Jimmy's Stars, by Mary Ann Rodman

The second book I've completed for today's Read-a-Thon is Jimmy's Stars, by Mary Ann Rodman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008, middle grade, 257 pages).

About an hour ago I needed a break from the very dense fantasy I was reading, and picked up a book that I happened to have out from the library about which I had heard good things. Now I am still sniffing a little as I type this, because this story of a girl on the homefront in WW II made my cry like a baby...

Ellie's big brother Jimmy was the light of her life. He was the one who made her feel special, who brought joy to everything they did together. So when Jimmy went off to war, Ellie clung to his promise that he'd be back. Long months of missing him past, with Ellie navigating the ins and outs of middle school, trying to get used to the aunt who moved into his room, and coping with the extra work around the house that she has to shoulder with her mother doing war work...but all the while she clings to the promise that he'd made, that he'd be back. And Ellie, just as she had promised, keeps the Christmas tree up, waiting for him.

And then, on page 201, comes the part where I start crying...

I wasn't quite sure if I was going to like this book for the first few chapters--Ellie's life was so ordinary, and she herself was neither particularly likable or dislikable. Just an average girl with an average family. But as the war came closer and closer to home, and Ellie began to realize all its implications, and I was hooked. I think Rodman does a great job with this important part of the book--not didactic, or overtly anti-war, but making clear that heroism isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Jimmy is, by any definition, a hero, but Rodman makes it clear that more importantly than that, he is also a good person. The most moving part of the book was when Ellie's family discovered all the many small ways in which he had done good things for others.

A fine book indeed, although I worry that the young reader might be off-put by the slow start, and I am afraid that boys, who might well benefit from the book, will not even give it any sort of chance. Especially not with the cover on the hardback, shown above. The British paperback cover, at right, is much more appealing.

That being said, my own 9 year old liked the naughty rhyme about Hitler and Mussolini very much (which I probably should not have been sharing with him, but I guess it's Educational to know who Mussolini is, as well as the more obvious Hitler...). But he didn't like it enough to want to read the book....sigh.

Here's the review at Biblio File that made me want to read the book.

Readathon Mini Challenge 3-- a book title sentence

The current readathon mini-challenge, hosted by Bart's Bookshelf,is to make a sentence with book titles:









Tiger Moon, wake nothing but ghosts!

Hannah's Garden, by Midori Snyder

I've just finished my first book for the 24 Hour Readathon--Hannah's Garden, by Midori Snyder (2002, Penguin, YA, 247 pp).

Cassie and her young mother, Ann, have lived a nomadic life, hopping from city to city. Now that Cassie is in high school, and Ann has enrolled in college, things have settled, and Cassie is free to concentrate on her violin playing, and her growing relationship with Joe, a very cute boy and mandolin player, who's introduced her to the world of folk music.

But when word comes that her grandfather, a famous landscape painter, is seriously ill, Cassie, Ann, and Ann's new boyfriend head up to the isolated farm where he lives--a place Ann never wanted to see again, after her quarrel with her father a few years before, when she enrolled at college. For Cassie, the farm is a bittersweet place, holding memories of the grandfather she loved, before he changed, and no longer seemed to recognize her at all....

When they arrive, they are appalled by the devastation that has befallen the farm. The house is horribly vandalized, the garden overgrown...Gradually Cassie begins to learn that the farm, and her grandfather, are part of a world beyond everyday reality, a world in which two clans of faerie folk are at war. On one side are the Green clan--the winter hare, the guardian badger, strange creatures part animal, part plant. Against them are the Red Clan, who want to claim power for themselves, unleashing death and havoc on the human realm.

And Cassie is their first target.

Snyder chose to introduce the supernatural elements of the story gradually, giving both Cassie and the accompanying reader time to become drawn in slowly and magically. It's not as darkly paranormal as many books featuring fairy/human interactions, although there are dark elements that are reminiscent of that genre (including a scary would-be demon lover), and because of this it's more suitable for younger YA readers than, say, Melissa Marr or Holly Black. But this is not to say that it's not an exciting story-- the tension builds nicely to a final confrontation (in which Cassie's music plays a key role).

What I liked best, thought, were the beautifully thick descriptions of both people (magical and otherwise) and place (the titular garden, for instance, that Cassie's great-grandmother Hannah had made).

There's also a thick description of a folk music session that Cassie attends, which I found extremely interesting, in as much as I married an Irish piper and was introduced through him to the whole session sub-culture (I started playing the fiddle myself, when we were young, but don't much anymore--my playing made my babies cry. Sigh). I read this part out loud to my husband, and boy, do he and Midori Snyder have different ideas about what constitutes a nice session.

Readathon Mini Challenge--my kick off strategy

From Miss Remmers' Reviews come Mini Challenge 2: What have you surrounded yourself with for these early hours of the challenge besides your books? Is there a coffee thermos, lucky book mark, snacks, pillow.... We want to know how you have prepared so you do not have to leave your cozy reading space (by the way - we'd like to know what is too.... (are you still in bed, a chair, the couch.....)

Um. Knowing that I would be home with the kids without spousal support, I haven't surrounded myself with much of anything...besides the books.

As to cozy reading spaces--my house is furnished so as that we have multiple places to read, depending on where the sun/warmth is. This morning before the challenge I prepared by lighting a fire (we are back to more Aprilish temperatures here), so that Space 1 -- the part of Sofa A nearest fire, would be ready. When I go downstairs, I shall go to Space 2 -- Sofa B under sunny windows, in a different room (the one shown in my pile of books post below), leaving the kids the prime real estate of the floor in front of fire. Later in the day, I shall move to the blue chair, where the afternoon sun comes in sort of slant wise (on sofa 2, there's too much glare on the pages by afternoon)........

Did anyone else furnish their doll's house with an eye to providing comfy places to read for its residents?

24 Hour Readathon--getting started

The 24 Hour Readathon has begun! The fun lies not in the reading, but in the community of it all, and a large part of that community is the mini-challenges.

Here's Challenge 1:

3 facts about me--

1. My children have lots more books than I did when I was their age. I think I have overwhelmed them.
2. I read my first sentences of Dorothy Sayers when I was five years old, sitting on my mother's lap--it was Gaudy Night, and the cover scared me. I don't know if my lap is smaller than my mother's, or if my boys are bigger and bonier and squirmier, but they have never sat on my lap while I peacefully read my own book.
3. I once was so short on books to read that I had to read the Aeneid in Latin for pleasure. I had taken it to Kenya with me the summer between my junior and senior years of college, when I realized I had to fall back on Latin to fulfil the language requirement. So there I was in the desert near Lake Turkana, having read my four fiction book as many times as I could stand (Startide Rising, by David Brin, was one of them, and I might have read that one four times that summer), and had to fall back on Vergil...

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I have 12, but goodness knows there are more lurking in the corners.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

I'd like to be able to put away/return to the library at least 10 books today.

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

My only bit of advice is to put your book down where you are reading, and not carry it off into the house/garden with you. I have already misplaced my first book (on a kitchen chair, blocked from view by the counter. Four minutes of reading lost).

Three 2009 Cybils middle-grade fantasy nominees

Realizing that, if all goes well, I am going to be adding 12 books to my "to be reviewed pile" tomorrow during the 24 Hour Reading Challenge, I am facing the fact that I have more books already waiting to be reviewed than I have hours in the day. So this evening I am playing catch-up, offering short reviews of three of the books that I received from the publishers/the author during my stint as a Cybils panelist in the middle grade science fiction and fantasy category last fall, that have been waiting ever since...

Fairest of All, A Tale of the Wicked Queen, by Serena Valentino (Disney Press, 2009, 250 pages). Valentino pulls off quite an accomplishment with this book--she tells the story of Snow White from the "evil" stepmother's point of view, making the Queen a sympathetic character. For the Queen was not always evil--once she was the young bride of the king, finding in her love for him and his little girl happiness that had escaped her growing up under the shadow of a truly evil father. But her father, even though ostensibly dead, still casts a shadow over her life, lingering in the sinister magic mirror that haunts her...Its twisted messages to her, combined with the malevolent doings of three old women, distant cousins of the king, gradually drive the queen to cruelty toward her beloved step-daughter.

The cover does the book something of an injustice--although plenty dark toward the end, much of the book is not so black as the cover would suggest, and the Queen is, as I said, a sympathetic character. I would have chosen a cover showing her in a beautiful dress, in a brightly lit room, with the mirror front and center. Recommended highly to fans of fairy tale retellings.

The Magician of Oz, by James C. Wallace II (Scientia et Vox Press, 2009, 240 pages). As the title indicates, this is an Oz story, one that takes the great grandson of the Wizard of Oz to that magical land, where he has an Oz-ian adventure of his own. Looking through the contents of an old trunk up in the attic, young Jamie discovers the magical paraphernalia of his great-grandfather, and embarks on the study of conjuring (I enjoyed this part of the book, in which he is mastering his new skills, quite a bit). But there is more than just sleight-of-hand awaiting Jamie when he finds himself in the marvellous land of Oz, meeting many of the old Oz-ian friends familiar to readers of the Oz canon. There is danger waiting for him too--ancient trees seek vengeance on the Tin Woodsman who chopped many of their number down years past, and now they want revenge. Conjuring won't be enough to stop them--with Ozma's help, Jamie must tap into the true magic of Oz.

Wallace certainly captures the "oddness" of Oz--the extravagant and bizarre magical nature of both the place and all its inhabitants is here in full force. As with many other Oz books, logic is not front and center, and although Jamie is firmly established as a real character through the reader's time with him in the real world, the cast of supporting Oz-ians remains dreamlike, even though the point of view jumps between them at times. The plot of the evil trees likewise never felt real to me (and anyway, I felt they had a justifiable grievance). Why, I wondered, couldn't Ozma have taken care of the problem herself?

It's been a while since I read any Oz books, so I don't know how Wallace's prose style compares--I found it a tad overblown at times, in its use of formal structures and latinate words, and occasionally his language is plain confusing:

"The Leader of the Sycamores looked down at the Flowering Plum tree, pleased at his promptness and recalled his command to the band of bushes which had scattered them to the four winds in search of comrades for his plan of revenge" (page 149).

Although I appreciate Wallace's clear admiration for Oz, I'm not at all sure how this contribution to Oziania will fly with ardent fans, or if it will attract any new ones.

Skeleton Creek--Ryan's Journal, by Patrick Carman (Scholastic Press, 2009, 185 pages and several on-line video clips). This one scared me! Two teenagers, Ryan and his friend Sarah, stumble across a dark and scary mystery off in the woods, where the great rusting hulk of an ore-crushing monstrosity lurks...along with its resident ghost. Sarah is determined to get the bottom of the mystery, and Ryan, more reluctantly, finds himself drawn in too. Ryan's journal entries are interspersed with (scary) clips filmed by Sarah...

Ostensibly middle grade, I think this is a book more comfortable in the YA section. Unless I am just a wimp....At any event, it's as gripping as all get out (I thought I might find it jerky to move back and forth between text and video, but I managed just fine), and it should appeal greatly to mystery fans.

And that's it for now....

The 24 Hour Readathon meets the Once Upon a Time Challenge for me tomorrow

This weekend I'll be taking part in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon--I'll won't be able to read exclusively, since the children are not yet able to wait on me hand and foot, and their father will be off teaching, but I will do my darndest...

Shown above is the assortment of books I selected from the three main To-Be-Read holding areas of my house. And since it is all fantasy, I decided to sign up for the Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. I think that I might end up meeting the requirements for Quest the Second, in which one reads at least one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology (I'm not sure if anything in my pile above counts as folklore, though--I guess I'll find out!)

Here's the list of books (which I did not actually pick on the basis of their color coordination with each other and the sofa):

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman

Neive, by Terry Griggs

Dragonfly, by Julia Golding

The Dark Horse, by Marcus Sedgewick

The Pig Who Saved the World, by Paul Shipton

Hannah's Garden, by Midori Snyder

Elfland, by Freida Warrington

Wild Magic, by Cat Weatherill

Princess of Glass, by Jessica Day George

Prophecy of Days, by Christy Raedeke

Swan's Wing, by Ursula Synge

And that should keep me plenty busy. Fortunately, it is going to rain tomorrow, so I won't be tempted by the great outdoors....

Textile fantasies cont.- The Spellcoats, by Diana Wynne Jones

Just to recap, ever since reading Brightly Woven, by Alexandra Bracken, I've been thinking about fantasies in which textiles play a key role, or are a key aspect of the central character's persona, mainly because I love books in which a hands-on craft (music, metal work, glass-blowing etc) is deeply integrated into the story. So far, as well as Brightly Woven, I've looked at Tom Ass, by Ann Lawrence, and, a while back, I reviewed Silksinger, by Laini Taylor, which has lots of textile-y goodness.

Today's Textile Fantasy, Spellcoats, by Diana Wynne Jones (1979, suitable for older middle grade on up) has got to be the queen of them all. After all, it is the only book I know of that is actually told in weaving! The central character, a girl named Tanaqui, is using a system of woven symbols for words, to "write" in fabric the story she is a part of...resulting in the spellcoats that give the book its title. As the cloth grows on her loom, it becomes imbued with the magic of the great River that flows through story, a river whose power is being attacked by an evil mage. Tanaqui must weave the story of her family's journey down the river--a journey that brought them face to face with living gods, Heathen invaders, and the mage himself-- and use the spellcoats to free the River from his bounds.

Spellcoats was the first book by DWJ that I ever read. I don't know how many times I've reread it in the twenty five years since, but I know that each time I fall in love with it all over again. On my most recent re-reading yesterday, I was struck anew by how much I love the family dynamics of this book--five siblings stuck in a boat in pretty horrendous circumstances, by turns snapping at each other and growing up, as each realizes the part they will play in the coming confrontation and its aftermath. It's pretty superb characterization, and the dialogue often makes me chuckle. As Hern, the middle brother, says at one point (in sarcasm weaving font, if there is such a thing), "Fun and games all the way to the sea" (page 51).

And there is a wonderful Magic at the heart of the story- the "gods" are very real, and not like anything I've ever encountered elsewhere...and postscript is a must read, that, in just a few paragraphs, adds a huge temporal dimension to it all.

But here's the coolest thing about the book-- Tanaqui manages to be a kick-ass heroine without actually kicking anybody--she has to use her brains and her skill at weaving to save the day. How great is that!

This is the third volume that DWJ wrote in the Dalemark Quartet:

1. The Spellcoats (1979)
2. Drowned Ammet (1977)
3. Cart and Cwidder (1975)
4. Crown of Dalemark (1993)

I didn't realize the other three existed until they were reissued in the late eighties. Spellcoats is a perfectly fine stand-alone, taking place centuries before the other books (and if you are sick of series fiction, you can pretend the other books don't exist). But Spellcoats should most definitely be read before Crown of Dalemark!

Age wise: Spellcoats is, I think, just fine for upper middle-grade on up --there is some military violence, a bit of scary-ness, and some drowned victims of flooding that might distress a younger child.

Here's another look at Spellcoats at Fitful Murmurs.

(The cover I've shown is the most recent (I think). The others are dreadful, so I won't show them).

Sea of the Dead, by Julia Durango

When compiling my list of new releases back in the middle of July 2009, I noticed a book called Sea of the Dead, by Julia Durango (Simon and Schuster, 2009, middle grade, 132 pages), and thought it looked interesting. But it didn't get much blog buzz, and it didn't get nominated for the Cybils, and so it languished in my mind. Then it won the Golden Kite Award, given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and that bumped it into front and center.

And boy, is it a good book!

Set in an alternate Mesoamerica, it tells of a boy named Kehl, the son of one of the Warrior Princes of a great empire. It's an Aztecian-type empire, whose power is built on slavery and blood, and Kehl has been rigorously trained for years to take his place in its hierarchy. Then he is kidnapped by the people of the sea, the enemies of his people, known to him as "the Fallen." Aboard a ship crewed by former slaves and victims of his empire's raids, Kehl is forced to question what he has always taken for granted about his world.

The captain sets him to work drawing a map of the familiar empire and the uncharted lands and islands beyond it. As the map grows, so does Kehl's understanding of what his empire really is, and what waits at its boarders. For the first time, he feels valued for his skills, for the first time, he makes a real friend, and, again for the first time, he feels like a person with choices. And the ultimate choice lies before him...

Although short, it is sweet and to the point. It's not tremendously subtle (but this, I think, adds middle grade accessibility), but on the other hand it has great immediacy of setting and plot. By turns exciting and contemplative, Kehl's story entranced me, and I highly recommend it to all and sundry.

I put a fantasy tag on this post, because it's alternate history, but there's no magic, and although two goddesses are mentioned, they never show up...So if you are looking for a book for a ten or eleven year old boy or girl who doesn't like books dripping with the fantastic, but who does like piracy (although the Fallen aren't exactly pirates) and ocean adventure, with kidnappings and a bit of blood (although not that much), and a lot of physical detail, think of this one!

I put in girl, because I think girls would enjoy it too, even though there are no female characters...except one who is dead and one who is off in the distance. On the other hand, it's lovely to have an excellent book on hand about a fantastical Mesoamerica, peopled by characters of color.

Here's another review, at Tempting Persephone, and another at Zion School Library.

The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story, by Sid Fleischman, for Timeslip Tuesday

The 13th Floor: A Ghost Story, by Sid Fleischman (Greenwillow, 1995, middle grade, 131 pages)

Sid Fleischman recently passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy of stories. Today's Timeslip Tuesday is one of these.

Contrary to what the title indicates, there are no ghosts in this story. Instead, it is a time travel tale, and quite a fun one too. Young Buddy Stebbins and his older sister Liz, a lawyer, are newly orphaned and facing a mountain of debt; soon they must sell their family home. If they had the treasure of their pirate ancestor, things would be different, but it was lost way back at the end of the 17th century.

Then a message comes from the past, and is picked up by their answering machine (!). A girl's voice urges her family to make haste to the thirteenth floor of an old building downtown, to save her from a great calamity...Liz dismisses the message as a joke, but when she doesn't come home the next day, Buddy heads off downtown himself, to see if she got off at the non-existent thirteenth floor.

And he finds himself on board his ancestor's pirate ship in 1692, heading for Boston just in time for the hysteria of the witch trials to begin! Reunited with Liz on shore, the two of them must save their ancestor, ten year old Abigail, from being hung as a witch...and perhaps, while they're back in time, find out where the treasure is hidden.

It's a fun, fast read. Fleischman keeps the ball rolling with brisk pacing. No setting ever lasts for long--from ship to long boat to Boston Harbor to witch trial, Buddy's time in the past zooms by. And this is fine--it is an adventure, after all. There is not much overt characterization, yet Buddy is still a perfectly believable kid (except, perhaps, for his rather blasé attitude toward his adventures. I would have been a wreck).

This would be a great book to give the kid who loved The Magic Treehouse books, or the A-Z Mystery series when they were younger, or who enjoys Scieszka's Time Warp Trio. It has the same relaxed improbability that makes for a pleasantly diverting read. (But I wouldn't recommend it to myself--it never once stirred any emotion in me. For that matter, neither do the Magic Treehouse books).

Timeslip-wise: There is no attempt to actually explain why the thirteenth floor leads to the past. The thirteenth floor as liminal space that doesn't exist in the real world is a fascinating concept, but awkwardly unrelated to a. pirates b. witch trials c. anything else in the book. So it calls for more suspension of disbelief than the majority of time travel books.

Experience of the past-wise: some comments on differences in material culture, and some minimal instruction about the witch trials, but mainly the past is there to provide Adventure. However, it makes the witch trials sound really interesting, and so would segue nicely into some non-fiction reading. Buddy and his sister fit remarkable easily into the 17th century world, with no troublesome details of costume, custom, or accent to bother them, unless the author chooses to bring some such detail forward for effect (this really bugged one kid reader who gave it a one star review on Amazon).

As I said, suspension of disbelief is called for...and if that can be achieved, all is well.

Pod, by Stephen Wallenfels

Pod, by Stephen Wallenfels (Namelos, 2009, YA because of violence, 212 pages), is a page-turner of a book that combines a Life as We Knew It style scenario with an alien invasion. When the aliens arrive, filling the sky with black pods, instantaneous death from above strikes any person who ventures outside. And yet, the aliens don't seem to be attacking directly--just picking off humans one by one...

"A white Honda is closest to me. Jamie is crouched down low, using her position to shield her from the sphere. It's a forty-yard dash to our front step.
A flash of light and two cars are gone.
"Jaime, now!'
She looks at me. There's a cut on her forehead, blood smeared on her cheek.
Another flash. The RV disappears.
*****
Jamie is at the end of our driveway. Her eyes lock on mine.
She disappears, in a flash of blue-white light." (page 15)

And that's how 16-year old Josh is introduced to the pods. For Josh, trapped with his dad in their home in Washington with all lines of communication to the outside world cut, every day is a slow water torture of isolation in which the normal annoyance of a teenager toward his father is magnified by their circumstances. Their food and water is running out, he has no idea what has happened to his mother, horrible things are happening in the apartment building across the street...and he can do nothing.

Far to the south, 12-year old Megs is on the run inside a hotel parking lot. Her mother left her there earlier in the day, and now everyone else who had survived the first morning's horror has been corralled by the hotel owner into his dictatorship of greed and brutality. Only Megs, and her kitten friend, are still loose...but even with a gun (that she doesn't know how to use), Megs doesn't know how long she can survive on what she gleans from the parked cars.

The tension builds as the situation for each protagonist becomes progressively more grim. With the pods still watching, and killing anyone on the outside, those trapped inside have nothing to do but struggle to survive...

It is gripping stuff. Josh's story is more character driven--the relationship between the boy and his father is at the heart of his story. Megs' plot tells more of her brutal struggle to survive. But still, for Josh, there is horror, and for Megs, a backstory that is gradually revealed and that makes her a memorable character in her own right.

In short, a most excellent apocalypse, with lots of questions left unanswered for the sequel (or sequels).

Here's another review by Sheila at Wands and Worlds.

(disclosure: review copy provided by the publisher)

Little Black Ant on Park Street, by Janet Halfmann, for Nonfiction Monday

About a month ago we had an ant disaster in our house. Some of our firewood had gotten wet, and was drying on the stove. I pulled the bark off one big piece to dry it faster--and there was an explosion of big black ants, desperate to escape being steamed alive, all over the living room. It was distressing for all of us, but my six year old decided then and there that he loathed and feared ants....

Then a few days ago, unasked for and unexpected, I got a book about ants in the mail--Little Black Ant on Park Street, by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Kathleen Rietz (Smithsonian's Backyard, 2009). Janet Halfmann is just about my favorite non-fiction animal writer, so I was confident that this would be a good book. But would my son cooperate, or would he run screaming from the room?

Cautiously I sat on the sofa next to him, book in hand. "I don't want to listen," he said, but I ignored him, and began reading anyway. Soon he was absorbed, and then my nine year old drifted over and sat on my other side...and the world of a little black ant pulled them in.

It is a straightforward account of life for an ant--lots of busy-ness, some danger, the importance of the community, feeding the queen, etc. What makes Halfmann's ant prose stand out for me is not the scientific detail (although that is just fine). It is her ability to make the ant something to care about, without in anyway anthropomorphising it. The ant never shows human emotion--sure, she gets hungry, she huddles with her nest mates, the ant hill becomes excited when it's time for the queen to mate, but she's never afraid, or anxious, or happy.

Of course, these are little black ants, not the vast steampunkian behemoths who threatened our home last month. But still, I feel that excellent writing and good science have significantly dulled the edge of my boy's dislike!

Other Janet Halfmann books I've reviewed: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, Seven Miles to Freedom: the Robert Smalls Story, Little Skink's Tail, Alligator at Saw Grass Road and Polar Bear Horizon, and Hermit Crab's Home: Safe in a Shell.

(disclaimer: my copy of Little Black Ant on Park Street was received from the publisher for review)

The Nonfiction Monday roundup is at Lerner Books Blog!

The Hugo Award Nominees!

The nominees for this year's Hugo Awards have been announced:

Best Novel
(699 Ballots)

• Boneshaker, Cherie Priest (Tor)
• The City & The City, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan UK)
• Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America, Robert Charles Wilson (Tor)
• Palimpsest, Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra)
• Wake, Robert J. Sawyer (Ace; Penguin; Gollancz; Analog)
• The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (Night Shade)

Best Novella
(375 Ballots)

• “Act One”, Nancy Kress (Asimov’s 3/09)
• The God Engines, John Scalzi (Subterranean)
• “Palimpsest”, Charles Stross (Wireless)
• Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon)
• “Vishnu at the Cat Circus”, Ian McDonald (Cyberabad Days)
• The Women of Nell Gwynne’s, Kage Baker (Subterranean)

Best Novelette
(402 Ballots)

• “Eros, Philia, Agape”, Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 3/09)
• The Island”, Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2)
• “It Takes Two”, Nicola Griffith (Eclipse Three)
• “One of Our Bastards is Missing”, Paul Cornell (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume Three)
• “Overtime”, Charles Stross (Tor.com 12/09)
• “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast”, Eugie Foster (Interzone 2/09)

Best Short Story
(432 Ballots)

• “The Bride of Frankenstein”, Mike Resnick (Asimov’s 12/09)
• “Bridesicle”, Will McIntosh (Asimov’s 1/09)
• “The Moment”, Lawrence M. Schoen (Footprints)
• “Non-Zero Probabilities”, N.K. Jemisin (Clarkesworld 9/09)
• “Spar”, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld 10/09)

Best Related Book
(259 Ballots)

• Canary Fever: Reviews, John Clute (Beccon)
• Hope-In-The-Mist: The Extraordinary Career and Mysterious Life of Hope Mirrlees, Michael Swanwick (Temporary Culture)
• The Inter-Galactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children’s and Teens’ Science Fiction, Farah Mendlesohn (McFarland)
• On Joanna Russ, Farah Mendlesohn (ed.) (Wesleyan)
• The Secret Feminist Cabal: A Cultural History of SF Feminisms, Helen Merrick (Aqueduct)
• This is Me, Jack Vance! (Or, More Properly, This is “I”), Jack Vance (Subterranean)

Best Graphic Story
(221 Ballots)

• Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Written by Neil Gaiman; Pencilled by Andy Kubert; Inked by Scott Williams (DC Comics)
• Captain Britain And MI13. Volume 3: Vampire State Written by Paul Cornell; Pencilled by Leonard Kirk with Mike Collins, Adrian Alphona and Ardian Syaf (Marvel Comics)
• Fables Vol 12: The Dark Ages Written by Bill Willingham; Pencilled by Mark Buckingham; Art by Peter Gross & Andrew Pepoy, Michael Allred, David Hahn; Colour by Lee Loughridge & Laura Allred; Letters by Todd Klein (Vertigo Comics)
• Girl Genius, Volume 9: Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm Written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; Art by Phil Foglio; Colours by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)
• Schlock Mercenary: The Longshoreman of the Apocalypse Written and Illustrated by Howard Tayler

And that's it for the book part...there are other categories, whose lists you can find at the Hugo site.

I have read exactly nothing from the list...from that perspective of utter ignorance, the only clear YA/kids related book is The Inter-Galactic Playground, but I vaguely feel (not having read the book) that Boneshaker has lots of YA crossover appeal. And I know nothing about any of the graphic novels (except for having heard of Batman, who I assume also has crossover appeal!).

Fantasy and Science Fiction for Kids --this weeks round-up of news and reviews from around the blogs

The Middle Grade Fantasy News of the Day is that One of Our Own, The Lost Conspiracy, by Frances Hardinge, has made it to the final round of School Library Journal's Battle of the Books! Read the comments of the judge, Megan Whalen Turner, here. And two mg fantasies have appeared in Betsy Bird's countdown of the top 100 children novels--The Giver is #7, and The Phantom Tollbooth is #10...what will slots 6-1 bring????

Reviews:

13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison (2010 in the US) at Tattooed Books, and at Galley Smith.

Drizzle, by K.D. Van Cleve (2010) at Book Kids and at Eva's Book Addiction.
House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Persephone Reads

Eva, by Peter Dickinson, at Parenthetical.net, part of an ongoing series in "Old School Apocalypse April," or, as I guess you could call it, Apocalypse Then.

Kid Vs. Squid, by Greg Van Eekhout (May 11, 2010), at Bib-Laura-Graphy

Lord Sunday, by Garth Nix (2010) at Mightier than the Sword.

The Lost Conspiracy, by Francis Hardinge, at Becky's Book Reviews and at IMCPL Kids

Morpheus Road: The Light, by D.J. MacHale (mid April, 2010), at Guys Lit Wire (sounds like it's right at the upper end of mg on up)

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary: Fablehaven Book 4 (2009), by Brandon Mull, at Beyond Books and at IMCPL Kids.

The Shifter, by Janice Hardy (2009), at Bookshelf: What We're Reading

Skulduggery Pleaseant: Dark Days, by Derek Landry, at The Book Zone (for Boys) (This is out already in the UK; looking to see when it would be out here in the US, I found that there's an extensive wikipedia article about the series,which apparently will end up nine books long...I gave up on finding the US release date, but what with the wonder that is the Book Depository (no shipping costs!) it's not as relevant as it might once have been)

The Timekeeper's Moon, by Joni Sensel (2010), at Book Nut.

Tom Ass, by Ann Lawrence (1972), at Charlotte's Library.

Ms. Yingling takes quick looks at Z-Rex, by Stephen Cole (2009), and All the Lovely Bad Ones, by Mary Downing Hahn (2008).

Here are two interviews with Rhonda Hayter, author of The Witchy Worries of Abby Adams, at Manic Magna Cafe and AnimeSuger. The editor's perspective on The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams, by Rhonda Hayter at the Class of 2k10

And finally, Doret's series of seasonally appropriate posts-- 9 Authors, 12 Baseball Questions-- includes at least one middle grade fantasy.

Please let me know if I missed your post!

Tom Ass, by Ann Lawrence, "textile fantasies" continued

In talking yesterday about Brightly Woven, I realized how much I like "textile fantasies." Those would be books in which the textile arts (weaving, spinning, sewing, etc) are front and center; where along with the story qua story, the reader also gets to be part of the making process. And so in the next few days I'll be featuring some of my favorites (with more recommendations to be found in the comments on Brightly Woven).

Tom Ass, or The Second Gift, by Ann Lawrence (1972, Macmillan, middle grade, 141 pages), illustraed by Ionicus, is one of my all time favorite childhood books. Because it makes me feel awkward to recommend an old book that is out of print, I want to offer the reassurance that copies can be found on Amazon UK for a pound...and even with the shipping, I promise that it is worth it (if you like the books that I like).

Tom is the third brother of a family of farmers, but unlike his brothers, he can't be bothered to work hard in the fields. Tom is Clever, and he knows that someday he'll go off to London and find his fortune...but an encounter with a fairy lady changes everything.

"Thomas," she said coldly, "I had a mind to work some gift for your father's youngest son, seeing that I have known good faith and square dealing from him and his family these dozen generations. Now I'm not the one to change my mind, so you shall have your gift, but neither am I one to encourage wasters. My word is this: whatever work you being at sunrise, shall be sufficient to the day --and the sooner you take your road the better." (page 10)

A few mornings later, Tom begins to gather the stones from his mother's garden...and is there all day. But it's not until he spends an entire day mopping up the water he spilt just before dawn that he realizes that the fairy's gift is, perhaps, not as kindly as it might have been. So he sets off for London, and when he meets the fairy again on the road, he loses no time in telling her just what he thinks about his gift.

"You are a Great Fool, Thomas," she cried, "and nothing I can give you will change that, but I'll wish you one thing more: since you will plainly never make anything of yourself, you shall be whatever your future wife chooses to make of you." (page 21)

(Before I go on, can anyone see why Tom is a fool?)

It happens that the next person he meets is a girl named Jennifer, and when she hears the story of Gift #1, she's quick to see all the implications that he's missed. And when she calls him a donkey....that's what he suddenly becomes! Jennifer knows that somehow she's turned Tom into an ass (but not why or how), and Tom knows that Jennifer is his future wife....yoikes on both counts! But what's done is done, so the two travel off together to make their fortune, until such time as Tom is himself again.

And after some wanderings, the two of them go into the textile business, with Jennifer finding work with an old weaver in one of my favorite fictional English cathedral towns. After a happy sojourn there (in which Tom does the marketing and spends happy hours with old Father Cuthbert at the Cathedral) Jennifer decides it's time to move on to London. So she puts the fairy gift to work....and Tom is woken up at the crack of dawn to roll up all the unwanted scraps of cloth she has gathered from the weaver's work.

The roll after roll of lovely fabric that results is the kernel of their fortune, and soon they are established in a little London cottage of their own (with lots of lovely home-making detail of the furniture scrounging sort), and Jennifer begins to do her own weaving, and Tom some more rolling, until their fame and fortune is so emphatically made that one day the King himself wishes to meet the great Tom Ass, notoriously reclusive and the wealthiest man in England. Faced with the anger of the King when she refuses to bring Tom to meet him, the words Jennifer uses to defend him bring everything to a happy ending.

Gosh, I am so very fond of this book. It has just about everything my child self wanted--the historical setting (with detailed black and white illustrations), the magic, the lovely little details about home making, the smart, brave girl to serve as role-model, the romance at the end, the bits of humor...and re-reading it again, just now, was lovely too!

A fine "first textile fantasy" for the young, and a lovely read for any fan of gentle historical fantasy.

Has anyone else ever read anything by Ann Lawrence? It had never occurred to me before today to see what else she wrote...and a few others that sound good are listed on LibraryThing (although they aren't reviewed, so I am going by the titles, and I am wondering if it is perhaps naive of me to think a book called "The Hawk of May" sounds good).

Brightly Woven, by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven, by Alexandra Bracken (Egmont 2010, YA, 368 pp).

Sydelle has lived her life in a dry village, one that's of no particular interest to most anybody else in the kingdom. The year she is sixteen, everything changes. A young wizard arrives in the village, bringing with him rainstorms that end the long drought. But as well as the rain, he brings a warning--an enemy army is half a day away, and war is imminent.

As a reward for ending the drought, the wizard, Wayland North, asks Sydelle's parents for her company on his mission to the Queen's city, where he is headed with information that could end the war.

"Do I have no choice in this?" I cried, as the wizard appeared behind my father. The smile on his face was small, but it was still there.

He thought he was helping me, did he? He thought that he was doing me some sort of favor. A prisoner of my village or a prisoner of a wizard. What was the difference when you could not decide your own path?" (page 24)

So Sydelle and Wayland set out on a desperate (and rather poorly funded) journey, with Sydelle, much as she had dreamed of life beyond her village, understandably put out by her circumstances. Wayland North does not make it easier for her--moody and down right difficult at times, it's not clear exactly what he wants from her. Despite this, she is intrigued...and, not long after, rather fond...as well as confused (North can be annoyingly unforthcoming) and scared (besides the fact of the oncoming war itself, there is an evil magician working against North). And then Sydelle begins to realize that she herself might have magic within her, and that she has to play a part of her own, whether she wants to or not, in the game of Queens, Kings, and Wizards in which she has become entangled. In doing so, she will finally find her own path....

Brightly Woven is an engaging coming of age/romance/fantasy quest story, combining political and magical intrigue with more personal suspense, and a pleasant dash of humor. I particularly liked Sydelle--from an ordinary girl, with ordinary dreams and expectations, she is forced to become a major player on her world's stage, all the while coming to terms with her feelings for Wayland North, and she makes this transition in a convincing and compelling way. Compared to the small experiences of Sydelle's journey and her development as a character, the epic clash of countries paled. In fact this larger plot of the book never seemed quite convincing to me, but that might be my fault as a reader, avidly following the Sydelle/North relationship arc and being less interested in more mundane things like war etc.

One of the things I liked best about Sydelle is that she is a weaver--I am a sucker for books in which the main characters skillfully practice crafts of various kinds. When North whisks her away from home, she insists on bringing her collapsible loom along...and finds time to weave at various points along her journey. But (and this is my main quibble with the book) what she is weaving is a new cloak for North, and, in as much as his cloaks are a part of his own magic, and in as much as Sydelle is able to infuse her work with her magic, I was very disappointed that, once the new cloak was finished, there was no point to it--it was just a nice cloak. Sigh. Maybe there will be a second book (there's still a curse hanging over their heads) and the cloak will come into its own.

I'm happy to recommend Brightly Woven to the younger reader of YA fantasy in particular (it's a somewhat lighter, faster read than, say, Fire, by Kristin Cashore). But because of my cloak quibble, Spellcoats, by Diana Wynne Jones, remains my favorite Textile Fantasy (in that book, the weaving is central to the plot). Anyone else have any other good recomendations of this rather negelcted sub-genre? Or, more broadly, craft-centered fantasies?

Other reviews at Manga Manic Cafe, Lucid Conspiracy, The Book Smugglers, and Angieville

(disclaimer: ARC sent to me from the publisher)

New Releases of Fantasy and Science Fiction for children and teenagers -the end of March beginning of April edition

Here are the new releases of sci fi/fantasy for kids and teenagers, from March 23 to April 7...as usual, I get my information from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs come from Amazon, Booklist, or the publishers.

Middle Grade:

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

AVALON: THE WARLOCK DIARIES VOL. 3 by Rachel Roberts. "The race to find Avalon is on! It’s up to the warrior mage, Adriane, to lead the charge across the magic web and rescue the animals of Ravenswood before they are turned into minions of the evil warlock. The mages will need all the help they can get to stop the warlocks, including the mistwolf pack and a group of ferocious dragons. But even that may not be enough to save their friends and protect the home of all magic: Avalon."

A CLAN IN NEED: WARRIORS, RAVENPAW'S PATH by Erin Hunter. "Ravenpaw and Barley have been driven away from their farm by a group of vicious cats. Now the two loners must turn to ThunderClan—led by Ravenpaw's friend Firestar—for shelter. Firestar takes them in and promises to help them take back their home as soon as possible, but ThunderClan is in great danger. BloodClan cats have been launching raids on ThunderClan's territory and attacking Clan patrols. Can Ravenpaw and Barley help Firestar and his Clan fight off their enemies? And will they ever be able to get home again?"

DISNEY IN SHADOW: KINGDOM KEEPERS by Ridley Pearson. "When Disney Imagineers installed hologram guides for the Magic Kingdom, using teenage models they had no idea the technology might backfire. But backfire it did: some nights when the kids go to sleep, they wake up in one of the Disney parks as a hologram. With the adventures set forth in the first books now behind them, Kingdom Keepers 3: Disney In Shadow follows the five teens, Finn, Philby, Willa, Charlene, and Maybeck as they search to find Wayne, their mentor and head Imagineer who has mysteriously gone missing. Concerned Wayne has been abducted by the Overtakers—Disney villains, who along with other Disney characters, take over the parks when the turnstiles stop spinning, and want desperately to steer the parks to a far darker place—the five kids pick up a major clue from a close friend, Jez, whose dreams (nightmares, really) often accurately predict the future. The very few clues from Jez’s dream lead the kids into Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot--through imaginary worlds that become real, by imaginary kids who are real. Each clue seems tied to the last, and with the stakes growing ever higher, what starts out as a puzzle ends up as a fight for their lives. Through a transparent paper box, a quest for a sword, rides on Soarin' and Maelstrom, life-and-death encounters with giant snakes, and a devious Maleficent, the Kingdom Keepers not only begin to decipher deeper meanings to the clues, but discover new truths about themselves and their ever-growing friendships."

ENCHANTED GLASS by Diana Wynne Jones. From Booklist: "Magician Jocelyn Brandon had always intended to pass his strange home, Melton House, and his trade secrets on to his grandson, Andrew. Unfortunately, Brandon died before he could complete his careful instructions, and Andrew, now grown, has forgotten much of what his grandfather tried to teach him as a child. The arrival of 12-year-old Aiden, who is seeking protection from dangerous magical beings, reawakens Andrew’s memories. Surrounded by a fabulous cast of eccentric allies, including a parsnip-loving giant, Andrew finds himself in the middle of a mystery surrounding an enchanted glass. With a gleeful nod to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jones hits all the bases, combining fluid storytelling, sly humor, and exquisitely drawn characters. The magical chaos culminates in a hilarious summer fete and a delightfully tidy resolution."

THE FAMILY SECRET: GRIM HILL by Linda DeMeulemeester. "The fourth book in the series. "By now, Cat Peters knows to be careful what she wishes for. In this spellbound town, nestled in the shadow of Grim Hill, wishes have a tendency to turn against you. But this time, she isn't wishing for anything in this town; she is wishing to get out of it – that has to be safe, right? Cat, Clive, Jasper, and the rest of the "Grim Hill" crew are back, and everyone is buzzing about Darkmont High's student exchange to Sweden. For Cat it means hanging out with her friends in a foreign country, traveling without parents, and not having to keep an eye on her clingy kid sister. Even though Sookie's magical meddling seems to be in check, Cat has been wishing for a break from the constant worry of living near Grim Hill. Just as Cat dares to dream about the incredible trip of a lifetime, it becomes clear that she will have to make sacrifices to get to Sweden, like staying with her Great-Aunt Hildegaard, who insists on inviting young Sookie to tag along. When the girls arrive abroad, Hildegaard reveals a startling secret, and it turns out that the skills Cat learned battling Grim Hill's evil creatures will come in handy against an ancient Scandinavian threat. The tales of witches, elves, and trolls are eerily familiar to Cat, and soon she and her friends are trying to unravel a frightening new mystery that puts her family at risk. "

ADING ECHOES: WARRIORS, OMEN OF THE STARS by Erin Hunter. "Three ThunderClan cats, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovepaw, are prophesied to hold the power of the stars in their paws. Now they must work together to unravel the meaning behind the ancient words of the prophecy. As Jayfeather tackles his new responsibilities as the Clan's sole medicine cat and Lionblaze trains his apprentice in the ways of the warrior cats, Dovepaw hones her own unique ability and tries to use it for the good of ThunderClan. But the dark shadows that have preyed on the Clan for many moons still lurk just beyond the forest. Soon a mysterious visitor will walk in one cat's dreams, whispering promises of greatness, with results that will change the future of ThunderClan in ways that no cat could have foreseen."

FREDDY ANDERSON'S HOME by John Ricks. "It's a hard life when you're a super genius capable of many things, including using your mind in ways that others only dream of. Freddy Anderson used that ability working to save the world from a world ending disaster. However, the human race is now at war. Aliens have attacked and captured many of our top people including Freddy Anderson and are headed back to their home world. They are trying to extract from his mind information that will help them understand how the humans destroyed their greatest ship and how to annihilate the entire human race."

KEYS TO THE DEMON PRISON: FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull. "Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison."

PERSEPHONE THE PHONY: GODDESS GIRLS by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams. "As Persephone's mother encourages her to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddessgirls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad?"

SPIDER LIES by Jen Banyard. "After tricking his mom and dad into leaving town, Connor is home alone with nobody to tell him to wash the dishes and go to school. The problem is that Connor’s little white lies have spawned a humongous, hairy spider and it’s lurking outside his bedroom window. With no one to turn to for help and the world threatened by the largest arachnid on record, it is up to Connor to save the planet. His only option is to enlist the help of a bumbling NASA nitwit, the weirdest girl in school, and a doddering old lady and her wheezing terrier to stop the spider before the world is doomed."

TIGER TERROR: BEASTLY by Andy Baxter "Max and his twin Molly join their zoologist parents in India for some tiger spotting. When Max feels a tingling taking over, he discovers his life is on the line—unless he can foil Professor Slynk's scheme. Readers will enjoy the bonus material, including tiger facts, jokes, a quiz, and a recipe for Uncle Herbert's Tasty Tiger Toast."

WICCAN COOL: A RHIANNON GODFREY STORY by Traci Hall. "At long last, Rhiannon is starting to fit into the ninth grade. She and Jared are starting to flirt again, and school is fine except for the mandatory student community service hours. She’s even learned to bank her psychic powers. For the most part.Then there’s Dane, the intriguing, infuriating guy who’s her community service student supervisor. He’s got “angry teen” down to a science. Without even trying, he slips past her emotional shields, challenging her to be the one thing she’s most afraid of—herself. For Rhee, that’s as scary as the ghost haunting the silo behind Doyle’s ice cream parlor. A ghost that’s somehow connected to the shadows in Dane’s eyes. All she really wants is, for once in her life, to be normal. But for a girl like her, “normal” isn’t just an impossible dream, it can be downright dangerous."

THE WITCHY WORRIES OF ABBIE ADAMS by Rhonda Hayter. "For fifth-grader Abbie, being a modern-day witch can be fun, especially when she gets to do primary research for school by time-traveling. It also brings challenges, such as hiding her family’s magical abilities. Life gets more complicated when her new kitten turns out to be 13-year-old Thomas Edison, under enchantment. Soon, Abbie’s regular worries about performing in the school play or preventing her little brother from turning into a wolf and biting his teacher give way to new concerns about how to remove Tom’s spell and return him to his own time. Abbie’s breezy, personable narrative incorporates droll asides and references to Edison’s life and to famous literature, from Alice in Wonderland to Harry Potter. Her colorfully drawn family includes her physician father, whose attempts at curing dreaded “Witch Flu” add humor and depth. Whether facing familiar issues (fitting in, sibling challenges) or fantastical ones, such as developing and using her magic responsibly, Abbie is an appealing, peppy protagonist who finds that there are “all kinds of magic in the world . . . with or without witchcraft.”

Young Adult:

THE BEASTLY BRIDE: TALES OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. "What do werewolves, vampires, and the Little Mermaid have in common? They are all shapechangers. In The Beastly Bride, acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling bring together original stories and poems from a stellar lineup of authors including Peter S. Beagle, Ellen Kushner, Jane Yolen, Lucius Shepard, and Tanith Lee, as well as many new, diverse voices. Terri Windling provides a scholarly, yet accessible introduction, and Charles Vess’s decorations open each story."

BRIGHTLY WOVEN by Alexandra Bracken. "When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past. The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever."

THE BUCCANEER'S APPRENTICE: THE CASSAFORTE CHRONICLES by V. Briceland. "On his first sea voyage away from the magical city of Cassaforte, seventeen-year-old Nic Dattore awakens to find the vessel overrun by marauding pirates—and everyone else on board kidnapped or killed. After slaying the pirate who attacked him, Nic tosses a torch into a cache of gunpowder and blows up the ship.Washed up on a deserted island, Nic and a motley crew of castaways decide to commandeer the pirate ship to get home. They battle pirates, assassins, and a cursed ship with a powerful secret while racing against time to save Cassaforte from a diabolical coup."

CHALLENGE: WICKED LOVELY, DESERT TALES by Melissa Marr. "The stakes are rising, and Rika finds it harder to ignore Faerie politics. As a former mortal and now a solitary faery, she has relished the isolation and freedom of the desert. But new players are seeking power, and old allies are imperiled. As tensions mount, Rika must decide whether—and how—to act to save her independence and her romance with Jayce."

A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS: THE QUEEN'S THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner. "After initial, tense prison scenes focused on Eugenides, the king of Attolia, the novel’s viewpoint switches from third to first person, and Sophos, the reluctant king of Sounis who prefers poetry to politics, relates the adventures that precipitated his rise to questionable power. Tutors have drilled Sophos in imaginary attacks, but after he loses his family in a real invasion, he is bereft and goes into hiding as a slave on a nobleman’s estate in order to avoid his sovereign responsibilities. Even though Eugenides’ fans will miss his presence, he continues to pull strings from the sidelines as he joins leaders in high-priced alliances and prepares for an invasion."

FEVER CRUMB by Philip Reeve. " Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice. In a time and place where women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only female to serve in the order. Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb-nearly the only person she's ever known-to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project. As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. Fever has also been singled out by city-dwellers who declare her part Scriven. The Scriveners, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated. All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr. Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?"

FLIGHT OF THE OUTCAST: THE ACADEMY YEAR 1 by Brad Strickland. "Asteria Locke's Fight has just begun...Asteria Locke has never left her father's farm on the remote planet of Theron. But in one terrible moment, a surprise attack by space raiders destroys everything she's ever known. Orphaned and alone, Asteria vows to avenge her father's death by joining the Royal Spacefleet Academy. . . even if she has to lie to get in. Branded an outcast at the Academy from the start, Asteria must work twice as hard as the other students to prove herself. But in time, she suspects that the Aristocrats who torment her have more sinister motives than shaming a commoner. They'll stop at nothing to hide a secret from her father's past-a secret that could shift the balance of power throughout the entire universe."

GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD by Karen Healey. "Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies, Maori mythology, romance, betrayal, and an epic battle for immortality."

HALF WORLD by Hiromi Goto. From Booklist: "Goto’s contemporary fantasy is set primarily in Half World, where souls go after leaving the Realm of Flesh for a cleansing experience before passage to the Realm of Spirit. Long ago, though, something happened to throw this order out of whack, and Half World has since been twisted into a Hieronymus Bosch–like purgatory, where inhabitants are terrorized by the perverted machinations of the evil Mr. Glueskin. The story sends 14-year-old Melanie into Half World to save her mother. There, she must almost literally wade through a sea of hideous creatures, propelled by prophetic hints about being the child who can realign the realms and bring peace to untold numbers of tortured souls. Although the nightmarish world is certainly memorable, Goto is prone to melodramatic overwriting, and the logic governing the realms is confusing. Most unusual, and interesting, is her heroine, who is often the exact opposite of plucky, burdened by paralyzing bouts of self-doubt, worry, and despair."

INSIDE OUT by Maria V. Snyder. "I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution. "

THE RECKONING: DARKEST POWERS by Kelley Armstrong. "My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal. But normal is one thing I'm not. For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf. Not normal. My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently. Definitely not normal. And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying. As far away from normal as it gets."

SHADOW by Jenny Moss. "Shadow, an orphan, lives as Queen Audrey’s shadow, echoing her every step in hopes that the queen will escape the death that has been prophesied to come by age 16. It appears that the plan has failed when the queen is poisoned and found by Shadow the next morning. This causes a royal knight, Sir Kenway, to whisk Shadow away, vowing to protect her. As the pair travels across Deor’s battered countryside, Shadow becomes aware of her ability to sense the feelings of others. She also learns that she is the daughter of the earth goddess, Erce, and that she is the real queen who must now rescue the throne from the evil Fenryn. Ample dialogue illuminates Shadow’s feisty spirit and leads to flirtatious banter between Shadow and Kenway. While Shadow seems overly selfish and brooding at times in comparison to those around her, she grows in dimension as she begins to understand the situation around her. Action, romance, and interesting supernatural elements enliven this historical fantasy with a strong female protagonist."

SHADOW OF THE MOON: DARK GUARDIAN by Rachel Hawthorne. "I can feel every Shifter's emotions except Daniel's—the only one whose heart I long to know. Hayden was born a werewolf, a Dark Guardian. But her ability to sense the feelings of fellow werewolves has made her life unbearable. She runs away, only to be tracked by charming, mysterious Daniel, a newcomer to the pack and the one Shifter immune to her powers. As she reluctantly follows him home, Hayden finds herself falling dangerously in love. . . .But even as her feelings for Daniel deepen, Hayden begins to wonder if he is who he claims to be. Where did he come from and why has no one ever seen him transform? When they stumble upon the body of a Shifter still in wolf form, her worries grow. Someone is killing her kind. Is her handsome tracker really a hunter? And is Hayden now his prey?"

THE SHADOW ROAD: THE WARLOCKS OF TALVERDIN by K.V. Johansen. "Betrayed by a member of his own family, abducted, poisoned, and forced to recreate an ancient spell that might -- if it doesn't kill him -- open the lost Shadow Road, Nethin, son of a Nightwalker lord and a human witch, is thrown into a struggle for survival in a dying land. Alabeth, an orphan who survived the slaughter of the last warlocks by their own kinsfolk, is willing to trust him, but her people have rejected her and all mages. Capture means execution for both, but an even deadlier foe plans vengeance against Nethin. Not only Alabeth's life and his own, but the lives of every Nightwalker of the Homeland rest on Nethin's ability to survive death itself and defeat a prince of the Nightwalker-hating Yehillon cult on a suicide mission...."

SHAPESHIFTER by Holly Bennett From the publisher's website: "This is the turbulent and heartbreaking story of Sive, a girl of the Otherworld who must flee her world of plenty to live as a hunted beast. Surviving hardship, danger and crushing loneliness, she finally finds refuge—and unexpected joy—with a mortal champion, Finn Mac Cumhail, the great hero of Irish legend. But Sive's ordeal is far from over. She has a gift the Dark Man craves, and the smallest misstep will give him his chance to snatch her away from all she holds dear. Set in the wild, magical landscape of Iron Age Ireland, Shapeshifter is a tale of rapacious evil, quiet courage and the healing power of love."

STARLIGHTER: DRAGONS OF STARLIGHT by Bryan Davis. "Dragons are enslaving humankind and a black egg signals the end of the world. Jason Masters must journey to another realm and join forces with a slave girl named Koren to rescue the captives and save two worlds from destruction. What if the Legends Are True? Jason Masters doubted the myths: people taken through a portal to another realm and enslaved by dragons. But when his brother is taken, he must uncover the truth and find the portal before it's too late. Once he's through the portal, he meets Koren, a slave in the dragons' realm, who struggles to destroy a black egg prophesied to doom all mankind. Jason and Koren must work together to save their two worlds before the dragons learn that their secrets have been discovered."

THE BLADE OF SHATTERED HOPE: THE 13TH REALITY by James Dashner. "Things have changed for Atticus Higginbottom. After the near catastrophe in the Fourth Reality, Tick’s being homeschooled in the fields of science, trying to master the mysterious Chi’karda. But just as he begins to make progress, Mistress Jane reappears, now hideously scarred and much more powerful. She has tapped into the universe’s darkest secret to create the Blade of Shattered Hope, and in her quest to attain a Utopian Reality for the future of mankind, she’s ready to risk billions of lives—including those of Tick’s parents and sisters—to set her plan in motion. Her vengeance knows no bounds. When rumors begin to circulate about the secret
scientific experiments taking place at the Factory, Tick and his friends Sato, Sofia, and Paul are faced with their most dangerous task yet. And they must not fail; the entire universe could cease to exist."

THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN by Susan Beth Pfeffer. "It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth's climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbors are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda's father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda's complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever."

TOADS AND DIAMONDS by Heather Tomlinson. "Set in the fictional Indian land of Hundred Kingdom, Tomlinson’s memorable novel employs magic realism to explore a universal truth: an individual’s gifts and talents are not always as they might seem. Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are blessed by the goddess Naghali-ji in very different ways. When Diribani speaks, flowers and gemstones fall from her mouth. Tana’s talent seems to be more of a curse: she produces frogs and snakes when she talks. While Diribani is held at the opulent court of the Believers, where her every jewel is collected and tallied for the kingdom’s profit, Tana is chased from her village by its snake-fearing residents. Taking on the disguise of a mute stable hand, she returns, and with her unusual abilities, she saves the land."

WATCH FOR ME BY MOONLIGHT: A MIDNIGHT TWINS NOVEL by Jacquelyn Mitchard. "In the third book of the Midnight Twins trilogy, Mally and Merry’s supernatural dream visions are put to the test when their baby brother is kidnapped— and by someone who has grown very close to the Brynn family. Meanwhile, Meredith is distracted by the strange new boy in town. But there’s one problem with her new romance: he’s a ghost from the past, a boy who actually died in the Vietnam War and is struggling with his soul. Mallory must help her sister let go of a love that was never meant to be—and the twins must come together and use their powers to save their baby brother."