Welcome to the 200th round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs! I started doing this because I wanted such a thing to exist--middle grade sff reviews are scattered around so many blogs, it's hard for a person to find them all on their own. So now I follow about 500 blogs (which is why I don't comment much, because of being busy skimming for mg sff), and busily google search several times a week. I'm sure I miss lots of posts, so please let me know if I miss yours!
I'd hoped the 200th post would have a book for every letter of the alphabet, but it was not to be. But--if I can achieve that dream in next week's round-up, I will pick a contributor to win any mg sff book they want from the Book Depository that's $15 or under, with an extra entry for books beginning with j, k, o, q, u, y, and z; I have an x in reserve (and I reserve the right, as always, not to include posts that I find too slight in substantive content to include).
The Reviews
Blue Moon, by James Ponti, at The Book Smugglers and Kiss the Book
Constable and Toop, by Gareth P. Jones, at Evil Mutant Librarian
Empire of Bones, by N.D. Wilson, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Exile, by Shannon Messenger, at Carstairs Considers
Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, at Sonderbooks and Reading is Fun Again
The Ghost Hunters of Kurseong, by Shweta Taneja, at Literary Grand Rounds
(I'm not quite sure the ghosts are real, but I'm including just because I've never included a book published by Hachette India before...)
Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Barry Moser, at Book-A-Day Almanac
Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamilo, at Book Nut
Fyre, by Angie Sage, at alibrarymama (audiobook review)
A Hero for Wand-La, by Tony DiTerlizzi, at Madigan Reads
The High King, by Lloyd Alexander, at Tor
How to Catch a Bogle, by Catherine Jinks, at Bluerose's Heart
The Last Enchanter, by Laurisa White Reyes, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
The Last Present, by Wendy Mass, at Secrets & Sharing Soda
and Not Acting My Age
My Sort of Fairy Tale Ending, by Anna Staniszewski, at Sharon the Librarian
Noah Barleywater Runs Away, by John Boyne, at Becky's Book Reviews
The Old Powder Line, by Richard Parker, at Charlotte's Library
On the Day I Died, by Candace Fleming, at AJ Cattapan
Parched, by Melanie Crowder, at Charlotte's Library
The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at Le' Grande Codex
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Sonderbooks and A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust
The Rock of Ivanore, by Laurisa White Reyes, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
The Secret Museum, by Sheila Greenwald, at Charlotte's Library
Seventh Grade (Alien) Hero, by K. L. Pickett, at The Ninja Librarian
Sky Jumpers, by Peggy Eddleman, at LiterariTea
The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia
Texting the Underworld, by Ellen Booraem, at Book Nut
The Twistrose Key, by Tone Almhjell, at The Book Monsters
Villains Rising (The Cloak Society 2), by Jeramey Kraatz, at Superhero Novels
The Witch's Curse, by Keith McGowan, at Charlotte's Library
Wednesdays in the Tower, by Jessica Day George, at On Starships and Dragonwings
"When Did You See Her Last?" by Lemony Snicket, at Tor and Wandering Librarians
The Wolf Princess, by Cathryn Constable, at On the Nightstand
Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paulo Bacigalupi, at Charlotte's Library
Authors and Interviews
Laurisa White Reyes (The Last Enchanter) at The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-something Year Old Girl
Matthew Kirby (The Lost Kingdom) at Fantasy Literature
Tone Almhjell (The Twistrose Key) at Tidy Books
Morgan Keyes (Darkbeast Rebellion) at Maria V. Snyder's blog
and the post Morgan Keyes/Mindy Klasky didn't want to write about how these series fared in the hands of Barnes and Noble after Borders closed (not pretty).
Caroline Carlson (Magic Marks the Spot), at Cynsations
Anne Ursu (The Real Boy) at Heise Reads and Recommends
Other Good Stuff
A short but solid list of steampunk books for youngish readers at Forget about TV, Grab a Book
Ten post apocalyptic science fiction books (new and classic) for younger readers at Views from the Tesseract
Top ten books about mice, at The Nerdy Book Club
Other Worlds, Part 2, at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles
And finally, yesterday was International Uilleann Piping Day, which I think is one of the most steampunky instruments going, what with all the brass fittings (making it round-up relevant), and so here is my husband playing my favorite tune (it's a teaching video at Na Píobairí Uilleann, so he just plays it through once before breaking it down. He's off teaching pipes this weekend, so I had to scramble to find something that was in the public domain).
10/20/13
10/19/13
The Secret Museum, by Sheila Greenwald
It's the story of a girl named Jennifer, whose parents quit their city jobs and moved to an old house in the country where they were going to make a living selling pottery and textiles. Her parents, however, are much better at their art than they are at marketing, and financial disaster looms...
Jennifer, out on her own picking berries in the shut-up old estate nearby, hears crying...and follows the sound to an old playhouse (of the lavish kind that goes with old estates). Inside, she finds twenty or so beautiful dolls, abandoned and filthy. And one of them was crying, and they can talk, and Jennifer comes back and washes them while they are talking to her and I think it is REALLY CREEPY to wash a sentient doll, but she does it anyway. (I think the dolls' clothing would have been a lot more mouse-eaten than it was, but that I can forgive).
And then Jennifer meets another girl, Lizzie, who is first enemy and then friend, who has the idea of turning the playhouse into a doll museum, and they paint and clean (I liked this part lots; it was outside work, so the dolls didn't have the chance to talk), and they advertise, thanks to Lizzie's gumption in this area, and it is a success. Except, of course, the house and dolls don't belong to them...The old lady who once played with them, and then abandoned the whole estate, is alive and well and deeply annoyed when she finds out what they are doing.
But it all works out, and Jennifer's parents are inspired by her example to sell their own products more aggressively, and we learn the lesson that you can make your own luck and that multiple signs are better than one obscure one, no matter how beautiful your art. (I am always open to Learning Lessons from Books, and shall advertise the next library book sale more aggressively).
I would have loved this book except that, as noted above, the fact the dolls talked gave me the creeps, and it made me cross because their talking wasn't necessary for the book to work and was, in fact, totally gratuitous. However, that could just be me having Issues, and in general I think it is an excellent one to give a seven or eight year old girl who loves dolls.
The Secret Museum is available quite cheaply, and is still in the library system of Rhode Island (I will be returning it on Monday, d.v.).
10/17/13
Parched, by Melanie Crowder
Sarel watches as desperate men come to their family farm, far from the city in the middle of a desiccated wilderness, and kill her parents. But they do not find her...nor do they find the secret grotto where there is still water to be found. For a while, she may survive, desperately keeping herself and the family dogs alive...and the dogs themselves wonder, in fairly realistic dog bits of narration, what will become of them.
Musa has a gift for dowsing...if there is water to be found, he can find it. But all that's left to find in the crumbling city are the lines of the old sewer pipes...and the gang who owns him, keeping him bound like an animal regardless of the festering wounds on his wrists, are not pleased. So he makes a desperate effort, and escapes...heading out into the dry lands beyond.
And his path takes him, almost dead from thirst, to Sarel. The water in the secret grotto is gone too, and Sarel knows that if she stays in her home, she will die. None of her knowledge about plants and animals can save her, when there is nothing to drink. Musa's coming brings new hope--with his gift they might find the water they need to make a future for themselves.
But the men who owned him will not let him go without a hunt.
Small, precise little details of each kid's life and struggle to survive (and the bits from the dog point of view) build the book into a grim but not hopeless story of grief and desperation. It's a subtle sort of futuristic dystopia--it's so plausible, even today before sea level has really risen all that much, that the true extent of its future consequences seems like it might already have happened. An additional sci fi/fantasy element is Musa's ability to dowse-it goes beyond common dowsing into a more preternatural ability.
Memorable, powerful, sad...it's not for the faint of heart, what with beloved people, and dogs, being shot, brutal child-enslavement, and a horribly depressing near future. But the mater of fact, simple way the story is told keeps it from being emotionally manipulative. It would make a good eye-opener for the kid who's always taken water for granted, or a good one that a fan of kids surviving alone (with nice bits of wild plant foraging, etc).
Final answer--a simple book, but a strong one, that sticks in the mind.
Nominated for the Cybils by Robin.
10/16/13
Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi
If I only ever wrote about books I read for my own enjoyment, Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi (Little Brown, Spt. 2013, middle grade) wouldn't be here on this blog. I don't like zombies (so terribly messy), baseball (I'm not the sporty type), or really vivid descriptions of nasty meat packing plants and the cattle that are slaughtered there (I've never read The Jungle).But I did indeed read Zombie Baseball Beatdown (because I admire Bacigalupi's YA books, because I knew it had a multicultural cast of characters, and because it was nominated for the Cybils) and I find myself able to say a few short words directing it toward readers who might love it (mainly because of the zombies and baseball; I really don't think there are many readers who pine for more meat-packing).
The heroes of the story three more-or-less ordinary kids in middle America. They are diverse in personalities and ethnicities (Rabi, the narrator, is half Bengali, Miguel is from Mexico, and Joe is generic Northern European), but they are united by their enjoyment of baseball, by their hatred of the son of the rich head of the local meat-packing company, and, as the story progresses, by their desire to find the truth about the apocalypse of zombie cows (created by chemical cow enhancers gone wrong) that is (horribly) spreading a zombie plague to the people of their town.
For one of the three, Miguel, the desire to bring the meat-packers to justice comes not just from a sense that feeding toxic zombie cow meat to people should be stopped, but from a much more personal place. His family, illegal immigrants who worked at the plant for a pittance, have been deported because they knew too much, and now Miguel himself faces the possibly of being sent to a country he can't remember. It's great to see an important social issue incorporated into a zany adventure story, taken very seriously, and giving depth and emotional import to the zombie fun and games.
So basically, it's three kids against the evil pigs who want to make money no matter what the human (and cow) cost, and this part of the book I do like! And there's a lot of smashing zombies with baseball bats, and creeping around the horrifying meat packing plant, and zombie cows attacking people, written in such a way as to be very appealing to those who enjoy such things (I think the cover will do a good job self-selecting those readers).
Here's a much more coherent review at Ms. Yingling Reads. I totally agree with her about the major weakness in the plot--all these townsfolk become mindless zombies desperate to bite the living, and the kids whack them to pieces with bats and plow through them with a truck, etc., and we Never Find Out what happens to them all in the end! If there is in fact a high death toll, there should be some emotional consideration given to these poor people/zombies who were once neighbors, but the ending wraps up with no mention of all the empty houses, deserted stores, etc. that one feels should be there....
Nominated by Pamela, of Reading is Fun Again
10/15/13
Cybils nominations close tonight, and a shout-out for Armchair Cybils 2013
Cybils nominations close tonight, at 12 PST. It will be a relief to be free from the piteous clamor of all the un-nominated books, but I sure do hope more of them get nominated in the next few hours!
If you would like to join in the fun of reading a massive number of books in the next few months, and picking your favorites based on quality of writing plus kid appeal, sign up for Armchair Cybils 2013 at Hope is the World!
And if you haven't nominated yet, here's the form, here's what's already nominated in EMG SF, and here's my last list of suggestions (most of which I haven't read, so can't vouch for, but which look worthwhile), and there are many more at my original list.
The Hostage Prince, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.
A Dash of Magic, by Kathryn Littlewood
Bot Wars, by J.V. Kade .
The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Fyre, by Angie Sage
The Watcher in the Shadows, by Chris Moriarty
The Whatnot, by Stefan Bachman
City of Death, by Laurence Yep
“When Did You See Her Last?” by Lemony Snicket
Undertown, by Melvin Jules Bukiet
The Alchemist War, by John Seven
Thrice Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
Earthfall, by Mark Waldon
Ghost Prison, byJoseph Delaney
Villains Rising, by Jeramey Kraatz
Code Name 711, by F.T. Bradley
If the Shoe Fits, by Sarah Mlynowski
Through the Skylight, by Ian Baucom
The Glass Puzzle, by Christine Brodien-Jones
Lucy at Sea, by Barbara Mariconda
If you would like to join in the fun of reading a massive number of books in the next few months, and picking your favorites based on quality of writing plus kid appeal, sign up for Armchair Cybils 2013 at Hope is the World!
And if you haven't nominated yet, here's the form, here's what's already nominated in EMG SF, and here's my last list of suggestions (most of which I haven't read, so can't vouch for, but which look worthwhile), and there are many more at my original list.
The Hostage Prince, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple.
A Dash of Magic, by Kathryn Littlewood
Bot Wars, by J.V. Kade .
The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Fyre, by Angie Sage
The Watcher in the Shadows, by Chris Moriarty
The Whatnot, by Stefan Bachman
City of Death, by Laurence Yep
“When Did You See Her Last?” by Lemony Snicket
Undertown, by Melvin Jules Bukiet
The Alchemist War, by John Seven
Thrice Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
Earthfall, by Mark Waldon
Ghost Prison, byJoseph Delaney
Villains Rising, by Jeramey Kraatz
Code Name 711, by F.T. Bradley
If the Shoe Fits, by Sarah Mlynowski
Through the Skylight, by Ian Baucom
The Glass Puzzle, by Christine Brodien-Jones
Lucy at Sea, by Barbara Mariconda
The Old Powder Line, by Richard Parker, for Timeslip Tuesday
He's joined in his exploration of the time travel phenomena by one of his sister's friends, Wendy, and by an older man, Mr. Mincing, paralyzed in an accident years ago...at which point the time travel turns tricky. Mr. Mincing travels the train past the threshold where Brian can safely disembark (his own lifetime), and when he gets trapped in his wheelchair back in the past, Brian must find a way to rescue him. And meanwhile, Wendy might be trapped in a time of her own when the train schedule starts to change...
What makes it such a good read is not just the very admirable time travel mystery, which is a pleasing one, but the friendship that develops between Wendy and Brian. He'd never seen her as a person before, but gradually he does, and there is a nice hint of possible romance in the air. Mr. Mincing's travel back to his past as a healthy, care-free child are also poignant and thought-provoking, though I do want to make it clear that he is never portrayed as a helpless object of pity. And what's also nice is that not only is a grown-up an active participant in the adventure, there are other grown-ups who take Brian's story seriously, and believe him enough to actually be of use (as a grown-up myself, I think I appreciate this more than I might have back in the day).
If you like time travel, with ordinary kids having extraordinary adventures, and like older English books of that quintessentially English 1960s and 70s kind (the ones that always seem to come with black and white ink drawings), you will enjoy this one (and Amazon has it fairly cheaply). My own copy is a library discard...but most libraries have by now discarded the un-circulating English books of that era, and the book sale pickings get slimmer every year....
Apparently Richard Parker wrote many books, though it's hard to find out much about them...I shall be on the lookout for them, because I did enjoy this one very much.
10/14/13
The Witch's Curse, by Keith McGowan
If they can make it through the forest, they'll be safe, but the power of the witch is strong, and it is all very touch and go indeed. The witch has had, after all, years of experience entrapping children...and the children are still new at the business of escaping. And since I don't want to spoil particulars of the plot, that's all I shall say.
It's a more straightforward adventure than the first book, which was more playful in its juxtaposition of the witch's culinary musings with the danger the children were in of becoming part of her meal plan. Here we also have glimpses into the point of view of both the witch and her huntsman, but it's a more familiar story of lost children in danger in an evil forest....Though it takes a while for Sol and Connie to realize the extent of the danger they are in, because the reader is privy to the bigger story, what might otherwise have been a slowish start is instead almost immediately tense, and gets more so. And as was the case in the first book, the relationship between the siblings, sometimes fraught with tension of its own, adds a human element to the supernatural dangers.
Here's what I especially liked--the fact that the hunter himself is under a curse, and is therefore not clearly evil. I like my antagonists nuanced, and I hope we see more of him in the next book. That being said, this particular witch is not nuanced at all--at least the witch in the first book was killing children for a reason, not just as part of a sadistic game--but an all out wicked witch is perfectly acceptable, I think, in a fairy tale.
The Witch's Guide was a reimagining of Hansel and Gretel, and The Witch's Curse is a retelling of the more obscure Brother and Sister. There's no need to rush out and read the original story first, but having just done so myself after the fact, I appreciate the way it is twisted here lots! Sol and Connie are not the two original children, but rather follow in their footsteps, walking unwittingly into a nightmare for which they are poorly prepared (for instance, Sol's homemade computer/gps/etc. device, which should have been able to save the day, begs to be recharged at a crucial juncture!).
Highly recommended for intelligent readers who like a nice, dangerous adventure with twists and turns; though not, perhaps, a series for the child who's already frightened of what's out there in the dark woods...
The Witch's Curse is one of many fine books nominated for this year's Cybils Awards in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction. Anyone can nominate books they love, but nominations close tomorrow night, so time is short....
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
10/13/13
This week's round-up of Middle Grade fantasy and science fiction postings from around the blogs
Next week will be the 200th MG SFF round-up post! I will try to make it Special in some way... In the meantime, if I missed your post this week (and there were some open tabs on my computer that were closed by certain younger persons in my house, so I might well have) let me know!
The Reviews:
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett, at The Book Smugglers
Exile, by Shannon Messenger, at Book Nut
Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit, at Fantasy Literature
Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamilllo, at Books of Wonder and Wisdom, books 4yourkids, and Book-a-day Almanac
The Ghost Prison, by Joseph Delaney, at In Bed With Books
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Let the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at A Reader of Fictions
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente, at A Reader of Fictions, The Book Monsters, and Good Books and Good Wine
Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka, at A Reader of Fictions
The Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell, at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
House of Hades, by Rick Riordan, at What a Nerd Girl Says and there are doubtless tons of other, which perhaps you can find for yourself it you are interested :)
How to Catch a Bogle, by Catherine Jinks, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Kat, Incorrigible, by Stephanie Burgis, at alibarymama
The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde, at Challenging the Bookworm and Becky's Book Reviews
Listening for Lucca, by Suzanne LaFleur, at The Children's War
The Lost Kingdom, by Matthew J. Kirby, at The Last Entwife
The Magic Half, by Annie Barrows, at Hope is the Word
Magic Marks the Spot, by Caroline Carson, at The Book Smugglers
The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield, by John Bemelmans Marciano, at Librarian of Snark
The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald, at Views from the Tesseract
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at The Book Smugglers, books4yourkids, The Book Monsters, Bookyurt, and The Brain Lair
The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson, at Charlotte's Library
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at She Has Left the Room
The Strangers (Books of Elsewhere 4), by Jacqueline West, at Charlotte's Library
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, by Kathi Appelt, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Twighlight Robbery, aka Fly Trap, by Frances Hardinge, at Things Mean a Lot
Wake Up Missing, by Kate Messner, at Next Best Book
The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children, by Keith McGowan, at Charlotte's Library
Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series review, at Bunbury in the Stacks
Authors and Interviews
Anna Staniszewski (My Epic Fairytale Fail) at Katie L. Carroll
Frances Sackett (The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog) at Paperback Writer Blog
Other Good Stuff:
At Teen Librarian Toolbox, you can find tips for turning your library into Lovecraft Middle School (a series by Charles Gilman)
Three recommended speculative fiction series-es at Project Mayhem
Found at Educating Alice--help Jonathan Stroud write a Halloween story, with the characters from Lockwood and Co.!
A post about Other Worlds at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles (the first of three)
The Cybils nomination period closes on Tuesday--I have several lists of books for those who haven't yet nominated in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction, the most recent of which is this list of books that look interesting to me.
And just another reminder that Kidlitcon is on in Austin Veterans Day weekend. I have my Insiders Guide: Austin 2009 guidebook in hand, and am busily reading such gems as "One startling statistic is that the Austin labor force increased 44 percent in the decade from 1980 to 1990" (page 5) and the fact that the Austin airport has "two runways (as opposed to one)" (page 31). I have also learned that the residents of Austin are "hardworking." I'm arriving Thursday and staying over Sunday, and plan to visit the Zilker Botanical Garden (the image below is from their Prehistoric Garden) and as many used book stores as I can find (suggestions welcomed!)
The Reviews:
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett, at The Book Smugglers
Exile, by Shannon Messenger, at Book Nut
Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit, at Fantasy Literature
Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamilllo, at Books of Wonder and Wisdom, books 4yourkids, and Book-a-day Almanac
The Ghost Prison, by Joseph Delaney, at In Bed With Books
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Let the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at A Reader of Fictions
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente, at A Reader of Fictions, The Book Monsters, and Good Books and Good Wine
Guys Read: Other Worlds, edited by Jon Scieszka, at A Reader of Fictions
The Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell, at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
House of Hades, by Rick Riordan, at What a Nerd Girl Says and there are doubtless tons of other, which perhaps you can find for yourself it you are interested :)
How to Catch a Bogle, by Catherine Jinks, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Kat, Incorrigible, by Stephanie Burgis, at alibarymama
The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde, at Challenging the Bookworm and Becky's Book Reviews
Listening for Lucca, by Suzanne LaFleur, at The Children's War
The Lost Kingdom, by Matthew J. Kirby, at The Last Entwife
The Magic Half, by Annie Barrows, at Hope is the Word
Magic Marks the Spot, by Caroline Carson, at The Book Smugglers
The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield, by John Bemelmans Marciano, at Librarian of Snark
The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald, at Views from the Tesseract
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at The Book Smugglers, books4yourkids, The Book Monsters, Bookyurt, and The Brain Lair
The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson, at Charlotte's Library
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at She Has Left the Room
The Strangers (Books of Elsewhere 4), by Jacqueline West, at Charlotte's Library
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp, by Kathi Appelt, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Twighlight Robbery, aka Fly Trap, by Frances Hardinge, at Things Mean a Lot
Wake Up Missing, by Kate Messner, at Next Best Book
The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children, by Keith McGowan, at Charlotte's Library
Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series review, at Bunbury in the Stacks
Authors and Interviews
Anna Staniszewski (My Epic Fairytale Fail) at Katie L. Carroll
Frances Sackett (The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog) at Paperback Writer Blog
Other Good Stuff:
At Teen Librarian Toolbox, you can find tips for turning your library into Lovecraft Middle School (a series by Charles Gilman)
Three recommended speculative fiction series-es at Project Mayhem
Found at Educating Alice--help Jonathan Stroud write a Halloween story, with the characters from Lockwood and Co.!
A post about Other Worlds at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles (the first of three)
The Cybils nomination period closes on Tuesday--I have several lists of books for those who haven't yet nominated in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction, the most recent of which is this list of books that look interesting to me.
And just another reminder that Kidlitcon is on in Austin Veterans Day weekend. I have my Insiders Guide: Austin 2009 guidebook in hand, and am busily reading such gems as "One startling statistic is that the Austin labor force increased 44 percent in the decade from 1980 to 1990" (page 5) and the fact that the Austin airport has "two runways (as opposed to one)" (page 31). I have also learned that the residents of Austin are "hardworking." I'm arriving Thursday and staying over Sunday, and plan to visit the Zilker Botanical Garden (the image below is from their Prehistoric Garden) and as many used book stores as I can find (suggestions welcomed!)
Books that sound intriguing that have not been nominated for the Cybils yet
So nominations for the Cybils close on Tuesday. We are at about 80 books in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction, and last year we ended up with 150....which means that there are lots of worthy books still to be nominated! A few days ago I compiled a list of books whose lack of nomination surprised me, and today I offer a list of books I've not read, and don't know much about, but which sound interesting to me personally. Some of them fall into that tricky tween space between Middle Grade and YA, but I've tried to only include the ones that look to me like they tilt toward the former.
And of course if you don't see anything you loved on this list, feel free to check my Really Long List of all the books reviewed by Kirkus that looked eligible to me when I was compiling it...
City of Death, by Laurence Yep
“When Did You See Her Last?” by Lemony Snicket
Back to Blackbrick, by Sarah Moore Fitgerald
Undertown, by Melvin Jules Bukiet
The Alchemist War, by John Seven
Thrice Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
Earthfall, by Mark Waldon
Ghost Prison, byJoseph Delaney
Villains Rising, by Jeramey Kraatz
The Princess of Cortova, by Diane Stanley
The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Code Name 711, by F.T. Bradley
And of course if you don't see anything you loved on this list, feel free to check my Really Long List of all the books reviewed by Kirkus that looked eligible to me when I was compiling it...
City of Death, by Laurence Yep
“When Did You See Her Last?” by Lemony Snicket
Back to Blackbrick, by Sarah Moore Fitgerald
Undertown, by Melvin Jules Bukiet
The Alchemist War, by John Seven
Thrice Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris
Earthfall, by Mark Waldon
Ghost Prison, byJoseph Delaney
Villains Rising, by Jeramey Kraatz
The Princess of Cortova, by Diane Stanley
The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Code Name 711, by F.T. Bradley
10/12/13
The Rithmatist, by Brandon Sanderson
It is a magical school story, set at an institution for higher learning in which a gifted few study the two-dimensional geometric magic of chalk drawings (Rithmatism), and everyone else doesn't. The main character, sixteen-year old Josh, is one of the ungifted later. He's a charity kid (his mother's on the cleaning staff), and for him, the chalk is just chalk--his lines have no preternatural force, and his drawings never become squiggling, attacking chalkling creatures. But still he wants to learn all he can about the history and theory of the Rithmatists, and he's determined not to let their snobbish exclusivity thwart him. It's very good school stuff, with lots of actual learning, reading books, doing badly in uninteresting courses and getting lectured about what the point of studying really is, combined with interesting personal dynamics between Josh, one of the professors, and Melody, a Rithmatist student struggling with basic circle drawing (but darn good at the chalkling creature side of things!).
Of course, if you are not interested in school type stories in which the main character is obsessed by a single subject, and not only that, but a subject which, though magical and really neat (I think), involves a lot of geometry, you might find the first part of the book boring. However, things pick up with a vengeance.
We learn more about the alternate Earth in which the story is set--one in which the Aztecs sailed to a Europe conquered by an Asian empire, and in which the European colonists of the United Islands (instead of States) found wild and savage chalklings, basically two dimensional killing machines, lurking in the wilderness.* And in this alternate world, there is a zesty little element of steampunkness, for those who like their clockwork contraptions.
And, in the second half, we get nicely into the meat of the plot. The peace of the school has been shattered by the disappearance of some of the Rithmatist students; foul play involving Rithmatism is suspected, and Joel and Melody find themselves embroiled in a very dark, dangerous, and magically fascinating mystery!
I liked it lots, and will look forward to the next book!
And I agree with Kirkus--10-13 years old is pretty spot on. There's no romance, no distressingly detailed violence, and the central focus is on the external story, not the emotions of the main characters. Even though Josh and Melody are solidly teenagers, as written, they could pass as twelve. On top of that, the little guides to Rithmatism, sprinkled throughout, include drawings of chalklings that will have 10-year-olds reaching for their own chalk so they can play too.
So, since three of the years from 10-13 are Middle Grade, and only one is YA, The Rithmatist is back where it was originally nominated, in Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction.
*Although I liked the book, I was disturbed by replacement of Native North Americans by Wild Chalklings. The world is alternate enough (North America being a bunch of islands, and the Aztec equivalent people being the great seafarers, etc.) that I could have lived with it, if Sanderson hadn't decided to incorporate an actual incidence of a bloody episode in 17th century New England (from the captivity narrative of Mary Rolandson) into his worldbuilding. He describes a colonial encounter with bloodthirsty Chalklings by replacing the Native Americans involved with Chalklings, and explains that he does this in an author's note, so that even if you missed it while reading, you can't escape the fact that Native Americans are being equated them with monstrous and inhuman things.
10/10/13
Some middle grade sci fi/fantasy books I'm surprised haven't been nominated yet for the Cybils, with commentary
So nominations for the Cybils have slowed to a trickle, and though there's always a surge at the end, I can't help but wonder which potentially short-listable books will be left outside, crying (probably in the icy rain, this being fall and all hereabouts).
Here are some I'm surprised not to see on the list yet, with reasons why, which isn't the same as "books I personally really liked and wish you would nominate" because that wouldn't be good since I'm judging them and all. At some point I will offer a list of "books that sound interesting that I haven't read yet but maybe you have and think they should be nominated." You can also go visit my lists--Kirkus reviewed books and SLJ reviewed books. And here's what's already been nominated.
So anyway, it surprises me that no one has, as of this writing, nominated:
No one has nominated The Girl Who Soared Above Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente!!!!!
The Hostage Prince, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. ? Jane Yolen should have fans, yes???
A Dash of Magic, by Kathryn Littlewood We have three magical dessert books on the list already...it could be four! These things are hot right now!
Bot Wars, by J.V. Kade . The only eligible robot sci fi book that I can think of. This sub-genre needs to be encouraged. Edited to add--there a second, just come out robot book- The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Fyre, by Angie Sage, is the last of a well-loved series. I haven't read it yet--maybe the fans don't think it can hold its own???
The Watcher in the Shadows, by Chris Moriarty, the sequel to The Inquisitor's Apprentice. I don't know if this series has all that many fans, but it deserves them.
Saving Thanehaven, by Catherine Jinks. I have been on hold for this one at the library for, like, forever. Maybe everyone else is on hold for it too, and No One Has Actually Read It! Pause while I do a blog search--it's been read! Teen Librarian Tool Box said "Although all readers can appreciate this fun romp, gamers in particular will be enchanted by this unique look at their world. And in typical Jinks fashion, there is a lot of light humor and fun twists."
The Whatnot, by Stefan Bachman--it's the sequel to The Peculiar, and I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet, but I loved the Peculiar and am hoping this gets nominated so I can read it with a clear conscience!
and if you are interested in other categories, here's a round-up of other people's lists of The Un-Nominated.
Originally on this list, but now nominated:
Hokey Pokey, by Jerry Spinelli got all sorts of buzz when it came out, most of which I missed, because I didn't realize it was fantasy, but people were even talking Newbery....
Sleeping Beauty's Daughters, by Diane Zahler.
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, by Jane Yolen
The Abominables, by Eva Ibbotson. It's her last book. Sniff.
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop, by Kate Saunders
The Vengekeep Prophecies, by Brian Farrey Fuse #8 said this about the book back in November 2012: "With great humor and dexterity Farrey creates a new fantasy world where magic is kept in check, only popping up once in a while to bite our heroes on the bum. Fast and funny, this is one of those rare 400-page novels where I wouldn’t cut so much as a sentence or a paragraph if it meant making the story any shorter."
Now Nominated Goulish Song, by William Alexander, because, uh, it's the sequel to a National Book Award Winner?
Now Nominated Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint is another that got lots of good buzz...and he's a famous writer for grown-ups, so surely has fans among readers of MG fantasy?
(Now Nominated--but after looking at it closely, I offered it to YA) The Reluctant Assassin, by Eoin Colfer. Another author with fans (at least I think there are fans. Maybe his fans just don't know about the Cybils).
(Now nominated) Texting the Underworld, by Ellen Booraem. I thought it would be one of the first to be nominated...There's a Book said "Not only was the premise fantastic, but the characters were strong and well-developed."
Here are some I'm surprised not to see on the list yet, with reasons why, which isn't the same as "books I personally really liked and wish you would nominate" because that wouldn't be good since I'm judging them and all. At some point I will offer a list of "books that sound interesting that I haven't read yet but maybe you have and think they should be nominated." You can also go visit my lists--Kirkus reviewed books and SLJ reviewed books. And here's what's already been nominated.
So anyway, it surprises me that no one has, as of this writing, nominated:
No one has nominated The Girl Who Soared Above Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente!!!!!
The Hostage Prince, by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple. ? Jane Yolen should have fans, yes???
A Dash of Magic, by Kathryn Littlewood We have three magical dessert books on the list already...it could be four! These things are hot right now!
Bot Wars, by J.V. Kade . The only eligible robot sci fi book that I can think of. This sub-genre needs to be encouraged. Edited to add--there a second, just come out robot book- The Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta
Fyre, by Angie Sage, is the last of a well-loved series. I haven't read it yet--maybe the fans don't think it can hold its own???
The Watcher in the Shadows, by Chris Moriarty, the sequel to The Inquisitor's Apprentice. I don't know if this series has all that many fans, but it deserves them.
Saving Thanehaven, by Catherine Jinks. I have been on hold for this one at the library for, like, forever. Maybe everyone else is on hold for it too, and No One Has Actually Read It! Pause while I do a blog search--it's been read! Teen Librarian Tool Box said "Although all readers can appreciate this fun romp, gamers in particular will be enchanted by this unique look at their world. And in typical Jinks fashion, there is a lot of light humor and fun twists."
The Whatnot, by Stefan Bachman--it's the sequel to The Peculiar, and I haven't had a chance to read it myself yet, but I loved the Peculiar and am hoping this gets nominated so I can read it with a clear conscience!
and if you are interested in other categories, here's a round-up of other people's lists of The Un-Nominated.
Originally on this list, but now nominated:
Hokey Pokey, by Jerry Spinelli got all sorts of buzz when it came out, most of which I missed, because I didn't realize it was fantasy, but people were even talking Newbery....
Sleeping Beauty's Daughters, by Diane Zahler.
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, by Jane Yolen
The Abominables, by Eva Ibbotson. It's her last book. Sniff.
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop, by Kate Saunders
The Vengekeep Prophecies, by Brian Farrey Fuse #8 said this about the book back in November 2012: "With great humor and dexterity Farrey creates a new fantasy world where magic is kept in check, only popping up once in a while to bite our heroes on the bum. Fast and funny, this is one of those rare 400-page novels where I wouldn’t cut so much as a sentence or a paragraph if it meant making the story any shorter."
Now Nominated Goulish Song, by William Alexander, because, uh, it's the sequel to a National Book Award Winner?
Now Nominated Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint is another that got lots of good buzz...and he's a famous writer for grown-ups, so surely has fans among readers of MG fantasy?
(Now Nominated--but after looking at it closely, I offered it to YA) The Reluctant Assassin, by Eoin Colfer. Another author with fans (at least I think there are fans. Maybe his fans just don't know about the Cybils).
(Now nominated) Texting the Underworld, by Ellen Booraem. I thought it would be one of the first to be nominated...There's a Book said "Not only was the premise fantastic, but the characters were strong and well-developed."
The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children, by Keith McGowan
Clearly, if you are disturbed by truly mordant humor of the sort in which children are eaten you will not enjoy this book. However, I didn't actually find this to be the stuff of nightmares. Nightmares are lurking threats, looming ever closer, insidiously building in terror....and those sorts of books make me sad and sorry for the kids involved, and anxious to hug my own. But here, since we see the witch from the beginning, reminiscing about different recipes she's used, the threat is right there up front, in an almost over-the-top, verging on absurd, way. It's handy that readers are given this perspective immediately, so that they can decide whether to continue or not with little investment!
I myself was happy to keep going, and found it, as it were, very tasty--a fun, fast read that did not inspire any anxiety viz children being eaten. There are many little bits that amused me lots, like a nice modern twist on the breadcrumbs that Hansel used to mark the path home. The sibling conflicts between Sol and Connie added depth, and Sol's character--he's a science geek type, unblessed with sympathetic friends, craving support and understanding-- was appealing (and this is what made me anxious to hug my own older one). And I found the "let's tell it like it is" perspective of the witch amusing.
Many kids do have a dark sense of humor (I myself, sweet and nice though I was, enjoyed Edward Gory very much at a young age), and I can imagine mine enjoying this one. That being said, I can also imagine my younger one (10) asking me how I could give him a book that's so mean. Hard to know.
The ending is an ending--as in the original story, the witch gets what she deserves--but obviously Sol and Connie can go home again. I'm half-way through the sequel right now--The Witch's Curse--and am actually more anxious reading this one. Even though the danger of being eaten is past, the kids aren't out of the woods yet...
I don't often notice illustrations, because of being so busy reading, but couldn't help but notice that the black and white drawings here added beautiful to the balance between humor and fear--here's an example from the author's website:
Recommended enthusiastically, but cautiously--it won't be for everyone, but those who enjoy it will enjoy it lots! Here's another blog review from Liz at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy.
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
10/9/13
Waiting on Wednesday--Death Sworn, by Leah Cypess
I do so like Waiting on Wednesday posts--it's nice to pretend that in the future I will be all caught up on my reading, with posts scheduled in advance (I failed to have a time travel book for yesterday's Timeslip Tuesday, which pained me) and all caught up on home renovation projects, and in possession of children who require no help with anything....and I will order a book I want to read, it will come, and I will curl up (perhaps with cookies) and all will be well....
And perhaps the book will be Death Sworn, by Leah Cypess, which comes out March 4, 2013 (which gives me time to do all of the above, assuming the children cooperate):
From Goodreads: "When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world."
I like school stories, and this sounds like it might count, kinda sorta.
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.
From Goodreads: "When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world."
I like school stories, and this sounds like it might count, kinda sorta.
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.
10/7/13
The Strangers (Books of Elsewhere 4), by Jacqueline West
And she is about to make more. Only this time, the stakes have been upped even higher--Olive's parents have been taken by the enemy. And the house has secrets (dark and scary ones) that Olive must face to bring them back....while trying to avoid bring Annabelle, or worse, the evil grandfather, back as well.
Here's my review of The Shadows, the first in the series, which won the Cybils Award for Middle Grade Sci fi/fantasy in 2010. I've been reading each new book eagerly--it is lovely to return to a series one knows one enjoys, especially when the books aren't 400 pages or so long (like having a cup of coffee with a friend vs having a friend over for the weekend; both are good, but sometimes one is better). I was confident that The Strangers would take about an hour and a half to read (check), that it would be good to see Olive and the cats again (check) and that there would be mysterious tense-ness, with the added enjoyment of exploring a few more of the magical paintings (check). So that was good.
Something that sets this series apart from most Middle Grade fantasies is that the magic is right there, filling the main character's house. In most domestic fantasies, there's maybe a magical item that grants wishes, or takes the kids on journeys, but here Olive is surrounded by enchantments in her own home, making it both sanctuary and locus of danger, which adds considerably to the tension.
I didn't expect the tense-ness to be so great that I wanted to start skimming, which I do when I get nervous because of bad things happening to characters I am empathizing with. Likewise when antiques get broken and books get burned by bad spirits (I hate reading about such things, and for those who share that mindset--it all gets restored to better than it was). In short, gripping, and the introduction of new characters and new twists that challenged Olive afresh made it interesting.
Jacqueline West has allowed Olive some forward momentum in her battle against evil magic, both externally (one adversary down) and internally (some growing up accomplished), but there is clearly still more to come. I am committed to finding out what happens next, so when Book 5 comes out, I'll take it out for a cup of coffee...
10/6/13
This week's Middle Grade Fantasy and Sci Fi round-up (Oct. 6, 2013)
Welcome to the 198th round up of Middle Grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs. I had the idea for it at Kidlitcon four years and a month ago...and it has become a cornerstone of my blog. The point of this is that Kidlitcon is a great place to go and get ideas and come back all enthusiastic, it really is, and I am going, and I would like lots to see you all there too!
As ever, please let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews:
The Abominables, by Eva Ibbotson, at Sharon the Librarian
Cave of Wonders (Infinity Ring), by Matthew J. Kirby, at Charlotte's Library
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, by Jane Yolen, at Don't Forget the Avocados
Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, at Children's Books and Reviews
Doll Bones, by Holly Black, at Middle Grade Mafioso and Tales of the Marvelous
Eight Days of Luke, by Diana Wynne Jones, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia
Evertaster: The Buttersmith's Gold, by Adam Glendon Sidwell, at S.A. Larsen
Exile, by Shannon Messenger, at In Bed With Books
and YA Book Queen
Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo, at Waking Brain Cells
Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, at Manga Maniac Cafe
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Fyrefly's Book Blog
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Sturdy for Common Things
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman, at The Reader's Patch
How to Catch a Bogle, by Catherine Jinks, at Charlotte's Library
The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog, by Frances Sackett, at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
North of Nowhere, by Liz Kessler, at Becky's Book Reviews
Odessa, Again, by Dana Reinhardt, at Time Travel Times Two
Other Worlds (Guys Read), edited by Jon Scieszka, at Views from the Tesseract
and The Write Path
The Planet Thieves, by Dan Krokos, at Nerdophiles
A Question of Magic, by E.D. Baker, at On Starships and Dragonwings and Books of Wonder and Wisdom
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Maria's Melange, The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, Lynne's Book Notes, and There's a Book
Rose, by Holly Webb, at Wands and Worlds
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at Sonderbooks
The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, by Nikki Loftin, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
Skyjumpers, by Peggy Eddleman, at In Bed With Books
Starbounders, Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobsen, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Time Fetch, by Amy Herrick, at Puss Reboots
What Came From the Stars, by Gary Schmidt, at CSL Children's Department Blog
Wild Born (Spirit Animals), by Brandon Mull, at Getting Kids Reading
Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi, at Teen Librarian's Toolbox
An abundance of books, Part 2, including The Borrowers and Tuck Everlasting, at Things Mean a Lot
Authors and Interviews
(if you're a publicist or author with a relevant book tour, feel free to send me the link to a page with the list of all the stops!)
Artwork reveal and giveaway for The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Bunbury in the Stacks and an interview/review at Word Spelunking
L.J. Clarkson (The Silver Strand) at SA Larsen
Frances Sackett (The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog) at Kid Lit Frenzy
Other Good Stuff
The Enchanted Inkpot offers one of its wonderful galleries of cover art featuring fall middle grade books here and here.
At Views from the Tesseract. a Tuesday Ten of Unicorns
The True Meaning of Smekday, one of the first crop of Cybils finalists, is coming to the big screen
Keilin Huang, Marketing & Publicity Assistant, and Hannah Ehrlich, Marketing & Publicity Manager at Lee and Low are over at DiversifYA in a two part interview (here's part 1)
And speaking of which, A More Diverse Universe blog celebration returns November 15-17--head to this post at Book Lust for more information, and to sign up.
Here are the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction books nominated for the Cybils so far. If you haven't nominated yet, you could visit my lists of EMG SF books reviewed in Kirkus and SLJ during the eligibility period (Oct 16, 2013 through Oct 15, 2013), where you will fine many fine, at yet un-nominated, books.
And finally, here's what my son wants to be for Halloween--a Venetian plague doctor. If anyone has any beak advice I'd welcome it--I'm thinking chicken wire and paper mache, but want to make sure I end up with a beak that has Wearability, because there's a costume contest at school...
As ever, please let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews:
The Abominables, by Eva Ibbotson, at Sharon the Librarian
Cave of Wonders (Infinity Ring), by Matthew J. Kirby, at Charlotte's Library
Curse of the Thirteenth Fey, by Jane Yolen, at Don't Forget the Avocados
Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, at Children's Books and Reviews
Doll Bones, by Holly Black, at Middle Grade Mafioso and Tales of the Marvelous
Eight Days of Luke, by Diana Wynne Jones, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia
Evertaster: The Buttersmith's Gold, by Adam Glendon Sidwell, at S.A. Larsen
Exile, by Shannon Messenger, at In Bed With Books
and YA Book Queen
Flora and Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo, at Waking Brain Cells
Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman, at Manga Maniac Cafe
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Fyrefly's Book Blog
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Sturdy for Common Things
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman, at The Reader's Patch
How to Catch a Bogle, by Catherine Jinks, at Charlotte's Library
The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog, by Frances Sackett, at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
North of Nowhere, by Liz Kessler, at Becky's Book Reviews
Odessa, Again, by Dana Reinhardt, at Time Travel Times Two
Other Worlds (Guys Read), edited by Jon Scieszka, at Views from the Tesseract
and The Write Path
The Planet Thieves, by Dan Krokos, at Nerdophiles
A Question of Magic, by E.D. Baker, at On Starships and Dragonwings and Books of Wonder and Wisdom
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Maria's Melange, The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, Lynne's Book Notes, and There's a Book
Rose, by Holly Webb, at Wands and Worlds
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at Sonderbooks
The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, by Nikki Loftin, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
Skyjumpers, by Peggy Eddleman, at In Bed With Books
Starbounders, Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobsen, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Time Fetch, by Amy Herrick, at Puss Reboots
What Came From the Stars, by Gary Schmidt, at CSL Children's Department Blog
Wild Born (Spirit Animals), by Brandon Mull, at Getting Kids Reading
Zombie Baseball Beatdown, by Paolo Bacigalupi, at Teen Librarian's Toolbox
An abundance of books, Part 2, including The Borrowers and Tuck Everlasting, at Things Mean a Lot
Authors and Interviews
(if you're a publicist or author with a relevant book tour, feel free to send me the link to a page with the list of all the stops!)
Artwork reveal and giveaway for The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Bunbury in the Stacks and an interview/review at Word Spelunking
L.J. Clarkson (The Silver Strand) at SA Larsen
Frances Sackett (The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog) at Kid Lit Frenzy
Other Good Stuff
The Enchanted Inkpot offers one of its wonderful galleries of cover art featuring fall middle grade books here and here.
At Views from the Tesseract. a Tuesday Ten of Unicorns
The True Meaning of Smekday, one of the first crop of Cybils finalists, is coming to the big screen
Keilin Huang, Marketing & Publicity Assistant, and Hannah Ehrlich, Marketing & Publicity Manager at Lee and Low are over at DiversifYA in a two part interview (here's part 1)
And speaking of which, A More Diverse Universe blog celebration returns November 15-17--head to this post at Book Lust for more information, and to sign up.
Here are the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction books nominated for the Cybils so far. If you haven't nominated yet, you could visit my lists of EMG SF books reviewed in Kirkus and SLJ during the eligibility period (Oct 16, 2013 through Oct 15, 2013), where you will fine many fine, at yet un-nominated, books.
10/5/13
The elementary/middle grade speculative fiction books reviewed by School Library Journal that aren't in the Kirkus list I made
After publishing my updated Kirkus list of Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction books (with an eye to Cybils nominations), I was filled with doubt regarding all the books that Kirkus didn't review. So I went to the School Library Journal's monthly lists of books they reviewed and pulled out the ones that looked eligible (no guarantees, though--I was trying to move along quickly).
So if you haven't yet nominated a book in EMG SF, maybe one of these is the book for you! The ones already nominated are in green.
December
So if you haven't yet nominated a book in EMG SF, maybe one of these is the book for you! The ones already nominated are in green.
December
KELLY, Jacqueline. Return to the Willows.
January
BAUER, Hans & Catherine Masciola. Fishtale
February
BURGESS, V. L. The Mapmaker’s Sons
NEIMARK, Gillian. The Golden Rectangle.
ODYSSEY, Shawn Thomas. The Magician’s Tower.
RESNICK, Jacqueline. The Daring Escape of the Misfit Menagerie.
THOMSON, Jamie. Dark Lord: The Early Years.
March
April
NYLUND , Eric. Titan Base. Bk. 3. 276p. (The Resisters Series)
May
KARCHUT , Darby. Finn Finnegan.
LERANGIS , Peter. The Colossus Rises.
MAGNIN , Joyce. Cake: Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar.
April
HOLUB , Joan & Suzanne Williams. Poseidon and the Sea of Fury.
NYLUND , Eric. Titan Base. Bk. 3. 276p. (The Resisters Series)
THOMPSON , Paul B. The Fortune-Teller.
May
GRIFFITHS, Andy. The 13-Story Treehouse.
HOLT, Christopher. The Vanishing. Bk. 1. (The Last Dogs Series).
WINDHAM, Ryder with Jason Fry. Battle Mountain. Bk. 2. 260p. (Transformers Classified Series)
June
BRADLEY, Timothy J. Infestation.
KROSOCZKA, Jarrett J. The Frog Who Croaked.
MATTHEWS, Patrick. Dragon Run.
OLIVER, Lin & Theo Baker. The Shadow Mask.
July
DANESHVARI, Gitty. Ghoulfriends Just Want to Have Fun. Bk. 2.
HAIG, Matt. To Be a Cat.
HOLT, Christopher. Dark Waters. Bk. 2.. (The Last Dogs Series).
YOLEN, Jane & Adam Stemple. The Hostage Prince.
August
FAGAN, Cary. Danny, Who Fell in a Hole.
KAPLAN, Bruce Eric. Cousin Irv from Mars.
LUBAR, David. Numbed!
SALANE, Jeffrey. Lawless. Bk. 1. 277p. (Lawless Series).
SODERBERG, Erin. The Quirks: Welcome to Normal.
SUTCLIFFE, William. The Wall.
September
GEORGE, Jessica Day. Wednesdays in the Tower.
JARVIS, Robin. Dark Waters of Hagwood.
KELLEY, Jane. The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya.
SACKETT, Frances. The Misadventures of the Magician’s Dog.
October
AMATEAU, Gigi. Macadoo of the Maury River
BATES, Ron. How to Make Friends and Monsters.
CURTIS, Vanessa. The Haunting of Tabitha Grey.
ELSE, Barbara. The Queen and the Nobody Boy: A Tale of Fontania.
FITZGERALD, Sarah Moore. Back to Blackbrick.
HOBBS, Valerie. Wolf
RIMES, Raleigh. Dinosaurology: The Search for a Lost World. illus. by G. Blythe et al. 30p. (Ologies Series).
10/4/13
Ripley's Believe It of Not--Dare to Look, starring Camilla the Space Chicken
My mind has been distracted and confused (more so than usual) by the busy-ness of organizing the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction Cybils nominations, and (the Shame!) by the fact that, thanks to a tweet a while back from Liz, I have discovered Candy Crush on Facebook. Sigh.
Happily today I have a book received from review that is fairly straightforward to write about--it's more a "this book is in the world" post.
Dare to Look is the latest offering from Ripley's (September 10, 2013), and if you have seen one of their books, you'll have a good idea of the mind candy/image and fact explosion/startling, disturbing, fascinating content that these books offer. This one is no exception. Some things are grotesque, like the guy who holds the record for most clothes pegs attached to the face--161, some are scary, like a Swedish evil clown who gets hired to terrify children at birthday parties, and some are very side-show-esque, like a real "wolf boy"--a man suffering from "werewolf" syndrome, and a man who ended up with a big toe where his thumb should be, and vice versa....
I myself enjoy the more historical trivia sort of facts than the "freakish" ones; I can't help but feel a bit voyeuristic looking into the eyes of the Wolf Boy, for instance. On the other hand, he's making a living from his difference, and it was his choice to be in the book...so it might well be the sort of thing that could lead to a Profitable Discussion with a handy child about how strange and quirky things happen in some people's bodies and, those these things might be odd, they are superficial differences and there it is, and one says "huh" (or other interested but not judgemental noise) and moves on.
Although I get a bit dizzy reading the Ripley's books cover to cover, I do enjoy dipping into them. Here is something that I had somehow missed at the time--in March of 2012 Camilla the rubber chicken was launched by NASA to the edge of space to test levels of radiation during an intense solar storm. I think it is great that NASA has a sense of humor, and I truly appreciate that someone make her a knitted sweater. (She parachuted safely back to Earth).
(image from NASA's image of the day website, which, for some strange reason (sarcasm) isn't loading today).
Disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
Happily today I have a book received from review that is fairly straightforward to write about--it's more a "this book is in the world" post.
Dare to Look is the latest offering from Ripley's (September 10, 2013), and if you have seen one of their books, you'll have a good idea of the mind candy/image and fact explosion/startling, disturbing, fascinating content that these books offer. This one is no exception. Some things are grotesque, like the guy who holds the record for most clothes pegs attached to the face--161, some are scary, like a Swedish evil clown who gets hired to terrify children at birthday parties, and some are very side-show-esque, like a real "wolf boy"--a man suffering from "werewolf" syndrome, and a man who ended up with a big toe where his thumb should be, and vice versa....
I myself enjoy the more historical trivia sort of facts than the "freakish" ones; I can't help but feel a bit voyeuristic looking into the eyes of the Wolf Boy, for instance. On the other hand, he's making a living from his difference, and it was his choice to be in the book...so it might well be the sort of thing that could lead to a Profitable Discussion with a handy child about how strange and quirky things happen in some people's bodies and, those these things might be odd, they are superficial differences and there it is, and one says "huh" (or other interested but not judgemental noise) and moves on.
Although I get a bit dizzy reading the Ripley's books cover to cover, I do enjoy dipping into them. Here is something that I had somehow missed at the time--in March of 2012 Camilla the rubber chicken was launched by NASA to the edge of space to test levels of radiation during an intense solar storm. I think it is great that NASA has a sense of humor, and I truly appreciate that someone make her a knitted sweater. (She parachuted safely back to Earth).
Disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
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