I love these books, and said so--a look back on 1001 posts

In honor of having written 1001 blog posts, I did a little bit of searching here, to see which books I loved so much that I couldn't restrain myself when writing about them. Here are the results of my searches on various permutations of "I loved this book."

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Museum of Mary Childe, by Cassandra Golds
What Darwin Saw: The Voyage that Changed the World, by Rosalyn Schanzer
Blackbringer by Laine Taylor
Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal, by Paul Fleishman
Ludo and the Star Horse, by Mary Stewart
The Spell Coats, by Diana Wynne Jones
The Ghosts, by Antonia Barber
Hannah's Winter, by Kierin Meehan
Shark and Lobster's Amazing Undersea Adventure, by Viviane Schwarz
Mail Harry to the Moon, by Robie H. Harris
The Happy Hockey Family, by Lane Smith

But now I am having a very hard time playing fair, because I know I reviewed lots of other books that I loved. And it was hard not to go back and find their reviews, and sneak that phrase into them....sigh. I shall have to be more mindful of this in future, and when I love a book, I will say so openly and proudly, casting aside the shackles of dispassionate reviewer mindset etc etc.

I myself like it when people I know and trust say they love a book, and will not even take the time to read their review too closely if the L word is in it--I'll just add it to my list. How do other people feel? And how many books have you told the world you loved?

Rules of Attraction, by Simone Elkeles

And now for something completely different, a YA romance! Rules of Attraction, by Simone Elkeles (Bloomsbury, 2010, YA, 304 pages), is a companion book to Perfect Chemistry, a lovely little confection of teen love that I enjoyed very much last year (my review).

Rules of Attraction tells of Carlos, a Mexican teenager with a big attitude and a past tied to drugs and gangs, who moves to Colorado to live under the watchful eye of his big brother Alex (the hero of Perfect Chemistry). Alex arranges for Carlos to live with one of his professors...and there Carlos finds himself under the same roof as the professor's daughter, Kiara.

Kiara is a mountain climbing, car fixing, independent girl. Carlos is determined not to fall for her, but to keep his a***** persona firmly in place. But behind that facade, he's actually a caring, loving person.

And the two of them fall hard for each other. But can Carlos put his past behind him? And can he finally believe in love? Yes, well, it all sounds a bit stereotypical romancy. But it is pleasantly diverting as all get out, with Elkeles creating characters that one can care about, and I found it an enjoyable read, even though I couldn't exactly believe in the story qua story...Added interest comes from Kiara's best friend, who's gay, and some reflection on what it means to be a Mexican teen aged boy in America.

It is not at all necessary to have read Perfect Chemistry before reading this book, but I'd recommend it, simply because that is a stronger book. With that one, I had to check the ending multiple times to make sure it was happy; with this one, there was never much doubt....

(Rules of Attraction gets rather hot and heavy, so although younger teens might well enjoy reading it (it's not quite as explicit, say, as Forever, but there is sex), it might not be quite "suitable").

At Green Bean Teen Queen, you can enter to win (through April 28th) a copy of Perfect Chemistry, a copy of Rules of Attraction and a Perfect Chemistry/Rules of Attraction bookmark!


(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

The 2010 Locus YA finalists

Here are the Young Adult novels under consideration for this year's Locus Award (a list that is the result of a poll of Locus readers)

The Hotel Under the Sand, Kage Baker (Tachyon)
Going Bovine, Libba Bray (Delacorte)
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic; Scholastic UK)
Liar, Justine Larbalestier (Bloomsbury; Allen & Unwin Australia)
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse; Simon & Schuster UK)

Winners will be presented during the Science Fiction Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 25-27, 2010

I wonder if this is the first time a married pair (Larbalestier and Westerfeld) have been nominated in the same category. Looking for more information on this award, I learned that in this case, it's the publisher who gets a certificate, not the author. So perhaps it won't effect their marriage...and I bet it goes to Catching Fire anyway.

And I guess I really do have to read Liar now. I'm surprised that it is sff enough to be on this list...I had the impression that it was pretty straight YA.

Blackout, by Connie Willis, for Timeslip Tuesday

Blackout, by Connie Willis(Ballantine Books, 2010, 491 pages)

In previous novels --Doomesday Book (1993), and To Say Nothing of the Dog (1999), Connie Willis sent history students travelling back in time from a future Oxford. Blackout is set in this same universe, a few years down the line. Things are getting a little harried at the time travel control center, what with people popping in and out of time and space, demanding accents and golf lessons and era-appropriate clothing and props. Schedules are being changed with little notice, there are temporal slippages, and one theorist is warning that there might be issues, as it were, with time travel...

Three students of history are busily studying aspects of World War II. Merope is embedded as a maid at a country house full of evacuees, Polly is off to London to work as a shop girl during the blitz, and Michael is studying "heroism," and plans to interview a sample of Dunkirk rescue participants. All are pretty confident that the boss of time travel operations, Mr. Dunworthy, won't let anything bad happen to them. After all, he's been very particular in his insistence that they not stay in particular places that are going to be bombed, and that sort of thing.

But then things go wrong. The war seems to be progressing as it should. But Michael shouldn't have been able to actually take part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Merope shouldn't have been trapped by a measles epidemic. And Polly's way home has been bombed... Surrounded by the chaos and death of WW II, the three young time travellers being to wonder if there is a glitch in time...one that might result in a more in-depth experience of the past then anyone would ever want.

This is a book that demands the attention of the reader, and then rewards it tremendously. In many ways, it is like being part of a series of nightmares--the chaos and the confusion experienced by the protagonists (not just in WW II, but in Oxford of 2060, as they try to prepare for their missions) was almost too much for me. The short chapters that jumped between the character's point of view added to my difficulties.

As the book progressed, however, and I got more of a handle on the three main stories I was being told (and the protagonists got more of a handle on their own circumstances), I became fully absorbed in Willis' utterly gripping portrayal of the fall of 1940. During the last two hundred pages or so I might not have blinked, I was so lost to the real world. Willis manages to combine emotional depth with bright surface detail, making for very good reading indeed.

But then came the cliffhanger of an ending. The second book, All Clear (coming this fall) really is, it seems, a continuation, not a sequel. There is NO closure to this book, and nothing is explained. And in consequence, I think I might have read Blackout too carelessly in my riveted state, and missed Important Clues. For instance (not a spoiler), on page 454 a character thinks: "Unless...oh, God, she hadn't even thought of that possibility. She'd assumed...but that was even worse..." And I have no idea at all what this person is thinking....and then the book ended soon after. Argh. I wonder if I am now assuming worse-er things than the character is, or if there are Horrors that haven't crossed my mind.

Blackout is a fine example of the sort of time travel story in which the immersion of the characters in the past is central--it is almost more historical fiction than sci fi/fantasy. But because the characters are from the future, and know what happens, their perceptions of the past that they are living have a certain type of poignancy to them that straight historical fiction doesn't. To be friends with someone you know is dead, to see a cathedral you know will be bombed, is to see the world in a whole different light, and Willis conveys this beautifully.

But you might want to wait a few months more before reading this, until All Clear is out and ready to hand!

The Celestial Globe, by Marie Rutkoski

The Celesital Globe, by Marie Rutkoski (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 304 pages, YA/Upper Middle Grade).

Back in 2008, I enjoyed Marie Rutkoski's first book, The Cabinet of Wonders, very much; so much so that I helped shortlist it for the Cybils that year. So I opened its sequel, The Celestial Globe, with much hopeful anticipation....and was very pleased indeed to find it even more enthralling than the first book. It includes attacking monsters, imprisoned elemental spirits, treachery, nautical adventuring, friendship, fencing lessons, a murder mystery, and my favorite fictional mechanical spider, all in a well-written package.

In The Cabinet of Wonders, Petra and her gypsy friend Neel, with help from a mechanical spider friend, had thwarted the plans of the twisted Prince Rudolfo of Bohemia to take over the world. Neel rejoined his Gypsy kin, Petra returned to her village, and for a brief span it seemed that all was well again.

But as The Celestial Globe begins, the prince has sent monsters to attack Petra and her father. Her father is captured, but Petra escapes, saved by John Dee, the Elizabethan magician with whom she had forged a mind link in the first book. Trying to save her, her village friend Tomick plunges through a hole in space, and finds himself a prisoner of the same gypsies that Neel had joined...

Petra in London chaffs against her virtual imprisonment by the powerful and enigmatic Dee. She is caught up in a web of murder and intrigue, developing her own magical skills under Dee's tutelage. Meanwhile, Tomick's fate hangs in the balance--will he be sold into slavery by the Sea Gypsies, or will he be able to continue his search for Petra? The Gypsies are searching themselves for the Celestial Globe, a magical artifact that would give them the ultimate freedom of travel, and an escape from persecution. And all signs point toward London...where Petra is already at work solving the mystery.

The Celestial Globe is simultaneously epically sweeping and pleasingly detailed. Magics large and small fill the adventures of both Petra and the boys, but do not dominate the plot. Rather, it is the mystery in which the characters are caught that drives the book, a mystery the characters are figuring out along with the reader. And it's a beautifully complex, satisfying tricky story, that doesn't make anything too obvious (although that being said, sometimes I can be rather dense).

I don't think it absolutely necessary to have read The Cabinet of Wonders before reading this one, but, since that is a fine book itself, there's no reason why you wouldn't want to read it first anyway.

(note on age: I was surprised to see this one described as YA over at Amazon; the publisher has it as Grades 5-9, ages 10-14, which I'd say was spot on--there's no sex, although romance might be coming, some growing up but that's not the main point, some violence but not tremendously so).

Another week's worth of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs

Here are the reviews, interviews, and a few etcs of interest to fans of middle grade science fiction and fantasy that I've found during my blog reading this past week. Please let me know if I've missed your post, or if you've seen something that I've missed!

13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison, at Fantasy Book Critic and Jean Little Library

The Birthday Ball, by Lois Lowry, at Everyday Reading and Abby (the) Librarian.

The Dark is Rising, by Susan Cooper, a joint review at The Written World and Book Nut.

Gold Dragon Codex, by R.D. Henham, at Jean Little Library.

Gregor the Overlander (et seq.) by Suzanne Collins at Bibliophilia-Maggie's Bookshelf.

Knightly Academy, by Violet Haberdasher, at Ms. Yingling Reads.

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, at Charlotte's Library (labeled YA, but I think it's a good upper mg read too)

Lord Sunday, by Garth Nix, at A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy.

The New Brighton Archaeological Society, at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy.

Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes (August, 2010), at Welcome to My Tweendom

The Owl Keeper, by Christine Brodien-Jones at Wicked Awesome Books and at Cleverly Inked (where there's also a fabulous birthday giveaway in progress)

The Robe of Skulls and The Bag of Bones, by Vivian French, at Jean Little Library.

The Shifter, by Janice Hardy, at Eva's Book Addiction.

The Stones of Green Knowe, by Lucy M. Boston, at Fantasy Literature (the concluding review of a look at the whole series)

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, by R.L. LaFevers, at Jean Little Library, Strange and Random Musings, and Wicked Awesome Books.

Wings (The Mysterious Mr. Spines Book 1) at Better with Books.

Other interesting things:

At Book Aunt, there's a lovely long post about Trickster Fiction, that looks at a variety of books, including some mg fantasy.

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson, was selected as one of two Honour Books for the Canadian Library Association's 2010 Children's Book of the Year Award.

The ninth book of Diane Duane's Young Wizards Series, A Wizard on Mars, was just released; here's a letter from Duane about it over at Amazon.

A bunch of Interviews:

R.L. LaFevers at The Enchanted Inkpot, whose new book, Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, was just released (which is a lovely thing, but I'm waiting for her next Nathaniel Flood-Beastologist book....). And head over to her Live Journal site to win for your library a copy of The Eyes of Horus, and the second book as well! (here's Theodosia's own site, btw)

Megan Whalen Turner, author of the Queen's Thief series, at Shelf Awarness.

At Headdesk, there's an interview (and giveaway) with Christine Brodien-Jones, author of The Owl Keeper.

At Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind, there's an interview with Grace Lin, author and illustrator of Where the Mountain meets the Moon

At Boy Lit.com, there's a rather teasing interview with Rebecca Barnhouse, author of The Book of the Maidservant, about her forthcoming book The Coming of the Dragon (a teaser because it doesn't come out till October!)


and finally, Greenwillow has a fun little post about what would happen if some of their favorite characters (including Eugenidies and Howl) took up tweeting...

(even more finally--don't forget that there are still fantasy books that can be bought for the kids at two schools on the Navajo Nation and the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Go to Powells, click on wish lists, and enter the email address guyslitwire at gmail dot com to see what books are still wanted....the shipping addresses (and more info) can be found here).

To-Be-Read/To-Be-Bought challenge update!

Yesterday I posted a challenge--read the names of the books on my tbr list, and I'll buy books for some kids who need them badly!

Thanks to your deciphering efforts, the following are on their way to the Ojo Encino Day School, located twenty-five miles west of Cuba, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation:

Jason and the Golden Fleece
Flying With the Eagle Racing the Great Bear
Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #02: Close Kin
Hollow Kingdom Trilogy #03: In the Coils of the Snake
A Wolf at the Door: And Other Retold Fairy Tales

And I've added this last one to my own (freshly re-copied) list!

There's more deciphering still to come...I'm standing by to place my next order on behalf of the kids at Alchesay High School, in the White Mountain Apache Reservation, Arizona.

Thanks for playing!

Looking for Luna, by Tim Myers, a picture book in verse

Looking for Luna, by Tim Myers, illustrated by Mike Reed (Marshall Cavendish 2009)

"We're after a cat,
a soft-stepping cat,
I'm walking with dad and we're after a cat.
With me out in front and Dad close behind,
there's a wandering kitty we need to find."

And so the hunt for Luna beings...all over the neighborhood, a little girl and her father search and search for the lost kitty. There are many places for a cat to explore here, and many cats busy (or not so busy) going about their feline days.

"We pass a rickety wooden house,
where a yellow cat's just caught a mouse
a cat we rarely see, who creeps
through canna lilies, pauses, leaps
up to the top of the garden wall,
then shadows away like mist in fall."

As the search goes on, and girl and Dad great more and more familiar cats, it becomes clear that they have done this many times before...but at last, there is Luna! Not far away, and happy to be held again. So there's little anxiety here-looking for Luna is more a familiar adventure of daily life then a dreadful worry.

And in fact, the book ends with another hunt "for a soft-stepping, shining-eyed, milk-lapping cat" beginning...giving a reason for father and child to set off on a quest together, on a warm sunny day.

A lovely one, both picture-wise and word-wise, for the cat loving child.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

For more poetry, please visit the Poetry Friday Roundup at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast!

My to-be-read list, a to-be-bought list of much more importance, and a challenge that beautifully combines the two

Thanks, everyone, who took part in this challenge! I bought seven books, which is more than I would have bought otherwise, and that was the point....

Before Blogging, I was a peaceful re-reader. Sure, I'd try new books occasionally, but I wasn't adventuresome in the least.

After Blogging, I am an overwhelmed reader, with more books I want to read than I know what to do with! It is still awfully exciting to open new books, but, really, it's verging on madness....

My working to-be-read list (which doesn't include the four pages in my Amazon shopping cart) has outgrown its page, and is about to be neatly recopied. Here it is (and I'm sorry it runs of the side of the page--the scanner couldn't cope):

I'm lucky--I live in a state with a brilliant, and free, interlibrary loan service, and my library is four doors down from my house. The hard part is not getting greedy, and requesting too many at once...and even if a book isn't in the library system, I'm able to buy books I want...or even gratefully receive them from the publishers.

I'm lucky.

So, with my own list in front of me, waiting to be re-written, I'm thinking of two other wish lists of books, for kids who don't have the wild and crazy book access that I do. Guys Lit Wire is spearheading a book drive for two reservation schools, where each book received will be incredibly welcomed and valued. (read more here at Chasing Ray).

I am going to be heading over to Powells, and entering "guyslitwire@gmail.com" in the wish list slot...but I don't know how many books I'll buy yet. (btw--I have a link to Powells here on my blog, and anything I make from it helps my own public library)

So, anyone reading this, here's a challenge--for every ten books that can be deciphered on my to-be-read list, I'll buy a book from the wish list! I don't actually expect a lot of people to play this little game with me (which is fine :) and my feelings won't be hurt, much :)), so if you can recognize any book titles, just leave them in the comments, and I'll add them all up at the end.

Here's what's been found so far, now nicely alphabetized:

13 Days to Midnight,After Ever After,Bad Girls Don't Die,The Anubis Gate,Before I Fall, Before the storm, Betraying Season, Between Two Seas, The Bone Doll's Twin, Botany of Desire,The Boys Are Back in Town, The Chestnut King, The Comet's Curse, Dark Isle, The dragon keeper, The Dreamer, The Einstein Girl, Evermore, Falling Up, Fever crumb, Geektastic, The Golden Age, Heart's Blood, The Hunter's Moon, Inside Out, The Legend of the Wandering King, Living Hell, The Lost Children, The Lost Garden, The Magicians, The Mapmaker's Monsters, The Margarets, Mira, Mirror, Mockingbird, A Most Improper Magic (sic- should be "Magick"), Off World, The Owl Keeper, Prime Baby, The Prince of Mist, The Princes of the Golden Cage, Raven's Gate, The Red Pyramid, River boy, Sorcerer's Letter Box, Stardust, Save the Best for Last, Shapeshifter, Still She Wished for Company, Stuck on Earth, The Summer I Got A Life, Sunset Valley, Toads and Diamonds, Troll Fell, The Vinter's Luck, Voices of Dragons, Warriors in the Crossfire, When the Hip Chicks Went to War, Wild Things, Will Grayson Will Grayson, Wolf Hall, World Shaker, Year of the bomb.

For my own interest, a year later these are the books I still haven't read:
13 Days to Midnight,Bad Girls Don't Die,The Anubis Gate, Before the storm, Between Two Seas, The Bone Doll's Twin, Botany of Desire,The Boys Are Back in Town, Dark Isle [should be Darkisle], The dragon keeper, The Dreamer, The Einstein Girl, Evermore, The Golden Age, Inside Out, The Legend of the Wandering King, The Lost Garden, The Magicians, The Mapmaker's Monsters, The Margarets, Mira, Mirror, A Most Improper Magic (sic- should be "Magick"), Off World, The Princes of the Golden Cage, Raven's Gate, Sorcerer's Letter Box, Stardust, Save the Best for Last, Still She Wished for Company, Sunset Valley, The Vinter's Luck, Voices of Dragons, Warriors in the Crossfire, When the Hip Chicks Went to War, Wolf Hall, World Shaker.

36 still unread...

Update: Eyes like Stars is not actually on the list! I was recopying it this morning (so as to catch mistakes on my part such as this) and realized it is a different book, and indeed, I was wondering why Eyes like Stars was still on it when I had read it a while ago....

Thank you all so much for playing! We are up to 61 (out of about 84)! It is strange typing them-I don't remember why I wanted about a third of them. What, for instance, is Before the Storm about?????

I am surprised that no-one got this one yet--even though it was cut off by the Bad Scanner, the Clues are there.

(btw, this book buying project ends Wednesday, April 21, so I'll close this on Tuesday)

New releases of fantasy and science fiction for children and teenagers--the middle of April, 2010 edition

Here are the new releases of middle grade and YA of fantasy and sci fi from the middle of April, taken from the Teens Read Too list, with blurbs from Amazon and Booklist. My to-be-read list has just grown...would that my book buying budged and free time would grow as well.

Middle Grade:

13 TREASURES by Michelle Harrison. "No one else can see the evil fairies that rouse Tanya from her sleep, torturing her at the slightest mention of their existence, but they are as real to the 13-year-old as anything she's ever known. She cannot rid herself of them, nor can she ignore them. But it is her insistence on responding to them that has her banished to her grandmother's secluded countryside manor. There is much to explore and even more to fear in the woods surrounding the estate. But, the forest isn't the only source of dark secrets, and Tanya soon finds herself entangled in a mystery that could trap her in the fairy realm forever."



THE BIRTHDAY BALL by Lois Lowry. "Princess Patricia Priscilla is bored with her royal life and the excitement surrounding her sixteenth birthday ball. Doomed to endure courtship by three grotesquely unappealing noblemen, she escapes her fate--for a week. Disguised as a peasant, she attends the village school as the smart new girl, "Pat," and attracts friends and the attention of the handsome schoolmaster. Disgusting suitors, lovable peasants, and the clueless king and queen collide at the ball, where Princess Patricia Priscilla calls the shots. What began as a cure for boredom becomes a chance for Princess Patricia Priscilla to break the rules and marry the man she loves."



THE BOY WHO CLIMBED INTO THE MOON by David Almond. “Urban daily life meets magical realism in this quirky tale of a boy overcoming shyness. Young Paul “simply didn’t like school, and school didn’t seem to like him.” Perhaps this is because of his unusual ideas. For example: Is the moon really a hole cut into the sky? A morning spent wandering his high-rise leads to meeting Molly, a wacky artist who drags him and his parents to see her brother, a recluse whose war experiences led him to hatch the same theory. If only there was a way to reach the moon to find out! Though rarely laugh-out-loud funny, Almond employs all manners of amusements (a flying dog, an obsessive elevator inspector, the truth behind the moon) while never losing sight of some refreshing realities: Paul’s parents are a real presence, and the city feels appropriately dense. Almond even pulls off one unforgettable, cinematic scene involving the high-rise denizens reaching from their windows to help lift a ladder to the building’s roof.” From Booklist.



THE CELESTIAL GLOBE: THE KRONOS CHRONICLES by Marie Rutkoski. "When Prince Rodolfo's monsters attack her, Petra Kronos is spirited away to London. As she struggles to escape, Neel and Tomik sail the high seas, in search of her. Though separated by many miles, the three friends draw closer together in this sequel to The Cabinet of Wonders, called “astonishingly accomplished” by Publishers Weekly. Readers will not be disappointed in this adventure-filled novel that includes man-made monsters, the unraveling of a murder mystery, and the hunt for the Celestial Globe, which the prince of Bohemia will do anything to own."



FLESH OF THE ZOMBIE: SCREAM STREET by Tommy Donbavand. "Deadstock, the world’s greatest zombie rock festival, is coming to Scream Street! Too bad Sir Otto Sneer is not in the mood for dancing—and when he banishes the concert’s headliners, the fleshmetal band Brain Drain, to the evil Underlands, he causes a riot. Now if Luke and his pals want to restore peace to the neighborhood (and find the fourth relic they seek), they have no choice but to follow the band . . . into the darkest depths of the earth."



FOILED by Jane Yolen. "Aliera may have listened too well to her fencing coach’s advice: “You must always protect your heart.” Besting competitors twice her age in tournaments, and keeping to a strict routine of fencing practice, homework, and role-playing games, Aliera is a loner and likes it that way—until she becomes lab partners with the cutest boy in school. She initially resists his charms but is won over when he asks for a date. Turns out her new ruby-handled foil is the key to his interest in her, and to the yet-unseen magical dimension she must keep in balance. Yolen’s first foray into the graphic format is a success precisely because she incorporates the best weapon in her arsenal—fantasy. In Aliera she has created a strong, conflicted, and relatable girl hero who wields her wariness for protection. Cavallaro’s artwork suits Aliera’s monochrome existence, but bursts to life when she finally sees (in color!) the faerie beasties cheering her on. The explanation and source of Aliera’s status as a protector of worlds will have to wait for further volumes to be revealed." (from Booklist)

OUT OF THE WOODS by Lyn Gardner. "The fun fair is in town! With its clouds of pink candy floss and whirling big wheel, what child could resist such temptation? Little do the Eden sisters know that they are being lured into a wicked witch’s lair. . . . Belladonna wants Aurora’s heart and Storm’s all-powerful musical pipe, and she will stop at nothing to get them. Driven by vanity and greed, she makes a truly formidable adversary. After escaping from a deadly game of hide-and-seek in the enchanted fair, our three heroines flee through the woods, with several ravenous wolves and a sweet-toothed lion hot on their heels. Now they face their biggest challenge yet: a treacherous journey into the Underworld. For only when the pipe has been safely returned to the land of the dead will the Eden sisters truly be out of the woods..."

THE OWL KEEPER by Christine Brodien-Jones. "Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper. According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better. Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again. The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon."

PRIME BABY by Gene Luen Yang. "Eight-year-old Thaddeus Fong is insanely jealous of his baby sister and exploits his intelligence as a weapon against his social insecurities. Politics ranging from those of the family to those of state are explored and sent up as Yang unfolds a rich and spirited story that lays bare psychological and social truths, a parable in which ever-forgiving space aliens play a major role in advancing not just the plot but also character development. Using the flat, cartoony style of his award-winning American Born Chinese (2006), Yang pulls us in from the first page and packs in several surprises as well as clever asides within its 56, multi-paneled, single-strip pages, allowing plenty of white space to force readers to note the finest details of the action in counterpoint to Thaddeus’ attempts to interpret every interaction as a personal slight. The color palette employed is soft, subtly contradicting Thaddeus’ emphatic evil-versus-good outlook with its relative gentleness. Sf readers who value humor and humanity (not just slam-bang action), Christians, newcomers to graphic novels, and fans of Yang’s simultaneously childlike and sophisticated ability to create and maintain tension should all be satisfied by his new book." (Booklist)

THE SONG OF THE WHALES by Uri Orlev. "In this spare, swift novel, readers are introduced to a young boy named Michael right before his family moves to Israel. There, he is called Mikha’el, and he creates a tight bond with his grandfather, Raphael, an antiques dealer who knows all about the soul of things. One night, Mikha’el falls asleep next to Grandpa and is astonished to join in on his dream. Soon, the boy spends every night on fantastical journeys with the old man, sometimes having exhilarating adventures, sometimes setting out to sweeten or repair the dreams of others that have faded or become poisonous: When Grandpa was done with each dream, Mikha’el loved to handle it and smell it before returning it to its owner. As his health fails, Raphael bestows his gift upon the boy, so that he may become a dream master in his own right. Washed with a wonderful sense of magical realism and potent lyricism, the narrative is also instilled with delicate family dynamics, many of which Mikha’el is able to recognize, while others hover just outside of his full comprehension."

THE TIME PIRATE: A NICK MCIVER TIME ADVENTURE by Ted Bell. "Bell continues the heavily promoted Nick McIver Adventures through Time series with this sequel to Nick of Time (2008), that begins in 1940. As the Channel Islands brace for the coming German invasion, 12-year-old Nick’s sister is kidnapped by a time-traveling pirate, and Nick’s pursuit turns the plot back to colonial America, where the Revolutionary War is brewing. Readers will need to check their plausibility meter from the start of this rip-roaring time-warp tale. An unnecessary prologue, confusing dream scenes, and excessive nautical details may deter some, but the breakneck pacing and wild plot will keep readers hanging on to the end." (Booklist)


THEODOSIA AND THE EYES OF HORUS by R. L. LaFevers. "Being able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for. Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, Henry is home for the spring holidays and makes an accidental discovery of an artifact that alchemists have been hunting for centuries. Soon, every black-cloaked occultist in London is trying to get their hands on it..."



A WIZARD OF MARS: THE YOUNG WIZARDS by Diane Duane. "In the hotly anticipated ninth installment of the Young Wizards series, Kit and Nita become part of an elite team investigating the mysterious "message in a bottle," which holds the first clues to the secrets of the long-lost inhabitants of Mars. But not even wizardry can help them cope with the strange events that unfold when the "bottle" is uncorked and a life form from another era emerges. Though the Martians seem friendly, they have a plan that could change the shape of more than one world. As the shadow of interplanetary war stretches over both worlds, Kit and Nita must fight to master the strange and ancient synergy binding them to Mars and its last inhabitants. If they don't succeed, the history that left Mars lifeless will repeat itself on Earth."

Young Adult:

ATHENA: GREY-EYED GODDESS by George O'Connor. "Greek Gods as you’ve never seen them before! The strong, larger-than-life heroes of the Olympians can summon lightning, control the sea, turn invisible, or transform themselves into any animal they choose. Superheroes? No! Greek gods. The ancient pantheon comes to explosive life in this new series where myth meets comic books. Epic battles, daring quests, and terrible monsters await readers within the pages of these books. Volume 2, Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess, is the tale of the goddess of wisdom and war, recounting her many adventures."



THE CLEARING by Heather Davis. "In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever. Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae's place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school. Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist--Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she's starting to fall for him. But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it's still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy's crossing over to Henry's side brings him more happiness than he's ever known--but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence."

FINDERS KEEPERS: GIFTED by Marilyn Kaye. "Dead people don't make great companions - something cute, athletic Ken finds out the hard way when, following an accident on the football field, he starts hearing ghostly voices. It's not the kind of gift he would have asked for, but there's nothing he can do about it, until an anonymous note invites him to a seance. Completely convinced by the medium he meets, Ken tries to tell her about his secret. Only his gifted classmates can save him from revealing the truth - and finding himself in terrible danger . . ."




THE KING COMMANDS: TALES OF THE BORDERLANDS by Meg Burden. "The Northlands are in turmoil, divided by those who support King Alaric's decrees welcoming the Southlings and their magic, and those who will stop at nothing to send them back to the Southland where they belong. But the Southland, too, is being torn apart as the Southlings with mental gifts and healing magic are hunted by the mysterious Guardians, captured and never heard from again. As the legendary peace of the Southland crumbles and the throne of the Northlands is challenged, Ellin Fisher, the powerful young Southling who befriended the Northlands royalty, must make a terrible choice. Is it her destiny to fight for equality in the Northlands, or to embrace her calling as a Healer and help other True Southlings escape from the Guardians who killed her family? In the midst of this, while the home she's chosen and the land she left behind both stand poised on the brink of civil war, Ellin must choose where her heart lies, as well. She loves King Alaric, but will Princess Nathalia, another newcomer to the Northlands, stand in the way?"

THE LIGHT: MORPHEUS ROAD by D. J. MacHale. "#1 NYT bestselling author D.J. MacHale's Morpheus Road trilogy brings readers down an ethereal pathway between the worlds of the living and dead."

LIVING HELL by Catherine Jinks. "All is well on the spaceship Plexus. Decades into a journey that has left earth far behind, the couple thousand residents live a life of insulated security. Their social interactions are sensitive and enlightened, their meals prepared instantaneously, and a serene aura of peace makes their slow search for an inhabitable planet a tranquil one. But what’s that up ahead? A radiation field? Soon after the ship passes through, 17-year-old Cheney finds himself in the middle—literally—of a nightmare. (Warning: somewhat of a first-act spoiler ahead.) With shocking rapidity, the ship begins turning into a biologic organism: the walls become muscle, cables become veins, and simple devices like transport vehicles become equivalent to cellular defenders out to devour viruses—and the viruses are the humans. An unbelievably tense first half plateaus after a time, but that hardly diminishes the gooey, sticky, mucus-covered fun. Jinks’ well-thought-out environs and rational characters help ground this otherwise out-of-control interstellar thriller." (Booklist)

RADIANT SHADOWS: WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr. "The fourth in Marr’s Wicked Lovely series focuses loosely on Devlin, the High Queen of Faerie’s advisor-assassin, and Ani, the half-mortal daughter of Gabriel, leader of the Wild Hunt. Characters from other books play roles of varying importance as Devlin and Ani meet, fall in lust/love, and foil another attempt to create unrest in both worlds. This is a convoluted story, and despite frequent interruptions detailing character backstories and the inner workings of Faerie courts, it is utterly dependent on the rest of the series. Though the story ends with balance restored to Faerie, an ominous sense of precariousness leaves room for more."



SEBASTIAN DARKE: PRINCE OF EXPLORERS by Philip Caveney. "Sebastian Darke; his snarky buffalope, Max; and fierce fighter Cornelius are off on another hair-raising quest after being hired by a rich merchant to seek out the legendary lost city of Mendip. Not only must they find it, they must bring back valuable proof of its existence. Sebastian doubts they’ll reach their destination after trudging through miles of jungle filled with warrior beasts and terrifying tribes. But then he meets the beautiful Keera, whose people believe he’s the Chosen One sent to free their tribe from their brutal enemy. Little do they know that Sebastian is definitely not the hero type. He just wants to bring back valuable proof of the lost city. But will the price they must pay outweigh the rewards?"


THIRTEEN DAYS TO MIDNIGHT by Patrick Carman. "You are indestructible. Three whispered words transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding that changes everything. At first, Jacob is hesitant to use the power, unsure of its implications. But there's something addictive about testing the limits of fear. Then Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests that they use the power to do good, to save others. But with every heroic act, the power grows into the specter of a curse. How to decide who lives and who dies? In this nail-biting novel of mystery and dark intrigue, Jacob must walk the razor thin line between right and wrong, good and evil, and life and death. And time is running out. Because the Grim Reaper doesn't disappear. . . . He catches up."

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2009, YA, 448 pages), was that lovely sort of book which exceeds one's expectations. I knew it would be well-written, I expected, in general, that it would be a good book. I didn't, though, expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

I haven't read that much steampunk, mainly because I find complicated machinery and billows of toxic smoke and steam unappealing, and although I know that's a naive view of the genre, but that's what was in my mind. But looking back on Leviathan, the skies were clear, and the machinery unobtrusive, allowing me to enjoy the story...

In a Europe that never was, WW I is beginning. This alternate Europe had split years before into two factions--each taking a different path towards improving the quality of life (and the quality of war as well). The western countries followed the lead of Darwin, mixing and matching bits of life forms to create living technology, and the East went the route of wondrously complex mechanical creations. So in this alternate WWI, Darwinist England's vast living zepplins guarded by bats who poop metal spikes (owie?) are about to face off against Klanker Germany's air craft and huge land machines, great behemoths of steam-driven ingenuity.

As the book begins, two teenagers become caught up in the madness of war. One is Alex, son of the assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, fleeing toward a place of safety where he can ride out the war without being captured by either side. One is Deryn, who disguised herself as a boy to join Britain's air force, and now is a midshipman on the greatest living zepplin of them all--the titular Leviathan.

When the Leviathan crash lands in Switzerland, near where Alex and his guardians have taken refuge, the paths of the two meet, and much excitement ensues. Can the Hapsburg bunch help the British bunch without jeopardizing themselves? Will the Germans come to make sure they finished off the Leviathan? Can the Leviathan be fixed, or are they all stuck in the Alps forever? And what is the mysterious mission the Leviathan was embarked on, carrying Darwin's scientist grand-daughter to the Ottoman empire, with a cargo of precious eggs?

It's great "kids in peril" stuff, with both Alex and Deryn forced to grow-up fast as war becomes a reality for them. Alex, in particular, must cope with an utter re-shuffling of his views of the world and the realities of his life. The technological split between Darwinists and Clankers adds wondrously fascinating detail, the plot is exciting, yet these things never overwhelmed the character arc of the two teenagers and their growing friendship.

Technically this is a YA book, but at this stage of the game (dunno what will happen relationship-wise in the next book--for now Alex and Deryn are still at the just friends but almost certainly about to become more than that) this is a great book for older middle grade kids. The detailed black and white full page illustrations are fascinating in their own right, as well as bringing Westerfield's creations to life. You can see some of them at Westerfield's blog--they are fantastic.

The second book of the series, Behemoth, will be out in October 2010.

Backtracked, by Pedro de Alcantara, for Timeslip Tuesday

Backtracked, by Pedro de Alcantara (Delacorte 2009, YA, 256 pages)

"By the day I was born, April 3, 1990, I had already lived several lives. But I didn't learn about them until Tuesday, February 28, 2006." (page 1)

Tommy Latrella's brother was a firefighter killed on 9/11. Ever since then, he's felt that whenever his parents and teachers look at him, they see Jimmy's absence, and Tommy knows they think he falls far short of his hero brother. So he slacks off in school, riding the subways instead...not caring much about anything.

But the downward spiral of Tommy's life changes one day when a joke he plays in a crowded station goes horribly wrong, and a little girl lands on the train tracks. Trying to save her, Tommy ends up back in 1918. There he is taken in by the Italian immigrant community. Working long hours building the subway tracks he'll ride in the future, he still finds time to feel like part of an extended family...and then the influenza epidemic strikes.

Time tricks Tommy again, and this time he is a bum in the Depression. To save a friend, he accepts money from the mob, and gets sucked into a spiral of increasing violence, until, once again, he's bumped forward in time. His final life in the past is as a WW II army recruit, and finally, in this life, Tommy gets a chance to trust himself, without any heroics, but just as a part of growing up. And then it's back to the present...

So that's the gist of the timetravelling--a teenage boy's journey from a slacker existence as his brother's ghost to a confident sense of self-worth and purpose. But this book isn't just a Lesson (although there is a somewhat didactic miasma to it). It's good historical fiction of the time-travelling sort--one of the best early twentieth century Italian immigrant experience stories I've read, the best boy sucked in by the Prohibition era mob story I've read, and the best teenage grunt in training for WW II I've read.

Although I, um, can't think of any others I've ever read. So I think that's one main strength of the book--it's an introduction to neglected pieces of the past, with tons of boy appeal in the types of story being told (although, unfortunately, the least "exciting" part of his adventure, the 1918 track-laying stint, is first, which might off-put some readers).

But it's more than just a presentation of the past through time-travel. It's an archetypal boy growing up journey, and I found Tommy's passage from disaffected slacker to thoughtful almost-adult to be both moving and convincing. Of course, it helps that he was in the past, away from his family, for about a year of hard labor--I think it was this chance to grow up that led to this transition, more than any specific "lessons" taught by the past. Although he does decide, based on experience, that he'd rather starve than join the mob again.

Especially recommended to boys who like riding the NY transit system, and anyone with an interest in New York's history.

Time travel-wise--no rhyme or reason to it all; the loose connection to the subway explains nothing. And there's one real sticky point for me. Tommy come home with a buzz cut, wearing a WW II uniform, which his parents notice. So the physical changes wrought by his life in the past are real--surely someone would notice that he's just been through basic training and is a lot bigger and stronger?

High marks, however, in the believable disorientation of the time-travelling teenager category.

Another review from a reader who reacted quite differently from me, at The Englishist.

The Humblebee Hunter, Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Dwarwin and his Children, for Non-fiction Monday

The Humblebee Hunter, Inspired by the Life and Experiments of Charles Darwin and his Children, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Jen Corace (Disney 2010, ages 4-8).

I wish I had been one of Darwin's children. Not that I didn't have a happy childhood of my own, but reading this book made me wish that I'd been part of the exploration of nature that permeated the Darwins' home (and it also inspired me to take a magnifying glass outside with my own kids).

"Father was still a collector. And most of all he collected questions. We grew up asking what? and why? and how?

When Father studied worms, Lizzie and I stuck knitting needles in the ground to try to measure their holes.

Willy and I helped Father put seeds in salt water, to see if they might still grow if they were carried across the seas." (page 9)

What a fun childhood.
The Humblebee Hunter tells of one particular summer afternoon in the life of the Darwin family. Henrietta is inside, helping to bake, but she can see her father outside, looking closely at the bees...and she'd much rather be there with him than in the kitchen! So when her father calls to bring the flour shaker out to him, she's off running.

And the great humblebee count begins--each of the Darwin children (except little Horace--he's too young to count, so he's assigned dog playing duty) will count how many flowers their particular bee will visit in one minute.

It's an enchanting little story. The illustrations have an old fashioned look to them--rather formal, and in darkish colors, but enchanting none the less. And the actual counting, with pictures that jump from child to child, is more exciting than it might sound!

A great book for spring--the humblebees are buzzing around our garden these days, and I'm very happy to see them!

Here's an essay Deborah Hopkinson wrote for Book Page last February, describing the making of this book. In it she says that although there's no specific evidence that the Darwin kids were part of a great bumblebee count, although this was a question that interested him. But even though I guess this then becomes historical fiction, I'm counting this for non-fiction Monday anyway--it's a great introduction to Darwin for the young!

The Non-fiction Monday Roundup is at Shelf-Employed today!

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction reviews/news from around the blogs

Welcome to this week's installment of middle grade sci fi/fantasy children's book stuff gleaned from the blogging world. There are far too many reviews here by me this week--please let me know if I missed your post, or if you have any news to share!

The Reviews:

The Dragon of Trelian, by Michelle Knudson, at Books I Done Read.

Enchanted Glass, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Book Aunt.

Felix Takes the Stage, by Kathryn Lasky, at Charlotte's Library.

The Foundling, and Other Tales of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander, at Fantasy Literature.

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz, at Five Minutes for Books and at Green Bean Teen Queen.

The Oerkern Leaves, by Thomas Clayton Booher, at The Christian Fantasy Review.

The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald, at Things Mean a Lot.

The Runaway Dragon, by Kate Coombs, at Becky's Book Reviews.

Sea of the Dead, by Julie Durango, at Charlotte's Library.

The Spellcoats, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Charlotte's Library.

The Thirteenth Floor, by Sid Fleischman, at Charlotte's Library.

The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler, at Becky's Book Reviews.

Wild Magic, by Cat Weatherill, at Charlotte's Library.

Plus three reviews of mg fantasy books nominated for the Cybils last fall: Fairest of All, The Magician of Oz, and Skeleton Creek, at Charlotte's Library.

Not exactly reviews:

Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them! offers some discussion possibilities for Sharon Creech's Unfinished Angel.

Story Sleuths has an excellently thoughtful post on point of view in Laini Taylor's Blackbringer.

Miscellaneous:

The Goddess Girls are on tour--here's a guest post by their creators, Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, at Cynsations, that includes the full tour lineup. Athena the Brain and Persephone the Phony, the first two books in the series, are out this month.

On April 26, the Enchanted Inkpot Book Club will begin discussing The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander--a classic of middle-grade fantasy. If you haven't read it, now's your chance!

Betsy at Fuse #8 is up to Number 2 in her compilation of the Top 100 Children's Novels. Will number 1 be a fantasy, like numbers 2, 3, and 4?

(I'd really appreciate it if anyone felt like spreading the word about these round-ups I do, and thanks, all of you who have already!)

24 Hour Readathon wrap-up

The 24 Hour Readathon has ended...I was derailed by my decision to go to a fundraising gala for my kids' school, which wiped out yesterday from 5pm on, so my totals are not what I had hoped.

Still, I read and reviewed four books: Felix Takes the Stage, by Kathryn Lasky, Wild Magic, by Cat Weatherill, Jimmy's Stars, by Mary Ann Rodman, and Hannah's Garden, by Midori Snyder, for a total of 930 pages, plus 273 pages of Prophecy of Days, by Christy Raedeke, which I hope to finish today, plus 15 pages of The Dark Horse, by Marcus Sedgewick (after I put down Prophecy of Days somewhere in the house and couldn't find it again sigh sigh sigh). And I also read 24 pages of Old Mother West Wind's How Stories (out loud to children).

So my total is 1242 pages.

And here's the final mini-challenge:
1. Which hour was most daunting for you? I thought about trying to do some reading on my own after the children went to bed, but I am so unused to social gala type events that I had to just go to bed myself.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Generally I'd suggest short and snappy. But on the other hand, this time around, one of my books (Prophesy of Days) was an incredibly dense and complex story. I'm glad I was able to give it several uninterrupted hours, instead of reading it in snatched moments here and there. So complicated works well too! I think variety is key...

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Nope! I thought it was great.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I liked having readers of the hour to visit.

5. How many books did you read?/6. What were the names of the books you read? see above.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?/ 8. Which did you enjoy least? They were all good in their own way.

9. n.a.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I might well sign up to be a cheerleader next time...

THANK YOU so much to the organizers of the Readathon, for all their hard work. It was a blast!

The Deadlies: Felix Takes the Stage, by Kathryn Lasky

For the last hour of the Read-a-thon, I abandoned my original choices and went with something quick and easy from the general to-be-read pile: Felix Takes the Stage, by Kathryn Lasky (Scholastic, May 2010, for ages 7-9, 148 pages).

It can be hard to be a young brown recluse spider with a fondness for the arts. People tend not to want extremely venomous spiders around, and brown recluses, in general, aren't known for their beautiful webs.

But young Felix, growing up in a California concert hall, spends his evenings admiring the conductor, wanting to be part of the music...until one evening, when he gets to close to the conductor, and lets himself be seen. The conductor has a heart attack, Felix looses a leg, and the exterminators are on their way...so the spider family (mother, two older sisters, and Felix, and the god-spider theatre cat who's known the children since they were eggs) must find a new home.

The antique store nearby offers shelter, but other spiders already live there, including snooty orb weavers, the dangerous pirate spiders. It's not the place where cultured, intellectual mother spider wants her children to live. Maybe it's time to move to Boston, where there are great libraries, theaters, art galleries....maybe there Felix can find an outlet for his creative urges.

A charming spider story for the young. Older readers (like me) might find it too didactic at times--not only does the mother spider herself directly instruct her young throughout the book on various topics, there are many embedded lessons, primarily on the topic of judging people/spiders not by their venom, but by their characters. But for the young intended audience, this is, I think, a fresher, more salient point of view than it is for the adult reader, and it's certainly a lesson I want my children to learn. And the charm of seeing the world from a spidery point of view, with many little humorous details to chuckle over, keeps the story moving nicely despite the moral underlinings.

I read this book in art form, without its final art, so cannot speak to the appeal of the finished product. But I think it's a good one to give, in particular, to the child fascinated by the world of animals (and then next year said child can read Masterpiece, by Elise Broach, the story of an artistic beetle). Even though it's ostensibly for youngish readers (friendly font size, pictures, short chapters--that sort of thing), I think it has enough interest to be a good choice for the nine year oldish child who lacks reading confidence.

Postscript: I especially liked the Black Widow couple, Albert and Rachel: "...the two were on their honeymoon as well, and they were determined to buck the current. Rachel point-blank refused to kill her mate. "Tough spinnerets!" she huffed. "This one's a keeper. I'm not letting him go!" (page 69 of ARC)

(disclaimer: ARC received from the publisher at ALA Midwinter)