Showing posts with label fantasy. middle grade reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. middle grade reviews. Show all posts

2/25/24

Fox Snare (Thousand Worlds #3), by Yoon Ha Lee

Another very busy week for me, with none of the reviews I wanted to write being written...so here once more is a quick one before I post today's round up.

Fox Snare (Thousand Worlds #3), by Yoon Ha Lee, is the third installment of great space adventure for upper middle grade readers on up (but do read the first two books in the series first).

Min, the fox spirt who was the central character of Dragon Pearl, is now the keeper of that titular pearl, which can magically terraform in hospitable planets.  Before this, terraforming relied on Dragon magic, and now the Dragons are unhappy that they now outclassed.  Haneuol, a young dragon, was once Min's friend, and when she arrives on the vessel where Min is currently in residence as part of the Dragon delegation to important diplomatic negations with the leader of the Sun Clan nations, Min hopes they can rekindle their relationship, but it doesn't go well. Sebin, the non-binary tiger spirit who was the central character of Tiger Honor, is a cadet on this same ship, and finds themselves drawn into the diplomatic tensions as well.

The leaders of the Thousand Worlds want to use Min and the pearl to terraform a planet that lies at a crucial junction between the two hostile factions...but it's not just location that makes this planet a prize both sides want--long ago an immensely powerful war ships crashed there, and whichever side can recover it will have a huge military advantage.

Then the space station where the negotiations are being held explodes.  Min, Haneuol, and Sabin crash land on the contested planet, along with a fox spirit woman who is clearly a suspicious character, and whose own agenda is occluded by her fox gift of charm.  Travelling across this alien world to the site of the crashed warship, Min is troubled by the conflict between her loyalty to the Thousand Worlds and her desire to trust another Fox, Sabin is torn between strict adherence to duty and critical examination of what is happening, and Haneul must wrestle with familial expectations and her own wishes.

And then they reach the ship, and things get enormously more tense as the threesome realizes the truth about why it was never recovered, and just what the Fox spirit woman has planned.

Told in alternating points of view by Min and Sebin, this is a gripping read in which the character's personal conflicts and the external dangers are beautifully balanced, and the magical abilities of the shape shifters, and some unexpected supernatural elements, make for lovely reading.  This installment is more direct than the previous book in identifying the Thousand Worlds as being of Korean descent, and the Sun Clans as being Japanese, making it an even more thought-provoking read. 

My only worry is that this seems to be the final book about these characters and their universe, and that thought makes me sad.  On the other hand, I can look forward to a nice re-read....

2/11/24

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, by Mary Averling


My first debut middle grade fantasy of 2024--The Curse of Eelgrass Bog, by Mary Averling (Jan 2, 2024, Razorbill)! And it was a good one.

Kess's life is focused on keeping the family's Museum of Unnatural History afloat until her parents return from their expedition investigating unnatural creatures in Antarctica.  It's falling to bits around her, and no-one visits, and her older brother Oliver spends all his time shut in the library, not helping.  Her only friend is a sunken head in a jar, one that actually talks to her; otherwise, she's on her own, desperately hoping that she can make some grand discovery that will revitalize the museum at the edge of the magical, and completely forbidden, Eelgrass Bog, home to witches, demons, and more. It's not much of a life for a 12 year old.

Then a visitor comes to the museum-- Lilou, a girl who's just moved to town.  Lilou's grandfather has left her a cryptic note--

    Beware the witches.
    Break the curse.
    Save the society.

And Lilou enlists Kess's help.  The two girls decide to venture into Eelgrass Bog....and there they do indeed find strange and twisted magic, and clues that start them on a journey to the dark depths of this dangerously warped place.  But the curse isn't what either of them expected, and what they discover upends Kess's world.

It's pretty clear from the get-go that things are Not Ok for Kess, and as the story progresses, Kess herself becomes increasingly trouble by the sense that she's forgetting something, something bad (she isn't wrong).  And though it takes a while for the secrets to all unfold, Kess's hunt for answers, and her journey towards her first friendship (or more than friendship) make for good reading leading up to a satisfying conclusion.

I love books that make pictures in my mind of strange and magical things, and this does not disappoint!  I also was glad to have another book to add to my LGBTQ middle grade list--Kess and Lilou are clearly on their way to a relationship, and Lilou has two dads.  

Give this one to the young reader who loves fantasy mysteries, secret societies, and neglected protagonists ending the book un-neglected.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Mary Averling writes next.


2/3/24

Nightspark, by Michael Mann


I very much enjoyed Ghostcloud, by Michael Mann, the first book in the duology (? maybe there are more adventures to come) that now continues with Nightspark (Peachtree 2023). Luke has been reunited with his family after foiling the evil plots of Tabitha, who used enslaved children, such as Luke and his best friend Ravi, as well as captured ghosts for her power station in an alternate England. He even has the job as a junior detective he always wanted.  

But he can't settle into ordinary life.  For starters, Tabitha has started on a new evil plan over on the continent, and his best friend Ravi is still her prisoner.  On top of that, Luke is a half ghost, and though he tries to enlist the aid of the Ghost Council, they are hostile to him and think he'd make a better 100% ghost.  But Luke is nothing if not determined, and so with a mixed lot of reluctant helpers and friends, including his best ghost friend, a mission to rescue Ravi and foil Tabitha is launched. 

It seems hopeless, but a string of daring adventures takes the little band across the English Channel...where things get even more dangerously exciting. It's not just extravagant adventure though; sprinkled into the story are thought-provoking moments where the characters have to make hard choices--like an encounter with an overloaded boat of refugees in the Channel, and the question of whether someone who has done horrible things can become trustworthy....

If you like action-packed adventure with supernatural shenanigans, dystopian settings, and brave kids full of heart triumphing over horrible circumstances, you will love Nightspark! But it is essential to read Ghostcloud first (and since I liked that one even more than its sequel, I'm sure you won't mind at all). 


1/23/24

Time after Time (Best Wishes #3) by Sarah Mlynowski and Christina Soontornvat for Timeslip Tuesday

 

If you are in the mood for a fun middle school ground-hog day timeslip, Time after Time (Best Wishes #3) by Sarah Mlynowski and Christina Soontornvat (November 2023, Scholastic) is a great pick!  This series is built around a magic bracelet, passed on from girl to girl, and it arrives at Lucy's house in Fort Worth, Texas, on the day she most needs a magic wish!

Lucy's life (before this day) has been fine--she loves the days she spends with her mom and stepdad and the two little babies, but she also loves going to the calm of her dad's house, where she can count on every thing to be in its place (she likes order and control very much).  And she's really excited for her class field trip to the Natural History Museum, where her dad works. The first shadow comes when Ms. Brock, the school librarian, turns out to be a chaperone--she's dating Lucy's dad, and always seems to be harder on Lucy than she is on anyone else.  That shadow darkens when another kid pukes on her, and  Grace, her best friend and science fair partner, gets angry at her during the museum scavenger hunt (extra credit to the winners!) and Lucy can't see why she would be. 

And then the real storm hits when her dad proposes to Ms. Brock in front of her whole class, and she runs from the museum....

When the police find her and bring her home, the bracelet has come in the mail with a letter of explanation from the girl who had it before, who had made a wish on it that came true.  And Lucy is thrilled to make her own wish, to live this terrible day again but this time to do it right.  But she doesn't, and the magic sends her back day after day, with things not improving.  Lucy has to do some hard thinking about herself before the bracelet lets her day stick, but finally, with help from the two girls who had their own complications from the magic in the first two books, it does.

Some of the repeats are entertaining (especially for the target audience), like the struggle to avoid puke, and some are thought provoking, like the reasons for Grace to be angry with her, and her feelings about her father marrying again.  The clues she picks up each time around let these bigger issue get resolved realistically and though I wanted to shake Lucy a bit, the time travel was doing that for me so that was ok and it was good to see her take a hard look at herself!

It doesn't break any new ground for those of us who have read hundreds of time travel books, but it should be a hit with those who love the first two books, and especially for readers who love the idea of getting second (or third or fourth) chances to do things over.  And I might well pick up book #4--there's a mysterious antagonist trying to get a hold of the bracelet for herself, and I'm curious about her....


1/18/24

Not Quite a Ghost, by Anne Ursu (blog tour)

It's a pleasure to be a stop on the blog tour for Not Quite a Ghost, by Anne Ursu (Walden Pond Press)!  I have been a keen looker-forward-to-er of her books ever since we met at Kidlitcon years ago when it was in Minnesota (2010), and she told me about the book she was working on at that time, Breadcrumbs, which sounded like (and proved to be) right up my alley.  And Not Quite a Ghost is even more up my alley, what with the old house part.

Violet is not opposed to moving to a larger house, where she can have a room of her own instead of sharing one with her big sister who has become an unfriendly teenager.  But the room that Violet gets is up in the attic, and it smells musty, and it has horrible wallpaper of tangled vines with berries that look like eyes.  And Violet wasn't opposed to starting middle school, but her two best friends, her pod from covid times, aren't in her classes, and without a cell phone, it's easy to feel like her bond with them might be in danger.  And Violet didn't mind staying home sick one day, but when the being sick part last and lasted, she minded very much indeed.

Violet's post-viral body goes into failure mode, and just can't cope with exertion.  The doctor's think it's all in her head, and even one of her best friends doesn't believe she really isn't well.  Fortunately, her mother and stepfather take it as seriously as she deserves, and fortunately as well the miserable friendship part of her life works out in the end, with new friendships begun.  

But barely able to leave her bed, Violet is stuck in the attic of malignant wallpaper, and it really is malignant--there is a terrifying, hungry, presence trapped inside the vines, and it wants to get out and consumer her.  

I found this a very gripping read.  The realistic part, focused on Violet's illness, is great, and the supernatural part allows the story to come to a climax and then satisfactory conclusion--after figuring out how to thwart the evil being, Violet's attic becomes a safe place, and even the horrible wallpaper is bearable.  Though there is (as is the case for many in real life) no happy end to Violet's post viral chronic fatigue, she at least has friends and a room that isn't trying to attack her.  I also appreciated how Violet's underlying worry that her biological father abandoned the family because of her, was also resolved.   I do wish the supernatural part had been fleshed out a bit more, tied to some story in the past, perhaps, and more strongly linked to Violet's sickness, but it was still beautifully tense and horrible!  

I think it has lots of appeal for young readers of both realistic middle school fiction and haunted houses. The writing is lovely, and I was solidly hooked through my reading, and in the end I closed the book with that happy feeling of time having passed like a blink in the real world! 


Anne Ursu is the author of acclaimed novels The Troubled Girls of Dragomir AcademyThe Lost GirlBreadcrumbsand The Real Boy, among others. Her work has been selected as a National Book Award nominee, a Kirkus Prize finalist, and as a best book of the year by Parents MagazinePublishers Weekly, Amazon.com, and School Library Journal. She lives in Minneapolis with her family and an unruly herd of cats. Find Anne online at anneursu.com.


BLOG TOUR STOPS

January 16 Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub

January 17 A Library Mama (@librarymama)

January 18 Charlotte’s Library (@charlotteslibrary)

January 21 Teachers Who Read (@teachers_read)

January 22 Bluestocking Thinking (@bluesockgirl)

        ReadWonder (@patrickontwit)

January 23 A Foodie Bibliophile In Wanderlust (@bethshaum)

January 25 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers (@grgenius)



And just as personal coda--my own old house was troubled last night--the shower came on briefly all by itself, and the thermostat somehow got shut off, so it is 47 degrees inside this morning as I type this.  I removed the most terrifying wallpaper the house came with, which graced the old nursery, years ago, so it's not that...though this girl, repeating through the pattern, is still a disturbing memory...







12/19/23

The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, by Adrianna Cuevas

You might think that The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, a middle grade fantasy by Adrianna Cuevas (April 2023, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), is about ghosts on a ranch....but since this is my Timeslip Tuesday book, you can guess that actually it's time travel, not hauntings, creating fantastical mayhem (sorry for the spoiler!).  It is set on a ranch though, and so, very reluctantly, is the young protagonist.

Cuban American middle schooler Rafa (Raphael) and his best friends decided to take their fantasy adventure game to the next level, real life, and got busted when the school slushie machine they were absconding with breaks loose and crashes into the principal's car.  Rafa's dad skips all the regular punishments, and packs him off to spend a month working at a friend's ranch in New Mexico. Rafa is distressed about leaving his Miami friends, but even more worried about leaving his mother, who has cancer.  

But Rafa is a really good, cooperative kid, and soon he's learning the parts of a horse and getting to experience manure for the first time.  And there's a really cool girl his own age, Jennie Kim, the Korean American daughter of the ranch librarian. She too has a sadness-the recent death of her father.  But their growing bond is formed not just from shared sadness, but from their partnership in figuring out what's up with all the weirdness going on at the ranch (and a shared love of snacks).

A mysterious man in a green sweater keeps showing up...which isn't that odd. But Rafa being blamed for unpleasant mischief he had no part in is, and that's just the start of reality on the ranch going seriously off-kilter.  And when Rafa learns who the strange man is, and what he wants, he's faced with a desperately serious situation (spoiler--it involves time travel, and Rafa's mom....)

It's a truly engrossing story, and though there's sadness here the twists and turns make for entertaining reading.  Although it's a little distracting to think too much about the dad's questionable decision to keep Rafa from spending potentially precious time with his mother, the story more than kept my enthusiasm high. A secondary character, a veteran suffering from PTSD who looks after the ranch's horses, was a great addition to the ensemble, providing a grounding adult perspective.   And the mystery that need solving was very satisfying in a thought-provoking time travel way.

short answer--I liked it lots!


11/26/23

Nimbus, by Jan Eldredge

If magical cats are a thing you like, Nimbus, by Jan Eldredge September 2023, Balzer + Bray) is an obvious and excellent choice!  

Nimbus was rescued by Fletcher's family when she was a wounded, abandoned kitten, unwanted because of being a black cat.  Nursed back to health and dearly loved by Fletcher, Nim thought her bad luck was a thing of the past.  But then Flecher opens an old jar which had imprisoned a nightmare demon.  Nim instantly fought the demon when it attached Fletcher, and thought she'd one, though she'd been badly injured.  But Fletcher's cat-hating Aunt Caroline, roused by the commotion, assumed Nim had been the one to attach the boy, and took her off to a dump and left her there.

Happily, a friendly rat helps Nim reach the safety of a witch's home.  Agatha has a soft spot of cats in need (she has four already), and tries to help Nim heal (though Nim is so desperate to get back to Fletcher to make sure he's safe that this is rather frustrating for Agatha).  While at Agatha's, Nim discovers she's taken the demon's ability to dream walk, and at night she finds herself in the dream world, where her travels through the dreams of her new cat companions, and her own dreaming, help her to figure out how to defeat the demon for once and for all.

It's about more than just cat vs demon, though....a large part of the story is set at Agatha's house, an interlude of little direct action and much about Nim learning from the other cats, and understanding their stories.  It's also about the brave rat friend who helped Nim, who has his own important role in defeating the demon.  I found this enjoyable reading, though kids who come for demon fighting action might find it a bit slow....

That being said, the final demon showdown is great, with Aunt Caroline making a humorously grotesque appearance! 

Nim is a very sweet brave kitten, and the supporting cast of rat, cats and witch are great too!  I enjoyed it, and it would be a great gift for a kid who read all the Warriors books last year and still doesn't want to part with them.


10/23/23

Dogtown, by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West

Dogtown, by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West (younger middle grade, September 19, 2023, Feiwel & Friends) arrived at my home unexpectedly, and I'm very glad it did, because it is a charmer!  It touched the heart of even cynical non-dog person me, and if it can do that, I'm sure that young uncynical dog lovers will be utterly and completely in love with it!

It's the story of a dog named Chance, who lives at Dogtown, a shelter for both regular dogs and robotic ones.  Chance longs every day for her family to come take her home again, though she's worried that they won't want her anymore when they find she only has three legs now.  But this doesn't mean that she spends her days pining.  She has a wonderfully caring personality, and this is what drives the plot.

When a robot dog, Metal Head, arrives at Dogtown, Chance is at first dismissive of them--robot dogs don't have hearts like real ones.  But Metal Head proves her wrong.  This is the catalyst for a chain of events include a tense (and entertaining) adventure for Chance, Metal Head, and Chance's mouse friend outside the safety of Dogtown.  And it's because of Metal Head that Chance finds her family again.  

And although I (cynical, as noted above) tend to squirm at sweet messages, the last message Chance gets from Metal Head made me sniff (in a good way)--"Your heart is a muscle.  It grows stronger the more you use it."  The sweet message is set in the context of a solid story, with characters the reader can't help but care for, and the illustrations make the book all the more appealing.  So many cute dogs!  

But don't think it is all caring friends and happy endings!  Sensitive kids might be distressed by some aspects of the story--Dogtown, sadly, is not a no kill shelter.  And although none of the dogs we meet suffer this fate, it hangs over their heads, adding to their desperate wish to find homes.  Chances backstory is sad--a horrible dog sitter was responsible for the accident that cost Chance her leg.  And Metal Head's story has a twist that might distress--(spoiler) the boy he lived with discarded him as being a childish toy, which reminds me of what happens to kids when friends grow up faster than they do.

Still, the feeling at the end is warm and loving, and I would happily give it as a gift if I had any 8 or 9 year old animal lovers to shop for.

10/10/23

Vivian Lantz's Second Chances, by Kathryn Ormsbee for Timeslip Tuesday

Today's Timeslip Tuesday, Vivian Lantz's Second Chances, by Kathryn Ormsbee (middle grade, June 2023 HarperCollins) is a Groundhog's Day style repeating the same day over and over again.  In this case, Vivian is stuck repeating the first day of  8th grade.  And her track record of truly horrible first days is not broken by the many misfortunes that befall her, with every do-ever day bringing fresh distress.

Vivian isn't thrilled about starting 8th grade without her best friend Cami who has moved away.  But she's determined to do it right, and so she writes a to-do list in her new journal to help her have a great experience.  She does not.  Slipping in the mud, accidently bringing a bag of dog poop to school, destroying the class fish tank, and getting her first period (and first period stain) in the cafeteria at lunch is just some of what happens.  

And when she wakes up the next day, she gets to do it all again (but this time without the poop and with a pad...)  She starts figuring out some of the social dynamics that she'd missed before--the boy she was crushing on is a jerk, the queen bee girl is a viper, and Gemma, who used to be tight in that circle of friends, has had enough of them, and is (maybe) ready for a new friend....as of course is Vivian.  Maybe even more than just friends.... (though there is explicit attraction, it is not acted on, which makes sense because although Vivian gets to know Gemma through 8 or so days, Gemma keeps meeting Vivian for the first time....)

But there's more going on in Vivian's life than just school. That first day is when her 17-year-old brother leaves with no warning, to go off travelling with his band. She and their dads have to somehow come to terms with this; Vivian feels angry and abandoned.  So a few of her repeat days are spent with her brother as her main focus, which is a nice change from middle school awful-ness, and she tells her brother what's been happening to her, and though he has no answer about how to stop the time loop, he does give her food for thought.

Back at school, Vivian keeps messing things up in her quest to have a perfect first day, and is getting fed up.  She tells her best friend Cami all about it, and Cami's insights blend with her brother's.... Instead of trying to have a Perfect Day, Vivian is going to simply live it authentically.  And miraculously, that works!  It isn't, in fact, a perfect day, but it's far from being a disaster.

So reliving a horrible 8th grade day is not exactly fun reading, but it was fun seeing how things played out differently each time. The magic is explained more or less satisfactorily, and the ending is such that there's a teasing though that it might come into play again, which I'd be up for!   And though I wanted to shake Vivian at times, I was glad she was able to do some quick growing up.  I'm sure this will resonate with many of its target readers, and perhaps even give them food for thought as well.

Glad to have a new one to add to my LGBTQ middle grade fantasy list!  (as well as Vivian's crush on Gemma, who is explicitly identified as gay, there are Vivien's two dads, a nice discussion she has with one of them about how he realized he was gay, a brief reference to how they weren't allowed to marry for years, and Vivian's own reflection that she didn't have to choose either/or boys/girls).

NB.  This one has been safely nominated for this year's Cybils Awards, but there are lots and lots of great books still waiting to be picked.  Please show a book the love it deserves by nominating it before the deadline at the end of the day on the 15th!  Here and also here are some (though by no means all) of the books you could pick, and here's where you go to nominate.

10/7/23

Three Tasks for a Dragon, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

My five star goodreads review for Three Tasks for a Dragon, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by P.J. Lynch (October 3, 2023, Candlewick), is as follows--"a lovely book--both the words and the pictures gave me great pleasure. If I had someone in my life who loved beautiful fairy tale/dragon books, they would be getting this as a gift."  

It is the story of Prince Lir, who doesn't particularly want to become the next Wolfhound King--he is a scientist at heart, and the wolfhounds don't even come when he summons them, the way they are supposed to do for the true king, and the way they came for his stepbrother.  So she has him sent away on a quest.....and his reaction made me love him--

"Lir was already heartsore at the thought of leaving his beloved Ladin, most especially his friends in the small scientific community who were building a giant spyglass that would enable the watcher to clearly observe the face of the moon. 

I will never see the moon clearly, he thought." p 7

Lir suspects that dark magic might be afoot, and indeed there is, but there is nothing for him to do but go on a quest to save a maiden from a dragon.

And then this fairy tale goes in all sorts of unexpected direction--the maiden, Cethlenn, is better off working for the dragon than she was before, and she knows it, and the dragon, beset by physical ailments, is sorely in need of Lir's practical, scientific mind. So Cethlenn, the dragon, and Lir end up peacefully coexisting for a while...

Until the instigator of the dark magic Lir suspected was afoot arrives, and brings disaster.  There is a happy ending, but it is tense for a while.

There's more complexity of both character and plot to the story, but I'm not spoiling it.  Suffice to say it is a wonderful read for the romantic, castle dreaming youngster such as I was at 9 ish years old, and a pleasure for even the more cynical, ex-castle dreaming adult such as I am now!  The story carries one along, and the illustrations are lovely.  My only quibble is that I would have liked more words--this is lots more than a picture book, word-wise, but not quite even as long as novella.

In any event, I stand by my first reaction--this would be a great present for the right reader.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

NB--Three Tasks for a Dragon is eligible for this year's Cybils Awards in Elementary/Middle Grade speculative fiction, and has not yet been nominated.  Lots of other fine books haven't been nominated either; here are a few of them.  Please show book love by nominating here before the end of the day on October 15th!





9/24/23

Abeni's Song, by P. Djèlí Clark

It's almost time for me to post my regular Sunday round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi, but I am sneaking in a quick review of Abeni's Song, by P. Djèlí Clark (July 25, 2023 by Starscape) , so that I have something to contribute (and also because I think this is a book that deserves more attention than I've seen it getting in mg sci fi/fantasy circles).

Abeni's life growing up in a remote West African (fantasy version) town has been one of mundane concerns and small triumphs as she moves towards being a grown-up member of her community.  But then horror strikes, when a mysterious piper leads all the children but her off into who knows where, and a supernatural force destroys the town, capturing all the adults. Abeni is saved only because the local witch/wisewoman saves her.  

Safe (but trapped) in the witch's compound, Abeni burns with grief and fury, and is desperate to do something for all those loved and lost.  She tries to run, but outside the compound are magical dangers and she cannot find a way home.  Gradually she accepts that the witch has much to teach her, both magical and practical skills.  And gradually, too, her feeling of being trapped turns into a feeling of being at home (though her despair and anger simmer on a back burner of her mind).

And what a home the witch's compound is!  The first half of the story is set here, and it was an utter joy for me as a reader who loves houses of many doors, leading to magical strangeness.  But this interlude does not last; even the witch, who we are learning is much more powerful than your ordinary wise woman, can't stand alone against the dark forces of destruction.  

The compound is attacked, and the witch defeated.  But she isn't killed--rather she is reborn as a small girl, who remembers almost nothing of practical use.  Now Abeni must be the teacher and take her small (but still powerful and wise in spots) charge on a journey to find the witch's sister....

And so the second part of the book is a quest fantasy, in which Abeni and the child are joined by two other magical comrades, and almost impossible danger is faced and overcome.  This was solid mg fantasy as well, and readers who aren't me might even like this more action and adventure part better than the slower first half.  Abeni's character really shines in the face of the daunting obstacles she faces.

The ending is a fine place to stop book 1, but clearly there is lots more for Abeni to do!  Read this if you like found family, brave girls learning what they are capable of and facing seemingly impossible odds, and West African infused family (as well as magical houses of many rooms....).  The story, though set in a fictional Africa, reference the real world--it is impossible to miss evocations of the Atlantic slave trade, child soldiers in Africa, and the exploitation of African resources. 

9/14/23

The Demon Sword Asperides, by Sarah Jean Horwitz

 "If it was possible to somehow glow mockingly, Nack was pretty sure Asperides was doing it."

Oh goodness, I enjoyed The Demon Sword Asperides, by Sarah Jean Horwitz (July 2023, Algonquin Young Readers) so much!!!!  And basically, just want to say this repeatedly instead of writing something review-like.  But here we are...

So Asperides is a demon sword, quietly nursing a drink in his* favorite underworld pub (not actually drinking, because of being a sword, but peadefully contemplating) as is his habit--it's been years and years since he was wielded in battle, and being a demonic pub regular is at least something to do.  Up in the human world, he is pinning down his last master, Amyral Venir, a horror of a being who is not only stuck in place by his own ex-sword but sealed in a tomb warded by various curses, ferocious magical beings, etc.  

Nack is the younger son of one of a bunch of feuding clans, who has just failed "knight in training" rather badly, so much so that his family has disowned him.  He is desperate to find a quest to complete, to prove his worth to them, and hopefully be found worthy of an angel blade (literally angel infused) such as is wielded by the very best paladin-like knights.

The lost third moon is also an important player here--it's coming back, which means the weakening of the shields between the demonic and the human worlds.  And this means that the wards of Amyral's tomb are failing, and the watch beasts are getting out and menacing people.

Nack leaps on the opportunity to quest against the marauding watch beasts and ends up inside the tomb.  Asperides, stuck there, can't help but be the demonic sword he was forged to be.  He presents himself as an angel blade to Nack, points out that the two very nice married (to each other) woman paladins who also came to the tomb are about to be slaughtered, and glosses over the bit of the contract where Nack's soul will belong to Asperides for eternity.  Nack bites, and is rather thrilled with his new "angel" sword, even though he's taken aback by its rather salty, un-angelic, communications.  And off they go to fight for truth and justice (a change for Asperides, but one he thinks he could get used to...)

But then it becomes clear that Nack and Asperides have to save the world from the resurgence of Amyral Venir.  Even a demon sword isn't enough to make Nack a hero capable of saving the day alone so lots of story happens with other great characters and some icky undead birds etc. and it is great.

The snarky demon sword with a redemption arc is wonderful, and the wounded young teenager kicked out of his family finding the strength of will to recognize he doesn't actually need their approval is also excellent.

The pacing is brisk, the other characters are great, and the plot is pretty darn good too.  And it made me laugh.  It is marketed as middle grade (9-12 years old), and is great for that age range, but it has enough zest to make it appeal to older readers as well.  I am, in fact, pretty sure I am about to make a convincing argument to myself that I need to go out and buy a copy for myself (because what is the point of being a grown up if you can't go buy books?)


nb--The Demon Sword Asperides is eligible for the Cybils Awards this year, so keep it in mind when the public nomination period opens Oct 1!


Note on the sub-genre of sentient swords--I can only think of two other sentient swords (swords that possess their wielders with berserkery bloodlust don't count)

Have Sword, Will Travel, by Garth Nix and Sean Williams (mg, my review)

Swordheart, by T. Kingfisher

and I was just reminded of a third most excellent sword, in Nightingale, by Deva Fagan (mg, my review) 

This is a relatively small niche, but a good one.  Every sentient sword I've met so far has been a pleasure, so please add to my list!


*pronouns are discussed, because the characters aren't sure which to use for the sword.  "He" is deemed an acceptable choice.

9/9/23

Finch House, by Ciera Burch, with thoughts on the subgenre of "house fantasy"

"House fantasy" is one of my favorite subgenres (perhaps because I spend every day living the fantasy that someday my historic house will be perfectly restored), and it comes in lots of different flavors--houses of many magical rooms and portals, etc, houses with ghosts and secrets through no fault of their own, and sentient houses, which are often trying to kill/trap the protagonist. (None of these are my house.  Although a windshield repair guy said he recognized my house from a haunted RI website, the "ghost"--a disheveled woman tearing her hair out in the upstairs sunroom-- is easily explained away, and though one window screen has "Kathy's room" written on it, Heathcliffe hasn't shown up (thank God).  And although I have literally bled for/on my house, the unfortunate meeting of my forehead and the back end of a prybar was not its fault.  Likewise, although I once drempt I found a secret room in my house full of books I haven't read, in reality all I do is walk into almost every un-secret room and find books I haven't read.  Living the dream, that's what I am).  

But in any event, when I made my list of debut MG sci fi/fantasy for 2023 way back in January and naturally wanted to read all the books, one that really stood out for me was Finch House, by Ciera Burch (September 5, 2023 by Margaret K. McElderry Books), in which a girl gets trapped inside a haunted house linked to past tragedy in her family and has to convince it to let her go.


Eleven-year-old Micah has been told by her grandfather to stay far away from the dilapidated fancy old Finch House, but, snarled up with soreness about having to move with her mother away from him to a new house of her own a ways away, she ignores that warning.  A family has moved into Finch House, and the boy is friendly, and Micah goes inside.  And can't go home again.

It's not the boy's fault, but rather that the house itself has twisted to trap Micah in a shadow reality.  There she meets another trapped girl, Jenn, who befriends her, glad to have Micah stuck along with her.  Jenn has a special connection to the house, and a tragic connection to Micah's grandfather, and in order to get home again, Micah has to unravel both mysteries, and confront the heart of the house itself. 

It is a very gripping spooky house story with an usual twist!  The author requires some attention from the reader to figure everything out, but I did not mind pausing in my brisk page turning to ponder, and ask what really happened (in both the past and the present), and this I think makes it a good book for discussion.  Adding to the potential for great discussion is that Micah is black.  As a black girl, and even more so for her grandfather back when he was a boy, some neighborhoods are/were unwelcoming/dangerous, and although it's never stated flat out, I wonder if this played into the past tragedy at the heart of the book.

But although I paused for thought, the page turning was indeed brisk--this was just the right length for a single sitting at 193 pages of generously sized font, and  so a great one for those of its intended audience of 10-12 year olds who don't feel like reading long tomes. I'd give it to a slightly younger kid too--it's scary but not in your face nightmare scary.  Compare, for instance, This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko, another recent trap house story, in which the house has teeth (metaphoric and literal) and isn't afraid to use them....I (and everyone else) would pick Finch House to visit any day.  

It ends at a good ending point, but I hope I'm not mistaken in thinking that there's more of the story to come! And though I am tempted to make a long long list of my favorite fantasy houses in all the different house subgenres, I should go and perhaps do (carefully--safety first!) some light plastering.....

Before I go, though, here's a picture of the first family to live in my house--I like the looks of Clara, the daughter, and think she could be a friend (the others, not so much).




7/28/23

Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu

We first met Kelcie Murphy in the middle grade fantasy Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for Unbreakable Arts (2022) when she (much to her astonishment) qualifies for a magical school in the Summerlands, a place where Irish mythology is real.  She discovers she has magical gifts, is descended from a minor goddess, finds her father is still alive (but imprisoned for being a traitor) and helps save the Summerlands from a terrible danger, and makes friends (and more).  

She returns to school in Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu (July 25, 2023, Starscape)  Summer is still at war with winter, Kelcie's father is still imprisoned, and the Summerland faces its most dire threat in millennia.  And a saboteur from the Winterlands, Lexis, is one of her classmates.  Lexis is on a mission to steal the Heart of Danu, the source of all light and warmth, and if she succeeds, Winter will win once and for all, for everyone in Summer will die.

And Kelcie's mother, the omen of doom, seems to think Kelcie can save the day.  Which she does, with the help of her close group of friends.  But it's a tough challenge.  Kelcie is treated with lots of suspicion, not just because of her father, but because on that side of the family she is Formorian --the predecessors of the summer folk.  The Formorians are kept partitioned in a particularly nasty bit of the Summerlands, and only now are Formorian students being welcomed to the Academy.  And Lexis is always a step ahead of her...

There are mythological monstrous challenges galore, which will please readers who love vivid action and adventure.  (Kelcie also has a magical animal companion, a cù sìth named Striker, who will delight many young readers).  I myself preferred the first book, which has much more of the magical school experience in it, including more time focused on friendship and belonging, but that's just me; the parts of this one I most enjoyed were the those that focused on Kelcie and her particular coterie, though I was a bit frustrated that one particular bit of tension never got explained to my satisfaction (the way Niall distances himself from Kelcie...).  

 This second book, though, takes on bigger, real-world challenges, which I appreciated.  How can two lands, at war for ages, who have hurt each other badly, find peace?  There's a satisfying resolution to this particular story at the end of the book, but there's lots left for book #3!

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher.



7/18/23

A Spoonful of Time, by Flora Ahn, for Timeslip Tuesday

A tasty one for the week's Timeslip Tuesday-- A Spoonful of Time, by Flora Ahn (April 11, 2023, Quirk Books), in which the time travel magic is inextricably linked to delicious Korean food!  

Maya's Korean grandmother has come to live with her and her busy mother, and though Halmunee is loosing her memory, she still has brightly lucid moments in the kitchen, making delicious food.  The food is more than just tasty, though--it transports Maya and her grandmother back in time, to watch as young Halmunee and her family, back in Korea, eat the very same thing!  Turns out, Maya's family has a gift for timeslipping through food, and though they can only watch as spectators, it's still wonderful.  And Maya is thrilled to learn more about her family; her mother has never wanted to talk about it, and Maya is pining to learn more about her absent father.

It was a pleasant start to the story, with simple time slipping tourism, but things get more intense when Maya meets a boy who's also a time slipper.  As the time travel becomes more than just episodes of watching her family, she realizes she's caught up in a series on interconnected mysteries, hinging on the secrets of her missing father and her mother's strained relationship with Halmunee.  

And by the end, it becomes powerful and truly magical in the best sort of twisting timeness as Maya learns the truths her mother kept from her.  (Twisty enough that even a relatively strong time travel reader like me had to stop and think hard about what was happening and when....not a complaint, becuase I like this sort of thing!)

Maya's somewhat strained relationship with her best friend, Jada give this nice middle grade realism, and I loved how this tension was resolved (with the help of cookies!); I appreciated, as many middle grade readers probably will, that it was casually mentioned that Jada has a crush on another girl.   And as an added bonus for young foodies, there are recipes included.

6/20/23

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.


6/11/23

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!

4/13/23

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


Elf Dog and Owl Head, by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Junyi Wu (April 11, 2023, Candlewick), is a truly delightful middle grade fantasy, especially for those who love dogs (but even cat lovers, like me, will still appreciate the titular dog lots!)

When we first meet this elf dog, she is part of the wyrm hunting pack of the Queen Under the Mountains.  A particularly cunning wyrm (a dragonish creature) leads the hunt out from under the mountains, into our world, and she doesn't make it back underground.  And then she meets a human boy, Clay.

Clay and his family are stuck at home during a global plague, and we know what that's like.  Clay and his sisters have to share one computer for school (not going well), and can't see their friends.  They are driving each other (and their parents) batty, and money is tight.  When Clay meets the elf hound in the woods, he is thrilled to find in her a friend and companion.  And after doing the responsible lost dog (with distinctive pointed red ears) efforts, his parents agree that Elphinore can stay (and isn't that a perfect elf dog name?).

Walks through the woods with Elphinore become magical, as she leads Clay through the boundaries of the other world.  A visit to the village of owl headed folk (who don't welcome human visitors) leads to a friendship with an owl head boy, and Clay's summer gets even better.  

But the fact remains that Elphinore is an elf dog, and Clay has taken possession of her, a dangerous thing.  The Queen wants her back.  The wyrm still prowls. And tensions and worries build at home.  The ending is a little bittersweet, but wraps up everything well, and, for those who are worrying, Elphinore and Clay get their happy ending of boy and dog together.

It is a really good story, with the real world and the fantasy balanced beautifully.  The characters and relationships are rock solidly constructed, and the places appeared in glorious technicolor, as it were, in my mind's eye.  I especially was pleased, in one memorable scene of a nighttime magical revelry, to be reminded of my favorite bit of Moominland Midwinter, which doesn't often happen; probably not the author's intention, but it made me happy.

I bet this would make a great read aloud; I'd have had a great time reading it to mine when they were nine or so.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher, and though the illustrations in my copy weren't final, they were still very effective, and I must remember to get ahold of a finished copy so I can appreciate them fully!



11/22/22

Ripped Away, by Shirley Reva Vernick, for Timeslip Tuesday

Ripped Away, by Shirley Reva Vernick (February 2022, Fitzroy Books) is a great upper middle grade time travel book, perhaps even my favorite time travel book of the year so far.

Abe Pearlman is a lonely kid with a head full of stories and no friends.  He has a huge crush on Mitzy, whose also something of a loner, but can't manage to say hi to her.  On his way home from school one day, he sees a sign for a fortune teller, and unexpectedly finds himself curious enough to go inside.  The fortune teller asks him what he most wishes for, and he tells her he wants to be a more interesting person.  She then tells him  that someone is going to die, but that he can save that person.  And then he blacks out.

He comes too in a horse drawn wagon in Victorian London.  He is now Asher, who works for a jewelry peddler, and lives in a tenement with his impoverished mother.  All of Asher's life is there in his head.  Understandably, he is freaked out, and figures that maybe saving the life the fortune teller mentioned is his way home.  And then Jack the Ripper murders a woman just steps away from where he is standing with the horse and cart....

Back in the tenement, Abe finds that Mitzy has also travelled back in time...she too went to have her fortune told, and now she is a blind girl, Maya, his upstairs neighbor living with her mother and her uncle, a butcher.   Both kids are from Jewish immigrant families, and this is a bad time to be Jewish in London.

The city is roiled by the Ripper killings, and  Jews are being targeted as suspects.   Antisemitism is rampant.  The police are looking in Jewish homes for the knife used in the killings, and when Mitzy's uncle won't produce his butcher knives, he is arrested and considered guilty.  Abe sees this as a  chance to save a life, and is able to get the uncle to tell him where his knives are, and why he hidden them.  But Mitzy's way home is still unclear, and the longer the two kids stay in the past, the stronger the lives of Asher and Maya are becoming, starting to subsume their own identities....

The time travel plot (which gets very tense!) and the murders (off stage, but also tense) set up a gripping framework for the excellent character-driven story.  The friendship/nascent romance developing between the two kids is heart-warming, and although Mitzy has little agency (though she does bring her intelligence to bear on the situation), Abe demonstrates pleasing initiative and intelligence.  The sensory details and descriptions really transport the reader back in time as well, without slowing down the story.  It is a short book, only 118 pages, but it gets everything done nicely. There are very few Jewish time-travel books for kids, and so it's great to have this one, with its top notch cultural and historical details. 

disclaimer--review copy received for Cybils Awards judging.


11/16/22

Water, Water, by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Jon McNaught

Water, Water, by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Jon McNaught (March 2022, Tundra Books), arrived this past weekend, my first Cybils Awards review copy.  I was curious about this one, so was very pleased to get a chance to read this dreamlike story of a flooded world, and was not disappointed.   (I am pleased as well that it will be joining the ranks of the Ocean State Libraries' mg spec fic collection, taking its place alongside many other fine books from Cybils of years past....)

Rafe wakes to find his room is floating on a vast ocean, with no land in site.  His room has separated from the rest of the house, and he has no idea what has happened or if his parents (or anyone else in the world, for that matter) are still alive.  He and his dog are all there is.  Things float by, and although the woman playing a chello on her own raft is too far away to be pulled close, Rafe fishes out what he can...Fortunately the flotsam includes cans of food, and Rafe works hard not to think about all his many many questions.   He even finishes his homework.

Gradually the desert island of his room broadens with the arrival of a younger girl, Dao, from Thailand, floating on an air mattress, and life in the room and its roof becomes more companionable. Dao is quick to learn enough English to communicate (Rafe's Thai doesn't get very far, but Dao has the advantage of having watched American tv), and Rafe reads her the one book that was in the room, the story of a girl and a magical rabbit, which gives them a lovely bit of escape from reality.

Though not much Happens (the one Action-y bit it is an attack by teenage pirates, successfully fended off, the dreamlike happenings do move the two kids and the dog towards a more hopeful place (though still a shattered/broken/flooded one). We never find out details of what exactly happened and how widespread the flooding is and all the other climate dystopian details (in fact though it is about global flooding, it didn't strike me as being About climate disaster).  This lack of any context verges on being vexing, but such details would have destroyed the beautifully surreal quality of the story that I appreciated lots.  Read in a single sitting.

Because there are no answers, this isn't one for the kid who wants to know why and how and where.  But for the young daydreamer it would make a lovely gift!

Free Blog Counter

Button styles