Middle Grade Monday: Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate

Image: Macmillan

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate. 240 p. Feiwel & Friends/ Macmillan, September 9, 2025. 9781250904362. Review of finished, purchased copy.

Middle Grade Monday features Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate. This sweet, illustrated novel is narrated by Zephryna, a self-proclaimed "Robin Hood of felines." She's an alley cat who has allowed Dasha and her mother, Elizaveta to feed and care for her. They are Ukranian refugees who live in a small apartment. Dasha uses crutches as her legs were injured in the war that also killed her father. She rescues Zephryna's finds, washes them and places them in a little wagon outside their apartment for their owners to reclaim them. If they remain unclaimed after three days, the toys join other rescued toys. They all come to life when everyone is asleep and are led by Pocket, a small, "thimble-born" bear who is over one hundred years old. 

Zephyrina's latest theft was rescued from a dumpster behind an Italian restaurant. This large, cumbersome bear was covered in sauce and rather difficult for her to drag home to Dasha and Pocket. Pocket, a thoughtful, well-read bear, sees something in this new recruit. Unfortunately, so does Picky Vicky, an antique toy dealer who regularly visits scrounging for deals.

There's a lot of humor in this story, but also a lot of depth, which is gently told. There was a fair amount of laughing out loud, but also unabashed tears. I loved this timeless tale. 

Middle Grade Monday: Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller

Image: Penguin Random House 

Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller. 160 p. Philomel Books/ Penguin Young Readers, April, 2024. Review of copy borrowed from public library.

Middle Grade Monday features Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller. Ten-year-old Magnolia does not have high expectations for her summer. Her only friend moved away and she wouldn't call the classmates that patronize her parents laundry, friends, especially, Austin. She doesn't mind though. She has created a "Lost Sock" display in the laundromat and is hoping to reunite the missing sock with their owners. Enter Iris. She and her mother just moved from California and Iris is not impressed with New York. The two team up to find the owners of the missing socks. 

This gentle read hits all the notes: relatable characters, humor, illustrations, and two kids on the loose in NYC. Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All was named a Newbery Honor, an ALSC Notable Book, a Kirkus and NYT Best Book. Happy reading!

Middle Grade Monday and Review: Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. 224 p. Feiwel & Friends, May, 2018. 9781250304148. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher)

Can you imagine waiting five years for a friend to return? A friend that didn't even say goodbye? Waiting in a closet? In a chicken suit? Middle Grade Monday features Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Both authors have lots of fans at TMS and they teamed up together to write Bob, which was illustrated by Nicholas Gannon. 

It has been five years since Livy has visited her grandmother in Australia. She lives in Massachusetts and is returning to Australia for another visit. Bob is delighted to see her, but is quickly dismayed because she doesn't remember him! He has been waiting five long years for her to help him find his way back to his home! 

This is a short, sweetly touching story of being lost and then found. The characters are endearing. The mystery intrigues. It is perfectly paced. The soft, sepia toned illustrations are just lovely. TMS' copy is signed by Rebecca Stead!

Blog Tour/ Book Review: Don't Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward

Don't Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward. Unpgd. Two Lions/ Amazon Publishing, January, 2018. 9781542047272. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publicist, Blue Slip Media.)

Dexter the T-Rexter is big and strong and has a best friend named Jack who takes him everywhere, even the doctor's office. Poor Dexter is not-so-tough as he freaks out when he realizes that he's been left behind! One minute he was happily coloring and the next moment, he looked up and Jack was gone! His amusing stream-of-consciousness is successively anxious/ obnoxious as he works himself up into a full-blown panic attack/ tantrum. Perhaps Jack has found himself a new toy to like? The horror!

The palette of the ink, color pencil and cut paper illustrations veer a bit to pastels with Dexter featured in brilliant orange tones. Don't skip the dedication/ copyright pages because the story starts there. This story of a lost and found object will resonate with both parents and children who have lost and found/ not found a beloved toy or comfort object. The fact that the story is told from the POV of the toy, which perfectly mirrors the behavior a human child would exhibit in the same situation is comic genius.

According to the jacket flap, the story was inspired by the author's husband who took a picture of a left-behind toy in a doctor's office and captioned it, "Well, they left me here." Dexter is endearingly anxious and Don't Forget Dexter is the first in a possible series, with It's Show and Tell, Dexter! due to publish July 17 according to the author's website. I recommend that you start from the home page as this site is particularly well-designed. There will be activities linked to the Don't Forget Dexter page soon. 

Don't miss Don't Forget Dexter!