guess the title (a read-a-thon challenge)

Here's this hour's read-a-thon challenge -- can you figure out what book this is? I think it's far too easy....but can't think of anything better and brighter off the top of my head...

of

And so my day of reading begins....and continues...

I'll be using this post for my Read-a-thon adventures today...

7:26 am Finished The Floating Islands. Like the first half much better (schools are a favorite thing of mine to read about), but liked the book as a whole too. Will be reviewing it this week. Half an hour left--on to The Oracle Betrayed....

9:47 Read two thirds of The Floating Islands. Enjoyed the book so much that I didn't want to rush through it with a slightly tired mind, so I turned to something completely different--Ten Miles Past Normal, Frances O'Roark Dowell-- a high school adventure with a nice moral. Enjoyed it. Have now read two books from the Library Book TBR category, one book from the For Review Category, and 2/3 of a book from the Bought for Self category. And planted pansies.

4:40 Sometimes a girl just has to go outside and plant pansies. Not much reading done the last two hours.....

1:57 My Unfair Godmother finished--I was pleasantly surprised to find this was a time travel book, so I'll be reviewing it for next Timeslip Tuesday.

I also visited the post office, and tended to the simple but constant needs of my children (on Saturdays my husband goes up to Boston to teach Irish piping). Now I am going to take them on a promised outing...so no time to read much in the next hour. :(

9:58 Blue Fire finished. It's the second book of a series (The Healing Wars), one of those serii in which the first book needs to be read first (which happily I had done already). Blue Fire is just about entirely Action--lots of people busily running into, and out of, danger, when they aren't busily planning what dangerous thing to do next. I liked the first book, which had more world building and character development, better.

On to My Unfair Godmother...

8:39 am: Here I am, dutifully participating in the first Participatory Element.

1)Where are you reading from today?

I'm reading from the historic **** House (I had to take the name out, because it's google-able) somewhere in southern New England...(I don't like being too easy to find, although, since I am the only archaeologist named Charlotte in southern New England (I think), it is moderately moot).

2)Three random facts about me… 1. When we bought the historic I.B. Sweet house, we thought (ha ha) it would be but the work of moments to fix it up. 11 years into it, I'm planning on spending a good part of this weekend in the barn, stripping crazed (not insanse, but cracked) varnish off the sun room's crown molding. 2. I keep books under my bed 3. I keep books in my dumbwaiter

3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? and 4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

see this post from yesterday

5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

My advice, as a relaxed read-a-thoner, is not to get too het up about it. It's supposed to be fun, so don't push yourself to read if you aren't enjoying it anymore!

Read-a-thon plans--8 books from 4 tbr categories

I have decided, somewhat last-minutedly, to join in Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon. I need a push to make a dent in my tbr pile (aka tbr swarm, infestation, disaster).

So I'm going to try to read two books from each of my four categories of to-be-readness.

The two library books:


The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming, and Blue Fire











The two books gratefully received for review:


My Unfair Godmother, and Human.4













The two books I bought for myself because I really wanted to read them:


Chime, and The Floating Islands











The two books plucked from the very long term (they've been waiting for years; sigh) tbr pile:

(my long term tbr pile isn't all this dark)

The Oracle Betrayed, and The Broken Thread


Which would you read first if you were me?

Huntress, by Malinda Lo

I just had the great pleasure of meeting two fictional girls that I'd love to be friends with in real life--Kaide and Taisin, heroine's of Malinda Lo's new book, Huntress (Little Brown, 2011, YA, 371 pages). The circumstances of our meeting weren't the most peaceful--they were on a life or death quest to restore balance to a world in which nature has gone seriously out of whack, a quest involving monsters, fairies, and evil wolves, and a perilous journey across ice, not to mention a Final Confrontation of Great Danger.

But gosh, I liked these two girls lots, and it was a pleasure to cheer them on as they fell ever so sweetly in love.

It's clear from the beginning that this will happen, and the slow unfolding of their romance is a delightful accompaniment to the excitement and difficult of their quest. Both the girls are students at the Academy of Seers--Taisin because she has a true gift for magic, and Kaede because her well-born parents thought it would be a good thing to do with her while waiting for her to grow up and become marriageable. But their paths had never crossed much, and neither had given much thought to each other. Then Taisin was visited by a dream that sets events in motion, and with which the book itself begins:

"She saw a beach made of ice, and she felt her heart breaking." And Taisin, in her vision, watches Kaede row away over the cold blue ocean....

Huntress is long-time-ago prequel to Ash, Lo's debut book and one I loved (my review). Ash took place over many years, and had a very fairy tale, dreamlike quality to it. In contrast, Huntress is an adventure quest story, and so moves along briskly from Point A to Point B--a different sort of read altogether. As a result, Huntress is, perhaps, a faster, more gripping read--one wants to know what is going to happen!

Yet the things I loved in Ash--the pictures the writing makes in my mind, the characters to cherish, a world of magic--were all there in Huntress, and so, if pressed, I'd have to say I liked this one even more. Maybe, more than just a little, because I liked Kaede and Taisin so very much.

For more about Huntress, including a discussion of the Asian-inspired magic that infuses this world, please visit Malinda Lo's interview over at The Enchanted Inkpot.

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd--Waiting on Wednesday

When Siobhan Dowd died much too early of cancer, she left behind the beginnings of a YA story. Patrick Ness (Monsters of Men) has brought her idea to completion--A Monster Calls will be out in May.

Here's the summary:

"The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming... The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth."

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Freedom Stone, by Jeffrey Kluger, for Timeslip Tuesday

Freedom Stone, by Jeffrey Kluger (Philomel 2011, middle grade, 316 pages), for Timeslip Tuesday

"There were two kinds of slaves on the plantation Lillie and her family called home: those who could sleep on the night before the slave seller came and those who couldn't." (page 1)

Lillie has lived all her thirteen years as a slave on a plantation in South Carolina, in the shelter of her parents' love. But when the Confederate Army promised freedom for the family of any slave who joined up, her father went off to the war...and never came back. And the promise of freedom for his family was broken when he killed at Vicksburg, and found to have $500 in gold on him--he was assumed to have been a thief, and the offer no longer stood.

Now the master of the plantation where Lillie lives is planning to sell some of his slaves--Lillie's little brother among them. Some of her friends, boys about her own age, are in danger too. But one wise woman, too old to work for the master, keeps hidden in her small cottage on the edge of the forest magic that she brought with her straight from Africa. She has stones that slow time...and their power can send a girl, and her friend, back in time, and even across space.

If she can reach the battlefield before her papa gets killed, Lillie can find the truth about the mysterious gold...even if she can't bring him back.

Reading about slavery is hard. Kluger doesn't shy away from both the underlying horror of Lillie's life--the basic underpinnings of slavery she takes for granted that appal the modern reader--and he doesn't shy away from the overt horror of forced labor, physical punishment, and the forced separation of families. But yet he manages to tell a story in which these horrors aren't the main thing of importance--what is important is Lillie's determination, and her identity as a Girl, not as a slave.

Lillie comes through crystal clear, making the story something with more light than darkness. The magic brought from Africa requires considerable suspension of disbelief, but likewise makes the story one about people with a past and a place away from the plantation.

The true time travel part of the story (Lillie's visit to Vicksburg) takes only a few brief pages, and is rather an abrupt departure from the tightly woven life on the plantation that makes up the bulk of the book. Since it's an example of time travel in the service of the plot, rather than time travel as a chance to explore the past, it didn't need to be any longer than it was. And the abruptness of the transition to the carnage of the battlefield on which Lillie finds herself added, I thought, in Kluger's description of the horrors of war.

In summary, this story of magic and slavery and a brave girl risking her life to save her family is a good book--engaging and interesting. It's a book I highly recommend for its writing, for its detailed and evocative description of a sad part of the past, and for its central character. And yet I never felt entirely convinced by the story...

I think this is because I was never able to relate to Lillie in a deep and meaningful way, because I know more (intellectually) than she does about slavery. To her, it is the (admittedly very difficult and sometimes unhappy) way life is, and it is only as the book progresses that she seems to loose the protection of childhood and realize how desperately important freedom is. I think I might have held back from her a bit, because I lacked any of that protective naivete.

For that reason, I think this is probably a book that would work a lot better for a 5th or 6th grade reader, who would be growing up with Lillie, than it did for me. This is a book I can imagine being required reading for years to come in classrooms studying the Civil War, one that its readers might well find so engrossing that they might not realize how well they are being educated.

Yay for Bartimaeus!

The Ring of Solomon, by Jonathan Stroud, emerged victorious in the School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books, facing off against Kathi Appelt's Keeper and Megan Whalen Turner's Conspiracy of Kings. Richard Peck, the judge who found himself in the difficult position of having to chose the winner, described Ring thusly: "Think Old Testament Noel Coward." And explains his reasoning: "Because its very length and the wit of its diction are stinging retorts to both the grade-level textbook and Facebook. And because the fun is in how the tale is told, the yarn spun. Jonathan Stroud doesn’t control language; he unleashes it. The real magic here is in the turning phrase, and how much our texting young need that, and the liberation of laughter."

It was my pick too, much as I love MWT....It's rare to find a book so snarkily tasty, if you know what I mean. Here's my review.

(I bravely read my way through Stroud's trilogy about Bartimaeus' later adventures, but found them too heavy and depressing for my taste. But many people like them better than this one...)

This Sunday's middle-grade fantasy and science fiction round-up!

It's a beautiful Sunday, and there's lots to do outside, so I haven't scavenged to hunt down links to middle grade science fiction and fantasy posts that weren't already in my google blogger reader.

So if I missed your post, I'm sorry, and do let me know about it!

The Reviews:

13 Secrets, by Michelle Harrison, at Nayu's Reading Corner

The Brimstone Key (Grey Griffins) by Derek Benz & JS Lewis, at somewhere in the middle

Charmed Life, by Diana Wynne Jones, at The Written World

The Dragon of Cripple Creek, by Troy Howell, at Educating Alice

The Familiers, by Adam Jay Epsteina and Andrew Jacobson, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

Forest Born, by Shannon Hale, at Beyond Books

Invisible Order: Rise of the Darklings, by Paul Crilley, at GreenBeanTeenQueen

Kat, Incorrigible, by Stephanie Burgis, at Steph Su Reads, Ex Libris, and Reading Fairy Tales

Lair of the Bat Monster (Dragonbreath 4), by Ursula Vernon, at Charlotte's Library

Mortal Engines, by Philip Reeve, at Read in a Single Sitting

River Secrets, by Shannon Hale, at Beyond Books

The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless, by Alan Woodrow, at Project Mayhem

Season of Secrets, by Sally Nichols, at Madigan Reads

The Seventh Princess, by Nick Sullivan, at Back to Books

Small Persons with Wings, by Ellen Booraem, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Mother Reader

A Tale of Two Castles, by Gail Carson Levine, at Eva's Book Addiction

The Time-travelling Fashionista, by Bianca Turetsky, at Charlotte's Library

Under the Green Hill, by Laura Sullivan, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

A World Without Heroes, by Brandon Mull, at Emily's Reading Room

and at Bookworming in the 21st Century there's a lovely bunch of middle grade short revews.

Just two interviews this week (that I found)
Danika Dinsmore (Brigitta of the White Forest) at I Am A Reader, Not a Writer

Cindy Callaghan (Just Add Magic) at Cynstations

Other things:

Excitingly, fantasy rules over at School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids Books! Keeper vs The Ring of Soloman vs Consipracy of Kings (come back from the Dead!)

Here (from me, Charlotte's Library) are the new releases of middle grade sff for the first half of April

Thoughts by Emily Asher-Perrin at Tor on the reality of Neverland

The Carnegie Medal Shortlist has been announced...mg sff is represented (I think, kind of) by The Death Defying Pepper Roux (but is this really sff??? I haven't read it)

And finally, Judith at Misrule has been compiling all the links of memories and obituaries for Diana Wynne Jones. Thank you, Judith.

New releases of YA science fiction and fantasy--the beginning of April, 2011 edition

This is the YA installment of the new release of mg and YA sci fi/fantasy from the first half of April...here are the mg books. My information comes, as always, from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs are via Amazon/Goodreads/the publishers etc.

This is the sort of new releases list that inspires madness--there are so many books on here that I want to read that my little mind is blown. Faerie Winter is one I'm especially looking forward too--Bones of Faerie left me wanting more. And Akata Witch sounds awesome....and, for the first time, I pre-ordered a book just because of the author who blurbed it--Megan Whalen Turner liked The Returning, which was good enough for me. And then there's Huntress, and Red Glove, and Flip, etc etc.

(I'm sorry there aren't cover pictures, but I can't be bothered- it's a nice day, my sister's visiting, and I'm re-reading A Sudden Wild Magic, by Diana Wynne Jones. Likewise, life is too short to argue with blogger about formatting...).

101 WAYS TO BECOME A SUPERHERO...OR AN EVIL GENIUS by Richard Horne & Helen Szirtes "Ever wanted to fly like Superman?* Drive a cool car like
Batman? Smash things like the Hulk? Well, 101 Things to Do to Become a
Superhero is the book for you. Inside is everything you need to
transform yourself from mere mortal into exciting, dynamic, total
superhero material. Make things, learn amazing tricks, and be inspired
by genius ideas in order to complete the transition to object of
worship and admiration. Develop your stealth and telepathy! Identify
your nemesis! Choose your outfit! Or maybe the side of evil is more
your thing? Select a sidekick! Get a villainous chair! Either way,
your days as a mere mortal are over. . . .

*Note: Book will not actually teach you to fly."

THE ABUSED WEREWOLF RESCUE GROUP by Catherine Jinks When Tobias
"Richard Vandevelde wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the night
before, his horrified mother tells him that he was found unconscious.
At Featherdale Wildlife Park. In a dingo pen. He assumes that his two
best friends are somehow responsible, until the mysterious Reuben
turns up, claiming that Toby has a rare and dangerous “condition.”
Next thing he knows, Toby finds himself involved with a strange bunch
of sickly insomniacs who seem convinced that he needs their help. It’s
not until he’s kidnapped and imprisoned that he starts to believe
them—and to understand what being a paranormal monster really means."

AKATA WITCH by Nnedi Okorafor "Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria,
but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino.
She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play
soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits. And then she
discovers something amazing-she is a "free agent," with latent magical
power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the
visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be
enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who
knows magic too?"

CINDERELLA, NINJA WARRIOR: TWISTED TALES by Maureen McGowan "In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!"

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS: THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS by Cassandra Clare "Who will be tempted by darkness? Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart? And who will betray everything they ever believed in?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.

In the heart-pounding fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever."

CREEPING TERROR: THE SCHOOL OF NIGHT by Justin Richards "There is an unseen world most people can’t begin to imagine . . . . . . Where the most ordinary things can turn against you. The village of Templeton was evacuated during World War 2. Now even the ghosts are leaving –because something terrible stayed behind. Ben and his new friends at the School of Night must find out what’s going on. But they are soon trapped in the village, where even the trees and plants turn against them. Could you survive against all the odds? Could you solve the ancient mystery and free the village from a curse that threatens the whole world? If you could, then maybe you have what it takes to join The School of Night."

CRYSTAL BONES: THE FAELIN CHRONICLES by C. Aubrey Hall "A ya fantasy trilogy about a twin boy and girl, the children of a Fae mother and a human father, who discover a new destiny when their parents are murdered."

DREAMLINE by Nicole Luiken "Lissa is a dream come true. Literally. She has the power to cross the dreamline into the world of dreams even while awake.

Years ago Lissa decided she could either have friends or secrets, but not both. Now there’s a new boy in town who sees past Lissa’s social outcast label, but is he someone Lissa can trust, or a spy for the evil wulfdraigles?"

ENCLAVE by Ann Aguirre "WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known."

FAERIE WINTER by Janni Lee Simner "Liza is a summoner. She can draw
life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works
both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to
banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams,
from the ruined land of Faerie.

Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in
a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in
living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even
the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the
threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent
will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself
something more powerful than magic alone."

FLIP by Martyn Bedford "One December night, 14-year-old Alex goes to bed. He wakes up to find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar house, in a different part of the country, and it's the middle of June. Six months have disappeared overnight. The family at the breakfast table are total strangers. And when he looks in the mirror, another boy's face stares back at him. A boy named Flip. Unless Alex finds out what's happened and how to get back to his own life, he may be trapped forever inside a body that belongs to someone else.

THE GATHERING: DARKNESS RISING by Kelley Armstrong "Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.

It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark."

GEEK FANTASY NOVEL by E. Archer "What happens when a science geek and magic collide? Be careful what you wish for. Really. Because wishes are bad. Very bad. They can get you trapped in fantasy worlds full of killer bunny rabbits, evil aunts, and bothersome bacteria, for example. Or at least that's Ralph's experience. He's been asked to spend the summer with his strange British relatives at their old manor house in order to set up their Wi-Fi network. But there's much more to it than that, of course. It's just that nobody told Ralph. He's a gamer, sure. But this game is much stranger--and funnier--than anything to be found on his xbox. He is a geek. This is his story."

THE GHOUL NEXT DOOR: MONSTER HIGH by Lisi Harrison
"Cleopatra de Nile
- New pet snake
- Has Deuce--the hottest guy in school--all warapped up
- Herve Leger bandage dress, strappy gold platforms
Cleo was the queen bee of the RADs, the normies, and everyone in between at Merston High. But now it's "Frankie this" and "Melody that" . . . these new girls sure know how to get her lashes in a tangle. When Cleo lands a golden Teen Vogue photo op for her friends, everything seems to be back on track . . . until they bail to be in some film . . . Frankie and Melody's film! Can't a royal get some loyal?

Frankie Stein Frankie lost her head over Brett once and vows never to do it again. Not that she has a choice: Bekka is clinging to her guy like plastic wrap. But when Brett comes up with a plan that could help the RADs live free, sparks fly, and Bekka will stop at nothing to put out the flames . . . even if it means destroying the entire monster community.

Melody Carver The clock is tick-tick-ticking. Melody has a serious deadline to save her boyfriend, Jackson, from being exposed by the vengeance-seeking Bekka. But Cleo is making it royally difficult for the normie while threatening her acceptance into the RADs' exclusive group . . . a group that Melody suspects she has more in common with than she ever thought."

THE GIRL WHO WAS ON FIRE: YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS ON SUZANNE COLLINS' HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY edited by Leah Wilson "Praised by writers from Stephen King to Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins’ New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy is dark, captivating, and deeply thought-provoking. Part straight-up survivalist adventure, part rich allegory, and part political thriller, the series has become a new YA favorite.

The Girl Who Was On Fire offers even more to think about for teen readers already engrossed by the Hunger Games. From the trilogy's darker themes of violence and social control to reality television, fashion, and weaponry, the collection's exploration of the Hunger Games by other YA writers reveals exactly how rich, and how perilous, protagonist Katniss’ world really is.

The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy."

HUNTRESS by Malinda Lo "Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever."

INSIGHT by Diana Greenwood "Some secrets won't let you go. Elvira Witsil lives about as far away from civilization as you can get, in a remote corner of Wisconsin where nothing much ever happens. In a house crowded with her mother, her cantankerous grandmother, and her little sister, Jessie, Elvira feels forgotten and alone. Their house also contains numerous secrets, and Elvira's family holds their secrets closely. Secrets about the father that Jessie never knew, and that Elvira can't forget. Secrets about that day five years ago. And the one secret that Elvira can't quite understand: that Jessie sees things no one else can see. These secrets will lead Elvira and her family on a journey far away from home---on a journey toward redemption and healing---if she can just bring herself to believe."

LIFE ON MARS: TALES FROM THE NEW FRONTIER edited by Jonathan Strahan "Mars! The Red Planet! For generations, people have wondered what it
would be like to travel to and live there. That curiosity has inspired
some of the most durable science fiction, including Ray Bradbury's The
Martian Chronicles and the work of Isaac Asimov. Now the award-winning
anthologist Jonathan Strahan has brought together thirteen original
stories to explore the possibilities. After reading Life on Mars,
readers will never look at the fourth planet from the sun the same way
again."

MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert "A teen struggles to hold onto her memories-and her identity-in a world that wants everyone to forget-and keep on shopping. Three dynamic teens come together to creat a comic book of their memories."

MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER, by Janette Rallison "Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief 's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother."

PLAGUE: A GONE NOVEL by Michael Grant "This is a blood-pumping, white-knuckle sci-fi thriller of epic proportions. The FAYZ goes from bad to worse...The darkness has been foiled once again and the resurrected Drake has been contained. But the streets of Perdido Beach are far from safe, with a growing army of mutants fighting against the humans for power in the town. In a small room of a house near the edge of town, Little Pete lies ill on a bed. In his fevered dreams, he continues his battle with the hidden evil that seeks to use his power to bring about anarchy and destruction."

RAGE by Jackie Morse Kessler "Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different. That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control. A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world."

RED GLOVE: THE CURSE WORKERS by Holly "Black Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose."

THE RETURNING by Christine Hinwood "An engrossing epic tale with a cast of characters that will hijack your heart.

Cam Attling, having lost an arm, is the only one from his town of Kayforl to return after twelve years of war. All his fellow soldiers were slain, and suspicion surrounds him. When his betrothal to Graceful Fenister is called off and his role in the community questioned, Cam leaves to find the lord who maimed him but spared his life, seeking answers and a new place in the world.

But this is not just Cam's story, it's about all those whose fates entwine with his. Set in a medieval world that is entirely the author's creation, this is an ingenious, exquisite story about what happens after the battle. When sisters, sons, friends, parents, and lovers are left to deal with the subtle aftermaths and unimagined
repercussions of war."

RISE OF THE CORPSES: THE UNDERTAKERS by Ty Drago "On a sunny Wednesday morning in October, a day that would mark the end of one life and the beginning of another, I found out my grouchy next door neighbor was the walking dead. When you turn around expecting to see something familiar, and instead see something else altogether, it takes a little while for your brain to catch up with your eyes. I call it the 'Holy Crap Factor.'" Forced to flee his home and family, twelve-year-old Will Ritter falls in with the Undertakers-a rag-tag army of teenage resistance fighters who've banded together to battle the Corpses."

SAVANNAH GREY by Cliff McNish "Savannah Grey needs to keep moving. She doesn't know why, but she can't let herself get tied down by too many people. It's almost like she's being chased by something. And now something strange is happening with her neck--with her throat. Savannah Grey never thought she'd meet someone like Reece--a guy who seems to understand her. He even knows about her neck. The same thing is happening to him. It's as if their voices are becoming weapons, warming up for some kind of attack. Savannah Grey has no idea what might be chasing her or why her voice suddenly feels like the most powerful weapon on the planet, but she's about to find out. Nature is preparing for battle with the universe's ultimate monster. The time to fight is almost here. The weapon is Savannah Grey."

SLEEPING BEAUTY, VAMPIRE SLAYER: TWISTED TALES by Maureen McGowan "In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!"

TEETH: VAMPIRE TALES by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling "Fascinated by vampires?

Then feast on nineteen tantalizing, bite-sized tales exploring the intersections between the living, dead, and undead.

The vampires in these stories range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between. The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood. . . "

A TEMPLAR'S GIFTS: THE BOOK OF TORMOD by Kat Black "The second book in Kat Black's historical fantasy trilogy full of intrigue, mystery, and adventure!

Something's wrong with Tormod MacLeod. Ever since returning home his visions have become more intense and disorienting, making him increasingly ill and constantly on the verge of collapse. But then he meets Aine, a fiery, no-nonsense Scottish lass who has powers of her own and a special supernatural connection with Tormod--when they're actually getting along. Together they must find the healer who can save Tormod's life, all the while dodging King Philippe le Bel's ruthless soldiers, who will stop at nothing to find Tormod and information about the secret he keeps."

THROUGH HER EYES by Jennifer Archer "The last place Tansy Piper wants
to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with
a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the
desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once
there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old
house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the
strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of
poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her.
Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become
part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined
with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house
and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and
the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more
time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must
untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch
with her own life forever."

TIME OF TRIAL: THE LAWS OF MAGIC by Michael Pryor "It may look like a simple wire device, but the Beccaria Cage could be the cure for Aubrey's condition: a way to reunite his body and soul. But can Aubrey solve its mysteries while Dr. Tremaine's warmongering machinations gather pace? After magical confrontations, near-death experiences, and the appearance of new allies and new enemies, Aubrey decides that there is only one thing to do: carry the fight to the enemy. Thanks to a fortuitously timed symposium, Aubrey, George, and Caroline accompany Lady Rose and Prince Albert to Holmland—into the heart of hostile territory—only to find the city of Fisherberg infested with ghosts, brigands, and shadowy figures with agendas of their own. While trying to prevent a war, could Aubrey Fitzwilliam inadvertently trigger one?"

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: THE OFFICIAL ILLUSTRATED GUIDE by Stephenie Meyer "This must-have hardcover edition--the only official guide--is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. This comprehensive handbook—essential for every Twilight Saga fan—is full-color throughout with nearly 100 gorgeous illustrations and photographs and with exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more."

VAMPIRE FILES: HEARTTHROBS AND BLOODSUCKERS by Amy Rickman "For fans of boys with bite, this compendium is just the thing. Readers who are head over heels for Edward Cullen from Twilight, hungry for Bill Compton from True Blood, or torn between Stefan and Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries will find this collection to be a scream, packed with the inside info to satisfy every vampire desire. This is the chance to get up close and personal with Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz, Stephen Moyer, and more, and learn about their lives and loves, how they rose to fame as vampires, and their theories on why the dark side is so irresistible."

New releases of middle-grade science fiction and fantasy--the beginning of April 2011

I've split up the new releases of the beginning of April into the middle-grade books, posted today, and the YA books, posted tomorrow. There were too many of them for one post!

Lots to look forward to, including several time travel books (A Year Without Autumn sounds great; that's a UK release that I might have to use the Book Depository for) and there are new Theodosia and Nathanial Fludd books! Yay! Sky Pony wins, I think, for prettiest cover...and I can't wait to read The Emerald Atlas and Kat, Incorrigible! Which are you looking forward too?

THE ADVENTURES OF A LITTLE RAG DOLL by Sun Youjun "The endearing story of Little Butou, a rag doll made as a New Years present, and his myriad adventures with and without Ping Ping, the child to whom he belongs."



ALIEN ENVOY: ALIEN AGENT by Pamela F. Service "Alien Agent Zack Gaither has spent his whole life on planet Earth. His assignment: to protect humans from the knowledge of life on other planets. Finally, the time is right, and Zack has the chance to help Earth join the Galactic Union. The only problem? A small army of alien thugs is set on keeping Earth out of the picture. And they're planning to take Zach out in the process. Fortunately, Zack's got a few old friends on his side. Together, they're headed on an adventure that will take Zack off of Earth and across the galaxy. What will the future hold for this Alien Agent?"


ALICE IN TIME by Penelope Bush "Things are at a crisis point for fourteen-year-old Alice. Her mum is ruining her life, her dad is getting remarried, and Sasha, the most popular girl in school, hates her guts. . . Then a bizarre accident happens, and Alice finds herself re-living her life as a seven-year-old through teenage eyes - and discovering some awkward truths. But can she use her new knowledge to change her own future?"


ATHENA THE BRIAN: GODDESS GIRLS by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams "Athena has always been above average. She's never quite fit in at Triton Junior High, but who would've guessed that Athena is actually a goddess? Principal Zeus's daughter, to be exact. When she's summoned to Mount Olympus Academy, Athena thinks she might actually fit in for the first time in her life. But in some ways, school on Mount Olympus is not that different from down on Earth, and Athena is going to have to deal with the baddest mean girl in history -- Medusa!"

THE BOOK OF BONES: A KIT SALTER ADVENTURE by Natasha Narayan "Kit Salter and her friends Rachel, Waldo, and Isaac tumble into another adventure when their coach is hijacked on the wilds of Dartmoor. Their arch enemies, the Baker Brothers, are behind the kidnapping. They force the children into a perilous voyage to China in search of a secret martial arts manual. From bustling Shanghai, their journey takes them to the hidden heart of Imperial China—Peking's Forbidden City. En route they battle opium smugglers, pirates, and kung-fu fighters, before a climatic encounter with the mysterious Wooden Men—giant killers armed with lethal powers and a dastardly will of their own. As the twisting, thrilling narrative reaches its climax, will Kit and her friends be able to survive the danger and mysteries of China and win back their freedom?"

THE DRAGON OF CRIPPLE CREEK by Troy Howell "Show us the gold, Kat! Show us the gold!" Katlin Graham's passion for gold and adventure has steered her family into the rowdy, historical town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. True to her curiosity streak, she strays from the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine tour to explore a closed-off tunnel, and after an accidental fall, discovers a breathtaking secret: Deep below the mine lives a dragon--the last dragon on earth. Ye is his name, and he inhabits a glittering wonderland, surrounded by heaps of gold. Seeing the gold as the solution to her family's financial woes, Kat steals a nugget as big as her fist, right under Ye's watchful eye. Kindly befriending Kat, Ye tells her the astounding truth about gold, and reveals a mysterious cure that prevents dragons from dying. As the ailing Ye shows her the way out, Kat realizes it's up to her to decide his fate. Back in the sunlit world, where the search for the missing girl has created a public stir, Kat's nugget rolls out for all to see. Now a media-frenzy begins, until the town is swarming with gold seekers. Alarmed by this stampede of greed and by her own thievery, Kat brings her brother, Dillon, into her plan to return Ye's gold to him, and to warn him of the dangers that threaten his life and treasure. Can they outwit the gold-crazed crowds? Will Ye live, or will he die?"

THE EMERALD ATLAS by John Stephens "Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about. Until now. Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right."

GOBLIN AT THE BEACH by Victor Kelleher "From the ski slopes of the Snowy Mountains to the rainforests of Far North Queensland—and everywhere in between—Gibblewort the goblin has blundered, crawled, and winged his way through Australia's vast landscape. So surely a relaxing day at the beach will be safe? Not if "fun in the sun" includes frying your feet on hot sand, accidentally chugging down sun cream, and hitching a ride on an angry shark. Can Gibblewort beat the heat and finally get back home to rainy old Ireland?"


GHOST MESSAGES by Jacqueline Guest "In pursuit of stolen treasure in 1865 Ireland, thirteen-year-old Ailish winds up trapped on the Great Eastern as it sails! The largest ship ever built, the Great Eastern's mission is to lay the fi rst undersea telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean. On the journey, Ailish gets help from a young boy, Davy, who seems to live belowdecks. She makes friends with an Irish sailor and tries to track down the hiding place of her father's treasure. The crew must battle the seas and the mishaps of their cable-laying mission, some of which would appear to be sabotage. Through many adventures, Davy is her constant companion. But why won't he ever come topside? Can Ailish use her wits, her determination and
her friendships to survive the trip, let alone save the day?"

JACK FLINT AND THE REDTHORN SWORD by Joe Donnelly "Jack Flint is 13.
He's never known his mother and has—literally—lost his father. On a stormy Halloween he steps from his humdrum world of school, chores, and getting by, into a maelstrom. Scaling the dark-walled coppice known as Cromwath Blackwood, he and his best friend, Kerry Malone, find a mysterious circle of 13 standing stones—stones that almost seem to be breathing, pulling the boys to a place of myth and mayhem, the legendary world of Temair. Here Celtic myth comes to life as Jack, Kerry, and Corriwen Redthorn, the orphaned daughter of a Temair Chief, face the terrifying cunning of goddess of death Morrigan, along with her servants—the Scree, and the cruel, black-feathered Roaks. As they embark upon their fast paced and furious quest, Jack realizes they are not just saving their own lives, but finding clues that might lead him to his father."

KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis "Twelve-year-old Kat Stephenson may be the despair of her social-climbing Step-Mama, but she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can ever find true acceptance in the secret Order that expelled her own mother. She’s ready to turn the hidebound Order of the Guardians inside-out, whether the older members like it or not. And in a society where magic is the greatest scandal of all, Kat is determined to use all her powers to help her three older siblings--saintly Elissa, practicing-witch Angeline, and hopelessly foolish Charles--find their own true loves, even if she has to turn highwayman, battle wild magic, and confront real ghosts along the way!"

POWER PLAY: KINGDOM KEEPERS by Ridley Pearson "For the five teens who modeled as Disney Hologram Imaging hosts, life is beginning to settle down when an intriguing video arrives to Philby's computer at school. It's a call for action: the Overtakers, a group of Disney villains, seem to be plotting to attempt a rescue of two of their leaders, both of whom the Disney Imagineers have hidden away somewhere following a violent encounter in Epcot. A staged attack by new Overtakers at Downtown Disney, startles the group.

One of their own, Charlene, is acting strange of late. Has she tired of her role as a Kingdom Keeper or is there something more sinister at play? When caught sneaking into Epcot as her DHI, acting strictly against the group's rules, Finn and Philby take action. Has the "impossible" occurred? Have the Overtakers created their own holograms? Have they found a way to "jump" from the Virtual Maintenance Network onto the Internet, and if so, what does that mean for the safety of the parks, and the spread and reach of the Overtakers? Are they recruiting an army from outside the parks?

A dark cloud in the Kingdom Keeper era is unfolding, and with dissention in their own ranks, it's unclear if there's any chance of escape."


NIXA THE DEATH BRINGER: BEAST QUEST, AMULET OF AVANTIA by Adam Blade "Fight the Beasts. Fear the magic!
Taladon the Swift has returned! But to Tom's horror, his father is a ghost. To save Taladon, Tom must battle the Ghost Beasts and collect the pieces of the shattered Amulet of Avantia. First is Nixa the Death Bringer. Will her deadly disguises lure Tom to his death?"



THE RUNAWAY SPELL: B MAGICAL by Lexi Connor "B's magical adventures will cast a S-P-E-L-L on middle-grade readers in this funny, fast-paced series!

When B tries to help her friend George improve his soccer game, she accidentally turns him into a part-boy, part-zebra! Can she make his tail and ears V-A-N-I-S-H before the big game?"

SIGN OF THE MOON: WARRIORS, OMEN OF THE STARS by Erin Hunter "The dark forces that have driven a rift between the four warrior Clans are growing stronger. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovepaw now know that unless they can unravel the true meaning behind the prophecy that binds them, the warrior code could be destroyed forever. While Lionblaze remains focused on protecting ThunderClan from anotherdeadly battle, Jayfeather receives a desperate plea for help from the Tribe of Rushing Water. He must travel to the mountains in search of answers that link the Clans to the Tribe in ways no cat could have imagined. But with the summons comes an ominous warning that suggests the power of the stars may not be enough to save the Clans."

SKY PONY by Elaine Breault Hammond "Twelve-year-old Katie resents her beloved parents when they decide to move their family to the Yukon for Dad's new job. But when they take in six-year-old Siggi as a foster child, Katie is REALLY mad. She escapes from her unhappiness quite by chance when she realizes her pony, an Icelandic horse called Peggy, can fly—through time as well as space. By accident she takes Siggi to nineteenth-century England, where the two are adopted into a loving family. But when Peggy and Siggi are kidnapped and forced to work in an underground mine, Katie must rescue them or risk losing them forever. Through the danger and the triumph, and the connections she makes through time travel, Katie comes to understand the meaning of family."

THEODOSIA AND THE LAST PHARAOH by R. L. LaFevers "In this fourth book in the series, Theodosia sets off to Egypt to return the Emerald Tablet—embedded with the knowledge of some of the ancient world’s most guarded secrets. Accompanied by her cat, Isis (smuggled along in a basket), Theo plans to return the artifact, then explore the mysteries surrounding her own birth and oh, yes— help her mother dig up treasures on her archeological expedition. But nothing ever works out as planned, especially when a precious treasure appears suddenly, and then just as suddenlydisappears. . . When the Serpents of Chaos get involved, Theo finds she’s digging up a lot more than she expected!"

THE TIME-TRAVELING FASHIONISTA by Bianca Turetsky "What if a beautiful vintage dress could take you back in time?

Louise Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure.

Suddenly onboard a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago, Louise relishes the glamorous life of this opulent era and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence. . . ."


THE UNICORN'S TALE: NATHANIEL FLUDD, BEASTOLOGIST by R. L. LaFevers "Is there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if you’re Nathaniel Fludd, the world’s youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nate’s Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologist’s duty lies: to the beasts.

And if taking care of the world’s beasts isn’t difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must also keep them safe from the villainous Obediah Fludd, who intends to do them harm. With all this taking up every last bit of his energy and time, will Nate ever find the parents he is so absolutely convinced are alive?"

WHEN APPLES GREW NOSES AND WHITE HORSES FLEW: TALES OF TI-JEAN by Jan Andrews "In these three imaginative stories, Jan Andrews introduces us to Quebec’s traditional folktale hero, Ti-Jean. He’s an endearing
character who is both wise and foolish, and though he does find himself in hard situations (often of his own making), in the end, he somehow manages to do what needs to be done. In “Ti-Jean and the Princess of Tomboso” he eventually outwits a greedy princess; in “Ti-Jean the Marble Player” he gets the best of a pint-sized scoundrel; and in “How Ti-Jean Became a Fiddler” he turns the tables
on a too-clever-for-her-own-good seigneur’s daughter, and finds truelove in the process."

A YEAR WITHOUT AUTUMN, by Liz Kessler. "If you could see into the future - would you look? Jenni Green doesn't have a choice. On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni suddenly finds she's been transported exactly one year forward in time. Now she discovers that in the year that's gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy? How did Jenni skip a year? And can she find her way back to the past to try to change what lies ahead? With humour - and her customary light touch - the author of the EMILY WINDSNAP books plays a fascinating game with time, and explores the changes that take place in friendships and families in the aftermath of a disaster."