This Sunday's round-up of middle grade science fiction and fantasy from around the blogs

Welcome to the rainiest and windiest round-up to date of all the blog posts and news I could find of interest to us fans of middle grade (for kids 9-12) fantasy and science fiction. If you are reading these words, it means that I have not yet lost power...here's hoping we never will, and I hope all of you are safe and dry (which if you are reading this I assume you are....)

First thing of interest: Every year around this time, I start eagerly checking the Cybils website to see if it is coming to life again (I take my excitement where I can, in as much as I rarely fly off to Paris for the weekend)-- and it is! Another Cybils season is beginning! For those of you who aren't familiar with the Cybils--these are awards given each year by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles (anyone can nominate a title). There are many different categories (including mg sff), and a panel of bloggers reads all the nominated books and creates a short list, from which a second group of bloggers determines the winner for that category.

The official call for panelists is not out yet, but this is a good time to consider whether you want to throw your name in the hat for consideration as a panelist--all of you whose blogs appear regularly in the reviews section of these round-ups should most definitely think about it! It's a lot of reading, and a lot of fun. If anyone wants to know more about what my experiences have been, feel free to shoot me an email!

Now, on to the reviews I found this week (please let me know if I missed yours).

The Reviews:

13 Curses, by Michelle Harrison, at Bunny Cates

Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead, by Jason Henderson, at Charlotte's Library

Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Persuit, by Elizabeth Parkinson-Bellows, at The Book Faery Reviews

Aliens on Vacation, by Clete Barrett Smith, at Charlotte's Library

Amulet: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kibuishi, at Wandering Librarians

Aphrodite the Diva, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, at Reading Vacation

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, at Bookish Blog

The Dragon's Tooth, by N.D. Wilson, at Ms. Martin Teaches Media, Cookies, Books, and Bikes, and The Rabbit Room

Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts, by Ursula Vernon, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

Elidor, by Alan Garner, at Fantasy Literature

Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull, at Bookie Woogie

Ghost Messages, by Jaqueline Guest, at Cracking the Cover

Liesl & Po, by Lauren Oliver, at GreenBeanTeenQueen

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier, at Beyond Books

The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskel, at Book Yurt

Sally's Bones, by MacKenzie Cadenhead, at There's a Book

Sidekicks, by Jack D. Ferraiolo, at Original Content

Space Race, by C.E.L. Welsh, at Back to Books

Swordbird, by Nancy Yi Fan, at Fantasy Literature

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at BC Books

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, at Reading Vacation, Shut Up! I'm Reading Candace's Book Blog, An Abundance of Books, Alison's Book Marks, and Shannon Whitney Messenger

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Book Dreaming

Wisdom's Kiss, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, at Madigan Reads

A Year Without Autumn, by Liz Kessler, at Charlotte's Library

And finally, Kate at Book Aunt has five books in one post! (you'll have to click through to see what they are....)

Interviews and Authors:

Aphrodite and Isis (of the Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams) at Reading Vacation

Kerry Sparks (The Baby Inside Mrs. Maze) at Cindy's Love of Books

Other things of interest:

At Salon, there an interesting interview with Jack Zipes (fairy tale expert extraordinaire) about dark fairy tales coming soon to a theatre near you (link found at Educating Alice):

"You know, all they're doing [with these films] is trying to stir your prurient interest. Really. They're trying to titillate you, to say that this is going to be the film that will expose the deep darkness, the profound darkness of these tales."

And at The Mary Sue, a spot on response to the recent NY Times article “Boys and Reading: Is There Any Hope?” by Robert Lipsyte, which is very relevant to mg sff!

At Educating Alice, Monica offers a list of recent upper middle-grade-ish fantasy books she and her students enjoyed.

Ursula Vernon (of Dragonbreath fame) offers The Wolf and the Woodsman (a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood) in two parts at her blog. (Thanks to The (Hopeful) Librarian for the link!)

And here's a fun post from Ms. Yingling's Elder Daughter at Ms. Yingling Reads that addresses the question "what book would you memorize?" (as in Fahrenheit 451)

The Enchanted Inkpot showcases the lovely covers of late summer/fall releases of mg fantasy, which then prompted me to take a look at the state of publishing viz showing kids of color on mg sff book covers here.

Yay! I got everything in and now I don't care so much if the power goes off! And I remembered to close the dining room window in time to keep the books piled beneath it from getting more than a bit damp! yay! (or possibly, sigh.)

Aliens on Vacation, by Clete Barrett Smith

Aliens on Vacation, by Clete Barrett Smith (Hyperion, 2011, middle grade, 251 pages).

Poor David (known as Scrub) is exiled from a sunny Florida summer of basketball, swimming, and (maybe) girls to spend the summer with the grandmother he's never met. She's the proprietor of Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast in the middle of just about the nowhere-est part of Washington state. And it takes Scrub just one quick look at the kooky Star Trek meets 1960s summer of love set-up to want to stay in his nice, safe taxi cab until he can go home again...

But the decor is the least of it. The guests are, in fact, aliens. And Scrub's grandma needs his help, because intergalactic tourism is booming, and she just doesn't have time to cope with all her mundane chores, and get all her guests adequately disguised (a necessity for many aliens visiting earth).

Thing is, even the best disguise isn't that great when it comes to the more outlandish alien shapes and sizes. Even the dimmest observer might wonder why a small bed and breakfast needs so much tinfoil (nutritional requirements vary by species). If you have to pull a wagon loaded with a giant alien squid stuffed into a fish tank down to the river, you might, like Scrub, not quite fit in with other young people.

The sheriff is suspicious and hostile--just waiting for a reason to shut down the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast. His daughter Amy is curious, and friendly--she'll do anything to get inside its doors (but she does seem to like Scrub for his own sake, too).

And then Scrub's camping trip with three young aliens goes horribly wrong...

Now, I generally don't like books in which the main character is in desperate circumstances and things go horribly wrong. But Aliens on Vacation was an exception, and I found it, even the bit with the angry mob, lightly funny. It successfully avoids the twin traps of slapstick and farce that beset books of this kind while keeping up a cheerful tone. A bit of pre-teen angst about conformity and girls, a bit of Growing Up, and a message concerning the value of appreciating difference add a touch of depth.

A fine one for the 10-12 year old who wants a book that will make them laugh, squirm uncomfortably (there is a kiss) and possibly even gag (not the aliens so much, but Grandma's over-the-top organic cooking). Or if you want light reading that will divert you while waiting for a hurricane to arrive, it works just fine for that too. It's nice that Book 2, Alien on a Rampage, should be out in time for next year's Storm of the Century....

Other thoughts at TheHappyNappyBookseller, Abby the Librarian, and the excelsior file

Looking for kids of color in current middle-grade fantasy books

All of you who come here regularly know that I am rather keen on finding and reviewing mg sff with kids of color. So when The Enchanted Inkpot (a great group blog of mg and YA fantasy writers) ran a feature showing many of the late summer/fall covers of mg fantasy books, I scanned them closely (aka squinched my eyes up and pressed my nose to the computer screen), looking for non-white kids. Out of the 53 covers featured, 2 new releases, Starfields, by Carolyn Marsden, and Fox and Phoenix, by Beth Bernobich, showed kids of color, as did one older release (not sure why this is included), The Immortal Fire, by Anne Ursu. (Oddly, and somewhat botheringly, two of these showed the characters from behind).


In fairness, once the covers that don't show anyone are gone, that's 3 books out of 34, one of which isn't a new release. Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, coming out this fall, isn't shown--that makes it 3 new releases of fantasy books showing kids of color.

The Enchanted Inkpot was looking at fantasy books, but, since there is almost no middle grade sci fi, it is not difficult to add it in. There's one I know of coming out in early fall--Galaxy Games, by Greg R. Fishbone, from Tu Books, an imprint which guarantees diversity.

Please note--this doesn't mean that kids of color aren't inside other books featured at The Enchanted Inkpot; since I haven't read most of them, I don't know the numbers for that. I'll get back to you once I've read them.

I have no other new middle grade fantasy/sci fi books on my tbr/reviewed pile. I have reviewed a grand total of 2 new mg fantasy books with kids of color this summer, and not because I wasn't trying--The Boy at the End of the World, by Greg van Eekhout, City of Ice, by Laurence Yep. Neither clearly showed a kid of color.

The only new book for middle grade kids I reviewed that did was Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, by Dave Roman, a sci fi graphic novel, and since I read very few graphic novels, I should probably exclude it from consideration in this particular post, because I have no idea what else is out there--for all I know, the world of fantasy/sci fi graphic novels for 9-12 year olds is absolutely teeming with children of many diverse heritages (any thoughts?).

Two books from this summer that I missed are Moonshadow: The Nightmare Ninja, by Simon Higgens, and Shaolin Tiger (Samurai Kids #3), by Sandy Fussell (would you say this later series is fantasy? or unrealistic historical fiction?). Both show their respective Japanese and Chinese central characters. One could make the arguement that Vanished, by Sheela Chari, with its age-old curse, is fantasy, but is the (very small) girl on the cover clearly a "kid of color?"



The results of my math: 6 new relases of mg sff books (not including graphic novels) with kids on the cover who clearly aren't white in the summer and fall of 2011. Please let me know if I missed any!!!!! I have no illusions that I've found them all, especially the small press books.

Edited to add: at Back to Books I just found a review of Space Race, by C.E.L. Welsh, a graphic novel for younger mg kids that combines fact with sci fi--

The upshot of my investigation is that this was an even worse summer than usual for anyone wanting to walk into a bookstore and leave with a newly published fantasy book for their kid that showed someone who wasn't white. If you wanted one showing a girl, it would have been impossible (Vanished being the one possible exception), unless you were in a very special bookstore that stocked small press/independent titles. Fall will be only marginally better--how much so will depend in large part on whether bookstores stock the four fall releases included in my tally.

I rather passionately feel (as I said in this post from last spring) that this is an issue important to all of us who buy books for kids, and so I find the dismal tally rather discouraging.

(However, on the encouraging side--here's an update on Anne Urus's Chronus Chronicles, of which the third, The Immortal Fire, was shown above. Anne just let me know in the comments that the series is being repackaged. Here's the new cover for the second book (cool!):

Two favorite books about angels in churches in honor of the National Cathedral

This poor broken angel on the roof of the National Cathedral, damaged by this week's earthquake, makes me awfully sad. The cathedral is one of my favorite places in the world--I watched it grow when I was a child (the stone carving workshop, where old skills were taught, was a fascinating place) and still visit it often, rejoicing in its peaceful beauty.

So in honor of the fallen angel, here are two favorite books of mine, both of which are centered around angels in churches.

Marion's Angels, by K.M. Peyton (1979, later republished as Falling Angels). This is the final book in Peyton's series of books about Patrick Pennington (bad boy classical pianist extraordinaire, and Ruth Hollis, the horse-crazy girl who married him.

More than almost anything else, motherless Marion loves the carved wooden angels of her village's medieval church, but the church and its angels are in danger of falling into the sea. And so Marion prays for a miracle...and gets Pennington and his music.

The relationship that develops between Marion, Pennington, and Ruth is beautifully written and very moving. Not only is this book (which stands on its own) satisfying for its own sake (Marion's love for her angels, and the growing-up she has to do, is very moving), but it brings the Pennnington series to a hopeful close--after all the anxieties of the first books, it is awfully nice to think Pat and Ruth (and baby) can have a happy life together!

Waterslain Angels, by Kevin Crossley-Holland (2009) (This is a truncated version of my full review from Feb, 2010)

When Oliver Cromwell's men rampaged through England, smashing to pieces the works of art that decorated the countries churches, the angels of the small Norfolk village of Waterslain were lost. Now, in the 1950s, the fate of the angels has faded from local memory. Then a carved wing is found during a clear-out of the vestry attic. Two children, Annie (10) and Sandy (11), become convinced the angels weren't destroyed, and set out to find them. But someone else wants the angels. The shady tough guy of the village is hunting them down too, to sell them...

As Annie searches, her dreams are full of the rough voices of Cromwell's men, and visions of the angels, urging her to find them where they lie waiting. For Sandy, whose father, in the American air force, was recently killed in a flying accident, the quest for the angels brings comfort. And the angels bring the two lonely children together in the strong bonds of a friendship forged by the mystery they are unravelling (and a satisfyingly believable mystery it is, too).

Waterslain Angels is an utterly lovely mix of the detail of everyday life and the power and beauty of dreams. It is a fascinating mystery, a historical treasure hunt, a story of friendship, a lovely evocation of place, and a little bit a fantasy (Annie's dreams).

Both of these are UK books, and not so easy to find over here. Marion's Angels is long out of print, but check your local library (my system has two copies); Waterslain Angels is still in print, and can be acquired from the Book Depository at a reasonable price. If you want to order it, please do so from the link in my sidebar, and I'll pass my commission on to the National Cathedral!


(here's the direct link to the National Cathedral's donation site. It's going to cost millions to repair the earthquake damage.)

books aren't much use when you need to brush your teeth

I'm in D.C. for a quick work related trip (just one night and one day). I brought six carefully chosen books, but forgot my toothbrush. Sigh.

Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead, by Jason Henderson

Those of you looking for books for the 7th - 10th grade boy who likes adventurous fantasy set in our world should most definitely try the Alex Van Helsing series. In this second book, Voices of the Undead (HarperTeen, 2011, 304 pages), 14 year-old Alex continues along the path he began in book one (Vampire Rising), as a new (and unusually gifted) member of a global anti-vampire organization.

Alex can sense vampires. These are not pink rainbow sparkly vampires, but vicious, immoral killers. Unfortunately for Alex, the Swiss boarding school he attends is practically on top of an ancient vampire school, so there is no shortage of potentially deadly encounters. Especially since he is in the cross-hairs of the vampire's leaders--he is not entirely sure himself of the scope of his abilities (neither is the organization that has taken him in), but it's no mystery that the vampires see him as a significant threat.

But Alex is not the target of the current plot being hatched...one that involves a mysterious vampire from the past, a vampire with the ability to mesmerize his victims and use them as players in his deadly games.

When Alex's school is burned down in a mysterious fire, the boys are moved into their sister school. Alex and his room-mates are pleased to have the chance with their pal, Minhi, and her room-mate, the mysterious Vienna (budding, or possibly even pre-budding, teen romance time), but what with murderous vampires planning mayhem, there's little time to socialize....

The action and adventure aspect of the story is front and center, as it was in book 1. Book 2 kicks off with a car chase in which Alex, on his cool motorcycle, must outmaneuver two car loads of would-be killers, one of whom then attacks him with horrible leech worm things, which ultimately leads to his school catching fire, destroying Alex's room-mate's irreplaceable collection of vampire books, as well as the building, which is less emotionally wrenching for us bibliophiles (and that's just the first two chapters!).

But I found that in Book 2 the story is more nicely balanced with mundane details concerning Alex's family and friends, and life as a boy in a girl's boarding school. The tension and danger are still there in spades, but Alex felt more three-dimensional in this book, and I appreciated that (I hope the target audience does too!).

Other reviews at Girl in the Stacks, Bibliojunkies, Ms. Yingling Reads (scroll down), and Sci Fi Chick (where both books are being given away here)

And here's a link to Alex Van Helsing: The Blog, where vampire fans will find much to interest them....

Disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher.

A Year Without Autumn, by Liz Kessler

Welcome to another Timeslip Tuesday, where today I review my 116th time travel book (the full list is up at the top of the blog). If you were ever to review a time travel book on a Tuesday, feel free to send me a link and I'll stick it on!

Book #116 is A Year Without Autumn, by Liz Kessler (published April, 2011 in the UK, in the US from Candlewick in October, 2011, ages 9-12, 304 pages).

Every year, 12-year old Jenni Green and her family (father, very pregnant mother, and little brother) have spend a week at their time-share at Riverside Village--and the best part, for Jenni, is that her best friend Autumn does the same. For a week, the girls can spend practically every waking moment together, Jenni falling in behind Autumn's adventurous schemes, as she always has done.

But then Jenni takes a trip up in the old elevator of the main building...and finds a stranger living in Autumn's condo. Travelling back down restores her to her own time...But when she takes a second trip up, she realizes that she's travelled a year into the future.

When she does track Autumn down, she's horrified. Gone is her bright, brave friend with her carefree family and plenty of money. Autumn's family has been hit by tragedy, and Autumn can't understand why Jenni is acting like she doesn't know what happened.

At her own home, she has a baby sister she's never met before, and her parent's marriage is beginning to unravel. And worst of all, she learns that the terrible accident that destroyed Autumn's family, and reverberated into her own, would never have happened if she hadn't taken that elevator ride....

When she returns to her own time, it is after the accident had already happened. So Jenni goes back to the elevator--to find out more about the future waiting for Autumn, and herself, and to try to fix things, so that that future will never happen.

The book, told in Jenni's first person present voice, begins in a chatty style, as the reader is filled in with the back story of the friendship between the two girls. Pleasant enough, but not immediately gripping. But when Jenni begins to travel in time, the suspense, the mystery, and the emotional intensity are ratcheted up a thousand-fold. The first-person present voice, which at first made this seem a light read, comes into its own beautifully as Jenni struggles with the dislocation of time travel, her horribly changed relationship with Autumn, and the terrible events that have transpired. It becomes a gripping page-turner, right to the very end.

This is a book for those interested in character, rather than action-packed adventure. Although there is a great deal of tension viz the time-travel side of things, and the excitement builds at the end (will Jenni be able to avert the tragedy she knows is about to happen????) the focus of the story is on the relationship between the two girls, and so there is a considerable amount of conversation and reflection (which is fine withe me!)

Highly recommended to middle school girls--Jenni's experiences, although magnified tremendously by her travels into the future and by the tragedy that hit Autumn's family, echo the common anxieties about maintaining the friendships and security of childhood while growing up and becoming an independent person. And it's a just plain old exciting story, well-imagined and well-told.

The copy I read was the advance readers copy of the US edition (thanks Anamaria for lending it to me!)--and I intended to read it with an eagle-eye to see if I could spot any Americanizations. Then I got caught up in the story, and stopped trying. So apart from an explicit statement that the book is set in America right at the end of the story (which I thought was unnecessary, and which made the brief mention of a thatched cottage odd), and, of course, the changes from "lift" to "elevator" and "Mum" to "Mom" that I assume were made) I didn't see any.

But still, I wish they had kept it the way it was in the UK edition. When I was a girl, way back when, I quite liked reading books set in England...I don't see why kids of today would be any different!

Other Timeslip Tuesday posts: Ms. Yingling looks at Alice in Time, by Penelope Bush (I want this one!)

Earth to Clunk, by Pam Smallcomb--a science fiction picture book

Even though my boys have now reached the lofty ages of 8 and 11, with the concomitant expectation that they can read "real" books, we still delight in discovering new picture books. A picture book book can give a nice fast burst of reading fun, and Earth to Clunk, by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Joe Berger (Dial, 2011, 40 pages), is just such a book.

The story begins with the illustration on the inside of the cover--a small boy being whacked by his big sister's backpack (and boy, does she have a mean look on her face!). The boy's day does not get better once he gets to school.

"Today Mr. Zookian said I have to write to my pen pal. His name is Clunk.

"He lives on the planet Quazar," said Mr. Zookian. "Write him a letter and send him something from Earth."

Our young hero does not want Anything At All to do with this whole pen pal business. So he decides to send Clunk his sister. "THAT will teach him to have a pen pal from Earth."

And Clunk sends back a Zoid, a friendly floating fluff ball creature.

Then Clunk gets dirty socks.

So the exchanges go, horrible things sent to Clunk, and interesting (although some scary) things arriving in return. But then Mom wants her daughter back, and, along with gross old lasagna from the back of the fridge, her request is passed on to Clunk...

Then nothing comes from Clunk. For ages. And the boy misses the alien packages he'd been getting...

Fast forward a bit to the ending--Clunk comes for a sleepover! The friendly Zoid (now shown with little hearts all around itself) falls hard for the big sister and follows her everywhere (she's not pleased)!

It is a pleasure to see the grumpy protagonist gradually warming to his alien pen pal (and to the ever present Zoid). And although the fun of it all takes center stage, behind the somewhat subversive framework of a kid being completely uncooperative (and mailing off his big sister to an alien planet) there's a positive message. Things that you don't want to do can actually work out well--in this case, with new friends are made and new experiences appreciated (mostly!).

The writing is simple, but gets right to the point--good, I think, for the early independent reader (and, as I said at the beginning, fun for older kids too!). The illustrations add whimsical life to the somewhat matter-of-fact tone of the narration (especially all the expressions of the Zoid--I loved the Zoid!), making this book one to enjoy lots.

Fantasy picture books seem much more common than science fiction, but the science fiction ones are generally more amusing (Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude excepted). Here's a post where I list a few other examples; if you have a favorite sci fi picture book of your own, funny or not, do let me know!

Other reviews of Earth to Clunk can be found at Waking Brain Cells, and You Know, For Kids

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

Welcome to another week's worth of the mg sff posts I found in my blog reading this week! Please let me know if I missed yours.

The Reviews:

13 Curses, by Michelle Harrison, at Donna St. Cyr's blog

Aliens on Vacation, by Clete Barrett Smith, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

The Boy at the End of the World, by Greg van Eekhout, at Jen Robinson's Book Page and Manga Maniac Cafe

The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski, at Anita Silvey's Book-a-Day Almanac

Candleman: The Society of Dread, by Glenn Dakin, at The Book Zone (for Boys)

Cart and Cwidder, by Diana Wynne Jones,at Just Booking Around (reviewed last week by this blog's other reviewer as well)

Dragon Castle, by Joseph Bruchac, at Charlotte's Library

Dragonbreath: No Such Thing as Ghosts, by Ursula Vernon, at Charlotte's Library

The Elsewhere Chronicles: The Shadow Door, by Art Bannister and Nykko, at Wandering Librarians

The Fires Beneath the Sea (Sykes Children Book 1), by Lydia Millet, at The Ranting Dragon

Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews

Fly Trap, by Frances Hardinge, at Book Nut

Hera: the Goddess and Her Glory, by George O'Conner, at Fuse #8

It's the First Day of School...Forever! by R.L. Stine, at A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

The Magnificent 12: The Trap, by Michael Grant, at The O.W.L.

The Mostly True Story of Jack, by Kelly Barnhill, at Eva's Book Addiction

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier, at Back to Books

Phillipa Fisher's Fairy Godsister, by Liz Kessler, at Fantasy Literature

The Phoenix and the Carpet, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, at Candace's Book Blog (audio review)

Ravenwood, by Andrew Peters, at Geo Librarian

The Search for Wond-la, by Tony Diterlizzi, at Great Books for Kids and Teens

Thresholds, by Nina Kiriki, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Time at the Top, by Edward Ormondroyd, at Charlotte's Library

The Time Spell (Friends Forever) by Judi Curtin, at Nayu's Reading Corner

The Trouble With Being a Horse, by Emily Edwards, at Manga Maniac Cafe

A True Princess, by Diane Zahler, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Wierdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan Garner, at Fantasy Book Review

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Candace's Book Blog

Zita the Space Girl, by Ben Hatke, at Madigan Reads


Authors and Interviews:

Mark Jeffery (Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendent) at Cynsations

Jennifer Nielsen (Elliot and the Pixie Plot) at From the Mixed Up Files...of Middle Grade Authors

Candy Gourlay (Tall Story) is this week's guest at Katherine Langrish Fairy Tale Reflections series

Frances Hardinge (Fly Trap) at Playing by the Book


Other good stuff:

At Sci Fi Signal, a number of authors answer this question: "what other genre books [besides Ender's Game and Harry Potter] would you recommend for a 9 year old to help encourage a love of reading and of the genre?" A variety of fascinating answers ensue. (me: Ender's Game for a nine year old? uh...not so much). For sci fi I myself would pick The Green Book, by Jill Paton Walsh, and for fantasy, Odd and the Frost Giants, by Neil Gaiman. Both these books pack a wonderful punch, the sort that makes your eyes go big as you read, and both are short and written simply.

The Magnificent 12: the Trap is on tour; I was stop 3, where you can find links to stops 1,2, and 4 (coming next week).

Here's a post on the books that influenced Frances Hardinge (Fly Trap, etc.) at Playing by the Book

And here's a post on the books that influenced JRR Tolkien at The Book Lady's Blog; most interesting to us mg sff fans is the fourth of these:

"The Marvelous Land of the Snergs, by A. E. Wyke-Smith

Tolkien called this 1927 collection of tales about a Hobbit-like character (a Snerg) named Gorbo (who is “only slightly taller than the average table”) a “Sourcebook” for The Hobbit and read the book to his children. Read more about the similarity between Snergs and Hobbits here."

And in other news:

the Hugo Award winners have been announced

Lenore has a recap of Week 3 of her wonderful Dystopian August

And for those of us who might want to live in a fairy tale cottage, here are some of the best around. I don't think I could stand this one:

But I do rather like the low exterior maintenance of this one:

Notes from the Blog Stats--summer reading deadlines approach

I like to look at my blog stats--among other things, it's interesting to see how the google searches that bring readers here change with the seasons. At the end of summer, for instance, it becomes clear which books I've reviewed are required summer reading somewhere out there...and it's interesting, as well, to see the hysteria of the procrastinators growing. From simple, calm, searches on titles this week it will move to desperate scrambling for "10 page book report on [book x]" and "detailed plot summary for [book x]" next week...

This week two books in particular are getting a lot of attention. The first is Red Glass, by Laura Resau. It's a lovely book. Here's my review, written years and years ago, which might actually be useful to someone writing an essay about Resau's Use of Metaphor in Red Glass.

Stuck on Earth, by David Klass ( my review) is the second book. If you haven't read this one yet, do, and then come back if you think the snail creature from space is real! Here's what I said back in the day: "I generally prefer to know it if the narrator is a delusional figment or a real entity, but here the uncertainty worked beautifully, underlining the lack of hard and fast solutions to the problems of Tom's life. As Michelle (the girl next door) puts it: "I'm starting to like you," she confesses, "and I"m not sure whether I'd rather have you turn out to be a crazy boy or a perfectly sane snail creature" (page 175). I am still wondering which I prefer myself.

Both lovely books, so I'm glad they're being read (giving the google searchers the benefit of the doubt).

For those who check their stats as much as I do--can you tell what books from your reviews have been required?

The Magnificent 12: The Trap, Blog Tour Stop 3!

Welcome to Stop #3 on the blog tour of THE MAGNIFICENT 12: THE TRAP!

The Trap (on-sale August 23, 2011) is the second volume of The Magnificent 12, a most excellent fantasy adventure series for young readers by Michael Grant. The first book, The Call, was one of my favorites of 2010--fast paced and laugh-out loud funny-- utterly spot on for its target audience (my review). It was a pleasure to help short list it for the Cybils Awards.

And so I have been awaiting The Trap with keen anticipation, as has my 11 year old son, and now we've read it! Yay!

Here's the blurb: "Mack MacAvoy already answered The Call. Now he must assemble the Magnificent Twelve and avoid The Trap if he’s to save the world from the wicked Pale Queen. But time is short--the Pale Queen’s banishment ends in 35 days and she will be free to destroy the world! Can Mack assemble the Twelve and avoid The Trap?"

The Trap continues the excitement of The Call in fine form--I can guarantee it is a page turner, not only because I have read it myself, but because I have watched my son devouring it before I had a chance to--"It's even better than the first one!" he says. Here's the browse inside widget, if you want to preview it for yourself.

And now, on to the details of the Blog Tour:

To join the adventure, read along as Michael Grant introduces characters new and old from the world of The Magnificent 12 and gives sneak peeks at their adventures in THE TRAP. Each post will also reveal a clue about a worldly location the Magnificent Twelve visit in THE TRAP. Follow Michael Grant and the characters to each blog until you’ve discovered all eight locations. At the final stop on the blog tour, enter all eight locations to win a signed copy of both MAGNIFICENT 12 books!

And so, without further ado, it is an honor and privilege (although a dangerous one, given the sort of girl she is) to bring you Risky!!!!

"Princess Ereskigal, known as Risky to her friends, if she had any, is drop-dead gorgeous. She’s got red hair, green eyes, and an eerie, unworldly beauty that just draws you to her. Unfortunately, she’s also evil. Totally evil. Completely, ruthlessly evil. In THE TRAP, she’s out to stop Mack and the Magnificent Twelve, who are out to stop the return of her mother, the wicked Pale Queen, after a three-thousand-year banishment that will end in 35 days, when she will be free to destroy the world. Got that? Risky = Bad. She sure is nice to look at though, just ask Paddy “Nine Iron” Trout."

Clue: THE TRAP location #3: People say you can see this Chinese monument from space. We’ve never been to space, so we can’t say for sure if that’s true, but it’s definitely HUGE. For a bonus point, build a model of this monument out of 1 million Popsicle sticks. (Note: We lied again. No bonus points. But we’ll help you eat Popsicles if you want.)

Find the next clue Monday at Reading Nook.

And just in case you missed the first two clues, here they are!

Clue: THE TRAP location #1: If you’re in Beijing, China and craving deep-fried crickets, centipedes, and lizards for dinner, this is the place to go. Hint: it’s not McDonald’s!

(At The O.W.L.--visit with Grimluk)

Clue: THE TRAP location #2: With 9,999 rooms, this is the world’s largest surviving palace complex. For 9,999 bonus points, memorize a map of this place. (Note: We lied--there aren’t any bonus points. But if you still want to memorize a map of 9,999 rooms . . . you’re crazy.)

(At Mundie Moms--featuring Mack himself!)

An added bonus--The Magnificent 12 has a fun (my son says so) online community: Play free games, create an avatar, enter sweepstakes, and earn points at www.themag12.com

And finally, here's the trailer for Book 1: The Call

Dragon Castle, by Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac has made a name for himself as a writer of novels, poetry, and short stories drawing on his Abenaki heritage. In Dragon Castle (Dial, 2011, middle grade, 352 pages), he turns to the other side of his family, with a book that draws on the folktales of long ago Slovakia.

In Hladka Hvorka, a castle that legend says was raised from the earth in a single day, there is a huge tapestry depicting the legend of Pavol, who conquered a dragon and defeated the oppressive evil that had overrun his small ancestral homeland. Young Prince Rashko has always been fascinated by the tapestry, whose scenes seem to change in subtle ways every time he stares at it. But little does Rashko know that the darkness that Pavol drove back is about to take over his land once more...and that he himself might be called upon to meet the dragon again....

Rashko knows that his parents and older brother are profoundly lacking in intelligence. So when the evil Baron Temny arrives while his parents are away on a journey down the mysterious fifth direction, to the fairy land that lies just beyond, and his brother becomes besotted by the enchantments of Temny's mysterious daughter, Rashko knows that it's up to him to somehow save his land and its people.

But, as was the case with Pavol before him, Rashko won't be fighting alone. Because many of the old stories are still true...and the castle holds many secrets.

I enjoyed this one lots--it has a beautiful mythic resonance to it, and lots of twists! Not everything, or everyone, is as they seem. Rashko's journey into legend takes the reader there too, and that is a lovely thing. It even has touches of humor, that liven things up nicely, and the dragon is a fascinating being. And it is very character-rich. Action doesn't dominate, although it's there--Rashko has to think, and observe, and even revise his opinion of others in order to succeed.

For the first half (give or take) of the book, Rashko's story alternates with Pavol's, and although both are interesting, it contributed to a somewhat leisurely build-up of story. But once things get going, they get going with a vengeance! Bruchac avoids something that irks me in a number of fantasy adventures--the too-brisk dispatching of the bad guy(s). Instead, his dispatching is a long episode full of the details of the confrontation, and although the introduction of two more-or-less new characters (both girls with phenomenal knife skills) right there at the end seemed a tad surprising/forced, it was still a satisfying way to bring the book to a close.

I'm surprised that this book hasn't gotten more attention around the blogs! Do read it, if you like the sort of books I like--it's not one I'd say is "a must read because I loved it so very much" but one that I liked lots (very much so indeed in places) and ignored my children (poor neglected darlings) in order to finish.

Note on age: it's perfectly fine as a middle grade read, but the complexity and twisty-ness of past and present (and a small bit of threatened violence by the bad guys toward one of the castle girls) might make it better for the older end of that age group, moving YA-ward. So not for nine year olds, but for ten year olds (and up), if that is a meaningful distinction!

Dragonbreath: No Such Thing As Ghosts, by Ursula Vernon

Dragonbreath: No Such Thing As Ghosts, by Ursula Vernon (Dial 2011, middle grade, 208 (small) pages in a generous font with lots of pictures)

It's Halloween, and the young dragon, Danny (dressed as a vampire), and his iguana pal Wendell (dressed as a hydrogen atom) are about to hit the streets. But (horror!) Danny's dad says they're stopping to pick up a lizard classmate named Christina on their way to the candy-filled suburbs...and Christina (dressed as a salmonella bacterium) isn't Danny's favorite person--after all, she doesn't believe that dragons are real.

But when Big Eddy the Komodo Dragon forces Danny and co. to trick or treat at a spooky haunted house, Christina's rational mind is going to be forced to admit that impossible things can exist (poor Wendell had to admit this ages ago, when confronted with sentient potato salad, bat monsters, etc). Trapped by locked doors in the haunted house, Christina is about to face her worst nightmare--a Clown Ghost!!!!! Fortunately, Wendell's mother insisted that he bring a flashlight...

It's all very spooky and entertaining, and boy, was it a pleasure to bring it home and watch my picky readers devour it! It's more text heavy than others in the series--fewer graphic novel-esque scenes, but that just means there's more reading to be done, which is fine with me, and it's slightly less surreal, and more a predictable story, than others in the series (no one can predict, for instance, a sentient potato salad, my favorite character from book 3), but I don't think that's a negative thing--if anything, it broadens the book's appeal.

In short, it's a most satisfactory addition to my beloved Dragonbreath series.

My own favorite part was Christina's logical, intelligent mind--through Christina, the young reader is introduced, for instance, to the principle of Occam's Razor. She is no mere sidekick to Danny and Wendell, but a lead player in unravelling the mystery of the haunted house. Here's her reaction when they finally meet the ghost face to face:

"But your existence postulates the existence of some form of afterlife, so what does that entail? Clearly you can manifest visually and to a limited extent physically, but is your range constrained?" (page 184).

Yay for smart girl lizards!

Here are my thoughts on

Book 1: Dragonbreath
Book 2: Attack of the Ninja Frogs
Book 3: Curse of the Weir-Wiener
Book 4: Lair of the Bat Monster

The chimney sweep cometh....and the books must goeth

Although the specific composition of the book piles has changed somewhat since I took this picture, and the shelf I installed in the downstairs bathtub has taken up some of the over-flow, this is what my wood stove still looks like. Every summer I tidy up the house by piling all my to be read books up neatly on the newly available space.

But summer doesn't last forever. Tomorrow the chimney sweep comes, and soon the leaves will fall and the ice weasels will come down from the north,* and, you know, it's a bad idea to keep books on a hot wood stove.

I have a lot of reading to do tonight. I think the chimney sweep might actually want to be able to get to the chimney....

*a reference to Love is Hell, by Matt Groening-- "Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come." I reference the Ice Weasels a lot in talking about winter with my children.

Time at the Top, by Edward Ormondroyd, for Timeslip Tuesday

Last week I had a lovely visit with my friend Anamaria, of Books Together. It is such a pleasure to chat books and blogs non-stop for several hours with a like-minded reader--our tastes are remarkably similar. And as an added bonus, she sent me home with several time travel books! One of these was Time at the Top, by Edward Ormondroyd (1963, but reprinted in 2003--that's the cover shown at left. The cover of the copy that Anamaria lent me, from the mid-70s, isn't available on line, which is perhaps a good thing...).

One wet March day, the sort of day when everything goes wrong, Susan Shaw comes to the aid of a strange old lady fumbling and dropping her bags in street. By way of thanks, the old lady says, "I'll give you three." Not unnaturally, Susan thinks wishes, but it's something even stranger. And then Susan steps into her apartment building's elevator, and disappears without a trace--the first of three such trips.

The next day a note from Susan is discovered on a scrap of newspaper, reassuring her widowed father that all is well. And two days later, she herself reappears, wearing clothes from eighty years ago, and tells her incredulous father her impossible.

The elevator took her back to 1881, to the home that had once stood in the spot now occupied by apartments. There she met Victoria and Bobby Walker, and their beautiful widowed mother. To Victoria, Susan is clearly the answer to her own wish--that some help would come to foil the designs of the nasty man courting her mother. And so a plot is hatched, one that will require all of Susan's acting skills to carry off.

But when Susan comes home to tell her story to her father, she still has a third trip on the elevator back to the past waiting for her...and the pull of the past, and the Walker family and their lovely home in the country, is strong....and maybe it's time her father married again.

It's a lovely light excursion of a book, one that I enjoyed as an adult, but would have loved to pieces as a child. Susan's time in the past with the Walker children is full of small details, and the difficulties to be faced, and their solution, make for pleasant reading.

Ormandroyd adds interest to the story by framing it from his own point of view as another tenant in the apartment building, watching events unfold as Susan disappears and then returns--it makes it more real, somehow, to have his outsider perspective, and it doesn't intrude on the nice uninterrupted narrative of Susan's own story. But it might make the beginning difficult for the young reader, by making it seem adultish, and it does mean the book is slow to really get going on Susan's own story.

I just saw on Amazon that there is a sequel--All In Good Time--I want it! Time at the Top ends neatly, but with tons of story left untold, and All in Good Time, published 12 years later, fills in that missing space.

(Oh the wonder of computerized library catalogues! I have just requested All in Good Time, and might even have it read in time for next Timeslip Tuesday....)

I just found that both these books are being reissued as a single volume from Purple House Press this very fall!!! I like the cover:

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

Just in case you needed more books to read (which I don't. I really really don't and even if the library gets these in I'm going to read what's in the house first I promise....sigh). The blurbs are lifted straight from Amazon (sorry, no time for quotes tonight), and my information comes from Teens Read Too.

Middle Grade Books (for 9-12 year olds. -ish).

THE AUSTRALIAN BOOMERANG BONANZA: FLAT STANLEY'S WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES by Jeff Brown There’s no place on Earth a flat kid can’t go!

G’day, Stanley! Stanley and his brother, Arthur, have just won a trip to Australia! They fly down under on a private jet and go diving in the Great Barrier Reef. But when Arthur launches him into the air for a game of boomerang, Stanley is accidentally sent spinning into an amazing adventure deep in the heart of the Australian outback!

THE BLACK HEART CRYPT: A HAUNTED MYSTERY by Chris Grabenstein Halloween is nearing, the one day of the year when the ghostly plane is close enough to the human plane to allow mischief and mayhem. But the ghosts who have their eye on Zack aren't thinking mischief, they are thinking murder.

In this fourth volume of Chris Grabenstein's popular Haunted Mysteries series, Zack must once again do battle with malevolent spirits. And with his usual pluck, and the assistance of three dotty aunts, he must save his town from a 200-year-old threat.

BYE FOR NOW: A WISHERS STORY by Kathleen Churchyard The candles dripped onto the icing as Robin deliberated. What could she possibly wish? She wanted to wake up the next day and learn all her problems were gone. But since her problems weren’t going to disappear, she didn’t want to be Robin anymore.

“I wish I was somebody else,” Robin wished. And in that moment, she meant it. She blew out the candles.

After the worst eleventh birthday ever, Robin wakes up the next morning in the body of Fiona, an eleven-year-old girl from London with an amazing life. Fiona is gorgeous, with glamorous parents, and she’s the star of a major theatrical production. Why would Fiona have wished herself out of her own body? Slowly, Robin discovers a whole network of girls like her—girls who have gotten their wish and are living somebody else’s life. But what happens when Robin finally decides she wants to go home? Does anybody in the Wishers network know how to make this happen?

In this exciting first novel, Kathleen Churchyard asks: What if you wished for someone else’s life—and it came true?

DIARY OF A ZOMBIE KID by Fred Perry Middle school is horrific enough for any 5th grader's first day. But for Bill Dookes, it's a festering, rotting, undead nightmare! Since Bill's deadbeat dad got arrested trying to burn the house down for the insurance, Mom's had to make ends meet by volunteering to various medical research companies for cash. This would be fine if she hadn't brought home a mysterious zombie virus! Now Bill has to deal with skin problems and body chemistry changes that make puberty look like a walk in the park! And then there's his ever-growing appetite for BRAINS!

THE DRAGON'S TOOTH: ASHTOWN BURIALS by N. D. Wilson For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room.

Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals who have terrorized the world for millennia.

THE EXQUISITE CORPSE ADVENTURE: AN EPISODIC STORY GAME PLAYED BY 20 CELEBRATED AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS by The National Children's Book and Literary AllianceIt all starts with a train rushing through the night. . . . Well, actually, it starts when Jon Scieszka, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, writes a cliff-hanger episode and passes it on to the next member of a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who continues the story and passes it on. And what happens between episodes one and twenty-seven? Think werewolves and mad scientists, a talking pig, plenty of explosions, a blue Star Wars lunchbox, two meatballs, a whole army of villains and varmints, and one just plain bad egg. Not to mention our heroes, eleven-year-old twins Nancy and Joe, raised in a circus, who must find the pieces of a Top-Secret Robot in order to rescue their parents before . . . tick, tick, tick!

FREDDY! LOCKED IN SPACE by Peter Hannan It’s not easy being king. . . .

King Freddy has been blasted billions of miles into space, the evil Wizbad is holding Freddy’s family hostage in the boiling Flurbian desert, and Freddy’s sister, Babette, is being forced into battle against his sidekick, Glyzix! Things are looking pretty bad—but Freddy wasn’t made supreme ruler of Flurb for nothing! Can he get back to Flurb in time to beat the bad guys, save the day, and take back his throne?

GNOME INVASION: FOURTH GRADE FAIRY by Eileen Cook The third in a series of books about Willow's adventures as she masters her secret fairy powers, navigates sprite training, tries to ignore her perfect older sister, and maintains a friendship with Katie, the most un-normal of humans. Willow Avery seems to be advancing in her fairy training with alarming speed. In addition to being able to talk to animals (a very unusual power), she can also fly! But it isn't all good news. Willow's human bff, Katie, has discovered that fairies exist and that's put the Averys in a difficult position. They're under review from the Fairy Council as to what humans' knowledge of fairies could mean. Meanwhile, Willow is entering the school science fair and she's vowed not to use her magic to help her win. So she tests different methods of watering plants the old fashioned way: trial and error. However, a vindictive garden gnome, Jakob DeGroot, is appalled at her plant abuse and does everything in his power to thwart her science project. Of course, drama continues with Bethany and Katie, and new crush Nathan at school. And it looks like Jakob might be meddling with her human classmates' projects too! Can Willow stop the meddling gnome and still be able to compete--all without magic?

GOOD CURSES EVIL: VILLAIN SCHOOL by Stephanie S. Sanders Rune Drexler, Big Bad Wolf Jr., and Countess Jezebel Dracula are students at Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains. It's like military school for the children of famous villains; it's where you learn to be bad. But Rune is failing at his villainous studies, so when he lands himself in detention (again), Master Dreadthorn assigns him a Plot. In one week, Rune and his friends must find a henchman, steal a baby, kidnap a princess, and overthrow a kingdom. There's only one problem: Rune's not very evil. In fact, his behavior seems suspiciously heroic. . . .
This hilarious adventure stretches across a fairy tale world where the mistakes of famous villains become valuable lessons for our heroes-er, villains.

THE OGRE OF OGLEFORT by Eva Ibbotson For excitement-hungry orphan Ivo, a mission to save Princess Mirella from the dreaded Ogre of Oglefort is a dream come true. Together with a hag, a wizard, and a troll, Ivo sets out, ready for adventure. But when they get to the ogre's castle, the rescuers are in for a surprise: the princess doesn't need saving, but the depressed ogre does! It's a warmhearted, hilarious romp in the tradition of Roald Dahl, with enough creepy magic, ghosts, and laughs to make even the saddest ogre smile.

READY FOR A SCARE?: YOU'RE INVITED TO A CREEPOVER by P.J. Night

Birthday girl and queen of all things spooky, Kelly Garcia is all set to have the perfect night. First her parents are going out of town. And although they hired a babysitter, Kelly is excited to basically be on her own. And then there's the sleepover she's having—a virtual, webcam sleepover where she and her friends can scare each other silly by telling ghost stories and summoning the spirit of Miss Mary, a woman from their small town who died tragically a long time ago. But when her friends start disappearing one by one and the babysitter is nowhere to be found, Kelly starts getting scared . . . for real. Is Miss Mary's ghost kidnapping everyone? Will Kelly be next?

ROSE'S STORY: THE VERY LITTLE PRINCESS by Marion Dane Bauer Rose is a wild child. She doesn't care what her mother or teacher or schoolmates say—she does what she wants. When she finds a delicate china doll in the attic, she takes it. Then the doll comes to life in her hand. She's loud, obnoxious, selfishly bossy, and claims that she's a princess and Rose is her servant. But she's also tiny and fragile. She needs Rose to keep her safe. And maybe Rose needs Princess Regina, too.

RULE THE SCHOOL by Vordak the Incomprehensible Greetings, goobers! After my latest experiment worked a little too well—transforming my rather fetching figure into something significantly smaller—I’ve been forced to return to those halls of horror better known as . . . school. But going back to junior high may be my greatest opportunity for mayhem in many a month! Try to keep up as I:

• Dramatically defeat the daily dangers of schooldom—even though everyone is against me.
• Strive to win the junior high presidential election by alerting my fellow students to the wonderfulness of Vordak the Incomprehensible, as well as the yuck-ness of my opponent, Marlena Lurchburger.
• Mastermind a catastrophic career day, where that disgusting do-gooder Commander Virtue will finally, fiendishly be foiled.

Fortunately for you, I have recorded every mischievous moment within these carefully crafted covers so that you may bask in my brilliance as I plot to RULE THE SCHOOL . . . and, eventually, THE WORLD! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!

SKARY CHILDRIN AND THE CAROUSEL OF SORROW by Katy Towell Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface . . .

Adelaide Foss, Maggie Borland, and Beatrice Alfred are known by their classmates at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls as "scary children." Unfairly targeted because of their peculiarities—Adelaide has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie is abnormally strong, and Beatrice claims to be able to see ghosts—the girls spend a good deal of time isolated in the school's inhospitable library facing detention. But when a number of people mysteriously begin to disappear in Widowsbury, the girls work together, along with Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard School for Boys, to find out who is behind the abductions. Will they be able to save Widowsbury from a 12-year-old curse?

SEASON OF THE COLD MOON by Dianne C. Stewart More trouble...
Seventh-grader Anthony Wescott has escaped from a pirate, altered history, and helped capture criminals. In the finale of the Quimbaya trilogy, he longs for his time-traveling days while dodging the bullies of Jefferson Bainbridge Middle School. Lured by historical accounts of an unsolved mystery in their quiet town, Anthony convinces his sister, Liv, and best friend, Cal, to travel to the 1830s to solve it. But what happens next is not in their plans...

More danger...Anthony is kidnapped in 1838, and the fearless Cherokee boy who rescues him fails to escape the Trail of Tears as he was meant to do. Is Anthony willing to put his life on the line to save Daniel Kingfisher?

More adventure...For help, the three young people call on former pirate Robert Morehouse, who has perfected his survival skills across four centuries. By stagecoach, steamboat, and on horseback, they pursue Daniel and his captors. But the 1830s are a turbulent time in the young nation of America, and when the Season of the Cold Moon arrives early, Anthony must reach deep inside himself and learn the real meaning of courage.

TORN: THE MISSING by Margaret Peterson Haddix Still reeling from their experiences in Roanoke in 1600, Jonah and Katherine arrive in 1611 only moments before a mutiny on Henry Hudson’s ship in the icy waters of James Bay. But things are messed up: they’ve lost the real John Hudson, and they find what seems to be the fabled Northwest Passage—even though they are pretty sure that that route doesn’t actually exist. Will this new version of history replace the real past? Is this the end of time as we know it? With more at stake than ever before, Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage...before everything they know is lost.

THE TRAP: THE MAGNIFICENT 12 by Michael Grant n the thrilling second book of the Magnificent 12 series, Mack MacAvoy is challenged by his spectral mentor, Grimluk—who only appears in the shiny chrome pipes of bathrooms.

Mack must find the ancient ones, the great forgotten forces. Some will help; some not so much. But above all—

• Learn the ways of Vargran!
• Assemble the twelve!
• Go to the nine dragons of Daidu.
• Go to the Egge rocks.
• Beware of . . . the trap.

Time is short! The wicked Pale Queen’s three-thousand-year banishment ends in thirty-five days, and she will be free to destroy the world. It’s up to Mack to stop her return. But what do all of Grimluk’s clues mean? Can Mack achieve everything he must do without getting killed by the evil Risky—and escape the trap?

THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

THE WHITE CITY: THE CLOCKWORK DARK by John Claude Bemis In The Nine Pound Hammer, John Bemis introduced middle-grade readers to a whole new approach to epic fantasy, founded on characters and themes from American mythology and lore, including the legend of John Henry. Now in the third and final book, the heroes come together at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago for a final confrontation with a businessman and tycoon who is in fact an ageless evil known as the Gog. With his Dark Machine, he intends to bend the world to his ruthless vision of progress and efficiency. It's man versus machine all over again, fighting for the soul of humanity in front of Ferris's Wheel.

WILDWOOD by Colin Meloy Prue McKeel’s life is ordinary. At least until her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. And then things get really weird. You see, on every map of Portland, Oregon, there is a big splotch of green on the edge of the city labeled “I.W.” This stands for “Impassable Wilderness.” No one’s ever gone in—or at least returned to tell of it.

And this is where the crows take her brother.

So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

Wildwood is a spellbinding tale full of wonder, danger, and magic that juxtaposes the thrill of a secret world and modern city life. Original and fresh yet steeped in classic fantasy, this is a novel that could have only come from the imagination of Colin Meloy, celebrated for his inventive and fantastic storytelling as the lead singer of the Decemberists. With dozens of intricate and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Carson Ellis, Wildwood is truly a new classic for the twenty-first century.

ZOMBIE ATTACK: A SURVIVAL MANUAL by Joel Levy (sorry, no blurb for this one on Amazon...)

The Young Adult Books (for readers older than 12 or whatever)

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake as Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

THE APPRENTICESHIP OF VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN: THIS DARK ENDEAVOR by Kenneth Oppel Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.

They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Elizabeth, Henry, and Victor immediately set out to find assistance in a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrads life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

BEYOND THE GRAVE: PAST MIDNIGHT by Mara Purnhagen I can't move forward with my life, until I know my demons are confined to the past…

Being Charlotte Silver, the daughter of famous paranormal investigators, means my life isn't like that of other teenage girls. Especially after what happened to my parents. Things changed. I missed prom and deferred my big college plans. But I still have my boyfriend, Noah. He's everything I could want—if I can figure out what's up with him. Suddenly Noah is secretive.

I fear it has something to do with what happened to us three months ago. The bruise Noah suffered during a paranormal attack has never completely faded. Now I've learned Noah is researching demons. And when he disappears, it's up to me to find him—before something else does.

BLOOD ON THE MOON by Jennifer Knight As Faith Reynolds enters her freshman year of college, she is a complete and utter nervous wreck. With her best friend Derek suddenly pulling out the romance card and her dark, mysterious classmate staring her down at every turn, Faith somehow feels stuck in the middle without dating either one. And fortune may or may not be with her when a devilshly sexy stranger offers her a welcome escape.

Boys, romance, classes, and annoying roommates are all within the realm of the expected for a college frosh. Trying to solve the mysterious murders of young college coeds near campus is not. Darkness seems to be creeping into every corner of Faith's life, no matter the hour. And when she seeks the truth, danger seems to be the only thing that finds her.

Faith is well aware of the strange currents in the air, particularly when she sets off static sparks with everything she touches. Before long, she finds herself entrenched in the deep-seeded battle between werewolves and vampires. The war has reached the tipping point, and Faith has the power to determine where the scales fall. But the most important question may be with whom does her loyalty lie?

BLOODLINES by Richelle Mead When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

DAMNED by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie There is a fine line between love and sacrifice….

Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.

Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.

THE DEATH CATCHERS by Jennifer Anne Kogler On her fourteenth Halloween, Lizzy Mortimer sees her first death-specter.

Confused at first, Lizzy soon learns from her grandmother Bizzy that as Death Catchers, they must prevent fate from taking its course when an unjust death is planned-a mission that has been passed down from their ancestor, Morgan le Fay. Only, Lizzy doesn't expect one of her first cases to land her in the middle of a feud older than time between Morgan le Fay and her sister Vivienne le Mort. Vivienne hopes to hasten the end of the world by preventing Lizzy from saving King Arthur's last descendant-humanity's greatest hope for survival. It's up to Lizzy, as Morgan's earthly advocate, to outwit fate before it's too late.

With its unique spin on Arthurian legend, this fresh, smartly written story will stand out in the paranormal genre.

DIVINER: DRAGONS OF STARLIGHT by Bryan Davis The mysteries unfold As a Starlighter, Koren knows her destiny is to save her fellow human slaves from the dragons' bondage---but by following the orders of the smooth-talking dragon king, Taushin, has she in fact doomed her people and herself? As Koren struggles over her choices, Elyssa discovers a new aspect to her Diviner gifts when her pendant begins to unlock mysteries surrounding the stardrops from the Exodus star. Soon Elyssa, along with Jason and his father, also discover new truths behind the dragons' prophecy and learn that Randall has teamed with Magnar and Arxad to wage battle against Taushin's followers. With a major war imminent and talk of a new Starlighter in the air, confusion and uncertainty reign---something Taushin might have planned for all along.

DUST & DECAY by Jonathan Maberry Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them.

Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland –where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all…could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive.

ENVY: EMPTY COFFIN by Gregg Olsen Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

THE FOX INHERITANCE by Mary E. Pearson Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

THE GRAY WOLF THRONE: A SEVEN REALMS NOVEL by Cinda Williams Chima Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

HADES: HALO by Alexandra Adornetto Heaven Help Her.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

THE JEWEL AND THE KEY by Louise Spiegler An earthquake and the discovery of a mysterious antique mirror unleash forces that jolt sixteen-year-old Addie McNeal back to 1917 Seattle, just as the United States is entering World War I. Addie finds herself shuttling back and forth between past and present, drawn in both times to the grand Jewel Theater. In both decades the existence of the Jewel is threatened and war is looming . . . and someone she cares about is determined to fight. Eventually, Addie realizes that only she has the key to saving the Jewel—and the lives of her friends. But will she figure out how to manipulate the intricately woven threads of time and truly set things right?

NOCTURNE by Christine Johnson Claire couldn’t be happier that her life has finally settled down. She’s been fully initiated into her family’s pack of female werewolves, her best friend Emily is back in town, and she’s finally allowed to be with Matthew, the human love of her life. But when a new girl arrives, everything starts to unravel. Not only is the intruder getting close to Claire’s best friend and boyfriend, but she may also know more about Claire than she’s letting on. If Claire’s secret gets out it breaks all the rules of the pack, and the consequences may be more than Claire can handle....

PERCY JERKSON AND THE OVOLACTOVEGETARIANS by Stefan Petrucha “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” gets carved up by Rick Parker and Stefan Petrucha in the third installment from PAPERCUTZ SLICES. The epic fantasy series is extremely popular with readers of all ages and backgrounds, making it a prime target for the parody duo of Parker and Petrucha, from whom no Young Adult Bestseller is safe!

PICKING UP THE GHOST by Tone Milazzo Living in St. Jude, a 110-year-old dying city on the edge of the Mississippi, is tough. But when a letter informs fourteen-year-old Cinque Williams of the passing of the father he never met, he is faced with an incomplete past and an uncertain future. A curse meant for his father condemns Cinque to a slow death even as it opens his eyes to the strange otherworld around him. With help from the ghost Willy T, an enigmatic White Woman named Iku, an African Loa, and a devious shape-shifter, Cinque gathers the tools to confront the ghost of his dead father. But he will learn that sometimes too much knowledge can be dangerous - and the people he trusts most are those poised to betray him.

POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her over-protective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, the voices are demons—and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Literally.

Terrified to tell her friends or family about this new power, Bridget confides in San Francisco’s senior exorcist, Monsignor Renault. The monsignor enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession, but just as she is starting to come to terms with her freakish new role, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. And when one of her oldest friends is killed, Bridget realizes she’s in deeper than she ever thought possible. Now she must unlock the secret to the demons’ plan before someone else close to her winds up dead—or worse, the human vessel for a demon king.

THE POWER OF SIX: LORIEN LEGACIES by Pittacus Lore I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive. And I'm ready to fight.

SOUL THIEF: A DEMON TRAPPERS NOVEL by Jana Oliver Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever….

SWEETLY by Jackson Pearce As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

SWITCH by Tish Cohen Careful. Some wishes do come true.

When you have 37 siblings, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Andrea Birch feels totally ignored by her parents even though she’s their only biological child. The constant revolving door at her house full of foster kids can be cool sometimes, but really it just makes Andrea sad.

Still there’s one thing—one hot person—who makes Andrea happy: Will Sherwood. Only he’s dating Joules Adams…the girl with the perfect life. She’s got the perfect body, the perfect clothes, and she’s the daughter of a famous rock star. Andrea would give anything to switch places with Joules.

But when her wish comes true, Andrea’s new life isn’t dream scenario she envisioned. In fact, it turns out to be the one wish she didn’t want to come true. Will she ever be able to switch back?

TANTALIZE: KIEREN'S STORY by Cynthia Leitich Smith As a hybrid werewolf, Kieren is destined to join an urban Wolf pack and learn to master his shift. Soon, he’ll leave everything behind: home, school, his family, and Quincie, his human best friend . . . who’s beginning to be a whole lot more than a friend. For years, Kieren has managed to keep his desires— and his wolf— at bay. But when the chef at Quincie’ s family restaurant is brutally murdered, Kieren resolves to be there for her, even if it means being framed. Even if it means watching Quincie’s beloved restaurant morph into a vampire lair. But when the new chef begins wooing her, how long can Kieren control his claws? How long can he protect Quincie— and himself? In an elegant graphic edition featuring cinematic sequential art by debut artist Ming Doyle and lush, romantic cover art by Sam Weber , bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith re-envisions her delicious dark fantasy through wolfish eyes.

TWISTED: INTERTWINED by Gena Showalter His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

UNWELCOME: ARCHANGEL ACADEMY by Michael Griffo At Archangel Academy, Michael Howard has found new friends, new love, and a place that feels more like home than Nebraska ever did. But the most important gift the school has given him is immortality. Life as a just-made vampire is challenging for Michael, even with Ronan, an experienced vamp, to guide him. Michael's abilities are still raw and unpredictable. The ancient feud between rival vampire species is sending ripples of discord through the school, and the new headmaster's charismatic front hides a powerful and very personal agenda. Yet everything Michael's discovers about the Academy pales compared to what he's learning about himself. And choosing the wrong person to trust - or to love - could lead to an eternity of regret...

VAMPIRE ACADEMY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Richelle Mead
After two years on the run, best friends Rose and Lissa are caught and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, a private high school for vampires and half-bloods. It's filled with intrigue, danger - and even romance. Enter their dark, fascinating world through a new series of 144-page full-color graphic novels. The entire first Vampire Academy novel has been adapted for book one by Leigh Dragoon and overseen by Richelle Mead, while the beautiful art of acclaimed British illustrator Emma Vieceli brings the story to life.

WITCHLANDERS by Lena Coakley High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future. It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.