Middle-Grade Recommendations {Dawn Chandler blog tour}

Hello my friends!  Today I have a very exciting post - the first ever guest post on this blog!  I'm so glad to tell y'all all about the lovely Eliza Noel and her new release, "Dawn Chandler"!

If you've been around this blog for any length of time, you know that I adore middle-grade fiction.  Or if you're new here, it's probably something you'll pick up on pretty quick, haha!  So today, Eliza is making a guest appearance here on my blog to tell us about some of her favorite middle-grade books! Before we get into Eliza's recommendations, let's talk about what I'm sure would be her number one rec, Dawn Chandler!



Synopsis:
Dawn Chandler likes the way her life is— or was. She liked going to the mall with her best friend, excelling at middle school, and attending church with her family. Typical life for a twelve-year-old in the city of Fresno.
When Dawn’s parents announced they were going to homeschool her, on her birthday no less, she felt like her world was falling apart. Normal kids are supposed to go to school, not read books at home. To make matters worse, they may be leaving the only home she’s ever known.
What are her parents thinking?
Before making the final moving decision, the Chandler family visits Lone Pine, a small town between Mt. Whitney and Death Valley. While there, Dawn and her siblings become acquainted with their eccentric great uncle, explore the new area, and meet a large homeschooling family. All of this makes the 'vacation' more bearable. Still, Dawn isn't sure if she can make the move and leave everything she’s familiar with behind.
Can Dawn learn the values of faith, family, and contentment?

Add on Goodreads ~ Pre-order on Amazon

About the Author:
Eliza Noel is a home school graduate with passion for Jesus, people, and literature. Growing up, her favorite books were always Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, and Pride and Prejudice. Around age twelve she wanted to read something with positive values in a modern setting, but couldn’t find what she was looking for. So she wrote it.
When not doing something book-related (reading, writing, blogging, bookstagramming), Eliza works at her day jobs, spends time with her many younger siblings, longboards, has coffee with friends, eats chocolate, and listens to music. California is home, but she would like to travel more and feels she could learn to be content anywhere.

Connect with Eliza: Her blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram

Doesn't this book just sound so cute?  I'll be putting up a review for it very soon!

And now, without further ado, I present: Eliza Noel's Middle-Grade Recommendations!

((ALL the florals. can't stop won't stop))

Hi! I'm Eliza Noel. I'm here to share five of my favorite middle-grade books with you! As a middle-grade author, I still read quite a bit of middle-grade despite being nineteen. I love the Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames and Penderwicks series, but I thought I'd focus more on some other books here.

1. Twice Freed

This book is historical fiction that's about Onesimus, Philemon's slave. I loved reading about what this teenage boy's thoughts were about Jesus Christ and how those changed towards the end. There was some violence in it, but overall it was clean.

2. After the Dancing Days

This one is also historical fiction, but it takes place right after World War I. It made me cry. It was such a truly beautiful story. It centers around a 13-year-old girl named Annie who befriends a wounded soldier named Andrew. Annie's mother doesn't think she's old enough to see how horrible the war truly was and that raises conflict within her family. There were a few times where Annie lied to her mother and that bothered me a bit, but overall it was clean.

3. Nim's Island

If you've seen the movie, know that the book is quite different. I enjoyed both. Who doesn't love a good story about a kid living on the island? It's been a long time since I read it, but I can't remember any content issues.

4. Gone Away Lake

I'm not even quite sure why, but this was one of my absolute favorites! Even my brother who didn't like reading at the time enjoyed it. It tells the story of a young boy and girl who discover somewhat of a ghost town and befriend the only two people who are still living there during their summer vacation. I can't remember any content issues.

5. Mandy

This book is written by THE Julie Andrews. Yes, the one from Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. I love this eccentric story of a 10-year-old orphan who finds an abandoned cottage and fixes it up for herself. Mandy frequently tells lies, from what I remember in the end she realizes that was wrong, and there's some light language in it. Overall I loved it so so much!

Have you read any of these? Did any of them catch your interest? What are some of your favorite middle-grade books?

Hi, it's Abby again! I just have to say that I have not read any of these books but I know I'm going to!  So go snag yourself a copy of Dawn Chandler and enjoy ALL the middle-grade fun!  AND to make it even better (!!!), Eliza is hosting a GIVEAWAY!  Click that little link right there to be entered to win a signed copy of the book! 

Huge thank you and shout-out to Eliza for letting me be part of this awesome blog tour (make sure you head over to her blog for the full schedule) and for guest posting here on my blog!

~ Abby