Conjure Island, by Eden Royce

I was very impressed by Eden Royce's middle grade fantasy, Root Magic, and so was naturally excited about her new book, Conjure Island (June 27, 2023, Walden Pond), and was not disappointed.  In fact it is my favorite new middle grade fantasy of the year so far, the one I read most intently lost in the story.  I am always there for magical school stories, though after reading so many it's always a lovely surprise when they feel fresh and new and transport me vividly right there with the main character.  

In this case, the main character is an eleven-year-old girl named Del, sent to stay with a great-grandmother she didn't know she had when a medical emergency sends her grandmother to the hospital while her dad is deployed.  Packed off to an island of the coast of South Carolina, Del embarks on a summer she'll never forget.  Turns out her grandmother runs a school for conjure magic, and she's expected to start learning it!

Del had no idea that magic was real, or that her family was part of a long line of conjure users. When she arrives on the island and is confronted with this truth, it is (naturally) a huge shock, one that comes with lots of feelings--why did her grandmother never say anything about this, and why did she leave the island when she was still a teenager, never to return?  

Del is determined to answer these questions, but she can't do it alone.  With her growing knowledge of conjure magic, and help not just from her new friend Eva, but from a magical library, a ghost, and even a truly intimidating magical alligator, that the sad story from long ago becomes clear, and she can help her great grandmother set things to rights.  And not just that, but she can begin to take up the work of her ancestors, protecting and preserving the magic and its people.

I very much appreciated that there was no great magical malevolent antagonist.  Instead, Del's challenges are very real world relatable--overcoming the closed-in protective shield she's developed to cope with constantly being the new girl in school, that makes it hard to trust her new friend, and learning to trust herself as well, and to ask for help when she needs it.  And I appreciated as well that though Del has a gift for conjure, she doesn't immediately become a magical wunderkind, but has to put in work.  

It is really everything I love in a magical school story, and if you love the Southern Gothic genre as well, you will love it even more!

Check out the Conjure Island_Educators Guide, which has great background on the story and the real world history that is at the heart of the book, as well as tons of helpful content for educators.  

Thank you, Walden Pond, for including me in the book tour!

CONJURE ISLAND Blog Tour

June 27 Nerdy Book Club  @nerdybookclub

June 27 Unleashing Readers.   @unleashreaders

June 27 Helping Kids Rise @helpingkidsrise

June 28 Charlotte's Library @charlotteslibrary

June 28  StoryMamas @storymamas

June 29  LitCoachLou @litcoachlou

June 29  A Library Mama @librarymama

June 29  Teachers Who Read @teachers_read

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi from around the blogs (6/25/2023)

Morning all!  Here's what I found this week; please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

The Carrefour Curse, by Dianne K. Salerni, at Fuse #8

The Chaos Monster (Secrets of the Sky #1), by Sayantani DasGupta, at Mark My Words

Cloudlanders, by Christopher Mackie, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books 

Elvia And The Gift Of Passion (Tales By Moons-Light #3), by Ruby Ballard, at Gina Rae Mitchell

Fablehouse, by E.L. Norry, at Book Craic

Ghostlight, by Kenneth Oppel, at Kiss the Book

Grimwood, by Nadia Shireen, at Charlotte's Library: 

Henry Halifax and the Tutori’s Cloak, by Atlas Swift,  at Mark My Words

Lei and the Fire Goddess, by Malia Maunakea, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Magic Hour, by David Wolstencroft, at Book Craic

Nayra and the Djinn, by Iasmin Omar Ata, at Mark My Words

Monster Camp, by Sarah Henning, at Mark My Words

Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels, by Tọlá Okogwu, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads 

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, by Victoria Williamson, at The Strawberry Post and Rosh's Reviews

The Rhythm of Time, by Questlove and S.A. Crosby, at Charlotte's Library

Saving Neverland, by Abi Elphinstone, at Vicky's Never Ending TBR 

The Scroll of Chaos, by Elsie Chapman, at Pages Unbound

The Secrets of the Stormforest (The Strangeworlds Travel Agency #3), by LD Lapinski, at Vicky's Never Ending TBR 

Toby and the Silver Blood Witches, by Sally Doherty, at Scope for Imagination

Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods, by Tania del Rio, illustrated by Will Staehle, at Twirling Book Princess

Authors and Interviews

Jude Atwood (Maybe There are Witches), at From The Mixed Up Files

Other Good Stuff

Children's Book Picks UK - June 2023  at  Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Grimwood, by Nadia Shireen

Grimwood, by Nadia Shireen (May 30, 2023 by Andrews McMeel Publishing) is great summer reading for kids who love funny illustrated books who are still getting their reading feet firmly planted!

It's the story of two young foxes, who must flee the city after little brother Ted accidentally bites off the tail of Princess Buttons, the vicious ruler of the town dumpsters.  Big sister Nancy is determined to keep Ted safe until their parents come back to find them, so they  make their way to Grimwood, a forest full of animals living in harmony.   It takes a while for Nancy, a true city fox, to get used to having no cell phone service, but Ted jumps right in, making new friends and happy to be part of the community.

And what a whacky community it is!  Any semblance of actual nature goes out the door, there are high jinx galore, and the looming threat of Princess Buttons is the only shadow over Ted's life.  

There's some violence (like Princess Buttons' tail being bitten off), but it's swirled into a mix of more wholesome friendship and community.

Narrated by a cockroach bus driver, and very generously illustrated, it's easy to imagine this tickling the funny bones of young readers!  The perfect beach read for goofy 8-9 year olds.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher.

The Rhythm of Time, by Questlove and S.A. Crosby for Timeslip Tuesday

Yay me, for getting my Timeslip Tuesday act back together!  With a good one, no less- The Rhythm of Time, by Questlove and S.A. Crosby (middle grade, April 18, 2023, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers).

Rahim's parents are pretty strict when it comes to screen time (as in, there isn't any), but fortunately his best friend Kasia lives nearby, and is happy to share not just her computer but the brilliant gadgets she invents.  Like the cell phone she's built just for him, which though it looks like a clunky brick will still let Rahim check out the 20th century rap music he loves.

But it is much more than it seems.  In fact, it is linked to a secret government satellite, and interfaces with technology the feds definitely don't want falling into the hands of a couple of kids, and it sends Rahim back in time to 1997.  Before Kasia can figure out how to get him back, her house is raided by government agents who confiscate all her devices...

She's able to get them back (being brilliant), and tells Rahim, via the phone, not to make any changes to the timeline while she figures out how to get him back too.  But when Rahim makes friends with the kid who will grow up to be his own dad, changes come thick and fast.  Temporal collapse begins, with extinct animals and historical characters taking over the streets of 1997 Philadelphia....

It's a fun juxtaposition of Rahim anxious about getting home while having adventures with his dad to be like sneaking out to a rap concert and taking down a bully, and Kasia outwitting the feds back home.  But the timeline gets drastically altered, and when Rahim does return, his life has changed for the worse...and Kasia must work frantically to fix it and prevent utter temporal collapse with government agents breathing down her neck.  

It's lots of fun!  Rap music, a black girl STEM genius, dodos etc., and family dynamics make for a great combination!  The time travel goes down nice and easy, with a lovely combination of stress and humor.  The immediate problems may be solved by the end of the book, but there's set up for a sequel, which I'd love to happen.

The Rhythm of Time is eligible for the middle grade speculative fiction category of the Cybils Awards, so keep it in mind when the public nomination period opens in October.

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi from around the blogs (6/18/23)

Not the largest round-up (and nothing for me because home renovations and work once more derailed my reading and reviewing), but full of good books!  Let me know if I missed your post.

The Reviews

Chupacarter, by George Lopez and Ryan Calejo, at  The Bookwyrm's Den  and Boys' Mom Reads

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch, by Julie Abe, at Blogging with Dragons

The Hunt for the Hollower, by Callie C. Miller, at Always in the Middle…  and Mark My Words

The Gray, by Chris Baron, at The Story Sanctuary

Nightmare Island, by Shakirah Bourne, at  Ms. Yingling Reads: 

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, by Victoria Williamson, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads  and Bookbugworld

The Ruby Code, by Jessica Khoury, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Silver Road, by Sinead O'Hart, at Valinora Troy

Three Tasks for a Dragon, by Eoin Colfer, at Bookworm for Kids

Two at The Book Search--The Book of the Stolen Dreams, by David Farr, and  Abeni's Song,  by P. Djeli Clark

at A Library Mama--3 Magical Journeys: The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, and Hamra and the Jungle of Memories

Authors and Interviews

Amy Makechnie (The McNifficents) at  MG Book Village

Zohra Nabi (The Kingdom Over the Sea) at From The Mixed Up Files

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (6/11/23)

Morning all!  Here's what I have to offer this week.  Please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup, by Zira Nauryzbai & Lilya Kalaus, at Mark My Words

Bea Wolf,  by Zach Weinersmith, at  Pages Unbound 

The Carrefour Curse, by Dianne K. Salerni, at Log Cabin Library

Elf Dog and Owl Head, by M.T. Anderson, at Bookends

Ellie Engle Saves Herself! by Leah Johnson, at Always in the Middle… 

The Enchanted Bridge (Dragons in a Bag #4), by Zetta Elliott, at Charlotte's Library

Exit 13: The Whispering Pines, by James Preller, at Twirling Book Princess

The Frightmare (Leo’s Map Of Monsters #3), by Kris Humphrey, at Twirling Book Princess

Haru, Zombie Dog Hero, by Ellen Oh, at Mark My Words

Into The Faerie Hill, by H.S. Norup, at Valinora Troy

Jodie, by Hilary McKay, at Magic Fiction Since Potter

Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom, by Nina Varela, at Hooray for Books 

Kingdom Over the Sea, by Zohra Nabi, at Cracking the Cover and The Story Sanctuary

Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms, by Jenna Yoon, at Crafty Moms Share: 

The One and Only Ruby, by Katherine Appplegate, at Kiss the Book

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, by Victoria Williamson, at Book Craic, Kerri McBookNerd, and Gina Rae Mitchell 

 Possess Me, by K.R. Alexander, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Sister Switch, by Sarah Mlynowski and Debbie Rigaud, at Puss Reboots

Speculation by Nisi Shawl | alibrarymama

Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One, by Andrew Auseon, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend, by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, at Scope for Imagination

Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend, and its sequel, Winnie Zeng Vanquishes a King, by Katie Zhao, at this belle reads too

Authers and Interviews

Lindsay Littleson (Guardians of the Wild Unicorns) gathers the best children’s books about mythical creatures at Shepherd 

Other Good Stuff

Many of the books in this round-up are eligible for this year's Cybils Awards!  Nominations open in October...and in the meantime, maybe you'd like to be one of the panelists who get to read and discuss all the nominated elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books to pick the shortlist of seven in the first round, or pick the one winner in the second round?  This year the Cybils is having an early call for panelists, so that the summer can provide a head start for the reading and discussing part.  The deadline for applying is June 14--read more here!

The Enchanted Bridge (Dragons in a Bag #4), by Zetta Elliott

The Enchanted Bridge (Dragons in a Bag #4), by Zetta Elliott (January 2023, Random House Books for Young Readers), sends Jaxon and his friends the magical other world of Palmara, where they must convince its magical guardian to reopen the link back to our world, so that the magical creatures rescued and sent to Palmara in the previous books can return if they wish too.  They must also convince the guardian to help end a magical sleeping sickness that is afflicting the real world people.  On top of that, Jaxon also needs to find and rescue his grandfather.  

This is a lot for a group of middle school kids.  But the stakes quickly get higher, when the kids realized the guardian's brother is unleashing an even more catastrophic danger that could consume both worlds. 

Jazon and his friends are all discovering their own magical powers, but can they learn to use them to their full potential in time?

It's an exciting portal fantasy, full of strange and creative adventures.  Those who have read the first three books, and appreciated the chance to read real world urban fantasy staring kids of color might be disappointed by the direction the series has taken, but I loved it!  The high stakes and challenges (both the in your face kind, and more philosophical conundrums) faced by the kids make for great reading! 

I subject this book to a rather unhappy morning getting my car fixed, and it passed with flying colors! If you like magical adventures in which friendship and mutual support is just as important as wild powers, you'll love it too, and join me in eager anticipation of the next installment.

nb:  The Enchanted Bridge is eligible for the upcoming cycle of the Cybils Awards!  Nominations open in October...and in the meantime, maybe you'd like to be one of the panelists who get to read and discuss all the nominated elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books to pick the shortlist of seven in the first round, or pick the one winner in the second round?  This year the Cybils is having an early call for panelists, so that the summer can provide a head start for the reading and discussing part.  The deadline for applying is June 14--read more here!

this week's middle grade sci fi/fantasy round-up (6/4/23)

Settling back in to life with two kids home from college, which is always a shock to the system....Here's what I found this week of interest to us fans for mg sci fi/fantasy!

And speaking of MG sci fi fans--maybe you have thought about being a panelist for the Cybils Awards (perhaps in MG Speculative Fiction even?) but have been daunted by the thought of over 100 nominated books and three months to read them in....Us Cybils organizers have come up with an answer!  We are having an early call for panelists, so that the summer months can be spent reading.  No books will be nominated until fall, but this will be a book club like chance to share recommendations, read ones we are interested in, and talk about what we are reading!  There is no commitment to becoming an official panelist come fall, so if you'd like to spend the summer talking MG spec fic with me, or reading in one of the many other categories, apply here before June 14!  

If you only want to read for the second round, you can join the chatting for the summer, and move to Round 2 in fall.  Folks from outside the US are welcome to apply, though only books published in the US between Oct 16, 2022-Oct 15 2023 are eligible.  If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at charlotteslibrary@gmail.com

The Reviews

Aliyah Serin and the Box of Zenas, by Lucy Anne Holland, at Mark My Words

The Cobra's Song, by Supriyata Kelkar, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Middle-Grade Review: The Counterclockwise Heart by Brian Farrey – YA Books Central

The Grace of Wild Things, by Heather Fawcett, at Dead Houseplants

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, by Pari Thomson, at Library Girl and Book Boy and Scope for Imagination

Grimwood, by Naida Shireen, at Always in the Middle… 

Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms, by Jenna Yoon, at Bookworm for Kids and  Cracking the Cover

The Magic Hour, by David Wolstencroft, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads 

Matteo, by Michael Leali, at  Paw Prints in the Sink

Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecyn by Angie Thomas, at Pages Unbound, Rapunzel Reads, and Mark My Words

The Probability of Everything, by Sarah Everett, Fuse #8 (nb: I'm not actually certain this is spec fic having not read it yet....)

Ravencave, by Marcus Sedgwick, at Charlotte's Library

The Sister Switch, by Sarah Mlynoswki and Debbie Rigaud, at YABookNerd

Time Traveling Through Yellowstone National Park – The Adventures of Bubba Jones, by Jeff Alt, at Always in the Middle… 

The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder, at A Library Mama

Authors and Interviews

H. S. Norup (Into Faerie Hill), at Valinora Troy

Pari Thomson (Greenwild: The World Behind the Door) at Scope for Imagination

Jenna Yoon (Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms) at Writer's Digest 

Other Good Stuff

8 Middle Grade Magical Realism Novels to Read Right Now (bookriot.com)