This week's Timeslip Tuesday is The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story, by Caris Cotter...and I havered a bit about whether this was timeslip or, as the title would suggest, a ghost story, but I decided it counted as the former...
3/7/23
The Dollhouse, by Caris Cotter, for Timeslip Tuesday
This week's Timeslip Tuesday is The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story, by Caris Cotter...and I havered a bit about whether this was timeslip or, as the title would suggest, a ghost story, but I decided it counted as the former...
3/5/23
This week's round up of middle grade sci fi and fantsy from around the blogs (3/5/23)
Good morning from Rhode Island, where the sun is melting the winter ick of yesterday! Here's what I found this week; let me know if I missed your post.
The Reviews
Alex Neptune, Pirate Hunter, by David Owen, at Vicky's Never Ending TBR and Book Craic
Amari and the Night Brothers, by B.B. Alston, at The Book Nut
Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, by Mari Lowe, at Kiss the Book
Black Bird, Blue Road, by Sofiya Pasternack, at Kiss the Book
Claire and the Dragons, by Wander Antunes, at Pages Unbound
Disconnected, by Riley Cross, at Bookworm for Kids
Elf Dog & Owl Head, by M.T. Anderson, at Mark My Words
The Frost Fair, by Natasha Hastings, at YA Books Central
The Gathering by Dan Poblocki, at Puss Reboots
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure, by Megan Wagner Lloyd, at Rosi Hollinbeck
The Last Mapmaker, by Christina Soontornvat, at Kiss the Book
The Magician's Elephant Movie tie-in, by Kate DiCamillo and illustrations by Yoko Tanaka, at Log Cabin Library
The Moth Keeper, by K. O'Neill, ar Sharon the Librarian
The Nowhere Thief, by Alice M. Ross, at Book Craic
Nura and The Immortal Palace, by M. T. Khan, at YA Books Central
The Ogress and the Orphans, by Kelly Barnhill, at Pages Unbound
Riders of Fire and Ice (Talisman 2), by Brett Salter, at Mark My Words
The Secrets of the Stormforest, by L D Lapinski, at Rapunzel Reads
Tourney of Terror (D&D: Dungeon Academy #2), by Madeleine Roux, at Mark My Words:
Unicorn Island: Beyond the Portal, by Donna Galanti, illustrations by Bethany Stancliffe. at Log Cabin Library
Two at Dead Houseplants: Fenris and Mott, by Greg Van Eekhout, and Freddie vs the Family Curse, by Tracy Badua
Five mini reviews at A Cat, A Book, and A Cup of Tea: The Nowhere Thief, by Alice M Ross, Yesterday Crumb and the Teapot of Chaos by Andy Sagar, Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere, by Ruth Lauren, The Time Tider, by SinĂ©ad O’Hart, and Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest, by Liz Flanagan
Authors and Interviews
Russell Ginns (1-2-3 SCREAM) at Middle Grade Ninja
Gill Lewis (Moonflight) at Library Girl and Book Boy
Peter Bunzl (Dragonracers) at Scope for Imagination
Other Good Stuff
One of my favorite regular posts to read-Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks UK - March 2023
9 Books Inspired by The Magician's Elephant, at Literacious
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival Enters Its 12th Year. (slj.com)
Katie (aka alibrarymama), whose recommendations have never failed to please me, shares her 2022 in Review
2/28/23
The Fantastic Dinosaur Adventure, by Gerald Durrell, for Timeslip Tuesday
2/26/23
This week's round-up of Midde Grade Sci Fi and Fantasy from around the blogs (2/26/23)
Happy (almost) end of February! Here's what I found this week; let me know if I missed your post.
Reviews
The Adventures of the Flash Gang: Episode 1: Exploding Experiment, by M.M. Downing & S.J. Waugh, at Mark My Words
The BigWoof Conspiracy, by Dashe Roberts, at Twirling Book Princess
The Carrefour Curse, by Dianne K. Salerni, at Charlotte's Library
Children of the Quicksands, by Efua Tratore, at Dead Houseplants
Deadlands: Hunted, by Skye Melki-Wegner, at Geolibrarian
Desert Creatures, by Kay Chronister, at Mouse Reads
The Edge of the Ocean, by L.D. Lapinski, at Charlotte, Somewhere
Fear Ground, by Jennifer Killick, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads
Field Guide to the Supernatural Universe by Alyson Noel, at Kiss the Book
The Girl from Earth's End, by Tara Dairman, at Log Cabin Library
Into the Faerie Hill, by H S Norup, at Through the Bookshelf
Like a Curse, and Like a Charm, by Elle McNicoll, at Magic Fiction Since Potter:
No One Leaves the Castle, by Christopher Healy, at Pages Unbound
The Nowhere Thief, by Alice M. Ross, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
One Giant Leap, by Ben Gartner, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Rescue of Ravenwood, by Natasha Farrant, at Book Craic
The Search for Synergy (Talisman 1), by Brett Salter, at Mark My Words:
The Town with No Mirrors, by Christina Collins, Ms. Yingling Reads
The Worlds We Leave Behind, by A.F. Harrold, at Cracking the Cover
Authors and Interviews
"Rick Riordan previews Percy Jackson and Chalice of the Gods" at EW.com
Lindsay Currie ((It Found Us) at Middle Grade Ninja
Payal Doshi (Rea and the Blood of the Nectar) Middle-Grade Craft: Insights -- From The Mixed Up Files
Other Good Stuff
Watch the Trailer for The Magician’s Elephant at 100 Scopenotes
2/21/23
The Carrefour Curse, by Dianne K. Salerni, for Timeslip Tuesday
Take an old family house, full of secrets, most of them disturbing, some downright horrific.
Populate this house with an extended family who have elemental magic gifts, some powerful, some pleasant, and (again) some horrific. (lots of twists and turns to appreciate!)
Send a girl, Garnet, to the house, who has never been there before, as her mother wanted to raise her away from all the trauma she herself had experienced there.
Trap Garnet, along with all the other family members, inside this magic filled house, until the house choses which of them should be the new head of the family.
And then add time travel, and journey along with Garnet through the whole magical, twisted story of the Carrefours past and present as she not only discovers hidden truths, but sets things right that had gone horribly wrong...with the help of time travelling....
The result is a beautifully gripping middle grade fantasy, full of memorable characters, mysteries, and intriguing magic!
The time travelling came as a pleasant surprise, and provided Garnet with key pieces of information that she was able to piece together to figure out how choices made in the past had shaped the confusing and dangerous present she found herself in. She goes both to her own mother's past as a teenager, but further back down her family's history as well. Almost trapped in a hideous magical work of an ancestor a few generations back, she's able, with help from another time travelling ancestor, to break the abominable magical working and set the house and its family on a more wholesome track. It all builds gradually and inexorably up to a final climax that turns into a very satisfactory ending!
Highly recommended--there's enough horror for the young horror fans, enough fantastical detail for the fantasy lovers, and enough non-fantastical family dynamics and mystery for readers who aren't quite either of the above.
2/19/23
This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction (2//19/23)
Etta Invincible, by Reese Eschmann, at Log Cabin Library
SinĂ©ad O’Hart (The Time Tider) at Library Girl and Book Boy
Shawn Peters (Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt) at Literary Rambles
Laurel Snyder (The Witch of Woodland) at Watch. Connect. Read.
Nina Varela (Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom) at Writer's Digest
Other Good Stuff
Congratulations to all the Cybils Awards winners, in particular Mirrorwood, by Deva Fangan in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative fiction! If you want to join the fun being an EMG Spec Fic Cybils judge, keep reading the books and keep your eys open for the call for judges later this year!
20 Best Dystopian Books For Tweens, at Imagination Soup
"The Power of Possibility: How Reading Fantasy and Science Fiction Can Help Your Child Grow" at W. Bradford Swift2/14/23
Midwinter Burning, by Tanya Landman, for Timeslip Tuesday
Alfie, evacuated from London in World War II, arrives at a safe haven not just from the threat of war, but from his unloving mother. Welcomed at a small farm in southwest England, he can hardly fathom the kindness with which the motherly woman of the farm showers him. Even having one of the bullies from his school in London end up in the same village isn't enough to squash the happiness he finds in the animals, the country side, the marvelous ocean, and his growing confidence that he is settling into a peaceful grove at the farm.
All he is missing is a friend...and then, out of the corner of his eye, a boy appears; another lonely one like himself (the reader has met this boy already in the preface of the book set in prehistoric England, so knows what's happening...). They speak different languages, but manage to communicate nonetheless, and Smidge becomes the best friend Alfie could have imagined.
But always the standing stones overlooking the ocean pull at him disquietly, and stories of the midwinter burning that has been a community tradition even in recent times disquiet the reader...The land is old, and the stones have a dark history.
And when time slips more directly, Alfie and Smidge hit that darkness head on. In the present Alfie, still wearing his angel wings from the village nativity play (not a successful production....) and desperate to save Smidge from an evil fate back in his own time, is beset by bullies, pursued by them over a landscape where past and present are colliding, until he slips back into Smidge's time himself.
This is a fantastic part of the book, beautifully strange and evocative, and although the book as a whole didn't quite reach the heights of numinous terror with the darkness of past and present colliding that I think it could have, it came awfully close. There was one thing in particular that struck a false note for me. I felt slightly cheated when it was revealed quite a ways into the book that time had always been a slippery thing for Alfie--even in London he'd seen the past playing out in the present. This was something of a casual aside, and I felt it badly weakened the power of this particular place and this particular story, making Alfie the special thing and not the land and the memories of ancient darkness it held.
Still, come for a pleasant WW II evacuee story, stay for the threat of human sacrifice....highly recommended,
2/12/23
This week's round up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi from around the blogs (2/12/23)
Here's what I found this week; let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews
Alice the Cat, by Tim Cummings, at Bookworm for Kids
Aranika and the Syamantaka Jewel, by Aparajita Bose at Bookgeeks
The Carrefour Curse, by Diane K. Salerni, at Ms. Yingling Reads (scroll down)
The Dream Hoarder, by David Oates, at Scope for Imagination
Hamra and the Jungle of Memories, by Hanna Alkaf, at Islamic School Librarian
Hummingbird, by Natalie Lloyd, at That's Another Story
The Last Straw, by Margaret Baker, at Charlotte's Library
Marina and the Kraken (The Mythics #1) by Lauren Magaziner, at GW Chronicle of the Yawp
Pony, by R.J.Palacio, at Magic Fiction Since Potter
Skyriders by Polly Holyoke, at Mark My Words
Spark, by Sarah Beth Durst, at Suzanne Warr
The Talent Thief, by Mike Thayer, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Time Tider, by SinĂ©ad O’Hart, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads and Scope for Imagination
Winston Chu and the Whimsies, by Stacey Lee, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Authors and Interviews
Brett Salter (The Search For Synergy) at Armed with A Book
Elle McNicoll (Like a Curse) at United By Pop
DaVaun Sanders (Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew) at Fuse#8
SinĂ©ad O’Hart (The Time Tider) at Book CraicMari Lowe (Aviva Vs. the Dybbuk) at Fuse #8
Liz Flanagan (Wildsmith) at Library Girl and Book Boy2/7/23
The Last Straw, by Margaret Baker, for Timeslip Tuesday
The Last Straw, by Margaret Baker, is a lovely little vintage (1971) time travel story. It starts with a fire that engulfs the London home of the three siblings who are the main characters. Rose, Guy, and Bell are saved by their quick thinking baby siter, but their parents, finding the house on fire when they get home, are injured trying to get in to save them. With no handy relations to take the kids in while the parents are in hospital, the baby siter comes to the rescue again, arraigning for them to be paying guests at her parents small farm in the south west.
It is winter, with little to do, but exploring up in the attic one day Bell is thrilled to find a dusty straw doll (she is grieving the loss of all her own dolls in the fire). This is no ordinary doll--she is alive! The kids take this in their stride remarkably well, accepting a talking straw doll without question. Bell names her Poppy...and the adventures begin.
Talking is only the start of Poppy's magic. She is a creature of an old harvest ritual, once made anew every year but now almost forgotten. But she still has power, and she takes the children away from winter into summers years and years gone by. Their first trip is to the farm as it was in World War II, the second to Victorian times, and though in the later there is some tension when Poppy is lost to them, there is never real danger. The kids they meet in the past knew Poppy in their own times, and she took them on much wilder adventures, but this group of kids has only mild adventures. But then they ask Poppy to take them to the future, and what they see dismays them badly.
Does Poppy have enough of her old harvest magic still in her dusty straws to change what is to come?
I find that Baker doesn't quite hit emotional tension quite hard enough to be brilliant, sometimes coming close enough to be frustrating but not quite getting there. That being said, I am enjoying working my through her books (though the ones that interest me most are hard to find. I am annoyed that they did not come my way when I lived in the Bahamas as a child in the 1970s, with a small school library full of this sort of book). But be that as it may, even at this point in life I found this one a pleasant summer-full read, just what I needed in this past weekend's cold snap!
2/5/23
This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (2/5/23)
Windswept, by Margi Preus, at Redeemed Reader
1/31/23
Elsewhere Girls, by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman, for Timeslip Tuesday
1/23/23
Here is what is happening to me:
-- all the books that will be shelved here are ones I keep for re-reading, so the moment they are in my hands I want to read them, and when I pick them up I get a rush of remembering and am overwhelmed, but I don't want to rush past this because I want to make time for friends, family, places, feelings....
--I shelve emotionally, not logically. I feel it's almost an alchemical process, in which I consider which books will react well to each other, but I enjoy this sort of careful thought so again am not rushing it (I am not sure, for instance, that the Clare Dunkle books are happy with the company they are keeping....Kill Fish Jones, by Caro King, goes well with them, but the Diane Stanleys and Holly Webbs have a different feel...). And who would Kelly Barnhill's books like to be shelved with?
--there are incomplete series, so should I a. leave space b. quickly spend a few hundred (thousand?) dollars on the missing books, or c. resign myself to repeatedly reorganizing?
--Ursula Le Guin has shared my bedroom for almost 40 years, but these shelves are for my sci fi fantasy books, so she belongs down here, but I will miss her and am having second thoughts.
1/22/23
No round-up this week
I am frantically trying to get home renovations done while I still have kids home from college, so no round-up this week. Next week-end is back to college, so no round-up then either. See you in February, when my house will be beautiful and I will have more time to read and review!
1/15/23
this week's middle grade sci fi/fantasy round-up (1/15/23)
Morning all! Rather shattered this morning, because my youngest's plans for a ride home from carousing the city feel through (not exactly his fault), and I had to go out in the small hours of the morning....so it is perhaps more urgent than usual to ask if I missed your post (also Bloglovin is like a very old hamster who is mangy and not eating and no use at all to me most weeks....and Feedly hasn't quite filled the void for me yet...)
Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, by Mari Lowe, at Heavy Medal
The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond, by Amy Sparks, at Valinora Troy
The Clackity by Lara Senf, at Susan Uhlig
Diary of a Martian: The Discovery, by Stephen B. Haunts, at The Childrens Bookreview
The Marvellers, by Dhonielle Clayton, at Sifa Elizabeth Reads
The Night Animals, by Sarah Ann Juckes. at Book Craic
The Ogress and the Orphans, by Kelly Barnhill, at Heavy Medal
Princess of the Wild Sea, by Megan Frazer Blakemore, Ms. Yingling Reads:
The Rabbit's Gift, by Jessica Vitalis, at Say What?
A Rover's Story, by Jasmine Warga, at Redeemed Reader
Stellarlune (Keeper of the Lost Cities), by Shannon Messenger, at Children's Books Heal
The Unforgettable Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt, by Shawn Peters, at Always in the Middle…
Valentine Crow and Mr Death, by Jenni Spangler, at Scope for Imagination
Winnie Zeng Unleashes a Legend, by Katie Zhao, at Kiss the Book
World Made of Glass, by Ami Polonsky, at Ms. Yingling Reads:
Two at Falling Letters -- Kiki Kallira Breaks A Kingdom and Amari and the Night Brothers
Authors and Interviews
Roseanne A. Brown (Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting) at Middle Grade Ninja
Shawn Peters (The Unforgettable Logan Foster and the Shadow of Doubt) at Teen Lbrarian Toolbox)
Other Good Stuff
Whats new in the UK, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books
I compiled a list of the mg sci fi/fantasy debuts of 2023
1/13/23
Witching Moon, by K.E. Bonner
Mysterious destinies and occluded pasts intrigue me lots...and indeed this was my favorite part of the story. When we first meet Anne, she's a young teenager, orphaned at birth, raised by a wise woman along with her sister and little brothers--not blood relatives, but a strong family even though they have little in the way of material comforts. Watching as Anne is drawn from this safe haven into an adventure she never wanted that started centuries ago makes for interesting reading---reader and character try to make sense of all the bits of her backstory together. Unlike the reader, comfortably at home, though, Anne is trying to do this while running for her life, moved from place to place by Phillip, and then captured by Phillip's enemy.
She is aware that she is almost a commodity, wanted for who she is and for the magical powers she manifests, but can't do much about this. And she is aware that she has a whole past with a powerful, magical family, and has half dream/half memories of this, that start to become stronger--this is the most interesting aspect of the story for me, and I wish the author had given a bit more of Anne's mental state when confronted with all this....
Readers who enjoy girls discovering they have destinies and magical powers and handsome men wanting them will doubtless enjoy this lots; it was not quite a book for me. Though the pages turned quickly, I was frustrated that for much of the story Anne was basically a pawn, fought over by powerful men, never in a position to exercise her own agency, and to make her own choices (that being said, when she finally gets a chance to take vigorous and decisive action she takes it with a vengeance!). And also I kept getting thrown out of the moment by tiny details that jarred, individually minor things (like could her cropped hair really have a bit long enough to braid?) that distracted me from the story. I think I would have enjoyed it lots more if I'd read it as a teen, but still had no problem being carried onward by the story--I never considered putting it down because I wanted to reach the resolution!
About the Author
K. E. Bonner, author of Witching Moon, was always the first kid to sit down during a spelling bee. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she was diagnosed with dyslexia, which explained why she always had to study three times harder than her peers. Being dyslexic taught her perseverance and kindness, her two favorite attributes. She lives in Georgia with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. When not writing, she loves to read, swim, explore new places, and meet fascinating people. If you have a dog, she would love to scratch behind its ears and tell it what a good pup it is.
Learn more about K.E. Bonner on her website or follow her on Instagram @kebonnerwrites.
and here's the rest of the blog tour!
December 19th @ The Muffin
Join WOW as we celebrate the launch of K.E. Bonner's blog tour of Witching Moon. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book!
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
December 20th @ Mindy McGinnis’s blog
Stop by Mindy’s blog to read “Release the Idea of Getting Rich or Published and Focus on Your Craft.” by K.E. Bonner
https://www.mindymcginnis.com/blog
December 20th @ Rockin’ Book Reviews
Join us as Lu Ann reviews Witching Moon
http://www.rockinbookreviews.com
December 21st @ All the Ups and Downs
Join Heather as she spotlights Witching Moon. Enter to win a copy of the book!
https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/
December 23rd @ Michelle Cornish’s blog
Visit Michelle’s blog to read her review of Witching Moon.
https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/blog
December 24th @ A Storybook World
Join Deirdra as she features a spotlight of Witching Moon.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
December 27th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog
Join Lisa for an interview with K.E. Bonner.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
December 28th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Join us today for author Anthony Avina’s review of Witching Moon.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
December 30th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Revisit author Anthony Avina’s blog to read “The Best Writing Advice I Received” by K.E. Bonner.
http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com
January 4th @ Bev Baird’s blog
Join us on Bev’s blog as she reviews Witching Moon.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com
January 5th @ The Knotty Needle
Stop by for Judy’s review of Witching Moon.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
January 6th @ Bev Baird’s blog
Meet us back at Bev’s blog for “Ideas are Everywhere” a guest post by K.E. Bonner.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com
January 6th @ Look to the Western Sky
Join Margo as she reviews Witching Moon by K.E. Bonner.
https://margoldill.com/
January 7th @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog where she interviews author K.E. Bonner about her book Witching Moon.
January 9th @ Sue Edwards’s blog
Visit Sue’s blog to read “Magical Realism Surrounds Us” by K.E. Bonner.
https://suebe.wordpress.com/
January 10th @ Celtic Lady's Reviews
Visit Kathleen's blog and read her review of Witching Moon by K.E. Bonner.
https://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/
January 10th @ World of My Imagination
Stop by Nicole's blog where K.E. Bonner is a guest for "Three Things on a Saturday Night."
https://worldofmyimagination.com
January 12th @ Life According to Jamie
Join us as Jamie reviews Witching Moon.
http://www.lifeaccordingtojamie.com
January 14th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Join Linda as she interviews author K.E. Bonner.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com
January 15th @ Fiona Ingram’s author blog
Stop by Fiona’s blog to see her spotlight feature of Witching Moon.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
January 16th @ the Freeing the Butterfly blog
Visit Freeing the Butterfly to read “Life is Short, Do What You Love” by K.E. Bonner.
https://www.freeingthebutterfly.com/blog
January 18th @ Jill Sheets’s blog
Stop by Jill’s blog to read her interview with K.E. Bonner.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/