This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction reviews and news

Welcome to another week of middle grade science fiction and fantasy postings from around the blogging world, in which I have searched for everything I could find of interest to aficionados of this particular genre. If you review a mg sff book anytime in this coming week, if you know of something I missed this week, or if you have any other questions or comments, please let me know in the comments or via email! Thanks!

The Big MG SFF news today is that nominations for the Cybils have now closed, and 143 books are in contention! (this number might change slightly). Fantasy continues to dominate--of the eligible books, sixteen (by my reckoning, which might change once I've actually read all the books) are science fiction/future dystopian. However, I'm pretty sure this is more than there were last year...

The Reviews:

Among Ghosts, by Amber Benson, at The Bibliophilic Book Blog.

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, by Eoin Colfer, at Bookworming in the 21st Century.

Blimpo: The Third Circle of Heck, by Dale E. Basye, at Back to Books.

The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski, at Kindle Books: Children's Books, Literature.

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When, by Annette Laing, at The Children's War.

Enchanted Glass, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Vulpes Libris.

Falling in, by Frances O'Rouke Dowell, at Confessions of a Book Addict

The Familiars, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, at Bart's Bookshelf.

Forbidden Sea, by Sheila Neilsen, at Ms. Yingling Reads.

The Game, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Stella Matutina

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, at Super Librarian Reviews.

Haunted Houses, by Robert San Souci, at Great Kid Books.

Kid vs. Squid, by Greg van Eekhout, at Ms. Yingling Reads.

The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, at the Kirkus Review Blog.

Luka and the Fire of Life, by Salman Rushdie, at The Telegraph.

Mistress of the Storm, by M.L. Welsh, at Nayu's Reading Corner.

On the Blue Comet, by Rosemary Wells, at Ms. Yingling Reads.

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, at Super Librarian Reviews.

Princess for Hire, by Lindsey Leavitt, at Charlotte's Library.

Radiance, by Alyson Noel, at Nayu's Reading Corner, Ms. Yingling Reads, and The O.W.L.

The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi at BookKids

Stopping for a Spell, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Stella Matutina.

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex, at Stacked.

The Tune is in the Tree, by Maud Hart Lovelace (yes, the Betsty-Tacy author wrote a fantasy story!), at A Library is a Hospital for the Mind.

Wiff and Dirty George: the Z.E.B.R.A. Incident, by Stephen Swinburne, at Ms. Yingling Reads.

Some posts with multiple reviewing bang for the buck:

At Random Musings of a Bibliophile, Brandy is reading Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci books for the first time...(and liking them lots!)

Ms. Yingling (who is truly this weeks winner for the most mg sff books reviewed) looks at The Immortals (the Edge Chronicles) by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, Unearthly Asylum, by P.J. Bracegirdle, and Curse of the Spider King: The Berinfell Prophecies, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.

And a few days before that, Ms. Yingling wrote about The Magic Thief: Found, by Sarah Prineas, The Celestial Globe, by Marie Rutkoski, and Ivy's Ever After, by Dawn Lairamore

And even before that, Ms. Yingling read A Nest for Celeste, by Henry Cole, Whistle Bright Magic, a Nutfolk Tale, by Barb Bentler Ullman, and Legends: Battles and Quests, by Anthony Horowitz.

And finally (guess which Cybils Panel Ms. Yingling is on! Yes, the elementary/middle grade sff!), in this post are reviews of Smells Like Dog, by Suzanne Selfors, and Ortega, by Maureen Fergus.

Another three for one post is here at Charlotte's Library--Fiendish Deeds, by P.J. Bracegirdle, Forbidden Sea, by Sheila Neilsen, and Zombiekins, by Kevin Bolger.

Interviews and Writers talking about themselves and their books:

An interview with Aaron Blecha, illustrator of Zombiekins (and other books) at Literary Asylum

Jennifer Neilson (Elliot and the Goblin War) is interviewed at The Enchanted Inkpot.

Matthew J. Kirby (The Clockwork Three) is this weeks Big Idea at Whatever

Andrew Jacobson (The Familiars) at Sisters in Scribe

Janice Hardy (Blue Fire) continues her blog tour (that's a link to day 12; scroll down her blog for more days), with lots of fascinating posts hither and yon.

Other things of great interest:

Week 5 of Fairytale Reflections at Katherine Langrish's blog, Seven Miles of Steel Thistles, continues, this week featuring middle grade fantasy author Kate Forsyth.

The Class of 2k10 is having a fabulous giveaway for Book Clubs that includes a mg fantasy prize pack (10 copies of each of three books!!!!)

Willy the Wizard is going to face off against Harry Potter in court...

Slightly old news: Michelle Paver has won the prestigious Guardian children's fiction prize for Ghost Hunter, the sixth and final volume of her Guardian's of Ancient Darkness series (this is on my Cybils reading list, and I'm looking forward to it!)

Anamaria at Books Together continues her Middle Grade Gallery Series with the portrait of Queen Etheldredda, from Physik, by Angie Sage.

And speaking of paintings, here is one of my favorite pieces of fantasy art, from German artist Michael Sowa (whose book of collected paintings, Sowa's Ark, I love to pieces):

Three haunting books

Even though the sun has come out, it is sufficiently blustery outside to make reading inside for the Halloween Reading Challenge (which I joined at the last minute) a rather nice thing to do. Here are the three middle grade fantasy/horror books that I've read today:

The Joy of Spooking, Book 1: Fiendish Deeds, by P.J. Bracegirdle (2008, 215 pages) Despite incessant taunting from the residents of ultra-bright Darlington down below, Joy loves the all but abandoned hamlet of Spooking, where she lives in an old house full of remnants of the past, with a pleasingly gloomy swamp and a large cemetery adding ambiance. When a water amusement park threatens the swamp, Joy is determined to save it....after all, it is almost certainly the home of the hideous Bog Fiend, made (moderately) famous in the fiction of her favorite author, horror writer E.A. Peugeot. But supernatural horrors pale in comparison to the determination of the mayor's nefarious assistant to get the bulldozers going...

Dark gothic fun for the young reader, although there is some strong stuff here, including a grisly chainsaw murder (the details aren't given, but the imagination has more than enough to go on). I'd advise caution here, because it's rather icky. And there are lots of leaches. On the other hand, Joy, with her spunky intelligence, Peugeot obsession, and penchant for dressing in the abandoned clothes of yesteryear (they came with the house) is a most engaging heroine. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Forbidden Sea, by Sheila A. Nielson (2010, 296 pages). Adrienne has heard the story all her life--of how, years before, a mermaid had laid waste to the island, before taking a beautiful girl away, under the water, forever. Now the mermaid has returned, and is haunting Adrienne....the cuts of her fingernails swollen welts on Adrienne's arm, her voice in Adrienne's ears, sleeping and waking. Adrienne's life is already hard--poverty-stricken after her father's death, her family is struggling to survive, and she is convinced she faces a life of bitterness and drudgery. But then the mermaid offers her a chance of a life beyond her wildest dreams--if she forsakes the land, and all those whom she loves, for the sea.

I wasn't sure about this one at first--the characters and the action seemed to me to lack subtly, and the writing felt stiff. Adrienne, who narrates this story, is, with reason, not a happy person to spend time with, and I found the cast of characters to be rather unsympathetic in general (many of them needed a good shaking). But by the middle of the book, I had become, all unwitting, absorbed in the story, and the last hundred pages flew by as the unpleasantness of Adrienne's life turned into a fantasy wish-fulfillment story with a satisfying ending. This one falls on the upper end of mg--it might be just the thing for the eleven or so year old girl who isn't ready for fantasy that's heavy on the romance, but wants something moving in that direction.

Zombiekins, by Kevin Bolger (2010, 206 pages, but not nearly as many words as that suggests). The witty account of a stuffed animal who is Evil. Who is, in fact, a Zombie! Who is turning all the school children into zombies! Who must be stopped!

Copious illustrations of charm (well, in an un-dead kind of way) and humor, and a pleasingly dry tone make this more than just a silly story. A good one for the Wimpy Kid reader who detests cute stuffed animals that giggle annoyingly. A bad one for the kid who might have nightmares about being suffocated by their own stuffed animals. It is easy to tell these two groups apart, by showing them the cover. Some, like my seven year old, will be repulsed and frightened and ask that it be placed face down once at home. Others, like the random boy of around that age who happened to be at the circulation desk of the library at the same time as us, will be intrigued.

This morning's reading is a nice example of why I am so fond of mg/younger YA fantasy and science fiction--there is so much variety within the genre that it does not grow stale!

Time to read....

The Cybils nominations are closed (you can see the lists at the Cybils site), and I have about 80 books to read in the next two months. It's a cold damp day here in southern New England, so working in the yard isn't going to happen. What I'd like to be doing is going to the Rhode Island Festival of Children's Books and Authors, but the car is going to be in Boston (I took my oldest to this festival when he was three--he's always been a huge fan of David Macaulay, who is a regular at it. Poor Mr. Macaulay looked a tad alarmed when I told him my boy wanted to know where he lived so he could go sit outside his house and see more of him).

So I've joined a Halloween Readathon at the last minute!

Princess For Hire, by Lindsey Leavitt

Princess For Hire, by Lindsey Leavitt (Hyperion 2010, upper middle grade, 256 pages)

Who would have thought that fish in a pet store aquarium could grant wishes? Not Desi. But reeling from an unfortunate encounter--one in which the head of her groundhog costume (part of her pet store job) is ripped off by her ex-best friend in front of the boy she's been crushing on for ages---she's willing to suspend disbelief. "I wish I was the kind of person who made an impact" (page 15).

Her chance comes that night, when a strange woman appears inside an iridescent bubble and offers Desi the chance to become a substitute princess. Turns out there's a lot of demand for girls with a touch of magic to them, willing to fill in for princesses who want to take a break. So Desi signs on the dotted line...and is off on a whirlwind adventure of princessly proportions.

Life as a princess, as Desi is soon to find out, isn't all yachts and bonbons. As a novice, Desi is starting at the bottom of the princess scale...the "easy" princesses, the one's whose lives aren't likely to be messed up by substitute incompetence. But Desi, even though she's not incompetent, had wished to make an impact....and before she's done, she's interfered rather dramatically with the lives of a Sheikh's daughter, the daughter of an Amazonian Chief, and that of a lonely girl from a very obscure branch of European royalty.

The job is not an easy one--it doesn't come with instructions about how to play the French horn, perform a tribal dance, or how to know when to kiss a handsome prince....but by trusting to her instincts, Desi finds the confidence to truly make an impact (for the better) on her princesses...and she gains confidence in her own life as well.

It's a fun and diverting book in its episodic way, and I'm pleased that two more are on the way. But, despite the pink and fluffy cover, it's not all makeup and fancy living. The lives that Desi steps into aren't anything like those lived by the stereotypical princess of her imaginings, for one thing (and I was rather pleased that my hackles weren't raised by Neo Colonialism/Western Imperialism in Leavitt's portrayal of these princess). But what raises it above just light reading into the realm of the thought-provoking is the rather appealing message that a fresh perspective on one's life can spotlight things that can be changed for the better.

And now I am now awfully curious about where the princesses go when they're "on vacation" from their own lives...

Note on age: The interest in boys side of life is part of the story, and there is one kiss, but it lightly done, and the book as a whole is very "middle grade" in feel -- less personal angst (although there is some) and more fun adventure than one finds in the average YA book.

My stupid chicken

Some days all one has to offer one's readers is a picture of a really stupid chicken. Here is Aggie, who climbed into an apple tree yesterday, and couldn't get down again:

She required rescuing. Earlier in the evening she had tried to roost in a forsythia bush (she can't remember how to find the coop under the barn) and had gotten stuck in that. We were alerted to this calamity by the violent shaking of the bush and frenzied bawk-ing....which, since she is supposed to be a Sekrit Chicken (zoning issues) is a bad thing....

What hasn't been nominated for the Cybils in elementary/middle grade sci fi/fantasy--a long list

I've taken down this list of books that hadn't yet been nominated in elementary/middle grade sci fi/fantasy for the Cybils Awards; nominations are now closed.

Thanks to all who nominated books!

Time Piper, by Delia Huddy

Time Piper, by Delia Huddy (Greenwillow, YA, 1979)

In contemporary England (book-wise, not 2010), young Luke is biding his time waiting to go study math at university. The boredom of life at home is broken when he sees the village lads savagly pursuing a strange girl across the countryside. Luke comes to her rescue, and is enchanted by her strange, fey beauty...Hare, as she is called, has drawn the ire of the villagers because of her differences (if the book were being written today, she'd be called autistic). But though she's set apart from normal human interactions, Luke is obsessed by her.

It is something of a relief both to Luke and his own family when he gets a job in London, working on a tremendously exciting scientific project. A renowned scientist has formulated a way to make a time machine (explained pretty convincingly--it involves tacheons, and polarities, and that sort of thing). But it is hard for Luke to immerse himself fully in the project, because Hare has come to London too, and is squatting in an abandoned house nearby. And joining her are other young people like herself, people similarly detached from human relationships.

They have been drawn to the time machine...and when at last, the switch is turned on, the reason becomes clear. The book's title is a Big Clue; it's easy (even for a usually clue-less reader like me) to guess what story these kids are implicated in (especially with the cover showing a prancing medeivally piper).

The book itself, however, stays very much in the here and then of Luke's life. Although time slippiness is involved, no characters travel back to the past, and the travel to the present is a very small part of the book, right at the end...So although the timeslip is a central foundation to the plot, it's not exactly what the book is about.

It's much more a rather gripping story about a teenaged boy moving away from his family, finding a place with like minded people, falling into impossible love in London in the 1970s (there's lots of smoking), and trying to figure out a mystery (why are these strange kids being draw to London?). And this made for fine reading--the characters were interesting (Luke's own family life, in particular, was nicely done), as was their situation. It just wasn't exactly stirring fantasy, and the science fiction part of the time machine was likewise somewhat limited--they built it, turned it on and it worked (8 pages), it turned itself off.

Although Time Piper was first published in 1979, the edition I read was 1984- it was number 11 of the "Magic Quest" series (Tempo Books). The cover takes me right back to the bookstore I frequented in high school in the early eighties. I am glad we have travelled forward in time sufficiently so that prancing pipers such as this aren't appearing in cover art anymore.

That being said, the books in the MagicQuest series are a very appealing bunch--The Throme of the Erril of Sherill, by Patricia McKillip, The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope, and The Power of Three, by Diana Wynne Jones, among others I haven't read. It's not surprising that its such a strong list--Terri Windling put it together. Here's what she says about it:

"MagicQuest was an early attempt to create a publishing line of children's fantasy novels. I confess that I never much liked the "MagicQuest" name or logo (they came from publisher's marketing department), but I was very pleased to have the chance to put this line together, and the books themselves were wonderful.

This was back in the 1980s, however -- when many reviewers, librarians, educators, and parents still had grave doubts about the value of modern fantasy fiction (in those pre-Harry Potter Days). Thus it was an uphill struggle to get magical fiction, aside from a few annointed classics, into children's hands." (you can read more here; scroll down).

I couldn't find a list of all the title in the series--if anyone knows of such a list, I'd love to link to it!

In honor of 10/10/10-- a Cybils post of 10 books that I think should be nominated, and ten blogs to visit

Over at the Cybils Blog, Gina has put forward a challenge!

Here's Part 1: "Try to think up ten books that aren't nominated that should be and list them along with why they should be nominated."

Edited to add: most of the books I suggested here originally have since been nominated; here is a
a long list of what hasn't been nominated here, if anyone still wants ideas...but the clock is ticking!


As many of you know because I talk talk talk about it, I'm reading middle grade sci fi/fantasy for the Cybils...and I have a list of about 60 books that haven't been nominated yet. Goodness knows that we don't Actually need any more books--we have over a hundred, so far, with more doubtless to come...and it's going to be a hard job to pick a shortlist. But I think our list would be the poorer without the following books.

The Call: The Magnificent Twelve Book 1, by Michael Grant. This should be on our list because it is a funny, fast, exciting book that my 10 year old loved, and I bet it's going to be tremendously popular (and it has a cool website). (now nominated)

Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve Excellent story telling, fascinating world building, a memorable central character (SLJ has it as grades 5-7, and I've read it, so I'm pretty sure it counts as middle grade). (now nominated)

These next books should be on our list because they are continuations to very popular series-es (serii?) and will doubtless be popular themselves, and I think it would be a shame if our list didn't include them:

Lord Sunday: The Keys to the Kingdom, by Garth Nix

Sabotaged: Missing by Margaret Peterson Haddix (now nominated)

Dark Days: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (although this doesn't seem to be out yet in the US, and might be hard for us panelists to get, so it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to put it on hold till it comes out in the US...)

A Wizard of Mars, by Diane Duane (I think of this as a middle grade series, although this one might be YA) (now nominated)

The Wyverns' Treasure: Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, by R. L. LaFevers (the second book of the series, The Basilisk's Lair, is also eligible) (both nominated)

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven Book 5), by Brandon Mull (nominated)

These should be on our list-- they got lots of good buzz when they came out, but I worry that they have been forgotten about:

Powerless, by Matthew Cody

The Ever Breath, Julianna Baggott

And this one should be on our list because it's a fine book that deserved more buzz, I think, when it first came out:

Green, by Laura Peyton Roberts (now nominated)

And that's my ten (give or take)....but there are tons more that I haven't read, that I'm worried about--what if one of these is The One? I'm thinking of the new releases here, like the new Ranger's Apprentice book, which just came out, and the new Tollins book, and Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner, and Star of Stone, by Pierdomenico Baccalario, and This Isn't What it Looks Like, by Pseudonymous Bosch etc etc....



And here's Part 2 of the Challenge: "visit ten amazing kidlit blogs and tell us why you think they are amazing"

So many blogs to choose from....I'm going to cheat a bit here--my first seven are a few of my fellow Cybilians. These blogs all amaze me because somehow they just know what books I might like to read and write very nicely about them-- Book Aunt, Books Together, Ms. Yingling Reads, Finding Wonderland, Angieville, Book Nut, and Eva's Book Addiction (on the Cybils with me last year).

Another blogger whose taste in books is amazingly close to mine is Maureen, at By Singing Light; by way of contrast, I also find it amazing that Colleen, at Chasing Ray, so often writes about books I didn't know I wanted to read.

And for my last pick-um um um....Laini Taylor's blog, Grow Wings, amazes me with it's pretty colors (I enjoy the words she writes, too, of course, but when I think of her blog I see orange and blue etc etc and it makes me happy).



And part three of the challenge is to share your favorite bookstore/library; here's my own dear public library, that I slave my little fingers to the bone fundraising for, and where most of my review copies that aren't arcs find their final home (I don't particulary want to broadcast exactly where I live, so I won't name names...)

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

This Sunday sees us moving toward the homestreach of Cybils nominations. The Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy list is currently at around 100 books, and you can see it here; there are still many fine books that haven't yet been nominated, though, so if you haven't put forward your own favorite, now's the time to do it! (I've emboldened the books reviewed this week that haven't been nominated yet, as a reminder to those who loved them).

As usual, please let me know if I missed your post!

Aldwyn's Academy, by Nathan Meyer, at Manga Maniac Cafe.

Archvillain, by Barry Lyga, at Comics Worth Reading

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, by Andrea Beaty, at Coffee for the Brain

Bogbrush the Barbarian, by Howard Whitehouse, at Jean Little Library and at Book Nut.

Brains for Lunch, a Zombie Novel in Hiaku, by K.A. Holt, at The Excelsior File.

The Call (The Magnificent 12, Book 1), by Michael Grant, at Middle Grade Ninja and Charlotte's Library

Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce, at Charlotte's Library.

Dark Life, by Kat Fall, at Biblio File

The Dead Boys, by Royce Buckingham, at BC Book Talk.

Falling In, by Francis O'Roark Dowell, at Coffee for the Brain.

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Schulman, at Kidsreads.

The Invisible Order Book 1: The Rise of the Darklings, by Paul Crilley, at The Book Smugglers.

Karma Bites, by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas, at Young Adult Literature Lounge.

The Magic Thief: Found, by Sarah Prineas, at Kidsreads.

The Memory Bank, by Carolyn Coman, at Kids Lit

Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner, at BookKids

Nightshade City, by Hilary Wagner, at Lucy Was Robbed and Carol's Prints

No Such Thing as Dragons, by Philip Reeve, at Middle School Book Reviews.

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke, at Kidsreads.

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan, at Charlotte's Library

Restoring Harmony, by Joelle Anthony, at Becky's Book Reviews.

Second Hand Charm, by Julie Berry, at The Book Cellar

The Shifter (The Healing Wars Book 1) by Janice Hardy at The Book Book.

The Ship that Flew, by Hilda Lewis, at Charlotte's Library

The Smoky Corridor, by Chris Grabenstein, at Kidsreads.

Unearthly Asylum, by P.J. Bracegirdle, at Presenting Lenore.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Wolven, by Di Toft, at Charlotte's Library.

The Wyvern's Treasure, by R.L. LaFevers, at Strange and Random Happenings.

Young Wizard's Handbook: How to trap a zombie, track a vampire, and other hands-on activities for monster hunters, by A. R. Rotruck, at Jean Little Library.

At Fantasy Book Critic there's a two for one post, looking at The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, and No Such Thing as Dragons, by Phillip Reeve.


Interviews/Author Guest Posts

Tom Llewellyn (The Tilting House) at The O.W.L.

Tracy Trivas (The Wish Stealers) at Cynsations.

Paul Crilley (The Invisible Order Book 1: The Rise of the Darklings) at Whatever

Royce Buckingham (The Dead Boys) at Through the Tollbooth.

Cindy Callaghan (Just Add Magic), at Manga Maniac Cafe.

Penny Noyce (Lost in Lexicon) at Dasef Central

Hilary Wagner (Nightshade City) at Tartitude.

Kevin Bolger (Zombiekins) at Literary Asylum.

P.J. Bracegirdle (Unearthly Asylum) at Literary Asylum

Janice Hardy has kicked off her blog tour to promote her new release, Blue Fire, with an interview here at YA Highway (here's a list of all the other stops)

And in addition to all that, here's more:

Debbie Reese, at American Indians in Children's Literature, discusses the conversations/thoughts/fall out that emerged when Neil Gaiman was called out for his remark, anent The Graveyard Book, about "a few dead Indians."

Mary Hoffman is the visitor for the fourth week of Fairy Tale Reflections at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles.

Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (HarperCollins, 2010 in the US, 2008 in the UK, middle grade, 320 pages), begins thus:

"Mom, Dad--if you're listening---you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?"

To be completely honest, I'm not exactly in the Lake District.

To be completely honest, I'm more sort of in space." (page 1)

And things up in space have gone rather wrong.

Liam, the narrator, is very tall for a eleven-year old, and he's started shaving already. This leads to unpleasantness at school, where he is mocked more than a little, but it is not without advantages. He's able, for instance, to pass as an adult and go on any amusement park ride he wants to. And he's able to pass as a Dad, and win, for himself and his "daughter," the chance to go on the trip that promises the ride of a lifetime, open only to four dads, and four kids.

It takes some convincing to get his "daughter" Florida, a celebrity-obsessed girl his own age, to agree to come with him, but at last she does, and they are whisked off to China by private jet. There they find waiting for them an actual rocket ship, waiting to blast off. Much to Liam's dismay, only the kids are going to actually go into space. But the director of the program agrees to let a dad accompany them, and during the days of training that follow, Liam has to prove that he's the best dad there is.

Out in space, he's going to have to prove it all over again, and bring the kids safely home.

It's a lot for an eleven year old boy to handle, and Liam, even though he's so big, is still a kid--enthusiastic, anxious, and caring. The other three sets of kids and dads, although their characters are somewhat exaggerated (success-driven pair, money-driven pair, and intellectual accomplishment-driven pair), provide an amusing and poignant contrast to Liam's efforts to be a "good dad" to his "daughter"/friend, Florida. Even with the help of his handy reference book, "Talk to Your Teen," which he nicked from his dad (quotes from this are included, and made me chuckle), it's hard for Liam (who's not even a teen yet himself) to figure out his new role.

Cosmic is one of only four books so far this year to have received six starred reviews from the major publishing journals; its stars are very well deserved. Both an exciting adventure, and a powerful character-driven story, this is one of the more memorable books I've read this year. It's been nominated for this year's Cybils Awards in the middle grade science fiction/fantasy category, and justifiably so, given that the journey into space, although technically possible, is so unlikely as to be science fictional (the UK cover, shown at right, emphasizes this sci fi-ness). But those who normally eschew space travel books shouldn't let that bias them against this book. They should just gloss over that, and let themselves enjoy this big-hearted story.

(Because I am always looking for kids of color in sci fi/fantasy--two of the other kids are Samson Two Toure from Sierra Leone, and Hasan Xanadu from Bosnia (who I'm assuming is a Bosniak); they get considerable page time, but not enough for me to add this to my list of multicultural sci fi/fantasy).

Wolven, by Di Toft

Wolven, by Di Toft (Chicken House, middle grade, 336 pages)

Nat and his mother have come to a small English village to live with his grandparents in a house overlooked by a forbidden woods, home to a secret government research agency. People have disappeared in those woods, and many locals know secrets they aren't telling...

Soon after Nat's arrival, his grandpa offers to get him a puppy. But the dog being offered by a local farmer isn't the cute little thing either of them quite had in mind. It's the huge white thing with a head too large for its body, crusty, patchy fur, and a powerful stench. But when Nat looks into the dog's amber eyes, something strange happens--it's almost like the dog is inside his mind, showing him the death by drowning that might lie ahead if Nat won't take him, and "Woody" becomes Nat's dog.

But this isn't your average "boy and beloved canine companion" story, and Woody isn't your average malodorous mongrel. He is the last of the Wolven, an ancient race of anti-werewolves (as in wolves who can take human form). When he's human, he's just a kid who doesn't know much about how the real world works...but he does know that he's being hunted by the power-hungry evil scientist controlling the government research center. Twisted were-wolfian experiments are being conducted up in the woods--experiments that have had deadly consequences. And Woody is destined to be the next lab rat (more accurately, lab Wolven), if they can catch him.

This book came out last year in the UK, and has just recently been released here in the US (with its UK English intact, as far as I could tell--yay!). It was displayed prominently at the last Scholastic Book fair I visited--and I think it is just the sort of book that the fourth and fifth grade browsers would enjoy. The larger threat of the were-wolves and mad scientists is balanced by Nat's more personal problems of absent father and local bully; he's not a special Chosen One, but an ordinary kid in extraordinary circumstances. I especially liked Toft's decision to allow adults (including a revolver-packing, overweight, more than middle-aged woman) to act heroically and help save the day. Left to themselves, Nat and Woody, although certainly brave, would have been were-wolf toast.

The story is scary in places, but not overwhelmingly so. The disturbing experiments are, in fact, disturbing, but they aren't dwelt upon in too much detail; the main bad werewolf character is a nasty piece of work, but his nastiness is, I think, exaggerated enough so that it doesn't disturb deeply. And the danger is leavened nicely with humor.

Cat lovers might have trouble getting past the initial completely and utterly unappealing description of Woody; once this has been managed, it's a fun adventure. Although it comes to a satisfying conclusion, there is more to come--the sequel, Wolven: The Twilight Circus, is already out in the UK (thanks to Geranium Cat for bringing that to my attention).

Other reviews at Manga Maniac Cafe and Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books.

The Elementary and Middle Grade SFF Cybils Nominees

Nominations for the Cybils Awards are now closed.

Here are the 147 books that us mg sff panelists are busily reading:

13 Treasures
By Michelle Harrison
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Christie Ibarra

Adventures of Hotsy Totsy, The
By Clive Cussler
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sarah Sammis

Adventures of Nanny Piggins, The
By R. A. Spratt
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jess Pugh

Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising
By Jason Henderson
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Ms. Yingling

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Lewis Carroll
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Katie Connors

Archvillain #1
By Barry Lyga
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kirby Rundell

Astrosaurs The Twist of Time
By Steve Cole
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kelly Hurst

Atlantis Complex, The (Artemis Fowl, Book 7)
By Eoin Colfer
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Brandon

Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies
By Andrea Beaty
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jess Pugh

Basilisk's Lair, The (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 2)
By R. L. LaFevers
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Nell Clark

Behemoth (Leviathan)
By Scott Westerfeld
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Melissa Baldwin

Bellyache: A Delicious Tale
By Crystal Marcos
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Brenda

Birthday Ball, The
By Lois Lowry
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Torey Yates

Bogbrush the Barbarian
By Howard Whitehouse
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Amelie Roberge

Boneshaker, The
By Kate Milford
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Amanda Snow

Boom!
By Mark Haddon
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kara Dean

Brains For Lunch: A Zombie Novel in Haiku?!
By K.A. Holt
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: E. Kristin Anderson

Brimstone Key, The (Grey Griffins: The Clockwork Chronicles #1)
By Derek Benz
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Shannon Messenger

Call, The (The Magnificent 12)
By Michael Grant
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Ben

Carnival of Lost Souls, The: A Handcuff Kid Novel
By Laura Quimby
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Farrar Williams

Celestial Globe, The: The Kronos Chronicles: Book II
By Marie Rutkoski
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jessalynn Pinsonault

Celia's Robot
By Margaret Chang
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Doret

Chestnut King, The: Book 3 of the 100 Cupboards
By N. D. Wilson
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Beth

Clockwork Three, The
By Matthew J. Kirby
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kristen

Clone Codes, The
By Patricia C. Mckissack
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Edi Campbell

Cosmic
By Frank Cottrell Boyce
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Eric Carpenter

Crossing Over (Suddenly Supernatural 4)
By Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jenny Schwartzberg

Crowfield Curse, The
By Pat Walsh
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Karin Lackmann

Curse of the Spider King: The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book One
By Wayne Thomas Batson
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Deborah

Dark Deeps, The: The Hunchback Assignments 2
By Arthur Slade
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: James Bow

Dark Life
By Kat Falls
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kathy M Burnette

Dead Boys, The
By Royce Buckingham
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Mike Schoeneck

Dragon Cowboy (Dragonblood)
By Michael Dahl
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Liz Rouse

Dragon Games (Books of Umber)
By P. W. Catanese
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Charlotte

Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-wiener
By Ursula Vernon
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: D.M. Cunningham

Elephants' Call, The (Astral Legacies)
By Volke Gordon
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Eleanor Rose

Elliot and the Goblin War
By Jennifer Nielsen
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Ruth Barshaw

Enchanted Glass
By Diana Wynne Jones
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jennifer Wharton

Facing Fire
By KC Dyer
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: James McCann

Falling In
By Frances O'Roark Dowell
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Liz Jones

Familiars, The
By Adam Jay Epstein
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Pam van Hylckama Vlieg

Fever Crumb
By Philip Reeve
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Gwenda Bond

Flight of the Outcast (The Academy: Year 1)
By Brad Strickland
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kate Coombs

Forbidden Sea
By Sheila A. Nielson
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Rebecca Herman

Forgive My Fins
By Tera Lynn Childs
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Debbie Barr

Found (The Magic Thief)
By Sarah Prineas
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: madigan

Ghost Hunter (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #6)
By Michelle Paver
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Tammy Allen

Ghost of Heroes Past
By Charles Reid
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Hilde Polten

Green
By Laura Peyton Roberts
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Nell Saunders

Grim Hill: The Family Secret (The Grim Hill Series)
By Linda DeMeulemeester
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Catherine Knowles - Lobster Press

Grimm Legacy, The
By Polly Shulman
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: KT

Haint Misbehavin'
By Maureen Hardegree
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Deborah Smith

Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 9)
By John Flanagan
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Elliot

Haunted Houses (Are You Scared Yet?)
By Robert D. San Souci
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Gladys

Healing Wars, The: Book II: Blue Fire
By Janice Hardy
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Natalie Aguirre

Immortals, The: The Edge Chronicles 10
By Paul Stewart
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Brigan Dell

Inside Story, The (The Sisters Grimm: Book Eight)
By Michael Buckley
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Laura Mihalick

Interdimensional Dumpster, The
By Ray Connor
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Noreen Vigneault

Invisible City (The Joshua Files)
By M. G. Harris
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kathy M Burnette

Ivy's Ever After
By Dawn Lairamore
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Linda Joy Singleton

Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation (Jack Blank (Trilogy))
By Matt Myklusch
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: morninglightmama

Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London (Johnny Mackintosh Trilogy)
By Keith Mansfield
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jane Moraghan

Johnny Mackintosh: Star Blaze (Johnny Mackintosh Trilogy)
By Keith Mansfield
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jon Reed

Keeper
By Kathi Appelt
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Mary Ann Scheuer

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, Book 5)
By Brandon Mull
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Nicole

Kid Vs. Squid
By Greg van Eekhout
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sarah Prineas

Knightley Academy
By Violet Haberdasher
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Erica

Last Hunt, The (The Unicorn Chronicles, Book 4)
By Bruce Coville
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Beverly Wrigglesworth

Legends: Battles and Quests (Legends (Anthony Horowitz))
By Anthony Horowitz
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Summer Ogata

Legends: Beasts and Monsters (Legends (Anthony Horowitz))
By Anthony Horowitz
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Marina Cambareri

Letters to Anyone and Everyone
By Toon Tellegen
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Katie Connors

Light, The (Morpheus Road)
By D.J. MacHale
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Karin Lackmann

Limit, The
By Kristen Landon
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Enna Isilee

Line, The
By Teri Hall
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Savannah

Lost Children, The
By Carolyn Cohagan
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Zena Logan

Lost Hero, The: The Heroes of Olympus, Book One
By Rick Riordan
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Kate

Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers
By Penny Noyce
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Rebecca Raibley

Magic Below Stairs
By Caroline Stevermer
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Marie

Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle, The
By Deva Fagan
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Saundra Mitchell

Magician's Castle, The
By Mary Cunningham
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Mary Cunningham

Merlin's Curse
By Darren J. Butler
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Dianne Hamilton

Merlin's Dragon, Book 3: Ultimate Magic
By T. A. Barron
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Barb Langridge

Middleworld (The Jaguar Stones, Book One)
By J&P Voelkel
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Virginia

Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates
By Kim Kennedy
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jason Wells

Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins, and Other Nasties: A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate
By Lesley M. M. Blume
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jennifer Rembold

Mousebeard's Revenge (Mousehunter Trilogy)
By Alex Milway
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Keith Mansfield

Mr Mumbles (Invisible Fiends)
By Barry Hutchison
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Dan Green

My Sparkling Misfortune
By Laura Lond
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Laura Lond

Nest for Celeste, A: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home
By Henry Cole
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Dotz Johnson

Nightmarys, The
By Dan Poblocki
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: D.M. Cunningham

Nightshade City
By Hilary Wagner
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Lawral

Ninth Ward
By Jewell Parker Rhodes
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Hallie Tibbetts

On the Blue Comet
By Rosemary Wells
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Vicki Palmquist

Ortega
By Maureen Fergus
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Naseem Hrab

Over My Dead Body: 43 Old Cemetery Road: Book 2
By Kate Klise
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Nicole

Owl Keeper, The
By Christine Brodien-Jones
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Heather Z.

Penny on Safari
By Eileen O'Hely
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sharon O'Donovan

Peter Pan and Wendy: Centenary Edition
By J. M. Barrie
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Derry Wilkens

Princess and the Snowbird, The
By Mette Ivie Harrison
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Cecil Castellucci

Princess for Hire
By Lindsey Leavitt
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Allie Williams

Radiance
By Alyson Noel
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jennifer Donovan

Raiders' Ransom
By Emily Diamand
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jen Robinson

Reckless
By Cornelia Funke
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Angela

Red Pyramid, The (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1)
By Rick Riordan
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Mary Ellen Thompson

Restoring Harmony
By Joelle Anthony
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: El

Rise of the Darklings: The Invisible Order, Book One
By Paul Crilley
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Virginia

Roberto & Me (Baseball Card Adventures)
By Dan Gutman
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Andromeda Jazmon

Roll Up the Streets
By John Bladek
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Lisa Barker

SPHDZ Book #1! (Spaceheadz)
By Jon Scieszka
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Debbie Nance

Sabotaged (Missing)
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: B.Wells

Scumble
By Ingrid Law
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Maureen E

Search for WondLa, The
By Tony DiTerlizzi
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Debbie Barr

Secret Lives of Princesses, The
By Philippe Lechermeier
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Danielle Smith (The1stdaughter)

Shadow
By Jenny Moss
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sally Barringer

Shadow Hunt, The
By Katherine Langrish
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Colleen Mondor

Shadows, The (The Books of Elsewhere, Vol. 1)
By Jacqueline West
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sandra Stiles

Sixty-Eight Rooms, The
By Marianne Malone
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Emma Carbone

Smells Like Dog
By Suzanne Selfors
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Becky

Song of the Whales, The
By Uri Orlev
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sarah Rettger

Specter Key, The (Bran Hambric)
By Kaleb Nation
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Zane

Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties, The
By Toon Tellegen
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Derry Wilkens

Starlight Prince, The
By Borislava Borissova
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sabina Arabadjieva

Tall Story
By Candy Gourlay
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Tarie Sabido

The Pickle King
By Rebecca Promitzer
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sharon Hrycewicz

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus
By R. L. LaFevers
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Angie

Thirteenth Princess, The
By Diane Zahler
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Alyssa

Thomas and the Dragon Queen
By Shutta Crum
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Greg Leitich Smith

Tilting House, The
By Tom Llewellyn
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Amy Baskin

Timekeeper's Moon, The
By Joni Sensel
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Melissa

Tiny Angel
By Nancy Carty Lepri
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Janet Ann Collins

Tollins: More Explosive Tales for Children
By Conn Iggulden
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Matthew H.

Toto's Tale
By K. D. Hays
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Elizabeth Burton

Trail of Fate: The Youngest Templar
By Michael Spradlin
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: cindy pon

Trapped (The Prometheus Project)
By Douglas E. Richards
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Robin Prehn

Unearthly Asylum (Joy of Spooking)
By P.J. Bracegirdle
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Susan Mitchell

Whistle Bright Magic: A Nutfolk Tale
By Barb Bentler Ullman
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Sara Ullman

Wide-Awake Princess, The
By E. D. Baker
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Jessica Miller

Wiff and Dirty George: The Z.e.b.r.a. Incident
By Stephen R. Swinburne
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Elizabeth Bird

Windblowne
By Stephen Messer
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: B.Wells

Wish Stealers, The
By Tracy Trivas
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: samuel White

Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams, The
By Rhonda Hayter
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Stephen Bochicchio

Wizard of Mars, A: The Ninth Book in the Young Wizards Series
By Diane Duane
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Liz

Wolven
By Di Toft
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Nicola Manning

Wolves' Gambit, The (Astral Legacies)
By Volke Gordon
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Dan Graham

Wyverns' Treasure, The (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 3)
By R. L. LaFevers
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Gina R

Young Chieftain, The
By Ken Howard
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: Chimaechi Ochei

Zombiekins
By Kevin Bolger
Status: Eligible
Nominated by: D.M. Cunningham

Once Upon a Royal Superbaby

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl were asked to collaborate on a story. The result of their clashing styles was the hilarious 2005 picture book, Once Upon a Cool Motercycle Dude (written and illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, and also illustrated by Carol Hayer and Scott Goto).

Now the fairy tale telling duel begins again, when the same two kids (and the same creative writer/illustrator team) must tell another story-- and out of their competing narratives comes Once Upon a Royal Superbaby (Bloomsbury, 2010).

Will beautiful baby Sweet Piper, friend of the birds and darling of his mother, Queen Tenderheart, survive? Or will his alter ego, heavily muscled Strong Viper, ride his motorcycle to victory?

The boy and the girl snap at each other in comic book style speech bubbles, while behind them their stories come to life (one illustrator for her, in sweet pretty style, and one for him, bolder and darker). Neither kid is at all happy, until the story takes hold of their young minds, and their imaginations work as one...(and their characters all ride off on a robotic unicorn).

This is seriously funny. It will make little kids laugh with its obvious silliness; it will make grown- up fans of fairy tales laugh with its more subtle satire (as well as its silliness).

I asked my son which narrative (Strong Viper or Sweet Piper) he preferred. He answered: "You have to have them both; otherwise it's not interesting." Truly it is the conflict between the two versions of the story that makes this so entertaining. I liked it so much that I just nominated it for the Cybils Awards in the picture book category.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

The Magnificent 12 -- SIGNED!--Giveaway!

And the winner is-- Elaina! Thanks, all of you who entered.

My 10 year old says: "I'm loving this one."

Middle Grade Ninja calls it: "...a very funny little book you can curl up with and have a good time." (read the full review here--there are lots of great passages quoted!)

I said (in my own review): "If you are looking for a fantasy book for your kids (or yourself) that is tremendously entertaining (in a chuckle out loud way), which doesn't take itself too terribly Seriously, but yet has a nice tight plot; a book which has nice generous spacing so your reluctant reader won't be daunted, but which can be enjoyed by all ages, I highly recommend The Call."

Just leave a comment, and you'll be entered to win a signed copy!

Courtesy of its publishers (HarperCollins), I have a signed copy of Michael Grant's new book, The Magnificent 12, to give away! I have been looking forward to this book myself for ages...a well-known YA author (the Gone books) writing middle grade fantasy! Exciting story! Funny!

I haven't read it myself yet, because my review copy got lost in the mail (sadness). So I can't, yet, offer my own review. But here's the publisher's blurb:

"Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.

And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys’ bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it’s up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen’s dangerous daughter, Ereskigal—also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn’t want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?

A laugh-out-loud story filled with excitement and magic, The Magnificent Twelve: The Call is the first book in bestselling author Michael Grant’s hilarious new fantasy adventure series"

And here's the Magnificent 12 website, full of extras and news and games!

To win a Signed Copy of this book, just leave a comment before midnight, next Wednesday (October 6th)!!!!

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan (2010, Hyperion Books, middle grade on up, 516 pages)

When their mother died, Carter Kane and his little sister, Sadie, were split up. Carter travelled the world with their archaeologist father, while Sadie lived with their grandparents in England. Now, six years later, they hardly know each other, but they are in agreement that a trip to the British Museum is not what they want to do during their brief Christmas reunion.

But the museum visit is even worse than they thought it would be. Their dad shatters the Rosetta Stone in a mysterious explosion that raises a fiery figure who entombs him in a glowing coffin. Life for 14-year old Carter and 12-year old Sadie has just become more than somewhat interesting.

Whisked off to New York by their uncle, whom they had never known before, the kids are thrown into a maelstrom of ancient Egyptian magic. The gods and goddess of Egypt have been woken, and the titanic struggle between chaos and order that characterize Egyptian mythology is being fought again. Carter and Sadie, whether they want to or not, have pivotal roles to play.

Riordan has created a world of non-stop action, danger, and adventure, filled with fascinating ancient Egyptian magic and mystery. The non-stop action was a bit much for my personal taste--I appreciated the moments of relative peace, where one could quietly contemplate the magic of ancient Egypt, all the more because they seemed so few and far between....On the other hand, I found the premise and the intricacies of the plot fascinating, and I really enjoyed the character of Bast, the cat goddess, who takes the kids under her paw. The pages kept turning rapidly, (although in part this is because I skimmed various scorpion/crocodile attacks).

The Red Pyramid is told from the alternating perspectives of Sadie and Carter, a device that allows the author to show how their relationship deepens as their adventures progress (providing a nice side-note to the non-stop action, although I would have preferred a bit less snide-ness). Sadie and Carter are bi-racial (black dad, white mother). Carter takes after their dad, while Sadie looks like their mom, and Carter, in particular, openly discusses the implications of this.

I didn't like this quite as much as The Lightning Thief, but that could be because I'm more familiar with the Olympian gods, and so got more immediate enjoyment from Riordan's take on them. It could also be that 500 pages of tension, no matter how interesting, engaging, and entertaining (which this book is), is just too much for me.

The Ship that Flew, by Hilda Lewis, for Timeslip Tuesday

It might be a worn out cliche, but, gee, there really are books that I wish I had read when I was young, before the veil of cynicism descended (or something like that), keeping me from happy acceptance and enjoyment....In short, I would have loved The Ship that Flew, by Hilda Lewis (1958) if I had read it when I was nine or so.

As it was, I still managed to enjoy reading it for the first time last weekend. It is a story very much in the E. Nesbit/Edward Eager vein, a story of four children who find a magic object that opens a way to magical adventures. In this case, it is a tiny ship, that Peter, the oldest boy, finds in a mysterious shop on a mysterious street he'd never before seen. The ship can fly, through time and space, and it takes Peter, and his siblings--Sheila, Humphrey, and Sandy--on a journey to Asgard itself, and flies them back to ancient Egypt, Norman England, and the time of Robin Hood.

Each adventure is fraught with some danger and suspense, as is the way of these things. On each journey they meet with new friends, and occasional enemies...And although the friendships perhaps come too easily (I think the Norman lord's daughter and the son of the Pharaoh were perhaps to quick to cast suspicion aside), the adventures are diverting, the magic captivating.

I especially liked the bit where the children bring Matilda (the Norman girl) into their own time for a visit--yes, her astonishment at running water, etc., was not new to me, but it was fun nonetheless. And it was one of the few parts of the book set in our time, where the intersection of magic and reality got to play out a little bit (the adventures in the past are more or less encapsulated episodes).

There wasn't, as is the case with (most) Nesbit and (most) Eager, a larger story arc holding things together, and this, for me in my grownup-ness, was the main weakness of the book. Nor was there any difficult with the magic--the ship was entirely co-operative, ready even to clad the children in appropriate garments, and solve pesky difficulties of language, and so there was less tension than one finds in the works of the two masters, and this too I found to weaken the story.

But do try to find this one for your magic-loving child who thinks Nesbit's Phoenix and the Carpet and Eager's Knight's Castle are the creme de la creme of books, and who, perhaps, was lucky enough to have been given last year's Any Which Wall, by Laurel Snyder, to read. They might very well love this one unequivocally (as all the five star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads from those who read it young show).

(The 1998 re-issue seems to be still in print in the UK, so it's readily available)

The Call (Book 1 of the Magnificent 12), by Michael Grant

The Call (Book 1 of the Magnificent 12), by Michael Grant (HarperCollins, 2010, middle grade, 243 pages)

If you are looking for a fantasy book for your kids (or yourself) that is tremendously entertaining (in a chuckle out loud way), which doesn't take itself too terribly Seriously, but yet has a nice tight plot; a book which has nice generous spacing so your reluctant reader won't be daunted, but which can be enjoyed by all ages, I highly recommend The Call, the first book of Michael Grant's new series.

12 year old Mack has no reason to think he is extraordinary (apart from his large number of phobias). The one area in which, inexplicably, he's braver than ordinary is his attitude toward bullies--he's not afraid to take them on (with guile and cunning, rather than fisticuffs). And his school has bullies in plenty, with each subgroup (jocks, geeks, etc. having its own designated bully). At the top of the pecking order is Stefan, a 15 year old seventh grader with no phobias at all. A miscalculation lands Mack in trouble with Stefan, but fortuitously, instead of Stefan's fist slamming into Mack, it slams through a sheet of glass--and Mack saves Stefan's from bleeding to death, and Stefan becomes his protector. (Sorry. This isn't all that important, but I really enjoyed the book, and it's making me long winded. I shall try to be more succinct now).

Then we flip back in time, to a messy era three thousand years ago, when the Pale Queen is raising armies of grotesque creatures and Grimluck, a young father, is forced to adopt Flee-er as his new profession

Back to Mack. Someone is trying to kill him. Grimluck (still alive!) is trying to save him. The Evil of the Pale Queen, and her daughter, is rising again. Grimluck, back in the past, had helped defeat her...but it was only a temporary fix, and he's still trying to finish the job. The daughter, a nasty piece of work, has her sights set on Mack. Because (I don't think I'm giving anything away here--look at the title) --Mack is special!

So, for reasons that are unclear to them, Mack and Stefen are sent off to Australia with plane tickets and lots of money (Grimluck had planned ahead by opening a Swiss Bank account back when the Swiss banks first opened). And then Adventure happens! A second member of the Magnificent 12 is met! It is exciting! (really truly).

It is a fine story, but what made this book work beautifully for me is that Grant is clearly having fun with it, without letting it slip into the realm of farce. Here's one of the emails the golem, back at home, sends Mack:

Dear Mack,

Today I ate pizza. But I realized that I do not have a stomach and had to spit it out on the table. Later I used a spoon to reach inside my mouth and dig out a stomach. I placed the mud carefully in the toilet and flushed many times. Now there is water on the floor and also on the stairs. I think Mom noticed.

Your friend,
Golem (page 124)

And while that was happening at home, Mack and Stefen's flight turned ugly when a monster landed on the wing of their plane.

"When it stared at Mack with its white jelly eyes and grinned its broken grin, Mack had no doubt, no doubt whatsoever, that it was coming for him.

"Whoa," Stefan said. "Gnarly."

The flight attendants were telling everyone to stay calm. But they didn't look too calm themselves. Anyone could see that the creature was walking its way down the wing toward the plane.

"It's coming to kill me," Mack said, sounding far more calm than he felt.

"You're under my wing," Stefan said. But he sounded a little doubtful to Mack.

"It can't get in, can it?" Mack cried in a shrill, whinnying sort of tone that was definitely not heroic.

"The door can't be opened from the outside," a flight attendant cried, sounding just like Mack had sounded. "Probably."

"I hate probably," Mack said. He tried to think of a way out, of a way to fight the monster, or alternately a way to hide. "The bathroom!"

"Yo, I have to go, too," Stefan said, "but we got bigger problems." (pages 134-135)


I enjoyed this lots! And I'm currently giving away a signed copy (courtesy of the publishers). Enter to win at this post down here, by midnight tomorrow (Wednesday, October 6).

(note for those looking for diversity in middle grade sci fi/fantasy--the second member of the Magnificent 12 turns out to be half white, half Aboriginal Australian. She doesn't get enough page time for me to count this in my list of non-white sci fi/fantasy above, but perhaps in later books.....)

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Dragonart Evolution: How to Draw Everything Dragon, by J "NeonDragon" Peffer

Yesterday afternoon the boys and I had a very pleasant time drawing dragons, with the help of a new book -- Dragonart Evolution: How to Draw Everything Dragon, by J "NeonDragon" Peffer (Impact, 2010, 144 pages). It's the sort of book that just makes you want to open it up and start drawing....so we did!

In her book, Peffer emphasises the importance of getting a basic grasp of dragon anatomy--thinking how bones and muscles work together to create realistic creatures. She doesn't immediately plunge the book's users into step by step drawing of particular dragons, but encourages them to practice--the basic shapes, the framework, the building blocks. For particular aspects of detailed anatomy, she offers a variety of approaches.

I have tried dragon drawing in the past, and I have found that I have trouble with scales--all that repetition is daunting. But! I fear scales no more. With the help of Dragonart Evolution's six handy scale patterns, each presented in four steps, I feel that there is hope for my scale drawing (no pun intended). And this is just one of the many very, very detailed aspects of dragon drawing included in this book. Jaws, beaks, ears, wings, crests....all are offered to the book's user in a variety of shapes and manifestations. You can see the two page spread on Ears (and other pages of the book) here!

In the next section, the practitioner is encouraged to draw a wide variety of whole dragons, step by step from rough shapes to fine detail (I particularly liked the baby dragon, with its discussion of how the youngster would differ anatomically from the adult). It helps to have practiced hard with sketch after sketch of dragon anatomy before trying any of these; without doing that, one might not (and I speak from experience) get a decent final picture (there are reasons why I am not posting what I drew yesterday!). It's not a book for younger kids, who may well get frustrated (which my seven year old did, although he was the only one who actually finished a picture, but he's not allowing me to post it).

But creating perfect copies of particular dragons isn't the point of this book--it is more a set of practice templates, that can be used to build the skill set of the aspiring artist. I think that if I kept practicing, using this book's suggestions, I could create rather nice dragon drawings...They would look very different from Peffer's dragons (which I think of as the graphic novel/computer game sort of dragons), but they would, almost certainly, be more anatomically correct, and more diverse, than what I draw now!

In short, it's easy to recommend this book to any ten year old on up who wants to try their hand, or hone their skills, at dragon drawing.

I think this is the sort of a book that makes a great present (when you want to buy a book for a kid, and don't know what's on his or her shelves), especially when coupled with, perhaps, a deluxe watercolor set, or a copy of Photoshop. I include the later because a useful bonus feature of the book is a four page guide to digital painting, which is how the author creates her own artwork. I'm not sure it's enough in and of itself to teach novices how to create digital art, but it seems as though it would be helpful.

Here's another fine dragon drawing book, rather different in approach, that I reviewed long ago--Ralph Masiello's Dragon Drawing Book (2007, Charlesbridge)

(disclaimer: review copy of Dragonart Evolution received from the publisher)

The Non-fictin Monday Round-up is at Madigan Reads today! (her book for the round-up is also fantasy/crafty--zombie felties!!!)

Soul Enchilada, by David Macinnis Gill

Soul Enchilada, by David Macinnis Gill (2009, Greenwillow, YA, 368 pages)

When a demon shows up to repossess the Cadillac young Bug Smoot inherited from her Grandpa, it's just one last straw in the downward spiral her life-- that car is the one thing of value she owns. She had to drop out of school to look after her grandpa (and there went her dream of college basketball). Her job delivering pizza's isn't enough to keep the rent money coming, and she's about to be evicted. And now that the demon has shown up inside the Cadillac, she's late for work, and gets fired.

It's no ordinary demon--it's Beelzebub himself. Turns out her grandpa made a pretty shady deal to get the car, one that involved signing away his soul to the devil. But he was always good at weaseling out of obligations, and now Bug is being asked to pay for the car--with her own soul.

Fortunately, Pesto, the cute Mexican boy at the car wash (the Cadillac got slimmed with demonic egg stuff during the repossession process) has ties to the local branch of the demon control folks (the International Supernatural Immigration Service). He's able to hook her up with a good lawyer, who's dealt with the devil before, but this particular contract is a sticky one, and Beelzebub's evil plans don't stop with Bug. Her soul is just a snack, a "soul enchilada," as it were, an appetizer on the demon's menu. The main course being evil world domination.

Can Bug use her skills at pizza delivery and basketball (and her native smarts) to thwart him? Fortunately, she's not as alone as she thinks she is; turns out Pesto isn't the only one on her side (although she sure likes having him there....)

Although it's a dark book, in as much as it is a litany of troubles for poor Bug (short for Jitterbug; her real name is Eunice), it's not a dark book in feel. It's fun (and funny), and snappy as all get out. The plot unfolds very nicely. It sets up the impossible situation, and allows Bug to scramble her way out of it in a believably complicated manner-- one that doesn't involve the urban fantasy tropes of the kickass heroine. Sure, Bugs is tough, but not in a preternaturally skilled with weapons/paranormal powers kind of way. And Pesto, although part of the demonic control and disposal organization, is likewise just a normal guy with an interesting side job. The romantic attraction between Bug and Pesto is understated, but serves as a pleasant diversion.

Bug is a strong and spunky narrator, half African American, half Hispanic. Her character comes through loud and clear. She doesn't pussyfoot around her thoughts, contemplating, for instance, "nailing a demon's ass," but steers clear of hardcore profanity. My one initial trouble with her voice was her grammar--phrases like "there wasn't no way" jarred at first, but by the end of the book I was so absorbed I no longer noticed.Here's a scene with Bug, her lawyer, and Pesto:

"Think, Miss Smoot. What do you do best?" she [the lawyer] said.

Pesto cleared his throat. "Dude, what do you spend all of your time doing? Hint, hint. Car. Hint, hint."

"Driving," I said, not appreciating his tone. "Delivering pizzas. That's about all I can do."

"Pizzas?" she said.

"I am the bomb when it comes to delivering pies. Ask my asshole former boss, Vinnie."

"Pizza. It's unorthodox, but Mr. Scratch likes a challenge." She got up, showing us the door. "I'll contact his attorneys, and we'll negotiate." (page 187)

In short- Soul Enchilada is smart, fun, and fast!

Here are other reviews, at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy, For the Love of YA, and at Book Aunt (scoll down), and here's an interview with the author at Cynsations.

This Sunday's Round-up of Middle Grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs

First off--The Cybils!!! Nominations opened on Friday, and close to 60 have been nominated to middle grade sff so far. If you haven't nominated yet, you have until the 15th...and there are lots of really really good books that aren't there yet. Plus lots of books that I haven't read, but which look really really good....

I am extracting every ounce of possible interest out of the Nomination Weeks, and checking the list obsessively-- I post regular updates to this page.

And now, the reviews:

The Birthday Ball, by Lois Lowry, at Becky's Book Reviews.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, at The League of Extraordinary Writers

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, at Once Upon a Bookshelf.

How to Grow Up and Rule the World, by Vordak the Incomprehensible, (actually by Scott Seegert) at The O.W.L.

Invisible Order: Rise of the Darklings, by Paul Crilley, at A Patchwork of Books.

Ivy's Ever After, by Dawn Lairamore, at One Librarian's Book Reviews.

The Limit, by Kristen Landon, at Squeaky Books and at Great Books for Kids and Teens.

Masterpiece, by Elise Broach, at Books Together.

Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner, at Book Aunt.

Nightshade City, by Hilary Wagner, at Middle Grade Ninja.

Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, at Charlotte's Library.

On the Blue Comet, by Rosemary Wells, at The Fourth Musketeer.

Once Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris, at Imagination in Focus.

Scumble, by Indrid Law, at By Singing Light.

Theodora and the Staff of Osiris, by R.L. LaFevers, at Read in a Single Sitting.

Thomas and the Dragon Queen, by Shutta Crum, at Reading Vacation.

The Witches, by Roald Dahl, at The Writen Word

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle, at The League of Exraordinary Writers

The Wyvern's Treasure, by R.L. LaFevers, at Book Aunt.

The older books on this list of reviews were posted about for Banned Books Week--at Fairy Layers (a new blog for me) there's a whole weeks worth of banned and challenged books that are primarily fantasy/fairy tales, including a book very dear to me, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.

Interviews and guest posts:

An interview with Vordak the Incomprehensible, at The O.W.L., and another at Green Bean Teen Queen.

Jaqueline West (The Shadow: Books of Elsewhere 1) is featured at Cynsations, as is Matt Myklusch (Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation), in this Cynsations post.

Shutta Crum (Thomas and the Dragon Queen) visits Reading Vacation.

The Writing Mama interviews Adam Epstein & Andrew Jacobson (The Familiars), The red dress club interviews Michael Grant (The Magnificent Twelve, which I am giving away a signed copy of, as well as the Gone series), and Patricia Wrede (The Enchanted Forest series and many more) is interviewed at Reality Bypass (and says nice things about my favorite book, Conspiracy of Kings).

Other things of interest:

Katherine Langrish continues her Fairytale Reflection series at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles with a guest post by author Susan Price.

The most recent epic bookfail is a YA sff title, The Secret of Ka, by Christopher Pike. It is a stunner (thanks to the Book Smugglers for the heads up). I had thought this book sounded interesting--fantasy set in Turkey, flying carpets, etc.; I still think it sounds interesting, but in a train wreck kind of way.

I also encourage anyone who enjoys children's books to stop by this month's Carnival of Children's Literature, hosted by Great Kid Books.

And finally, the astrophysicist who discovered Zarmina describes what life might be like there, in an exclusive interview at io9.

(and in just a little bit I am off to Boston, to chat with Megan Whalen Turner and other members of Sounis!)

Please let me know if I missed your post!