MS Review – Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs – middle school

Everts, Don. Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2026. 

Sensate Saga, book 1

Guide to Categories – MS Review – review of books for older elementary-aged and middle school-aged children

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Summary

What if you could see things no one else could?

Meet Oscar, a new kid navigating life in a new town, at a new school, with no friends to lean on. Just as he’s decided to shuffle his way through freshman year and settle for lonely lunches on the football bleachers, something extraordinary happens—Oscar begins to see glowing orbs that no one else can see. Confused and curious, he soon discovers he’s not the only one at his school with a mysterious power.

When chaos disrupts Centerville High, Oscar finds himself in the middle of an eclectic group of kids who all want answers…and are eager to take action! These zealous teen journalists and amateur detectives include other “Sensates”—kids like Oscar who have unique powers. No longer alone, Oscar discovers that those orbs he’s been seeing might just be put to good use.

Join Oscar as he untangles his own mysteries of friendship and faith, and learns that overcoming his deepest fears will require tapping into a Power greater than his own.

A Middle-Grade Adventure Full of Courage and Connection

Packed with mystery and heartfelt themes of friendship and faith, Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs is a perfect coming-of-age story for middle-grade readers who love detective adventures and stories that inspire curiosity about the unseen marvels in everyday life. Perfect for fans of The Wingfeather Saga and The Sherlock Society, in this book you’ll discover a world of wonder, courage, and connection with Oscar and his friends.

Share this book with your young reader to spark their imagination and inspire meaningful conversations about faith, friendship, and the mysteries that surround us all!

About the Series

Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs is the first of three books in The Sensate Saga, a series exploring everyday mysteries and reminding us that there is always more going on than any of us can see.

Purchase Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs on Amazon – https://amzn.to/4dv9kIJ

My MS Review

I was totally wowed by Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs. For me, Don Everts wrote a can’t-put-it-down book. He touches on the supernatural without contradicting Christianity. Each character in the book has a “gift”. One has the gift of seeing connections between people. Another can see the guilt that others carry. Oscar has the ability to see “bubbles” that represent the deep thoughts of others and lavender “bubbles” when people are deep in prayer. And that is just a few of the “gifts” represented in the book. Those who have these gifts are called Sensates.

Oscar has recently moved to Centerville, and because of a disability, has difficulty making friends. A faculty member, who is also a Sensate, notices Oscar’s ability and encourages him to join the newspaper team (with other Sensates).

The team determines to solve a mystery and a potential hate crime that the school brushes away. This mystery is not completely resolved by the end of the book, so I look forward to book two in the saga. This book has the potential to win an award – one of the best middle-grade novels I’ve read recently. 

Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs would be an excellent addition to the middle school section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for upper elementary and up. 

I received a complimentary copy of Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs. This is my honest review. 

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