New releases of sci fi and fantasy for kids and teens-the second half of January 2011 edition

Here are the new releases of sci fi/fantasy for kids and teenagers from the second half of January; I'm not even going to try to put pictures in today because it is one of those days when the computer is not being Good. My info. comes from Teens Read Too; the blurbs come from Amazon, Goodreads, or, in one case, the book's web page, and any oddness of formatting comes courtesy of Blogger.

And just in case anyone should, by any dim chance, be wondering if there will be a Timeslip Tuesday post--Timeslip Tuesday will fall on a Wednesday this week, because I haven't finished the book yet (All Clear, by Connie Willis).

Middle Grade:

ANIMAL CRACKERS by Scott Christian Sava "From the creators of Gary the Pirate comes the incredible tale of Animal Crackers. When 10 year old Owen and his little sister Zoe go to the Zoo with their Uncle Doug, they're looking for excitement and laughs. Little did they know that they would be drawn into an adventure where Magic Animal Crackers give them the power to turn into any animal they want! Suddenly the Ringmaster of the circus and all of his minions, Petunia the bearded lady, Stabby the tiniest ninja, and even the acrobatic group of the Flying Zuccinis, all want to take the children away and use them for their own profit. But with the help of a bunch of Circus clowns and a kindly old gypsy woman, Owen uses the magical box of animal crackers to turn into Lions, Tigers, and even Bears (...oh my!) to defeat the evil Ringmaster and rescue the stolen animals from captivity."

GOBLIN AT THE ZOO by Victor Kelleher "When Gibblewort wakes up at the zoo, he thinks he's in deepest, darkest Africa. So he squeezes his way into a nice, safe cage—only to find he's become the object of affection for a female chimpanzee. Every time Gibblewort manages to escape her clutches, he finds himself being thrown, kicked, tossed, shaken, and even electrocuted back into the chimps' enclosure . . . and Daisy's long hairy arms. How is everyone's favorite nasty little goblin going to get himself out of this one?"

GOBLIN IN THE RAINFOREST by Victor Kelleher "Gibblewort the goblin is filled with joy when he crawls out of his postbag to find damp earth, falling rain, and the sound of the wind through the trees. He's made it home to Ireland at last. Except it's not Ireland, it's the Australian Rainforest, and Gibblewort soon finds himself being stung, squeezed, sucked, nipped, and pecked by all sorts of strange and unusual creatures."

LONGFANG: DRAGON ORB by Mark Robson "Kira and her dusk dragon, Longfang, must find the third orb to save the Oracle, leader of all dragonkind. Following a path beset with dangers and traps, the four dragon riders must reach the twilight world of the Castle of Shadows. Kira knows enough to be anxious. What twisted sacrifice will this orb demand?"

RAJAH: KING OF THE JUNGLE by Balraj Khanna "Classic Indian folk tale brought to life with an exciting new story and wonderful illustrations."

THE CHILDREN OF THE LOST: THE AGORA TRILOGY by David Whitley "Cast out of the city of Agora where they were left at the end of The Midnight Charter, Mark and Lily must now survive in a dense forest. The strange villages, terrifying nightmares, and powerful witches they find there are even more frightening than Agora with all its slums and secrets. In an adventure that expands with every turn of the page, David Whitley delivers a novel as thrilling and horrifying as his characters' darkest dreams."

GENIE IN TRAINING: TWEENIE GENIE by Meredith Badger "Poppy is just an ordinary girl. In fact, the only slightly strange thing about her is that she's great at squeezing into small spaces. So it's a pretty big shock when Poppy finds out that she's a genie! Suddenly she has to get used to wearing weird clothes and high ponytails, riding magic carpets and granting wishes. At least squeezing into a tiny genie bottle is one thing that comes naturally..."

THE RENDERING by Joel Naftali "Thirteen-year-old Doug narrates in a series of blog posts (many interrupted by either his best friend, smart girl Jamie, or the artificial intelligence who mothers him, the avatar) how he came to temporarily save the world and to be branded a terrorist and a murderer. He was innocently playing video games in the employee lounge of the biotechnology center where his aunt was a director when an insane genius ex-employee broke in, stole the equipment to digitize anyone and make his own biodroid army, killed Doug's aunt, and blew up the center (and soon the nearby town). Doug managed to escape, accidentally creating three super-powered creatures, and gaining a electronics-destroying superpower of his own with which to fight the evil Dr. Roach."

SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS by Ellen Booraem "Thirteen-year-old Mellie Turpin once declared to her kindergarten class that she had a fairy living in her bedroom. But before she could bring him in for show-and-tell, he disappeared. Years later, she is still trying to live it down, taunted mercilessly by classmates who call her “Fairy Fat.”

Her imagination got her into this. She’s determined to keep it turned off.

When her parents inherit an inn and the family moves to a new town, Mellie sees a chance to finally leave all that fairy nonsense behind. Little does she know that the inn is overrun with...you guessed it. Oh brother.

There's no such thing as fairies, she keeps telling herself. And if there were, they wouldn’t hurt a fly.

Right?"

YOUNG ADULT

BLESSED by Cynthia Leitich Smith "Quincie P. Morris, teen restaurateuse and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life -- or undeath. Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who "blessed" her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running. She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature -- and a flaming sword -- and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before it’s too late. Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?"

THE CHARMED RETURN: THE FAERIE PATH by Frewin Jones "By the light of the pure eclipse, two worlds will be as one . . .

She was once a princess of Faerie, the seventh daughter of King Oberon. But sixteen-year-old Anita Palmer has no memory of the Faerie Realm; her true Faerie princess identity; her love, Edric; or her quest to save Faerie from a deadly plague that ravaged it. With the help of an unexpected ally, Anita must figure out a way to reawaken Tania, her Faerie self—but how?

Now Anita—or is she Tania?—doesn't know who, or what, to trust, including her own memories. With no time to spare, Anita must act. A thrilling final battle is soon to be waged that will affect not only her destiny but the fate of both Faerie and the Mortal World. Loyalties will be tested, true love questioned, and nothing is what it seems"

DARK BEGINNINGS: THE PHANTOM DIARIES BEGINNINGS by Kailin Gow "Love in Paris During the Time of Napoleon's Reign... Veronique, arrives in Paris to be groomed into a fashionable noble lady. As soon as she meets the aristocratic Philippe Aragon and his darkly attractive cousin Martin Aragon, her life is changed. Romance, magic, intrigue, and action follows in this lush historical paranormal romance between the Aragons and the one woman who would be the greatest influence on Eric, known as the Phantom in Leroux's Phantom of the Opera. A stand alone novel, Dark Beginnings, is also a prequel to The Phantom Diaries."

DARK GODDESS: DEVIL'S KISS by Sarwat Chadda "New enemies, new romance, and new horrors. Billi's back, and it seems like the Unholy just can't take a hint. Still reeling from the death of her best friend, Kay, Billi's thrust back into action when the Templars are called to investigate werewolf activity. And these werewolves are like nothing Bilil's seen before.

They call themselves the Polenitsy - Man Killers. The ancient warrior women of Eastern Europe, supposedly wiped out centuries ago. But now they're out of hiding and on the hunt for a Spring Child -- an Oracle powerful enough to blow the volcano at Yellowstone -- precipitating a Fimbulwinter that will wipe out humankind for good.

The Templars follow the stolen Spring Child to Russia, and the only people there who can help are the Bogatyrs, a group of knights who may have gone to the dark side. To reclaim the Spring Child and save the world, Billi needs to earn the trust of Ivan Romanov, an arrogant young Bogatyr whose suspicious of people in general, and of Billi in particular."

DROUGHT by Pam Bachorz "Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from struggling to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive--and Darwin rich. Escape from her certain, dreary existence, living as if it's still the early 1800s, when the Congregation was first enslaved. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient to the Water: her blood. So she stays, and prays to their savior Otto, who first gave Water to the Congregants... and fathered Ruby before he vanished.

When the Congregants discover Ruby's forbidden romance with an Overseer, they beat Ford to stop her from running away with him. Ruby steals their store of Water to save Ford's life and is banished. Ruby has everything she's dreamed of: a modern life with Ford. But the modern world isn't what she thought it would be, and Ruby can't forsake the Congregation. Love and loyalty push Ruby to return and fight for her family's freedom...at a terrible price."

THE FALSE PRINCESS by Eilis O'Neal "Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever."

HERE LIES BRIDGET by Paige Harbison "Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough…."

THE IRON QUEEN: THE IRON FEY by Julie Kagawa "My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back."

MYSTIFY: A MYSTYX NOVEL by Artist Arthur "Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They'd be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.

Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn't be worse. Sasha's father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there's Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx's own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life—and even her destiny…."

PARADISE LOST by Steven L. Layne "The highly anticipated sequel to This Side of Paradise-which Kirkus heralds as an "an entertaining, suspenseful thriller"-Paradise Lost delivers the same chilling scenarios and head-scratching secrets that fans expect from author Steven L. Layne. After a summer break, former wallflower Chase Maxfield returns to school with a new found confidence to match his sudden, yet classic, good looks. But Jack Barrett suspects something sinister is behind Chase's unexpected transformation, and his skepticism only grows as other eerie events occur. When Jack's grandmother is mysteriously poisoned, his brother disappears, and his girlfriend soon develops an interest in someone else, Jack becomes even more determined to discover the truth. Packed with action and off-the-wall incidents, this fast-paced novel invites readers on an adventure that builds momentum until the very last page."

RED RIDING HOOD by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright "The body of a young girl is discovered in a field of wheat. Her flesh mutilated by telltale claw marks. The Wolf has broken the peace.

When Valerie learns that her sister has been killed by the legendary creature, she finds herself at the center of a dark mystery, one that has plagued her village for generations. It is revealed that the werewolf lives among them, and everyone in the village immediately becomes a suspect. Could her secret love Peter be behind the attacks on her town? Is it her betrothed, Henry? Or someone even closer to her?

As the men in the village hunt for the beast, Valerie turns to her grandmother for help. She gives Valerie a handmade red riding cloak, and guides her through the web of lies and deception that has held her town together for so long. Will Valerie discover the werewolf's identity before the town is ripped apart?

This is a dangerous new vision of a classic fairy tale, the happy ending could be hard to find."

SUBJECT SEVEN by James A. Moore "Years ago, scientists began developing the ultimate military weapon: deadly sleeper assassins housed within the bodies of teenagers. Now, Subject Seven, the dangerous alter-ego living inside a 16-year-old boy, has escaped the lab and is on a mission. His objective? To seek out others like him and build an army capable of destroying their creators.

Hunter, Cody, Gene, Tina, and Kylie: five teenagers leading typical lives, until the day they each receive a call from a mysterious strangerÑand learn that their destinies are intertwined. Subject Seven holds the key that connects them all. And a vicious, bloody battle for their lives is just beginning."

THROAT by R.A. Nelson "R. A. Nelson takes us on a supernatural thrill ride, a modern-day vampire story set on a NASA base and filled with space-and-science intrigue. Seventeen-year-old Emma feels cursed by her epilepsy—until the lost night. She's shocked to wake up in the hospital one morning, weak from blood loss. When her memories begin to return, she pieces together that it was a man—a monster—who attacked her: a vampire named Wirtz. And it was her very condition that saved her: a grand mal seizure interrupted Wirtz and left Emma with all the amazing powers of a vampire—heightened senses, rapid speed—but no need to drink blood. Is Emma now a half-vampire girl? One thing soon becomes clear: the vampire Wirtz is fierce and merciless, feared even by his own kind, and won't leave a job undone."

VESPER: A DEVIANTS NOVEL by Jeff Sampson "Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?"

WARRIOR: DRAGONS OF STARLIGHT by Bryan Davis "The Dragon Prince Has Hatched In book two of the Dragons of Starlight series, the stakes are raised when the foretold prince is crowned. While Koren and Jason race to the Northlands of Starlight to find the one person who can help them free the human slaves, Elyssa and Wallace strive to convince the captives that freedom is possible. Soon, all four discover that the secrets of Starlight extend much further than they had imagined. Meanwhile, Randall and Tybalt have returned to Major Four and struggle against the dragon Magnar, who has arrived to manipulate the governor. No one knows how the prophecy will be fulfilled, but one thing is clear: more than ever, the survival of the dragons depends on humankind, and they will do anything to prevent the slaves from escaping."

The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (2003, Roaring Book Press, middle grade, 265 pages) is the latest addition to my collection of multiethnic middle grade fantasy and science fiction books. It's a fantasy set in India, that tells of a boy named Anand, who must restore a Magical Object (a mystical conch shell) to its proper place in a high and hidden valley where a community of wise men live in secret. Anand has been chosen to go on this journey by one of the wisest of this brotherhood--an old man with mystical powers. The old man and the boy, along with a street girl named Nisha (feisty and spirited) who insisted on intruding herself into the quest, set off for the high mountains, with Anand carrying the Conch Shell, whose magic he has been told is too dangerous for him to try to use himself.

But there is a bad, power-hungry enemy trying to get his own hands on the conch...an evil man with magical powers who will do anything to thwart Anand and his companions. When their mentor exhausts all his strength fending off an attack from this enemy, the two children are left on their own, to battle their way to their final destination...But as Anand travelled with the Conch Shell, it began to speak to him, and though it cannot guide him directly, it sets him on the path toward wisdom...(There's a much more detailed plot summary on Wikipedia, if you are curious).

So, it's not the most Original of plots. And aspects of it are a bit hard to swallow (a magical, sentient conch shell???), and I really didn't think the encounter with the bad Yeti tribe added much (that being said, I don't think Yetis in general ever add anything, the only exception being the one in Monsters Inc. I never liked Tintin in Tibet, for instance). However, there is a nice mongoose. I think mongooses add value every time. And I think I am too old and jaded and cynical to deal well with hidden valleys where wise brotherhoods live.

On the positive side, The Conch Bearer is smoothly written and fast-paced, and the two kids are interesting characters presented with interesting dilemmas, not just of the Daring Adventure sort, but the sort that require them to make ethical and moral decisions. The Indian setting of the story by default made book interesting to me, and Divakuruni does a fine job making its places and people (and its tasty food) come alive.

The net result is a book that will broaden the imaginative horizons of fantasy reading kids while staying within the confines of a familiar story-line. But I myself didn't find anything quite exciting enough here to make me want to recommend this one enthusiastically to grown-up readers of mg fantasy...

(And especially I wouldn't recommend the original hardcover, shown at right, because what the Heck were they thinking to stick a pair of blue eyes on it??????? It is also an unpleasing image in general; the more I stare at it, the more the mountains are looking like hair, with a green sweat band over the white kid's forehead. I wonder if this is what they meant to happen. The paperback cover is a little odd too, but at least conveys the fact that this book takes place in India).

That being said, I have read good things about the sequel, The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming...and so I shall seek that one out. I hope there is more Nisha in it, livening up the complacent world of the Brotherhood!

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy posts from around the blogs

A rather short list today...I haven't had time to do much combing. So do let me know if there are posts I missed!!!!

The Reviews:

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, at Beyond Books

King of Ithaka, by Tracy Barrett, at Charlotte's Library

The Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner, at Charlotte's Library

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke, at Beyond Books

Scumble, by Ingrid Law, at Jean Little Library

The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi, at The Picnic Basket

Seven Sorcerers, by Caro King, at Beyond Books

The Time Keeper's Moon, by Joni Sensel, at Middle Grade Ninja (and Sensel is also interviewed by Middle Grade Ninja)

At Bookworming in the 21st Cenury, there's a post with short reviews of The Fairytale Detectives, by Michael Buckley, The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, The Tale of Emily Windsnap, by Liz Kessler, and Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins

Other Good Stuff:

Grace Lin has a fascinating post at the Enchanted Inkpot on using symbols when writing multicultural fantasy.

This week's Fairytale Reflections guest at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles is Leslie Wilson.

This year's Amelia Bloomer List is out, with some fine sff (the blurbs are from the list):

Kate Coombs. The Runaway Dragon. 2009. Princess Meg’s dragon escapes from the palace grounds. Meg and her scrappy band of friends set out to find the dragon and encounter many adventures along the way.

Eleanor Davis. The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook. 2009. When the Secret Science Alliance loses its notebook to a rival inventor, the team of science wiz kids springs into action to retrieve their notebook and protect a treasure.

Kathryn Lasky. Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian. 2010. Maid Marian uses her unusual gift of communication with her falcons to conspire with Robin Hood and their band of friends to escape her captors and rescue a ransomed king.

Jewell Parker Rhodes. Ninth Ward. 2010. When Hurricane Katrina breaks New Orleans’ levees, 12-year old Lanesha’s dreams of becoming an engineer and a builder of bridges anchor her determination to survive the flood and inspire her to rescue others as well.

Gail Simone. Wonder Woman: Rise of the Olympian. Illus. by Bernard Chang, Aaron Lopresti, and Matt Ryan. 2009. Wonder Woman battles the supervillain Genocide to reclaim her lasso and her power.

Jane Yolen. Foiled. Illus. by Mike Cavallaro. 2010. Ace fencer Aliera bravely takes up the mantel of the world’s defender.

And the 2011 Waterstone's Childrens Book Prize shortlist has also been announced:

Janice Hardy, The Pain Merchants (The Shifter in the US)

Candy Gourlay, Tall Story

Anna Kempe, et al. Fantastic Frankie and the Brian-drain Machine

Jobling, Curtis, Rise of the Wolf

Stead, Rebecca, When You Reach Me

Mayhew, John, Mortlock

(the blurbs for these can be found via the link above)

And finally, you can watch A Wrinkle in Time in 90 Seconds, from James Kennedy (The Order of Odd-Fish). Along with the New York Public Library, Kennedy has created the 90-Second Newbery Video Contest!

King of Ithaka, by Tracy Barrett

King of Ithaka, by Tracy Barrett (Henry Holt, 2010, mg/ya, 261 pages)

On the small island of Ithaka, young Telemachos waits--for his beard to show up, for his father, Odyseus, to come home from Troy. There's nothing particularly urgent in his waiting (and there's nothing about his character that screams Hero), until it becomes clear that there are some on Ithaka who think that enough is enough, and that it is time for Telemachos' mother to accept a new husband, and for the little island kingdom to accept a new ruler.

So Telemachos, his best friend (a centaur, even thought they don't do so well in boats), and a stowaway (a plucky girl hoping to find a place in the world outside of Ithaka), head off to the mainland to seek news of Odysseus. It is a journey that broadens Telemachos' horizon, almost killing him in the process, as he travels to the court of Nestor at Pylos, and then on to Sparta, where bitter old Menelaus lives with his recaptured wife, Helen. It is a journey that Athena herself is watching closely--it is she who is responsible for pushing Telemachos into action. And when he comes home to Ithaka, Telemochos meets the greatest challenge of all--his father.

My gold standard for historical fiction about Bronze Age Greece is Mary Renault's retelling of the story of Theseus (The King Must Die), and it's a pretty darn high standard. Barrett manages to tell an engrossing story, but she never quite achieves Renault's extraordinarily rich recreation of an ancient world where the gods were real--that was a book that rocked my world, this was a book I found interesting, one that passed the time pleasantly without (except for toward the end) ever pulling me in emotionally. But it's not a fair comparison anyway, because, quite frankly, Telemachos' quest is rather small beans on the scale of epic mythological quests. He's more a footnote to a larger story. And unlike The King Must Die, The King of Ithaka is a book for younger readers--it's perfectly appropriate for seventh and eighth graders.

And as such, The King of Ithaka is, I think, an most excellent book to give a specific sort of fan of the Percy Jackson series. Not the sort who's looking for read-alikes, because, although there's a centaur and some monsters and some danger in this one, it is much more measured in its pacing, and less crammed with Adventure on Every Page. Rather, I'd give this one to the reader that wants more of the backstory, the reader whose interest in Greek mythology has been well and truly piqued (and that fact that mythological creatures are alive and well, and take an active role in the story, should add to its appeal).

That reader should, like me, enjoy Telemachos's journey across Greece, a journey that takes him from extremely naive (almost unlikable) boy to a worthy young man, tested and found true-hearted.

Here's another review at Manga Maniac Cafe.

The Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner

The Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner (Delacorte 2010 mg 312 pp)

In the city of Jewel, the children are Safe. There is no sickness or danger that can harm them. They are chained to their beds at night (so as not to be kidnapped) and chained to their parents whenever they venture outside (so they won't get lost or do anything dangerous), and the Blessed Guardians of the city work to keep all things under control.

But sometimes, even when they are as safe as can be, it's not possible to keep every child under control. When young Goldie gets the chance to be free of her chains years before she expected it, she escapes from the Guardians, and desperately tries to find somewhere to hide in the city. What she finds is a place she hadn't known existed--the Museum of Thieves--and there she finds her true home.

The Museum of Thieves is no ordinary museum. It holds within its deceptive walls all those things that are deemed unsafe--the wars, the plagues, the strange creatures (including my favorite character, Broo the last Brizzlehound). But to keep the museum from imploding from the force of all it contains, it must be kept calmed and contained. Only those with tricksy minds (and dubious talents, like lurking and pickpocketing) are suited for this work--and what they have stole is all that the city of Jewel and its Blessed Guardians have rejected.

As one of the Museum Keepers puts it:

"....there are some things, child, that you should steal. That you must steal, if you have enough love and courage in your heart. You must snatch freedom from the hands of the tyrant. You must spirit away innocent lives before they are destroyed. You must hide secret and sacred places." (page 123)

Goldie is right at home here, and joins the museum's four keepers (one of whom, a boy her own age named Toadspit, isn't very glad to have her on board). But the Blessed Guardians are looking for her. When they realize that the Museum is not yet part of their Safe City, they try to bring it under their control--and its walls begin to weaken. All the danger it holds might be released in a flood of violence, unless the Guardians can be foiled.

And Goldie and Toadspit are right there, doing some very nice foiling!

I enjoyed this one lots, I liked the world building, and the concept of the museum in particular. Not only did I find it a fast, fun, read, but I appreciated the thought-provoking Message that freedom should not be surrendered for safety (not a subtle message, but a worthy one). Sometimes I am bothered by Messages in books, but in this case, the Museum that carried the message enchanted me sufficiently that I was not Bothered.

This first book in the series comes to a nice end, and is a complete story in and of itself, but I am looking forward to the sequel, City of Lies (September 2011) lots!

Here are some other reviews at Book Aunt, I'd Rather Be Reading, and TheHappyNappyBookseller

Timeless, by Alexandra Monir, for Timeslip Tuesday

Timeless, by Alexandra Monir (2011, Delacorte, YA, 304 pages) is a debut time-travel romance, with a dash of mystery, published today!

Michele's happy life as an ordinary high school student ends when her mother is killed in a car accident. Suddenly she finds herself in the palatial New York home of the grandparents she had never met before--they had disowned their mother when she ran off with Michele's father. Michele never knew her father either--and now she feels truly alone in the world...

But when she finds the golden key that belonged to her mother, Michele finds herself travelling back in time to 1910. There, in the world of gilded age luxury, she meets the young man she's been dreaming of for years. Philip, with his sapphire blue eyes, is one of the few people who can see her there in the past, and they fall in love. But time travel is a tricky thing. The past brings her not only Philip's love, but entanglement in the scandals of families for whom ambition and power mean more than happiness. When she learns that Philip's life might be ruined by his love for her, her travels back to the past take on a terrible urgency...

Timeless is heavy on the romance. Here's an example:

"The way he looked at her was so intimate it made Michele feel exhilarated and shy all at once. She glanced down at the piano keys, trying to calm her racing heart. And then she felt Philip's hand gently lift her chin, and she looked, mesmerized, into those sapphire eyes. Their faces slowly drew toward each other, and he softly brushed his lips against hers." (page 121).

This was not my cup of tea (sapphire eyes just don't do it for me). And I felt very doubtful about the book. (btw, for those who are concerned -- hot and heavy kissing is the extent of their relationship).

But happily for me, the story picked up its pace when Michele and Philip are separated, and her travels back to the past (the 1920s and the 1940s) involve a wider cast of characters. Not only must Michele find a way to give Philip a chance at a meaningful life, but it becomes clear that there is a time-travel mystery surrounding her long-lost father as well. And so the pages turned briskly...until I reached the fatal words "TO BE CONTINUED." Yoiks, I said to myself, now fully invested in the story. How vexing.

I found Monir's writing to be at times a bit stiff, and her various sub-plots not all entirely convincing. But those who are fond of fantastical romances should enjoy this one lots (and this seems to be born out in the reviews linked to below!)

A samply of other reactions: La Femme Readers, Just Another Book Blog, Flippin' Fabulous, and Only Sexy Books Allowed

Added bonus--music is an important part of the story, and a link to two songs, for which Michele wrote the words and Philip the music, can be found at the author's website.

(disclaimer: ARC received from the publisher)

One last quick post about the Newbery Award--its psychic SLJ reviewer!

Looking in my state's library catalogue for Moon Over Manifest (this year's Newbery Winner, just in case you don't know), I came across its School Library Journal Review: "This thoroughly enjoyable, unique page-turner is a definite winner," wrote Renee Steinberg. How right she was!

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword wins the Sydney Taylor Award

Fantasy may have been shut out of the Newbery, but Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, written and illustrated by Barry Deutsch, was the Sydney Taylor Award winner in the Older Readers Category, the first graphic novel to be so honored. How can one resit its tag-line: “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl.”

But despite that, it is downstairs in my book pile even as I type, still unread but only a little overdue....sigh.

Will a Fantasy Book Win the Newbery? Answer: No.

Fantasy/sci fi has had pretty good luck with the Newbery Award recently, what with When You Reach Me and The Graveyard Book. Will it do it again?

The top contenders are Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, and Keeper, by Kathi Appelt, both of which are books in which the fantasy elements are more "magical realism" -- the fantastical is important in each of them, but it's subtle; not dragony at all!

I'd be happy if Ninth Ward won--I love that book!

And we'll find out in just a few hours....

Edited to add:

It was very hard not being able to blog while at work today!!!! But I'm home again.

As most of you probably know, speculative fiction didn't do so well this year. No love from the Newbery committee. No love from the Batchelder committee (translated books), although Departure Time, by Matti is almost fantasy...And no love from Pura Belpre (best author and illustrator of Latina descent). Neither of the two sff books from the Morris list (YA debut) won.

There were a few little bright spots, though--The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex won the Odyssey Award (audiobook), and Ninth Ward won a Coretta Scott King author honor for Jewell Parker Rhodes.

And there were two very bright spots indeed. Terry Pratchet won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his contribution to YA literature, and the winner of the Printz Award (YA) was Shipbreaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi.

You can find a very tidy complete set of lists over at Kids Lit (each award in its own post, so work your way down).

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy

Another Sunday, another round-up. (If you are new to these round-ups, here's how they work). Please let me know if I missed something either by leaving a comment or emailing me (charlotteslibrary at gmail dot com)!

The Reviews:

Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld, at The Book Zone (for boys)

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

The Dragon Games (Books of Umber 2) P. W. Catanese, at Book Talk

The End of the World Club, by J & P Voelkel, at Charlotte's Library

Fairies and the Quest for Neverland, by Gail Carson Levine, at Shannon Whitney Messenger

Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve, at Fantasy Literature

Forgive My Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs, at Small Review

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman, at Biblio File.

The Hawk and His Boy, by Christopher Bunn, at Rita's World.

The Invisible Order: Rise of the Darklings, by Paul Crilley, at Beyond Books.

The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan, at Ex Libris

The Nine Pound Hammer (The Clockwork Dark 1), by John Claude Bemis, at Middle Grade Ninja

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings, by Hélène Boudreau, at Manga Manica Cafe and One Book at a Time

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton, at BookKids

Season of Secrets, by Sally Nicholls, at Kids Lit (possibly this isn't fantasy...but I want to read it!)

The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere 1), by Jacqueline West, at Beyond Books.

The Thirteenth Princess, by Diane Zahler, at Madigan Reads

Trail of Fate, by Michael P. Spradlin, at Fantasy Literature

A Whole Nother Story, by Dr. Cuthbert Soup, at Wandering Librarians

The Wide-Awake Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Windblowne, by Stephen Messer, at Fuse #8

A two for one post at Finding Wonderland--The Magic Thief: Found, by Sarah Prineas, and Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, by R.L. LaFevers

Authors interviewed and guest posting:

Hilari Bell (most recently The Trickster's Girl, which is YA, but also the mg Goblin Gate) at The Enchanted Inkpot

John Claude Bemis (The Clockwork Dark Series) at Middle Grade Ninja.

Hélène Boudreau (Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings) at Manga Maniac Cafe.

Janice Hardy (Blue Fire, book 2 of the Healing Wars) at Cynsations

Dr. Cuthbert Soup (Another Whole Nother Story) at TC&TBC

Jennifer Trafton (The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic) at The Rabbit Room

Other Things of Interest:

The sad news this week was the passing of Dick King Smith...His book, The Sheep-Pig (1983), became Babe, one of my favorite movies ever.

This week's Fairytale Reflections guest at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles is Gillian Philip, talking about Tam Lin.

Author N.R. Williams is blog touring to promote her new book, The Treasures of Carmelidrium; the full schedule can be found here.

And finally, here is a steampunk wedding cake, found at Ciara Knight's Steampunk Saturday:

The End of the World Club, by J & P Voelkel

Those looking for reading material to offer readers pining for next Rick Riordan book should consider turning to the Jaguar Stone series by J & P Voelkel. The two books available thus far, Middleworld (my review) and The End of the World Club, offer a similar combination of adventure mixed with mythology--in this case, two brave kids plunged into a conflict with some of the more unpleasant deities of the Mayan pantheon...

In The End of the World Club (Egmont, December 2010, middle grade, 368 pages), Max, the son of two Mayan archaeologists who had to rescue his parents from the Lords of Death in book 1, is back home from the jungles of Central America. But to save his parents, he cut a deal with the gods...and they aren't going to let it slide. He has ten days to bring the Yellow Jaguar stone to Xibalba, the Mayan underworld, or else.

The Yellow Jaguar was taken to Spain by a conquistador, so Max and Lola, the Mayan girl who was central to the events of Book 1, head off to find it, along with an ancient Mayan king and his mother, whose spirits are currently housed in the bodies of howler monkeys (sounds odd, but it works for them!). But someone else wants the stone--Ah Puku, the God of Violent and Unnatural Death, the god who's about to take control when the new celestial cycle begins next year. Not a nice god at all, and he's throwing just about everything he's got against the two kids.

From one danger to the next, Max and Lola (and the howler monkeys) ricochet around Spain, facing ghosts, murder chargers, human sacrifice, an hideously unnatural wedding (in which Lola has been cast as the bride), and much more! Fortunately, they make it through the obstacles in their way, due mainly to Lola's smarts, and the bravery of the Howler monkey royals (Max means well, and does his best, but he can't really compare to Lola).

Like Middleworld, The End of the World Club is jam packed with scary and exciting adventures. Part of the fun of the first book was watching as Max and Lola became friends under difficult circumstances; in this book, the authors try to add similar character development by introducing the first glimmerings of young love (Max is jealous of a Spanish guy who's fallen for Lola). It felt a bit forced to me. Max also got a lot more screen time in this book than Lola, which was a disappointment--I find her a much more interesting (and intelligent) character! So from a character-development point of view, I prefer the first book.

That being said, the trials and tribulations of Max and Lola's death-filled journey around Spain make for exciting reading, and I'm looking forward to the next book (especially if there's more Lola!)

(arc received for review)

Bad Greek god and goddess puns

Even though I have lots of reviews that I need to write, I'm not going to. Instead, I am going to share the bad puns that my husband and I came up with on our morning commute. We like, from time to time, to take a subject, like "the elements in the periodic table," and see how far we can get with puns (what do you call an email from Nigeria offering you thousands of dollars? Silicon).

Today's subject was Greek Gods and Goddesses.

What Greek god is so hot you could fry an egg on him?

Pan.

Why did the number of parking tickets spike when Persephone was carried off to the underworld?

Demeter wasn't working.

What Greek goddess are you most likely to find at the Rhode Island School of Design?

Artemis (Arty Miss).

Oh the hilarity.

A bit late...but here are my Christmas present books!

Loveliness. And I got two more for my birthday this week--another Ann Lawrence, and the new Patricia McKillip. Now all I need is time...and I really need to stop diverting myself during breaks at work by visiting the library on-line and requesting far too many books.

And here are the books my husband got:


The cider book was a hopeful surprise purchase...and happily it was his favorite book of the lot. We have eight young apple trees, and hopes of making our own cider some year. He also got the fiftieth aniversy edition of the Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan Garner, a lovely book that arrived to late to be in the pile.

Warped, by Maurissa Guibord, for Timeslip Tuesday

Warped, by Maurissa Guibord (Delacorte Press, January 11, 2011, YA, 352 pages), for Timeslip Tuesday.

When I was young, back in the 1980s (sigh) there weren't any romantic time-travel books specifically for teenagers (I think). However, that seems to be changing...and so a new sub-sub-genre emerges, the Romance Time Travel, of which Warped is a fine example (other recent examples being Prada and Prejudice, and Along the River, and I have two more in my tbr pile that I think will qualify).

This is one of those books that is impossible to review without spoilers... So, if you would like a fun time-travel fantasy romance, that keeps the reader entertained, but stretches credulity somewhat, you could just stop reading now and get the book (when it comes out next week).

Or you could keep reading.

Tessa Brody wasn't enjoying spending her evening attending an auction with her book-seller father...but the last lot of books included a unicorn tapestry that seemed to call to her. Pre-empting her father, she makes the high bid...and the tapestry is hers. It will change her life.

When Tessa touches the threads, she finds herself living the life of a Renaissance peasant girl--not just any girl, but the virgin who is to be the bait to lure a unicorn. But the unicorn is really a handsome nobleman, William de Chaucy, enchanted by a wicked witch who has torn the thread of life from him, and from six others as well. Once the unicorn is captured, he will be woven into the place of honor at the center of her tapestry--and his life force will be used by the witch to keep herself young forever.

But back in the present, Tessa is the new owner of the enchanted tapestry. When she plucks a loose thread from it, she releases William...and now she has an ex-unicorn Renaissance lord in her bedroom, with an evil witch determined to get him back. To make matters worse, the Norns (the goddesses of in charge of the threads of life and the fate of ever human ever born) are furious at the disruption the witch has caused to their weaving, and they think Tessa is responsible. And the Fates don't take kindly to meddlers.. Everything, and every one (including William) who Tessa loves could be doomed unless she returns the seven stolen threads of life from the tapestry to the Norns. Which the witch, of course, is dead set against...

It might seem like a complicated plot, but Guibord keeps things moving briskly and reasonably. Many questions arise for which Tessa (and the reader) have no answers for, but all (mostly) becomes clear, and Guibord strikes a nice balance between rushing toward explanations and keeping the reader in suspense. Her characterization of Tessa appealed to me lots (artistic, insecure, sometimes sarcastic), and my favorite parts of the book were those set in real life, with Tessa and her best friend Opal trying to figure out what the heck was happening, with lots of snappy dialogue. My one real issue, plot-wise, was with the Norns--for Powerful Goddesses of Fate they were surprisingly ineffective, and downright wrong viz identifying the culprit behind the lost threads. I wasn't convinced by them.

Within the action and danger of the swirling plot, the romance between Tessa and William flowers. It's a relationship strained both by the issue of looming mortal peril, but also by Tessa's role in the unicorn hunt. William isn't sure he can trust her, and makes this clear...but the overwhelming power of their mutual attraction triumphs in the end. It's more than a bit fairy-tale like, but that's part of the fun, except that I would have liked William better if, instead of getting all huffy and distrustful periodically, he had clarified his issues and given Tessa a chance to tell her side of the story. So not my personal favorite teen romance, although I grant him a certain hotness (and I think teen readers will find him even hotter!).

In short, despite my two issues (the Norns and lack of trust business), I enjoyed this one, and the pages turned briskly. Guibord took an interesting and entertaining premise, and delivered a fun read. This is her first novel--I'll be looking forward to more from her.

Time travel-wise--William is a time traveller from the Renaissance to our present, and although his experience as such isn't central to the plot, it does enliven things, in the fairly standard delighted-wonder-of-person-from-the-past way (pizza! electricity! asphalt!). Tessa's brief dream-like travel to the past doesn't really count as real time travel--she was living someone else's life. I think this will appeal more directly to those who want fantasy romance, rather than hard-core aficionados of Time Travel, which is just fine.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

Out of the Shadows wins Costa Book Award

It was announced this evening that Out of Shadows, by Jason Wallace has won the Costa Book Award for best children's book. Here's the blurb lifted from the awards website:

"Zimbabwe, 1980s. The fighting has stopped, independence has been won and Robert Mugabe has come to power offering hope, land and freedom to black Africans. It is the end of the Old Way and the start of a promising new era.

For Robert Jacklin, it's all new - new continent, new country, new school. And very quickly he is forced to understand a new way of thinking, because for some of his classmates the sound of guns is still loud, and their battles rage on.....white boys who want their old country back, not this new black African government. Boys like Ivan. Clever, cunning Ivan. For him, there is still one last battle to fight, and he's taking it right to the very top."

It sounds fascinating...

Welcome to the first Non-Fiction Monday Round-up of 2011

Thanks for stopping by for this first Non-Fiction Monday of the year!

My own contribution is The Dark Game: True Spy Stories, by Paul S. Janeczko (YA, Candlewick, 256 pages).

I turn to the Cybils Non-fiction shortlists as a tried and true source of great books for my kids (and me). Happily, I had one of the shortlisted titles already on hand--I'd gotten Janeczko's book out of the library a few weeks ago on the strength of the many positive reviews I'd been seeing of it. And it did not disappoint!

With stories of spies ranging from the Revolutionary War to today's cyber spying, Janeczko offers in depth looks at particular men and women and their espionage careers. He's not aiming for a comprehensive history of spying--rather, his focus is on stories that exemplify particular historical periods. And so there was a very personal element to this book--it's full of strong characters (both men and women) who keep the attention of the reader fixed on their adventures.

Many of the stories, what with the concomitant risks of being a spy, and the high military and political stakes involved, were full of suspense and kept me at the edge of my seat! And I kept looking up from the book to share things I'd learned with my family. I didn't know, for instance, that one of the key spies of the Revolution was an unnamed woman from New York. I didn't know that there was a group of Choctaw code talkers in World War One, or that a tunnel was dug under East Berlin to allow the West to tap into the Soviet phone lines. In short, I was both educated and entertained. And my ten year old son likewise--I'm reading it out loud to him, and he is enjoying it lots too.

A fine shortlist choice!

Please leave your non-fiction links in the comments, and I'll post them as the day progresses!

Speaking of the Cybils, several of the Non-Fiction Panelists share their shortlists--you can find them at Simply Science, Check It Out, and Picture Book of the Day.

At Great Kid Books you can find You and Me Together--Moms, Dads, and Kids Around the World, by Barbara Kerley, and One World, One Day, also by Barbary Kerley.

At NC Teacher Stuff, there's Beco's Big Year: A Baby Elephant Turns One, by Linda Stanek.

Shelf-employed offers up two books in the Food is CATegorical series, books "featuring the main food groups and healthy living."

Wendie's Wanderings looks at What's in a ...Hole? by Tracy Nelson Maurer.

At AAKidsBooksTalks you will find Simeon's Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till, by Simeon Wright.

At Chicken Spaghetti there's Saving the Baghdad Zoo

Wild About Nature blog has a review of Arctic Lights Arctic Nights by Debbie S. Miller.

Abby the Librarian shares Come See the Earth Turn, by Lori Mortensen.

The Children's War features Remember D-Day: the Plan, the Invasion, Survivor Stories by Ronald J. Drez

The Cath in the Hat has I Can Sculpt, a how-to book on sculpting for young artists ages 4 to 7.

At Wrapped in Foil there's another Cybils shortlisted book--Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot

A favorite of mine, A Seed is Sleepy, can be found over at Jean Little Library.

And Pink Me has one for us grown-ups (on paper at least)--Print Workshop: Hand-printing techniques + truly original projects by Christine Schmidt.

Stacy Loscalzo looks at Just One Bite: 11 Animals and Their Bites at Life Size.

At Bookish Blather there's The Girl in the Song (the women who inspired 50 rock songs)

Thank you all for all the lovely links! Now I go back to stripping paint off cupboards...but I'll be checking back in.

Two more have joined:

Lori Calabrese looks at Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever.

And at TheHappyNappyBookseller you can find Come See the Earth Turn- The Story of Leon Foucault.

And a third--Beowulf: a Tale of Blood, Heat, and Ashes, by Nicky Raven, illustrated by John Howe, at All About the Books with Janet Squires.

(I stripped the cupboard. While I was stripping that cupboard, however, a mouse became trapped in another cupboard, and ripped the fresh contact paper to shreds. Sigh. Our cat is the worst mouser ever. I have caught more mice than she has).

And one final contribution: At Rasco from RIF you can find The Native Trees of Canada.

Thank you all for joining in!!!

This Sunday's Round-Up of Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy

Happy New Year, all readers and writers of middle grade science fiction and fantasy, and welcome to the first mgsff round-up of 2011. If I missed your post, or that of your best friend, or anything you happened to see, please let me know! And thank you, all of you in the past year who have mentioned on your own blogs that I am doing these round-ups--I appreciate it, and you are welcome to do it again, not because I want the visitors qua visitors so much, but for the Sake of the Books, because the whole point of these round-ups is to bring attention to them.

What mg sff book are you most looking forward to in 2011? I, myself, am having trouble immagining a world beyond January, so I'll go with Small Persons With Wings, by Ellen Booraem.

First, the big/already probably old news:



What do these books have in common?
A. I like them all lots
B. Little pink was used in the cover art, and as far as I know, there are no sparkles*
C. Good writing and tons of kid appeal
D. They all include vampire yetis
E. All of the above

*I haven't seen the finished cover of the Shadows. Are there sparkles???

Answer: (mostly) E. They are the finalists in the Elementary Middle Grade Science Fiction/Fantasy category of the Cybils Awards (for which I was a panelist), and they show beautifully the range of mg sff today. They include horror, humor, reimagined fairy tales, tragedy, wondrous inventions, ghosts, evil, magic...They are girl books and boy books, books perfect for younger readers, and books perfect for grown-ups! I wish we could have shortlisted more books--there are several I'm still very wistful about...

I think my favorite cover is The Dead Boys--the Evil Tree tickles my fancy lots. But I can't decide which is my favorite book, and I pity the judges of the next round who have to pick just one winner!

This week's reviews:

Beauty, by Robin McKinley, at Nayu's Reading Corner. If I were to pick just one book to give to an eleven year old girl, this would be it. Beauty, incidentally, just got a very new and sharp looking cover over in the UK, shown on the far right. My own version, read in the 1980s, looking very 1980s indeed, leads the parade:







Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld, at Boys Rule Boys Read

The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau, at Reading Vacation

The Good Little Devil, by Ann Lawrence, at Charlotte's Library

Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London, by Keith Mansfield, at Charlotte's Library

The Jumper Chronicles--Quest for Merlin's Map, by W.C. Peever, at Eating Y.A. Books

A Matter of Magic, by Patricia C. Wrede, at The Book Smugglers

Ninth Ward, by Jewell Parker Rhodes, at books4yourkids

Shadow, by Jenny Moss, at Reading Vacation

The Shadow Hunt, by Katherine Langrish, at Eva's Book Addiction

Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus, by R.L. Lafevers, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

Melina at Reading Vaction takes a look at the Suddenly Supernatural series -- Book 2--Scaredy Kat, and Book 3--Unhappy Medium

and Gregory Breen takes a look at the Artemis Fowl series at Suite 101.

Interviews:

Greg Van Eekhout (Kid vs Squid) at Spookycyn

Susan Fletcher (Ancient, Strange, and Lovely--Book 4 of the Dragon Chronicles) at Euphoria

Other Stuff:

I thought it would be but the work of minutes to pull together a list of all the mg and ya dragon books published in 2010. It wasn't. You can find the long long list that resulted here!

The Nebula Awards have a category (the Andre Norton Awards) for YA books, and now the Hugo Award folks are thinking of doing the same, with an award for YA books including "those for younger children" (read more at Cheryl's Mewsings)

And finally, for the little bon mote I like to offer at the end of these round-ups, here is a selection of "Ancient Robots and Victorian Androids" at Dark Roasted Blend. Really cool stuff! I am something of a fan of Marie Rutkoski's books (The Cabinet of Wonders and The Celestial Globe), and so was immensely tickled to learn that John Dee, Elizabethan Alchemist, devised a wooden beetle that could fly: