Marvelous Middle Grade Monday #MMGM Book Review: The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Piper is a scrapper; she collects metal and anything the meteor storms bring so she can sell them to make money for food and shelter. She’s been all alone since her father died working in a factory. When Piper goes out one night, to rescue a friend who shouldn’t be out in the meteor storm, she stumbles upon a caravan and a girl who seems injured and barely alive. Under Piper’s care the girl comes back to life and doesn’t seem to remember who she is or where she’s from. But she has the Mark of the Dragonfly, which means she is under the king’s protection. Only very important people have the tattoo.  When a strange man comes to Piper’s house asking for Anna things become more complicated. Anna is terrified of the man and keeps calling him the wolf. With some tricky maneuvering Anna and Piper make an escape and hop aboard the 401 train. Piper figures if she can get Anna back to the king she may get a reward that will give her enough to live on for the rest of her life. The security guard, G, nearly throws them off the train, but is stopped by the sight of Anna’s tattoo. They’re allowed to stay on the train. But their struggles aren’t over and the dangers are real. From people trying to kidnap them to the strange man hot on their heels, things have more twists and turns than Piper ever could’ve thought possible. Will Piper and Anna be able to out run the man? Will Anna ever remember who she is? And how will Piper deal with everything when she finds out the truth about Anna?

I have had The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson on my list of books to read for a long time! I am so glad I finally got to it because it was a fantasy story that I absolutely loved. The world Piper lives in is filled with interesting beings and magic. The adventure made the story exciting and I never knew exactly what to expect. I really liked Piper because she had a good heart and gave people a chance. I could easily see why Piper wanted to take care of Anna and their bond was very sweet. I liked seeing how G and Piper developed a respect for each other and a deep friendship. It was a unique blend of items and ideas from long ago, ones from present times, and things from the future as well. I would recommend this book to people in fourth grade and up who enjoy fantasy, dystopian, adventure, and a little sci-fi as well. This is the first book in the trilogy, and now I know I’ll be looking for the second and third book! I can’t wait to see what new adventures await them.

Has anyone else read The Mark of the Dragonfly? Or have you read another book by Jaleigh Johnson? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Dragonfly Magic...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! We'll be dreaming on the wings of dragonflies. Tune in Monday to find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

Ancient hunter under water striving for the top. Sip the air, crawl on up, exoskeleton drop. Feel of wings swishing by over shimmering ripple skim. Iridescent buzz and diamond eyes circling a brim. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Dragonfly! ✨

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: The Brim of Change...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? They are magical to watch! ~ F

Ancient hunter under water striving for the top. Sip the air, crawl on up, exoskeleton drop. Feel of wings swishing by over shimmering ripple skim. Iridescent buzz and diamond eyes circling a brim. 

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer. 

I gave you a clue!

A Strange Planet of Beings

Today we're featuring a unique book called Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle. My family received this book as a gift from our good friend, Larry Lovell, and I asked him if he could share his thoughts about it with us. ~ F

"Hm, hm. Hello readers of Fairday's blog. I'm Larry Lovell. Fairday asked me to send over my thoughts about the new book, Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle, and I'm happy to oblige. In my ample experience working as an investigative journalist, I've found that what connects people the most is the desire to feel understood. The short, snappy scenes presented in this clever book accurately depict the fascinating and ludicrous nature of beings being on a strange planet. Whoo boy! did some of them have me rolling. Hm, hm." 

It was my pleasure to gift the Morrows Strange Planet. I hope readers enjoy the insightful wit and emotional kinks that tie the scenes together as much as I do. I highly recommend this book to any being who knows what it's like to be human. Remember to be kind to yourself and others while living on this strange planet. Farewell, bookish beings. Hm, hm." 

Here's what the Morrows thought about 

Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle!

"I catch the hook of this book. The experiences in the short scenes show the truth and humor of ordinary life. And I must note, describing vacuuming as rollsucking the foot fabric is brilliant—I've got my two year old daughter, Margo, chanting, "ROLLSUCK! ROLLSUCK!" whenever Dyson comes out to clean." ~ Mr. Morrow

"I really enjoy the interactions in this book. There are no specific characters, which leaves all of the beings relatable in some way. I think it's cool how the author conveys emotion by using logical language to point out the illogical. Plus, I agree with Mr. Lovell, this book is super funny—beings are complex!" ~ Fairday

"I am delighted by this adorable book, and I was pleased that Larry gave us the gift of this story. It's important to tap into the natural emotions that tug at our hearts and understand the connections they make in our heads. These snippet sketches tell the story of beings living together and learning to cooperate. It's a wonderful book to read together as a family." ~ Mrs. Morrow

Answer to Fairdays' Riddle: Beings Being...

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Tune in Monday to receive our unique communication about various circumstances drawn in short scenes. We'll have a special guest too! See you all around the book block. ~ F

What's the sum of your cells? A sense of you that seeks and dwells. Many glom onto few— they are them, we, and who. Up and down, charm and strange, top and bottom rearrange. Stuff for thought is story bound—cast with characters lost aground. Glassy humor in thick light reveals truth by insight. An interactive state of goo that feels things the same as you.

What am I referring to? Beings

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: Goo Who?

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? Finding emotional connections enhances this unique experience. 😃~ F

What's the sum of your cells? A sense of you that seeks and dwells. Many glom onto few— they are them, we, and who. Up and down, charm and strange, top and bottom rearrange. Stuff for thought is story bound—cast with characters lost aground. Glassy humor in thick light reveals truth by insight. An interactive state of goo that feels things the same as you.

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer. 

  

I gave you a clue!

Bundle Up With Books!

Hello, Readers! We'll be on a blog break until January. We wish all of you a wonderful holiday with lots of bright spirits and warm cheer. See you in the new year! ~ F & L

'Tis the season to wrap up in mystery and get cozy with a story. 

For all those who like to find themselves lost in books, welcome to the Begonia House. 

Fear not the unexpected. Anything's possible!

BUY THE BOOKS

DMS CASE FILE #1

The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow (book 1)
Publish date: 12/1/15
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Illustrator: Roman Muradov
Ages: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

FEAR NOT THE UNEXPECTED.

Eleven-year old Fairday Morrow moves from Manhattan to a small town in Connecticut, where her parents have bought a big, spooky, crumbling manor called the Begonia House. They want to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, but when Fairday moves in she finds out that an unsolved mystery had taken place in the home. She and her friends in the Detective Mystery Squad try to piece together the clues and sort out what happened in the house. The young sleuths enter into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Can they solve the puzzle before it's too late? Or will whatever's causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?

Praise for the book

This paranormal mystery will be of interest to young readers looking for something spooky but not violent or scary.

~Booklist

DMS CASE FILE #2

Fairday Morrow and the Talking Library (book 2)

Publish date: 10/23/17

Publisher: Willow Press

Illustrator: David SanAngelo

Ages: 8 and up
Grade level: 3-6
Available: Hardcover, Paperback, E-book

ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE

Fairday Morrow had no clue that moving from Manhattan to the small town of Ashpot, Connecticut, would lead to an unsolved mystery. Her parents’ dream of renovating a crumbling Victorian called the Begonia House into a bed-and-breakfast had seemed like treachery at the time. But Fairday found out that her new house kept secrets, and once inside its twisted front gates, anything was possible. When mysterious notes start showing up warning that a librarian is in trouble and a bookworm is devouring words, Fairday thinks the Begonia House has more secrets in its closets. She and her friends in the Detective Mystery Squad open up a new case and fall into a world of literary magic. What happens when words in stories are eaten by a hungry bookworm?

Praise for the book

This fine combination of clever kids, arcane mysteries, and witty conundrums falls nicely in-line with other novels featuring riddle-solving kids and literary and linguistic references.

~ Publishers Weekly

Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

About the Authors

Jess and Stephanie met freshman year of high school. It was in English class where they first discovered they liked the same books. Their friendship grew, and over the years they went on to work as servers together, go to the same college for a short time, and they even became roommates for a while. Many books were discussed, but none were ever written. Today, the authors are working on the third book in the Fairday Morrow series, Fairday Morrow and the Master's Emporium, and they know in their bones that anything's possible.

Visit FairdaysFiles.com to contact us. We love hearing from our readers!