10/25/22
The Rabbit's Gift by Jessica Vitalis
10/23/22
This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs etc (10/23/22)
Windswept, by Margi Preus, at Sonderbooks
Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend [Winnie Zeng, Book 1] by Katie Zhao, at Book DragonAuthors and Interviews
Katherine Applegate (Odder), at The Children's Book Review10/18/22
You Only Live Once, David Bravo, by Mark Oshiro
10/16/22
This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs 10/16/22
Good morning! Here's what I found this week. Please let me know if I missed your post.
The Reviews
Always Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak, at Scope for Imagination
Black Bird, Blue Road, by Sofiya Pasternack, at Charlotte's LibraryThe Black Slide, by J.W. Ocker, at Say What?
Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3) by Victoria Schwab, at Lazy Day Literature
Calix and the Fire Demon, by Ron Walters, at Say What?
The Chestnut Roaster. by Eve McDonnell. at Magic Fiction Since Potter
Children of the Quicksands, by Efua Traoré, at Charlotte's LibraryDungeon Academy: No Humans Allowed! by Madeleine Roux, at Twirling Book Princess
Gargantis, by Thomas Taylor, at Leaf's Reviews
The Ghost of Spruce Point, by Nancy Tandon, at Bookworm for KidsThe Girl in White, by Lindsay Currie, at Randomly Reading
Greenwitch, by Susan Cooper, at Entering the Enchanted Castle
Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse [Kiki Kallira, Book 2], by Sangu Mandanna, at BookDragonThe Lords of Night, by J.C. Cervantes, at The Bookwyrm's Den and A Backwards Story
Moongarden (Plotting the Stars #1). by Michelle Barry, at Say What?
Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask, by Shiko Nguru, at Ms. Yingling ReadsThe Rat Queen by Pete Hautman, at Teen Librarian Toolbox
Thunderbird, Book 1, by Sonia Nimr, at Charlotte's Library
Where the Lost Ones Go, by Akemi Dawn Bowman, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Windswept, by Margi Preus, at Charlotte's LibraryTwo at Ms. Yingling Reads-- A Long Way From Home, by Laura Schaefer, and Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont, by Nick Brooks
Two at alibrarymama-- Let the Monster Out, by Chad Lucas, and Secret of the Shadow Beasts, by Diane Magras
Authors and Interviews
Fleur Bradly (Daybreak on Raven Island) at Middle Grade Ninja
T.A. Barron ar Fuse #8R.L. Stine at The Yarn podcast
10/15/22
Children of the Quicksands, by Efua Traoré
10/13/22
Black Bird, Blue Road, by Sofiya Pasternack
Ziva and Pesah are inseparable twins. Even when Pesah is stricken with leprosy, and confined first to his room and then to his own small dwelling outside the main house, Ziva spends most of her time with him. She is the one who tends to his infected wounds (the first line of the story is "I have to cut off Pesah's finger today"). Pesah knows he is dying, and this is confirmed when he sees a vision of the Angel of Death. Ziva refuses to accept this. So when she finds out that her father is going to send Perah away to a leper colony, she harnesses up horses to a cart and escapes with him to set out for Byzantium to find a cure.
When robbers attack, all seems lost...except that with the robbers, bound to serve them, is a half-sheydem (demon) boy, Almas When at his urging Ziva breaks the charm that held him, he binds himself to her quest in return, agreeing to help her take Perah to the fabled city of Luz, where Death cannot enter.
Their journey really is a race against death, and they make it just in time. But is the promise of life that Luz offers one that Ziva and Pesah can live with?
Ziva is a formidably fierce character, whose single-minded determination blazes across the pages. In fact it blazes a bit too brightly, overshadowing Pesah and Almas. The scenes in which Ziva actually talks and listens to each of them are great, pushing her toward more self-knowledge and taking her out of her own headspace. But they are too few and far between.
Ziva is so very much the center of the story and so very, desperately, focused on saving her brother that she doesn't actually spend much time talking to him or to Almas, and so we as readers don't get to spend much time seeing anything from their point of view. This diminished my personal enjoyment of the book lots; though I sympathized with Ziva, she felt more than a bit one note to me. Pesah is shown to us through the lens of Ziva's thoughts about him, and doesn't get much page time to be his own person. Likewise half-demon Almas, literally dragged along in Ziva's wake by the binding between them, also with just enough time given to him on the page that we know he is an interesting person with his own tragic story. Ziva barely things about him at all though it is clear that there is going to be a romantic interest in their future, so we don't even get much of him second-hand,
But still the final conflict/resolution between Ziva and the Angel of Death was profoundly moving, and Pesah did get to make his final choice. The Angel turned out to be an interesting character in Its own right, which pleased me, adding depth to the final conclusion, in which Pesah, not Ziva, gets to choose the course of his own life.
It's not a fantasy for readers who like Adventure, but will appeal to those who like emotionally charged journeys through worlds rich in story, particularly those who are kicking against the injustice and pity of the world.
What I personally liked best--doing a deep dive into internet reading about the Khazars! I love it when middle-grade fantasy reading leaves me better educated!
I also appreciated that the fantasy in this story is rooted in Judaism, a very rare thing in mg sci fi/fantsy. This is one of three Jewish middle grade fantasy books that I know of eligible for this year's Cybils Awards. The others are Aviva vs the Dybbuk, by Mari Lowe, and The Two Wrong Halves of Ruby Taylor by Amanda Panitch.
None of these three have been nominated yet, so please consider adding Jewish representation to the list of Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction nominations! Cybils Awards Nomination Form. And if you know of more, please comment!
10/11/22
Thunderbird Book 1, by Sonia Nimr, for Timeslip Tuesday
A personal complaint is that the sadness with which the story begins made it hard for me to get hooked.. Noor's beloved parents died when she was 11, and for the past two years she has lived in the home of her uncle. His wife is shrewish, greedy, and unkind, but fortunately her grandmother is there to give her all possible love and comfort, and one night gives her an old ring from her parents....and then she too dies.
Noor runs away to visit an old family friend, a professor of antiquities, to try to find out more about the ring. The ring is tied to her parents research--they were convinced that the phoenix was a real bird. And they were not wrong. With its death and rebirth every 500 or so years, the phoenix maintained the boundary between the human world and the world of the djinn and other magical creatures. It is time for the phoenix to die again, but this time it might not be resurrected....and the balance between the worlds would be shattered.
And Noor finds herself, accompanied by one of the djinn (who are also worried about the boundary falling), undertaking a quest through time to recover four feathers from the phoenix's past immolations.
Arriving in 16th century Jerusalem, she meets a girl who looks just like her, who has the same ring. The two join forces to find the phoenix, and escape after being brutally captured by soldiers to make it just in time to see the phoenix burn....and this first installment ends.
I have left out many of the lovely fascinating elements of the story that made it a pleasure to read. Though there are a few uneven bits, like Noor getting a lesson in the Crusader history of the city from her new friend (interesting, but something of an info-dump), Noor was such a clearly drawn character that she carried me through the story without faltering. It was fascinating to go back in time with her, and also to see Jerusalem through her terrified, Palestinian eyes. And if I ever time travel, I would, like Noor, to have a djinn in cat form going with me to magically provide appropriate clothes!
I completely agree with the conclusion of the Kirkus review (which is how I found out about this one)--
"This richly descriptive novel paints a moving portrait of a lost, lonely girl; a historic land with a painful past and present; and an enchanting magical world. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers eager for more."
Book 2 comes out this November, and I will be buying it.
Thunderbird is eligible for this year's Elementary/Middle Grade Cybils Awards. Two other Muslim fantasies that have also not yet been nominated are Nura and the Immortal Palace, by M.T. Khan, and Amira & Hamza: The Quest for the Ring of Power, by Samira Ahmed. If you know of others, please let me know! And please consider nominating one of these books (here's where you go to do that), to uplift middle grade Muslim fantasy!
10/9/22
Windswept, by Margi Preus
This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy from around the blogs etc (10/9/2022)
The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, by Deborah Abela, at The Book Muse
*Ghostlight, by Kenneth Oppel, at Pages Unbound
*Map of Flames, by Lisa McMann, at Geolibrarian
Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, by Caris Avendaño Cruz, at Your Tita Kate
*Monster Club, by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel, at Always in the Middle
*New Dragon City, by Mari Mancusi, at Ms. Yingling Reads, The Bookwyrm's Den, and Boys' Mom Reads
*Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont. by Nick Brooks, at Always in the Middle
Odder, by Katherine Applegate, at Mom Read It
*A Rover's Story, by Jasmine Warga, at Cracking the Cover.com
*Shelterlings, by Sarah Beth Durst, at YA Book Nerd
The Tale of Truthwater Lake, by Emma Carroll, at Book Craic
*This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko, at Charlotte's LibraryThe Worst Villain Ever, by Amy Bearce, at Say What?
Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup, by Andy Sagar, at Twirling Book PrincessTwo at alibrarymama -- *The Prince of Nowhere, by Rochelle Hassan, and *The Lock-Eater, by Zack Loran Clark
Two by Kris Humphrey at Log Cabin Library Leo's Map of Monsters-- *The Armored Goretusk & *The Spit Fang Lizard
Authors and Interviews
Kalynn Bayron (*The Vanquishers) at Paola M Guerrero (YouTube)Jessica Vitalis (The Rabbit's Gift) at Teen Librarian Toolbox
Michelle A. Barry (Moongarden) at Teen Librarian ToolboxAlyssa Colman (The Tarnished Garden) at Withywindle
Ally Malinenko (*This Appearing House) at Bent Biblios Podcast and w-enternews
Emi Watanabe Cohen (*The Lost Ryu). at MG Book VillageOther Good Stuff
New Children's Book Picks October 2022 - UK Post, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
Watch the trailer for My Father's Dragon at SLJ
10/8/22
This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko
So today I found amongst the electronic detritus of my gmail a B. and N. gift card I hadn't used, went out to spend it, and after much thought and wandering came home with This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko (August 2022 by Katherine Tegen Books). And then I neglected household tasks and read it, so yay for me!
The House appears one day, at the end of a cul-de-sac. Jac tries to accept without question that it is there, when it wasn't the week before.
And what with the tensions already in her mind--the ordinary new kid in school sort, and the bigger trauma of her five year anniversary of cancer diagnosis, with a mom who's constant concern is becoming smothering. Every clumsiness, every nervous shaking of her hands, could be a sign that she isn't free and clear after all.
The House calls to her.
Two of the boys who are class bullies dare Jac and her friend Hazel (a boy named after the rabbit, which the bullies have a field day with), to go inside. All four end up going in. They find nightmare built on nightmare.
Jac knows the House wants something from her...and until she figures out what that is, it won't let her go.
Was it pleasure reading? Not exactly--horror isn't my thing, and the House is a horror-poloza. It is a good mix of the profoundly disturbing, the terrifying, and the repulsive. I think young horror lovers will enjoy it. I have to admit I didn't linger on all the different nightmarish encounters, because my mind has a bad habit of playing disturbing images from horror books and movies back to me in exquisite detail which I don't appreciate. (content warning--tooth trauma)
Before I could turn off the keen, alert, reading part of my mind, though, there was a tooth thing. If you, like me, knocked your front teeth out at a young age and subsequently had recurring nightmares where you bit into apples and saw your teeth imbedded in them, be warned! This is the closest I can remember to feeling physically ill because of a scene in a book.
But behind the smoke-screen of the grotesque, this is a moving and thought-provoking story, about acknowledging trauma, but not letting that be all-defining. Being angry, sad, and terrified about having gotten a crap deal, but being able to start letting life flow onward is good to think about. I rarely call books "heartfelt" because it seems a nebbishy thing to say, but in this case it feels valid-- Jac's story came from the author's heart and her personal experience, and it resonated with my heart and my personal experience (the teeth aren't my only past trauma--I had a bad patch of way too many MRIs myself. Seven months pregnant, told I had a tumor behind my right eye, no way to know till baby was born if it was benign or not.....then baby and brain surgery simultaneously. All better now, I hope, knock on wood....)
However, all that being said--short answer is that this is a good mix of horror, a really strong MG friendship (Hazel is great) and good and useful things to think about when one feels introspective.
This Appearing House is eligible for this year's Cybils Awards in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction, and is still waiting to be nominated! If you would like to take care of that, here's the nomination page--Cybils Awards Nomination Form
10/4/22
The House in the Waves, by James Hamilton-Paterson, for Timeslip Tuesday
But then he finds a handmade balloon (not a party balloon, but handmade with parchment like stuff pieced together) stuck in a tree, with a note attached from a boy pleading to be rescued from imprisonment in a tower. Martin's attention is caught, and so he journeys illicitly from the institution to find and help the writer of the note.
And he finds himself in the 16th century, in a fishing village about to walloped by a tremendous storm. Following a few leads from the (suspicious, but preoccupied) villagers, he comes to the ancient and crumbling house of a mad alchemist. Locked up in a tower by the alchemist, his uncle, is Will, who has been sending out messages on balloons he has made from the skin of mice.... As the storm hits, the alchemist's house collapse, and Will and Martin barely escape.
It was very good time travel, with Will's desperate predicament vividly described, and a beautifully creepy, yet moving, picture of the crazed alchemist uncle. It is a transformative experience for Martin, who cannot help but be engaged in the trauma of it all.
But then he wakes up in his own bed back in the institution, not having left it at all. It was a dream, a Freudian dream that has cleared his mind, and he is no longer detached from reality.
It was very gripping, and I read it in a single sitting, but there is much that made me uncomfortable re mental illness and children suffering from it. The detail and care with which the fat body of another child who seems to have a development delay was described was unpleasant, for example. And then there's the magical healing of mental illness being cured through drug-induced time travel and a few pointed remarks from the doctor pointing out elements of Martin's story that resonate with his real life.....not a very satisfying conclusion for the modern reader.
On the other hand, the theme of oceans, and drowned shells, and the fishing village and alchemist's house devastated by waves, makes the story strangely cohesive. The alchemy part was fascinating. And it was pleasing to see Martin come out of his isolation, and I did read it in one engrossed gulp. Well worth the $5 I spent on it.
10/2/22
This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (loosely defined to include instagram, podcasts, etc) 10/2/22
Good morning from Rhode Island. Here's what I found in my hunt for mg sci fi/fantasy reviews this week; please let me know if I missed your post.
but first--nominations for the Cybils Awards are open, and ANYONE from around the world can nominate books! (but authors and publishers--if you want your own book nominated, don't do it yourself just yet; you'll get a chance after the public nominations close October 15). Eligible books are those published in the US or Canada October 16 2021-October 15 2022.
It would be possible to make a brilliant shortlist of seven books from what got nominated yesterday, the first day. But there are so many wonderful elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books that NEED to be nominated! I've put asterisks next to books in today's round-up that are eligible and still waiting for love. (feel free to let me know if I made a mistake!)
The Reviews
*Alliana, Girl of Dragons, by Julie Abe, at alibrarymama
Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston, at Log Cabin Library and Kiss the Book
*Beneath the Sand (Unicorn Island #2), by Donna Galanti, at Children's Books Heal
*Charlie Hernández & the Golden Dooms, by Ryan Calejo, at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
*Eden's Everdark, by Karen Strong, at Charlotte's Library
*The Fire Star, and The Wolf's Howl (Maven and Reeve, books 1 and 2), by A. L. Tait, at Charlotte's Library
The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name, by Reece Carter, at Book Craic and Library Girl and Book Boy
The Ghost of Midnight Lake, by Lucy Strange, at The Children's Book Review
*Ghostcloud, by Michael Mann, at The Bookwyrm's Den
*Haven: Small Cat’s Big Adventure, by Megan Wagner Lloyd, at Semicolon
*It's The End Of The World And I'm In My Bathing Suit, by Justin A. Reynolds, at Original ContentLeila and the Blue Fox, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave with Tom de Freston, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads
*LightCasters, by Janelle McCurdy, at eviebookish*Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza, by Laekan Zea Kemp, at The Bookwyrm's Den and Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile
*The Patron Thief of Bread, by Lindsay Eagar, at Kiss the Book
The Spectaculars, by Jodie Garnish, at Book Craic and Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
*The Supernatural Society, by Rex Ogle, at Kiss the Book*The Vanquishers, by Kalynn Bayon, at Ms. Yingling Reads and The Story Sanctuary
*The Whispering Fog, by Landra Jennings, at Say What?
The Wintrish Girl, by Melanie La’Brooy, at wendy_orr_authorAuthors and Interviews
Lois Lowry at The New Yorker
George Jreije (*Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria) at MG Book VillageKatherine Applegate (*Odder) at The Yarn podcast
Lindsay Currie (*The Girl in White) at Teen Librarian Toolbox. and Novel on my mind
9/29/22
The Fire Star, and The Wolf's Howl (Maven and Reeve, books 1 and 2), by A. L. Tait
The Fire Star and The Wolf's Howl are the first two books of a new series by Australian author, A. L. Tait (August 2022, Kane Miller in the US), and since I'd enjoyed others of her books, I was very pleased when they arrived in the mail.. And then I was very sad when I got to the end of book 2 and there was no book 3. Here's an image of them from the author's website (and I totally agree with the Kirkus quote!)
Two young teens--Reeve, a new squire, and Maven, the companion/servant of a noble lady==are thrown together in a castle full of secrets. When a precious jewel goes missing, they both are desperate to solve the mystery; Reeve because his new lord has told him to find it, and he's desperate not to be dismissed, Maven because the jewel was to be her ticket to freedom. Even though it takes a while for them to trust each other, and to learn each other's secrets, they make a great team (sparks fly, mutual respect grows), and it was delightful seeing all the intrigue and deception swirling around them through their eyes.
The Wolf's Howl sends them on a journey, accompanying Reeve's lord and Maven's lady (newly married) to demesne off in the cold and windy wilds. There they find another mystery to solve, and once again I enjoyed them doing so lots!
I just hate it when I have a really solid book comparison to offer, and then I see the clever little marketers have beat me to it-- "39 Clues meets Ranger’s Apprentice in bestselling fantasy author A. L. Tait's new medieval adventure series. " But then I read this in my own review of Tait's earlier duology, The Ataban Cipher--"Especially recommended to younger Ranger's Apprentice fans." I am the winner, and can now say how very much Ranger's Apprentice fans might enjoy this new series--likeable, smart main characters who are clearly the good guys being brave and having adventures and solving mysteries in an alternate medieval Europe-ish sort of place. The Ranger's Apprentice books have better food and their main characters have better fighting skills than Reeve, but Tait's books take a deeper dive into the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. And though I'm sad to reject the food, I'll take actively subverting the patriarchy.
Dunno about the 39 Clues comp. though...seems a bit of a stretch to me, and my elation of just a moment ago changes to disappointment as I fail to think of a better comp of my own. I can't think of any middle grade books that have illicitly educated girls solving mysteries in medieval court settings (but with no magic, dragons or ghosts). Surely more must exist? I shall ask twitter.
In any event, The Wolf's Howl ends up setting the next book up beautifully, and I hope I get to read it sooner rather than later.
disclaimer: review copies received from the publisher
9/28/22
Eden's Everdark, by Karen Strong
Eden's mother never took her to visit Safina Island off the Georgia Coast, home to generations of her family who were first enslaved there and then made it their own place, where they owned land and became a strong community. But after her mother dies, her father takes her to see her family there. Not only does Eden find love from her kin in this beautiful island full of history, but discovers it's dark side, a darkness that was the reason her mother and grandmother left when her mother was still a girl.
Her mother left behind a sketchbook full of terrifying images--monsters, strange and spooky children, and more. And Eden discovers these weren't drawn from imagination, but from real life. When she finds a rift into the darkness, she feels strangely drawn to it, and goes through. Just as the witch who rules this land of ever darkness, where the sun never shines, wanted.
The Everdark is a spectral overlay on the real world, and in the grand house built by the descendants of the plantation owners, the witch, who calls herself Mother Mary, exercises near total control of the ghosts she's captured. Two ghost girls have been made her children, and she want's Eden to be her third dear daughter. Eden is still alive, though...though possibly not for long....and she's determined to escape.
But getting free means figuring out the sources of Mother Mary's power, and how to break it before she herself is broken. And it means uncovering the secret of her mother's magic--the family gift of making things grow--and finding it with herself as well.
The warm and loving first section of the book is a sharp and very effective contrast to the horror of the Everdark, with its creeping rot, trapped ghosts, Mother Mary being terrifying inside, and monsters lurking outside. But her survival and ultimate escape comes in no small part from the warmth and love in her own self. Added interest comes from the identities of all the ghosts (who come from many different times) that Eden meets. Mother Mary's backstory packs an especially intense punch--she isn't just a cardboard villain, but someone who was badly wronged who really does want her "children" to love her.
There's no miraculous end to Eden's grief as a result of her sojourn among the dead, but the story does end back in a place of warmth and light. It's gorgeously atmospheric and enthralling, so much so it kept my mind firmly its grip, which is especially noteworthy because I read it in a single sitting while my car was failing inspection and The Price is Right blared very loudly over my head.....
9/27/22
My Second Impression of You, by Michelle I. Mason, for Timeslip Tuesay
16 year old Maggie is sure that her perfect boyfriend, Theo, is going to ask her to prom when he suggests meeting up at a coffee shop, but instead, he breaks up with her. Stumbling back to her car, she falls and hurts her foot. Theo does nothing to help, but his best friend, Carson, who Maggie has never liked, is there and drives her home.
Maggie turns out to have broken a foot bone, and needs surgery, and her life, which centers around drama and dances, crashes down to mingle with the loss of Theo. She wallows in self-pity. So when she gets a text offering her the chance to revisit the best day of her life, she can't revisit, and installs the app. She'll go back to the wonderful, giddy, fairytale day when she and Theo first met.
But this time around, the app keeps intruding, showing her the day from other points of view. Her best friend has a secret that might ruin the love and trust between them. Theo is not exactly the romantic hero Maggie had thought. Carson is more than just Theo's unwelcome wingman. And so Maggie is forced to think about things that in her self-centered way had never occurred to her....All that she missed the first time around pushes her into being a better, more aware person, and gives her the gift of someone much better than Theo....
The app doesn't deliver it all in one day, so Maggie's real time life keeps getting knocked out of kilter by bits of new information, making her character growth more believable. She has to work hard to process and act on what she learns, and though the reader might want to shake her (she's isn't very likeable for the first half of the book or so), she does get there in the end.
Michelle Mason is the author of Your Life Has Been Delayed, another fascinating and thought-provoking YA time slip/romance (my review), and I appreciated the interesting twist on time travel she's come with here too. Maggie was really in the past, and the app had to poke her to keep her from changing things, so it was more than just watching a movie. The app isn't explained at all, and I can't help wonder why Maggie was the chosen one....
It's a really fun premise, well delivered, and the developing romance was sweet. It was a fast and absorbing read, with the bonus of me wondering what I would do if I were Maggie, and what day I'd want to go back to if I were Maggie....and what I might learn.
9/25/22
This week's round up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (9/25/22)
The Girl and the Ghost, by Hanna Alkaf, at By Singing Light
*The Sisters of Luna Island,by Stacy Hackney, at Lazy Day Literature
Margi Preus (*Windswept) at The Horn Book
L.T. Getty (The Mermaid and the Unicorns) at Jazzy Book ReviewsMike DiCerto (A Nick of Time) at Nuttin' But Books
9/24/22
A Taste Of Magic (Park Row Magic Academy #1), by J. Elle
12-year-old Kyana is pretty happy with her life in her neighborhood of Park Row. Sure, her mom has to work way to hard because money is tight, and she's under pressure to well at school, even at math...but she has her very dear best friend, Nae, to make school better, and her very dear grandma to love and cook with at home. Then she discovers she has magic, and she has to spend every Saturday at Park Row Magic Academy, even though the first day of class there is Nae's birthday party....and she can't tell anyone about the magic.
Kyana is determined to excel at magic, especially the Charms part of it, which seems most likely to help her mom out financially. But even as she gets better at magic, she gets deeper into a web of lies with Nae about where she is on Saturdays, pushing their friendship to the breaking point. To add to her worries, her grandma's mind is slowly being swallowed by Alzheimer's. And then the bomb drops--the Park Row magic school is going to be closed due to lack of funding. The other city magic schools, in whiter and richer neighborhoods, will stay open, and if Kyana can come up with several thousand dollars, she can finish her initial training at one of them. If she can't (and her mother can't work any harder than she does, so it seems impossible) she'll loose her magic, just as she's finding out what her own special gift is and overcoming her self-doubt.
So wining a city wide baking contest with a sweet cash prize seems to be the obvious answer, and her grandma's recipes, which have a magic of their own, are perfect for it. But when Kyana inadvertently contaminates her first round entry of cupcakes with inadvertent magic, she creates a problem she can't fix alone. She'll need every friend she has--old, new, and unexpected--and a bit of help from magical (and adorable) cat-like beings to fix things. And she has to keep on baking, because she's not about to loose hope.
The various very relatable tensions in Kyana's life, with their real world echoes made me anxious at times. But they are lightened beautifully by the wonder of her entry into a world of magic, by friendship and love, by delightful cooking, and of course magical "kittens." And I was left feeling warm and cozy, so excited by the #1 in the title -- I can't wait for more!
A sweet treat of a book!
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
9/21/22
The Girl in White, by Lindsay Currie
I am back from vacation--a week and a half in Montana, mostly spent volunteering with the Forest Service fixing up some old buildings at a history tree nursery, and less time visiting used bookstores. In case anyone is interested, here is my haul (the books whose titles can't be read are Great Day in the Morning, by Florence Crannell Means, and Janine, by Robin McKown).
More books coming home than I took with me (8 ARCs, mostly mg fantasy), and I enjoyed reading them. The result is that I am now behind on reviews....so I hope to review lots in the coming week.
First up is The Girl in White, by Lindsay Currie (September 6th 2022 by Sourcebooks Young Readers), a nice ghost story with which to kick off the spooky season of Fall!
Mallory has been uprooted from Chicago to Eastport, MA--a quaint ocean town. There's a twist to the quaintness, though--the town capitalizes it reputation on being a spooky hotspot. Mallory's parents have plunged into the thick of the spooky stories, opening a restaurant in a building where a casket came tumbling out of a collapsing interior wall. The horror of it is embraced by her parents, and the restaurant is thriving, but Mallory is almost completely fed up with non-stop ghost stories all the time, and totally fed up with the town's fetishization of one legend in particular--that of Sweet Molly, whose brother Liam was lost at sea in the 19th century when the townsfolk forced him to set out on a fishing voyage (for economic reasons) in stormy weather. After he was quickly lost at sea, Molly swore she'd get revenge on the town, and now she's become one of its most popular (aka moneymaking) cursed legends.
The anniversary of Liam's death is approaching, the town is planning one of its biggest ever Sweet Molly extravagances, and Mallory, to her horror, is being haunted by Molly's ghost. It stinks to be Mallory, sleep deprived, even less in control of her life than being uprooted, to the point where she literally is in danger (the ghost makes her sleep walk) and forced to endure all the Sweet Molly madness of the town.
Mallory can't explain away her terrifying encounters with Molly, and she has no idea how to get them to stop. Fortunately, she has good friends, one of them a earlier victim of Molly's harassment, and in a race against time, as strange and terrifying weather hits Eastport, and the climax of the festival approaches, they work together to find the true story of Molly and Liam....
The mix of very creepy ghost, local history gone out of control, and real world complexities of loyalty to family and friends make this one I'm sure will please its target audience lots! It's all woven together very well, with both the spookiness of Sweet Molly strong enough to satisfy young horror readers, and the new kid in town story satisfying those who aren't reading it for the scares.
As a grown-up reader, I appreciated that Mallory and her parents and friends were able to work through the wrinkles in their relationships with good faith and little drama. I respected the horror element of the plot; it was very vividly described in good mg horror fashion. That being said, I wondered, as I often do, why ghosts have to be so gosh darn mean when communicating with the living. If you are a ghost who can write messages in blood red paint etc. why not just be explicit? But I guess Molly's one weapon in her quest to change the narrative was her ability to terrorize....peaceful protest wasn't an option, which is an interesting thing to think about.
Which leads to what, to me, an even more interesting aspect of the book--at the heart of the plot is the need to question established narratives, and to revise accepted history. And even though this particular revision is not actually all that weighty, it does matter to Molly, and to the town. It's the sort of book that might well put thoughts into kids' heads that will lead them to become good critical thinkers as they get older, which is a good thing!
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher