defining and making clear what a keystone in terms of the ecosystem means, these pages dive into various examples from the plant and fungi realm. These examples comes from around the world, each one gaining clear explanations and clarification as to what it is, it's purpose in the ecosystem, and what happens if it disappears. But that's only the beginning. These pages offer quite a bit more as small sidenotes help broaden the knowledge surrounding ecosystems, biology and science, in general. There are many Qcodes spread throughout the pages, where readers can view short videos about the topics. These help liven things up and also give real life views to help make the information clear. There are also plenty of activities, which readers can do themselves to experiment with the knowledge and gain insights on their own. 

The text is pretty straight-forward but stays interesting. I especially appreciate the list of vocabulary words along the edge of the page with the words placed in bold within the text for easy referencing. There are interesting tidbits dropped in here and there to make sure things don't get too dry. Even the visual end is well done thanks to the images. It almost has the feel of an interactive classroom. The information is supplemented nicely to help keep boredom away. The activities tie directly into the section's theme and offer various possibilities each time. These are no problem to do these almost anywhere and most don't even require much supervision, since they are very age appropriate. This allows readers to become researchers themselves and go hands-on into nature. 

This is a packed book, which would even work well for groups and homeschooling themes, since it offers a rounded variety of information and activities. 

And here they are...

Laura Perdew is a writing coach, presenter, former middle school teacher, and the author of The Fort (Page Street Kids, 2020) as well as dozens of nonfiction STEM books that focus on nature and the environment. This includes Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth (Nomad Press, 2019) which is on the Booklist editors’ list of the Top 10 Books on the Environment & Sustainability for Youth 2020. She lives  in Boulder, Colorado where she spends as much time as possible outdoors, hiking and watching wildlife.   lauraperdew.com

Micah Rauch is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from the beautiful state of Montana. He received a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana and has illustrated several books for Nomad Press, including Kitchen Chemistry, Fairground Physics, and Crazy Contraptions. micahrauch.com  Instagram: instagram.com/micahrauch

Our Children in the Shadows by J.T. Bird

I had to pick this one up the moment I saw the cover...but the cover only gives a hint of what this really is for a read. At least, that's what I'm getting after reading the blurb. This is, actually, a spy thriller with more. It sounds intriguing, and I do have a huge soft spot for mysteries. This book also already hit the shelves: so you can get your hands on a copy without having to wait if it sounds interesting to you.

So, let's put on our thinking caps, grab our clue notebooks, and head on in!

OUR CHILDREN IN THE SHADOWS

by J.T. Bird

Illustrated by Andy Catling

Middle Grade Spy

271 pages

ages 8 to 12

HOMEWORK'S TOUGH. SAVING THE WORLD IS TOUGHER.

Perfect for fans of Crookhaven, Spy School and The Mysterious Benedict Society

Spirited cockney, Haven, longs for adventure beyond the classroom walls. But when she's thrust into a world of spies and monstrous villains, fantasy turns to danger. Armed with only wit and courage, will she survive her very first mission - or will it be her last?

Packed with mystery and humour, Our Children in the Shadows is a story about courage, friendship, and believing in yourself — even when the world expects you to fail.

Perfect for readers who love:
• fast-paced spy adventures
• brave and determined young heroes
• mysterious secrets and hidden worlds

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Spunkiness meets clever twists and many surprises in a spy thriller with an unique direction.

Haven isn't exactly a star student, but everyone at school knows her well. She's got the reputation of weaving trouble as she conducts her so-called missions...and her means are more than questionable. When one of Haven's teachers connects her with a secret society of spies, which work against very dangerous villains to keep the country and world safe, it might be exactly right for her. Might. Thanks to her ever-present attitude and different perspective on how to approach things, she isn't always what people want or expect. Plus, the missions are more than deadly, and Haven might not be able to wiggle her way through even the first one.

This is a fast-paced spy adventure, which lets an unique girl take the lead into dangerous situations and gives her the task of working through clues. Everything is well laid out, making it difficult to see what is coming next. The characters are all vibrant and full of personality, and each situation grabs and draws in. But it's Haven, which demands the limelight. Her cockney accent already gives her a very different feel from the rest of the characters...and it's this aspect, which could cause a little reading difficulty for some. There's even a glossary at the front of the book to immediately prepare the reader for some of her more unique terms. But this slides right in with her vibrant personality and adds to her character in all the right ways. She sticks out, and not always in a good way, and that makes her so fun.

There's a lot going on in this read as Haven has to sink into new situations. This also includes some school drama, messages about friendship, and pulling through even when it seems no one is behind you. The world building is also well done and draws into each moment. 

It's a fun read for mystery fans who love characters with strong personalities, like a dash of humor, and are ready to sink into a read.