This Week's Round-Up of Middle Grade Sci Fi and Fantasy from around the blogs (7/28/13)

Good morning, everyone!  Here's what I found in my week of blog reading...please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

The 13th Sign, by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, at Charlotte's Library (giveaway)

The Aviary, by Kathleen O'Dell, at That's Another Story

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at Kid Lit Geek

The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole, book 1) by Katherine Lasky, at Novel Attraction

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint, at Kid Lit Geek 

Doll Bones, by Holly Black, at Kimberley's Wanderings 

The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens, at mstamireads

The Girl Who Could Fly, by Victoria Forester, at On the Nightstand 

Grasshopper Magic, by Lynne Jonell, at Jean Little Library

Have a Hot Time, Hades, by Kate McMullen, at Middle Grade Mafioso

Horton's Incredible Illusions, by Lissa Evans, at Xander's Middle-Grade Book Reviews

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones, at So Many Books, So Little Time

The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith, at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles

Icefall, by Matthew Kirby, at On a Grahampage

Juniper Berry, by M.P. Kozlowsky, at Candace's Book Blog

Kill Fish Jones, by Caro King, at Charlotte's Library

Listening For Lucca, by Suzanne LaFleur, at Welcome to my Tweendom

The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, at swlothian

Menace from the Deep (Killer Species, book 1), by Michael Spradlin, at Ms. Yingling Reads 

The Ogre Downstairs, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Tales of the Marvelous  and Here There Be Books 

Pegasus: Olympus at War, by Kate O'Hearn, at My Precious

Penumbras, by Braden Bell, at The Write Path (giveaway)

The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Kid Lit Geek 

The Reluctant Assassin, by Eoin Colfer, at Guys Lit Wire 

Return to Cardamom, by Julie Anne Grasso, at Mother Daughter Book Reviews (giveaway)

Rules for Ghosting, by A.J. Paquette, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani, at Steph's Stacks,  Literary Grand Rounds, and Xpresso Reads

The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at Kid Lit Geek 

The Serpent's Shadow, by Rick Riordan, at Fyrefly's Book Blog 

The Seven Tales of Trinket, by Shelley Moore Thomas, at Scott Reads It

Sidekicked, by John David Anderson, at Wonderland and Small Review

Sorrowline, by Neil Bushnell, at The Book Zone 

Substitute Creature (Tales from Lovecraft Middle School), by Charles Gilman, at Now is Gone

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at Here There Be Books 

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex, at Tales of the Marvelous 
and books4yourkids

Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams at books4yourkids 

The Water Castle, by Megan Frazer Blakemore, at Becky's Book Reviews

Wednesdays in the Tower, by Jessica Day George, at Lovely Reads

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, at Redeemed Reader (with questions for discussion from a Christian perspective)

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop, by Kate Saunders, at Book Nut 

Wonderlight, by R.R. Russell, at In Bed With Books


Authors and Interviews

R.R. Russell (Wonderlight: Unicorns of the Mist) at The Book Cellar 

Willliam Alexander (on the importance of masks in Goblin Secrets) at Mr. Ripleys  Enchanted Books and interviewed at Inkygirl

John David Anderson (a scene from the world of Sidekicked) at Small Review (giveaway) and interview at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

Stephanie Burgis (Kat, Incorrigible et seq.) at Author Of...

Catherynne M. Valente (The Girl Who...[did lots of stuff in Fairyland]) at Tor


Other Good Stuff 

Not that it's middle grade, but I am currently running a Sylo giveaway--hardcover, T-shirt, and baseball cap-- here.

Never before seen (although you probably saw them somewhere before reading those words here) Harry Potter illustrations by Mary GrandPre--you can see them all here, and I would love to post one but am worried about copyright...

 A nice list of dragon books, at Project Mayhem 

And a nice list of quotes from Mary Poppins (well worth reading!) at Becky's Book Reviews

Roald Dahl's editor remember The Witches -- "I was gobsmacked!"

Hobbit Houses, in real life (via Geek.com)

and built, life-sized, out of lego (also via Geek.com)

and finally, I hope you all are still thinking about throwing your name into the Cybils hat as MG SFF panelists!  (Still early days, but the middle of August, when the call for panelists traditionally goes out) is coming fast...).  Here's a look from last year about what fall was like for a 1st Round panelist in YA.  I have been a YA panelist as well as a SFF one, and so I can say that MG SFF is a lot lighter on both page counts and content, so don't be daunted!  And remember, you don't have to read every book...

and even more finally, the greatest Geek Girl video of all time, which I mentioned earlier this week, but which deserves mentioning again, because it is so awesome.