Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Academy 7. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Academy 7. Sort by date Show all posts

9/3/10

New Releases of Fantasy and Science Fiction for Kids and Teenagers, the beginning of Sept. 2010 edition

It's quite a nice little assortment, this edition of new releases. My pick would be The Crowfield Curse from the middle grade titles, and Firelight from the YA....


ALIEN CONTACT: ALIEN AGENT by Pamela F. Service. Most humans know that scientists are combing outer space for evidence of intelligent life in the universe. And most aliens know that the Galactic Union has been diligently jamming those efforts until Earth is ready to join. A small group of aliens has other ideas, though. They plan on sending humans fake messages as part of a plan for world domination. Only one "human" can stop them Zack Gaither, Alien Agent. Zack will have to use all he's learned in his previous adventures to save Earth from the Gnairt. Fortunately, he's got some help this time. And she's kinda cute...

BENJAMIN FRANKLINSTEIN LIVES by Matthew McElligott. Victor Godwin's orderly life is upended when he discovers that Benjamin Franklin never actually died-he was put into suspended animation and hidden away for more than 200 years in Victor's basement! After an accident reawakens Ben, Victor must not only help him adjust to the modern world but also help him overcome a slight flaw: when Ben runs low on energy, he turns into a rampaging monster desperately hungry for electricity! All this while trying to take first place in the school science fair. With one of history's preeminent scientists helping out, what could go wrong?

THE CLOUD SEARCHERS: AMULET by Kazu Kibuishi. In the third installment of the thrilling Amulet series, Emily, Navin, and their crew of resistance fighters charter an airship and set off in search of Cielis, a mythical city believed to be located on an island high above the clouds. The mysterious Leon Redbeard is their guide, and there's a surprising new addition to the crew: the Elf King's son, Trellis. But is he ally or enemy? And will Emily ever be able to trust the voice of the Amulet?

THE CROWFIELD CURSE by Pat Walsh. It's 1347 and fifteen-year-old Will, an orphan boy, lives at Crowfield Abbey. Sent into the forest to gather wood, he rescues instead, a creature from a trap - a hob, who shares with Will a terrible secret. Somewhere in the forest behind the abbey where he lives, is a grave. And buried deep in the snow is an angel. But how can an angel die? What has it to do with the monks of the Abbey? When two hooded strangers arrive at Crowfield asking questions about the angel's grave. Will is drawn into a world of dangerous Old Magic. "The Crowfield Feather" was short-listed for the "Times" Chidren's Fiction Competition in 2008. This is a stunning debut novel and the first of a two part series.

THE DEAD BOYS by Royce Buckingham. In the desert town of Richland, Washington, there stands a giant sycamore tree. Horribly mutated by nuclear waste, it feeds on the life energy of boys that it snags with its living roots. And when Teddy Matthews moves to town, the tree trains its sights on its next victim.

From the start, Teddy knows something is very wrong with Richland. Every kid he meets disappears before his eyes. A trip to the cemetery confirms that these boys are actually dead and trying to lure him to the tree. But that knowledge is no help when Teddy is swept into the tree’s world, a dark version of Richland from which there is no escape . . .

THE FAMILIARS by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson. After three young wizard apprentices are kidnapped by the evil queen of a distant land, it is up to their familiars, their magical animal companions -- a street smart alley cat, a precocious blue jay, and a bumbling tree frog -- to save them.

THE GHOST OF CRUTCHFIELD HALL by Mary Downing Hahn. When twelve-year-old Florence boards the crowded horse-drawn coach in London, she looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at Crutchfield Hall, an old manor house in the English countryside. Anything will be better, she thinks, than the grim London orphanage where she has lived since her parents' death.

But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who haunts the cavernous rooms and dimly lit hallways of Crutchfield and concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals. Will Florence be able to convince the others in the household of the imminent danger and stop Sophia before it's too late?

GHOST DOG SECRETS by Peg Kehret. Each day, Rusty feeds a dog that’s left chained in the frigid weather with no shelter and no food or water. When he realizes that the dog’s been injured, Rusty and his friend Andrew unchain the dog and take it. Are they stealing, or are they rescuing a dog in need?

With the dog living in their secret hideout, the boys face multiple challenges, including a mysterious ghost dog that tries to lead them to a startling secret, Andrew’s snoopy sister, and the escalating threats of the dog’s abusive owner. The fast-paced suspense builds to a surprising conclusion, which will leave young readers cheering for Rusty’s compassion and determination.

GHOST HUNT: CHILLING TALES OF THE SEARCH FOR THE UNSEEN
by Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson.
An exciting new middle grade collection of spooky paranormal investigations based on REAL ghost hunts from stars of the TV show Ghost Hunters, the number one reality show on cable television!

In a lush, thick volume, Ghost Hunt will feature multiple stories dramatized with cliff hangers and red herrings to heighten suspense and character interaction. Through the investigations, the reader will learn the ins and outs of ghost hunting, how to spot a hoax, and how to face their fear of the paranormal.

The book will also have tips for ghost hunting at the end of the book, including guides to the technical equipment and how to set up your own traps for ghosts. Though presented as fiction, these stories are based on real cases, and the GHOSTS ARE REAL!

HALF UPON A TIME by James Riley. Life’s no fairy tale for Jack. After all, his father's been missing ever since that incident with the beanstalk and the giant, and his grandfather keeps pushing him to get out and find a princess to rescue. Who'd want to rescue a snobby, entitled princess anyway? Especially one that falls out of the sky wearing a shirt that says "Punk Princess," and still denies she's royalty. In fact, May doesn't even believe in magic. Yeah, what's that about? May does need help though--a huntsman is chasing her, her grandmother has been kidnapped, and Jack thinks it’s all because of the Wicked Queen . . . mostly because May’s grandmother might just be the long-lost Snow White.

THE LIMIT by Kristen Landon. An eighth grade girl was taken today . . .

With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever.

THE LOST ISLAND: RIPLEY'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, and also SHOCK HORROR: RIPLEY'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION by Robert Ripley. Join the Ripley's Bureau of Investigation - a group of teen agents with special gifts - as they embark on a series of action-packed adventures, travelling the world in pursuit of extraordinary events and tales. These wonderful new stories are perfect for adventurously minded children between the ages of 7 and 11. In "Shock Horror", reports of mysterious fires, exploding trees and unexplained power cuts in a remote Rocky Mountain town reach the RBI. Is there any truth in the terrifying stories of a strange figure in the forest with sparks flying from his fingertips? Using their own powerful skills, the RBI are tested to their limits on the sizzling adventure.

M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY: N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley. In this second outing for the 5th grade super spies, Duncan Dewey, codename "Gluestick", is the point of view character. This time the group must fight a very unlikely villain - he still lives with his Mum. In other words, it's the NERDS against a nerd.

NO SUCH THING AS DRAGONS by Philip Reeve. A dragon story with a brilliant twist…. Ansel's new master slays dragons for a living. He says he's hunted the monstrous worms all over Christendom and has the scars to prove it. But is Brock just a clever trickster in shining armour? Ansel is sure there are no such things as dragons. So what is the man-eating creature that makes its lair in the crags of Dragon Mountain? Ansel and Brock must climb the ice face to discover the terrifying truth.

PLAIN KATE by Erin Bow. Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" -- a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate's father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he'll give Kate the means to escape the town that seems set to burn her, and what's more, he'll grant her heart's wish. It's a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes that she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.

SCARLETT DEDD by Cathy Brett. You're dead Scarlett...Previously a poor taste jibe from school frenemies, now a statement of fact.

Scarlett is absolutely mortified (in more ways than one) to discover that she's accidentally killed herself while trying to get out of a school trip. Even worse, she's taken her entire family with her. Life as a ghost is pretty dull - if only some of her friends were dead too...


YOUNG ADULT

BEYOND THE MASK: THE GRASSLAND TRILOGY by David Ward In this dramatic conclusion to the Grasslands Trilogy, Corki, Pippa, and all their friends are reunited for a final fight to determine the future of Grassland. After escaping the mountains of Grassland, where Corki and Pippa and their friends were slaves and soldiers, the fugitives finally found a new life, and are seemingly safe at last.

But as the former slaves explore new lands to the north, they discover that cruelty and injustice are not only found in Grassland, and that the people they visit may need their help. Grassland, too, may need assistance. When an appeal from an old friend reaches Corki and Pippa in their travels, will they have the courage to do what’s right for their old land, despite its cruel history? What will it cost them to change Grassland for the better?

THE COUNSELING: GHOST HUNTRESS by Marley Gibson Kendall has just discovered who Emily really is, lost her boyfriend, and nearly died doing the thing she loves most--ghost hunting. It's time to take a break and try to reconcile all the changes she's going through. So Kendall heads to the Sierra Mountains, where there's a camp especially for young people with gifts such as hers. It's a time for reflection and self-discovery.

But when she gets to California, she once again finds restless spirits--and the boy in her last vision. It may be the end of one chapter of her life and the beginning of a new one.


CRUSADE by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun. Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose. Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.


EXTRAORDINARY by Nancy Werlin. Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself

FEAR: 13 STORIES OF SUSPENSE AND HORROR
edited by International Thriller Writers Association
Turn the pages if you dare. . . .In this collection of thirteen fabulously chilling storiesÑfrom thirteen true masters of suspense, including five New York Times bestsellers and a number of Edgar Award nominees, all edited by none other than R. L. StineÑnothing is what it seems. From cannibalistic children, to an unwitting date with a vampire, to a crush on a boy who just might be a werewolf, no scary stone is left unturned. A must-have for all fans of the genre!

FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan. Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

IMMORTAL BELOVED by Cate Tiernan. Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past. Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

IMMORTAL REMAINS: WEIRDSVILLE by Rook Hastings Four freak accidents. Four mysterious deaths. Four signs of trouble. Welcome back to Weirdsville…

"You see, the girls that died – it wasn't by accident. They were cursed, every one of them. Cursed to meet a horrible death… And I'm going to be next."

Four girls from posh school Riverbank have been killed in seemingly random but freakish ways and it’s not long before Bethan and co. are lured into investigating the grisly case. Is it really just coincidence or is there something more sinister going on?
Meanwhile Hashim’s playing truant, Kelly’s on the warpath and Jay’s trying to avoid someone even more close to home… Himself. Scary, paranormal and supernaturally chilling experiences are everyday in a town like Weirdsville.

LURE by Deborah Kerbel. A Victorian garden, a fishing lure, and a ghost named John .Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, he's in love with an older girl who's completely out of his league.

When Max discovers a local library rumored to be haunted by ghosts, he's immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for over a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery?

MONSTER HIGH by Lisi Harrison. From Lisi Harrison, the New York Times bestselling author of The Clique and Alphas, comes a new series with a fresh twist on high school, romance, and the "horrors" of trying to fit in. The monster community has kept a low profile at the local high school, but when two new girls enroll, the town will never be the same. Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and prom. But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters stalking the halls, Frankie learns that high school can be rough for a chic freak like her. She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver-but can a "normie" be trusted with her big secret?

PAST MIDNIGHT by Mara Purnhagen. Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

REVAMPED by Lucienne Diver. The fanged fabulousity of Vamped, FLUX's fastest-selling new release, is back! Gina's Rules for Surviving Super Spy Club Training: 1. First, the dirt and sweat are just too horrible to contemplate. 2. Unless you enjoy cold showers, be the first one to the bathroom in the morning. 3. Cargo pants make you look hip-py. 4. Making out on missions, unless it's part of your cover, is totally grounds for extra push-ups. 5. When going goth, you've totally got to strike words like totally, awesome, and phat from your vocabulary. 6. Who's actually running the Super Spy Club, you ask? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

VANISHED: WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES/CODE NAME CASSANDRA by Meg Cabot. Jessica Mastriani has never liked attention. All she wants is to make it to high school graduation like any ordinary girl. But when Jess is struck by lightning, she becomes anything but ordinary: suddenly she has the ability to locate missing children.

Now Jess is getting noticed in all the wrong ways and by all the wrong people. The media is obsessed with her and her story. The FBI is tapping her phone. And what’s going on with sexy senior Rob? Soon Jess learns the hard way that not everyone who is lost wants to be found….

With no one to trust, it's up to Jess to decide what to do with her new power—before it’s decided for her.


Z by Michael Thomas Ford. The First Rule of Torching: Cleanse with fire.

Josh is by far the best zombie Torcher around—at least, he is in his virtual-reality zombie-hunting game. Josh has quickly risen through the player ranks, relying on the skill, cunning, and agility of a real Torcher.

The Second Rule of Torching: Save all humans.

But luckily for Josh, zombies exist only in the virtual world. The real zombie war is now more than fifteen years in the past, and the battle to defeat the deadly epidemic that devastated his family—and millions of others—is the stuff of history lessons.

The Third Rule of Torching: You can't bring them back.

Charlie is the top-ranked player in the game. Since all the players are shrouded in anonymity, Josh never expects Charlie to be a girl—and he never expects the offer she makes him: to join the underground gaming league that takes the virtual-reality game off the screen and into the streets. Josh is thrilled. But the more involved he gets, the more he realizes that not everything is what it seems. Real blood is spilling, members of the team are disappearing, and the zombies in the game are acting strange. And then there's the matter of a mysterious drug called Z. . . .


5/12/13

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantsy (5/12/13)

Happy Mother's Day, and welcome to this week's round-up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy postings from around the blogs.  If I missed your post, let me know!

The Reviews

The Ability, by M.M. Vaughan, at Charlotte's Library

An Army of Frogs, by Trevor Price and Joel Naftali, at Now Read This!

Astronaut Academy Re-Entry, by Dave Roman, at Charlotte's Library (I don't generally include graphic novels, but I love this one lots and its my own review.  Also it is science fiction, which is thin on the mg ground)

Canary in a Coal Mine, by Madelyn Rosenberg, at Geo Librarian

Charlotte Sometimes, by Penelope Farmer, at The Book Smugglers

The Cheshire Cheese Cat, by Carmen Agra Deedy, at Bunbury in the Stacks (audiobook review)

Doll Bones, by Holly Black, at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy, LibLaura5,  Salima Korri Reviewing the WritingThe Book Cellar and YA Bibliophile (audiobook review)

The Game of Sunken Places, by M.T. Anderson, at Great Books for Kids and Teens

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, at Nerdy Book Club

Gustav Gloom and the Nightmare Vault, by Adam-Troy Castro, at Log Cabin Library

Here Where the Sunbeams are Green, by Helen Phillips, at Book Nut

In a Glass Grimmly, by Adam Gidwitz, at There's a Book 

Jinx, by Sage Blackwood, at io9 and Reading Rumpus

Loki's Wolves, by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr, at Ms. Yingling Reads, Great Imaginations, Charlotte's Library, and Alice, Marvels

The Menagerie, by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, at Readers by Night

Museum of Thieves, and City of Lies, by Lian Tanner, at Kid Lit Geek

New Lands (The Chronicles of Egg, 2), by Geoff Rodkey, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
and thehopefulheroine

The Runaway King, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Bibliophilic Monologues

The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani, at  Kid Lit Geek and Scott Reads It

The Silver Bowl, by Diane Stanley, at Madigan Reads

The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at That's Another Story

Stolen Magic, by Stephanie Burgis, at Waking Brain Cells

The Storm Bottle, by Nick Green, at Geo Librarian

Summer and Bird, by Catherine Catmull, at alibrarymama

Teacher's Pest, by Charles Gilman, at BookYAReview, and Tim's Book Reviews

The Time Cavern, by Todd Fonseca, at Time Travel Times Two

The Water Castle, by Megan Frazer Blakemore, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Wednesdays in the Tower, by Jessica Day George, at Kid Lit Geek


Authors and Interviews:
(note to publicists--please feel free to send me blog tour lineups with links to the specific posts--I'd be happy to include them, but don't always have time to track them all down myself!)

Jessica Day George (Wednesdays in the Tower) at Cracking the Cover

Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil) at Cracking the Cover

Liesl Shurtliff (Rump) at Literary Rambles

A Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle character intros. at Ms. Yingling Reads, Kid Lit Frenzy, The Write Path, and The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia

Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief) at KidsEBookBestsellers

Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr (Loki's Wolves) at Entertainment Weekly  And here are the stops from the Loki's Wolves blog tour:

Tuesday, May 7 – Bookalicious featuring Ragnarök
Wednesday, May 8 – Mundie Kids featuring Odin
Thursday, May 9 – Novel Thoughts featuring Thor
Friday, May 10--Charlotte's Library featuring Freya and Frey
Saturday, May 11 – Bewitched Bookworms featuring Loki


Geoff Rodkey (New Lands--The Chronicles of Egg, book 2), joined by his agent and editor, at From the Mixed Up Files  and all by himself at Book Dreaming

Ari Goelman (The Path of Names) at The Lucky 13s

Stuart Webb (Jenny at Chatsworth) at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books


Other Good Stuff:

I could have put this in the reviews section, but thought it would be happier down here--Kate Forsyth takes a loving look at an old favorite--The Stone Cage, by Nicholas Stuart Gray, at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles.

I made a short quiz of mother's shown on covers of recent mg sff books for Mother's Day.  It's short cause there aren't many.

And finally, librarians on parade to celebrate spring and promote summer reading (found at 100 Scope Notes).  I find it strangely moving (no pun intended).


9/19/10

This Sunday's Round Up of Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction posts from around the blogs

Welcome to another week's worth of middle grade fantasy and science fiction fun! Please let me know if I missed your post.

Reviews

The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole), by Kathryn Lasky, at GreenBeanTeenQueen and Brimful Curiosities (where there's also a giveaway; I'm giving it away too, here).

Dark Life, by Kat Falls, at Manga Maniac Cafe and Ink Spells.

Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener, by Urusla Vernon, at TheHappyNappyBookseller.

The Familiars, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books.

Found, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Knight Reader.

Hamster Magic, by Lynne Jonell, at Eva's Book Addiction.

Lost in Lexicon, by Pendred Noyce, at Wands and Worlds.

Mister Monday, by Garth Nix, at The O.W.L.

Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins and Other Nasties: A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate, As told to Lesley M.M. Blume, at Fuse #8 and Educating Alice.

Radiance, by Alyson Noel, at The Reading Date.

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke, at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy (is this really middle grade? School Library Journal says grades 7-10, Amazon says 9-12, Liz, in her review, says "children and teens.")

Sabotaged, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Becky's Book Reviews.

Scarlett Dedd, by Cathy Brett at The Book Zone (For Boys), where you can also enter to win a copy (here).

Sceptre of the Ancients (Skulduggery Pleasant) by Derek Landy, at Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian.

The Smoky Corridor, by Chris Grabenstein, at Middle Grade Ninja.

The Tiger's Apprentice, by Laurence Yep, at Guys Lit Wire.

Time Cat, by Lloyd Alexander, at Charlotte's Library.

Troll's Eye View, a Book of Villainous Tales, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, at Writing and Ruminating.

The Valley of Song, by Elizabeth Goudge, at Charlotte's Library.

Ms. Yingling Reads takes a look at The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place), by Maryrose Wood, and Magic Below Stairs, by Caroline Stevermer.


Authors talking

Middle Grade Ninja has seven questions for Chris Grabenstein (The Smoky Corridor, and many other books).

A. R. Rotruck talks about her new book, Young Wizards Handbook: How to Trap a Zombie, Track a Vampire, and Other Hands-On Activities for Monster Hunters, at John Scalzi's Whatever.

Pamela Voelkel, co-author of The Jaguar Stones, shares her Today Show experience at Random Acts of Reading.

David Lubar (Nathan Abercrombie: Accidental Zombie) talks about Zombie Humor at Tor

Ingrid Law (Scumble) is interviewed at The Enchanted Inkpot, and Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson (The Famliars) are interviewed at Tales of a Teenage Book Lover

Kathryn Lasky (Gaurdians of Ga'Hoole) is a guest at GreenBeanTeenQueen (where there's also a giveaway!), and Violet Haberdasher (Knightly Academy) visits The Story Siren.

Other good stuff

Katherine Langrish introduces a new feature--Fairy Tale Reflections-- at her blog, Seven Miles of Steel Thistles. And here's a post about dresses in fairy tales at The Fairy Tale Cupboard.

At The Book Zone (For Boys) there's excitement about Rick Riordan's new book, The Lost Hero, with links to events in the UK.

Beth, a contributor to Fantasy Literature, has written a love letter to Bruce Coville (someday I must try his books!)

The shortlist for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize has been announced, and two of the four are fantasy: Michelle Paver's Ghost Hunter, the sixth and final book in her Chronicles of Darkness series, and The Ogre of Oglefort, by Eva Ibbotson.

And finally, even though it's not middle grade (although I think it's a series that older mg kids would appreciate), there's a sneak peak at the art of Behemoth, sequel to Leviathan (Scott Westerfeld) at io9. Here's a sample:

7/17/22

This week's round-up of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs (7/17/22)

Bloglovin was not accessible this weekend, so I'm probably missing lots of posts this week; please let me know if I missed yours!

The Reviews

The Button Box, by Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams, at Charlotte's Library

The Diamond in the Window, by Jane Langton, at Semicolon

Festergrimm, by Thomas Taylor, at Scope for Imagination

A Flash of Fireflies, by Aisha Bushby, at Rosie Amber

Freddie vs the Family Curse, by Tracy Badua, at Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

J.R. Silver Writes Her World, by Melissa Dassori, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Last Beekeeper, by Pablo Cartaya, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Lost in the Mushroom Maze (Dungeoneer Adventures #1) by Ben Costa & James Parks, at Say What?
The Mermaid Call, by Alex Cotter, at Book Craic

The Myriad Mysteries of Eartha Quicksmith, by Loris Owen, at Valinora Troy

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, by Tolá Okogwu, at Geo Librarian

Orla and the Wild Hunt, by Anna Hoghton, at Scope for Imagination and Book Craic

Quintessence, by Jess Redman, at Colorful Book Reviews

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor, by Xiran Jay Zhao, at InkandplasmaReviews

Two at The Virginia Pilot--Healer and Witch, by Nancy Werlin, and The Last Mapmaker, by Christina Soontornvat

Two at Feed Your Fiction Addiction--Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon, and Spineless by Samantha San Miguel

7/3/16

Here's this week's compilation of what I found in my blog reading this week; please let me know if I missed your post!

Reviews

The Art of Disney's Dragons by Tom Bancroft, at Small Review (not MG, but of interest)

The City of Thirst, by Carrie Ryan & John Parke David, at Got My Book (audiobook review)

A Clatter of Jars, by Lisa Graff, at Nerdy Book Club

Curse of the Were-Hyena (A Monstertown Mystery), by Bruce Hale, at The O.W.L.

Death Weavers, by Brandon Mull, at Say What?

Eden's Wish, by M. Tarra Crowl, at Reading Violet

The Fire Thief, by Terry Deary, at Time Travel Times Two

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, at The Book Wars

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, at Diary of a Reading Addict

Island of Dragons (The Unwanteds, Book 7) by Lisa McMann, at Hidden in Pages

The Knights of Crystallia, by Brandon Sanderson, at This Kid Reviews Books

The Night Parade, by Kathryn Tanquary, at Log Cabin Library

The Other Alice, by Michelle Harrison, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

School of the Dead, by Avi, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse, by Brian Ferry, at Charlotte's Library

Serafina and the Twisted Staff, by Robert Beatty, at Jen Robinson's Book Page

The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy, by M.A. Larson, at B.and N. Kids Blog

Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, at Kitty Cat at the Library

Sword in the Stacks (Ninja Librarians book 2), by Jen Swann Downey, at Always in the Middle

The Thief and the Beanstalk, by P.W. Catanese, at The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow

The Tick-Tock Man (Gadgets and Gears), by Kirsten Hamilton, at BooksForKidsBlog

Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper's Golden Shoes, by Keira Gillett, at Log Cabin Library


Authors and Interviews

Liesl Shurtliff (Red) at 100 Scope Notes

James Nicol (The Apprentice Witch) at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

Giveaways

Both Serafina books, by Robert Beatty, at Nerdophiles, and Serafina and the Twisted Staff at Nerdophiles

3/14/10

This week's round up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction

Here's what I found this week of interest to us connoisseurs of middle grade fantasy and science fiction.

The big (although old-ish) news first:

Lee and Low books has acquired Tu Publishing! Tu started as an independent imprint dedicated to multi-cultural middle grade and YA sff; in its new home, its mission will be unchanged. Why this acquisition is a good thing--the number of books Tu can publish in its first year will be larger, and the books will more easily find their way to book stores. This happened in large part because so many ordinary people contributed to Tu's initial campaign for donations to help kickstart it; this so successfully demonstrated that there was great interest in diverse sff that Lee and Low became interested.

More on diversity--at Asimov's Science Fiction, Norman Spinrad discusses "an almost textbook example in extremis of how the failure of an Anglophone writer from the outside to really embed himself in the street-level popular culture of the Third World society in which he is setting the story can place the reader at the same less-than-deeply involved remove." Rose Fox offers a response at Publisher's Weekly (thanks to Lee and Low's The Open Book blog for the links).

And not mg, but interesting--at the Tor blog, Heather Tomlinson has compiled a list of YA fantasy that offers geographical/cultural diversity.

Now, the reviews:

11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass, at Becky's Book Reviews.

The Birthday Ball, by Lois Lowry, at Book Aunt.

Finally, by Wendy Mass, at Bookshipper

Mari Ness continues to look at Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books with The Hungry Tiger of Oz over at the Tor blog.

Ingo, by Helen Dunmore, at Vulpes Libris.

The Incorigible Children of Ashton Place
, by Maryrose Wood, at Read Now, Sleep Later.

Knightly Academy, by Violet Haberdasher, at Book Aunt.

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Shlitz, at Oops...Wrong Cookie.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms, by Marianne Malone, at Read Now, Sleep Later.


At the Russell Elementary Library blog, there's a look at the Fablehaven series, in which Jana says (italics in the original) "this is one of the only series I know of that has a female as the lead character, but that boys read just as much or more than girls." Agree? Disagree?

Don't miss New Fashioned Fantasy: What does look like? over at The Enchanted Inkpot.

Finally, there's a super swell contest (for librarians only) over at the Spectacle, to win this awesome list of books:

1. INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher (hardback)
2. SACRED SCARS by Kathleen Duey (hardback)
3. THE BOOK OF NONSENSE by David Michael Slater (hardback)
4. THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE by David Michael Slater (hardback)
5. THE SECRETS OF THE CHEESE SYNDICATE by Donna St. Cyr (paperback)
6. HOUSE OF THE SCORPION by Nancy Farmer (paperback)
7. THE EMERALD TABLET By PJ Hoover (hardback)
8. NAVEL OF THE WORLD by PJ Hoover (hardback)
9. THE SEER #1: DON”T DIE DRAGONFLY by Linda Joy Singleton (revised large issue with short story bonus)
10. THE FARWALKER’S QUEST by Joni Sensel (hardback)
11. THE TIMEKEEPER’S MOON by Joni Sensel (hardback)

Please let me know if I missed your post! I do my best to find things, but every week I find things I missed the week before...which is sad for me. You can email me anytime during the week at charlotteslibrary at gmail dot com, or leave a link in the roundup comments.

7/22/12

This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (7/23/2012)

Here's another week of what I found in my blogging of interest to fans of middle grade sci fi and fantasy! Please let me know if I missed your link. (After last year's dominance by the letter "B", I'm surprised that there are no B titles at all this week. "T" is making a big push this week...but I don't think it has staying power. Do try to review mg sff books beginning with B, E, I, J, N, Q, X, Y, and Z this coming week. It would make me happy to have a full alphabet of reviews).

The Reviews:

Above World, by Jenn Reese, at Teach Mentor Texts

Artemis Fowl and the Last Guardian, by Eoin Colfer, at Fantastic Reads

Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Bunbury in the Stacks

Claws, by Mike and Rachel Grinit, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Clockwork Girl, by Sean O’Reilly and Kevin Hanna, at Good Comics for Kids

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse, at Sharon the Librarian

The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, at Bibliophile Support Group

The Doll People, by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin, at Julie DeGuia

The Drowned Vault (Ashtown Burials book 2) by N.D. Wilson, at Karissa's Reading Review

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Reads for Keeps and One Librarian's Book Reviews

Gods and Warriors, by Michelle Paver, at Becky's Book Reviews

Ghosts of the Titanic, by Julie Lawson, at Charlotte's Library

GRYMM, by Keith Austin, at The Book Zone

Heirs of Prophecy, by Michael Rothman, at The O.W.L.

The Kindling, by Braden Bell, at Emily's Reading Room

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at how I see it

The Magic Meadow, by Alexander Key, at Library Chicken

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

Ordinary Magic, by Kaitlen Rubino-Bradway, at Marie Loves Books

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at Intergalactic Academy

Radiance, by Alyson Noel, at The Book Cellar

The Second Spy (Books of Elsewhere 3) by Jacqueline West, at Book Nut

The Sixty-eight Rooms, by at time travel times two

A Tale of Time City, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, by Jeremy Holmes, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket, by John Boyne, at The Book Zone

Time Snatchers, by Richard Unger, at Book Nut

Twighlight Robbery (Fly Trap in the US), by Frances Hardinge, at The Book Smugglers

Verdigris Deep (Well Wished in the US), by Frances Hardinge, at Read in a Single Sitting

The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer, at Wandering Librarins

The Wolves of Willougby Chase, by Joan Aiken, at The Enchanted Inkpot (maybe not a fantasy book, exactly, but the series does end up going in that direction...)

Authors and Interviews:


Jordan Hamessley London (mg and chapter book sci fi, fantasy, and horror editor at Grosset and Dunlap) on "Working with the Design Team", with specific reference to Adam-Troy Castro’s Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, at Pub(lishing) Crawl.

Lindsey Leavitt (Princess for Hire and its sequels) at Cracking the Cover

Joanne Levy (Small Medium at Large) at The Enchanted Inkpot

Michael Rothman (Heirs of Prophecy) at The O.W.L. and A Book and a Latte

Lorin Barber (The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow) at A Thousand Wrongs

Other Good Stuff:


Just because I don't, you know, have enough to read, I've started at the beginning of the Discworld Series and plan to read straight through (I'd only read a couple (after that, I'll read Game of Thrones etc.). But enough about me. True fans of Discworld might want to go to the St. Barbe Museum & Art Gallery in Lymington, Hampshire, next month to see "Discworld and Beyond: a Retrospective Exhibition."

12/31/11

New releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens--the second half of December, 2011 edition

The poor new releases of middle grade and YA sci fi/fantasy from the second half of December slipped my mind until now... but since nothing was published from the 15th to the 20th (why? what did the publishers have against that week?) it makes slightly less difference than it might have done.... It's a pretty sparse list too. But January 1 has enough books to (almost) warrant a post of its own. My information comes as always from Teens Read Too, with blurbs from Amazon/the publishers.

(by way of explanation: I only find the mg blurbs; lots of blogs seem to cover the YA, and it just takes too much time to do both)

The Middle Grade Books:

ALIENS V. MAD SCIENTISTS UNDER THE OCEAN: MEGA MASH-UP by Nikalas Catlow & Tim Wesson "These books take great subjects for boys and combine them into short, bonkers, and funny stories that are incredibly easy to read. The illustrations are bold and crazy, and there's plenty of space left on each page -- together with suggestions for how to fill it -- so kids can add their own drawings. The books read as hilarious, zippy stories that look a lot like novels but are terrific doodle books as well.

The earth is in peril! Aliens are trying to stop it from spinning so that everyone will fall off and they can take over. Mwa-ha-ha-ha! But fear not! The Mad Scientists are building a genius underwater machine to save the day. If only the Aliens would stop zapping them with their Frazzelizers. . . . "

PIECE OF MIND: EMILY THE STRANGE by Jessica Gruner & Rob Reger "Emily’s Strange To-Do List: 1. Lose (and regain) mind 2. Reprogram golem 3. Locate secret book vault 4. Commune with Dead Dark Aunts 5. Rescue Cousin Jake 6. Redecorate souvenir kiosk 7. Thwart Thought Thief 8. Endure hero worship 9. Grant ancestral enemy’s deepest wish 10. Save cat-napped kitty 11. Summon black rock 12. Defeat Shady Uncles 13. Guard family legacy & claim inheritance!"

ROBOTS V. GORILLAS IN THE DESERT: MEGA MASH-UP by Nikalas Catlow & Tim Wesson "Deep in the desert, Gorillas trade oil for bananas grown by hi-tech Robots. But then they have a big falling-out and decide to have a race to settle their differences. Which side will get slimed by the garlic burp-breath sand slugs? Which will fall for the banana sundae mirages? And when will they realize that the race has no finish line?"

ROMANS V. DINOSAURS ON MARS: MEGA MASH-UP by Nikalas Catlow & Tim Wesson "The Romans and Dinosaurs live together in a huge glass dome called Romasauria. They race their rocket chariots and feast on moon-cow and chips until life on Mars is threatened by a giant asteroid spotted by Augustus Astronomus through his giant telescope. Will a wooden catapult and some Dinosaur poop save the day? The Romans and the Dinosaurs are going to have to work together or it's KAPOW for life on Mars."

SUMI'S BOOK: THE FAIRY GODMOTHER ACADEMY by Jan Bozarth "Sumi Hara loves fashion. She always looks beautiful, and always wears the perfect outfit. When she arrives in Aventurine, Sumi is thrilled to learn that she's a shape-shifter.

Unfortunately, she's not very good at shape-shifting yet, so she's given a guide named Kano—who's distractingly gorgeous in his human form. But right away they get off on the wrong foot; Sumi can't understand why this boy doesn't seem to like her. When they find out that an evil fairy queen holds the final mirror shard needed to complete their mission, Sumi will have to discover what true beauty and perfection are, or she could lose Kano and her chance to become a fairy godmother."

THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE: YOU'RE INVITED TO A CREEPOVER by P.J. Night "Jenna Walker has always been fascinated by the legend of the Marked Monster, the scarred half-bird, half-beast creature that is said to roam the forests around her hometown. Is the Marked Monster real or is it just the stuff of myth? Jenna decides to find out once and for all with a campout at her house where she and her friends can search for the legendary beast. But as Jenna starts to learn more about the Marked Monster, she realizes that this legend might be more than just myth, and more sinister than she ever could have imagined. Will Jenna meet the Marked Monster face to face and will she be marked for life?"

THE US CAPITOL COMMOTION: FLAT STANLEY'S WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES by Jeff Brown "Stanley’s been chosen to receive a medal of honor in the nation’s capital! But once in Washington, DC, Stanley gets swept away by a crowd and separated from his family. Now he’s on the run in a city filled with monuments—and with shadowy figures on his trail. What’s a flat boy to do now?"

A VALENTINE'S SURPRISE: CANDY FAIRIES by Helen Perelman "Raina wants to make a very special birthday treat for Berry. She's even asked Lyra, the unicorn who looks after the Fruit Chew Meadow, to grow a special flower for the surprise. But when Raina and Dash go to visit Lyra, they are in for a sour shock! All the flowers in the meadow arewilting and Lyra's sick! Her horn is dull and she can't stand up. Something--or someone--is hurting the gentle unicorn and the meadow, but who? And what about Berry's birthday?

All the Candy Fairies will have to work together if they are to solve this mystery, cure the meadow and Lyra, and make sure that Berry has the sweetest birthday ever!"

ZOMBIE TAG by Hannah Moskowitz "Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings.
Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant."

The YA Books:

BLEEDING HEARTS: THE DRAKE CHRONICLES by Alyxandra Harvey
BLOOD WOLF: A WERELING NOVEL by Steve Feasey
FLYAWAY by Helen Landalf
LEGACY by Molly Cochran

STILL WATERS by Emma Carlson Berne
TORN by Cat Clarke
VAMPIRE ACADEMY: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE by Michelle Rowen & Richelle Mead
BLOOD SUN: DANGER ZONE by David Gilman
EVERY OTHER DAY by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
LIVING VIOLET: THECAMBION CHRONICLES by Jaime Reed
MAGIC OF THE MOONLIGHT: A FULL MOON NOVEL by Ellen Schreiber
REPLICATION THEJASON EXPERIMENT by Jill Williamson




11/11/12

This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and sci fi (Nov. 11, 2012)

Welcome to this week's round up of what I found in my blog reading of interest to fans of middle grade sci fi/fantasy.  Please let me know if I missed your post!

First--please enter my giveaway of Philip Pullman's retellings of Grimms Fairy Tales--it's a lovely book! (giveaway ends next Wednesday night)

The Reviews:

13 Hangmen, by Art Art Corriveau, at Charlotte's Library

Above World, by Jenn Reese, at Semicolon

The Black Shard, by Victoria Simcox, at Geo Librarian

Caught, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Semicolon

Constable and Toop, by Gareth P. Jones, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books and My Favorite Books

Dark Lord: The Early Years, by Jamie Thomson,  at Good Books and Good Wine

Deadly Pink, by Vivian Vande Velde, at Book Nut

Demoneater, and Demoncity, by Royce Buckingham, at Awesome Indies

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities, by Mike Jung, at Books Beside My Bed

Ghost Knight, by Cornelia Funke, at Sonderbooks

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Fantasy Literature

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Charlotte's Library

Goblin Secrets, by William Alexander, at Bookshelves of Doom

Gustav Gloom and the People Taker, by Adam-Troy Castro at Book Nut

Here Where the Sunbeams are Green, by Helen Phillips, at books4yourkids and Jean Little Library

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms, by Lissa Evans, at Semicolon

In a Glass Grimmly, by Adam Gidwitz, at Reads For Keeps 

Island of Silence, by Lisa McMann, at Semicolon

Joshua Dread, by Lee Bacon, at Random Acts of Reading

Kingdom of the Wicked (Skulduggery Pleasant Book 7), by Derek Landy, at SFCrowsnest

Mira's Diary: Lost in Paris, by Marissa Moss, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Necromancer, by Michael Scott, at Book Sake

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, at Book Nut
and One Librarian's Book Reviews

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at bewitched bookworms

The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at Literary Rambles (scroll down) (giveaway)

Starry River of the Sky, by Grace Lin, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Nerdy Book Club

Secrets at Sea, by Richard Peck, at GreenBeanTeenQueen

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, by Nikki Loftin, at Semicolon

The Six Crowns, by Allan Jones and Gary Chalk, at Ms. Yingling Reads (scroll down)

Snow in Summer, by Jane Yolen, at Charlotte's Library

Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz, at Book Nut 

Summer and Bird, by  Catherine Catmull, at Wandering Librarians

Twice Upon a Time, by James Riley, at Semicolon

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, at Akossiwa Ketoglo
and vikki vansickle

Winterling, by Sarah Prineas, at Nayu's Reading Corner

Four animal fantasies at Charlotte's Library

And five mg fantasy "quick picks" over at Book Aunt


Authors and Interviews

 Helen Phillips (Here Where the Sunbeams are Green) at books4yourkids 

A conversation with Philip Pulman at Mother Jones (via Educating Alice)

Adam Gidwitz (Through a Glass Grimmly) at The Detroit News


Other Good Stuff

Philip Pullman reads The Three Snake Leaves, one of the Grimm stories he retells in his new book, at the BBC (don't forget to enter my giveaway!)

T is for Troll, with Katherine Langrish, at Scribble City Central

The Graveyard Book is becoming a graphic novel

Who knew that Tenniel made an Alice chessboard? If you act quickly, you can buy a reproduction....

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