7/17/11

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade sff

After a vigorous morning of weeding, it's gotten too hot to be outside anymore....so instead here I am pulling together this week's round-up of middle grade (for readers 9-12 ish years old, plus or minus 35, so as to allow me to fit) fantasy and science fiction....

This week was filled with poignant reminiscences about Harry Potter, and I must confess, I am deeply jealous of those who started reading the first book when they were children. My generation got Flowers in the Attic. Yay for us. My boys get Diary of a Wimpy Kid (being just five or so years too late for Percy Jackson; I don't think the Kane Chronicles will ever be as cultish, and speaking of which, here's Kate over at Book Aunt comparing the two series).

But maybe there is a series just beginning, with its midnight release parties yet to come, that my boys can be part of (cause really, it's all about my children. Although I wouldn't mind, exactly, having a reason to go to a midnight release myself).

On with the round-up.

The Reviews:

Between Two Ends, by David Ward, at The Musings of a Book Addict

Darke, by Angie Sage, at Charlotte's Library

Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret, by Liz Kessler, at A Backwards Story

Empire of Ruins (the Hunchback Assignments) by Arthur Slade, at Once Upon a Bookshelf

The End of Time (Books of Umber III), by P. W. Catanese at I Read to Relax

Fly By Night, by Frances Hardinge, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland on a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, at things mean a lot and The Written World (they read it together)

Mistress of the Storm, by M.L. Welsh, at My Favorite Books

The Mostly True Story of Jack, by Kelly Barnhill, at Book Aunt

No Passengers Beyond This Point, by Gennifer Choldenko, at Becky's Book Reviews

The Old Willis Place, by Mary Downing Hahn, at Books & other thoughts

Peter and the Starcathers, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, at susanthelibrarian

Sidekicks, by Dan Santant, at A Year of Reading

The Story of the Amulet, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews

Takeshita Demons: The Filth Licker, by Christy Burne, at My Favorite Books

A Tale of Two Castles, by Gail Carson Levine, at Books 4 Learning

The Trap (the Magnificent 12 Book 2), by Michael Grant, at The O.W.L.

The Undrowned Child, by Michelle Lovric, at Karissa's Reading Review

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Wandering Librarians

Zita the Space Girl, by Ben Hatke, at Great Kid Books

Authors and Interviews:

Matthew Cody (Powerless) and Aaron Starmer (The Only Ones) at Mother Reader

Liz Kessler (Emily Windsnap) at A Backwards Story

Christy Burne (Takeshita Demons) at My Favorite Books

Kelly Barnhill (The Mostly True Story of Jack) at SFWA

Other good things:

The shortlist for the Kelpies Prize (previously unpublished children's books set in contemporary Scotland) has been announced-- all three look great. Read their blurbs at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books.

At books4yourkids you can take a peak at Candlewick's series of Storyword: Create-a-Story Kits- StoryWorld: Fairy Magic has just been released.

Luka and the Fire of Life was a Did Not Finish for me, more, I think, because I was in the wrong mood for its episodic journey through fairyland type story. Via Educating Alice, I learned of a competition among animation students at London’s Kingston University to come up with a concept for a film from the book...Here's my favorite:

4 comments:

  1. Ack, Flowers in the Attic. And yes, the timing was a little off for us, too, although Elliot loved Ranger's Apprentice and eagerly awaited the books from 6 on. Now off to check out this week's reviews--thank you!

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  2. Flowers in the Attic
    Yay for us indeed.

    I'm with you on wanting something fabulous the kids (and I) can get excited about and go to midnight releases for.

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  3. Oh boy yeah...Flowers in the Attic. I remember.

    And I am going to start re-reading all the Harry Potter books, yay!

    Thanks for the round-up, Charlotte, always great to check out the reviews.

    ReplyDelete

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