This Sunday's round-up of Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy posts from around the blogs

It's a lightish week for middle grade sff, but then, it seems like this was a week of quietude in general around the blogs....However, in a break from my own quietude, I'm off to New Hampshire, to hear seven most excellent authors talking about the writing of fantasy for kids and teens, which is most exciting for me. I'll be reporting about that on Monday (d.v.).

As usual, please let me know if I missed your post, because every week I find older reviews that I didn't include, and am saddened. Here's way I find things, by the way--via google reader (although I've missed things that I should have noticed), via blog searches on "middle grade fantasy" and "middle grade science fiction," and by specific searches for newly released titles that I think must have been reviewed somewhere.....(but this last is very hit or miss, depending on how much time I have). So please do let me know, anytime during the week, if you have a post for me! (email me at charlotteslibrary at gmail dot com).

The Reviews:

Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck, by Dale E. Basye, at Kinder Scares.

The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper, at The Book Nest.

Dark Life, by Kat Falls, at Bending Bookshelf, Bloggin' 'bout Books and Back to Books.

Jaguar Stones (Middleworld), by J & P Voelkel, at The Reading Zone and The Discriminating Fangirl.

Magic Thief: Found, by Sarah Prineas, at Eva's Book Addiction.

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan, at Wands and Worlds.

The Ring of Solomon, by Jonathan Stroud, at Educating Alice.

Scumble, by Ingrid Law, at Kids Lit.

The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere) by Jacqueline West, at Shelf Elf.

Spaceheadz, by Jon Scieszka and Francescoc Sedita, illustrated by Shane Prigmore, at Maddigan Reads, Janet Reads, and Bookworming in the 21st Century.

Tatsinda, by Elizabeth Enright, at Readatouille.

Windblown, by Stephen Messer, at Journey of a Bookseller.

The Interviews:

Cynthia Leitch Smith chats with Marianne Malone, author of The Sixty Eight Rooms.

John & Pam Voelkel, authors of The Jaguar Stones: Middleworld, are on a blog tour right now, and isn't it just the most fortuitous timing that a fantastic Mayan discovery was announced this week? Here are the stops I found for this week: SciFi Chick, One Librarian's Book Reviews, The O.W.L.

Other interesting things:

Ink Spells takes a look at science fiction for kids that includes both insightful insights and some recommendations -- not to be missed!

Kate Coombs, aka Book Aunt, goes back to the first half of the 20th century for a look at some fairy tale retellings.

The Boy Book/Girl Book issue came up again, in a conversation at The Enchanted Inkpot. Janni Lee Simner writes a response at her own blog, Desert Dispatches. Interesting stuff. And, coincidentally, an Associated Press article (picked up by the Winnipeg Free Press, among many others) takes a look at farts (aka books for boys).

At Scribble City, you can read "The Snow Woman's Hair," a brand new myth by Lucy Coats.

And just because I came across it, I thought I'd share that Steph Su Reads is giving away a copy of Nightshade City, by Hilary Wagner. (I'm not going to try to find all the mg sff giveaways out there, but if anyone wants to send me links, I'll happily share them!)

And just because I like to feel helpful, here is something that might be of interest:

"The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) is accepting proposals for the Gulliver Travel Research Grant from July 1st 2010 until September 30th 2010.

SLF travel grants are awarded to assist writers of speculative fiction (poetry, drama, creative nonfiction) in their research. They are not currently available for academic research. We are currently offering one $800 travel grant annually, to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and/or other travel expenses." Via Ambling Along the Aquaduct, where you can read more.