Light Beneath Ferns, by Anne Spollen

Light Beneath Ferns, by Anne Spollen (Flux, 2010, YA, 206 pages) *more spoilerish than my reviews usually are*

Elizah, telling the story of what happened to her that fall, begins with finding a bone at the edge of a graveyard. The graveyard is Elizah's new home--her mother has taken her to New York, to the small town where she had lived when she was a girl. She is the new caretaker of a historical cemetery, looking desperately to make a New Start. And Elizah is the new girl in the local school, a girl who does not want to talk to anyone. A girl who is happiest left alone in silence...because what, really, is she supposed to say? Her father, a compulsive gambler wanted by the law, has skipped out on them, and now she's supposed to start a new life....

Then she finds a bone, coming out of the mud at the edge of a river. Fascinated by bones, she brings it home....and realizes that it is human, and keeps it, safely shut away in her room...

At home and at school, she is pressured to be Normal. To be friendly, and even encouraging, to the other girls and to a boy who fancies her. But exploring off by herself by the river, she meets someone she thinks could be a real friend--a boy named Nathaniel, who seems to live outside the everyday world. A charismatic boy more real to her than anyone else in her life, he takes her upriver with him, showing her the strange world in which he lives...and gradually unfolds to her, as fall changes to winter, the reason he has sought out her company.

It is not that hard (even for a reader as un-thinking when reading as myself) to guess pretty quickly that Nathaniel and the bone that Elizah is keeping are somehow connected....yet even though it is easy to see where the plot is going, Elizah's beautifully drawn life as a rather desperate introvert, trying to make sense of difficult things, carries the story to its moving conclusion.

As paranormal romances go, it is subtle and understated, as the title, Light Beneath Ferns, suggests--small glimpses of strange and magical things, filtered through reality. Recommended to those who like their ghosts magically other, rather than front and center, and to those in the mode for a romance more along the lines of things that dreams are made of, rather than the blatant wish fulfillment of Young Love.

Here's a review from some who loved it: Book Crazy, and here's a review from someone who didn't: Books at Midnight.

I myself really empathized with Elizah (she made the book for me), thought the supernatural elements of the plot included some random bits that weren't quite developed enough to make sense to me (which I found vexing), wished for a bit more of the romance (Nathaniel was cute, with lots of paranormal romance potential that was never quite realized....oh well), and ultimately found it rather haunting....

Personal postscript:

There was one issue that I personally had with this book that spoiled my enjoyment of it somewhat. As an archaeologist, I was very put off by Elizah's cavalier appropriation of human remains. In my own line of work, I get calls every so often from people who have unwittingly found human bones, and sometimes it's my job to be the one to pick them up, carefully and respectfully, to try to figure out what to do with them--reburial, preferably with the next-of-kin located, being the desired outcome. So the idea of a teenager keeping a human bone in her bedroom rubbed me the wrong way--this is just not right. If you should ever find human remains, you should call a. the police b. the state archaeologist (every state has one, as part of their state historic preservation office).

The Time Bike, by Jane Langton, for Timeslip Tuesday

The Time Bike (Harper Collins, 2000, middle grade, 176 pages) is the fifth book in Jane Langton's series about the Hall family of Concord, Massachusetts. The first is The Diamond in the Window, published way back in 1962, the eighth, and most recent, is The Dragon in the Tree, published in 2008.

The Hall family, brother and sister Eddy and Eleanor and a scatter of relations, are the sort of people to whom magical things happen. In the case of this book, the magical thing is a bicycle that arrives from India one day. A very old-fashioned, out-of-date bicycle, that no self-respecting boy would want to ride. But when hiding the bike out of sight in a nook next to the coat closet, Eddy notices that it is, in fact, rather extraordinary.

"It trembled slightly under his hands as he propped it upright, almost as if it were alive. Little sparkles flickered around the rims of the wheels. And there was a sound, a kind of whispering murmur." (page 29). But most extraordinary of all are the two dials, one labeled Days, the other Years. And then, just to make things completely clear, Eddy notices the label saying "TIME BIKE."

It is, indeed, a bicycle that allows its user to travel through time....and Eddy, and his sister Eleanor, use and misuse its magic in the traditional way of these things, very Edward Eager-esque. But despite misadventures and lost opportunities, it is thanks to the bicycle that the children are able to save their beloved family house.

Story-wise, it's lots of fun in an old fashioned feeling, summer-adventurish way. Timeslip-wise, it's disappointing, because the time the two kids spend in the past doesn't really seem of great interest to the author. She doesn't linger in it--it gives more a whisking feeling than a true immersion (if that makes any sense)--only 6 pages out of the first 95 are set in the past, and nothing much happens.

And the result is that the present, with the charming eccentricities of Aunt Alex and Uncle Freddy (obsessive devotees of Theroux) is much more engrossing. In a nutshell, this isn't one to read for Time Travelness, but rather for charming every-dayness spiced with magical fun.

It's not necessary to have read any other books in the series before reading this one, but it's not the most emotionally resonant or powerful of the series, and so isn't the best place to start, because you might not want to keep going. And there's also no good reason why you wouldn't want to treat yourself, if this sounds the sort of book you like, to the whole shebang, read chronologically. I myself prefer Eager, for the somewhat snappier dialogue, but there are many passionate devotees of Langton's books, in particular of The Diamond in the Window (I have linked to its Amazon page as proof of this!).

Forget-Her-Nots, by Amy Brecount White

Forget-Her-Nots, by Amy Brecount White (Greenwillow, 2010, YA, 365 pages).

One might say it began with the small cluster of flowers outside the door of Laurel's room at boarding school, on the very day she was to give a class presentation on the Victorian language of flowers. That was the first day on which fourteen-year old Laurel felt the first touches of her magical ability to send messages with flowers--messages that could really effect people's lives.

Or one might say it began years ago, with a long chain of flower lovers gathering knowledge, and passing it on to the children who inherited their gifts, teaching them as they came into their power. But Laurel's mother has died, and there is no-one, it seems, to teach her...and yet the flowers are calling to her. Armed with an antique handbook on the language of flowers, Laurel begins to work magic on the lives of her classmates and teachers.

But soon she finds herself in somewhat over her head. Still grieving for her mother, uncertain in the social realm of her new boarding school, falling in crush with a cute boy--there's a lot on Laurel's plate without being pressured by her classmates to produce with magically efficacious bouquets for every occassion. Fortunately, the gardens of Laural's school, and the woman who tends them, have a history entwined with that of Laurel's family...a history that will help Laurel recover from her grief, and claim her birthright of flowers.

The premise that the language of flowers is actually magical is a lovely, imaginative one, especially delightful to a flower lover such as myself. The language of flowers is an integral part of the text, and the meaning of each flower, and how those meaning played out their parts in the social melange of high school made for reading that was fun, a little zany, and occasionally poignant. The drawback of the heavy reliance on the flowers was that Laurel's growth as a character seemed to me somewhat occluded by the character traits induced by her botanical choices...

Forget-Her-Nots is not a fantasy in which where the magical powers of the heroine involve her in a matter of life and death. The stakes are the ordinary difficulties of high school (will prom be wrecked by floral magic gone awry?), the outcome sweet, rather than earthshaking. I'd recommend this to the 12 or 13 year old who isn't quite ready or willing to plunge into darker fantasies, who might well find it a lovely and satisfying journey.

Other reviews at Presenting Lenore, Unsearchable Riches, Green Bean Teen Queen.

And just in case anyone is looking for more books in which magic meets the language of flowers--one of E. Nesbit's lesser known books, The Wonderful Garden (1911) tells of two children who are convinced they are working magic with their floral undertakings....Not my favorite Nesbit, but quite fun.

(disclaimer: my copy of Forget-her-nots was sent by the author)

This Year's Andre Norton winner, nestled into this Sunday's Round-up of Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction from around the blogs

Welcome to yet another week's worth of gleanings--the reviews, interviews, news, etc. pertaining to middle grade science fiction and fantasy that I have hunted down. Please let me know if I missed yours!

That being said, here's a piece of news that isn't middle grade at all: the Andre Norton Award (the Nebula for childrens/YA books) has gone to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente. This book has a most interesting history. It started life as a children's book mentioned in another of Valente's books, Palimpsest. Then Valente actually wrote it, posting it a chapter at a time, inviting readers to pay her what they thought it was worth. Feiwel and Friends picked it up, and it's scheduled to be published as a book next spring (unless they move its publication date forward, what with it having already won a major award!) But in the meantime, here it is on-line. (and here's the full list of the 2010 Nebula winners).

Now for the Middle Grade Reviews:

Alien Encounter, by Pamela Service, at Jean Little Library.
The first two Alison Dare books at Books and Other Thoughts (I missed this last week, but since others might share my curiosity about this series, which looks more than a little cool, here it is today...)
Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer at Fantasy Literature.
Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, by Andrea Beatty, at Jean Little Library.
The Billionaire's Curse, by Richard Newsome, at Book Aunt.
The Boneshaker, by Kate Milford, at Fantasy Literature.
Celia's Robot, by Margaret Chang, at The HappyNappyBookseller.
Dark Life, by Kat Falls, at The HappyNappyBookseller.
Dot Robot: Atomic Storm, by Jason Bradbury, at Nayu's Reading Corner.
Enchanted Glass, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Books and Other Thoughts
Foiled, by Jane Yolen, at Eva's Book Addiction.
The Forgotten Door, by Alexander Key, at Bellaonbook's Blog (a look back at an old favorite)
Hidden Boy, by Jon Berkeley, at Jean Little Library.
Little Sister, by Kara Dalkey, at Charlotte's Library.
Monster Slayers, by Lukas Ritter, at Star Shadow.
My Rotten Life (Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie Book 1), by David Lubar, at Zelda Del West.
Pyramid of Souls (Magic Keepers Book 2), by Erica Kirov, at Booking Mama.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan, at Becky's Book Reviews, Book Aunt, and My Reviews.
The Sixty-Eight Rooms, by Marianne Malone, at Semicolon.
Stuck on Earth, by David Klass, at Charlotte's Library (labeled YA, but great, I think, for a 12 year old boy....)
Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris, by R.L. LaFevers, at Bookshelves of Doom.
Timekeeper's Moon, by Joni Sensel, at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
Troll Fell, by Katherine Langrish, at Charlotte's Library.
The Wide Awake Princess, by E. D. Baker, at Jean Little Library.

Massimiliano Frezzato's Keepers of the Maser comic, at Tor.

And there's also a look at the Shadow Children Series, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at The O.W.L.

Interviews:

An interview with Hilary Wagner, author of Nightshade City (coming in October) at Dreams Can be Reached.

An interview with Molly (a dog), who is one of the characters in Mary Cunningham's fantasy/mystery middle-grade novel, The Magician's Castle, at Pets and Their Authors.

And speaking of interviews, the Summer Blog Blast Tour kicks off tomorrow. The full schedule is here, and includes an interview with Kate Milford (The Boneshaker) tomorrow at Cashing Ray.

Other News:

Booklist Online has posted its 2010 Top 10 SF/Fantasy books for Youth ("2010" meaning the last 12 months...so Catching Fire, for instance, is there...)

Those of us unable to eat in a civilized fashioned at our dining room tables, because said tables are being used to store books, will welcome Mother Reader's 5th 48 Hour Reading Challenge! The weekend is June 4-6, the prizes awesome, the fun very fun.

Anything I missed?????? Let me know!

Stuck on Earth, by David Klass

As soon as I read the blurb for Stuck on Earth, by David Klass (2010, Farrar Straus Giroux, YA, 227 pages), I added it to my list. As the only blogger (as far as I know) who features an orange space snail (if you look at it just right) in her header art (edited to add: the snail is no more. I have moved on....), how could I pass on a book that was actually about a space snail?

Ketchvar, the space snail in question, has been sent to planet Earth to make a determination about the future of the human species--will humanity end up destroying their home, or is their hope for them? If the former, then it's bye bye homo sapiens, because another alien race is about to loose their own planet through no fault of their own, and they have their hearts set on moving to a (humanity free) Earth....

So Ketchvar carefully inserts himself into the brain of a randomly chosen 14 year old boy, Tom Filber, and begins to observe life on Earth. But his mission is less straightforward than he had hoped. From one of his transmissions back to mission control:

"Revered Elders, I fear we may have randomly selected a family that is not representative of the human condition. I suggest a team of GC analysts immediately go to work on the question of whether all human families are this miserable and dysfunctional, or if I had the bad luck to hop off our spaceship into a loony bin of a household." (page 117)

Truly Tom's life is terrible. His mother is volatile and abusive, his father is unemployed and drinking too much, his sister hates him, and (even before the arrival of the Space Snail) he was nicknamed Alien at school, and bullied something fierce. It wouldn't be surprising if a boy like Tom, imaginative, sensitive, and pushed over the edge, began to fantasize that he really was an alien...and gradually Ketchvar, lost in the unhappiness of Tom's life, begins to wonder if he himself is real, or simply a coping mechanism.

But, whether Ketchvar is real or not, he is a different person than the Tom of a few days before. He is a Boy/Space Snail who is able to take risks with the people around him (including the girl next door) and who may actually be able act heroically (with help from Ketchvar's alien abilities), taking on the mega-company that is poisoning his town's river.

Ketchvar's unique perspective on teenage life in America is by turns poignant and humorous, and the story is given further punch by the element of doubt that gradually creeps in. I generally prefer to know it if the narrator is a delusional figment or a real entity, but here the uncertainty worked beautifully, underlining the lack of hard and fast solutions to the problems of Tom's life. As Michelle (the girl next door) puts it: "I'm starting to like you," she confesses, "and I"m not sure whether I'd rather have you turn out to be a crazy boy or a perfectly sane snail creature." (page 175)

In the end, Ketchvar's gone, Tom's still stuck on Earth, and the reader is free to believe or not. But regardless Klass has managed to bring the misery of the Tom's life in the first part of the book to a satisfying place of hope.

Science-fiction fans may feel a bit betrayed that they can't quite believe in Ketchvar (or maybe they will choose to ignore the possibility that he is unreal). But I can't imagine this book not striking a chord with the young reader who feels like an alien navigating a hostile planet...and wondering if it is worthwhile to Try...

Little Sister, by Kara Dalkey

Little Sister, by Kara Dalkey (Penguin, 1996, upper mg/YA, 192 pages)

In Japan, around 900 years ago, 13 year old Mitsuko lived the life of a typical noble girl. Sheltered from all outside trouble, modestly hiding her face behind her sleeve, she joins her sisters in writing poems, and dreaming vague dreams. But when trouble comes, and her household is endangered, Mitsuko and her sisters flee to the family's mountain lodge. On the way, they are attacked by brigands, and the husband of Mitsuko's beloved older sister is slain.

Now her sister sits like a souless shadow facing death. When the local warlord threatens to take in her family by force, Mitsuko drags her sister off into the forest, desperately looking for a way to save her. Taking shelter in a shinto shrine, Mitsuko prays for help...and help comes, in the form of Goranu, a tengu--an immortal, shape-shifting demon.

Goranu takes pity on Mitsuko, and leads her off on an adventurous quest to find her sister's lost spirit. It is a quest that takes them into the realms of dragons, gods, and demons, to the land of the ancestors, and to the sheltering home of a poor family she had once looked down on. And as Mitsuko learns first-hand the wonders of this world and the worlds unseen, she comes to realize that, even if she saves her sister, she can never return to the life of stifled privilege she had once led. Nor can she give up her shapeshifting, tricksterish, loyal friend, Goranu...even if he is a demon.

Shinto and Buddhist folklore mingle to make a magical journey of a book, one with beautiful images and wondrous happenings to spare. It is a beautiful journey character-wise too, as Mitsuko learns and thinks and grows...she is a worthy heroine indeed, determined and thoughtful. And Goranu is a most intriguing character in his own right, and the relationship that develops between them is tremendously interesting, and not without lightly humours touches.

Their relationship is not entirely satisfying, though...there's a gap of several years between the end of the quest and the end of the book, before the last conversation between the two that we are given. I really would have liked some more of these missing years of their friendship--as it was, the ending came as something of an abrupt surprise that hadn't been foreshadowed.

(oh my gosh--I just found that there is a sequel--The Heavenward Path. I Must Read it Now! Pause while I go place library hold on it....Done)

Dalkey's prose seems, at first, somewhat stiff and measured (the book's School Library Journal reviewer called its rhythm "choppy and unnatural," with some justification), and I was somewhat doubtful initially, but soon I wasn't thinking about style at all--just about the story. In the end, I was entranced, and I'd recommend this to anyone with a fascination for historical Japan, brave girls on magical journeys, or shapeshifters.

Age wise--nothing happens that isn't upper middle grade appropriate (a bit of violent death, but not too much), but I think the somewhat off-putting formality of the narration might make this more accessible to a YA audience. Publishers Weekly put at 10-14, Amazon has it as 9-12, and it's catalogued in my library as YA....My own call is 11 on up. And it's one that grown up readers of juvenile fantasy, like me, might well enjoy lots.

Thanks, Heather, for the recommendation! Here's part of Heather's comment (on another shapeshifter review): "Not only the best shapeshifter book by far I've ever read (I haven't read Mistwood yet), but one of the best Asian fantasies as well." I'm not quite sure I'd go that far, but I did like it lots! (and I can't wait for the sequel!)

Voices of Dragons, by Carrie Vaughn

Voices of Dragons, by Carrie Vaughn (HarperCollins, 2010, YA, 309 pages), is a rather unusual fantasy, in that it combines contemporary YA-ness--the heroine's best girl friend who is putting the pressure on her to grow up, the developing relationship with the cute boy-- with Dragons. And the result is a rather fun, rather interesting, and more than somewhat memorable story.

The dragons had reappeared in the world just after WW II, setting fire to a couple of towns up in Alaska. War raged between dragons and humans, until at last a truce was established. A large chunk of Canada, some of northern Asia, and a bit of the American Rockies was carved out to be Dragon Territory, and no human was allowed past the border. Kay lives right up against the frontier, and has taken the law seriously all her life; after all, her mom works in border enforcement, and her dad's the sheriff. And Kay didn't mean to cross the line, that day she went rock climbing on the edge of dragon territory...

But when Kay falls into a deep, fast-flowing stream, she is rescued by a dragon. The first she has ever really seen, and the first dragon anyone has talked to for decades. Artegal is young and curious, just like Kay, and they agree to keep meeting secretly, to learn about each other. And they become friends.

There are those in the military, however, who are uncomfortable with potentially dangerous enemies controlling a large swath of former US territory. While Kay and Artegal are peacefully exploring dragon/human history, war is being planned. US planes, designed to mimic the superior maneuverability of dragon flying, have invaded dragon airspace. And the dragons are retaliating, setting Kay's town alight. Kay and Aregal realize that their friendship might be the only way to bring peace back...if they are willing to follow the clues in an ancient book of dragon lore and risk being seen as traitors to their own people.

And as this all is building up, Kay's worried about what to wear to the school dance, her best (boy) friend, Jon, is become more than a friend, and Kay's anxious and uncertain about that (although happy, too), and her best (girl) friend, Tam, is pushing her to go further and faster....

The alternate history is intriguing, with enough detail given about how things ended up this way to be satisfying, while allowing for unexplored mysteries to remain (it's a bit odd, for instance, that all human/dragon communication was cut off so aburptly). This is the first of a series, and although it ends at a good point (in a "the first chapter is over" type way), it also is clear that Kay and Artegal are about to plunge into a new adventure. Will Kay and Jon ever get a chance to actually go as far as Tam thinks they should??? Is peace possible??? And just who are these dragons, anyway???

Voices of Dragons might well appeal to steampunk fans, with its playful alternate history; it has definite appeal for dragon fans; and, in addition, has enough sort of chick-lit YA to it to (perhaps) reach even those who like their YA romances sans fantasy. It doesn't have tremendous depth of character, nor did it evoke tremendously strong feelings for me, but it was a fast, entertaining, read.

(note on age-appropriateness: it's very YA in the (minor) subplot about having sex (or not), but although there's chatter, nothing actually happens).

Here are some other reviews, at Fantasy Magazine, Steph Su Reads, and Book Crazy. And the first chapter's up at Carrie Vaughn's website, if you want to check it out for yourself....

New releases of fantasy and science fiction books for teenagers and kids--the middle of May, 2010 edition

Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teens from the middle of May. As ever, the information comes from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs, unless otherwise noted, come from the publishers via Amazon.

THE ADVENTURES OF HOTSY TOTSY by Clive Cussler “Take a look at Casey and Lacey Nicefolk and you'll see two regular, all-American kids. But these brother-and-sister twins have a secret. Hidden in the family barn is the most magical-and coolest-gadget unknown to man: a mystical box that can turn any small object into a life-size replica. When the twins' parents go out of town, the two decide to put the box to use. Taking a model boat, they create a fully functioning powerboat and enter a race up the Sacramento River. But this is no ordinary boat, and this is no ordinary race. What follows is a nautical adventure where being the first to cross the finish line is not the only prize.”

ALISON DARE: THE HEART OF THE MAIDEN and ALISON DARE: LITTLE MISS ADVENTURE by J. Torres. "Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft in fabulous, graphic adventures.Alison Dare is not your typical twelve-year-old. She's the daughter of an archaeologist/adventurer and the masked hero known as the Blue Scarab. To top it off, she's also the niece of an international super-spy; it's no surprise that a craving for danger is in her blood! Unfortunately, her parents have locked her away at the prestigious St. Joan's Academy for Girls, hoping that this would lead to a more "normal" life for their daughter. But despite all the strict rules at the school, Alison and her best pals - Wendy and Dot - somehow manage to find themselves involved in adventures that rival those of Alison's globetrotting, planet-saving relatives. Whether it's magic genies, super-powered bank robbers, or a dastardly baron bent on world domination, Alison Dare delivers the best thrills since Indiana Jones and more action than Lara Croft!"

BLIMPO: THE THIRD CIRCLE OF HECK by Dale E. Basye. “With more clever, dark humor and zany silliness, Dale E. Basye sends Milton and Marlo Fauster back for thirds in another laugh-out-loud installment of the popular series Heck. Welcome to Blimpo, where the, um, plump kids go. After his second escape from Bea "Elsa" Bubb, the Principal of Darkness, Milton Fauster makes his way to Blimpo—the circle of the otherworldly reform school, Heck, where he's sure his friend Virgil is sentenced. What Milton finds in Blimpo horrifies him. The overweight dead kids spend most of their time running on giant human hamster wheels called DREADmills that detect and exploit their deepest fears. The rest they spend eating Hambone Hank's barbecue—mystery meat that is delicious, but suspiciously (to Milton, anyway) haunting. Every classroom has a huge TV screen showing happy thin people who taunt Blimpo residents with a perfection they will never attain. Meanwhile, at her new job in the devil's Infernship program, Milton's sister, Marlo, knows all about trying to achieve perfection. And failing miserably. Can Milton get himself and Virgil out of Blimpo in time to rescue Marlo, too? Or is Fauster the next delicacy on Bea "Elsa" Bubb's menu?”

FALCON QUINN AND THE BLACK MIRROR by Jennifer Finney Boylan. "Thirteen-year-old Falcon Quinn and his neighbors, Max and Megan, board bus number 13 for school on an ordinary day in Cold River, Maine. Only the bus doesn't take its ordinary route, and Falcon and his friends soon find themselves in an extraordinary place—on Shadow Island, at the Academy for Monsters. With a student body stranger than the cast of any monster movie Falcon has ever seen, the academy is home to creatures and oddities of all kinds. In the academy's atmosphere, Falcon's friends begin to unleash and enjoy their monster natures, from flying with Pearl, La Chupakabra, to decaying with the "Zombie Snap." Falcon has always felt different, with his one bright blue eye and one shadow-black eye, but is he really a monster? Will he discover the other thing that makes him different when he finds himself in the Black Mirror? And when he learns that the school's mission is to teach students to hide their aberrant natures, Falcon and his friends need to find a way to fight back for their monster selves."

FIRE IN THE SKY: SEEKERS by Erin Hunter. “The spirits dance like fire in the sky. . . . The three cubs—Kallik, Toklo, and Lusa—along with their shape-shifting companion, Ujurak, stand on the edge of the sea-ice under the blazing Northern Lights. The land has come to an end, but the bears' journey is far from over. Now they must put their trust in Kallik's paws, as she feels the ice pulling her out toward the ocean. Life on the ice is more difficult than the bears imagined. While Kallik struggles to remember her polar bear roots, Toklo bristles in the unfamiliar territory and Lusa gets weaker by the day; black and brown bears don't belong on the ice. Meanwhile, Ujurak learns firsthand what lurks beneath the whorls and bubbles of the ice, and what he discovers will change everything. Just when it seems like they'll never survive in the frozen wilderness, a mystical encounter with a bear spirit assures them that all will be well. But this strange vision leads to even more questions, and ultimately it might tear the bears apart—this time for good—as the next steps of their journey come into focus.

I SO DON'T DO MAKEUP by Barrie Summy. "What's better than a sleepover? A sleepover with makeovers! Sherry and her friends have an awesome time with eye shadow, glitter, and more hair products than a salon. But when the girls wake up the next morning with serious skin issues, Sherry is freaked. Someone must have tampered with her makeup! It turns out that the mall's cosmetics kiosk has had lots of products returned by upset customers. Sherry is determined to get to the bottom of things. After all, she's a bit of a crime-solving celebrity (well, at least in the spirit world). Ghost academies around the world are impressed by Sherry's and her ghost mom's skills. And if anyone can solve a mystery involving mascara, it's Sherry Holmes Baldwin."

IVY'S EVER AFTER by Dawn Lairamore. “Once upon a time in the kingdom of Ardendale there lived a spirited princess named Ivy, who had no interest in being rescued by Prince Charming, and an undersized dragon named Elridge, who was better at solving word puzzles than breathing fire. Sailing into this world on a ship made of whale bones came Romil, a handsome prince with dastardly designs on Princess Ivy and her kingdom. Ivy and Elridge, both disappointments to their families, join forces to try and thwart Romil's evil plot. In the process these traditional enemies become fast freinds, discover hidden strengths, and earn the respect of all who know them. Full of humor and high adventure--and plenty of slightly skewed fairy-tale motifs--this frothy fractured fairy tale is sure to delight young readers.”

KERKA'S BOOK: THE FAIRY GODMOTHER ACADEMY by Jan Bozarth. "In the second title in the Fairy Godmother Academy series, the narrative viewpoint switches to Kerka, the sidekick in Birdie’s Book (2009), who is now on a quest to her sister Biba’s voice, as well as her own destiny. Ever since their mother died, Biba has not talked, and as Kerka, 13, trains to become a fairy godmother, she reenters the dreamland of Aventurine and embarks on a perilous journey in which she confronts her own shortcomings. The blend of magical detail with family drama will hold fantasy fans, even those new to the series." (from Booklist)


KID VS. SQUID by Greg van Eekhout. "Thatcher Hill is bored stiff of his summer job dusting the fake mermaids and shrunken heads at his uncle's seaside Museum of Curiosities. But when a mysterious girl steals an artifact from the museum, Thatcher's summer becomes an adventure that takes him from the top of the ferris wheel to the depths of the sea. Following the thief, he learns that she is a princess of the lost Atlantis. Her people have been cursed by an evil witch to drift at sea all winter and wash up on shore each summer to an even more terrible fate—working the midway games and food stands on the boardwalk. Can Thatcher help save them before he, too, succumbs to the witch's curse?"


LEGENDS: BATTLES AND QUESTS by Anthony Horowitz, "Including King Arthur, The Minotaur, Inca legends and more! There was a time when monsters and dragons roamed the earth and the gods walked among us. A time of blood, swords and furious battles. A time of legends, heroes, darkness and death . . ."



MONSTER SLAYERS by Lukas Ritter. "When vicious, dog-headed gnolls kidnap everyone living in the small village of Hesiod, only Evin and his fighter friend Jorick manage to escape. With help from an ancient guidebook of magical beasts called A Practical Guide to Monsters, the two boys and a new friend--elf wizard Betilivatis--must trek through ancient ruins and face one menacing monster after another in order save their families. But Evin soon realizes that not everything is as it seems. Someone--or something--has taken leadership of the gnolls and has dangerous plans for the kidnapped villagers. Betilivatis often disappears mysteriously and has strange conversations with someone only she can see. And Evin is having unusual dreams of a place he's never been, a place that feels more and more real with each passing day."

PHANTOM OF BLOOD ALLEY: BARNABY GRIMES by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell. "Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, high-stacking his way across the rooftops of his city in search of adventure and mystery. In each tale, he encounters a supernatural force and must battle the horrors that await him. In this new adventure, Barnaby finds himself in the fiercely competitive world of early photography, where the rewards are immense but so are the risks. After an experiment goes disastrously wrong, Barnaby is on the trail of a mad chemist with a talent for disappearing into thin air. . . ."


THE RING OF FIVE by Eoin McNamee. "The Ring of Five, set at a school for spies, is full of surprises as well as fascinating questions about loyalty, destiny, and what it means to be a spy. Danny Caulfield doesn't know how he ended up at a mysterious academy called Wilsons. A few of the students are pretty scary. Someone tries to murder him. Even the ravens that haunt the school seem to be against him. Yet he also finds friends: Les, an exceptional thief; Dixie, who has an unsettling talent; and Vandra, a physick with special powers. It turns out that Danny is destined for a terrifying mission. As he embarks on his training, he is shocked and secretly thrilled to discover that he seems to have all the natural gifts of the perfect spy—most importantly, the ability to betray."

SUPER HUMAN by Michael Carroll. "Four thousand years ago the world’s first super human walked the earth. Possessing the strength of one hundred men, skin impervious to attack, and the ability to read minds, this immortal being used his power to conquer and enslave nations. Now plans are in motion that will transport this super human to the present, where he’ll usher in a new age of tyranny unlike anything the world has ever seen. Determined to stand against them, using powers they’ve only just begun to master, is a ragtag group of young heroes. For them this first test may be their greatest . . . and last."


THE WIDE-AWAKE PRINCESS by E. D. Baker. “In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake. But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn't possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father's guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own."

YOUNG ADULT

THE FIRE OPAL by Regina McBride. "There was a time when Maeve O'Tullagh led a simple life; a time when she and her mother, Nuala, collected kelp on the foreshore near their cottage in Ard Macha; a time when she played among the Celtic ruins with her older brothers and daydreamed about the legendary Holy Isles, an enchanted land ruled in a past age by a beautiful goddess. But after Maeve's sister, Ishleen, is born, her mother sinks into a deep, impenetrable trance. For years, Maeve tries to help her mother "awaken," and then the unthinkable happens: Ishleen succumbs to the same mysterious ailment as Nuala. Heartbroken to think that her sister and her mother might be lost to her forever, Maeve sets off on an unimaginable quest to a world filled with fantastical creatures, a web of secrets, a handsome, devious villain who will stop at nothing to have her hand in marriage—braving them all to retrieve a powerful glowing stone that will help her recover the souls of her loved ones and bring them home to Ard Macha."

THE GOLDEN SPIRAL: THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum. “His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back . . . The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically. As Abby s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante or doom him. With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point and beyond. Zo s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected and unlikely ally. The bank is eroding. The barriers are thinning. And time is running out.”


HELL'S HEROES: THE DEMONATA by Darren Shan. "Beranabus and Dervish are gone. Bec has formed an unholy alliance with Lord Loss. Kernel is blind, held on Earth against his will. Grubbs is mad with grief and spinning out of control. The demons are crossing. The Disciples are falling. The Shadow is waiting. Welcome to the end."


ILLYRIA by Elizabeth Hand. “Madeleine and Rogan are first cousins, best friends, twinned souls, each other’s first love. Even within their large, disorderly family—all descendants of a famous actress—their intensity and passion for theater sets them apart. It makes them a little dangerous. When they are cast in their school’s production of Twelfth Night, they are forced to face their separate talents and futures, and their future together. This masterful short novel, winner of the World Fantasy Award, is magic on paper.”

INK BLOOM: DRAW AND PAINT A FANTASY ADVENTURE by Jim Pavelec & Chris Seaman. “Create an array of fantastic alien creatures, landscapes, ships and background elements while being entertained with the story of a strong female character and learning how illustration and story work hand in hand. Follow Hachi, a 17-year-old girl of Chinese-Japanese descent immediately following World War II, as she discovers herself and her innate powers while traveling to futuristic worlds, encountering new friends and terrible foes that will push her newfound powers to their limits.”

RESTORING HARMONY by Joelle Anthony. "The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapse—one of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities. Molly is relieved to find her grandparents alive in their Portland suburb, but they’re financially ruined and practically starving. What should’ve been a quick trip turns into a full-fledged rescue mission. And when Molly witnesses something the local crime bosses wishes she hadn’t, Molly’s only way home may be to beat them at their own game. Luckily, there’s a handsome stranger who’s willing to help."

THE RISE OF RENEGADE X by Chelsea M. Campbell. "Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he has only six weeks to prove he's not a hero in any way, or else he's stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.To get out of this mess, Damien has to survive his dad's "flying lessons" that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city--despite his nearly debilitating fear of heights--thwarting the eccentric teen scientist who insists she's his sidekick, and keeping his supervillain girlfriend from finding out the truth. But when Damien uncovers a dastardly plot to turn all the superheroes into mindless zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he discovers he cares about his new family more than he thought. Now he has to choose: go back to his life of villainy and let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero."

STILL SUCKS TO BE ME: THE ALL-TRUE CONFESSIONS OF MINA SMITH, TEEN VAMPIRE
by Kimberly Pauley. "With vampire boyfriend George and best friend Serena by her side, Mina thought she had her whole life—or rather afterlife—ahead of her. But then Mina’s parents drop a bomb. They’re moving. To Louisiana. And not somewhere cool like New Orleans, but some teeny, tiny town where cheerleaders and jocks rule the school. Mina has to fake her death, change her name, and leave everything behind, including George and Serena. Not even the Vampire Council’s shape-shifting classes can cheer her up. Then Serena shows up on Mina’s doorstep with some news that sends Mina reeling. Mina may look a lot better with fangs, but her afterlife isn’t any less complicated!"

THE WATER SEEKER by Kimberly Willis Holt. "Amos Kincaid is the son of a dowser – a person gifted in knowing how to “find” water deep in the ground. As a young person, Amos doesn’t reveal his gift to others; he’s not sure he wants the burden. But through his experiences growing up and crossing the Oregon Trail, Amos learns about life’s harsh realities, especially the pain in losing loved ones. As he cares for those around him, Amos comes to accept his dowsing fate. This epic novel is a fascinating period piece about the westward expansion and one man’s destiny as he searches for love and family."


WINTERCRAFT by Jenna Burtenshaw. “Ten years ago Kate Winters’ parents were taken by the High Council’s wardens to help with the country’s war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane – the High Council’s most feared man – recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council’s experiments into the veil, and he’s convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft – a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.”

Troll Fell, by Katherine Langrish

Troll Fell, by Katherine Langrish (Harper Collins, 2004, middle grade on up, 264 pages in its US incarnation).

When his father died, young Peer became enslaved by his two ogreish uncles, who run a mill under the shadow of the mysterious Troll Fell. But his uncles didn't take him in just to have a boy to work for them. From overheard fragments of their conversation, Peer learns that they have plans for him--plans involving the trolls that live beneath the mountain, with their unimaginable wealth. Wealth that his uncles would happily sell him for.

In the same village lives Hilde, daughter of a farmer gone a Viking. With her father away, it's up to Hilde to keep the trolls from being too pestersome--generally a few thwacks with a broom is enough. But when the greed of the millers pulls her family into their dark plotting, Hilde and Peer must join forces, and brave the world below the hill to save to innocent children...

This the sort of story that has a very pleasant solidity to it. Part of this stems from the physical descriptions (evocative without weighing things down), and part comes from the engaging protagonists and the repulsive villains. But perhaps most of all, it's the inclusion of a wealth of non-human folkloric creatures that makes this such an interesting book. Besides the trolls themselves, these creatures include the sinister Granny Greenteeth and the put-upon Nis (the household helper at the mill), who provide spookiness and comic relief, receptively. These creatures are firmly in the Real world--part and parcel of life in this alternate Scandinavia (I was reminded quite a bit of Jan Brett's trolls, which have a similar meeting of the mundane and the fantastic).

And as well as the pleasure of reading a good story, well told, it's an awfully nice change to read a fantasy story in which neither of the children is Chosen or Special. Peer and Hilde are two ordinary kids, sharing the world with extraordinary creatures, but possessing no magic themselves. Just pluck.


Here's the UK cover at right--I think it is closer to the feel of the book, what with the eye peering through the crack....

The story of Peer and Hilde continues with Troll Mill and Troll Blood...both of which are now high on my reading list.



And finally, here's Katherine Langrish's website, where there's lots to see and do.

The Pig Scrolls and The Pig Who Saved the World, by Paul Shipton

For young fans of Greek mythology, here is a diverting series that puts a fresh spin on the world of gods and monsters. The Pig Scrolls (2005) and The Pig Who Saved the World (2006), by Paul Shipton, tell the story of Gryllus, who sailed with Odysseus home from the Trojan War, and who was turned into a pig by Circe the enchantress. When all his shipmates were transformed back, Gryllus hid in the woods. After all, life as a pig was somehow more satisfying--sun on the back, tasty treats, low expectations--than the nasty and brutish humanity of his former life.

But sometimes even a pig can become caught up in adventure, and this is what happens to Gryllus when his path crosses that of Sybil, a desperate young oracle-in-training commanded by Apollo to find the talking pig. She's desperate with good reason--something strange is happening on Mount Olympus, and the followers of Thanatos (aka Death) are gaining in strength. Joined by a rather odd goatherd (nicknamed Bumscruff by Gryllus) the trio sets out to journey to Delphi and save the world. Beset by monsters at (not quite) every turn, and regarded much too hungrily by Epicurius and his cohort (who have never had the chance to eat talking pig before) it's a bit much for our porcine hero. But at the end he finds it in himself to save the world....

In the his second adventure, Gryllus and Sibyl are off to find Circe--the pig is ready to be human again. But once more, they are plunged into mythological mayhem. With the severed, yet still sentient, head of Orpheus in tow, and accompanied by Tithonus (in the grasshopper stage of his eternal life) they must escape from Cyclopses and sea monsters to defeat a new danger to the cosmos. Can a rather pie-obsessed pig be a hero once again?

Light-hearted and fast-paced, these are very entertaining books. Gryllus' narrative, filled with introspective asides about what a pig wants, and snarky commentary about this, that, and the other, held my attention nicely. He is something of an anti-hero--it's pretty much a given that he'd rather run than fight. And from this comes the emotional tension of the stories, because as he and Sybil go through repeated trials and tribulations, it's clear that in spite of his continued displeasure with heroics, Gryllus is growing up, and putting aside piggish things. It's never a given that Gryllus will do the brave thing, or even do his best, but, at the end, he manages to come through....Sybil, on the other hand, has spunk and brains for two.

Age-wise, this is just fine for older middle grade kids on up, and a rather fun read for grown-ups too! (Especially the second book, which I thought was tighter. And I liked the Cyclopses lots).

(disclaimer: review copies received from the publisher, Candlewick)

World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself

World Myths and Legends: 25 Projects You Can Build Yourself, by Kathy Ceceri, illustrated by Shawn Braley (Nomad Press, 2010, 119pp)

Although this book might sound like a fairly ordinary craft book, it is much more--it is also an excellent introduction to the cultures and myths of a diverse selection of peoples, and one I highly recommend to home-schoolers in particular. As well as the coverage of the expected European civilizations (Greece, Rome, and Northern Europe), the book includes Egypt and Mesopotamia, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Japan, Australia, and North, South, and Central Australia. That being said, it is still is somewhat euro-centric (the map of important places has more points in the European region than elsewhere), and the book begins with Europe.

The 25 projects of the title are nestled into extremely informative text, providing both historical background for the cultures in question, at a fairly high level of detail and vocabulary. Helpful "Words to Know" blocks educate and clarify--one such selection includes personification, spiritual, avatar, unity, reincarnation, caste, karma, and dharma. Although the book does include well-written retellings of various myths, because they are accompanied by such education-driven material, reading this book is much more an actively learning/discussing/comparing experience than a standard anthology of "stories from many lands" book.

The projects themselves are extremely varied, and go beyond simple craft-ness. For instance, one activity for the Greek section is to use Euclidian geometry to make an equilateral triangle--fun with compasses! For the Celts, the reader is instructed in the making of a Beltane flower hair wreath and a Triskeles armband; the African section tells how to make a version of Ashanti Adinkra cloth. I could go on...but the point is that these are rather cool projects, such as I have never seen elsewhere.

Fun and instructive!

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Today's Non-fiction Monday round-up is at Picture Book of the Day.

Today's Round-up of Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy from around the blogs

Welcome to my 25th (!!!) round up of the week's worth of posts about middle grade fantasy and science fiction (well, all right, no science fiction, as usual, but if there were it would be here) found around the blogging world. It makes me sad when I see posts later on that I missed, so please, if you know of any I don't have, let me know, in the comments or via email (charlotteslibrary at gmail dot com).

Reviews:

Athena, Grey Eyed Goddess, by George O'Conner, at Becky's Book Reviews.
Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, by Andrea Beaty, at Books4yourkids
Carbonel, the King of Cats, by Barbara Sleigh, at Tor.
Catweazle, by Richard Carpenter, at Charlotte's Library.
Drizzle, by Kathleen Van Cleeve, at Charlotte's Library.
Grow Up, the fourth Daniel Boom book, by David Steinberg, at Lori Calabrese
The Keeper's Tattoo, by Gill Arbuthnott, at Today's Adventure.
Kid vs Squid, by Greg Van Eekhout, at Charlotte's Library.
The Lost Children, by Carolyn Cohagan, at 512 Kids.
The Pyramid of Souls (Magickeeper, Book 2), by Erica Kirov, at Joe Barone's Blog.
Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, by R.L. LaFevers, at Greg Leitch Smith's blog
Tortilla Sun, by Jennifer Cervantes, at Reading in Color.
Zeus, King of the Gods, by George O'Conner, at Becky's Book Reviews.

Miscellany:

The Story Slueths are looking closely at Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin, this month, and here's a reaction to their first post at Fairrosa Cyber Library.

Colleen's May column at Bookslut, "Nothing is Just a Story," is all about sci fi/fantasy--lots of good books discussed!

A look at Middle Grade trends in Speculative Fiction over at The Spectacle. And speaking of trends, here's author/agent Mandy Hubbard's take: "The middle grade market is pretty wide-open... Just make sure, again, not to be too derivative-- no orphan wizards, people."

And speaking of orphans, I have a post on Good Mothers in mg sci fi/fantasy here.

A discussion of how bad the bad guys should be, at kt literary, with lots of discussion in the comments.

An interview with Rick Riordan at Shelf Awareness, an interview with Rhonda Hayter (author of The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams) at Literary Asylum, and a great interview with R.L. LaFevers at Hello Ello 2.

There's lots of fantastical beast goodness over at The Book Aunt!

And finally, here's a lovely post about ghost stories for children at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles (the blog of Katherine Langrish).