Zog, by Julia Donaldson --a dragon picture book in verse

Zog, by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (Alison Green Books, 2010 in the UK)


By happy chance the Book Depository accidentally included this picture book in with my recent order, and said I was welcome to keep it. I'd heard about this one--it was the winner of the Galaxy Children's Book Award in 2010, and Julia Donaldson was well known to me already as the author of The Gruffalo.

"Madam Dragon ran a school, many moons ago.
She taught young dragons all the things that dragons need to know.

Zog, the biggest dragon, was the keenest one by far.
He tried his hardest every day to win a golden star."

But alas for Zog! He is rather accident prone, and his efforts to fly, roar, and breath fire all come to painful conclusions. Happily, he is rescued each time by a girl who ministers to his hurts...and when it comes time for the next test of draconic ability, Princess Kidnapping, Pearl is there for him again, kindly allowing herself to be captured.

Pearl stays with the dragons, serving as their resident doctor...but princess kidnapped by dragons have a habit of attracting knights who want to rescue them (even if they don't want to be rescued).

"A year went by, and in Year Five, the dragons learned to fight.
"Right!" said Madam Dragon. "Here comes a real live knight!"

"Up spoke the knight: "My name," he said,
"is Gadabout the Great.
I've come to rescue Princess Pearl.
I hope I'm not too late."

But all ends happily, with Pearl, the knight, and Zog setting off to begin a new career as the Flying Doctors.

It's fun, it's charming, and it has a nice point. The verse in which it is written both scans nicely and has great swing to it. I don't quite see it as an award winner myself, but Zog and co are truly likable dragons who should delight the young reader.

It's handy to have a book in verse to contribute to Poetry Friday! The round-up is at Carol's Corner today.

The Good Little Devil, by Ann Lawrence

Yesterday I wrote about one of my sister's Christmas presents; today it's a book I got myself that made me all kinds of happy! A while ago, I re-read a childhood favorite, Tom Ass, by Ann Lawrence (my review), and it occurred to me (after 30 odd years) that maybe this author, whose book I love so much, might perhaps have written something else (duh)! And she had! And my list of books that would be welcomed grew accordingly, and The Good Little Devil graced my Christmas Pile.

The Good Little Devil (1978, illustrated most charmingly by Ionicus) is the story of what happens when a medieval monastery becomes home to a small dark supernatural creature. When kegs of beer and wine are mysteriously opened overnight, the cellarer, Brother John, becomes convinced the abbey is bewitched...and indeed, a suitable ritual captures the devil behind the mischief! It is a small, somewhat subdued imp, and the Abbot, always one to think things through, decides it would be good publicity for the monastery to have a devil as one of the brothers. So, robbed as a monastic brother, the imp joins the boys of the choir school....and does his best to fit in.

Young Wilfred, one of the two resident boys, becomes fond of the creature, as do Brother John and other thoughtful brothers. They become increasingly convinced that this depressed little devil is, perhaps, something more along the lines of a hob or a brownie...and at last Brother John frees it from its hated robes. But the creature, now in the form of a black cat, stays with his new friends, bringing them good luck, while working its mischievous side out on paying back the boys that had tormented it when it was forced to be a choirboy.

Goodness, this was a fun little story. It doesn't try to be Historical Fiction, in the sense of accurately capturing the essence of Medieval Monastic Life, and indeed, several of the characters sound like they'd be more at home in an early 20th century British comedy of manners. But that doesn't hurt the story one single bit--instead, it gives Lawrence the freedom just to enjoy her storytelling, and the reader enjoys it right along with her.

An excellent read out loud, an excellent one to give to a kid who enjoys lighter historical fiction mixed with fantasy, or simply a book for the grown-up reader to savor herself (and isn't it so awfully nice when you read a middle grade book and just plain like it, instead of thinking, oh I would have liked this so much if I'd read it when I was ten! It's possible that this was the case with this book because the adults were as likeable as the central boy character).

Especially recommended to those who enjoy books set in monasteries and books with clever black cats.

(I couldn't find a picture of the cover on line anywhere; I guess I'll take mine to work tomorrow and scan it there-Done!)

Erica Wins Through, by Josephine Elder

I have a great fondness for the British School Girl genre--I find tales of plucky girls at boarding school rather soothing in a pleasantly escapist way. I don't talk about them much here, because it's so very rare to have a new one to read, in as much as almost every author I collect is dead. But thanks to small publishers reissuing hard-to-find books, sometimes there are new-to-me books to read...books like Erica Wins Through, by Josephine Elder (originally published in 1924, recently republished by Girls Gone By Publishers).

Josephine Elder wrote one of my Favorite Books Ever--Evelyn Finds Herself. It's an incredibly intelligent look at the coming of age of an extremely likable heroine, which I particularly enjoy because of Evelyn's focus on botany with an eye to a medical career (I do so enjoy school books in which people are actually learning interesting things, and in which people take school seriously!) Erica was Elder's first foray into the school girl world, so I wasn't expecting it to quite measure up to Evelyn; still, there was much to enjoy here.

12 year old Erica resents that her brother has been sent to boarding school, while she herself has been left at home with a new governess. After her bad behavior makes it clear that she will not cooperate, she's packed off to boarding school herself. Shy, quirky, and uncertain, Erica has trouble fitting in...there are mean girls, and strange customs, and so Erica retreats into a world of daydreams. But happily she finds two comrades at arms, her hockey playing improves, and she begins to apply her intellect (she's an ace at Latin) and creativity (expressed as set design in the end of term play) to the world of the school, with happy results.

It's fairly standard, plot-wise, but Elder manages to make Erica both believable and likable. It is nice to escape into a world where the problems experienced by the central character are both utterly like one's own, but applicable to one's own life--the conflict between conformity and main tining one's own identity, the shy girl finding confidence. Erica's particular personality makes her story (initial horrible-ness of boarding school, followed by the pleasures of becoming one of a threesome) especially appealing to introverts.

In short, I'm very glad my sister got it for Christmas! My own school story was The School On Cloud Ridge, by Mabel Esther Allan, which I haven't read yet....I had to read my sister's books first, of course, because of going our separate ways.

Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London for Timeslip Tuesday

Now that my frantic Cybils reading is behind me (and our Cybils shortlist is rather lovely, if I say so who shouldn't), it is time to return to regular blogging. So, since this is Tuesday, here's a time travel book--Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London, by Keith Mansfield (Quercus, 2008, middle grade, 352 pages).

13 year-old Johnny isn't an ordinary boy. It's not just that he lives in a children's home, with his mother in an insane asylum and his father imprisoned, or his phenomenal skill with computers. It's the fact that his life is entwined with the fate of an intergalactic empire....which, when the book begins, he has no idea even exists.

But soon he finds himself abducted by aliens along with a sister, Clara, whom he never knew existed, saved from them, and taken to the residence of the emperor himself. For reasons unclear to him, the emperor makes him a gift of an extraordinary intergalactic space ship (the titular Spirit of London), and he and Clara head for home....only to find that that they have travelled through time, setting in motion the meteor that will spell extinction for the dinosaurs. And that's not all--their next jump forward takes them to the sinister realm of Atlantis, where a plot to control the universe must be foiled. But that's still not all--what is the mystery surrounding their parents? Who are these kids, and why does the emperor take such an interest in them? And what will happen when they make it back to their own present (more or less) and face down the bad guy aliens???

There's actually more, but that's enough to gone on with. Lots of action, twists and turns of plot, and a generous dollop of suspense make for a page-turning adventure that is, I think, just the ticket for a sci fi loving upper middle grade reader (and the sort of book an adult reader who's willing to suspend disbelief and who's looking for something fun should appreciate as well). The story is told strictly from Johnny's point of view, so the reader only knows what he does, keeping things very interesting indeed.

The emphasis on Things Happening faster and faster means that this isn't a book for everyone, though--it's a cracking good story, but it doesn't have a ton of emotional power--I kept reading briskly not so much because I cared all that much about Johnny and Clara, but because I was so interested and curious.

And that is just fine--I'll be passing this one right over to my ten-year old, and I bet he enjoys it (space ships! computers! aliens! dinosaurs! sinister bad guys!).

Time travel-wise--the journey of Johnny and Clara back in time leads to interesting sub-plots and intriguing explorations of paradox. It's a key part of the plot, in a very sci-fi way (as opposed to time-travel for the sake of exploring the past, or for the sake of exploring characters). And as such it works well, adding zest and excitement to a story already full of both.

Edited, in response to a comment from the author: This is the first of a UK series. It's available directly from Amazon in the US as well (see link above), although it is singularly unavailable on bookstore shelves (at least in my area) and in libraries (not even the Library of Congress has a copy), which is a pity. There is so little middle grade science fiction out there, and I imagine that a fun, exciting series like this would find itself lots of readers....if they knew it existed!

This Sunday's Round-up of Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction

So yesterday I posed all my new books prettily under the tree so I could post their picture, only to find that the card reader thingy and my mother's computer won't talk to each other. Blah. I will have to try the library tomorrow...But apart from that, it was a lovely Christmas, and no-one did any whining or scrapping or complaining that their sibling got better presents. Not even the grown-ups.

I thought it would be a sparse-ish week for mg sff; happily, I was wrong.

The Reviews:

The Adventures of Nanny Piggins, by R.A. Spratt, at Fuse #8

Agent Q, or The Smell of Danger (A Pals in Peril novel) by M.T. Anderson, at A Year of Reading

Attack of the Ninja Frogs (Dragonbreath Book 2), by Ursula Vernon, at Coffee for the Brain.

Boom!, by Mark Haddon, at Book Dragon

The Charlatan's Boy, by Jonathan Rogers, at Word Lily

The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, at Charlotte's Library

The Emerald Atlas, by John Stephens, at The Book Nest

The End of the World Club, by J&P Voelkel, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

Falling In, by Frances O'Roark Dowell, at Cloudy With A Chance of Reading

Knights of the Kitchen Table, by Jon Scieszka, at Charlotte's Library

The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz, at Coffee for the Brain

On the Blue Comet, by Rosemary Wells, at Back to Books.

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, at Shannon Whitney Messenger

Quest for Merlin's Map (The Jumper Chronicles) by W.C. Peever, at Wicked Awesome Books

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke, at Coffee For the Brain

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan, at Nayu's Reading Corner.

The Revenge of the Shadow King (Grey Griffins), by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis, at Reading Vacation

Scumble, by Ingrid Law, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

A Two for One post at Ms. Yingling--Dragonbreath: Attach of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon, and Windblowne, by Stephen Messer.

Interviews/author guest posts (by the way, authors of mg sff, please let me know if you are on tour or have been interviewed, so that I can be sure to include you!)

W.C.Peever (The Jumper Chronicles) at Wicked Awesome Books.

Lesley M.M. Blume (Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins, and Other Nasties: A Practical Guide by Miss Edythe McFate) at The Reading Zone, where you can also find the whole tour schedule, which I missed last week :(

And finally, here's a gallery of monstrous gingerbread houses (example shown below)

Happy Boxing Day, everyone!

In which my optimism proves ill founded

A week ago I thought I'd have review posts written for every day this week, because I knew I wouldn't have time to do it this week. A few days ago I thought I'd surly be able to at least blog about something meaningful....

A week ago, I thought I'd have all ten library books and the six books I have left for the Cybils read (there are more than that unread by me, but don't have access to them).

A week ago, I thought that all the books I'd ordered would have arrived by now.

Oh well. Even though these things have not happened, there is always tomorrow....when I will, I'm sure, have thousands of brilliant things to say and the time to write them up in a blog post.

Knights of the Kitchen Table, by Jon Scieszka, for Timeslip Tuesday

Earlier yesterday evening, I realized that I would not have time to finish the 400 odd page book that was intended to be this week's Timeslip Tuesday book. The line at the post office had just not been long enough (only 35 pages read). So I fell back on a book that I've been holding in reserve for just such an occasion-- Knights of the Kitchen Table (the first book of the Time Warp Trio series), by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith.

Ten minutes after making this decision I'd read the book; the remarkable fact is that this included locating the book. Happily I'd been trying to get my 7 year old to read it just last week; vexingly, he had refused, but at least I knew where it was. And now, having read it myself, I am even more vexed at his refusal. Because (although not one I'll be recommending to my adult readers for their own enjoyment--too short) this is a lovely book for the seven year old boy.

There is Adventure! Three boys travel back to the time of King Arthur with the help of a magical book. They defeat the Black Knight. Solve the nasty problem of the giant and the dragon. Try, and fail, to teach the youth of the Dark Ages to play baseball. Can't help but notice the little personal hygiene issues of those around them. All good fun, written in crisply simple sentences, enlivened by Smith's humorous drawings.

Timeslip-wise--this is one where the differences of clothes and speech are noticed by the "contemps." And I think this is as it should be in a book for this age; it makes sense. Education-wise--well, I guess it's good to have familiarity with Arthur, Merlin, et al., but this isn't one that paints an accurate picture of Dark Age Britain. Although it does address the issue of armour being really, really, heavy, which is a useful thing to know.

Although I won't be seeking out the rest of the series for myself, I'll try again to get my 7 year old to read this one. He should enjoy it. And if the force of his will proves stronger than the force of mine, it's his loss. And if he liked it...there are fifteen more books in the series...

(although now he has the first four Harry Potter books under his belt, it might be a lost cause....)

The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh

I love good historical fiction mixed with good fantasy, and 2010 has served me well in that regard. There was Katherine Langrish's lovely book, The Shadow Hunt, Philip Reeve's gripping No Such Thing as Dragons, and Rebecca Barnhouse's very satisfying reimagining of Beowulf, The Coming of the Dragon.

And then came The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, a book I enjoyed immensely. It's set in a medieval monastery in winter, where a young orphan boy named William works hard in return for meager food and a cold place to sleep. The forest lies close around...and in the forest there are Things. One of these is a friendly Hob, rescued by William from an iron trap and now his friend. But there is also a forbidden place, where something strange and horrible happened years before. A place where the monks buried a murdered angel.

Drawn to that place, an unlikely pair of travellers have come to the monastery--a leper, once a great musician, with a companion who isn't human...

And Will finds himself caught in the middle of a struggle between the forces of dark and light, with only his own good heart, and the friendship of the friendly Hob, to help him raise the angel from the dead and set things right.

Yes, there really is an angel, which took me aback somewhat. But Walsh manages to make her angel a believable part of a world in which there are also fairies. The story was both familiar (the good vs the bad factions of the Other People), but at the same time, beautifully original. The supernatural is an integral part of the cold winter story, but Walsh sets the fantastic most satisfyingly into a nicely authentic medieval world. And on top of that, William and his Hob friend are characters to take to one's heart. I found it especially pleasing that William is chosen to play his part mainly because he is warm-hearted, genuinely good and well-intentioned.

A great one for readers of 10 years old on up to enjoy during the dark winter nights! That being said, it's not tremendously Action Packed, so I think the contemplative sort of middle grade reader is the natural audience for this one, as opposed to those that like non-stop Happenings. The other natural audience for this one being readers like me, for whom this book was a lovely treat.

Here's another review, at The Book Aunt, that includes excerpts.

The sequel, The Crowfield Demon, comes out in the UK this April--thank goodness for the Book Depository and its free shipping! Here's the blurb, from the author's website:

"In this second Crowfield adventure, it is March 1348. Evil lurks in Crowfield Abbey and the building is starting to collapse. Fay creatures have fled the surrounding forest in terror.

Repairs begin and William is given the job of lifting floor tiles in a haunted side chapel. There he finds a box from an earlier pagan time containing a small wooden bowl, covered with strange warnings and symbols.

The bowl is cursed and a hideous demon is unleashed within the Abbey’s walls, that will wreak unspeakable havoc. Can Will and his friends summon help in time or is it the end of Crowfield forever?"

This Sunday's Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction Round-up!

Welcome to another week's worth of posts from around the blogging world about middle grade fantasy and science fiction for kids! Please let me know if I missed your post!

Kicking off with the Really Exciting News, from The Bookseller.com

"HarperCollins Children’s Books has bought a new book from Diana Wynne Jones.

Publishing director Rachel Denwood acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in Earwig and the Witch, for readers aged five-eight-years-old from agent Laura Cecil.

The story tells of orphan Earwig, living at St Morwald's Orphanage, who is chosen for adoption but soon discovers her new "mother" is a witch.

Denwood called the book "thrilling, funny, timeless and truly delightful", and "a story set for classic status".

The book will be published in a "stunning, highly covetable hardback", illustrated by Marion Lindsay, in June 2011."

According to Those Who Know on the DWJ list, this is a book she had written a while ago, and revised just a tad for publication. (Incidently, "covetable" wasn't a word I'd come across before. I don't like it. What's wrong with "desirable?")

The Reviews:

Boneshaker, by Kate Milford, at Eva's Book Addiction and Booked up

Bookweirder, by Paul Glennon, at Back to Books

Boom! by Mark Haddon, at My Brain on Books

The Call (The Magnificent 12 Book 1) by Michael Grant, at Coffee for the Brain

The Charlatan's Boy, by Jonathan Rogers, at Coffee For the Brain

The Clockwork Three, by Matthew Kirby, at Fantasy Literature

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse, at Charlotte's Library

The Curse of the Romany Wolves, by S. Jones Rogan, at Back To Books

The Dead Boys, by Royce Buckingham, at Coffee for the Brain and Booked Up

Dragon Flight, by Jessica Day George, at Reading Vacation

Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine, at Shannon Whitney Messenger

The End of the World Club (Jaguar Stones Book II) at The Reading Zone

Facing Fire, by kc dyer, at Book Aunt

Gargoylz Make a Movie, by Burchett and Vogler, at Nayu's Reading Corner

George Washington's Socks, by Elvira Woodruff, at Charlotte's Library

The Girl Who Could Fly, by Victoria Forester at Mister K Reads

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

Hero, by Mike Lupica, at BC Book Talk

How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch, at books4yourkids

Keeper, by Kathi Appelt, at Green Bean Teen Queen

Knights of the Kitchen Table, by Jon Scieszka, at Once Upon a Bookshelf

The Line, by Teri Hall, at One Librarian's Book Reviews

The Magic Thief, by Sarah Prineas, at The Ladybug Reads

Museum of Theives, by Lian Tanner, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke, at Booked Up

The Ring of Solomon, by Jonathan Stroud, at Charlotte's Library

The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi, at Madigan Reads

The Storm in the Barn, by Matt Phelan at Books and Other Thoughts

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at Bookyurt

Wolven, by Di Toft, at Booked Up

Interviews and author guest posts:

Helene Boudreau (Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings) at Mundie Moms

Barry Deutsch (How Mirka Got Her Sword) at books4yourkids

John Mayhew (Mortlock) at The Enchanted Inkpot

Frank Cottrell Boyce (Cosmic) at Fuse #8

Michelle Knudson (The Dragon of Trelian) at Cynsations.

Hélène Boudreau (Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings) at From the Mixed Up Files...of Middle Grade Authors

Henry Neff (The Tapestry Series) at Fantasy Book Critic

Kathi Appelt (Keeper) at The O.W.L.

Other Good Stuff:

"Harry Potter and the Flawed Interpretation" at Oz and Ends

Read about Tu Books (a new imprint of Lee and Low, focusing on multicultural sci fi/fantasy) at There's a Book

"Steampunk for Kids--6 Books from 2010", at Charlotte's Library

And this week's guest at the Fairytale Reflection Series over at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles is Celia Rees.


I hope all who are going to be celebrating Christmas get lots of nice books (or whatever lesser present will make them happy. I, for instance, am hoping for a battery charger. As well as books. I am also hoping that the four books that haven't come yet will, in fact, do so...otherwise I shall have to wrap pieces of paper. Sigh).

(picture found at Poe's Ghostal's Points of Articulation, originally from The Brothers Brick)

(if you are reading this in its entirety somewhere else, it's been lifted without my permission).

Steampunk for kids--was four, now six books from 2010

Originally I had four books in my list, now I'm up to six. It might change again....

Here I am, squeaking in under the wire with a post for Steampunk/Alternate History Week...(the round-up is here at Chasing Ray).

"Steampunk" is a rather loose-fitting term when it comes to middle-grade books. Strictly speaking, it implies steam technology, but in books for younger readers, it becomes more a flavor than a clearly-defined subgenre--a flavor that can include various combinations clockwork devices, steam-powered machines, alternate history, and ingenious folks (possibly using technology) pitting their wits against hostile forces (also possibly using gadgetry). Technology and magic go hand in hand in these stories, and the devices of human making are as wondrous as the (optional) fantastical elements that can't be explained by science.

Over at School Library Journal a little while ago, Heather Campbell complied a brilliant list of steampunk books for kids and teens. In this past year, several more steampunkish books have come out that are worthy of attention, and so, for your clockworkish reading pleasure, here they are.

The Brimstone Key (Grey Griffins--The Clockwork Chronicles, Book 1), by Derek Benz & J.S. Lewis (Little Brown 2010, 384 pages). This new series continues the story of four kids who call themselves the Grey Griffins, whose lives were changed forever when they became involved in dark and dangerous magical adventures.

In this new series, Max and his gang are enrolled in a school run by the Knights Templar (a shadowy order that exists to protect ordinary people from monsters and magical mayhem). All does not go smoothly--a mysterious and legendary figure, the Clockwork King, set in motion a century ago a nefarious plan. He has devised a way to transfer changeling spirits into an army of clockwork automatons...and somehow the Grey Griffins must find a way to stop him...

This should have appeal to fans of steampunk because of the plot's focus on clockwork machines, and because the kids at the school are currently enjoying a phase of retro-steampunky Victorian fashions, but really it's more comfortable in the "magical school trains special kids" genre of fantasy. It's an action-filled adventure of a book, not desperately deep or emotionally compelling, but imaginative and interesting enough to appeal to its intended audience. (review copy received from the publisher for Cybils reading purposes)

Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2010, 496 pages) This sequel to last year's Leviathan, on the other hand, is just as steampunky as all get out. Alernate history? check. Steam-powered technology? check. Wildly imaginative adventures combining the two? check. In an alternate World War I, the Germanic Clankers (steam technology) face off against the Darwinist Brits (technology through modification of living creatures). Two kids, a boy who's the heir to the Autro-Hungarian Empire and a girl disguised as a boy, serving as a midshipman on a British air-ship, are caught in an adventure of tangled loyalties and great danger, set against a backdrop of utterly magical worldbuilding.

It's thought provoking and exciting, and I highly recommend it, but you should read Leviathan first. Amazon has this as YA, but it's one that's great for the older mg crowd. (review copy received for the Cybils)

The Celestial Globe, by Marie Rutkoski (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010, 304 pages). Lifted from my review, back last spring: "Back in 2008, I enjoyed Marie Rutkoski's first book, The Cabinet of Wonders, very much; so much so that I helped shortlist it for the Cybils that year. So I opened its sequel, The Celestial Globe, with much hopeful anticipation....and was very pleased indeed to find it even more enthralling than the first book. It includes attacking monsters, imprisoned elemental spirits, treachery, nautical adventuring, friendship, fencing lessons, a murder mystery, and my favorite fictional mechanical spider, all in a well-written package.

In The Cabinet of Wonders, Petra and her gypsy friend Neel, with help from a mechanical spider friend, had thwarted the plans of the twisted Prince Rudolfo of Bohemia to take over the world. Neel rejoined his Gypsy kin, Petra returned to her village, and for a brief span it seemed that all was well again.

But as The Celestial Globe begins, the prince has sent monsters to attack Petra and her father. Her father is captured, but Petra escapes, saved by John Dee, the Elizabethan magician with whom she had forged a mind link in the first book. Trying to save her, her village friend Tomick plunges through a hole in space, and finds himself a prisoner of the same gypsies that Neel had joined...

Petra in London chaffs against her virtual imprisonment by the powerful and enigmatic Dee. She is caught up in a web of murder and intrigue, developing her own magical skills under Dee's tutelage. Meanwhile, Tomick's fate hangs in the balance--will he be sold into slavery by the Sea Gypsies, or will he be able to continue his search for Petra? The Gypsies are searching themselves for the Celestial Globe, a magical artifact that would give them the ultimate freedom of travel, and an escape from persecution. And all signs point toward London...where Petra is already at work solving the mystery."

I'm counting this as steampunk because of the mechanical spider and the Celestial Globe are both Devices of the highest order, and because although it's not full-fledged alternate history, it does venture that way. John Dee, the Elizabeth magician, is a central character, using his magical powers in the service of queen and country (at least, that seems to be the case; I'm not sure I trust him) in ways that never happened in real history.

The Clockwork Three, by Matthew J. Kirby (Scholastic Press, 2010, 400 pages). Three children, living in an alternate Victorian era American city, find their lives bound together as each struggles to achieve an impossible dream. For Guiseppe, it's to earn enough money busking to return to Italy, for Hannah it's to earn enough money to support her family now that her father has fallen ill, and for Frederick, it's to create a clockwork automaton and become a full fledged guild member. It's a complicated story, that requires some faith on the part of the reader that all the disparate threads will come together, but they never quite did, for me. However, there's plenty of adventure, plenty of "brave children struggling against impossible odds" and a dash of mystery and wonder. And, just in fairness to this book, Betsy over at Fuse #8 liked it lots.

Edited to add:

The Toymaker, by Jeremy de Quidt (David Fickling, 368 pages). There is no steam involved in this story, but the clockwork creatures are the utterly scariest ones I have encountered to date. From my review--"...the titular toymaker makes automatons come to life by wiring their clockwork to living hearts. Sparrow hearts, to start with...they're easy to come by." Part exciting adventure, part horror story, it's thought provoking and beautifully written...and deeply disturbing.


The Dark Deeps, by Arthur Slade (Wendy Lamb, mg/ya, 320 pages). I'd thought this was covered in the SLJ article, but I see that just book 1, The Hunchback Assignments, was included. I haven't read that first one, but apparently it is very steampunky, what with the nefarious doings of the Clockwork Guild. In The Dark Deeps, young Modo, the eponymous hunchback, is sent on another mission--to find out who, or what, has been sinking every ship that passes through a particular piece of the North Atlantic. The Clockwork Guild appears in this book too, there's funky technology combined with funky extraordinary-ness, there are gears on the cover, and there's a noir feel to it, all of which combine to make this one "steampunk" too. (Thanks, Jacquie, for reminding me of this one!)

And just for the 2010 record: other books published (in the US) this year, and included in the School Library Journal article so not discussed here, include Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve, and Worldshaker, by Richard Harland.

Any other middle grade books of 2010 you think of as Steampunk? Let me know!

Edited (again) to add, from readers' suggestions, Haywired,by Alex Keller, and The Wolf Tree (Book 2 of the Clockwork Dark) by John Claude Bemis. I haven't read either of these yet....

New releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teenagers--the second half of December edition

Here are the new releases of sci fi and fantasy for kids and teens for the second half of December. As usual, my information comes from Teens Read Too; the blurbs are the from the publishers, via Amazon and Goodreads.

THE DOOMSDAY BOX: A SHADOW PROJECT ADVENTURE by Herbie Brennan "When the CIA created a program to research time travel in the 1940s, they never imagined it could lead to a global pandemic decades later. But after an undercover agent, code name Cobra, exploits the time-travel operation to send the black plague into the twenty-first century, the supernatural teen spies of the Shadow Project are recruited to go back in time to Cold War-era Russia and prevent this devastating chain of events from occurring.

There's just one problem: How do four teenagers deter a seasoned CIA agent from his life-or-death mission? Michael, Danny, Opal, and Fuchsia, a new agent with mysterious abilities, will have to use their powers of astral projection—and persuasion—to convince Cobra that what's at stake could hit closer to home than he can imagine. That is, if they can even manage to survive in Moscow in the early 1960s, where the KGB wants them dead. . . ."

THE END OF THE WORLD CLUB: THE JAGUAR STONES by J&P Voelkel "With the end of the Mayan calendar fast approaching, fourteen-year-old Max Murphy and his new friend Lola, the modern Maya girl who saved his life in the perilous jungle, are racing against time to outwit the twelve Lords of Death. Following the trail of the conquistadors, their quest takes them back to the wild heart of Spain - a forgotten land steeped in legend, superstition and ever more bizarre tourist festivals. With a pack of hellhounds on their heels and the cape-twirling Count Antonio de Landa in hot pursuit, the teens must face madness and betrayal, bluff and double-bluff, to uncover the terrible secrets of the long-lost Yellow Jaguar. But no matter where they run, all roads lead to Xibalba. There, in the cold and watery Maya underworld, we finally discover why only Max Murphy can save the world from the villainous Lords of Death."

LOVE STRUCK: BEDEVILED by Shani Petroff "In a fit of rage, Angel mistakenly tells her parents to “grow up,” and before she knows it, they’re zapped back to their teens and running away together because they’re so in love. Now Angel’s got the weight of the world on her shoulders. Lou Cipher was finally dropping his evil ways, but since he’s back to his teen self, who knows how he’ll choose to use his special powers?"

SHIP OF THE DEAD: RUNEWARRIORS by James Jennewein & Tom S. Parker "How can Dane defeat an enemy that's already dead? Dane the Defiant is determined to free his beloved Astrid from her Valkyrie servitude. And he learns of a way—a dark and dangerous way. He must hunt and kill a savage foe: none other than his former nemesis, Thidrek the Terrifying, who has magically returned from the dead.

Thidrek has been sent by the goddess Hel herself, ruler of the Underworld, to find the Ship of the Dead, a cursed vessel built from the bone and sinew of countless ill-fated sailors. If Dane and his fellow Rune Warriors fail to find the ship first, Thidrek will use it to lead Hel's ghastly army of dead, decayed soldiers in a violent overthrow of mankind.

Can Dane find a way to save the world—and reunite with his one true love—in the face of indomitable evil? The fate of the Viking world hangs in the balance in this exhilarating final chapter of the epic RuneWarriors saga."

YOUNG ADULT

BLOODY VALENTINE: BLUE BLOODS by Melissa de la Cruz "Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps - the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series."

DEADLY LITTLE GAMES: A TOUCH NOVEL by Laurie Faria Stolarz "Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend.

Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about..."

FALLEN ANGEL by Heather Terrell "Heaven-sent? Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil."

THE LOST SAINT: A DARK DIVINE NOVEL by Bree Despain "The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint."

ONCE IN A FULL MOON by Ellen Schreiber "Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever. Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon."

OUT FOR BLOOD: THE DRAKE CHRONICLES by Alyxandra Harvey "Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?"

ROSES AND BONES: MYTHS, TALES, AND SECRETS by Francesca Lia Block "What happens when a girl finds herself at the crossroads between worlds—where the angels and ghosts, gods and demons, and beauties and beasts of myth are real? What does she do and who does she become?

Roses and Bones captures the best Francesca Lia Block has to offer: extravagantly imaginative tales, dark landscapes, fierce poetry, and storytelling that is nothing short of magical."

SAPPHIQUE by Catherine Fisher "Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are? Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique."

SILVER FROST: FROST by Kailin Gow "Enter the world of Feyland, where beautiful strong fairies have been at war for years. Breena, the beautiful half fairy, half human princess from Oregon, has ascended to her rightful place in Feyland, as Queen of the Summer Kingdom. Being Queen isn't at all what she expected. Now the weight of Feyland falls heavily on her shoulders. The landscape of Feyland is scattered with the silver blood of fairies, turning the once whitish blue frost of the Winter Kingdom to silver frost, and danger lurks everywhere including within her own court. Secretly in love with her intended Winter Prince Kian, now Breena is faced with the realization of war, and the possibility of Kian as her greatest enemy. To help her navigate through the politics within her court and Feyland, help comes in the form of an old friend. Before she knows it, Breena's heart is torned between two loves, just as torned as Feyland. The fate of Feyland depends on her choices, can she make the right ones even if it means turning away from her love forever? Book 3 of the bestselling Frost Series, about the Winter Fey."

SOLITARY: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE by Alexander Gordon Smith

"Alex Sawyer and his mates should have known there was no way out of Furnace Penitentiary. Their escape attempt only lands them deeper in the guts of this prison for young offenders, and then into solitary confinement. And that's where a whole new struggle begins—a struggle not to let the hellish conditions overwhelm them. Because before another escape attempt is even possible, they must first survive the nightmare that now haunts their endless nights."

TEMPESTUOUS: WONDROUS STRANGE by Lesley Livingston "I don't love Sonny Flannery." That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley."

VAMPIRE CRUSH by A. M. Robinson "First, six mysteriously pale new students show up at Sophie McGee’s high school. Then, Sophie’s childhood nemesis James reappears, still displaying a knack for making Sophie’s blood boil. When Sophie finds out that James has a connection to the new students, she decides to investigate...never expecting her life will quickly begin to resemble a campy horror movie, complete with budding crushes and bloodthirsty villains."

Entice, by Carrie Jones

Entice, by Carrie Jones (Bloomsbury, 2010, YA, 272 pages)

(warning--contains spoilers for the first two books--Need and Captivate)

The third book in the story of Zara, an ordinary (ish) girl who agreed to be turned into a pixie queen to save her boyfriend Nick from Valhalla.

Being a new pixie queen is stressful for Zara (understatement). There's the little fact that rouge pixies are praying on teenagers in her town, which causes her friends and family to be more than somewhat dismayed that Zara is now a pixie herself. It dismays Zara too, as she wrestles with her new identity--can she still be a Good person, now that she is one of Them? There's the fact that Astley, the pixie king, needs her help keeping his people strong, so that the rouge bunch can be thwarted. There's her panic about Nick--can she save him in time, or will the sacrifice of her humanity be in vain?

Throw in a bullet wound, a really nasty ex-pixie queen, a were-tiger grandma who hates pixies, some very dangerous dead-ends on the road to Valhalla...and you have an exciting adventure that beautifully combines character-driven story-telling with almost non-stop action!

Jones' signature style of sweet humor is here (although more understated than in previous books), as is her ability to make supporting characters into people one cares about, but the focus is most definitely on Zara, and her conflicted state of mind. She's coming to care more about Astley every day, she's worried that Nick will hate her now she's a pixie, and there's the little matter of defeating the bad guys terrorizing the kids in her town. It's a lot to handle, but Zara grows stronger with every chapter....and I found myself caring more and more about her ultimate destiny--will it be Nick or Astley? (I'm not so worried about defeating the bad guys--one can reasonably assume that, with a kick-ass heroine like Zara, this will happen).

In short, Entice is riveting read, combining danger and romance (and I say this as one who is not, in general, a fan of paranormal romance). I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse

The Coming of the Dragon, by Rebecca Barnhouse (2010, Random House, middle grade/ya, 301 pages)

Anyone who wants lovely historical fiction with a dragon added need look no further than this one!

After defeating Grendel and his mother, Beowulf got to enjoy a long stretch of peace as king of the Geats. Peace of a sort, that is--a festering feud with a neighboring people keeps things somewhat on edge, but at least the dragon rumored to live up in the mountains still sleeps. But when an ill-wishing man from far away steals a golden treasure from the dragon's hoard, it flies out, wrecking havoc and bringing death with its fiery breath.

Young Rune was the first to see it, and while he ran to warn the king, the dragon destroyed the only home he had ever known, and killed the old woman who had raised him. Rune has no other family--he was found as an infant in a boat washed ashore years, and has no idea who he might truly be. He dreams, though, of one day being a warrior in Beowulf's great hall, winning glory enough to impress the lovely Wynn.

But the dragon's coming changes that. Now Rune's one goal is to defeat the dragon....a dragon who might well prove more than a match for even a great hero like Beowulf.

Barnhouse does a delightful job bringing this last chapter of the saga of Beowulf to life, and I was completely satisfied with the historical accuracy of her story. I spent several years studying things Anglo-Saxon, but never, to my shame, have read Beowulf all the way through...so my satisfaction is not as watertight as it might be! However, it is almost unheard of for me not to find nits to pick in most historical fiction, and it was so nice not to find any here. I was reminded of Rosemary Sutcliff, my favorite writer of historical fiction,who taught me most of what I know about the Romans.

Rune, a teenage boy struggling to find his place in life, struggling to be brave in the face of the un-faceable, is a believable hero who is put in an impossible place and rises to the challenge. He's not one of your cocky, self-assured heroes who will clearly come out on top; rather, he's one of the self-doubting ones, who finds in himself more than he ever imagined. His character development comes not just from central problem of the dragon, but is also bound up in the larger, more complex questions of the mystery of his origins, and the future that awaits him.

There is magic, and the gods are at work, but these fantastical elements are subtle, and integrated into the fabric of the story in a way that strengthens the central plot, rather than distracting the reader. And finally, the great cast of supporting characters includes some strong-minded girls, although, in as much as this is Rune's rather dragon-centric story, they don't get as much page time as the boys do! My only area of vague dissatisfaction was the ending, which seemed a bit forced and rushed.

However, despite that one reservation, I think this is one of those rare books that I enjoyed just as much now as I would have when I was the age of the intended audience, which is to say lots.

Other reviews: Manga Maniac Cafe and Library Lounge Lizard

Books to give a five-year old boy

A co-worker asked me last week for book recommendations for her five-year old grandson (I love it when that happens!). Here's what I suggested--what would you add?










Lego Star Wars: the Visual Dictionary. Keeps them happy for hours, and builds their cultural literacy.

The Scrambled States of America, by Laurie Keller. Cute, funny, and educational. Can't be beat.

The Great Pie Robbery and Other Mysteries, by Richard Scarry. My boys love this one, even now that they are older. I would have recommended Busy, Busy, World (which they love even more), but it seems to be out of print...

Stinky, by Eleanor Davis. My favorite Toon book (a series of 'graphic novels' for those just learning to read).

Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon. Because this is an utterly charming book. It will make a nice read aloud now, and a great easy reader next year.

George Washington's Socks, by Elvira Woodruff, for Timeslip Tuesday

George Washington's Socks, by Elvira Woodruff (Scholastic, 1991, younger middle grade, 176 pages in pb edition)

Browsing in my local bookstore a while ago, my eye was caught by George Washington's Spy (November, 2010)-it appeared to be a time travel book, and I am always on the look out for those. Indeed it was, but I found that it is a sequel to a much earlier book, G.W.'s Socks, which I then found and read, and which I now offer as this week's Timeslip Tuesday book.

It seemed to the four boys like a great idea to form a club and camp out next to the woods. Matt was the instigator--inspired by a book, Adventures in History, he wanted a history adventure club of his own. But when his little sister Katie has finagled her way into the camp out, and camping "next to" the woods really means being in a back yard, adventure is thin on the ground. So the five kids decide to walk down the nearby lake...a lake where people have mysteriously disappeared in the past. There they find a wooden rowboat, that exerts an irresistible fascination... The next thing they know, they are being carried down the half frozen Delaware River, caught up in the Revolutionary War.

Matt is separated from the rest of the group, and finds himself marching along with George Washington's forces. The horrors of that cold winter journey toward Trenton become all to clear to him, as he walks along the snowy trail made bloody by the feet of those ahead of him. And there is worse to come. Before they make it home, the children will learn first hand the brutality of war, and that good and bad individuals can be found on either side.

Fine points, and worked fairly deftly into the story. But still, I found the whole ensemble a tad didactic-every new encounter brings a message, which was the author's intent. From the author's note: "Being a pacifist, she wrote George Washington's Socks for her son Noah, who is very fond of G.I. Joe." The characters never quite became alive enough, in my mind, to take control of the book away from the Message. However, it's a message I wholeheartedly agree with. And since there's enough adventure here to keep the reader's interest, and since it does provide a good introduction to what life in George Washington's army might have been like, I do recommend this to its intended audience.

But I do have one reservation. One of the adventures was a meeting with two Indian boys, or, actually, with two stereotypes of Indian boys (Bows and arrows? check. Face paint? check. Ability to move gracefully/without a sound/etc? check. Almost non-existent English? check. Maybe if this book had been set 150 years earlier I would have been more tolerant, but by 1776 the chances of encountering two such boys/stereotypes in New Jersey would be pretty slim).

Timeslip-wise, this one of those stories in which the magic of time travel doesn't helpfully deal with issues of clothes and modern vocabulary. Woodruff deals believably with these points--the people encountered in the past are, in general, to preoccupied to spend too much time wondering about them.

Even though George Washington's Socks didn't work all that well for me, I'll be looking for the next book, George Washington's Spy--Woodruff has had 17 years of writing experience since then, and so I am hopeful that the good that was in this book--the vibrant recreation of events in the past--will be part of a more generally satisfying package! (And I also am hopeful that little Katie, who was an unmitigated brat, will be less so in the new book....)