MMGM- Breaking the Ice and House with No Keys

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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
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Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

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Unleashing Readers

Blitt, Natalie. Breaking the Ice
September 2, 2025 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

8th grader Harper has a job serving cocoa at the Sweet Shack in the local ice skating rink, the Skatium. She used to be on the girls' hockey team, since her grandmother and mother were obsessed with hockey and her older brothers all played, but after an incident in a game, she won't even go on the ice. This poses a problem when the owner of the rink asks her to participate in a mentorship program. Jason D'Andre, a prominent tween pairs skater, has moved to town and will be helping out, but Harper is still reluctant. It takes the insistence of eight year old friend Bronte to get Harper to acquiese, and even then, she refuses to actually get out on the ice. Jason is not only at the rink, but also enrolls in Summit Middle School. When Harper finds out that the two live in the same neighborhood, they walk home together. Jason has his own issues with skating, and is not fond of the attention that his skating has brought him. Harper's best friend was Bea, but she was involved in the incident that took Harper off the ice. Bea's brother, Brian, has been very mean to Harper ever since. When Bea insists that Harper come to her birthday party, there's a snafu with the cocoa, but the two have a heart to heart talk and make up. Harper is enjoying the mentorship program, but is anxious when she thinks she has caused Bronte to injure herself. Eventually, Harper and Jason talk about their issues with the ice, and decide to try to help each other out. They are good friends, but as they spend more and more time together, they become fonder and fonder of each other. Will they be able to return to the skating that they love, and will they be more than friends?
Strengths: I'm trying not to spoil some of the plot twists here, but yes, the two start dating... after Harper asks Jason out! Loved that part! I also appreciated that they really did start out as friends, had a lot in common, and talked to each other for support. It's also fun that Harper is a hockey player with deep ties to the sport, and Jason is a figure skater, since it's often the other way around. Bronte is an interesting character to have, and Harper trying to be a positive role model is great. I'd love to see more tweens mentoring slightly younger kids. Both Harper and Jason seemed like they were high schoolers (especially since Harper has a job), and the illustration style on the cover is similar to some of the Young Adult titles I have seen, which will encourage even 8th graders to pick this up. This was a generally positive story with no dead relatives, a new kid in town who is fairly well adjusted, and a supportive sports environment. The budding romance is super sweet and involves a kiss. I would love to see SO MANY more stories like this. 
Weaknesses: Kids today. They whine a lot. While this is completely on trend for whatever this younger generation is called, it makes an old person like me want to slap them a tiny bit. Blitt's titles are solid middle grade stories, but often seem to get stuck in some kind of publishing purgatory. This came out as Cocoa Crushes about 2020, but maybe only through Scholastic book orders. I also couldn't seem to get a hold of a copy of Carols and Crushes. Scholastic's WISH books are so popular with my students; I don't understand why they are so hard to get for my library. 
What I really think: If I can find a prebound copy of this, I'll definitely purchase it. I've bought some paperback titles because I couldn't get them any other way, but for whatever weird reason, my students are reluctant to check out paperbacks! Fans of Suzanne Nelson's and Taylor Garland's WISH titles will drink this one up like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows! 

Currie, Lindsay. The House with No Keys (The Delta Games #2)
September 30, 2025 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Sarah and her friends West and Hannah are back after their thrilling adventure in The Mystery of the Locked Rooms. The Deltas are still helping William out at the house, especially since he has started hosting birthday parties, but he seems oddly tired and distracted. When the group is at a local coffee shop, they get an invitation to C.K. Goodson’s Mystery Mansion. This new venue, only twelve miles from William’s, offers them a challenge with a $10,000 prize. Each of the kids has a use for the money. West wants to apply to the exclusive private school, Everblake. Hannah wants to take ballet lessons again, but because she dropped out, her parents want her to pay. Sarah’s family is still struggling with her father’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and extra cash would mean she wouldn’t have to work as much but would still have some pocket money. The Deltas also are ALWAYS up for a new escape room. This one looks challenging, and the group even has to sign a waiver to participate, which is fairly standard, so they give it only a cursory look. They have to leave their phones and bags, which is a little concerning, but the puzzles start right away with rhyming clues. They have to choose their route, and decide on the shortest one, which is probably the most challenging. They have to solve word puzzles, deal with magnets, and even have to fish! There are tunnels, an Egyptian room with sand, and a lot of similarities to the designs that the Steins created for William’s house. Throughout the process, the kids have moments of sharing their experiences; one room even asks what their desires are, and West mentions really wanting to go to the private school, and Hannah wants to resume ballet. Sarah, however, lies and says she wants a dog, when she would really like West to be her boyfriend and is afraid of losing both of her friends to their new activities. There are clever moments, like figuring out how to finish a go-kart race at the same time, and getting out of the infinity room. Even though they escape in time, things don’t end they way they want them to. Who is the C.K. Goodson, and how has she REALLY developed her puzzles? Can the Deltas figure this out and save William’s business?
Strengths: Like the first book in the series, this is quite well constructed; I can only imagine the wall of maps and sticky notes that go into planning this intricate plot. The personal challenges that the kids face are realistic and developed throughout the story, giving some background structure to the escape room activities. These are all very fun and clever, just like in the first book, and have plenty of perilous moments with the lights out, potential drops into water, and some evil antics by C.K. Goodson.
Weaknesses: It took me a while to remember Sarah’s name, and since she’s the narrator, it’s not mentioned right away. Also, I can’t really explain how much I personally hate games. I couldn’t help but think that the children would be spending their time better doing robotics, ballet, or working!
What I really think: While I am not a fan of puzzles (just yesterday, a student brought the graphic novel version of Mr. Lemoncello’s Library to show me, and asked me to solve a rebus!), many of my students are. Currie’s horror books have a HUGE fan base in my library, so I’ll definitely purchase this sequel for them, as well as for readers of Richards' Survive this Safari, Gerber’s The Liar’s Society, Cavalancia's Mystery Royale, Hunter, H. D. Futureland series, Brandt's Exit Nowhere. and Reese's Puzzleheart.