Caitie McAneney
Struck by Lightning!
A breezy, high-concept adventure that keeps the pacing tight enough for reluctant readers without sacrificing plot logic.
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Night At The Museum, Battle At The Smithsonian
by Michael Anthony Steel
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2009
A fun, fast-moving tie-in that leans on the film's charm; solid for kids who love the movies, but the book doesn't add much beyond plot recap and lacks the visual magic that made the film memorable.
Zora and Me
by Victoria Bond
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2020
A smart, folklore-grounded adventure that treats a Black girl's magic and heritage as serious—not decorative—and refuses to dumb down either the history or the magic system.
Jane's Island
by Marjorie Hill Allee
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 1988
A quiet, early-20th-century survival story where a girl's competence is the point—no melodrama, no rescue narrative, just island living done well.