Book picks similar to
Daniel the Draw-er by S.J. Henderson


considering
middle-grade
for-kids
fiction

Genie in Training


Meredith Badger - 2009
    She isn’t the best at school or at sports, and her most remarkable talents are squeezing into tight places and touching her nose with her tongue. This is why Poppy never expects that on her 12th birthday, she will learn something perfectly extraordinary. She is a genie!But genie privileges, such as living in a bottle and granting wishes, don’t come automatically. Poppy must pass all of her classes at Tweenie Genie School—and manage to keep her new identity a complete and total secret. Training to be a genie is hard work. Can Poppy do it?

Gift of Gift (Super Amazing Princess Heroes)


Sanjay Nambiar - 2016
    Everything is going well until one of the heroes, Kinney, gets very sick with a heart condition and flies back to the U.S. for medical help. The girls soon learn that one of their Ugandan friends, a wonderful girl named Gift, is sick with the same condition. She needs to fly to the U.S. as well —but what if she didn't? What if she had a hospital in Uganda that could help other kids just like her? The story of the Super Duper Princess Heroes conveys positive messages to young girls to help others and to think of those outside themselves.

Rogue


Robyn Wideman - 2018
    He only wants to be left alone and occasionally rob the king who once betrayed him. But when assassins try to kill a young woman, Rogue gets involved. Now he is involved in a dangerous plot, and to protect the girl he must save a kingdom, a kingdom he once almost destroyed.

Elliot and the Goblin War


Jennifer A. Nielsen - 2010
    95 CHILDREN successfully read the first chapter, but upon beginning chapter 2, they started BLABBERING in some language known only as "flibberish." 38 CHILDREN made it halfway through this wretched book before they began SUCKING THEIR THUMBS THROUGH THEIR NOSES.If you're VERY BRAVE, perhaps you are willing to TAKE YOUR CHANCES. Be sure that you have told your family who gets your favorite toys if you DO NOT SURVIVE this book. Read it now, IF YOU DARE. But don't say you haven't been warned, for this is the story that unfolds the MYSTERIES OF THE UNDERWORLD.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 10/1/2010 Pages: 208 Reading Level: Age 8 and Up

Dyno Dinosaur Family Christmas Adventures


Sharida McKenzie - 2018
    Claus prepare presents for all the little girls and boys. The stories and illustrations magnificently capture the warmth and magic of the holidays. The dinosaur lover in your family will treasure this creative twist on Christmas! Perfect for kids ages 0-6. Titles include: 1. Santa and the Flying Dinosaurs 2. Dyno Kids Visit Santa’s Workshop 3. Decorating the Christmas Tree with the Dyno Family 4. Dyno Family Snow Day

The Gender Experiment


L.J. Sellers - 2016
    After discovering they were born at the same clinic two decades earlier, she investigates further and uncovers a startling list. With the realization that more gender-fluid people are targeted for elimination, Taylor kicks her investigation into high gear. But the researchers who conducted the experiment aren’t about to let anything interfere with their plans. Soon Taylor is in deep trouble and needs the help of FBI Special Agent Bailey. As Bailey scrambles to track down leads, events spin out of control and she finds herself blocked at every step by powerful military forces. With the clock ticking on Phase 2 of the experiment, can Bailey and Taylor uncover the truth in time to save the other subjects?

The Splitting Earth


Ryan Zavis - 2018
    There is only one rule: the temple must be made of materials only from the earth, nothing else.That won’t be a problem. Not for him. Because Rok isn’t a normal little boy. No, not at all. He is a demigod: a quarter of the blood in his veins is the blood of the gods. His heritage grants him power over the earth and its many elements—over stone and soil and the deep, dark, hidden ores. Just like his three siblings, Rok has a unique magical power.However, it isn’t all meditation and peace in Zuuland. Unknown to Rok and his family, his father’s vengeful brother Labec lurks in the shadows with his two children, Coltin and Menga. Uncle Labec is consumed by the desire to steal the greatest treasure of Rok’s father, King Nyark: the ZUKOPAL, a mysterious and powerful opal ring that shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.But it isn’t just power Uncle Labec seeks. His motivations run far deeper. Labec is the yin to King Nyark’s yang. He seeks a balancing of light and dark, and even more—revenge for past wrongs. Will Rok and his siblings be able to bring peace between their father and uncle? Or will the Zukopal drive them even further apart?

The Boy Who Dreamt the World


Jethro Punter - 2018
    Adam is living a very ordinary life until he becomes aware of the link between the worlds and discovers that, as a Daydreamer, he is one of the very few people who can travel freely between the two and achieve impossible things. You would think that being in control of your dreams would be fun. But when both worlds are threatened by a new and growing danger and when Nightmares not only roam the dream world but also start chasing him even while he is awake, Adam realises that he will need all of his new found powers just to survive the night. With the help of a very unusual band of friends Adam now has to save both worlds, discover more about his past and, if he can, try and avoid yet another detention.The Boy who Dreamt the World is the first book in the Daydreamer Chronicles series.

The Boy Who Howled


Timothy Power - 2010
    But when his pack sends him back to live with his own kind--humans--fitting in is quite a challenge. He doesn't remember English very well, so he accidentally says his name is Clam. He's spent most of his life eating fresh-killed elk, so dining with vegetarians is tricky. And when he tries to impress the Alpha student in the school cafeteria by stealing food, people seem offended!A mix of wildness and humor, Timothy Power's inventive writing makes him a debut author to watch. And Callum's quest to find his place in a strange world will have readers rooting for him--when they're not howling with laughter.

Happy Hippo


Gerald Hawksley - 2013
    Do you know a happy hippo?I don't suppose you do.Here's a book about a happy hippo -I made it just for you!Join Happy Hippo as he has happy thoughts all day (they pop into his head, and then they float away!).Another jolly rhyming picture book from Gerald Hawksley to share and enjoy.

The Magykal Papers


Angie Sage - 2009
    Enter the world of Septimus Heap with this collection of previously unpublished papers.This rich compendium includes:The private journals of Septimus, Jenna, and Marcia Overstrand.The best--and worst--places to eat as described in The Egg-on-Toast Restaurant Guide.Sirius Weazal's Speedy Guides to the Palace, the Wizard Tower, and Wizard Way.Excerpts from the Pigeon Post Biography series and the Heaps of History series.Alther Mella's Guide to Being Dead: Ten Handy Rules for New Ghosts.Beautiful maps, quirky flyers, funny letters, and much more!

The Painted Pony


Angharad Thompson Rees
    He enjoys his life in the carnival, thank you very much – until he meets a young boy called Sebastian, who has a rather peculiar gift. Sebastian can read Stargazer’s mind, and what starts as a fairground fun, turns into a great adventure. Their lives collide, and nothing will ever be quite the same again… Wild Horses will not Tear you Away! About Magical Adventures & Pony Tales Magical Adventures & Pony Tales is a collection of six enchanting pony inspired children’s short stories, drawing readers into magical lands with unforgettable characters and ponies. Fantastic friendships, battles between good and bad and magical mysteries all come together in this unforgettable world. About the Author Angharad Thompson Rees is a rather strange individual. She believes in the magical, revels in the whimsical and owns a pet unicorn. Angharad has spent a lifetime working with horses and ponies of all sorts, from Olympic show jumpers and world class racehorses to taming wild ponies using the art of Horse Whispering. She has always been horse mad and her love for these magnificent beasts can be seen on every page of the new children's book series, Magical Adventures & Pony Tales.

The Town with No Roads


Joe Siple - 2019
     Memorable objects from Aspen Collins’ childhood are appearing in the town square, accompanied by notes in her father’s handwriting. The notes relate to things happening in her life now. But that’s impossible —Aspen's father is in a coma. The miracle brings chaos in the form of a ghost hunter, three different factions of people with conflicting beliefs about the miracle, and a television reporter who Aspen finds herself falling for. But when everything comes to a head, an impossible choice must be made. And the consequences of either decision could be too much to bear. An enchanting follow-up to Siple’s award-winning debut, The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride, The Town with No Roads is a story of forgiveness and redemption that explores whether unconditional love should hold us close or set us free.

We Can't Be Broken


H.K. Christie - 2017
    Once Anna is born everything changes for the better: a new sister, a new house and a perfect life. It’s as if nothing can go wrong—until Anna gets cancer. 

 In the wake of seemingly never-ending hospital stays and chemo treatments, Casey and her older siblings, Kelly and Sam, are suddenly forced to fend for themselves while constantly adapting to a new normal, which is anything but. Now growing up in the shadow of their sister’s cancer, Casey and her siblings try to survive as well as figure out their own place in the world. 

 With the family they once had no longer in existence, Casey finds herself wondering what’s next. Will they ever again find peace, happiness or each other? We Can't Be Broken is a novel inspired by true events.

Elphie and Dad go on an Epic adventure


Hagit R. Oron - 2016
    Hagit R. Oron and Or Oron have written a book which not only details the principle of “look before you leap,” but also shows how imaginative children can be. Elphie’s facial expressions emoted perfectly what he was thinking and feeling during the entire journey, whether it was boredom, excitement, or fear. Elphie and Dad Go On an Epic Adventure would be a wonderful book to read at bedtime for smaller children, teaching them about road danger, adventure, and using your imagination to have fun." - Rosie Malezer for Readers’ FavoriteFor Elphie, everything is an adventure. But dad is cautious. Is dad going to join Elphie on his quest or is the trip to the shop going to be dull and boring? Join Elphie and dad to find out! "Elphie and dad go on an epic adventure" is a fun beautifully illustrated book that addresses kids and parents alike. It shows how you can transform everyday chores into exciting adventures. Bonus! Free gift for every buyer: an illustrated booklet with an extra-special-epic-adventure chocolate milk recipe for kids and their dads to make together.