Three Book Series I’ve Enjoyed Lately

I haven’t been blogging about books as much as I did when I first started this blog. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading, oh, no! It’s still my preferred hobby, and being able to check out E-books from the library makes it very affordable and convenient. So here are a few middle grade book series I’ve been enjoying lately.

The Stormwatch Diaries Series by Kristiana Sfirlea

I came across this series somewhat randomly, and it’s been so fun! I’m currently reading book 3, “Legend of the Tempest Teaser,” which came out in Oct. 2023. Sadly, the library doesn’t have this digitally at least, so I did purchase them on Kindle. But they were all pretty cheap, under $5.

Image from amazon.com. I love the illustrations!

The Stormwatch Diaries feel unique and chaotic, in a good way. The books are set up as diaries written by an angel – Rose – who has unstable magic and is therefore (in the first book), literally held at arm’s length by her family. In the first book, her magic grows too out of control, and she ends up at Heartstone Asylum, where she finds a new family and meets with various adventures. I was a little wary because the first book had an explanation chapter about how asterisks would signal time breaks or information breaks, and there are lots of parenthetical statements where Rose breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader of the book – but it all makes sense quickly and doesn’t distract from the book.

Relationships are at the heart of The Stormwatch Diaries, particularly the deep friendship between Rose and her best friend, Marek. A lot of the characters are flawed or misfits in some way, so watching them come together and support each other is really lovely. But the books are also full of unexpected and humorous situations and places. My favorite (*spoilers*) so far is The Two Parlors, with a funeral parlor on one side and a funeral-themed ice cream parlor on the other. You just never know what’s going to happen or where the characters will end up!

The Conjurverse Series by Dhonielle Clayton

I liked this series so much that I went ahead and bought the first book at Fulton Street Books & Coffee, even though I’d just finished reading it through the library. It’s a magic school story, where the 11-year-old protagonist, Ella Durand, not only goes to magic school for the first time, she is the first “Conjuror” to attend an exclusive school that was formerly only open to “Marvellers.” Conjurors have a different relationship to magic than Marvellers, and the two societies are very segregated. Ella meets with a lot of prejudice, but also is optimistic and excited to learn a new way of magic.

I’ve read a lot of magic school series at this point, and it’s always fun to see how magic works in a different world, what the food is like, etc. But the themes of prejudice and political/cultural division make it feel very relevant as well. There’s even an Educator’s Guide PDF you can download from Clayton’s website. Questions the first book’s Educator’s Guide asks include, “How do individuals participate in and shape their communities?” and “How can individuals use their gifts in pursuit of justice?” There are some interesting journal prompts and other activities as well.

Girl Giant Series by Van Hoang

If you like trickster gods – like Māui or Loki – and reading about different mythologies, you might enjoy the Girl Giant series. It’s the story of Thom Ngho, who has recently moved to a new middle school. Although outgoing and friendly, Thom is finding it hard to fit in – not only due to facing prejudice, but also because she has a secret: she is incredibly strong. On top of that, her super-strength is a fairly recent development, and she doesn’t know how to control it. Shortly into the book, Thom accidentally frees the Monkey King, a trickster god, who makes a deal with her. If she will steal his magic cudgel back from the gods, he will take away her inconvenient strength.

Image from amazon.com

Thom makes some big mistakes due to her trust in a trickster god. But the second book leaves her wrestling with the question of whether the Monkey King’s goal of taking over the Heavens is so bad. It asks questions like, who decides what is good and bad, who deserves mercy, etc.

Here’s a study guide for the first book, “Girl Giant and the Monkey King”: authorvanhoang.com/_files/ugd/eb7a4d_67238617b37f46238c664db9b5059512.pdf

Study questions range from simple – “What is your favorite boba drink?” – to more complex – “If you had a chance to make a deal with a trickster god, what would you ask him for? What would you be willing to do in return?”

What book series have you or your kids been enjoying lately? Tell me about them in the comments!