There’s just something to be said about enjoying a middle grade book for the kid in all of us. I love using middle grade reads as a palette cleanser, and I have discovered many great middle grade audiobooks on Audible included in the membership fee. So, if you are looking for a great book for your child, a family road trip, or even for yourself here are three great options to check out.

1. First up, my favorite, The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury.

I found this book to be charmingly unique with the use of musical instruments as conduits for magic learning. I have recommended this book to several friends and they all enjoyed it as well. With the musical elements, this makes a great listen for an audiobook.

Synopsis:

“Humor and heart shine in this middle grade fantasy about a girl who attends a boarding school to learn how to use music to create magic, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil series.

Amelia Jones always dreamed of attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic. So when Amelia botches her audition, she thinks her dream has met an abrupt and humiliating end—until the school agrees to give her a trial period. Amelia is determined to prove herself, vowing to do whatever it takes to become the perfect musician. Even if it means pretending to be someone she isn’t. Meanwhile, a mysterious storm is brewing that no one, not even the maestros at Mystwick, is prepared to contain. Can Amelia find the courage to be true to herself in time to save her beloved school from certain destruction?”

2. Next up is The Golden Orchard by Flora Ahn.

I absolutely loved how Ahn uses food and it’s vivid connection to memory as the vehicle for her time travel. I also enjoyed her descriptions of Korean culture. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and didn’t see the plot twist coming at all!

Synopsis:

“Maya loves to cook with her grandmother – her Halmunee – to connect with the rich family history associated with each dish, a history Maya’s mom would prefer stayed in the past. While cooking with Halmunee, something remarkable happens – the food creates such a strong memory that Maya and Halmunee are transported back in time through the memory itself. Halmunee explains that the women in her family have the gift of time travel through food and Maya can do it too, if she practices. While eating her way through the past, Maya meets Jeff: another young time traveler who brings her to the Golden Orchard, a garden of memories filled with the trees of so many people’s lives. Maya learns that time moves in ways she couldn’t imagine and sometimes family keep their memories secret to protect the ones they love.”

3. The last is Silverswift by Natalie Lloyd. The mermaid on the front of this beautiful book cover drew me in, as did the price (free for Audible members). I have always been obsessed with mermaids, so that was an easy way to lure me in. Bad pun intended.

This was a really cute story. Parts of it were very similar to The Little Mermaid; however, there were many unique parts. Not only is there a fantasy element with mermaids, but this story deals with the topics of: death of loved ones, illness and aging, family members who don’t get along, divorced parents, dating parents, and separation of family. This could be a good way for a child to bridge those topics in a relatively light manner. I recommend this book to lovers of family stories and mermaids.

Synopsis:

“The wind is always looking for a story to tell….

On a dark, wintry day, Eliza Grey receives a mysterious letter from her ailing Nana Mora begging her to come for a visit. This is an easy “Yes”. Eliza has always preferred Nana Mora’s beach cottage on St. Simons Island to the apartment she and her mom call home in the city. The island is a magical place where stories and legends grow as thick as the Spanish moss dangling in the trees. Now, Nana Mora’s eyesight is fading, and there’s something she wants to show Eliza before it’s totally gone: a mythical place locals refer to as Sirens Harbor. Supposedly hidden somewhere on the island, it’s a place where all the mermaids in the world congregate once a year to sing their Winter Song. It’s all fairy-tale silliness, according to Eliza’s mom. But Nana Mora is convinced it’s real.

With the help of an eccentric lighthouse keeper, Nana and Eliza pack up their gear and set out on their journey. As they travel, Eliza hears the real story of Sirens Harbor…along with the story of a fearsome mermaid named Silverswift, a warrior-princess rumored to have walked on the islands. Challenges abound for the adventurers: old maps are hard to read, and treacherous trails spiral through the woods. And there’s a strange storm spinning all around them. It’s almost as if some things are meant to stay secret. As if the harbor doesn’t want to be found. Or as if, maybe, someone doesn’t want them to find it….

One thing is for sure: what Eliza and her grandmother actually discover on the night of the winter solstice will be better than any fairytale. As Nana Mora says: ‘Some stories aren’t fiction, my darling Eliza. Some stories are lifetimes.'”

If you don’t have Audible, you can find The Mystwick School of Musicraft at bookshop.org here.

I also have created a shoppable list of middle grade books there that you can find here.

Affiliate links help support me & I appreciate your patronage.

Now, onto the special deal from Sudio; I am so excited to have partnered with them to offer my followers this amazing deal on earphones.

[Ad] Sudio kindly sent me these beautiful ETT pink earphones and LADD+ wireless charging dock.  In the past, I haven’t been a fan of earphones because I could never find the right fit, but with the inclusion of so many different shapes and sizes, I was able to find the right fit for me & Sudio has quite literally changed my listening habits.  Also, I am already obsessed with the LADD+ it works quickly and it couldn’t be easier!  ETT comes in a bunch of different colors from black or white to charcoal grey, pink, and a gorgeous hunter green.  This would be an amazing gift for yourself or someone else!

ETT has some amazing features, which include:
~Active noise cancelling
~Wireless charging
~Up to 30h of playtime, 6h in a single charge
~Up to 20h with ANC + music, 4h in a single charge with ANC + music
~USB-C charging
~IPX 5 (splash/rain/sweat proof)
~Dual mode instant connection

Click here to view the product on their website.

Until May 13th, ETT will be available for the lowest price ever from 159USD to 129USD / 129GBP to $110 USD/84 GBP/152 CAD if you use my code: BEKKA15.

Plus, all ETT purchases (not including other products) during this period will also come with a free wireless charger called LADD+ that can be used to charge the ETT model or any other device with QI charging capabilities! 

If you are interested in following more special offers I will share in the future, follow me on IG here.

Please let me know in the comment section if there is a middle grade read you love!