This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (8/12/2012)

So just in case you are visiting one of these round-ups for the first time--a few years ago I was wishing that it was easier to find reviews of middle grade sci fi and fantasy books--there are lots of blogs where you can reliably find the YA side of things, but not so much for the younger books. So I started doing it myself.

I exercise some discretion in what I include--a post that's too short, or too purly promotional, probably won't make my personal cut. I'm happy to take links to posts at any time during the week (of posts from that week only, of course--not old reviews). My email is charlotteslibrary at gmail dot com. Thanks!

The Reviews

13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison, at Read in a Single Sitting

The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, 7), by Eoin Colfer, at Fantasy's Ink

The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To, by D.C. Pierson, at Original Content

Earthling! by Mark Fearing, at Stacked

The Ghost of Graylock, by Dan Pobloki, at Charlotte's Library

Goblin Secrets, by William Alexander, at Black Gate

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, at Story Carnivores

The Hero and the Crown, by Robin McKinley, at Stella Matutina

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at The Accidental Novelist and at Cardigans, Coffee, and Bookmarks

Merits of Mischief: The Bad Apple, by T.R. Burns, at Angelhorn

Monster Matsuri (Takeshita Demons 3), by Cristy Burne, at Charlotte's Library

Oddfellows Orphanage, by Emily Winfield Martin, at Jen Robinson's Book Page

Palace of Stone, by Shannon Hale, at One Librarian's Book Reviews and Emily's Reading Room

The Serpent's Shadow, by Rick Riordan, at Boys Rule Boys Read!

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, by Nikki Loftin, at YA reads

The Six Crowns series, by Allan Jones and Gary Chalk, at books4yourkids

The Star Shard, by Frederick S. Durbin, at Fantasy Literature

Stig of the Dump, by Clive King, at Charlotte's Library

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brockett, by John Boyne, at Babbleabout children's books

Tools of Prophecy, by Michael E. Rothman, at Books Are Magic

Troubletwisters, by Garth Nix and Sean Williams, at Bibliophile Support Group

Unearthly Asylum, by PJ Bracegirdle, at Read in a Single Sitting

Authors and Interviews

Suzanne Williams (Heros in Training) at Cynsations

Braden Bell (The Kindling) at A Thousand Wrongs

Derek the Ghost (Scary School) at Nawanda Files

"How we made A Monser Calls" by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay, at The Guardian

Other Good Stuff

K is for Kelpie, by Holly Black, at Scribble City Central

I can't help but feel a tad sorry for McKayla, but still I chuckled--here she is not being impressed with sci fi at Tor.

Monica at Educating Alice caught a Guardian article I'd missed--Jacqueline Wilson is writing a modern-day sequel to Five Children and It, called Four Children and It. Since it will obviously be impossible to preserve the flavour of the Edwardian original (it was published in 1902), I'm thinking I'll try to take it on its own merits as a contemporary fantasy...like I did for The Humming Room.

Publish Post

And finally--The Cybils are coming to life once more. Things aren't going to really get going till next month, but it's still exciting to see the 2012 logo!
For those of you who don't know what the Cybils are--these are awards are given each year by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles in a variety of categories, including middle grade sci fi and fantasy! The shortlists generated each year, by the way, are an awesome resource.

All bloggers can put their name forward to be on one of the panels--and so I am mentioning this now because all of you whose posts show up here on a regular basis would make swell panelists in MG Sci Fi/Fantasy, and I'd urge you to start thinking about it. I've been a first round panelist several times, and loved it. Do feel free to email me if you have any questions about what it's like...