This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy from around the blogs--"like Calvin and Hobbes, but with muffins"

"Like Calvin and Hobbes, but with muffins" (as in, the two main characters are muffins) is how my youngest described the graphic novel he's currently working on.  It tickled me very much; however, this week's round-up of the mg sff posts I found in my blog reading has nothing to do with muffins.  In any event, let me know if I missed your post!

First:  Nominations for the Cybils close tomorrow.  Middle grade sci fi/fantasy nominations are trailing YA 101 books to 132 (as of 6:26 pm).  MG SFF fans, represent!  Nominate!  (It seems like there are fewer nominations this year.  Last year we had c. 150 in mg sff....why is this?)

Here's where you go to nominate.

Here are the books that have already been nominated.

(I have a few posts of mg sff books that haven't been nominated yet here, here, and here)


The Reviews:

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at The Accidental Novelist

Circus Galacticus, by Deva Fagan, at Book Nut 

Darkbeast, by Morgan Keyes, at The Book Smugglers

Demons of the Ocean, by Justin Somper, at Madigan Reads

The False Prince, by Jennifer Neilsen, at Book Nut, Finding Wonderland, and Semicolon

The Fire Chronicle, by John Stephens, at Karissa's Reading Review and The Artolater

The Freedom Maze, by Delia Sherman, at Slatebreakers

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Fantasy Literature

Goblin Secrets, by William Alexander, at Semicolon 

The Golden Door, by Emily Rodda, at The Write Path

How to Seize Dragon's Jewel, by Cressida Cowell, at The Telegraph

In a Glass Grimmly, by Adam Gidwitz, at A Monster Ate My Book Report and Charlotte's Library

Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger, at The Book Smugglers

The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde, at LiterariTea

The Last Hunt, by Bruce Coville, at Fantasy Literature

The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan, at Riffs and Reviews

Mira's Diary--Lost in Paris, by Marissa Moss, at Bumbles and Fairy Tales

The Orphan of Ellis Island, by Elvira Woodruff, at Time Travel Times Two

Palace of Stone, by Shannon Hale, at Bibliophilia--Maggie's Bookshelf 

Path of Beasts, by Lian Tanner, at Bewitched Bookworms

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at Book Nut and Charlotte's Library

The Prince Who Fell From the Sky, by John Claude Bemis, at Semicolon

Princess Academy, and Palace of Stone, by Shannon Hale, at The Book Smugglers

Princess of Glass, by Jessica Day George, at Confessions of a Bibliovore

Runemarks, by Joanne Harris (audiobook review) at library_mama

Seeing Cinderella, by Jenny Lundquist, at Semicolon 

The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at books4yourkids and Shelf Elf

Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schiltz, at books4yourkids and Becky's Book Reviews

Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin, at BookDragon and Reads for Keeps

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

Storybound, by Marissa Burt, at Semicolon

Summer and Bird, by Katherine Catmull, at The Book Smugglers

The Time Garden, by Edward Eager, at Tor

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, at HumbleIndigo

What Came from the Stars, by Gray Schmidt, at Becky's Book Reviews and Random Musings of a Bibliophile

When Marnie Was There, by Joan C. Robinson, at Charlotte's Library

The Whisper, by Emma Clayton, at Paranthetical

The Wikkeling, by Steven Arntson, at 300 Pages

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Book Nut

Wings of Fire, by Tui T. Sutherland, at Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews

Winterling, by Sarah Prineas, at Semicolon and Bookworm Blather

Woodenface, by Gus Grenfell, at Read in a Single Sitting

Young Fredl, by Cynthia Voight, at Great Books for Kids and Teens

and a two for one at Ms. Yingling Reads--Behind the Bookcase, by Mark Streensland,  and Terra Tempo: Ice Age Cataclysm, by David Shapiro


Authors and Interviews

Grace Ling (Starry River of the Sky) at Abby the Librarian

Lana Krumwiede (Freakling) at A Thousand Wrongs (giveaway)

RL Stine is asked "How do you think scaring kids is different than scarring adults?" at The Huffington Post

Lisa McMann (Island of Silence) at A Thousand Wrongs (giveaway)

Katherine Catmull (Summer and Bird) at Cynsations 

JK Rowling at Scholastic, answering fans questions live

Other Good Stuff:

Q is for Questing Beast, with Mary Hoffman, at Scribble City Central

New Zealand is releasing Hobbit coinage that's going to be legal tender.   The New Zealand Post said it expected "strong international interest"-- that would include my boys. 

And if you want a quick little Lord of the Rings chuckle, here's a fun video clip of demonstrating the power of Saruman's voice...