In which I review cashmere fingerless writing gloves

When Literary Book Gifts offered me the opportunity to review their cashmere fingerless writing gloves, I jumped at the chance.  My desk at work holds the cold, and the inside of my wrists were suffering from having to rest on it (I'm a slump-handed typist....), and home was not much better.  The thought of warm hands encased in fuzzy cashmere that still allowed me to do things with my fingers was just as appealing as all get out!

Here is what they look like new:

(My review gloves were white, and perhaps I should have taken pictures of me doing all the things before I actually used them for three weeks...)

The gloves are soft and warm as expected.  Writing by hand is easy and comfortable, even when your grip is non-standard, as mine is:

Typing on a keyboard is slightly less comfortable; my fingers felt a bit constricted; the finger band stretches, but its default is snug.  But it sure was nicer for my wrists!

Somewhat unexpectedly, playing the piano while wearing them didn't feel constricting at all, perhaps because my fingers were actively stretching the finger band:

But what they are absolutely best for is reading!  So nice to have warm hands and to be able to turn pages at the same time!

The thumb hole is well-made; there's absolutely no sign of the seam giving way. They are slightly shorter going down the arm than I would have liked, but they still cover the vulnerable inner wrist satisfactorily.

So in short, if you aren't deterred by the price, these are a lovely addition to your reading and writing winter wardrobe, and would make great gifts!  It is almost time to put them away now that warm weather is here (?), and I am going to do so carefully so that I remember to get them out next fall.

Sleeping Bear Books' picuture books!

Sleeping Bear Press kindly sent a package of review copies of their picture books of 2018 for distribution at Kidlitcon 2019 last month, but sadly the package ended up in the shrubbery next to the door I don't use, so I didn't see them until after the fact.  I've mailed them off to folks who follow the Kidlitcon twitter account, but also wanted to spotlight them here by way of a thank you and an apology to Sleeping Bear for not checking the shrubberies….

The Hanukkah Hamster, by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Andre Ceolin

It's December in the city, and Edgar, a young cab driver, is busy taking holiday shoppers to and fro.  One evening he finds a little hamster in the back of the cab, and is charmed.  Little Chickpea becomes his friend, and is company each night Edgar when lights the candles on the menorah, thinking of his home back in Israel.  But Edgar did the right think, and reported the hamster to lost and found--will his new friend be claimed by its rightful owner?  The happy ending is just right for this sweet and poignant story, and Chickpea is cute as all get out!

Aim for the Skies: Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith's Race to Complete Amelia Earhart's Quest, by Aimme Bissonette, illustrated by Doris Ettlinger

Jerrie and Joan both loved flying.  In 1964 they independently decided to complete Amelia Earhart's dream of flying around the world alone.  When the press found out, they made it race--which of the two would be the first woman to achieve what Amelia hadn't been able to do?  After careful planning, they took off...and the reader sees all the difficulties and dangers they faced as they flew around the world.  It's an inspirational and exciting story of adventure, and a nice geography lesson, with a bonus backmatter section of social history and additional details.

Kindergarrrten Bus, by Mike Ornstein, illustrated by Kevin M. Barry.

The Jolly Roger Bus company has a new driver--a pirate!  He and his parrot welcome their new shipmates on the first day of kindergarten, and though the little kids are apprehensive, he encourages them to be brave and tough, as is the pirate way.  But when the seas get rough (potholes), and Polly the parrot flies out an open window, the pirate bus driver breaks down.  Now it's up to the kids to encourage him to stay strong, and though he doesn't feel brave at all, they share the lesson that they've learned from their own parents that it's ok to be scared, and to keep doing what you have to do.  So it's off to school, all encouraging each other (and Polly comes back at the end!).  A funny book about facing fears that will hearten young kids!

Hannah's Tall Order: an A to Z Sandwich, by Linda Vander Heyden, illustrated by Kayla Harren

Hannah's a loyal customer of  McDougal's sandwich shop, but not necessarily the most welcome one, because boy can she eat!  When she orders an A-Z sandwich, it's the toughest order yet...Hannah has a list of all the alphabetical foods she wants on it!  And so Mr. McDougal slices and dices everything from avocados to zucchini, creating a towering masterpiece with some dubious ingredients (marshmallow fluff, for instance)--but oh no!  He had to make it on white bread, not the wheat bread she wanted...Written in lively rhyme with detailed illustrations of the towering sandwich growing, it's a fun foody adventure for the young!

Four Seasons of Fun, by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault

Here's a celebration of all the ways kids can enjoy the each season! Rhyming couplets tell of flying kites and exploring pond life  on through summer and fall to building snowmen and painting pine cones in winter.  Most of the activities take place out doors, so parents might well welcome this encouragement to get the kids outside.  The illustrations have a sweetly old-fashioned feel to them (reminding me a bit of the Little Golden Books of my own childhood); though there are a few more white kids than not, there's diversity in the range of kids shown.

Junk: a Spectacular Tale of Trash, by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Tom Disbury

Sylvia Samantha Wright is very good at finding trash treasures to take home with her in her little red wagon.  Every day of the week she finds something new.  She  isn't sure what she's going to do with all her finds (from empty paint pots to a box of discarded party hats), but an elderly neighbor reassures her that the part before you know is the best part.  And when the town's water tower begins to leak, setting in motion a cascade of catastrophe (including animals escaping from the zoo!), Sylvia is able to step in an fix things with the help of her junk!  This fun story celebrates creative thinking, and (possible warning) might inspire kids to fill the family garage with found treasures of their own for future projects!

A Tuba Christmas, by Helen L. Wilbur and Mary Reaves Uhles

Ava's family all makes music, and now it's time for Ava to choose what instrument she wants to learn so she can play with them in the family holiday concert.  But the family is dismayed when Ava chooses the tuba.  And they are dismayed as well by the ghastly noises she makes on it when she's starting out.  On top of that, the kids at school make fun of her.  Her teacher, though, is supportive, and at the end Ava gets to play in the coolest holiday concert of all--a tuba Christmas!  The tuba ensemble includes some diverse musicians, and Ava's teacher is a young black man.  I enjoyed this one lots--it should inspire young readers to follow their dreams!

This week's round up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy from around the blogs (4/14/19)

Here's what I found this week; as ever, please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

Bone Hollow, by Kim Ventrella, at Charlotte's Library

The Book of Boy, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, at Challenging the Bookworm

Cauldron's Bubble, by Amber Elby, at A Cat, a Book, and a Cup of Tea

The Door at the End of the World, by Caroline Carlson, at Charlotte's Library

Dragonfell, by Sarah Prineas, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Eventown, by Corey Ann Haydn, at Redeemed Reader and Kid Lit Geek

Gaurdians of the Wild Unicorns, by Lindsay Littleson, at Books and Wonders

Goblins in the Castle, by Bruce Coville, at Say What?

The Golden Tower, by Holly Black and Cassadra Clare (Magisterium #5), at Say What?

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, by Bruce Coville, at Say What?

The Last Last-Day-of Summer, by Lamar Giles, at My Brain on Books and The Book's the Thing

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, at Redeemed Reader and Rosi Hollinbeck

The Portal (Tangled in Time), by Kathryn Lasky, at Log Cabin Library

Riverland, by Fran Wilde, at Marzie's Reads

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, by Carlos Hemandez, Book Smuggler review at Kirkus 

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows, by J.M.Bergen, at Throne of Books

A Witch Come True, by James Nichol, at Hidden In Pages

Authors and Interviews

Lamar Giles (The Last Last-Day-of Summer) at The Write Path and SteaMG

Fran Wilde (Riverland) at The Book Smugglers

Caroline Carlson (The Door at the End of the World) at YAYOMG

Bone Hollow, by Kim Ventrella

Bone Hollow, by Kim Ventrella (middle grade, Scholastic, Feb. 2019), is a strange one.  It's not often that the main character of a middle grade book dies in the first few pages, but that's what happens to an orphan boy named Gabe.  When he wakes up after dying to find the neighbors tearfully gathered round, he doesn't realize what's happened; when he wakes up again, in a funeral home, it still doesn't click  that he's dead, because he feels very much alive.  And when he resists being buried, the fact that he's not a typical corpse becomes terrifyingly clear to the community of his small southern town, and he's chased off into the woods, with only his beloved dog Ollie for company.

Can't review this without spoilers, so be warned.

There in the woods he meets a girl, Wynne, who takes him to Bone Hollow, her seemingly idyllic home.  She knows he's dead, but befriends him (and Ollie).  At first Gabe things she's Nico, the Bangladeshi best friend who moved away years ago.  But soon she lets her guard down, sharing her true self--a black girl who died decades ago.  Wynne wants more than his friendship--she wants him to take her place, serving as the local psychopomp, helping the dead pass on through kindness and compassion.

Gabe would rather not; if he's dead, he wants to pass on himself, to be reunited with his parents and grandfather.  But as Wynne teaches him the tricks of the trade, including sharing with him her own childhood memories from decades ago, and as he sees her growing more and more weary, his innate compassion comes to the fore.

In some ways the story is like a vivid dream, full of intense descriptions, and with nightmares (never full explored or explained, which left me feeling unsatisfied) lurking at the edge of the idyllic Bone Hollow.  But Gabe and Wynne (and Ollie) are much more real than dreams, and their strong personalities keep the book rooted in reality.  It's also a page  turner, with the reader and Gabe figuring things out together, and grappling with the ramifications of what Gabe's new job might entail.  And then right at the end Kleenex is needed (for dog loves, I'll just quickly clarify that the tears are not because of anything horrible that happens to Ollie the dog).

It's not a ghost story type adventure, and not one I'd give to readers who want characters rushing about exploring and fighting and questing.  Instead I'd give it to kids who want journeys that are emotional arcs, moving from sadness and confusion to clarity and purpose.  Not quite to my own personal taste, but it might well delight that sort of kid, and Bone Hollow is a fictional place that I'm happy to give houseroom to inside my head.

Here's a link to the starred Kirkus review if you want a second opinion.

The Door at the End of the World, by Caroline Carlson

Tomorrow (April 9th) is the release day of Caroline Carlson's new middle grade fantasy, The Door at the End of the World, which I just a minute ago finished reading!  I wish there'd been more; the story galloped along briskly in that really nice middle grade fantasy adventure way of magical happenings and bright changes of scene and mood (with, you know, a herd of magically intelligent cows arriving on the scene, as they do) and then there was the peaceful gathering of loose ends (which is one of the parts I like best in mg fantasy), and then...the last page and it was over.  Sigh.

It's the story a girl named Lucy, who works for the gatekeeper of the door between the worlds of Southeast and East.  Lucy has never left Southeast herself, though she's taken care of the bureaucratic side of things for many travelers (she's a very organized sort of person).  But when the gatekeeper herself passes through, for a routine maintenance check with her counterpart in East, and doesn't come back, Lucy opens the door to see what's happening.  And instead of the gatekeeper, a boy from East falls through, and then the door won't open again.

So Lucy and Arthur, the Eastern boy, set out to try to find answers from the people who are supposed to be in charge.  What they find instead is a danger to the fabric of time and space.  Instead of the organized doors linking the various worlds, set comfortably apart and carefully maintined, one of the most powerful people in Southeast has a scheme for consolidating and controlling world travel all in one central hub (to the detriment of all the other worlds).  Joined by Rosemary, whose family smuggles contraband between the worlds,  Lucy and Arthur slowly put the pieces of the plot together.

But when the three kids have all the pieces, who will believe them?  And the pace of the story picks up rather dramatically at this point, involving a wild and wonderful chase from world to world (to a happy ending....)

The various worlds all have their own characteristics, some more magical and wonderous than others, and one that's essentially our own Earth.  Lucy's world is the most unremarkable of them all, and Lucy herself at first seems a very unremarkable character.  Fortunately, the premise of the story (the gates between the worlds) is right there at the beginning, so that even during the slow burn of the first part of the book, before the plot really thickens, the reader should be intrigued enough to trust that there will be excitements to come (which there are).

I fussed at the beginning of this post that I was grumpy that the book ended, but actually, I'm glad it did because I actually do like my mg fantasy to be nice, tight, and contained (I feel, without naming names, that some books are rather bloated).   The Door at the End of the World doesn't reach great peaks of emotion, and the secondary characters aren't all that deeply developed (though they were developed just fine for their purposes in the story), but I did not mind that either--if one is enjoying being carried along by a good story, often that is enough.

Short answer--I enjoyed reading it lots, and would happily recommend it to young readers (as young as eight or nine.  A horrible fate awaits one character, but the possibility of escape is left open, so it's not nightmarishly horrible).

Disclaimer: review copy received courtesy of the author.

This week's round-up of midddle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (4/7/19)

Here's what I found in my blog reading this week; please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

The Book of Boy, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, at Kid Lit Geek

Children of Exile, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Say What?

The Clockwork Ghost, by Laura Ruby, at Hidden in Pages

Cogheart, by Peter Bunzl, at The Book Monsters

Goblins in the Castle: Goblins on the Prowl by Bruce Coville, at Say What?

Grump, by Liesl Shurtliff, at Book Nut

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, by Lamar Giles, at alibrarymama, Books4your kids, Ms. Yingling Reads, Charlotte's Library, and Word Spelunking

Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen,by J.L. McCreedy, at Middle Grade Minded

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, at Children's Books Heal and Charlotte's Library

Malamander, by Thomas Taylor, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

Nevermore: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at Kid Lit Geek

A Sprinkle of Spirits, by Anna Meriano, at Puss Reboots

The Wizenard Series, by Wesley King (created by Kobe Bryant), at Always in the Middle

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at Kid Lit Geek and Completely Full Bookshelf

Other good stuff

New in the UK, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu (Walden Pond Press, Feb. 2019), is my favorite of all her books; anything about sisters appeals greatly, and when you throw in magic and girl power and vivid, detailed characterization, I am utterly sold!

Lark and Iris look identical, but they are very different people--Lark is a dreamer, and Iris is a rational organizer and doer.  They are used to using their strengths to help each other out, and they make a great team.  But when fifth grade is about to begin, they find to their horror that their parents and their school have decided they should be separated.  For the first time, they have to get through the school day without having each other right there, communicating surreptitiously and helping each other out.

That's not the only strange thing.  Something weird is happening--things are going missing.  And when Iris starts visiting a most peculiar antiques store that's just popped up, she finds herself entangled in the story of girl lost years ago, and her brother, the store's owner, who's determined to find her again.  No matter what it takes.  Even if it's dark magic....

So there are two entwined stories here--the sisters, forced to learn to stand on their own, and the magic that Iris stumbles into, and that all her desire for order can't control.  Both are good stories in their own right, and together they make for a wonderful reading experience.  I thought Lark would be my preferred sister, but Iris is the main pov character, and she grew on me lots during the book. The sisters relationship, with the stress they feel when kicked out of their co-dependent rut and the blossoming of their independence, is really well done, and perhaps stronger than the magical story, although that too was lovely.

A special shout-out to the "Awesome Girls" club at the local library that Iris is forced to attend (without Lark).  Iris is all prickly and hostile about it, but the other girls really are awesome in their own ways, and their girl power helps save the day when the confrontation with the villain is reached!

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, by Lamar Giles, for Timeslip Tuesday

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, by Lamar Giles, is a fun  time-tangle of an adventure, that will delight kids who like their fantasy wild and whacky!

Cousins Otto and Sheed are legends in their most unusual county, a where reality is somewhat askew.  They've made a reputation for themselves saving their town from paranormal dangers, earning them two Keys to the City for their services.  Otto's the deductive reasoner of the pair, taking careful notes.  Sheed brings energy and determination to the mix.  The strengths of both boys are needed when, on the last day of summer, the mysterious Mr. Flux arrives, plunging them into a new adventure.

Mr. Flux has a  camera that freezes anyone he takes a photo of, and soon he's frozen the whole town, and time itself has stopped.  The boys are the only un-frozen folks left, so it's up to them to save the day!    The town is full of different time personages  (such as Bed Time, Business Time,  Crunch Time, AM and PM, and the mysterious Witching Hour), all at loose ends without the passage of time, and Mr. Flux is gathering them in, to use as an army to stop to boys' efforts to start time again..

A traveler from the future tilts the balance in boys' favor.  He's not able to tackle Mr. Flux directly, but who does help them figure out why he's appeared in their town, and how to foil him (this involves some detective work in to the town's past, and a bit of time travel back to the point where things first went awry).  And at last, with the help of two girls who are Sheed and Otto's rivals in saving the day, time starts up again....

There's more to the plot than this, of course (for instance, as shown on the cover, there's a robot).  The reader is plunged into adventure right at the beginning, chaos and uncertainty resulting, followed by a calmer stretch in which answers emerge, alongside some reflection by both the characters and story on friendship, jealousy, lost opportunities, and loyalty, followed by another burst of mayhem.  That middle bit is like the string of a balloon, letting the reader connect to, and enjoy, the fanciful elements.   But throughout the book, the relationship between the two boys, who are great foils for each other and whose characters unfold very nicely during the course of the book, also adds relatable realism to the unreal adventure. 

This is Lamar Giles' first middle grade book, and it's a great one for younger middle grade readers (8-10 year olds) who like books that move like a fast dance from one sparkling thought to the next.  Sheed and Otto's adventure is a truly memorable one, with zaniness mixed with enough heart to hold it together.  

And with that I will stop mixing metaphors and thank the publisher for sending me a review copy!

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (3/31/19)

The middle grade sci fi/fantasy round-ups are back, after a break for Kidlitcon.  Please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor, at Chapters and Charms

The Apprentice Witch, by James Nicol, at proseandkahn (audiobook review)

Black and Blue Magic, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, at Say What?

Critter Haven, by Angelina Moretti, at Page Turns (you tube book talk)

Eventown, by Corey Ann Haydu, at Log Cabin Library

Explorer Academy: The Falcon’s Feather, by Trudi Treueit, at Mom Read It

Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Truett, at Redeemed Reader

Forgotten City, by Michael Ford, at Say What?

Gribblebob’s Book of Unpleasant Goblins by David Ashby, at Minerva Reads

The House with Chicken Legs, by Sophie Anderson, at Magic Fiction Since Potter

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, by Lamar Giles, at Always in the Middle, Falling Letters, proseandkahn, and Unleashing Readers

Lavender-Green Magic, by Andre Norton, at Tor

Little Apocalypse, by Katherine Sparrow, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, at Kid Lit Geek

The Magic of Melwick Orchard, by Rebecca Caprara, at Always in the Middle

Nevermore: the Trials of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at A Dance with Books

Starfell: Willow Moss and the Last Day, by Dominique Valente, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books 

Storm Hound, by Claire Fayers, at Magic Fiction Since Potter

Sweep, by Jonathan Auxier, at Sonderbooks

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows, by J.M. Bergen, at Lauren's Bookshelf

The Truth About Martians, by Melissa Savage, at Rosi Hollinbeck

The Wizards of Once, by Cressida Cowell, at Mom with a Reading Problem (audiobook review)

Authors and Interviews

Angie Simbert (Bone's Gift, Lingering Echos) at Middle Grade Minded

Other Good Stuff

A creature-feature about unicorns at Booklist Reader

Dino Knights cover reveal!

I'm easing back into blogging after the excitement of Kidlitcon 2019 with a fun cover reveal!

Dino Knights, the first book in a new series by Jeff Norton (@the jeffnorton) comes out June 6th from Awesome Reads!

Here's the synopsis:

"Imagine medieval times where the dinosaurs never went extinct. When dinosaur stable boy Henry Fairchild stops a vicious T-Rex from attacking his master, he is invited to join the most elite group in Brecklan, the brave Knights of Panterra, the Dino Knights. But before he can prove himself, the enemies of Brecklan attack with a flock of pterodactyls and kidnap Lord Harding. Whether he's ready or not, Henry and the Dino Knights mount a daring rescue mission...but nothing is what it seems."

And here's the cover, by George Ermos:

Sounds (and looks) good to me!

The Jim Henson Company is making a live action tv show based on the book, which sounds like lots of fun too.

Dino Knights can be preordered here.

Seventh Grade vs the Galaxy, by Joshua S. Levy, for Timeslip Tuesday

I must start with a bit of a disclaimer--Seventh Grade vs the Galaxy, by Joshua S. Levy, for Timeslip Tuesday isn't a "time travel book."  But time travel does happen in it, getting our young heroes out of a sticky situation....and it having happened once, I'm thinking it might pop again in future adventures (I hope there will be future adventures!).

School 118 is a ship in orbit around Ganymede, which, though it might sound interesting to readers, isn't of particular interest to the elementary/middle school kids who are being schooled there.  Just boring routines of school, made more unpleasant for  seventh-grader Jack by his father's disgrace and the social fallout that's come Jack's way because of it.   But then everything dull and boring is shattered when the ship comes under attack, and  strange "Quarantine" countdown begins. Jack and two classmates, Ari and Becca, sneak off to the engine room to investigate what's happened, and Jack finds that the ship recognizes him, and asks if he wants to "engage."  And with the countdown at its last second, he says the word, and the ship blasts off into space....and Jack finds his father had transformed the school into humanity's first space ship capable of light speed...

Which ends in the school and its kids and faculty being taken captive by an alien race that keeps a tight hold of their known space.  Not a friendly, welcoming hold for young emergent beings like humanity.

Now it's up to Jack, Becca, and Ari, with a bit of help from Ari's hamster, and whoever keeps sending Jack cryptic warnings, to free School 118 from the aliens' clutches and make it back to the solar system. Bluff and chutzpah and luck get them and the ship free of their alien jailers, though their classmates are left behind.  But how can they find the fuel their school ship needs to get home again? (this is where the time travel, a simple amusement in an alien arcade, comes in handy....)

And then when they get home, having saved their classmates and teachers, it's clear that the story of seventh graders vs a hostile galaxy is far from over....

So this has a lot of kid friendly energy to it, from the zero gravity dodgeball of the beginning to the kids putting their computer game skills to work to get out from the aliens control at the end of it.  The dynamic between the three main protagonists isn't tremendously deep, but it's realistic and amusing enough to do its part to keep the story engaging. There's a bit of cool gadgetry for the young tech fan to want badly, lots of humor sprinkled throughout, even when things get tense, and the settling of humanity in Jupiter's orbit is good intro sci fi.

In short, this is definitely a solid pick for the sci-fi adventure loving 8-11 year old (both cover and title are very good indications of the sort of book it is, and kids who like those will like the book!)  There are other sci fi stories for this age with more emotional heft to them (Ambassador, by William Alexander, Last Day on Mars, by Kevin Emerson), but this one really stands out for its friendly-ness for kids looking for entertainment, with  kids like themselves saving the day (although this particular day still has lots of saving to come....)

disclaimer: review copy received from the author

The Deepest Blue, by Sarah Beth Durst

So yesterday evening was the end of a crappy weekend in which nothing went well and the weather was ick and there were no tasty snacks, and I gave up trying to Do all the Things around 7:30 pm and started reading The Deepest Blue, by Sarah Beth Durst, because I really wanted to.  By 8:30 I was not quite halfway through and cursing daylight savings because clearly I'd be staying up late till I finished.  But I read with such happy absorption that it only took me till 9:30, and then I could go to bed at peace!  It's always so nice to be reminded of why exactly one labels oneself a Reader.

But enough about me.

The Deepest Blue is set in the same world as the Queens of Renthia series, a world of bloodthirsty spirits barely (and sometimes not) controlled by strong women.  Unlike the three Queens books, this one is set on the islands out in the ocean, where people also live in the middle of a constant battle of wills between their queen and her heirs and the spirits, but where the structure of power and the training of heirs is not the same at all.

Mayara can sense the spirits, and control them in an untrained way.  She hides this ability, until she must use it to save her village.  Because then, just as she knew would happen, the Silent Ones come  to take her away.   The fact that she was just married is nothing to them.  The fact that they already took her older sister is nothing.  The fact that she has absolutely no interest at all in choosing between training to become one of the Queen's heirs, or being a Silent One, the law enforcers of the islands, is immaterial.

Mayara, believing her husband is dead, choses to try to become a heir.  The heirs of this realm are put to a trial that is most often fatal.  They are taken to an island full of spirits, who have been given one command--kill.   Any woman who survives for a month becomes an heir.

There are lies and secrets and death-dealing spirits in plenty on the island.  But there are also friendships and loyalties, and women helping each other, and actually doing something to fix things and regain some measure of control over their lives!

There's a second story also playing out, but I won't say what because spoilers, that's a lovely bit of intrigue of its own back on the main islands.

In any event, back to me--I loved it and it was just the right amount of intricacy of story and just the right amount of women I really liked spending time with!  And just the right sort of pacing, with lots of small details of ordinary things setting off the extraordinary things very nicely!  I'll give it one of the highest compliments I can-- I would be happy to start reading it all over again right now.

It isn't necessary to have read the Queens of Renthia books first, so if you feel daunted by the thought of a substantial trilogy, you could get your toes wet/bloody here first.  If you have read Queens and liked those books, you must read this because you will enjoy it lots and lots!  For younger readers, this might actually be the best book to start with.  It's not marketed as YA, but I know for certain sure I'd have loved it back at that age, as young as maybe 12, when I found Patricia McKillip and Diana Wynne Jones and Robin McKinley.  The Queens trilogy feels more older-reader friendly to me, but Mayera, though married, felt young enough that an adolescent can live alongside her beautifully.  (Possibly the island where Mayera is trapped full of hostile spirits, where she makes best friends and they survive together and there's Drama will also feel familiar to kids actually in middle school/high school),

Disclaimer: review copy received ever so gratefully from the author

the mg sci fi/fantasy round-ups are on hold till the end of March

What with organizing Kidlitcon (coming up the week after next!) and finishing home renovations before Kidlitcon company comes to stay with me, I have no time for the Sunday round-ups.  But I do have lots of reviews planed for the next few weeks, and I'll be back rounding up at the end of March!

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi from around the blogs (3/3/19)

Nothing from me this week (I am busy busy busy getting Kidlitcon 2019 all ready to go!), but here's what other people wrote about mg sci fi/fantasy books (let me know if I missed your post!)

The Reviews

Arlo Finch series, by John August, at Nerdophiles

Dragon Flight (Dragon Slippers #2) by Jessica Day George, at Hidden In Pages.

Let Sleeping Dragons Lie, by Garth Nix and at Sean Williams, at Locus

Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages #1), by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr, at Say What?

The Lost Girl, by Anne Ursu, at Waking Brain Cells

Music Boxes, by Tonja Drecker, at Cat's Corner

A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: a Dastardly Plot, by Christopher Healy, at alibrarymama

The Secret of Vault 13, by David Solomons, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Sweep, by Jonathan Auxier, at Imaginary Friends

Watch Hollow, by Gregory Funaro, at Rajiv's Reviews

Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans, at Say What?

Two at alibrarymama--The House in Poplar Wood, by K.E. Ormsbee, and The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker,by Matilda Woods

Two at Geek Mom- Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows, and Maybe a Mermaid

Two at The Book Search--The Storm Keeper's Island and The Flooded Earth

and four at Random Musings of a Bibliophile--Angel and Bavar, The Book of Boy, The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Meddlesome, and Ogre Enchanted

Authors and Interviews

Melanie Crowder (The Lighthouse Between Worlds) at Middle Grade Book Village

Sayantani DasGupta (The Game of Stars) at Kirkus 

Tonja Drecker (Music Boxes) at Author June McCrary Jacobs


Other Good Stuff

What's new in the UK, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

Last of Her Name, by Jessica Khoury

Last of Her Name, by Jessica Khoury, is a an excellent sci fi adventure for any fans of the fall of the Romanovs and the possibility that Anastasia survived, and a good one simply for those who enjoy sci-fi adventure featuring strong female leads!

Stasia has spent her sixteen years roaming her father's vineyard with her dear friends Pol and Clio on a peaceful planet, one of a group known as the Belt of Jewels.  These planets were settled by humanity eons ago, and each went its own way until they were united through the communicative power of prisms and the family of scientists who discovered that power and became Emperors.   But sixteen years ago, the ruling family was overthrown, and now the planets are  held in the tight fist of  the Direktor Eminent and his Union henchmen.

When a union ship unexpectedly lands in Stasia's home town, on a mission to find the one daughter of the last emperor who might have survived, her life is upended.  The Direktor himself has come to stamp out a suspected Loyalist  insurgency and find the missing girl...and Stasia is that girl.  Pol, himself a Loyalist unbeknownst to her helps her escape on a ship the rebels have hidden, to take her to the Loyalist headquarters.  But Clio is left behind, along with her parents, and Clio in particular pulls at Stasia's heart.  That loyalty is more important than the struggle between the two warring factions, and she'll do whatever it take to save her friend.

That's the set up for a wild adventure, taking Stasia and Pol to many strange world, pitting them against many enemies, with new friends, and traitors, along the way.  Stasia must claim her difficult destiny if she is to save not just Clio, but the whole planetary confederacy, which depends on the mysterious prisms for which she is the only remaining point of access.

Stasia is not just a vessel for the larger plot, in large part because she doesn't want to be.  She doesn't want power, just her handy tool belt and things to fix, and her best friends, and this was perfectly believable.  The fervency of her need to save Clio struck me as excessive, but this passed as the story deepened in complexity (so if that bothers you to, don't let it stop you!).

The political conflict was a clear reimagining of the fall of the tsars and the rise of the Soviet Union, and I found it interesting and convincing.  Neither side of the struggle was clearly the "good guys."  The interplanetary travel and prism technology was a layer of sci-fi goodness that gave the story satisfying crunch (or perhaps the chocolate coating that gave a layer of tastiness.  Sorry.  I'm now thinking of kit kats, which has nothing to do with the book....).  

In any event, though I was doubtful for the first quarter or so because of not being intrinsically interested in more stories of lost princesses coming to power, which is where I thought this was going, it turned out to be not where this was going at all, and I liked it more and more as I read. It kind of reminded me of 1980s sci fi/fantasy--the sort of books I grew up on, and possibly explains why after reading this I reread Anne McCafrey's Crystal Singer (though the two books and their heroines are very different....). So yeah, I think teenaged me would have enjoyed this one lots.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

Dragons Love Tacos 2, by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri, for Timeslip Tuesday

Here's a fun picture book for Timeslip Tuesday (which is code for "yet another week in which Charlotte wasn't organized enough to read a longer book in a timely fashion"). I have to confess I have never read Dragons Love Tacos, by Adam Rubin, illustrated Daniel Salmieri.  I feel, however, that I grasped the point, and the sequel (Dragons Love Tacos 2) gracefully fills in what happened in the first book.

In this sequel, dragons still love tacos, but there are no more tacos to be had!  They are all gone.  The unnamed human protagonist fortunately has a time machine, and he takes a few of the dragons back to when there still were tacos, so they can bring them back and plant them and restore tacos to the grieving world.  Time-travel with taco-eating dragons is tricky; spicy tacos make Dragons flame, which is bad for the time machine, as is accidently using salsa in place of engine grease...so things get a little wonky, and the pure time travel of the first few hops in the machine, looking for a time before the dragons ate the spicy tacos, gives way to surreal alternate universe travel (dragons love diapers!  tacos love dragons!).

As a time-travel purist, I can't quite approve--there's a lack of clarity to the time travel even before it gets weird.  Why did the protagonist think they'd travelled too far back in time on the second hop?  Yes, it's prehistoric (mixing "cave man" and triceratops, sigh), but the tacos look fine... I don't understand why the protagonist kid thought there was a problem.  (If anyone can answer this for me, please do!).

So don't read it for the time travel, but take it for what it is--a silly (in the positive sense of the word) story with illustrations that are pleasantly relaxed and whimsical.

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (2/24/19)

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

The Reviews

Beanstalker And Other Hilarious Scarytales,, by Kiersten White, at Reading Books with Coffee

Bone Hollow, by Kim Ventrella, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The  Crimson Skew, by S.E. Grove, at The Crimson Skew

Dragon Pearl, by Yoon Ha Lee, at Fantasy Literature and Puss Reboots

Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate, at proseandkahn (audiobook review)

Freya and Zoose, by Emily Butler, at Book Nut

The Girl with the Whispering Shadow (The Crowns of Croswald #2) by D.E. Night, at Log Cabin Library

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat #1 and #2, by Johnny Marciano, Emily Raymond, Emily, and Robb Mommaets (illustrations), at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Light Jar, by Lisa Thompson,  at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Mona Lisa Key (Time Castaways #1), by Liesl Surtliff, at Charlotte's Library

The Mysterious World of Cosentino: The Missing Ace, by Cosentino with Jack Heath, at Mom Read It

Nest of Serpents (Wereworld #4), by Curtis Jobling, at Say What?

Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder, at Magic Fiction Since Potter

Secret in Stone (Unicorn Quest #2), by Kamilla Benko, at Charlotte's Library and Pamela Kramer

Small Spaces, by Katherine Arden, at A Backwards Story

The Song From Somewhere Else by A F Harrold and Levi Pinfold, at Acorn Books

The Star-Spun Web, by Sinead O'Hart, at A Little But a Lot

Storm Hound, by Claire Fayers, at Book Murmuration

The Transparency Tonic (Potion Masters #2), by Frank L. Cole, at Geo Librarian

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at Log Cabin Library

Authors and Interviews

Anne Ursu (The Lost Girl) at B. and N. Kids Blog

Claire Fayers (Storm Hound) at Mr. Ripleys Enchanted Books

Kamilla Benko (The Unicorn Quest series) at Geo Librarian

Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe) at Rick Riordan Presents

Caldric Blackwell (The Sacred Artifact) at Books Direct

M. G. Velasco (Cardslinger) at MG Book Village

Other Good Stuff

Monica Edinger has a great review collection in the NY  Times Book Review

The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book have been announced. and two are middle grade:

Aru Shah and the End of Time, Roshani Chokshi (Rick Riordan Presents)
Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword, Henry Lien (Henry Holt)

Secret in the Stone (The Unicorn Quest 2), by Kamilla Benko

Secret in the Stone is the second book in the Unicorn Quest series by Kamilla Benko (Bloomsbury Feb. 29, 2019). It continues the adventures of two sisters, Claire and Sophie, in the magical land of Arden that they'd entered (in good portal fantasy fashion) by climbing up one of the chimneys of their great-aunt's home.

Arden is a place full of magic, with different guilds each with their own domain of power.  Claire had discovered in the first book that she has Gemmer magic (an affinity with all things stone).  Sophie has yet to manifest any talent. But though Arden still has lots of magic, it's diminished since the unicorns were massacred by an evil queen years ago.   Meeting a unicorn toward the end of book one has given Claire hope that she can find out how to restore unicorns and their magic to Arden, keeping it from falling into civil war.  She and Sophie are possibly the last descendants of Arden's royal family, and if anyone can  wake the unicorns again, it is them.  Sophie is more doubtful.

But their path is complicated by a faction of Royalists, who want to bring the queen who killed the unicorns back (the story many people believe paints the queen in a much more positive light).  And so Claire and Sophie find themselves pawns in a larger game of conspiracies, secrets, and lies, complicated by the rising tensions between the various guilds of magic, and complicated as well when friends require rescuing from mortal peril.  On top of that, there's growing tension between the sisters--Claire's faith in unicorn restoration is not matched by Sophie, who's struggling with her complicated feelings about not having magic of her own.

The dangers mount as the book reaches its end, which comes with many new exciting surprises that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next book!

It's a very satisfying middle grade fantasy--all the elements that one expects are there, with the interesting addition of explicit tension between the sisters--they love each other, but are frustrated with each other at the same time, and it's complicated by the fact that Sophie was dangerously ill in the real world.   So it's as solid a choice as you can get for offering to the young reader who loves unicorns (though they are actually not physically present in this book), the possibility of other worlds where ordinary kids can become magical, and stories of sisters!  

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

Time Castaways: the Mona Lisa Key, by Liesl Shurtliff, for Timeslip Tuesday

If you enjoy quirky time-travel heist stories for middle grade readers, you'll love The Mona Lisa Key, the first book of Liesl Shurtliff's new Time Castaways series (Katherine Tegan Books, Sept. 2018).

Matt, adopted from Columbia, and his two younger (non-adopted) siblings, Ruby and Corey, have grown up spending almost as much time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as they have at home--both their parents work there.  They've also been very sheltered by their parents, forbidden to roam the city and never using public transportation.  Then one morning the kids, running late for school, decide to take the forbidden subway.  And it turns out their parent's rule was warranted, when the subway car turns into a time-travelling sailing ship.

The captain of the Vermillion crews his vessel with kids more-or-less randomly plucked from different times, and a few grown-ups of mysterious origin.  His interest in these particular kids, as it turns out, is not random at all.  Captain Vincent needs Max to solve a centuries old puzzle.

The first step is stealing the Mona Lisa in early 20th century Paris, at the exact same time that would-be art thieves are trying to abscond with her.  Captain Vincent explains that he's not a thief himself; he simply plucks treasures in danger from their moments of peril to be returned later.  And since the kids know the Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre in their own time, they accept that he's not a bad sort of time-travel pirate.

The Mona Lisa has a secret, and once that secret is unlocked, it leads to another clue, even harder to crack. , Captain Vincent become ferociously driven to solve the puzzle, pressing Max to use his gift for puzzle-solving deduction, and pressing the Vermillion on time-trip after time-trip, using the magical compass that lets him pick and choose when and where to go.

At the court of Queen Elizabeth, the kids' suspicions about the Captain prove justified, and only Max's strange rapport with the compass gives them any chance of seeing their own home place and time....

It's a whirlwind adventure.  The kids themselves would have welcomed more peaceful time on the ship in its home ocean between times, getting to know the crew (mostly friendly, all quirky), and the ship herself (she has a mind of her own, and I liked her lots).  Nor do they get to do much sight-seeing back in the past....it's mostly a series of in and out hops, with little interaction with people.  Character development is not a strong part of the story, especially for the two younger kids  (Corey, in particular, was a bit one-note), perhaps that will happen in the sequel.   So not my own personal favorite sort of time-travel book.  That being said, it is a fun mystery-infused adventure, though not, at this juncture at least, wildly original.  The feel of the story reminded a bit of Adrienne Kress, and I think if you like her books you'll like this.

The Kirkus review reaches much the same conclusion as I do: "Time-traveling pirates, whimsical humor, a sentient ship, and cliffhanger predicaments deliver generous helpings of quirky, retro-tinged entertainment." (Except I'm not sure what exactly they mean by "retro-tinged."  The kids had a cell phone, which made it seem totally au currant to me.  But possibly I am so old now that what seems normal to me seems retro to the youth of today....thinking even more about it, perhaps the fact that they shared a cell phone is retro.)

No mg sci fi/fantasy round up today

I have family visiting today, so no time for the round-up!  Come back next Sunday!