Lydia Cooper Is a Lie

 

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One photo. That’s all it took to turn Lydia Cooper’s quiet life with her dad into a full-on run for survival.

Lydia’s dad works in cybersecurity, so he knows exactly what the internet can do to a person. No social media, heavy parental controls, the whole lockdown. Lydia thinks he’s just being the most overprotective dad on the planet. So when she gets left out of yet another group chat and misses movie night at her crush’s house, she’s had enough. She figures out his password, makes the account everyone at school is on, and finally starts to feel like she belongs. Then an innocent group photo she’s tagged in changes everything, and suddenly she and her dad are running for their lives from people she didn’t know existed.  

Turns out her whole history is built on secrets, and she’s not even sure who she really is.

Lydia Cooper Is a Lie is smart, fast, and packed with twists. What I loved most is that Meaghan McIsaac writes Lydia as an actual kid. No eye-rolling sarcasm, no 13-going-on-30 attitude, just an earnest girl who wants to fit in, which makes you root for her hard when things go sideways. 

Jensen Olaya’s narration is a big part of why it works. Her voice sounds young, and she nails all the swirl of nerves and confusion Lydia’s feeling. It’s the everyday middle school stuff, fitting in, first crushes, the pull of social media, dropped into a movie-style thriller, and the combo really works. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quick note for parents: this gives your middle grade reader a genuine thriller without anything beyond a PG-13 rating.

 

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted early listen. Lydia Copper Is a Lie is out tomorrow. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org and help an indie store while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might also be interested in Julie A. Swanson's book North of Tomboy.

About the Author

Meaghan McIsaac is the author of several books for young readers, including Lydia Cooper Is a Lie, Cheat Code, Movers, and The Bear House. She has an MA in writing for children from the University of Winchester and is also an illustrator for picture books and graphic novels. 

Follow Meaghan on Instagram and find more news and information about her books at her website.

North of Tomboy

 

Author: Julie K. Swanson 

Publisher: SparkPress

Publication date: Sept. 2, 2025

Happy Friday Book pals! Thank you Booksparks and author Julie Swason for the gifted #fallpopup book North of Tomboy which is out this Tuesday, Sept. 2. 

Set in the 1970s, this middle grade novel is the story of 4th grader Jess who’s more comfortable in jeans than dresses and who’d rather play baseball with the boys than play dolls with the girls. When Jess gets yet another baby doll for Christmas, she turns it into the boy she wants to be. Jess names him Mickey and he becomes her alter ego. Here’s the full summary from the publisher: 

Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.

But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.

Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.

This is an emotional story of how Jess learns to express herself and allow the boy part of herself out into the world. This book really hit home for me because I grew up during the time period of the book and I was a tomboy. I could really relate to Jess wanting to wear pants to school instead of a dress or a skirt and I loved playing and watching sports. 

At first Jess uses Mickey as a stand in to voice her opinions and argue her case for wanting short hair or to not wear a dress. But she eventually realizes that she can’t hide behind Mickey forever. She learns to stand up for herself and to be able to show others who she truly is. After all,  isn’t that what we all want? To be seen for who we are. 

About the Author

Julie A. Swanson grew up on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, the setting for this story. As a kid, she enjoyed exploring the great outdoors, building forts, playing pretend games, writing and illustrating poems and stories, woodworking, sports, art, and reading . . . but she could never find books about anyone who was as uncomfortable being a girl as she was, who loved a sport to the extent she did, or who had a Polish last name like hers (Polakowski). So she decided she would one day write those books. Now an author of middle grade and young adult novels, Julie lives in Virginia.

The Last Dragon on Mars

 

Author: Scott Reintgen

Narrator: Landon Woodson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2024

A space adventure featuring dragons? Yes, please! Space is filled with dragons. Every planet, moon, and star has one- except Mars. Mars’s dragon was killed long ago when mankind tried to make Mars habitable, and the planet has been dying since then. 

Lunar Jones is a Martian- born and raised on the red planet. He and his friends eke out a living finding scrap metal left over from a long ago war. While out scrapping, Lunar escapes a deadly storm by going underground and discovers a secret that will change not only his life, but also all of Mars. Swipe for the full synopsis. 

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Lunar Jones. He’s thoughtful, kind, brave, and loyal. I loved Dread and how he and Lunar bonded together. The pace moves along at a good clip which is so important to hold the attention of young readers. This is a great mix of fantasy and science fiction and it really works well. Even though this is a middle grade book, older teen readers can certainly enjoy it.

Landon Woodson does an excellent job with the narration. There are a lot of characters, but I had no trouble keeping track of who was who thanks to Woodson’s talents. 

This is great mix of action, adventure, and humor will appeal to readers of all ages. Shoutout to @ohiobookgirl for putting this book on my radar! 

About the Author

Scott Reintgen is a former public school teacher from North Carolina. When he’s not writing, he uses his imagination to entertain his wife, Katie, and their three children. Scott is the New York Times bestselling author of the Waxways series, the Nyxia trilogy, the Dragonships series, and the Celia Cleary series for younger readers.

Stuntboy, in the Meantime

 

Author: Jason Reynolds 

Narrator: Guy Lockard and others

Publisher: Simon Audio

Year: 2021

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻! 🦸🏿‍♂️

Thank you @simon.audio for the #giftedbook. 

Stuntboy, in the Meantime is truly a gift for kids.  It’s funny. It’s full of imagination. It’s full of heart. It’s full of friendship. And it’s full of love.

Portico Reeves is the best superhero you’ve never heard of. Stuntboy is Portico’s superhero alter ego and his mission is to keep other superheroes safe- like his mom and dad, his best friend, and the people who live in his apartment building. But even superheroes have secrets sometimes. Portico’s secret is his anxiety or the “frets” as he calls it. His parents keep fighting all the time. Can Stuntboy tame his frets and save his mom and dad? 

This audiobook was a joy to listen to! Author @jasonreynolds83 really tapped into his inner middle school boy for this one. The book is filled with kid humor, silliness, and imagination. It’s also filled with the that peculiar kid logic and wonder as Portico tries to make sense of the world around him and his changing family situation. Actor @guylockard leads a full cast recording. His energy and enthusiasm is captivating. The narration also has sound effects, music, and and silly commercial breaks. Perfect for keeping kids listening. This is a story that will enthrall and entertain even the most reluctant of middle grade readers. This one deserves all the stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

QOTD: do you add new holiday decorations every year? 

I haven’t bought any new holiday decorations in several years. We’ve traveled the past few years so we didn’t do much decorating. This year I bought a few gnomes and I love these little guys. I think they are really cute and fun. 

#stuntboy #stuntboyinthemeantime #jasonreynolds #simonaudio #audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #superhero #middlegradebooks #middlegradefiction #anxiety #divorce #friendship #audiobookreview #guylockard 

Alone

 

Author: Megan E. Freeman

Narrator: Gail Shalan

Publisher: Simon Audio

Year: 2021

🎧𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄🎧

Thank you @simon.audio for the #giftedbook. 

Could you survive all by yourself in a deserted town without electricity or cell service? 

Alone, by debut author Megan E. Freeman, is a novel in verse about a girl who finds herself in a desperate situation. Maddie makes a plan with her two best friends for a secret sleepover at her grandparents unoccupied apartment. When her friends can’t make it, Maddie stays at her grandparents anyway. She wakes up the next morning to frantic voicemails from her parents and her small Colorado town deserted. She quickly turns on the tv to discover her town was evacuated due to an unnamed eminent threat and all the citizens have been relocated to…somewhere. Maddie quickly goes in search of her family and anyone else who could help her. She is the only one left and she’s cut off from everyone. Maddie must make a plan to survive, to find enough food and water to last until she is rescued, to survive the brutal Colorado winter. 

Maddie is smart and resourceful. She takes in her neighbor’s dog George so she has some companionship to ease her loneliness. She gets books from the library about survival. She makes mistakes, but she learns how to deal.  Kudos to the author for including Maddie getting her first period and how lonely it makes her without her mother there with her. Most novels don’t often address bodily functions but this little scene makes the character and her isolation real and it’s something teen girls can relate to. 

This is quick and engrossing read with short chapters. Narrator Gail Shalan does a superb job giving Maddie a voice full of strength, sadness, and wonder. Middle grade and teen readers will identify with Maddie’s loneliness and her determination to survive. This is perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain, or the I Survived series. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#alone #meganefreeman #gailshalan #simonaudio #audiobook #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #middlegradebooks #survivalfiction #novelinverse #middlegrade #mglit #teenbooks #yabooks #middlegradedfiction #debuteauthor #colorado #loneliness #survive #bibilofile #bibliophile