Dark Lord: the Early Years, by Jamie Thomson

I have April of Good Books and Good Wine to thank for adding Dark Lord: the Early Years, by Jamie Thomson (Walker, Oct. 2, 2012, middle grade) to my reading queue, and it turned out to be a fine choice for reading while snowed in--there wasn't anything about snow in it, but it was nicely diverting. 

The titular dark lord has fallen on hard times, and a hard pavement, as the book begins.   Thrust by the magic of a good wizard from the fantasy realm where he exerts evil power over thousands of minions, he finds himself inhabiting the body of a 12 year old boy, prone and disoriented on a shopping-center parking lot.   None of his evil magic works, and worse than that, no one takes the fact that he is a Dark Lord seriously, and without any power to curse them/blast them to smithereens/etc., there's nothing he can do about it.

Now he is simply a foster kid known as Dirk Lloyd, thrust into a perfectly ordinary middle school. 

But Dirk is undaunted, not so much clinging to his Dark Lord identity, but utterly owning it.  No measly principal will get the better of him!  And with his finely honed Dark Lord military mind, the dynamics of middle school are an easy challenge to master. It helps, of course, that his foster brother and his Goth girl class mate find him diverting as all get out, and, though it strains credulity, his unshakable belief in his true identity does make for interesting conversations....

But, trapped in human form, with real friends and affectionate parents for the first time, and with a large dollop of his wickedness left in the parking lot (in oil smear form), Dirk finds himself changing....how long can he really believe that he is a Dark Lord, when it's not at all clear if he'll ever get home to his orc-breeding pits again (if they even really existed....).

There is tons of kid appeal to this one. Dirk's twisted dark lord memories, though gruesome, are so over the top cliched and exuberantly written that they are entertaining rather than disturbing, and the juxtaposition of his Dark Lord persona with middle school is one that many readers will find amusing.  Up to a point, perhaps, for the adult reader, who might find it a bit of a one-note joke, even a tiresome one, but I think the intended audience will be more completely absorbed by it.

And Dirk himself actually works his way from being Bad Guy to being a sympathetic character.   It's kind of tricky to truly sympathize with him, of course, because he really did do bad things.   But the device of him having had a large part of his wickedness left on the parking lot allows readers to give him the chance to become a decent person, or at least, a decent friend (small steps....).   And perhaps at some point he will start admitting that Dark Lordness isn't all that nice for those who suffer under its bloody tyranny...

And yes, there is a sequel!  Good thing too, because this one ends on a cliffhanger.   This is a UK series, where it was published as Dark Lord: the Teenage Years, and  the sequel, Fiend in Need, came out last March, and which I really would like to read this week because the story of Dirk and his friends looks like it is about to really truly get going....

Recommended in particular to fans of fantasy war games, those who prefer black to pink, and those seeking tips on minion management.  It's also a natural one to give kids who enjoyed Vordak last year, but are ready to move on to meatier fare.

Here's Cory Doctorow's take on it at Boing Boing (enthusiastic), April's review, in case you missed the link above (which isn't enthusiastic, but which still made me seek out the book), and Pam's review at Bookalicious (she liked it).

Dark Lord: School's Out, by Jamie Thomson

Dark Lord: School's Out, by Jamie Thomson (Walker Childrens, Feb., 2014 in the US)

Give these books to any young fantasy gamers in your  life.  Give them to any Goth Girls you know who don't mind a bit of fun being poked at them.  Give them to any fantasy reading kid who wants a break from the serious side of the genre.  Give me the third book, even though it's not even out yet in the UK, let alone over here....

As was told in book 1, Dark Lord: the Early Years (my review),  the Dark Lord of the Dark Lands has been defeated by the power of Good, and sent into another realm--our world.   No longer a fearsome being with terrible powers, he's now a kid in foster care named Dirk Lloyd.  His powers are (for the most part) gone, and more importantly, much of the vile evil ichorosity inside him ended up spewing forth onto the parking lot where he landed.  But he still knows who he really is....and he won't let his foster brother, Chris, and the Goth girl Sooz, their good friend, forget either (and  happily all of Dirk's posturing and threats and Dark Lordliness stay this side of funny).

But in any even, an effort to restore Dirk to the Dark Lands at the end of Book 1 went wrong, and Sooz was the one who travelled there!  But fortunately, Sooz (thanks to her Goth proclivities) is undaunted (though with nicely contrasting moments of daunted homesickness and despair, which I liked--so often young heroes are just too brave for me to take).   And fortunately Sooz is in possession of Dirk's dark ring, which gives her magical powers.  She finds Dirk's  Dark Tower, gathers together his minions, and sets herself up as a Dark Queen.  Only, because she'd not actually evil, her rule is more benevolent than not.

(I really really loved this part of Sooz's story.  The exploring of the tower, the redecorating, the henchman befriending, the wardrobe choices she makes-- all delightful).

And in the meantime, Chris and Dirk are working on rescue plans, including the transformation of Chris' cell-phone into a dark phone that can call Sooz....

And also in the meantime, the "good" guys are trying to kill Dirk in our world, destroy Sooz in their world, and throw into prison anyone who disagrees with them...

So basically the tremendously fun premise  of book 1 (Dark Lord in kid's body) is now part of a richer, bigger story that is still tremendously fun, but with more depth to it.  There's a dash of serious-ness viz friendships, loyalty, and the blurriness between good and evil.   Dirk is one of those delightfully ambiguous anti-heroes, and the tension between Dirk the Friend and Dirk the Dark Lord is nicely tense. 

Magic Below Stairs, by Caroline Stevermer

Magic Below Stairs, by Caroline Stevermer (June 10, 2010, Dial, middle grade, 208 pages)

Life at the orphanage could have been worse for young Fredrick. True, the master of the place couldn't stand him, but at least the cook was fond of him. And then came the night that Billy Bly, a Brownie took such a liking to him that the course of Fredrick's life changed dramatically, and he found himself plucked from amongst his fellow orphans to serve in Lord Schofield's household. True, he's now on the lower rungs of the below-stairs hierarchy, but still, it's many steps up from the orphanage. And Billy Bly has come with him....

As Frederick learns the new duties required of him, he begins to attract Lord Schofield's attention. The lord is a magician, and there is something about the quality of Fredrick's work (his cravat tying in particular) that intrigues him mightily--it seems that there is more to Frederick than meets the eye. And when the household relocates to a cursed country residence, Frederick finds himself drawn into the world of magic. He and Billy find themselves up against a vicious curse, and unless they can stop it, all that Lord Schofield and his young wife hold dear might be lost....

This is a lovely book, reminiscent of Diana Wynne Jones in its delightfully light and brisk writing (although it has more of a linear plot to it than much DWJ--I wasn't confused once). The magical adventure isn't all that harrowing (just enough so to add suspense, and give Frederick something to work against). Instead, it's the fun and detailed and utterly enjoyable story of Frederick's journey that makes the book sing. The supporting characters are great as well-- Bess, the servant girl who takes him under her wing, is a loyal and brave friend (and she gets quite a bit of screen time, adding to the book's appeal to girls), and Billy Bly, Lord Schofield, and all the rest of the manage added to my enjoyment as well.

People looking for fantasy with lots of action-packed build-up to the final confrontation, filled with whackings and plottings and escapes etc, might be disappointed. And I do think that Stevermer might have given us a few more pages of tension here. Goodness knows I feel that there is a surfeit of child-against-dark-lord-of-evil books, so this made for a refreshing change, but I wanted just a bit more of the dangerous part.

That being said, people looking for really good stories, really well told, in which character is central but magic is important, will probably enjoy it lots, just as I did (lots).

This is a companion book to the series written by Stevermer with Patricia Wrede--Sorcery and Cecilia, The Grand Tour, and The Mislaid Magician. Those who have read those books will enjoy meeting Lord Schofield and his wife Kate again, but Magic Below Stairs is completely stand-alonish. Which I know, because I haven't read any of the others. They are so going on my 48 Hour Reading Challenge Book Pile.

(disclaimer: my ARC of Magic Below Stairs was gratefully received/snatched from the publisher at ALA Midwinter)

New releases of science fiction and fantasy for children and teenagers--the (somewhat skimpy) first half of Dec. 2010 edition

Here are the new release of sci fi/fantasy for kids and teens from the first half of December; a short list, and a tricky one from my point of view because too many of the last few precious moments of my youth were spent looking for blurbs, and a picture, that I never found. Sigh.

Middle Grade

ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE SHATTERED LENS by Brandon Sanderson "Alcatraz Smedry is on a mission to save the day! In his final adventure in the series by bestselling adult fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson, Alcatraz has a lot to prove and, as always, little time in which to do it!"



ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup. ""The plan was simple. Ethan Cheeseman, along with his three smart, polite, and relatively odor-free children, would travel back in time to end an ancient family curse and save their mother. Now that the LVR (a super-secret time machine) is in working order, it should be easy peasy. Except they didn't account for one basic rule of science: Murphy's Law, where everything that possibly could go wrong, does. So the Cheeseman family finds themselves on another madcap adventure, this time through stormy seas and haunted castles. And though their narrator, Dr. Soup, has a ton of unsolicited advice to offer young readers, he doesn't have much to say to help the Cheesemans. Just this one thing: Good luck!"



ARTEMIS THE BRAVE: GODDESS GIRLS by Jean Holub & Suzanne Williams





THE DOG'S DINNER: GUNK ALIENS by Jonny Moon "What could be worse than fighting snot-stealing aliens? Here's a hint: it lurks in the cafeteria. The gang face their toughest challenge yet, as they go after a terrifying flying alien. In an epic confrontation, Jack's inventing skills will be tested to the limit, one of his new friends will fall, and all of his courage will be needed when he takes on the worst ordeal of all . . . eating a school meal."

REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOE RINGS by Helene Boudreau. ""Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail? Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever. Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown? Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke? This summer is about to get a lot more interesting..."

THE RISE AND FALL OF MOUNT MAJESTIC by Jennifer Trafton. "Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge leads (much to her chagrin) a very dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything . . . until the night she overhears a life-changing secret. It seems that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not a mountain at all--it's the belly of a sleeping giant, moving as the giant breathes. Now Persimmony and her new friend Worvil the Worrier have to convince all the island's other quarreling inhabitants--including the silly Rumblebumps, the impeccably mannered Leafeaters, and the stubborn young king--that a giant is sleeping in their midst, and must not be woken."

THE SEWERS CRISIS: GUNK ALIENS by Jonny Moon. "They don't want our oil. They don't want our water. They don't want our brussels sprouts (actually, neither do we). They just want our snot.

Jack and his friends have only one alien left to capture. The best is always saved for last, though, so none of them should be surprised that this particular alien only loves one thing . . . poo! But once they've made a sickening descent into the sewers, the world should be finally safe. Shouldn't it?"

SHADOW: DRAGON ORB by Mark Robson "Pell and his night dragon Shadow must find the dark orb to help save the Oracle, leader of all dragonkind. But Segun, a power-hungry tyrant, stands in their way. Pell must use his flying skills, bravery, and resourcefulness to the limit, as Segun is determined to get the orb—even if it means killing the opposition."



Young Adult

ENTICE: NEED by Carrie Jones. "Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out. For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla? And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't turned into just any pixie. . . She's Astley's queen."

THE GIFT: WITCH & WIZARD by James Patterson & Ned Rust. "When Whit & Wisty were imprisoned by the wicked forces of the totalitarian regime known as the New Order, they were barely able to escape with their lives. Now part of a hidden community of teens like themselves, Whit and Wisty have established themselves as leaders of the Resistance, willing to sacrifice anything to save kids kidnapped and brutally imprisoned by the New Order.

But the One has other plans in store for them: He needs Wisty, for she is "The One Who Has the Gift." While trying to figure out what that means, Whit and Wisty's suspenseful adventures through Overworld and Shadowland lead to a jaw-dropping climax and conclusion: the highly-anticipated fulfillment of the heart-pounding opening prologue of book one... The Execution of the Allgoods."

LAST SACRIFICE: VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead "The astonishing final novel in Richelle Mead's epic series!

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them."

THE SWORD OF ARMAGEDDON: THE NEW KID by Temple Mathews. "Things have never been darker for sixteen-year-old Will Hunter. He's lost the girl he loves, been poisoned and abandoned by the new ally he thought he could trust, and has only hours to track down a cure before the toxin coursing through his veins ends his life. He's in no shape to stop the Dark Lord from finding and using the Sword of Armageddon -- but if he can't, he's not the only one who will die.

In the fight against the Dark Lord and his demon minions, the third book in the New Kid series takes Will and friends from a mysterious island in Puget Sound to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, and ends in a battle that proves that, while to err may be demonic, forgiveness is the true path to victory"

THE REVENGE OF LORD ODA: BLOOD NINJA by Nick Lake "The slashing sequel to Blood Ninja!"

What Came from the Stars, by Gary Schmidt--Waiting on Wednesday

I recently came across news of a forthcoming book that made me sqee (gently) and add it tout suite to my list of must haves--What Came from the Stars, by Gary Schmidt (Clarion Books, September 4, 2012).

Now, the blurb itself wasn't exactly what made me want the book--it doesn't, for instance, feature an orphanage, an old house, a plucky girl, or enchanted birds/foxes/horses, to name a few things I like in books. But it sounds reasonable enough (although any mention of a dark lord makes me feel a tad twitchy):

"The Valorim are about to fall to a dark lord when they send a necklace containing their planet across the cosmos, hurtling past a trillion starsall the way into the lunchbox of Tommy Pepper, sixth grader, of Plymouth, Mass. Mourning his late mother, Tommy doesn't notice much about the chain he found, but soon he is drawing the twin suns and humming the music of a hanorah. As Tommy absorbs the art and language of the Valorim, their enemies target him. When a creature begins ransacking Plymouth in search of the chain, Tommy learns he must protect his family from villains far worse than he's ever imagined."

No. It was not this blurb that made me want this ever so much. It is that GARY SCMIDT, author of my dearly beloved The Wednesday Wars (and Okay for Now), has written a middle grade fantasy! Which I call very thoughtful of him, because a. this is what I read most and b. I will read anything he writes.

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs

Happy New Year!  Here's what I found this week in my blog reading; please let me know if I missed your post.

The Reviews

Cog, by Greg van Eekhout, at Raise Them Righteous

The Dark Lord Clementine, by Sarah Jean Horwitz, at Raise Them Righteous

The Darkdeep, by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, at Twirling Book Princess

The Door to the Lost, by Jaleigh Johnson, at Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Esme's Wish, by Elizabeth Foster, at Book Craic and Hasanthi's Book Blog

The Forgotten Girl, by India Hill Brown, at Charlotte's Library

The Healing Star, by A. Kidd, at Always in the Middle

The Key of Lost Things (Hotel Between #2), by Sean Easley, at Say What?

Jinxed, by Amy McCulloch, at Sharon the Librarian

Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8), by Shannon Messenger, at Carstairs Considers

Over the Moon, by Natalie Lloyd, at Raise Them Righteous

The Root of Magic, by Kathleen Benner Duble, at Not Acting My Age

Stoop Sale Treasure, by Corey Ann Haydu, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery, by Allison Rushby, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Winterhouse Mysteries, by Ben Guterson, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Other Good Stuff

My favorite time slip books from the past decade (Charlotte's Library)

The Cybils short list for elementary and middle grade speculative fiction was announced! (if you think being a Cybils panelist for emg sf sounds like fun, which it is, look for the call for panelists next August!) You can find all the shortlists here.

Cog, by Greg van Eekhout
The Dark Lord Clementine, by Sarah Jean Horwitz
Homerooms and Hall Passes, by Tom O'Donnell
Love Sugar Magic: A Sprinkle of Spirits, by Anna Meriano
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia
We're Not From Here, by Geoff Rodkey

It was sad that we could only have seven books on our Cybils shortlist

My eleven-year old was a bit sore at me last week--he felt that I should have been a stronger advocate for the books he wanted to see on the Cybils shortlist.   His own nominee--The Last Wild, by Piers Torday--wasn't there, and nor were two books he'd recently devoured in single sittings--Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, and The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier.  It's true that seeing your kid absolutely love a book to pieces does make you feel fondly toward it (unless it's a wretchedly awful book, in which case you start wondering where you went wrong), but it was also true that we only had places for seven books, and we had 155 from which to chose.  (It is like picking just one kitten at the animal shelter....)

So the book I myself nominated, Dark Lord-School's Out, by Jamie Thomson (so funny) isn't on the shortlist either.  Sigh.    And I wouldn't have minded Space Case myself, or another sci fi one, Ambassador, by William Alexander, which I liked lots, and anyone looking for a great book to give a nine year old girl should consider The Orphan and the Mouse, by Martha Freeman (but you might have trouble because of the cover, and there's a difficult Mouse Death right at the beginning) and The Whispering Skull  and The Magic Thief: Home, and Jinx's Magic and The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw were all great series continuations and Ninja Librarians was so much fun and I could go on and on..............

We had to make hard choices.  

But in any event, Space Case, Ambassador, and Dark Lord-School's Out are all 2014 personal favorites of mine.  And I just want to wave them a little bit at readers, because I think they deserve it....

And the eleven-year old would like me to do the same for The Last Wild and The Night Gardener.

And now I'm already starting to think about next year!!!!  Will we reach 200 nominated books???? Will it be even harder to pick just seven?????   Please do think about joining the fun--although it is true that there are more people who want to be panelists than there are slots, newcomers are welcomed and encouraged!  The call for panelists will go out in mid-August, 2015.

this week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the web (10/20/19)

Here's what I found this week; please let me know if I missed your post!

(I changed my post title from "around the blogs" to "around the web" but do cool kids these days actually say "the web"?  Would "on-line" be more au currant?)

Book Reviews

Archimancy, by J.A. White, at Puss Reboots

The Battle, by Karuna Riazi, at Randomly Reading

The Beast (Darkdeep #2), by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Dark Lord Clementine, by Sarah Jean Horwitz, at Cracking the Cover and A Garden of Books

The Dragon Warrior, by Katie Zhao, at Endless Chapters, For Ever and Everly, and The Quiet Pond

Dual at Araluen (Royal Ranger #3), by John Flanagan, at Say What?

The Evil Wizard Smallbone, by Delia Sherman, at Kid Lit Geek

The Fire Keeper, by J.C. Cervantes, at Pamela Kramer

Guardians of Magic, by Chris Riddell, at Book Craic

The Jumbie God's Revenge, by Tracey Baptiste, at Sally's Bookshelf

The Key of Lost Things (Hotel Between #2), by Sean Easley, at Kid Lit Reviews

The Land of Roar, by Jenny McLachlan, at Thoughts by Tash

The Last Dragon (Revenge of Magic #2), by James Riley, at GeoLibrarian and Good Reads with Rona

The Little Grey Girl, by Celine Kiernan, at Pages Unbound

Malamander, by Thomas Taylor, at PidginPea's Book Nook

Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch #3) by Brandon Mull, at Read Love

The Missing Barbegazi, by H.S. Norup, at Log Cabin Library

Rebels with a Cause (Max Einstein #2), by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, at Say What?

The Revenge of Magic, by James Riley, at Boys and Literacy

The Shores Beyond Time, by Kevin Emerson, at Charlotte's Library

Skeleton Keys: the Unimaginary Friend, by Gus Bass, at Book Craic

Small Spaces, by Katherine Arden, at Imaginary Friends

Spark, by Sarah Beth Durst, at Dead Houseplants

Trace, by Pat Cummings, at Locus

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia, at  Paul's Picks, YA Books Central, Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Broadway World, Ashley and Company, and Charlotte's Library

Weird Little Robots, by Carolyn Crimi, at Always in the Middle

A Wolf Called Wander, by Roseanne Parry, at Redeemed Reader

Two at The Book Search--The Bootlace Magician, by Cassie Beasley, and The Revenge of Magic, by James Riley


Authors and Interviews

Katie Zhao (The Dragon Warrior) at the Barnes and Noble Kids Blog

Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky) at the News & Observer

Adrianna Cuevas (The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez) at Middle Grade Book Village

Nicole Valentine (A Time-Traveller's Theory of Relativity) at the Lerner Podcast

Nick Tomlinson (The Ghouls of Howlfair) at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

Sarah Jean Horwitz (The Dark Lord Clementine) at Middle Grade Book Village

Paul Mason (The International Yeti Collective) at Alittlebutalot

J. de laVega (Peter Tulliver and the City of Monster) at Reading With Your Kids Podcast


Other Good Stuff

"Historical Fiction With a Touch of Fantasy" at Lyn Miller-Lachmann

at Tor--"The messy beautiful worldbuilding of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"

Not exactly good stuff, but I'm looking for new middle grade dystopia, and would welcome suggestions!  Here's what I have so far.

New releases of science fiction and fantasy for children and teenagers--the middle to the end of June, 2010

Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy books for kids and teens from the middle to the end of June; blurbs are from the publishers, and my info. comes from Teens Read Too.

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: BEDEVILED by Shani Petroff All Angel wanted was to help poor nerdy Max break into the popular crowd. But somehow the wires got crossed and she ended up granting all of Gabi’s secret desires instead. Not that Angel has anything against Gabi getting what she wants. It’s just that the things Gabi dreams about on the QT— 1) starring in a reality TV show with Angel at her side and 2) dating Angel’s boyfriend, Cole—just happen to be the stuff of Angel’s worst nightmares.

THE ELEPHANT'S TALE by Lauren St. John Martine and her grandmother discover that they might lose Sawubona, their African game reserve, to the sinister Reuben James. But a prophecy from Grace rouses Martine and her best friend, Ben, into action. To find the truth and save the reserve, Martine and Ben must stow away in an airplane, which strands them in the desert, thwart Mr. James’s creepy henchman, and rescue a herd of very special elephants from the dangerous Moon Valley. The adventure also leads the kids to answers about Martine’s destiny. Jemmy, the white giraffe, and Khan, the last leopard, are alongside Martine and Ben as the Secret Valley reveals its mysteries in this satisfying conclusion to the series that began with the #1 Children’s BookSense Pick, The White Giraffe.

MAGIC BELOW STAIRS by Caroline Stevermer Young Frederick is plucked from an orphanage to be a footboy for a wizard named Lord Schofield in Victorian England. Is his uncanny ability to tie perfect knots and render boots spotless a sign of his own magical talent, or the work of Billy Bly, the brownie who has been secretly watching over him since he was little? No matter, for the wizard has banished all magical creatures from his holdings. But Billy Bly isn’t going anywhere, and when he discovers a curse upon the manor house, it’s up to Frederick and Billy Bly to keep the lord’s new baby safe and rid the Schofield family of the curse forever.

THE RECKONING, BORN TO BE HEROES: QUANTUM PROPHECY by Michael Carroll Not long ago the world thought its superhumans dead after a great battle wiped out heroes and villains alike. Now, new heroes—and new villains— have miraculously emerged in the form of teenagers. The new heroes find themselves on the cusp of WWIII, caused by their very existence. One hero is torn between right and wrong as he falls under the spell of a former ally turned villain, while another must come to terms with his dark role in the battle, as predicted by Quantum’s prophecy years ago. If the planet is to survive, our new heroes will need to prove stronger than even they can imagine.

THE SHADOWS: THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE by Jacqueline West Old Ms. McMartin is definitely dead. Now her crumbling Victorian mansion lies vacant. When eleven-year-old Olive and her dippy mathematician parents move in, she knows there's something odd about the place - not the least the walls covered in strange antique paintings. But when Olive finds a pair of old spectacles in a drawer, she discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside these paintings to a world that's strangely quiet... and eerily like her own. Yet Elsewhere harbors dark secrets - and Morton, an undersize boy with an outsize temper. As she and Morton form an uneasy alliance, Olive finds herself ensnared in a plan darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined, confronting a power that wants to be rid of her by any means necessary. It's up to Olive to save the house from the dark shadows, before the lights go out for good.

SPACEHEADZ by Jon Scieszka & Francesco Sedita The perfect combination of the age old experience of holding and pouring over a physical book with newest media technology that kids love! Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn't hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren't kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,400,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader, "kids" who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment?

THE TALENT THIEF by Alex Williams Adam’s sister is a singing sensation and he is her biggest fan. Unlike his superstar sibling, this twelveyear- old boy excels at absolutely nothing—although his sister would argue that he’s the master of getting on her nerves. But when a mysterious creature as old as time steals her talent, it’s Adam who fearlessly leads the charge to retrieve it and stop the creature before it can take the talents of other children.

ZOMBIEKINS by Kevin Bolger Fourth-grader Stanley Nudelman is about as wimpy as they come—he’s cowardly, shy, and spends most of his time hiding from the school bully, Knuckles Bruzkowski! Then Stanley stumbles upon the yard sale of his neighbor, Old Lady Imavitch, where he buys a mysterious stuffed animal. But this isn’t any old toy . . . it’s Zombiekins! He’s a little bit teddy, a little bit bunny, and a whole lotta ZOMBIE! And he’s coming this way! Stump!—scri-i-i-i-itch . . .Stump!—scri-i-i-i-itch . . .Stanley brings Zombiekins to school and unleashes the worst zombie plague in fourth grade history! Can Stanley find the courage to save the day before his teachers notice the class is full of zombies? Or will he soon join the ranks of the snuggily UNDEAD?

Young Adult

13 TO LIFE by Shannon Delany Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…

BLOOD FEUD: THE DRAKE CHRONICLES by Alyxandra Harvey It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks. The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

BRUISER by Neal Shusterman Tennyson: Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, Brontë, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

Brontë: My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.

CITY OF SHIPS: STRAVAGANZA by Mary Hoffman The new installment in the critically acclaimed Stravaganza series transports readers to a world much like our own - but where magic and piracy come to life in the Italian town of Classe. The Stravagante is Isabel, a younger twin by a matter of minutes. Her talisman is a pouch of silver mosaic tiles and she stravagates to Classe, where she is met by Flavia, a successful female merchant who trades spices, silks, tapestries, and whose son is an outcast and a pirate. Isabel finds that Classe and Bellezza are under threat from attack by the fierce Gate people. What can she do to help save the city? This is a thrilling story packed with action, pirates and drama.

DEATHDAY LETTER by Shaun David Hutchinson The clock is ticking? Ollie can't be bothered to care about anything but girls until he gets his Deathday Letter and learns he's going to die in twenty-four hours. Bummer. Ollie does what he does best: nothing. Then his best friend convinces him to live a little, and go after Ronnie, the girl who recently trampled his about-to-expire heart. Ollie turns to carloads of pudding and over-the-top declarations, but even playing the death card doesn't work. All he wants is to set things right with the girl of his dreams. It's now or never?.

THE EVIL WITHIN: A POSSESSIONS NOVEL by Nancy Holder In this sequel to New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder’s Possessions, Lindsay finds out that she, too, is possessed, and must return to creepy Marlwood Academy in order to rid herself of the spirit. Lindsay’s afraid of what the spirit is telling her to do—kill Mandy! But the secrets of Marlwood go much deeper than Lindsay thought. Sometimes the girls who seem like enemies are actually on your side. And the voices you trust the most—the voices that come from within—are the ones that want you dead.

DARK FLAME: THE IMMORTALS by Alyson Noel Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions. At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender. Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck as a spirit (DON’T call her a ghost) in the land of the living with no sign of the big, bright light to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser outcast who despises the social elite. He alone can see and hear (turns out he’s been “blessed” with the ability to communicate with the dead), but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High. Alona has never needed anyone for anything, and now she’s supposed to expose her deepest, darkest secrets to this pseudo-goth boy? Right. She’s not telling anyone what really happened the day she died, not even to save her eternal soul. And Will’s not filling out any volunteer forms to help her cross to the other side. He only has a few more weeks until his graduation, when he can strike out on his own and find a place with less spiritual interference. But he has to survive and stay out of the psych ward until then. Can they get over their mutual distrust—and the weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

IMAGINALIS by J. M. Dematteis What if your dearest friends were trapped in a world that was dying? Mehera Beatrice Crosby has one great love—and it's not following the latest health fads (like her school friend Celeste), and it's definitely not Andrew Suarez (even if he does have a ridiculous crush on her). It's Imaginalis, her favorite book series. When she learns that the long-awaited last book in the series has been canceled, Mehera is devastated—until strange events begin unfolding, and she realizes that her Imaginalian friends are counting on her to rescue them from their fading existence. Soon Mehera finds herself traveling between her world and the kingdom of Imaginalis. But what will happen when she accidentally brings the villain of the series, Pralaya, back to Earth, along with Prince Imagos and his Companions? Has Mehera doomed both worlds beyond repair, or is there a way to save Mehera's world—and Imaginalis, too?

KEYS TO THE REPOSITORY: BLUE BLOODS by Melissa de la Cruz Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS: BLADE by Tim Bowler Bleeding and dizzy, Blade wakes up to find himself in the hospital. But how did he get there? With enemies coming at him from all sides, it’s hard to know who attacked him. But he knows that whoever it was will be back to finish him off. And quick. So he’s gotta go. He’s gotta break outta there. Not only to save his own life, but there’s kindly old Mary and little Jaz to think about. Who’s looking out for them? On the run, with grinks hot on his tail and gravely injured, Blade will have to gather all his strength just to survive. And with nowhere to hide, he needs to run. Because this time, if he plays dead, that’s exactly how he’ll end up.

NOMANSLAND by Lesley Hauge Sometime in the future, after devastating wars and fires, a lonely, windswept island in the north is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things, which introduce a world they have never known? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

SOLACE & GRIEF: THE RARE by Foz Meadows Solace Morgan was born a vampire. Raised in foster care, she has always tried to keep her abilities secret, until an eerie encounter with a faceless man prompts her to run away. Finding others with similar gifts, Solace soon becomes caught up in a strange, more vibrant world than she ever knew existed. But when the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in her friends, she is forced to start asking questions of her own. What happened to her parents? Who is Sharpsoft? And since when has there been a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park?

SOUJON'S JOURNEY by Marlee Morgan Set in the mystical village of Sky Mountain and the city of Cyane, SOUJON'S JOURNEY is the tale of a young girl growing up and discovering life. Finding her gifts and the inner strength that allows her to stand up to adversity and overcome obstacles in her life. In the mystical city there are four basic laws--(1) if harm it does none, do as you will, (2) be kind in spirit, (3) be in harmony with your surroundings, (4) be clean in body, mind and spirit. Soujon embraces the new world around her and finds joy in life beyond her wildest dreams.

THE SPIDER'S WEB by Adrian Tilley A tense, intelligent Young Adult thriller set in Hong Kong in 2056. The city is taken over by a fierce new army, people's liberty has been stripped away, and a disturbing new disease is spreading fast. The story follows the thrilling chase endured by teenagers Jeff and Kathy, who must help each other escape and survive. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, and the message is ultimately about the fragility of daily freedom most of us take for granted.

WAYFARER by R. J. Anderson (US Edition of Rebel) In a time of deadly crisis, Linden alone has the power to save her people. The faeries of the Oak are in danger of extinction, and their only hope for survival rests in fifteen-year-old Linden. Armed with the last of her people's magic, she travels bravely into the modern human world. Along the way she makes a reluctant ally—a human boy named Timothy. Soon Linden and Timothy discover a danger much worse than the Oakenfolk's loss of magic: a potent evil that threatens to enslave faeries and humans alike. In a fevered, desperate chase across the country, Tim and Linden must risk their lives to seek an ancient power before it's too late to save everyone they love.

THE WEB OF TITAN: A GALAHAD BOOK by Dom Testa After triumphing over a saboteur bent on destroying Galahad, Triana and her Council are eager to avoid any further complications. But as Galahad swings around the ringed planet Saturn, they encounter a mysterious metal pod orbiting the moon of Titan. The teens prepare to bring the pod and its contents aboard, only to be faced with a another crisis: an illness that is beyond their medical experience. Dozens of crew members fall into a comatose state, only to awaken with strangely glowing eyes. To make matters worse, the systems of Galahad begin to fail. With time running out, can Triana and her shipmates escape the Web of Titan?

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction (5/17/20)

Here's what I found in my blog reading this week; please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

The Candy Mafia, by Lavie Tidhar, at Rajiv's Reviews

The Chaos Curse (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Book 3),  by Sayantani Dasgupta, at alibrarymama

Cog, by Greg Van Eekhout, at Fantasy Literature

The Clockwork Crow, by Catherine Fisher, at Rajiv's Reviews

The Disappearing Bikeshop, by Elivira Woodruff, at Charlotte's Library

A Game of Fox and Squirrels, by Jenn Reese, at Puss Reboots

Gargantis, by Thomas Taylor, at A Garden of Books

The Girl Who Could Not Dream, by Sarah Beth Durst, at Michelle I. Mason

The Green Ember, by S.D. Smith, at greenish bookshelf

Iron Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill, at alibrarymama

Maleficent- Mistress of Evil: Heart of Moors by Holly Black, at Brooklyn.the.bookworm 

The Mulberry Tree, by Allison Rushby, at Rajiv's Reviews

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schultz, at Jen Lowry Writes

Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword, at The Green Tea Librarian

A Pinch of Magic, by Michelle Harrison, at Log Cabin Library

Quintessense, by Jess Redman, at Charlotte's Library

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe, by Carlos Hernandez, at Fantasy Literature

Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, by Nic Stone, at A Kids Book a Day

A Storm of Wishes (The Collectors #2) by Jacqueline West, at Log Cabin Library

The Unready Queen (Oddmire #2) by William Ritter, at The Reading Chemist

Three at Ms. Yingling Reads--Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, by Nic Stone, Maya and the Rising Dark, by Rena Barron, and The Chaos Loop (Throwback #2), by Peter Lerangis


Authors and Interviews

Sarah Jean Horwitz (The Dark Lord Clementine) at Black and White Words and Pictures

Hayley Chewins (The Sisters of Straygarden Place) at Into the Forest Dark

Laura Ruby (The Map of Star, York #3), at Nerdy Book Club

Other Good Stuff

“Eustace Was a Dragon All Along”: Aslan and Spiritual Growth in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" at Tor

A look at Sal and Gabi that includes the time before they were mg characters) at Den of Geek

Percy Jackson tv series coming to Disney (more at Book Riot)

Have you heard about the Middle Ground Book Fest (August 1)?  Still accepting applications for presenters, including bloggers and reviewers!

Have you read Mañanaland, by Pam Muñoz Ryan?  Do you think it is speculative fiction? I ask this question in my review, and am still not quite sure....

The elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books reviewed by School Library Journal that aren't in the Kirkus list I made

After publishing my updated Kirkus list of Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction books (with an eye to Cybils nominations), I was filled with doubt regarding all the books that Kirkus didn't review.  So I went to the  School Library Journal's monthly lists of books they reviewed and pulled out the ones that looked eligible (no guarantees, though--I was trying to move along quickly).

So if you haven't yet nominated a book in EMG SF, maybe one of these is the book for you!  The ones already nominated are in green.

December

KELLY, Jacqueline. Return to the Willows.

January

BAUER, Hans & Catherine Masciola. Fishtale

February

BURGESS, V. L. The Mapmaker’s Sons

NEIMARK, Gillian. The Golden Rectangle. 

ODYSSEY, Shawn Thomas. The Magician’s Tower. 

RESNICK, Jacqueline. The Daring Escape of the Misfit Menagerie. 

THOMSON, Jamie. Dark Lord: The Early Years.

March

KARCHUT , Darby. Finn Finnegan. 

LERANGIS , Peter. The Colossus Rises. 

MAGNIN , Joyce. Cake: Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar.

April

HOLUB , Joan & Suzanne Williams. Poseidon and the Sea of Fury.

NYLUND , Eric. Titan Base. Bk. 3. 276p. (The Resisters Series)

 

THOMPSON , Paul B. The Fortune-Teller. 

May

GRIFFITHS, Andy. The 13-Story Treehouse. 

HOLT, Christopher. The Vanishing. Bk. 1.  (The Last Dogs Series). 

WINDHAM, Ryder with Jason Fry. Battle Mountain. Bk. 2. 260p. (Transformers Classified Series)

June

BRADLEY, Timothy J. Infestation.

 

KROSOCZKA, Jarrett J. The Frog Who Croaked. 

 

MATTHEWS, Patrick. Dragon Run. 

 

OLIVER, Lin & Theo Baker. The Shadow Mask.

 

July

DANESHVARI, Gitty. Ghoulfriends Just Want to Have Fun. Bk. 2.

 

HAIG, Matt. To Be a Cat.

HOLT, Christopher. Dark Waters. Bk. 2.. (The Last Dogs Series).

 

YOLEN, Jane &  Adam Stemple. The Hostage Prince. 

August

FAGAN, Cary. Danny, Who Fell in a Hole.

KAPLAN, Bruce Eric. Cousin Irv from Mars.

LUBAR, David. Numbed! 

SALANE, Jeffrey. Lawless. Bk. 1. 277p. (Lawless Series).

SODERBERG, Erin. The Quirks: Welcome to Normal.

SUTCLIFFE, William. The Wall. 

September

GEORGE, Jessica Day. Wednesdays in the Tower. 

JARVIS, Robin. Dark Waters of Hagwood.

KELLEY, Jane. The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya.

SACKETT, Frances. The Misadventures of the Magician’s Dog. 

 October

AMATEAU, Gigi. Macadoo of the Maury River

BATES, Ron. How to Make Friends and Monsters.

CURTIS, Vanessa. The Haunting of Tabitha Grey.

ELSE, Barbara. The Queen and the Nobody Boy: A Tale of Fontania. 

FITZGERALD, Sarah Moore. Back to Blackbrick.

HOBBS, Valerie. Wolf

RIMES, Raleigh. Dinosaurology: The Search for a Lost World. illus. by G. Blythe et al. 30p. (Ologies Series).