This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (7/23/2012)

Here's another week of what I found in my blogging of interest to fans of middle grade sci fi and fantasy! Please let me know if I missed your link. (After last year's dominance by the letter "B", I'm surprised that there are no B titles at all this week. "T" is making a big push this week...but I don't think it has staying power. Do try to review mg sff books beginning with B, E, I, J, N, Q, X, Y, and Z this coming week. It would make me happy to have a full alphabet of reviews).

The Reviews:

Above World, by Jenn Reese, at Teach Mentor Texts

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, by Eoin Colfer, at Fantastic Reads

Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Bunbury in the Stacks

Claws, by Mike and Rachel Grinit, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Clockwork Girl, by Sean O’Reilly and Kevin Hanna, at Good Comics for Kids

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse, at Sharon the Librarian

The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, at Bibliophile Support Group

The Doll People, by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, at Julie DeGuia

The Drowned Vault (Ashtown Burials book 2) by N.D. Wilson, at Karissa's Reading Review

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Reads for Keeps and One Librarian's Book Reviews

Gods and Warriors, by Michelle Paver, at Becky's Book Reviews

Ghosts of the Titanic, by Julie Lawson, at Charlotte's Library

GRYMM, by Keith Austin, at The Book Zone

Heirs of Prophecy, by Michael Rothman, at The O.W.L.

The Kindling, by Braden Bell, at Emily's Reading Room

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at how I see it

The Magic Meadow, by Alexander Key, at Library Chicken

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

Ordinary Magic, by Kaitlen Rubino-Bradway, at Marie Loves Books

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at Intergalactic Academy

Radiance, by Alyson Noel, at The Book Cellar

The Second Spy (Books of Elsewhere 3) by Jacqueline West, at Book Nut

The Sixty-eight Rooms, by at time travel times two

A Tale of Time City, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, by Jeremy Holmes, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket, by John Boyne, at The Book Zone

Time Snatchers, by Richard Unger, at Book Nut

Twighlight Robbery (Fly Trap in the US), by Frances Hardinge, at The Book Smugglers

Verdigris Deep (Well Wished in the US), by Frances Hardinge, at Read in a Single Sitting

The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer, at Wandering Librarins

The Wolves of Willougby Chase, by Joan Aiken, at The Enchanted Inkpot (maybe not a fantasy book, exactly, but the series does end up going in that direction...)

Authors and Interviews:

Jordan Hamessley London (mg and chapter book sci fi, fantasy, and horror editor at Grosset and Dunlap) on "Working with the Design Team", with specific reference to Adam-Troy Castro’s Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, at Pub(lishing) Crawl.

Lindsey Leavitt (Princess for Hire and its sequels) at Cracking the Cover

Joanne Levy (Small Medium at Large) at The Enchanted Inkpot

Michael Rothman (Heirs of Prophecy) at The O.W.L. and A Book and a Latte

Lorin Barber (The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow) at A Thousand Wrongs

Other Good Stuff:

Just because I don't, you know, have enough to read, I've started at the beginning of the Discworld Series and plan to read straight through (I'd only read a couple (after that, I'll read Game of Thrones etc.). But enough about me. True fans of Discworld might want to go to the St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery in Lymington, Hampshire, next month to see "Discworld and Beyond: a Retrospective Exhibition."

The Chairs are Where the People Go, by Misha Glouberman with Sheila Heti

These last two days where life inside my home (as opposed to Work, and The Great Outdoors), have mostly been all about the dining room floor and the sun room floor, and the sanding and varnishing thereof. And a four D puzzle of New York taking up most of the living room, the dining room being (obviously) out of commission. So though I am in the middle of two good books (Advent and The Atomic Weight of Secrets) and several less good books, I turned during my breaks to a slim new arrival, a collection of autobiographical shared thoughts-- The Chairs are Where the People Go, by Misha Glouberman with Sheila Heti.

Misha Glouberman was a lovely person to have brief reading chats with. How could I not enjoy his words when he makes his living, among other things, as a professional Charades instructor? (On re-reading, it strikes me that this sounds ironic, but it wasn't meant to be). I find that such a pleasing idea--not just that he had the gumption and enjoyment of life to want to teach charades, but that random people would sign up, and do their charades homework, and have a ball with it. He is an organizer of unconferences and of public participation in music events, someone who isn't afraid to start a group he would like to join, and a player of a game that involves people moving rocks in a way at once utterly pointless and yet deeply invested with meaningful social bonding (if the players take it seriously). I would like to play it. Maybe.

His thoughts on sundry topics, mostly involving urban life as lived by himself, deal mainly about ways in which people engage with each other--not in the Big Issue sort of way, but how people might socially construct lives for themselves that have interest and interpersonal engagement. It is just a series of short monologues in which he shares what he thinks about this and that. He isn't pushing a big agenda, he isn't telling anecdotes, he's basically just talking about things he has thought about. It's not polished beautiful prose essays ala E.B. White or A.A. Milne (whose essays I enjoy lots), but there were thoughts that spoke to me.

Like--it's really easy to get caught up in a battle mentality, consumed with defeating your enemy. And he couches his response to this not as a Moral Dictum (because he's not trying to convert the reader) but as a statement--"You're just being angry in ways that don't make things better for anybody." (page 80).

Also useful--"If you're running a project and you want to get people involved, ask them to set up chairs. People like to set up chairs, and it's easy work to delegate." (page 16).

But seriously, how could I not like a book that includes an essay on "How to Teach Charades"?

Basically, the book reassured me that it is possible that other people are not, as a general rule of thumb, utterly foreign, but are in fact capable of playing nicely (by which I mean, literally, "playing and doing and experiencing enjoyable things outside the impingement of mundane expectations," not "all getting along"). And that maybe if you ask people for help, they will actually be really happy to have the chance to be helpful.

In case you've read this far but still have no clue what sort of book this is, here's the Amazon blurb. It may or may not be helpful, but I do very much like the bit at the very end.

"Should neighborhoods change? Is wearing a suit a good way to quit smoking? Why do people think that if you do one thing, you’re against something else? Is monogamy a trick? Why isn’t making the city more fun for you and your friends a super-noble political goal? Why does a computer last only three years? How often should you see your parents? How should we behave at parties? Is marriage getting easier? What can spam tell us about the world? Misha Glouberman’s friend and collaborator, Sheila Heti, wanted her next book to be a compilation of everything Misha knew. Together, they made a list of subjects. As Misha talked, Sheila typed. He talked about games, relationships, cities, negotiation, improvisation, Casablanca, conferences, and making friends. His subjects ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. But sometimes what had seemed trivial began to seem important—and what had seemed important began to seem less so.

The Chairs Are Where the People Go is refreshing, appealing, and kind of profound. It’s a self-help book for people who don’t feel they need help, and a how-to book that urges you to do things you don’t really need to do."

The books my 12 year old got for his birthday

When my boys have their birthdays, I like to make a small record of the books they got...my oldest is now 12, and though not a Reader in the text addicted sense, and sooooo frustratingly reluctant to read what I offer him, appreciates a good book. Or a less good book.

Such as The Darwin Awards volumes 3 and 4. Not National Book Award caliber, but he finds them entertaining as all get out. And he (I hope) is learning valuable lessons from them, like never steering your motorcycle with your feet.

He also got two graphic novels-- 400 BC: The Story of the Ten Thousand, by Lewis Helfand and Lalit Kumar Singh, and Marathon, by Boaz Yakin & Joe Infurnari-- both Greeks and Persian war stories, of which he is fond.

But is he reading these? No. He is playing Super Mario Brothers for the Wii. Thank you, Hank Green (why do my children enjoy watching Hank and Co. narrate their way through pointless video games?)

Relatedly, he also got a new tee shirt--"Keep Calm and DFTBA," which, since he is interested in both WW II civilian propaganda and the Green brothers, was very well received. ("Keep calm and carry on" being what the British People were told to do, and Don't forget to be awesome being what the Green Brothers would have told the British to do).


And finally, in the interests of Full Disclosure as a Blogger, I also wrapped up a review copy of Illusionology, courtesy of Candlewick. He was very pleased with it! (I did tell him it came from the publisher. I couldn't live a lie. Or at least, not that particular lie).

By way of appreciative plug--this series of books makes truly excellent gifts. They are the sort of lovely book qua book that embodies "giftiness," and are very interesting reading/looking/exploring to boot! Full review of this one to come.

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer (Feiwel & Friends, January 2012) counts both for my multicultural sci fi/fantasy list, and my fairy tale retelling list, so even though it might well have reached review saturation point by now, here it is.

In a far future earth, there is peace between the small number of terrestrial goverements that share the globe. On the bad side, there's a horrible sickness sweeping the land, and the dictator of the Lunar people (the moon was colonized generations ago) has formulated evil schemes that will take her down to earth in a bid to extend her power in a terrible fashion.

That's the big picture.

The smaller picture is that of a teenaged girl, named Cinder, who lives with her de facto step mother (not nice) and two step-stepsisters (one nice, one not), and who is the wage earner of this family. She's a repairer of futuristic mechanical things, a crafter and tinkerer. She's also a cyborg, with a robotic leg and hand being the most obvious non-human components of her make up. Unfortunately for Cinder, cyborgs are despised out caste people in her society (the reasons why this is so never became clear to me, but regardless, there it is).

So when Cinder meets the Prince of the neo-China where she lives (he needs a special robot surreptitiously repaired), she doesn't want him to know what she truly is...and it turns out that she doesn't know who she truly is either (although it's easy for the reader to guess), and suddenly her life is in danger, the Lunar dictator has arrived and wants to marry the prince, and he (charmed by her, despite the fact that he never seems to see her at her best, and the fact that they never get to actually Talk much) wants her to go to a rather special ball with him.

This being the first book of the series, it ends with people still dying of the sickness, Cinder still in danger, and the Evil Plot still un-foiled. But I'll be happy to have more of the story to read! I especially loved the fact that Cinder is a girl who defies gender stereotypes--her personal fixation during the book is the repair of a very antique car....she'd never actually wear the sort of shoe shown on the cover. So in short, Cinder was Fun, in a really enjoyable reading sense--good for light vacationing, when one can keep turning the pages, absorbed in the story despite never quite believing all of it!

viz multicultural sci fi/fantasy--Cinder herself is not from this neo-China (she was a foundling in Europe), but the prince most certainly is, and that's the setting. This neo-China-ness is not made much of, but its an integral part of the world-making. It's also a pleasant change to read a sci-fi fairy tale retelling!

Note on age of reader--this is one of those books that can be read comfortably either at the upper end of middle grade (which is to say that there's no sex, and the relationship between Cinder and the prince isn't the be all and end all point) and on into YA.

John Jensen Feels Different, by Henrik Hovland

Every so often a picture book comes across my path that tickles my fancy so much that I have to share it. And if it can kind of count as fantasy or sci fi, so much the better.

John Jensen Feels Different, by Henrik Hovland (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers; December 16, 2011, translated from the Norwegian) is such a book.

John Jensen, as the title suggests, feel different. He feels different when he's alone, doing mundane things like flossing, and he feels different when he's out in public, or at work. He feels the other passengers on the bus are looking at him.

They aren't, actually. Despite the fact that he is the only crocodile* on a bus full of ordinary people, no one is paying attention to him.

Perhaps, he thinks, it is because he is the only bow tie wearer around. So he stops wearing bow ties. But still he feels different. (Very sad picture of John Jensen walking home in the rain, sans bow tie--not even the little child he passes is glancing at him, but still he feels different).

Then there's a bit that really tickled me--he looks at a picture of his very large family, all crocodiles--"Maybe I was adopted, John Jensen thinks. He doesn't seem to look like anyone else in his family."

So then he tries something drastic--he's noticed he's the only one around with a tail, so he ties it up so as to hide it under his clothes. Not a safe thing to do, and John Jensen ends up in the hospital (after a poignant picture showing him crying in the taxi)--where his doctor turns out to know just what to say to make him feel better about himself.

His doctor just happens to be an elephant (in a hospital of regular people).

Note that the title is not "John Jensen IS Different," though it's clear to the reader that he is. John Jensen never says "Ah! I am different because I am a crocodile." The elephant doctor never says anything about it either. Being an animal seems to be just a normal part of the diversity of this world--and this makes John Jensen's feelings of different-ness just beautifully relevant, and rather powerfully conveys the "people aren't actually busy thinking about you as much as you think they might be" message that some of us have to keep telling ourselves.

And John Jensen ends up wearing bow ties again.

Now, I personally found this a powerful and moving book, and appreciated the dry wit. However, my test subject (handy nine year old boy) said he hated books with crocodiles, didn't like the illustrations, and was not impressed by the story. I'd be real curious to see what littler kids make of it!

Here's the review that made me read the book, at Waking Brain Cells

*definitely a crocodile-you can see his teeth when his mouth is closed.

Ghosts of the Titanic, by Julie Lawson, for Timeslip Tuesday

Ghosts of the Titanic, by Julie Lawson (Holiday House, originally published in Canada in 2011; reprinted in the US, with some revisions, in February 2012, upper middle grade)

At daybreak on April 21, 1912, the crew of a cable ship began to pull up the bodies floating on the cold water where the Titanic sank—hundreds of bodies, floating all around them. In the horror of the days that followed, the youngest crew member, Angus Seaton, made a mistake. He pocketed a purse from a drowned young woman hauled up from the water, not meaning to keep it, but forgetting protocol in the horror of the moment. For some years, he kept the purse unopened, living peacefully enough by the seas edge near Halifax. But then he looked inside, and saw the photographs of the woman and her baby…and her ghost came looking for the lost child, incessantly asking the same questions…

"Where’s Michael?”
“What has become of my precious boy?”
“Does he weep for me in the green-black deep?”
“Does he walk on land, searching for me?"
“How will he know me?”

Angus has no answer, and when he at last dies, he has been maddened by desperate regret.

Years later, a boy named Kevin comes to live in Angus’ old house. He's the class clown, a disappointment to his soccer obsessed dad, just a kid still, though growing up…and fascinated by the Titanic. And Kevin begins to hear the same questions that tormented Angus… and the drowned woman herself appears to him...but of course he knows nothing of the mystery, and must put the pieces of the past together before he can have any chance of helping the maddening, incessant, desperate ghost that no one else can hear or see.

At last Kevin is lead by the ghost back in time, to the Titanic on the evening it sank. There he must find out the fate of the lost child…or follow Angus into madness. And though this time travel part of the book is a short part of what is essentially a ghost story, it is very well done! Of course the sinking Titanic gives lots of scope for horror and terror, but Lawson does an nice job integrating Kevin's more personal desperation--save the child so as to lay the ghost to rest!-- into the mix.

The book as a whole is one that, though I found it engrossing, fell just a teensy bit short of what I think it might have been (this is me being an adult reader, considering to what extent I'd recommend this one to other adult readers!). There's considerable repetition in the ghost element (the drowned woman asks the same questions over and over) and in some of the descriptions of the Titanic side of things (once several whole sentences are repeated in the description of the bodies floating on the water) and though this to some extent underlines the horror, and is part of the way in which the characters are driven to the brink of madness, it made me a little twitchy. But that could be a personal reaction based on mood, and some other reader could find the underlining makes the story even more powerful. I was also not quite convinced of the reconciliation between Kevin and his father, a sub-plot of the larger story that seemed a tad perfunctory.

These reservations aside, however, I did find it a Good Read (though not one I'd go out of my way to recommend to the aforementioned adult readers!). The point of view shifts between Kevin and Angus, effectively merging the past and the present, and like I said, it's a nice bit of time travel. I think this is a great one to offer the eleven or twelve year old boy who likes ghost stories. Of course, it's an obvious one to give to the boy fascinated by all the great Titanic non-fiction books for kids out there! Kevin is the sort of kid many boys might easily relate to, or recognize, and the ghost element is scary! I tried really hard to sell it to my own 11 year old, but he frustratingly rejected it. I will keep trying--I do think it has lots of kid appeal.

(there are no reviews on Amazon yet; I think I'll go over and give it four stars (which I think it pretty good, star wise, though I hate starring in general); it should hit the spot with the right reader...)

Castaway Blobs #3

This particular adventure of the Castaway Blobs! is rather appealing on this horribly hot evening....(feel free to click to enlarge).

StoryWorld: Quests and Adventures (create a story kit)

Back in 2010, Candlewick brought out the first US edition of StoryWorld --a boxed set of forty intricately illustrated cards, created by John and Caitlin Matthews to serve as inspiration for young story tellers. There are now six different sets of cards available here, the most recent of which is "Quests and Adventures." In this set, 28 rather lovely pictures of magical places and things (like "the Spell to Command Time" and "the Magic Seeds") are combined with characters both possible ("the Emperor") and fantastical ("the Giant.") The back of each card has a few story prompting questions on it, and the instruction book has suggestions for a variety of ways in which the cards can be used.

Candlewick offered me a set for review, and I was curious. My nine year old is a storyteller already, and I wondered if he would welcome illustrated cards into his repertoire of inspiration, or reject them as Alien. So they arrived safely, and then I made a bad error of judgement when offering them to him. It was fifteen minutes to bedtime, and a long time later, he and I were still downstairs in the living, telling stories....he took them to camp the next day, to share with his friends.

So yes, from an "inspiring child to tell stories" point of view, definitely a success! I can imagine these sets being really useful in the classroom, much better than the cards my own fourth grade teacher had ("Imagine you are a tennis ball"). They have tons of visual appeal, and really do make one want to tell stories! (Although maybe not at ten pm after a long day. At that point, my stories were going something like this: "The magic seeds exploded. Everyone died.")

My only reservation with this particular set is that it very centered in the European tradition. The Questing Knight looks like he could be from east of Europe, but that's the extent of the diversity. I'd love to see a similar set of cards with more imagery from stories around the world...I'd definitely buy it for my son (I'm tempted to get him another pack for Christmas--perhaps the Legends of the Sea set). I would also have liked female characters who weren't wearing skirts or dresses. Perhaps even shooting bows, or something (which reminds me yet again that I must take my boys to go see Brave!).

Here's another review at Back to Books, in which the cards were a great success with the blogger's autistic son. And another review, at My Favorite Books, has lots of pictures of the cards themselves.

(disclaimer: review set received from the publisher)

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (7/15/2012)

Welcome to another gathering of what I gathered in my blog reading this week that's of interest to us fans of middle grade sci fi/fantasy (or, I guess, of interest to people who masochistically like to pay attention to mg sff even though they hate it).

Please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

Aliens on a Rampage, by Clete Barrett Smith, at The Book Smugglers

Bliss, by Kathryn Littlewood, at Marie Loves Books

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at The Secret Adventures of Writer Girl

Chronal Engine, by Greg Leitich Smith, at Cracking the Cover

Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce, at books4yourkids

Dust Girl, by Sarah Zettel, at Wandering Librarians

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielson, at Jen Robinson's Book Page

Fly By Night, by Frances Hardinge, at The Book Smugglers

Fright Forest (Elf Girl and Raven Boy), by Marcus Sedgwick, at My Favorite Books

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Candace's Book Blog

Ghost Knight, by Cornelia Funke, at Hope is the Word and Mister K Reads

Girls' Games (Goddess Girls) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, at The Write Path (giveaway)

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, at Babbleabout

Heirs of Prophecy, by Michael A. Rothman, at Geo Librarian

The Kindling, by Braden Bell, at Ms. Yingling Reads and J Lloyd Morgan's Blog

The Magician's Apprentice, by Kate Banks, at Wandering Librarians

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, at Becky's Book Reviews

Ordinary Magic, by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway, at Cracking the Cover

Raider's Ransom, by Emily Diamand, at Becky's Book Review

Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis, at Beyond Books

Small Medium at Large, by Joanne Levy, at The Flyleaf Review

The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at Wandering Librarians

Stickman Odyssey: an Epic Doodle, by Christopher Ford, at Book Nut

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at The Book Cellar

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket, by John Boyne, at The Book Zone

The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler, at Kristen Evey

Tom's Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce, at books4yourkids

Treasure of Green Knowe, by L.M. Boston, at Library Chicken

Whatever After, by Sarah Mlynowski, at There's a Book

The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer, at BooksYALove and the NY Times

A sci fi two for one at Ms. Yingling Reads: Invasion of the Dog Nappers, by Patrick Jennings, and The Visitors (Clone Codes 3) by Patricia, Frederick and Pat McKissack

And a non-fiction one of interest--Reflection on the Magic of Writing, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Book Aunt

Authors and Interviews

Laura White Reyes (The Rock of Ivanore) at Literary Rambles (giveaway)

Nikki Loftin (The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy) at A Thousand Wrongs (giveaway)

Deva Fagan (Circus Galacticus) at I Read to Relax (missed this last week)

Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) at So Many Books, So Little Time

Other Good Stuff

About this time of year, I start thinking about the Cybils--I'll have more to say when the call for judges goes out later this summer! But in the meantime, you can print out this handy flyer of the 2011 finalists!

"H is for Hob", with Pat Walsh at Scribble City Central

A slew of Cinderella retellings at Read in a Single Sitting

At Squeetus, Shannon Hale is hosting a Summer Book Club staring Princess Academy

The Prometheus Award for best novel (given by the Literary Futurist Society) iis a tie between The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman and Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. This award honors "outstanding science fiction and fantasy that explores the possibilities of a free future, champions human rights (including personal and economic liberty), dramatizes the perennial conflict between individuals and coercive governments, or critiques the tragic consequences of abuse of power--especially by the State."

Merida becomes a doll (in both senses of the word) in the hands of Mattel...(and someday I really will go see Brave!)

I don't shop at Macy's myself, but if you do, remember that if you give $3 to RIF at the Macy’s register, and you get a coupon for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more.

And just because I think it's funny:
(found via Bookshelves of Doom)

The Scary Places Map Book, by B.G. Hennessy, illustrated by Erwin Madrid

The Scary Places Map Book: Seven Terrifying Tours, by B.G. Hennessy, illustrated by Erwin Madrid (Candlewick, July 10, 2012, for kids 5, or even a bit younger, and up), takes kids on a series of interactive journeys to fantastically spine-tingling places. Beginning with the Ghostly Galleon Cruise of the Seven Seas, passing through Transylvania (and other spooky places), and ending with a tour of the Museum of Haunted Objects (my favorite) the young reader is first given a small bit of context, and then is directed by the text to pass from one stop on each gridded map, or cutaway of a building, to the next.

Here's an example, from the Museum: "From the Potions Exhibit, take the Crooked Stairs down one flight to the Ghostly Gallery (H3-I3) for a lovey overview of the Rotunda of Possessed Sculpture." It's a lovely way to introduce the concept of co-ordinates!

The illustrations are beautifully detailed--there's lots of scope for engrossed pouring-over-ness. And at the end, the young reader is encouraged to go back and find the hidden extras in each picture.

It's a great one for the kid who likes picture search books, the kid who likes fantasy realms, or simply the random kid who wants something a bit different! It has staying power for the older kid--my own nine-year old passed a pleasant time following the directions as I read them, and even though he's perfectly capable of reading to himself, it is still lovely to enjoy sharing a book like this together.

Although the tours are billed as "terrifying," they aren't actually so much so as to distress the young reader--if your child can handle standard Halloween decorations, it will be just fine.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

A sequel to Odd and the Frost Giants!

Just a quick postlet to say how happy my 9 year old son and I are to have learned that there's a sequel to Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman, in the works! It is one of the first real chapter books he read, and both of us love it, me so much so that I helped shortlist it for the Cybils back in the day. (here's my review)

Why I didn't have a time slip Tuesday review

July is my busiest time of year, what with house renovations (dining room from hell), gardening, children (as usual), and, in as much as summer is the time for digging, archaeology (which is what I do for a living, although I don't dig much myself these days).

Because it is rather interesting, here's the press release describing what I was doing today instead of blogging (I figure that at this point anyone who wants to find me in real life can....)

Dead Reckoning, by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill

Dead Reckoning, by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill (Bloomsbury, June 2012, YA) is a science fictional story of zombies in Victorian Texas, raised from the dead by a megalomaniac madman, and three unlikely comrades who ally themselves against him.

These three are Jett Gallatin, a girl from New Orleans passing for a young man (her ability to shoot straight helps her disguise considerably), Honoria Gibbons, a young woman with an extremely rational mind, whose steam powered vehicle provides a dash of steampunk to the story, and White Fox, a white man raised among the Meskwaki, and now working as a scout for the army. Honoria and and White Fox have both come separately to west Texas to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances; Jett meets them while escaping from one of the disappearances while it is happening. She got to witness an entire town (albeit a small one) engulfed by zombies.

And so the three of them put their disparate skills--science, gun slinging, and scouting-- to work to crack the case of the zombie attacks. There is a Dark Plot afoot, that must be stopped lest the zombies, and the evil mastermind whose minions they are, takes over not just Texas but the whole of the wild west!

Now, I am not, in general, a fan of zombies or of stories set in the wild west, but Dead Reckoning went to show that my biases are set in sand, not stone--I ended up enjoying this one. My enjoyment came not so much from the characters, who, though not uninteresting, tended somewhat to slightly exaggerated types rather than sympathetic, real, people. Instead, and this took me somewhat by surprise, I was really interested in the plot--from whence came these zombies, and how were they going to be stopped? It was a fast, undemanding read--good for summer time leisure, not desperately powerful in the Horror of it all, but disturbing enough to be engrossing.

Essentially, it seemed to me a collection of fun elements (like the steampunk vehicle--no real Need for it, but diverting), strung together in a "look, here's the next exciting bit!" way. The female characters had lots of agency (good), I didn't find the "white dude raised by Native Americans" as objectionable as I might have (although I have some doubts viz stereotypes, the fact that all three of the main characters are exaggerated makes it hard to figure out if they are worthy doubts).* Although I still won't be looking actively for wild west zombie science fiction, I was quite happy to read this one! And would probably pick up a sequel, if one emerged....

*(off topic rambling). For instance, Honoria knows White Fox was raised by Native Americans because he walks toe-heel. Is this, I asked myself, a stereotype, or is it a valid observation? Much research and experimental walking later, I have concluded that the "toe" part is a misnomer (not Honoria's fault, just terminology), and "ball of foot first" is a much better way to say it, and quite possible that was how people who don't wear hard-soled shoes walk. Although I don't think you can walk that way if, like White Fox, you are in fact wearing boots. At least, I couldn't. "Barefoot runners" says the website of the Society for Barefoot Living, " very quickly learn not to do heel strikes because of the transient forces created." I am now wary of transient forces.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (7/8/2012)

Welcome to another week's engatherment of what I found in my blog reading pertaining to middle grade (ages 9-12) science fiction and fantasy. I myself haven't read much this week, as I am in the throes of dining room remodeling, so much so that my little one, who has been known to say, "I guess you love books more than you love your own little child," said "You have been working too hard. You should sit down and read." Truer words were never spoken.

But in any even, other people have been reading and reviewing. Please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

Above World, by Jenn Reese, at A Backwards Story

Astronaut Academy, by Dave Roman, at Guys Lit Wire

Beswitched, by Kate Saunders, at Readatouille

The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander, at Book Nut

The Boy Who Howled, by Timothy Powers, at Readatouille

Castle of Shadows, by Ellen Renner, at Cracking the Cover

Dragon Castle, by Joseph Bruchac, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Dragonbreath--Lair of the Bat Monster, and Revenge of the Horned Bunnies, by Ursula Vernon, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at The O.W.L.

The Filth Licker, by Christy Burne, at BooksYALove

Goblin Secrets, by William Alexander, at The Book Monsters

The Groosham Grange series, by Anthony Horowitz, at The Write Path

Half Upon a Time, by James Riley, at The Book Cellar

Heirs of Prophecy, by Michael A. Rothman, at From Tots to Teens

Kat, Incorrigible, and its sequel, Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis, at Jean Little Library

The Kindling, by Brandon Bell, at A Casual Read and Geo Librarian

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer, at Gossamer Obsessions

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at The Dancing Reader

The Magic Tunnel, by Caroling D. Emerson, at Charlotte's Library

The Name of This Book is Secret, by Pseudonymous Bosch, at library_mama

Nation, by Terry Pratchett, at YA's the Word

The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald, at Becky's Book Reviews

Project Jackalope, by Emily Ecton, at books4yourkids

Scream Street: Flame of the Dragon, by Tommy Donbavand, at Wondrous Reads

The Serpent's Shadow, by Rick Riordan, at Beyond Books

Spellbound (The Books of Elsewhere), by Jacqueline West, at Book Nut

The Storm Makers, by Jennifer E. Smith, at Bookalicious

The Unseen Guest (Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place) by Maryrose Wood, at Book Nut

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, at Everyday Reading

Authors and Interviews

Timothy Powers (The Boy Who Howled) at Readatouille

Joanne Levy (Small Medium at Large) at The O.W.L.

Carolyn Turgeon (Next Full Moon) at Literary Rambles (plus giveaway)

Katie W. Stewart (The Dragon Box) at The Reading Cafe

Michael A. Rothman (Heirs of Prophecy) at It's Raining Books

Other Good Stuff

Hufflepuff pride--"Sorted This Way," from The Mary Sue

"G is for Grim" (as in Death Dog)--Susan Price (Ghost Drum) at Scribble City Central

The favorite fairy tale retellings of various bloggers, at Random Acts of Reading

I'm always on the lookout for new lists of multicultural sci fi/fantasy, and here's a nice one at This Blog Belongs to Emily Brown, and here's an article on why parents should read multicultural books to their kids (found via Waking Brian Cells)

Cold fantasy for a hot summer's day, at Charlotte's Library

A nice piece on Eva Ibbotson at The Telegraph (also found via Waking Brain Cells)

And finally, from NOAA: "No evidence for aquatic humanoids has ever been found."

Note: any commissions earned from anyone buying a book through the Book Depository link in my sidebar will be used to buy the condo next door, from which horribly loud rap music is currently issuing.

Enchanted, by Alethea Kontis

I'm a bit late to the party viz Enchanted, by Aletha Kontis. It's been out for a while, and has been reviewed lots. However, the thing with having Lists, as I do, is that there they are, needing to be added to, and Enchanted is a must-have on my Fairy Tale retelling list (and some day I'll review Grave Mercy for my Historical Fantasy list, and Silver Phoenix for my multicultural list....)

So.

There is Sunday, a girl whose family is just riddled with magic. She is the seventh daughter of Jack and Seven Woodcutter, coming last after Monday et al. Each sister, in accordance with the rhyme, is the embodiment of the qualities for the child born on that day (Monday's child is full of grace, Tuesday's child is fair of face, Wednesday's child, which is me, and I resent it, is full of woe, etc.). Sunday gets to be bonny and giving, blithe and gay...which seems to guarantee a pretty happy life.

Except that Sunday has grown up in the shadow of her sisters' magic, not mention the exploits of her brother, Jack--pretty much the Jack of all the Jack stories--and he ended up mysteriously dying (or so they think), and Sunday's mother is cold and un-nurturing, and Tuesday got shoes that danced her to death, and so it's not exactly all sunshine and flowers in Sunday's family.

So Sunday goes off by herself, to write stories in the woods. And she meets an enchanted frog, and they become dear friends...and then he's a prince, and there are balls, and Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are referenced...

But the former frog, now Prince, has secrets he isn't telling Sunday (like the fact that he was her frog friend), and in fact he has secrets he can't remember himself (cause of enchantments) and MAGIC and FAIRYTALES just burst out all over the place, like the beans planted outside the Woodcutter family cottage.

Will the ex-frog Prince and Sunday find a happily ever after? Will Sunday's sisters have satisfactory fates (too late for poor Tuesday)? Just what is the family secret that is at the root of all this magic? And how many fairy tale elements does one book really need?

Well, in this case, as long as the reader is prepared to go with the flow, the exuberance of fairy tales works just fine. I confess I was bewildered at times, as were the main characters, but it was fun. (On a personal note, "full of woe" turns out to be an interesting fate, which pleased me).

Sunday was a fine character, perhaps because we get to meet her before all the goings on really get going. The ex-frog Prince never gets to be quite a real character, in large part because he's lost a chunk of his memory, and he himself doesn't seem all that certain about who he is (and did he really spend time on Thursday's pirate ship? That little vignette seemed to come out of no-where, and may well have been a dream). There were moments of unexpected depth, particular with regard to Sunday's mother, and the nature of family relationships, that helped balance the whirl of enchantments, making this more than a light divertissement of a read.

So all in all, I enjoyed it, and recommend it to anyone 12 and up wanting a magic-filled entertainment with lovely dress-making scenes (always an added bonus!)

(If you found my summary confusing, and I feel that it might be, but like I said, I wasn't entirely certain at the time just what was happening, and retrospect hasn't lent clarity to the view all that noticeably, feel free to go read Kate's over at The Book Aunt).

helpful note on age: this is one of those books labeled YA that middle grade girls will love. Like Brightly Woven, and The False Princess, and, um....all the other ones that I am not able to think of right now. Which is to say--there's love, but no sex.

Cold fantasy for a hot summer's day--revisited with new additions

My heart goes out to all of you suffering in the horrible heat here in the US. We are not particularly suffering in southern New England at the moment, but it will doubtless get hot again here too. So I am offering a small potential solace--beautifully cold fantasy books--the sort with Winter, and Snow, and freezing damp. On a hot summer day like today, these are exactly the sort of books I want to curl up with. My favorite beach reads are all ice.

Back in 2010, I compiled two lists of Cold Fantasy (here's the one for younger readers, here's the one for older readers). I've just gone through my reviews for the last two years, and extracted more recommendations of books with which to escape from the heat.

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu (middle grade), is all about the snow and ice (being a retelling of The Snow Queen, this is to be expected). The cover in itself cools one down.

And even more intense breath of arctic air comes with Icefall, by Matthew Kirby (middle grade)--what better place to be when it's 100 degrees outside than snowbound in a Norwegian fjord? Yeah, there's a murderer snowbound with you--but at least it isn't too hot.

Another beautifully cold cover is Witchlander, by Lena Coakley (YA), and there's lots of snowy good times (kind of. In an isolated, lonely way). This is one that I think needs to somehow make into the hands of more young teen boy readers, though I enjoyed it lots myself.















The Snowstorm, by Beryl Nethercliff, is an older time slip story that takes place mostly indoors ...but the titular snowstorm does make an appropriately chilly appearance!

Winterling, by Sarah Prineas, is of course all about the snow and cold--lovely! It's a good story too, perfect for handing to your wilting 11 year old.

City of Ice, by Laurence Yep, delivers what it promises, taking the reader to a place that is cold indeed, where Canadian mounties patrol the skies riding on the backs of giant birds, among other marvels.















The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, is a lovely escape into the unpleasantness of a medieval winter...in a monastery, so even chillier than one might expect! And its sequel, The Crowfield Demon, is set in medieval March, so plenty of damp chilliness and never being warm. These are middle grade, but stand up very well to reading by an adult-- I recommend both of these enthusiastically to anyone who likes good historical fantasy, not just because they make you appreciate having dry, warm, feet.

Cold Magic, by Kate Elliot (marketed to grown-ups), is described by its author as an "Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk Regency novel with airships, Phoenician spies, and the intelligent descendants of troodons." It's also cold, though not consistently so...If my memory serves, it gets warmer by the end. So maybe more of a September reading book.

For those who want "horror in cold weather" I suggest The Toymaker, by Jeremy de Quidt. Ostensibly for young readers, but I kind of wish I hadn't read it. It is chilling in both senses of the word.

Anyone else read any good cold books recently?

The Magic Tunnel, by Caroline D. Emerson

The Magic Tunnel, by Caroline D. Emerson (1940) is a classic example of didactic time travel. This is made clear in the introduction-- "What was it like to live in old New Amsterdam so long ago? Go through the magic tunnel now-- and see!"

Ten year old Sarah is visiting her twelve year old cousin John in New York City, and when John takes her on a subway trip down to Battery Park, she feels somewhat anxious and overwhelmed. So she wishes that she "could go somewhere in this city where it wasn't so crowded," (page 15) and suddenly the rain is moving faster, but in the opposite direction! And it is completely empty. When it comes to a stop, John and Sarah find that it has taken them back in time, to New Amsterdam, in the year 1664.

Things are somewhat tense in New Amsterdam--Sarah and John have arrived just before the English take over, and change its name to New York. But as far as time travel goes, they have a handy place in the past, as two properly dressed and Dutch speaking children...and so they, along with the reader, learn lots about daily life in the 17th century and a bit about the European history of the city. The Native American history is not directly addressed, except in as much as the children encounter a stereotypical Indian "naked except for a fur at his waist" and able to move really really quietly through the woods (page 36). (Since this is August, and therefore Hot, and since there has been at this point fifty years of European cloth being traded, the fur rubbed me the wrong way).

Onward.

The story is reasonably plotted, with interesting episodes (For instance, they go to school. They meet an old man who sailed with Henry Hudson. The English arrive to take over the city). The history was reasonably accurate (apart from the glossing over of the Native American side of things), and although I noticed some details of the material culture seemed unlikely (it's true, for instance, that there were chandeliers in Holland at this time, but here in New Netherland in the house of ordinary people it seemed out of place--I shall check on this today at work), mostly I was happy with the portrayal (17th-century material culture is one of the things I do for a living). John and Sarah are not exactly characters of depth and individuality, and fell into a pattern of Boy=leader and Girl=more thoughtful follower, which doesn't do much for me.

If you have a child who loves the Magic Tree House books, they will quite possibly enjoy this (it's at about the same reading level), and they will certainly learn something-- it is a reasonable introduction to the European history of New York. From the responses on Goodreads and Amazon, this seems like the sort of book that might be magical if you read it at a young enough age. Which I didn't.

House of Shadows, by Rachel Neumeier

Here are some possible first sentences for this review of House of Shadows, by Rachel Neumeier (Orbit, ostensibly July 10, but available online now, YA/Adult):

The Crisply Professional:

Ms. Neumeir's latest Young Adult* offering is a beautifully realized tale of three young lives intersecting in a magical city where the shadows of the past threaten the tenuous peace of the present.

*edited to add: actually, it's being marketed as Adult. But it reads younger to me...

The Utterly Egocentric:

1. If Rachel Neumeier had set out to write a book for just me, she could hardly have done better.

2. I'm so glad I started blogging, because it was through my involvement with the Cybils that I read, and loved, Neumeier's first book, City in the Lake, went on to love The Floating Islands, and now have had the great pleasure of receiving a review copy of House of Shadows. Which I also loved.

3. Books like this almost make me regret that I have a blog--back in the day before my tbr pile/list became so extreme, I would have had the leisure to start House of Shadows right from the beginning again.

4. House of Shadows made me grow as a person, in as much as I had to practice loving patience very very hard when my youngest wanted to describe to me, in intricate (excruciating) detail, his latest drawing project right when I was at the most exciting part.

It's the story of the old magic at the heart of a city poised at the edge of war, as a fifteen year old treaty with the country to the north comes to the end. In that city, three lives intersect--Taudde, a young man from that northern country, whose magic stems from his music, Leilis, a young woman on whom fate and magic have played a cruel trick, slamming shut the doors of her future, and (my favorite) Nemienne, a girl who finds herself a mage's apprentice, opening doors that lead to darkness.... When these three become entangled in a plot that will shake the kingdom to its core, the choices they make might bring on the war, or make a place for peace.

Why I liked it so very much:

1. Character-driven fantasy for the win! It is all about people thinking, and feeling, and making choices. Sure, there's a plot, and danger, and threatenings, but mostly it’s about the people. Nemienne, Taudde, and Leilis all became very real too me, each with their own distinct flavor.

2. Sisters! Nemienne is one of eight sisters, and an older sister, Karah, has an important part to play. Though the family as a whole doesn't get much page time, the love between the sisters is an important foundation stone of Nemienne's character, and has shaped Karah, too.

3. Cool magic. I like it very much when music and magic intersect, without bardic clichés coming into play. I love it when people, like Nemienne, learn to magic by showing up on the doorstep of a house that is much more than it seems...I love it when magic has an ancient heart, hidden in darkness...I love it when magic isn't spells or potions, but craft poured into artifacts, or learning to see things from impossible angles.

4. Beautiful descriptions that make pictures in my mind. The mage's house in particular is one of those twisty places between spaces, with windows looking out onto places that shouldn't logically be there, and rooms that shift, and doors that appear where there were none before.

"Among the windows were three doors. The first was of beech wood, carved with an intricate border of interlocking beech leaves all around its edges. The second, carved of what she thought was red cedar, had fantastic animals twining together in sharply jagged patterns that linked each of its panels to the next. The third door was absolutely plain, made of some ink-dark wood she did not recognize, with no carving at all.

"Ah," said the mage, looking at her face. "How many doors do you see in this hall?" (p.118)

5. And I liked it because the ending wasn't just a stopping right after The Big Showdown part. It went on for a nice little while, as life does, in all its complexities. This is clearly a self-contained story, not the beginning of a trilogy, so this somewhat extended ending is especially appreciated.

(edited to add: There are also lovely cats, and a kitten of great charm).

Especially and whole-heartedly recommended to fans of Patricia McKillip.

I have, however, one criticism: Nemienne's sister Karah is so wonderfully Nice that she seems almost half-witted. It's a bit too much to take.

Note on age of reader: prostitution is mentioned, and adult relationships play a role in the plot (although there is no sex (sigh, in this case--not as a criticism, but as a personal preference-- I would have liked a bit more frisson*) and two of the main characters are in their twenties. So sure, it's Young Adult. However, story-wise, it's just fine for older middle grade readers beginning to separate from Family and wondering about making their own way in the world. If I had a dreamy, introspective seventh grade girl kicking around the house, this is one I'd give to her in a second.

*is there a decent one word English equivalent of frisson?

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (7/1/2012)

Here's what I found this week--enjoy! And of course let me know if I missed your post.

The Reviews:

Aliens on a Rampage, by Clete Barrett Smith, at The HappyNappyBookseller

The Bonehill Curse, by Jon Mayhew, at My Favorite Books

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at RoeSpot and Michelle Mason

Brigitta of the White Forest, by Danika Dinsmore, at Middle Grade Fiction Finder

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, at Best Fantasy Books Blog

The Crowfield Demon, by Pat Walsh, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Deadweather and Sunrise (The Chronicles of Egg, Book 1), by Geoff Rodkey, at Charlotte's Library

Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Dust Girl, by Sarah Zettel, at Confessions of a Bibliovore

Elf Girl and Raven Boy, by Marcus Sedgwick, at Wondrous Reads

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy, at One Librarian's Book Reviews and Page In Training

Icefall, by Matthew Kirby, at Library Chicken

Iron-Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill, at Diary of a Book Addict

The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, at Fyrefly's Book Blog

Midnight for Charlie Bone, by Jenny Nimmo (audiobook review), at Known to Read

Mind If I Read Your Mind? (Ghost Buddy #2) by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, at Ms. Yingling Reads

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, at Geo Librarian

My Very Unfairy Tale Live, by Anna Staniszewski, at The Book Cellar

Parsley Sage, Rosemary, and Time, by Jane Louise Curry, at Charlotte's Library

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier, at Adventures of a Book Wyrm

Scary School, by Derek the Ghost, at Small Review

The Shadows (Books of Elsewhere, 1) by Jacqueline West, at Book Nut

Ship of Souls, by Zetta Elliott, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia

The Silver Bowl, by Diane Stanley, at The Book Smugglers

Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin, at Fuse #8

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex, at Teach Mentor Texts

The Whispering House, by Rebecca Wade,at books4yourkids

You Can't Have My Planet, But Take My Brother Please, by James Mihaley, at Jean Little Library

Authors and Interviews:

Sarvenaz Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost) at Cynsations

Michael A. Rothman (Heirs of Prophecy) at Books Are Magic

Derek Kent. aka Derek the Ghost. (Scary School) at Imaginary Reads

Joanne Levy (Small Medium at Large) at A Thousand Wrongs (plus giveaway)

Other Good Stuff:

Thank goodness for io9, one of my go to sites for Concluding Whimsical Images. They did not disappoint this morning- Knitted Monster Masks!

Is my blog useful?

I am constantly wondering if my blog is useful. I am constantly wondering about other things--are the children are eating properly, if the universe is constantly expanding, what is it expanding into, etc. but, inspired by the recent conversation about ARCs and bloggers and librarians, I am taking advantage of the fact that the power is out over much the country and it is a Saturday in June (so no blog readers around) to be Sincere (to the best of my ability), or perhaps, more acurately, Self Indulgent, to think about usefulness out here in public.

Now I certainly don't want to be part of an Island of Sodor bloggisphere, where every blog is "a really useful engine." There are many blogs I love whose authors seem motivated primarily by the joy of sharing whatever thoughts they feel like sharing, with out anxiously wondering if they are a "resource." But I am an INFP, and in as much as INFPs are "driven to help people and make the world a better place" (which, being an INFP, I believe, cause that's what we do), I can't help but wonder, in my own Special Snowflake way, is my own blog useful? And more specifically, do authors see that I have their books on my review pile, and weep or gnash their teeth (depending on temperment?), or might they be, dare I hope, pleased?

The problem with this line of thought is that the word "useful" makes one ask--to whom? I know I am useful to the readers (and there are at least five of them) who like the same sorts of books that I do. I love being useful to these readers! They are useful right back at me! I know that my blog has features that are useful to people who are looking for certain kinds of books. People who google "time travel books for kids" find them here, by golly. I know that some librarians (at least two) read my blog, and may use it in their purchasing decisions. And I know that I have given some small measure of publicity to books that weren't being blogged about much, because I don't see other reviews of them.

But I have no clue if anything I have written has actually caused anyone to go buy a book (as opposed to getting it from the library), which is presumably how useful is construed by publishers and authors....That being said, it's a fact that reviews have a cumulative effect, so I'm quite happy to believe that I've contributed to book buying decisions. There is, of course, absoulutely no way to measure this. I want my blog to send people out into the world to read in a general kind of way, but also it makes me happy to think of people buying books because of something I said. If no-one bought books, there wouldn't be publishers and the wonderful books they publish. There would be no money for authors, and so fewer books would be written. This would be sad.

I'm not, at this point in my life, a librarian, or an author, or a publisher. The only place I have at the public table of books is the place I am making for myself with my blog, and when I get review copies in the mail, it becomes a more happy place. Review copies make me feel that I am a useful contributor, a person who has something to share that's of value.

But then I wonder if I truly Deserve them. I feel that I should desperately be making an effort to increase my readership, to justify the review copies I get. I know I'm not obligated to do anything, but I can't help but wonder if I could do more. I tell myself that the YA book bloggers will always have more comments and followers and excitement than I, with my middle grade focus, can hope to have. But still...

How do you feel about being useful (and am I alone in worrying about this)?

postscript regarding stats: It seems to me that stats are not a useful way in which to measure a blog's impact (except perhaps for the blogs at the very high and rather low end of the scale). In June and July, when my stats plummet (from a high of 8,000 plus unique visitors in November to a low of barely 5,000 per month in July), it's hard to feel that the particular reviews I post are "useful." There are, of course, lots of other people (dunno how many) who follow me in various ways.

But what constitutes a lot of readers, keeping in mind that this would differ depending on the types of books you review?

* I went back and looked at the pile of books I brought home from BEA from the point of view of the authors...and I'd just like to say that I do plan on reviewing Gold Medal Summer even though it's not mg or YA sci fi/fantasy...I like books about gymnastics and ballet and music too!