Middle Grade on The Techno Scholar Chronicles

Book Review: Island of Legends (The Unwanteds #4)

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 11:05:00 -0500

Alex feels the weight of responsibility for everyone in Artimé on his shoulders as its mage. As we learned in the previous book, Sky’s mother is alive but enslaved by pirates on the Island of Fire. Alex has committed to rescuing her, but he wants to do it the right way, through careful planning and with the right people. Although several storylines unfold throughout the book, the rescue operation drives the main story. At the same time, Alex’s burden of leadership takes a personal toll, particularly on his relationship with Sky.

Book Review: Island of Fire (The Unwanteds #3)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 21:00:00 -0500

Island of Fire improves on the first two books in the Unwanteds series. In the earlier books, the story sometimes felt slow, and I did not always have a clear sense of where everything was going. We learned about Artimé and Quill, and there were battles and struggles to survive, but I never quite felt that there were heroes yet. That changed for me in Island of Fire. In this book, Alex and the other Artiméans have lost much, and they have had to step up and be brave. I see them becoming heroes and leaders. They are not just a people; they are family and friends to each other. And that is the biggest difference between Artimé and Quill. As we learn in this book, it is also the difference between Artimé and Warbler, also known as the Island of Silence.

Book Review: Island of Silence (The Unwanteds #2)

Mon, 18 May 2026 05:15:00 -0500

Island of Silence is the second book in The Unwanteds series, and it largely deals with the aftermath of the battle between Artimé and Quill from the first book. Artimé has survived and is now able to come out into the open, as well as allow travel between Artimé and Quill. As such, many of the Necessaries in Quill choose to leave behind their jobs and move to Artimé to start a new life. Since the Necessaries were the ones doing much of the essential work, Quill begins to struggle.

Book Review: The Unwanteds (The Unwanteds #1)

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0500

The Unwanteds is a middle-grade fantasy novel set in a dystopian society called Quill, where citizens are divided into three groups: Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds. At the age of 13, children undergo a yearly judgment in which any sign of creativity is deemed undesirable. The only catch is that those labeled Unwanted are sent to the Death Farm to be killed. However, we soon discover that these children are secretly rescued by a mage named Mr. Today. This is where the story becomes more engaging and hopeful.

Book Review: The Wild Robot Protects (Volume 3)

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0600

The Wild Robot Protects is the third book in the series. The first book focuses on survival on the island where Roz, a robot, finds herself. The second book follows Roz as she escapes from the mainland and returns home to the island. The third book centers on protecting the island from a poison tide that is killing life in the ocean and threatening the island itself. Throughout all three books, the common themes are family, home, and helping others.

Book Review: The Wild Robot Escapes (Volume 2)

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 20:00:00 -0600

The Wild Robot Escapes continues the story of Roz, the wild robot, in this middle-grade science fiction story. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but as the title suggests, Roz must escape. The story follows her adventure as she breaks free from human civilization and attempts to return to the wilderness island where she spent the first year of her life. That island is truly her home, where her animal family and friends live—especially her goose son, Brightbill. Her life is there.

Book Review: The Wild Robot (Volume 1)

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 19:30:00 -0600

The Wild Robot is a middle-grade science fiction book about a robot shipwrecked on an island and forced to survive among the island’s wildlife. Interestingly, it is about survival, community, and family. I first watched The Wild Robot movie and really enjoyed it. However, the movie ended on a cliffhanger, and I wanted to know what happened next. When I looked into it, I discovered that The Wild Robot is actually a trilogy, so I had to start reading the books!