New releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens--the first half of Nov. 2011 edition

Here are the new releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teens coming out from the first to the fourteenth of November. My informtion comes from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs from Goodreads/Amazon.

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE GRADE

AT FIRST BITE by Ruth Ames "Ashlee Lambert, the queen bee from THIS TOTALLY BITES, has had a tough time ever since she became a full-fledged vampire. But now that she's moving from New York City to sunny Los Angeles, she's excited to make a fresh new start.

But Ashlee never counted on a clique of popular mean girls or awful sunburns. Keeping her huge secret is suddenly harder than ever. And when something -- or someone -- starts attacking people at her school, Ashlee realizes she's not the only vampire in town. It's up to Ashlee to figure out who's behind the attacks before her cover is blown forever!"

THE CHALLENGE OF SAMUKAI: NINJAGO GRAPHIC NOVEL by Greg Farshtey "The “Masters of Spinjitsu” come to Papercutz in their first graphic novel appearance written by Greg Farshtey, the hit force behind the LEGO BIONICLE series. Under the tutelage of their master Sensei Wu, the “chosen four” ninjas Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane must learn to use their elemental powers of fire, ice, lightning and earth. Their mission: defeat Sensei Wu’s evil brother Garmadon and his army of skeleton warriors before they can take over the world!"

THE CURSE OF THE PONY VAMPIRES: FETLOCKS HALL by Babette Cole "Young girls who love ponies and magic will not be able to resist the exciting adventures of Penny Simms. Set in an equestrian boarding school, Penny and her best friend Pip encounter a group of pony vampires. Can Penny manage to rid the school of unwelcome guests?"

THE DEAD GENTLEMAN by Matthew Cody "The dead are up and walking, and the Gentleman is at the door...

Featuring a kid hero, time travel, and otherworld portals in unexpected places (maybe there are monsters under your bed), The Dead Gentleman is a wild ride between parallel New York City timestreams—1901 and today. Eleven-year-old Tommy Learner is a street orphan and an unlikely protege to the Explorers, a secret group dedicated to exploring portals—the hidden doorways to other worlds. But while investigating an attercop (man-eating spider) in the basement of an old hotel, Tommy is betrayed—and trapped. And it's then that his world collides with that of modern-day Jezebel Lemon, who—until the day she decides to explore her building's basement—had no bigger worries than homework and boys. Now, Jezebel and Tommy must thwart the Dead Gentleman—a legendary villain whose last unconquered world is our own planet Earth, a realm where the dead stay dead. Until now. Can two kids put an end to this ancient evil and his legions of Gravewalkers?"

THE ENCHANTED PONY: FETLOCKS HALL by Babette Cole "Young girls who love ponies and magic will not be able to resist the exciting adventures of Penny Simms. Set in an equestrian boarding school, Penny and her best friend Pip encounter a world of mystical horses. Can Penny manage to save Pip's parents from an enchanted spell?"

EXTRATERRESTRIAL COMPENDIUM by Pat Lee "Just in time for the approach of the reputedly transformative year 2012, a comprehensive collection of extraterrestrial life-forms as visualized and vividly-rendered by Pat Lee of Transformers, DC, and Marvel comics fame. Within the UFO and exopolitics communities, there is both debate and consensus about many of the "known" extraterrestrial races, but seldom have they been revealed in this level of detail. To the believer, the curious, or just open-minded, the Extraterrestrial Compendium provides fuel for thought."

FELINE CHARM: POCKET CATS by Kitty Wells "The third Pocket Cat has come to life, and this time the problem that needs solving is in Maddy's ballet class. Ollie's tingling whiskers tell him that Maddy's best friend is about to give up on ballet, even though she loves it. When Maddy uses her new magic power to boost Rachel's confidence, Rachel lands the star part in the ballet school's big show . . . and Maddy is desperately jealous. On opening night, Rachel needs the cat magic more than ever, but is Maddy strong enough to put her best friend first?"

THE GRAVE ROBBERS OF GENGHIS KHAN: CHILDREN OF THE LAMP by P.B. Kerr
"Djinn twins John and Philippa are off on another enchanting, and dangerous, adventure in the last book in the bestselling Children of the Lamp series. As volcanoes begin erupting all over the world, spilling golden lava, the twins must go on a hunt for the wicked djinn who wants to rob the grave of the great Genghis Khan. Can the twins stop this latest disaster before the world is overwhelmed?

Join John and Philippa, their parents, Uncle Nimrod, and Groanin as they must defeat an evil more powerful than any they've ever faced before. . . ."

HAILEY TWITCH AND THE WEDDING GLITCH by Lauren Barnholdt "The next installment in this hilarious and heartwarming series featuring a seven-year-old mastermind who tries really hard not to blame her invisible friend for getting her into heaps of delicious trouble. Hailey's magic sprite, Maybelle, has finally gotten control of her magic! Does that mean that Maybelle no longer needs Hailey? As if that's not enough to worry Hailey, now she's got her hands full being a flower girl in her aunt's wedding."

HOW TO BREAK A DRAGON'S HEART: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON by Cressida Cowell "Stranded on the exceptionally dangerous, and possibly haunted, Beach of the Broken Heart, Hiccup must face Ug the Uglithug and complete the Impossible Task--or die trying. Along the way, he'll have to battle Berserks, dodge Scarers, and save Fishlegs from being fed to the Beast, all while being hunted down by an old enemy with a dark secret about the mysterious Lost Throne. With Toothless by his side, and time to stage his rescue running out, what's a Hero to do?"

LITTLE WOMEN AND ME by Lauren Baratz-Logsted "Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite."

MADAME PAMPLEMOUSSE AND THE ENCHANTED SWEET SHOP by Rupert Kingfisher "Set in Paris in the wintertime, beloved bakers Madeleine and Madame Pamplemousse return in a deliciously sweet, fairy tale-esque adventure. Madeleine is thrilled to make a new friend, Madame Bonbon, owner of an enchanted sweet shop where the candy itself has magical powers. But Madame Bonbon is actually someone else in disguise—an old enemy from Madame Pamplemousse’s past who has come to Paris seeking revenge…"

MOUSENET by Prudence Breitrose "When ten-year-old Megan helps her uncle invent the Thumbtop, the world’s smallest computer, mice are overjoyed, and they want one for every mouse hole.

The Big Cheese, leader of the Mouse Nation, has orders: follow that girl—even if it means high-tailing it to Megan’s new home on the other side of the country. While Megan struggles as the new girl, the mice watch, waiting for their chance. But when they tell Megan the biggest secret in the history of the world—mice have evolved, and they need her help—she isn’t sure anyone will believe her. With all of Mouse Nation behind her, Megan could become the most powerful girl alive, but just how will she create a Thumptop for every mouse?"

MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE by Anna Staniszewski "You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies." Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win."

THE OUTCASTS: BROTHERBAND CHRONICLES by John Flanagan "They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger's Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books."

SET ME FREE: TOMORROW GIRLS by Eva Gray "In a terrifying future world, four girls must depend on each other if they want to survive.

Maddie is ready for action. Louisa, Evelyn, and Rosie helped rescue her from the Alliance's grasp, and she's learned an enormous, game-changing secret: her mother is the leader of the Resistance!

But reuniting with her long-absent mother is not going to be easy. As Maddie and her friends set out to find the Resistance headquarters, they are relentlessly pursued by the Alliance. Worst of all, members of their group have gone missing in the middle of rubble-strewn Chicago.

Maddie and her friends have earned their battle scars, courage, and strength. But at this darkest hour, will they be able to make it back to their families . . . and freedom."

SNOW IN SUMMER: FAIREST OF THEM ALL by Jane Yolen "With her black hair, red lips, and lily-white skin, Summer is as beautiful as her father's garden. And her life in the mountains of West Virginia seems like a fairy tale; her parents sing and dance with her, Cousin Nancy dotes on her, and she is about to get a new baby brother. But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking Summer's mama with him, Summer's fairy-tale life turns grim. Things get even worse when her father marries a woman who brings poisons and magical mirrors into Summer's world. Stepmama puts up a pretty face, but Summer suspects she's up to no good - and is afraid she's powerless to stop her.

This Snow White tale filled with magic and intrigue during the early twentieth century in Appalachia will be hard to forget."

SOUND BENDER by Lin Oliver & Theo Baker "After their parents' plane goes down over the ocean, Leo and his brother Hollis are forced into the custody of their rich and enigmatic uncle Crane, a dealer of rare and probably illicit antiques. But almost as soon as he's settled--or as close to settled as he can get in the bleak Brooklyn mansion, surrounded by his uncle's dubious staff--Leo receives a mysterious package his father put together long ago, to be opened on his 13th birthday. With the package, Leo discovers he has an amazing ability. He can hear the history of any object by touching it. But when Leo finds a strange helmet buried among his uncle's artifacts, and hears a pained cry coming from it, a mystery unravels as to its origin."

SUCKED UNDER: MONSTRUM HOUSE by Z. Fraillon "Jasper McPhee pulled himself over the top of the icy wall. He landed lightly on his bare feet and rolled across the snowy ground, just dodging the swinging blades that whooshed from the tree tops. That was close, he thought. He shot a quick look at his watch. He had two minutes left to finish the combat course. He might just make it.

It's exam time at Monstrum House, and the top students in Jasper's year will be rewarded. They'll get to hunt a monster that lives at the bottom of the lake and likes to drown people for fun—so, maybe it's just as well that Jasper hasn't studied. Life's never easy when you're a student at the Monstrum house."

TAKEN OVER: MONSTRUM HOUSE by Z. Fraillon "It was a stupid thing to do. A very, very stupid thing to do. Jasper McPhee wished he hadn’t done it. He wished he hadn’t even thought about doing it. But he had. The stupid thought had scuttled into his head, and before he had a chance to shoo it back out, he had done it. And now he was in serious trouble.

Jasper has not had a good start to the year—the prefects are out to get him, he hasn't done his homework, and a bunch of vicious monsters are laying their eggs all over his school. Jasper and his friends need to stop the monsters' eggs from hatching before it's too late and they take over, but hunting these monsters is more dangerous than Jasper realizes. The hatchlings need to eat something, and it could be him!"

THE TWILIGHT CIRCUS: WOLVEN by Di Toft "Werewolves, vampires, furry little monsters: It's a three-ring circus of spooky!

After dodging mutant werewolves and mad scientists all summer, Nat and Woody have joined the Twilight Circus of Illusion, hoping it might bring them closer to Nat's fugitive dad or, just maybe, any surviving members of Woody's long-lost Wolven clan. But instead they end up in a stinking pile of peril! A pair of strange secret agents is sniffing out their every step, while underneath the big top the boys meet a brand-new batty batch of evil: a black widow vampire and her horrifying hive! Will they escape her sticky web so that they can search for the noble Wolven? And now that Nat has Wolven blood, too, how -- when?! -- is HE about to change?"

WE DINE WITH CANNIBALS: AN ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURE by C. Alexander London "When we last saw Oliver and Celia Navel, they had fallen into the clutches of Sir Edmund S. Titheltorpe-Schmidt III and were doomed to spend their entire summer vacation doing his deadly bidding.

In their second unwanted adventure, We Dine with Cannibals, Oliver and Celia will travel from the ruins of ancient temples to the shadowy forests of the Amazon. They'll need all their reality TV survival skills when they ride a llama, race the rapids, and even fly an airplane! If that's not enough excitement for you (it is decidedly too much excitement for Oliver and Celia Navel), they'll be forced to learn the proper etiquette for a cannibal feast and confront the strangest and most brutal rite of passage ever devised by human imagination: dodgeball."

THE WITCH'S REVENGE by D.A. Nelson "Two months after she saved the Eye of Lornish, a large white stone that prevents the magical kingdom of Mor from being discovered, Morag is adjusting to life in the secret northern kingdom. But dark dreams trouble her, and a series of unsolved robberies proves that even with the protection of her friends—Shona the dragon, Bertie the dodo, and Aldiss the rat—Morag is still not safe."

YOUNG ADULT

BRIMSTONE ANGELS: A FORGOTTEN REALMS NOVEL by Erin M. Evans
CROSSED by Ally Condie
DARK EDEN by Patrick Carman
DARK INSIDE by Jeyn Roberts
DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL by Leanna Renee Hieber
DON'T EXPECT MAGIC by Kathy McCullough
EXTRAORDINARY*: THE TRUE STORY OF MY FAIRY GODPARENT, WHO ALMOST KILLED ME, AND CERTAINLY NEVER MADE ME A PRINCESS by Adam Selzer
FIRST DAY ON EARTH by Cecil Castellucci
IBOY by Kevin Brooks
LAST BREATH: THE MORGANVILLE VAMPIRES by Rachel Caine
LIAR'S MOON by Elizabeth C. Bunce
MIND'S EYE by Gillian Philip
THE PACKAGE: NOVE'S CURSE by Lisa Naraine
PAST CONTINUOUS by K. Ryer Breese
PRIZED: BIRTHMARKED by Caragh M. O'Brien
RECKONING: A STRANGE ANGELS NOVEL by Lili St. Crow
THE RIPPER: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, STEFAN'S DIARIES by Kevin Williamson & Julie Plec
RISING TIDE by Anne Rooney
THE SPACE BETWEEN by Brenna Yovanoff
TIGER'S VOYAGE: THE TIGER'S CURSE by Colleen Houck
TOUCH: A DENAZEN NOVEL by Jus Accardo
UNISON SPARK by Andy Marino
WITCH HAZEL: VOODOO ISLAND by Kevin Buell

Waiting on Wednesday--Little Women and Me

I am always looking out for time travel stories, in as much as I post about one every Tuesday (or sometimes Wednesday, as will be the case this week). Here's one that's coming out in just a few days, that I'm really looking forward to:

Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Bloomsbury, November 8, 320 pages)

"Emily is sick and tired of being a middle sister. So when she gets an assignment to describe what she'd change about a classic novel, Emily pounces on Little Women. After all, if she can't change things in her own family, maybe she can bring a little justice to the March sisters. (Kill off Beth? Have cute Laurie wind up with Amy instead of Jo? What was Louisa May Alcott thinking?!) But when Emily gets mysteriously transported into the 1860s world of the book, she discovers that righting fictional wrongs won't be easy. And after being immersed in a time and place so different from her own, it may be Emily-not the four March sisters-who undergoes the most surprising change of all. Lauren Baratz-Logsted's winning confection will appeal to fans of Little Women as well as anyone who enjoys a modern twist on an old favorite."

This seems to be one written with fans of Little Women in mind, and since I can practically recite it from memory (favorite line, just because I like Amy best--"I'm glad mine's blue"), I fit the bill beautifully. I enjoyed seeing the March sisters from the perspective of twentieth century kids in The Time Garden, by Edward Eager...and I'm looking forward to meeting them again!

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

The Afterlife, by Gary Soto

There are a number of books next to me as I type, waiting to be reviewed, but in an effort to be Seasonally Appropriate, I picked the ghost story.

That being said, The Afterlife, by Gary Soto (Harcourt, 2003, 168 pages), is something of an un-deadish sort of ghost story. Sure, the main character, Chuy, is dead--knifed because made the wrong comment the wrong time. But he's still very much a Mexican Americn teenaged boy, still tied to the real world of Fresno, CA. Although Chuy does have ghostly superpowers, as it were, and no-one living can see him, Soto is not particularly concerned with not with exploring the supernatural. Rather, the reader is given the reactions of those who knew and loved Chuy, and, in turn, his reactions and realizations, as death gives him the perspective that allows him to really see his own life.

It's not all listening in on conversations, though. Chuy is also interested, not unnaturally, in trying to make sense of why he was killed, which means tracking down the thug who killed him, and maybe getting revenge. And he's not the only recent ghost in town--there's also Crystal, a girl who's just committed suicide...who becomes his friend.

This isn't a book for those who want things to Happen, as not much does. Even the main character being knifed isn't particularly tense--it is so fast and random that Chuy is dead before he, or the reader, can blink. But Soto's fine writing brings to life Chuy's relationships with friends and family, and the experience of being teenager, and wondering what the point of one's life/death is. Chuy's ghostly abilities and the mystery of what will happen next add interest.

It's one that I think will appeal to teenagers (boys in particular) trying to make sense of their own lives. They might well want something similar-- to hear what others think about them, to take action against those who hurt them without worrying about consequences, to meet and become friends with a member of the opposite sex, with no one else around to judge or compete.

Middle grade science fiction and fantasy--this week's round-up for your reading pleasure (and mine)!

Here are all the middle grade fantasy and science fiction related blog posts etc. I found this week; please let me know if I missed your!

The Reviews:

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy, at Eva's Book Addiction

The Bassumtyte Treasure, by Jane Louise Curry, at Charlotte's Library

Beasts (The Mystic Phyles) by Stephanie Brockway and Ralph Masiello, at Charlotte's Library

Blue Fire, by Janice Hardy (Healing Wars book 2) at books4yourkids

The Cheshire Cheese Cat, at Books of Wonder and Wisdom

The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh, at Bookish

Darkfall, by Janice Hardy (Healing Wars book 3) at books4yourkids

Dragon Castle, by Joseph Bruchac, at Fuse #8

Elliot and the Pixie Plot, by Jennifer A. Nielsen, at Boys and Literacy

Galaxy Games, by Greg Fishbone, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland...., by Catherynne M. Valente, at Reads for Keeps

Ghostopolis, by Doug Tennapel, at Karissa's Reading Review

Goliath, by Scott Westerfeld, at Karissa's Reading Review and Biblio File

Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx, by James Rollins, at Becky's Book Reviews

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow, by James Rollins, at Becky's Book Reviews

Kevin's Point of View, by Del Shannon, at Nayu's Reading Corner

Lair of the Bat Monster (Dragonbreath) by Ursula Vernon, at Good Books and Good Wine and Jean Little Library

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at Ex Libris

The Magic City, by E. Nesbit, at Tor

Masterwork of a Painting Elephant, by Michelle Cuevas, at Book Dragon

Monstrum House: Locked In, and Creeped Out, by Z. Fraillon, at Cracking the Cover

The Mostly True Story of Jack, by Kelly Barnhill, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Paige in Training

The Orphan of Awkward Falls, by Keith Graves, at My Favorite Books

Pilot and Huxley, by Dan McGuiness, at Jean Little Library

The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic, by Jennifer Trafton, at Good Books and Good Wine

Small Persons With Wings, by Ellen Booream, at slatebreakers

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at The Book Smugglers

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George, at Sonderbooks and Random Musings of a Bibliophile

The Wikkeling, by Steven Arntson, at Becky's Book Reviews

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at My Reading Frenzy

Kate aka Book Aunt compares and contrasts this year's trio of mice books.

In the spirit of the season, at Great Kid Books you can find a compilation of truly creepy stories.

And I also want to mention the Animorphs Re-Read that's ongoing at the Intergalactic Academy

Authors and Interviews

James Riley (Half upon a Time) at Cynsations

Roderick Gordon at The Guardian on self-publishing Tunnels, and how it became the start of a successful series.

Greg Fishbone (Galaxy Games) shares his experiences on "surviving the sophomore outing" at Cynsations, and talks about "making the jump from writer to author" at Adventures in YA and Children's Publishing.

Leonard Marcus annotated the fiftieth anniversary edition of The Phantom Tollboth, and stops by Educating Alice to chat about it.

An interview with M.P. Kozlowsky (Juniper Berry) at From the Mixed Up Files

Other Good Stuff:

NPR's Kids' Book Club kicks off with Neil Gaiman and The Graveyard Book.

Alice in Wonderland fans must read this article in The Guardian, and consider visiting Liverpool.

You've probably already seen the official trailer to The Secret World of Arrietty--but if you haven't, here at The Book Yurt is one of the many places you can watch it. I tried to read The Borrowers to my boys, but the beginning is slow, and it didn't take sigh sigh.

A giant lego figure washes up on a Florida beach--


I'd suggest not reading the news story; it's more fun to imagine one's own! My mind immediately rewrote The Iron Giant, by Ted Hughes....

And if you're looking for something to add a little rainbow sparkle to your holiday table:

You can actually buy this--visit ThinkGeek to see what's really in the can!

And finally, never before seen illustrations for the Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, can be seen at The Mary Sue:

Beasts (The Mystic Phyles), by Stephanie Brockway, illustrated by Ralph Masiello

Beasts (The Mystic Phyles), by Stephanie Brockway, illustrated by Ralph Masiello (Charlesbridge, 2011, middle grade, 137 pages).

Abigail is unhappy with her lot in life. She lives with her strict grandfather and nutty grandmother in a ramshackle mansion (partly burned in the fire that supposedly killed her father) in a small town, eighth grade isn't treating her very well, and everything seems dismal. But then a black cat shows up on her 13th birthday, with an envelope fastened to its collar...

The poem that Abigail finds inside leads her to a letter from a "Devoted Friend" that starts her on a secret quest to learn as much as she can about mythical beasts. "Send word of your progress via the cat," writes the anonymous author of the letter. "It's very important for you to begin this research. But even more important, tell no one!"

Abigail ignores the last instruction, and with the help of her best (and only) friend, Charley, she begins to fill her journal with information and illustrations about all manner of mythical creatures. But then a letter arrives from the Board of Mystical Management, warning Abigail to stop research, and her grandfather, always curiously restrictive, starts acting like a prison guard...

Undeterred, Abigail continues her study of mythological creatures. The secrets and mysteries she discovers will change her life forever!

Abigail's story and her research are presented in a scrap-book style journal, with her notes and drawings of mythological creatures (and even the occasional haiku) interwoven with diary entries detailing the trials and tribulations of her life. It makes for an interesting reading experience for a fast reader like me--the information presented was so fascinating and the illustrations so very much worth stopping to look at, that, instead of galloping through Abigail's story, I was compelled to read is slowly, allowing the mystery to build very nicely.

Abigail is a not unusual character--the outsider who finds herself part of a magical world. But her voice was compelling, and her circumstances certainly interesting! I can easily imagine many a pre-teen girl empathizing with her, and cheering for her as she pursues her quest for knowledge (which, in a nice touch, involves lots of surreptitious visits to the town's used book store and library).

Although I have read many, many children's books about mythical creatures, I learned new things (which I appreciated). Abigail's entries include quotations from original sources, and illustrations of actual "evidence" (photographs and the like), as well as Ralph Masiello's illustrations, and she doesn't just describe the creatures, but also critically considers mundane explanations for some of the sightings and legends. A bibliography and page of fascinating links is provided at the end.

This is the sort of book that would make a great present for the nine or ten year old girl just starting to find her way into fantasy. For one thing, it is attractive as all get out--it has that very appealing novelty book look to it, with copious illustrations look to it, vaguely reminiscent of the -ology books. But unlike those books, which some readers might find too fact laden, there's an interesting story carrying the reader forward. And the way the text is broken into small segments makes it a friendly book for the younger reader.

The book ends with many unanswered questions (the mysterious fire, the identity of the anonymous letter writer, and more), and the promise of a second book, focused on fairies, to come. I'll be looking forward to it!

Here are two sample pages:


Disclosure: I met Ralph Masiello the first year I blogged, and he gave me a lovely dragon picture--his Dragon Drawing Book, had just come out. So, knowing that The Mystic Phyles would feature lots more of Masiello's art, I was predisposed as all get out to enjoy the book!

Disclaimer: review copy gratefully received from the author

Waiting on Wednesday--The Cabinet of Earths

The stack of books to be reviewed grows, but this is Library Book Sale set up week, and time has not stretched to accommodate everything I want to do....

So here's a quick Waiting on Wednesday post:

I have been wanting to read The Cabinet of Earths, by Anne Nesbit (Harper Colllins, January 2012) since I first heard about it almost a year ago!

Here's the summary from Goodreads: "All Maya really wants is for her mother to be well again. But when her baby brother James goes missing, 12-year-old Maya has to take on the magical underworld of Paris, in which houses have bronze salamanders for door handles, the most beautiful people are all hooked on the sweet-smelling “anbar,” and a shimmering glass Cabinet of Earths has chosen Maya to be its next keeper. With the Cabinet’s help, Maya may be able to do for her mother what doctors cannot: save her from death, once and for all. But now that the clock is ticking for James, the price the Cabinet demands may be too high."

And my anticipation was strengthened when Sarah Prineas (whose Magic Thief books I like very much indeed!) blurbed it thus (found at Goodreads): "Reading this book is like discovering a treasure box full of rare and wonderful things. If you open it, you'll find a brave and good-hearted girl hero, the mysterious streets of Paris, and a magical cabinet full of life itself. The writing is luminous and absolutely compelling. It's the best thing I've read in a long, long time."

Doesn't that sound as appealing as all get out?

The Bassumtyte Treasure, by Jane Louise Curry

The Bassumtyte Treasure, by Jane Louise Curry (Atheneum, 1978, 130 pages--books sure were shorter back then....)

Sometimes it's fun to read a book that one doesn't have to; one that's not from the pile of books received for review, or the pile of unread books acquired over the past year, or the pile of library books for Cybils reading. So the other day I took home from the library The Bassumtyte Treasure, just because it looked like a Charlotte-ish kind of book. Happily, it was, and as an added bonus, there was timeslip element, making it Useful as well.

Ten-year old Tommy Bassumtyte had lived happily with his old great aunt in New England, but when the child welfare authorities began to investigate his circumstances, the threat of foster care loomed...So his great aunt preemptively sent him off to live with his only other living relative, in a beautiful old house in England.

His cousin, another Thomas, gives him a warm welcome, and the old house is a thing of beauty, full of treasures of Bassumtyte's past. Among these is the portrait for a small boy, from the time of Queen Elizabeth--who looks just like Tommy. But all is not entirely well--cousin Thomas is recovering from a nearly fatal mountain-climbing accident, and struggling to eke out a living as a translator, while the bills mount and a greedy would-be buyer of the house and its contents plots on the sidelines. The only hope, as far as Tommy can tell, is to find the lost treasure of his family. To do so, he'll have to decipher the clues in the rhyme his grandfather taught him, and unravel a mystery 400 years old.

That mystery reverberates into the present--a mysterious woman from the past mistakes Tommy for the other little boy of long ago, and seems concerned for his safety. But it is not until Tommy himself finds himself back in the past (albeit briefly, and as a spectator) that the pieces of the puzzle fall into place...

Those with an interest in Elizabethan intrigues, and those who like books with beautiful old houses full of treasures should enjoy it as I did--as a pleasant, quick escape from the modern world! A bonus, as far as I'm concerned, is that embroidered treasures are prominently featured, and one of these provides an important clue (I like reading about embroidery).

The mystery isn't that hard to figure out, nor is it original, which might have some readers rolling their eyes, but the tension raised by the possible loss of the house adds a convincing worry. Sadly, the romance between cousin Thomas and the very nice young daughter of the vicar, who is a curator (I think) in a museum in Oxford, was much too abrupt for my taste--there was a lot that seemed to go un-narrated. I could have happily read many more pages about them! But since the book is told from the point of view of a ten year old boy, I guess it might well have appeared abrupt to him too!

There are two time-travelish elements--the woman in grey who is so concerned about keeping young Tommy safe is arguable a ghost, and not someone travelling in time (although one brief, tantilizing section, told from her point of view, suggests otherwise), but Tommy's glimpse of the Elizabethan past definitely counts. Disappointingly for us time travel fans, he doesn't actually leave his room--he just looks out the window, and so his trip to the past is simply the deus ex machina of the plot (less than two pages...sigh).

Oh well. You can't have everything, and at least there was embroidery....

Edited to add: thanks to Jennifer's comment, I visited my library system and piled up a huge virtual stack of Jane Louise Curry books to read. Her most recent book, The Black Canary, is an excellent time travel story--you can read part of the first chapter here, and here's my review.

(although there's a boy main character, this is one I'd give to girls--there's not much Action or Drama. And, a tad unfortunately, it's explained that the name Bassumtyte comes from "bosom tight" as in clasped to the chest, and one can imagine snickers from the immature).

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

Here's what I found this week in my blog reading! Let me know if I missed your post.

The Reviews:

The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True, by Gerald Morris, at Oops...Wrong Cookie

The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott, at A Strong Belief in Wicker

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy, at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog and At Home with Books

Bigger than a Breadbox, by Laurel Snyder, at 100 Scope Notes and DogEar

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at Ex Libris and Reading in Color

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg, at Bookends

Circus Galacticus, by Deva Fagan, at The Intergalactic Academy and Book Aunt

Dr. Procter's Fart Powder, by Jo Nesbo, at Mister K Reads

The Eyeball Collector, by F.E. Higgins, at Karissa's Reading Review

The Flint Heart, by Katherine & John Paterson, at Geo Librarian, Moirae (the fates) book reviews, and Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Ghost Hunt, and Ghost Hunt II, by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, at Charlotte's Library

Goliath, by Scott Westerfeld, at Boys Rule Boys Read

Guys Read: Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka, at Books Kids Like and Good Books and Good Wine

The King of Ithaka, by Tracy Barrett, at The Book Smugglers

Liesl and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at Sassyreads

The Magnificent 12: the Call, by Michael Grant, at Fiction Addict

The Midnight Zoo, by Sonya Hartnett, at Books Kids Like

Noah Zarc, by D. Robert Pease, at Susan Kaye Quinn (actually from the week before this one)

The Ogre of Oglefort, by Eva Ibbotson, at Charlotte's Library

The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell, at Madigan Reads

Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George, at Library Mama

Radiance, by Alyson Noel, at The Reading Chic

The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan, at The Elliott Review, The Book Zone (for boys) and Bookyurt

Trouble Twisters, by Garth Nix and Sean Williams, at Good Books and Good Wine

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George, at Book Aunt and Charlotte's Library

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, at Reading Vacation

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Just Booking Around

Authors and Interviews:

Edward Ormondroyd (David and the Phoenix, Time at the Top) in a two part interview at Noblemania (thanks to Oz and Ends for the heads up). On trying to write a sequel to David and the Phoenix:

"Well, the Phoenix was irrevocably gone, so I substituted a gnome-like figure, and he and David set out on a quest, carried by a flying suitcase...but of course without the old Phoenix it was as useless as Gone with the Wind without Scarlett O'Hara."

(here's what I said about the book, back in 2009)

A podcast interview with Delia Sherman (The Freedom Maze) at Small Beer Press.

Hilari Bell (The Goblin War) at The Enchanted Inkpot

Greg Fishbone (Galaxy Games) at Maranda Russell and Pembroke Sinclair

Simon Haynes (Hal Junior: the Secret Signal) at Susan Kaye Quinn

Kat Heckenbach (Finding Angel) at Magical Ink

Other Good Stuff

NPR has started a book club for kids--first up, The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. From the site: "Click here to submit your thoughts and questions about The Graveyard Book. And be sure to listen to All Things Considered on Monday, Oct. 31. Gaiman will be on the program to chat about his book and answer some of your questions."

Lucy Mangan asks "What makes a classic?" over at the Guardian. Many fantasy books are mentioned.

At Great Kid Books there's a celebration of The Phantom Tollbooth. (Question: am I the only hard core aficionado of fantasy for kids who doesn't like this book? I didn't read it as a child; I've tried three times as an adult and it just isn't for me).

"What is Speculative Fiction" at the Accidental Novelist (a mg and ya perspective)

Catherine Fisher has been named Wales' first Young People's Laureate (the majority of her books tend to be more YA, like Incarceron, but some, like the Oracle Betrayed et seq., are good upper middle grade reads)

The shortlists for the Galaxy Book Awards (UK) have been announced, and on the children's list is A Monster Calls.

and finally, here's what travel in the future might look like--walking around on floating clouds while drifting randomly. I think I would get bored rather quickly, but the first 10 minutes would probably be lovely!

Dewey's Read-a-thon today!

Thanks to all who organized Dewey's Read-a-thon! Even though I am a weak reader who needs to sleep, I read four books and a half books, plus three chapters of another, and listened to 2/3 of one and the first six chapters of another. And made good progress on the front hall renovation project! On the downside, it was perhaps a mistake to buy that Nutella...too tasty for my own good.

8:00 End of Read-a-thon! 76 pages of The Mystic Phyles: Beasts read with great enjoyment.

7:07 am Woke at six, later than I had hoped, and curled up with Secrets at Sea, by Richrd Peck. It is a delightul tale of a family of mice off on a late 19th century ocean voyage to Europe.

Still time to read one more book....

9:08 The exigencies of children have meant that I read nothing in the last hour and a bit...we are now all going to snuggle in the big bed and continue reading Wizard of Oz (part of a determined effort to promote Cultural Literacy whether they want it or not). (edited to add--three chapters read). I am quite likely to fall asleep first, but I hope to be back in the read-a-thon saddle early tomorrow morning.

7:49 Listened to the second disk of The Secret Zoo while sanding the front door Am struck by how many similies the author manages to include, and wonder if I would have noticed it if I were reading to myself (am also struck by how long it is taking to sand the door. It was originally varnished wood, and that is what we are getting it back too--they painted on top of the varnish, so a lot of the paint came of with no trouble. It's just the bits in all the ornanmental trim that are a pain).

Read a book that I just wanted to read for fun, not because it was a review copy or for the Cybils--The Bassumtyte Treasure, by Jane Louise Curry. Enjoyed it very much, except that the romance was dissappointingly rapid; I'll be using it for a Timeslip Tuesday down the line. Was pleased to see she wrote another time travel/old house book--Poor Tom's Ghost, and will be adding it to tbr list!

4:50 Forced to visit library for an hour for son's homework assignment, but managed to get the hall ceiling painted while listening to the first disk of The Secret Zoo! Disk three of the Fiend and the Forge failed to play properly...sigh!

1:17 Have now listened to the first two disks of The Fiend and the Forge, and read a Cybils mg sff book--Drop In (Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution), by Donnie Lemke. Not my cup of tea--I have no sympathy for skateboarders who wreck public railings, and the concept of powerful fragments of a mystical skateboard doesn't exactly appeal....But if you are a skateboarding teenaged boy (don't think may of those read my blog) it will probably appeal a lot more to you!

Mini Challenge: Book Puzzles! (Hosted by One Librarian's Book Reviews) Guess what titles these pictures represent:

1. (easy)


2. (a tad less easy) The

10:51 Listened to audio book of The Fiend and the Forge while sanding the front door, doing dishes, and cleaning the kitchen....am giving up on keeping track of time "read."

8:48 am First book completed--We Are Not Eaten by Yaks, by C. Alexander London. Pages read--238 pages (I had already reached page 114), time spent reading 48 minutes. Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel are forced to take part in the adventure of a lifetime hunting for the lost library of Alexandria, and their mother (who was lost while looking for it several years ago. What the kids want is to stay home and watch tv. What they get is Danger! Excitement! Unappetizing meals!

Thrown off an airplane on the way to Tibet, the twins must confront the perils of nature--cliffs, waterfalls, etc., the perils of cryptozoology--yetis, the perils of the Poison Witches, and, worst of all, the perils of unscrupulous, power-hunger types who would kill for key to the lost library of Alexandria....

Those who enjoy action-packed extravaganzas of strange adventures should enjoy it lots.

Introduction:

I'm reading from southern New England, on a cool crisp morning with a nice little fire burning in the wood stove, and tasty snacks on hand. Children and house renovation projects on hand also; husband off at an Irish pipers' convention, so the children and the house will both be demanding my attention....the chickens, however, are safely at home under the barn, so I don't have to worry about them (when they free range, it takes a bit of attention to make sure they aren't free ranging into the neighbor's yards....they generally don't, but still one has to keep an eye out).

The Ogre of Oglefort, by Eva Ibbotson

The Ogre of Oglefort (Dutton 2011 in the US, Macmillan 2010 in the UK, middle grade, 247 pages) by Eva Ibbotson, which I just read a few days ago, is now my favorite book of hers. I'd tried her other middle grade fantasy (Dial-a-Ghost, The Secret of Platform 13, Island of the Aunts, etc) and found them just fine; I've tried her YA fiction (which actually were published for the adult market back in the 20th century--thanks Kate for the clarification), and again, pleasant, but not so as to Love.

The Ogre of Oglefort, on the other hand, pleased me very much indeed, in as much as it has many of my favorite story elements in a nicely written package.

These elements include:

Element 1. A quirky "family" of sorts--a collection of mythical/magical creatures (a hag, a troll, an enchantress, and others) eking out a life for themselves rather unhappily in London.

"The Hag and the troll were good friends, and by the time they had drunk three cups of tea they felt better. After all when so many Unusual Creatures were going through bad times, losing their homes, doing jobs they would never have thought of doing in the olden days, it was wrong to grumble, and life at 26 Whipple Road was really not too bad." (page 6)

But then the Hag's familiar, a toad named Gladys, refuses to come to the Summer Meeting of Unusual Creatures, which forces the Hag to desperately look for a new one, and which leads to

Element 2. An orphan boy (I don't know why it is, but many (though by no means all) books with orphans are very good). The Hag and the boy had made each others' acquaintance through the bars of the orphanage gate, and when he hears of her trouble, the boy begs to becomes the Hag's familiar, and they head off on

Element 3. An interesting journey/quest/task. In this case, the Hag, the boy, a wizard of dubious competence (with an extremely domineering mother) and the troll confront an Ogre on a far off island who has, apparently, kidnapped a princess. This might not sound on the face of it all that interesting, but there are lots of twists, one of which is

Element 4. A castle/large house with garden that has fallen into disrepair, and the main characters must work to get it all in shape again. Bonus points for outside work.

Of course there's more to the story--the ogre, the princess, the other people they meet at the ogre's castle all have parts to play! But the elements above, and the deft humour which Ibbotson brings to her telling of them, made this a book that I enjoyed very much indeed. Recommended highly as a light and diverting read for the younger middle grade fanasy reader, and for those who share my taste in books.

Waiting on Wednesday--The Double Shadow, by Sally Gardner

Here's a book I'm looking forward to lots--The Double Shadow, by Sally Gardner (out in the UK November 3):

"Arnold Ruben has created a memory machine, a utopia housed in a picture palace, where the happiest memories replay forever, a haven in which he and his precious daughter can shelter from the war-clouds gathering over 1937 Britain. But on the day of her seventeenth birthday Amaryllis leaves Warlock Hall and the world she has known and wakes to find herself in a desolate and disturbing place. Something has gone terribly wrong with her father's plan. Against the tense backdrop of the second World War Sally Gardner explores families and what binds them, fathers and daughters, past histories, passions and cruelty, love and devastation in a novel rich in character and beautifully crafted."

WW II! Families! Memories! "Rich in charcter!" I'm not sure about the passions and cuelty--I'm not really a passions and cruelty kind of girl. But I trust Sally Gardner (author of The Red Necklace and its sequel, The Silver Blade). So I might well be adding this one to my Christmas present list (thanks to the wonder of the Book Depository. To which, incidently, I have a handy link in the sidebar that gives me a small commission when utilized...)

You can watch the trailer for The Double Shadow here at Sally Gardner's website.

And here is the meme home, at Breaking the Spine.

Ghost Hunt, and Ghost Hunt 2 --Chilling Tales of the Unknown

If you are looking for a good Halloween read for you middle school kid (or for yourself), I heartily recommend Ghost Hunt: Chilling Tales of the Unknown (Little Brown 2010) and its sequel, Ghost Hunt II (2011). These books, written by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, the ghost hunters of the television show Ghost Hunters, are fictionalized accounts of actual investigations. It's not clear exactly where the line between "fact" and "fiction" lies, which I found a tad vexing, but what is clear is that these are exciting and spooky stories, guaranteed to make the young reader shiver!

Stories include a ghost ship, wrecked anew every August of the coast of Maine, a drowned boy anxious to reveal where his body lies tangled underwater in the roots of tree, restless prisoners of Alcatraz, and many, many more. The framework for these stories is the investigations conducted by the Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). Free of charge, TAPS investigates ghosts--answering calls for help from those who are troubled by restless spirits. They arrive on site, set up their ghost hunting equipment, and conduct their paranormal detective work...uncovering many poignant, and scary, stories in the process.

What makes the fictionalized stories included in these two anthologies more than just creepy ghost tales is that TAPS actually adopts a scientific approach to the question of ghosts. Efforts are made to rule out natural explanations for creepy phenomena--small critters rustling in the walls, banging shutters, strong electromagnetic fields generated by appliances that can make people feel ill. The TAPS team does their field investigations first, and then the historical research, so that suggestions from the latter don't influence what they see during the former. The techniques they use during their investigations are presented in detail at the end of the books, along with step by step instructions on how to conduct a ghost hunt, and test cases where the reader can put the knowledge and tips provided by TAPS to work. My own scientifically-minded 11 year old ate up these parts of the book (and he enjoyed the stories as well).

I still don't believe in ghosts (although I certainly can't offer rational explanations for some of the phenomena reported in these stories). But these spooky encounters did make for gripping reading. I just wish that it had been made clearer in the text that the stories are fiction--it says "fiction" on the front flap, but you wouldn't know from reading what's inside that these weren't entirely factual accounts.

Here's the Ghost Hunt website, where you can peruse more ghostly evidence at your leisure....

(another one for me to contribute to the RIP Challenge, where you can find many more scary books for your seasonal reading pleasure--this was the 542 review of the link roundups!)

disclaimer: review copies received from the publisher

TimeRiders, by Alex Scarrow, for Timeslip Tuesday

TimeRiders, by Alex Scarrow (Walker, 2010, upper middle grade/YA, 405 pages)

The three of them should have died. Liam was on board the Titanic, Maddie's flight was blown up by terrorists in 2010, and a fire was supposed to claim Sal's life in a future India. But instead, just a the last minute of their lives, they are recruited by a leader of the Time Riders, and given a chance to step outside of time. Their headquarters--a pocket of time in New York City, September 10th and 11th, 2001 (allowing them to watch what happens over and over again). Their mission--to work together to identify the workings of other time travellers, and stop them before history can be unalterably changed. With them will be "Bob," a computer brain inside a human body.

Before they finish their training, they are plunged into a time catastrophe of epic proportions. A deluded genius has gotten control of a time machine, and headed back to Hitler's headquarters. He plans to take over the world himself, and make a better future than the one that actually played out (ours), but his vision is going to lead to an apocalypse. Unless the three teenagers (and Bob) can stop him.

Liam and Bob head off into the past, arriving just as Germany conquers the United States. Back in New York in 2001, civilization has utterly and totally collapsed. All is confusion and disaster, but where there's life, there's hope, even in a New York crawling with cannibalistic mutant humans...

My mind utterly refused to wrap itself around the nested confusions of the time travel portrayed here. As I read, questions kept coming up in my head, distracting me from my reading (why 2001? Why is the TimeRiders organization so poorly organized and staffed? Is there really an organization at all? The guy that recruits them seems to be acting alone--just who the heck is he? Why do things keep noticeably changing in 2001 when the actual changes happened in the past? How many times can time travellers visit JFK's assassination before there's a massive pile up? etc. etc.)

I squashed these doubts as best I could, and was rewarded with sections of interesting story (Liam and Bob's adventures back in the conquered US made for good reading), but I was never able to care all that much (I liked Bob, the not-human character, best). That being said, those who are fans of action and suspense will almost certainly (judging by the positive reviews over at Amazon) like it much more than I did.

The second book in the series, Day of the Predator, involves time travel to the time of the dinosaurs, and I think I'll skip that. However, the third book, The Doomesday Code, takes them back to Sherwood Forest--I might well look for it when it comes out in the US (this is a UK series,with the fifth book coming out there in February, 2012; here's the series website).

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2011--out now in Canada, Oct 25 in US, 240 pages)

I will start by saying that this is the best castle I have ever met in my whole life. Castle Glower is magically alive--changing itself, and its furnishings (most often on Tuesdays) to reflect its opinion of its residents, or sometimes for no apparent reason. The royal family realized, for instance, that the oldest son was destined to be a wizard when the castle started filling his room with books and astrolabes, and it was clear that the second son, Rolf, would be king when his room was moved next to the throne room. Princess Celie, the youngest of the family, loves her castle deeply. She knows it better than anyone else, and it seems to return her affection (I love the tower room it makes for her!).

When Celie's royal parents are ambushed while away on a journey, and declared dead, Rolf must assume the throne. But the council of advisers is led by an unscrupulous traitor, who has invited an evil neighboring prince into the castle. Gradually it becomes clear that this prince has designs on the throne himself.

Grief stricken though they are, Celie, Rolf, and their older sister Lilah believe their parents are still alive. But can the three of them, even with the help of the castle, hold off the machinations of the traitors and usurpers until the rightful king and queen return?

Truly my love for this castle knows no bounds. But that's not all I enjoyed about this book. It was incredibly refreshing to see three children (although Lilah is a teenager, and Rolf not much younger) holding off the bad guys without Special Powers. They are most definitely kids, grief stricken but determined. It's true that they have a magical castle on their side, but mainly what they have to rely on is their wits, as they try to untangle the plot surrounding them, and use the castle's tricks to best effect. In the end, it is Celie's great pluck that saves the day most satisfactorily (with the help of the castle!).

This one should delight any right thinking eight or nine year old lover of fantasy, and likewise any reader older than that who loves a good castle adventure! I would have liked, perhaps, to see more explanation of why the council of advisers turned so traitorous, and I felt a smidge of abruptness at the end, but other than that, I enjoyed it thoroughly and highly recommend it.

(review copy received from the publishers 4 days ago; pounced on gleefully and read in a single sitting....)

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

Welcome to another fun-filled middle grade science fiction and fantasy round-up of what I read around the blogs this week! Please let me know if I missed your link; please feel free to email me links at any time during the week.

I am toying with the idea of offering these round-ups as a direct email newsletter type thing--would anyone be interested?

Reviews:

13 Gifts, by Wendy Mass, at Book Nut

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy, at The New York Times Book Review

Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, at Good Books and Good Wine and Waking Brain Cells

The Cheshire Cheese Cat, by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright, at TheHappyNappyBookseller

Chronicles of the Red King: The Secret Kingdom, by Jenny Nimmo, at Charlotte's Library

Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Plot, by A.J. Hartley, at lucy was robbed

Finding Angel, by Kat Heckenbach, at Magical Ink

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman, at Jean Little Library

Harding's Luck, by E. Nesbit, at Tor

The History Keepers: the Storm Begins, by Damian Dibben, at Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

The Inquisitor's Apprentice, by Chris Moriarty, at Good Books and Good Wine and Charlotte's Library

Ivy and the Meanstalk, by Dawn Lairamore, at Reading Vacation

Justin Thyme, by Panema Oxridge, at Charlotte's Library

Liesel and Po, by Lauren Oliver, at books4yourkids

Phillipa Fisher and the Dream Maker's Daughter, by Liz Kessler, at What's Happening in Rm 249

The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell, at Library Mama and The Book Smugglers

Rip Tide, by Kat Falls, at Karissa's Reading Review, Book Reviews and English News, and Bart's Bookshelf

The Royal Treatment, by Lindsey Levitt, at Good Books and Good Wine

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer, by Derek Landy, at The Book Zone (for boys)

Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan, at A Backwards Story

A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, at So Many Books, So Little Time, The Book Zone (for boys) and Brooke Favero

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, at Books Kids Like

A Year Without Autumn, by Liz Kessler, at Birdbraind(ed) Book Blog and Becky's Book Reviews

Authors and Interviews:

Janice Hardy (Darkfall) at Literary Rambles

Greg Fishbone (Glaxey Games) at Odds and Ends and From the Mixed-up Files (the full tour schedule can be found here)

Kimberley Griffiths Little (Circle of Secrets) at From the Mixed-up Files

Patrick Carman (one of the authors of Guys Read: Thriller) at Literary Asylum

Simon Haynes (Hal Junior: The Secret Signal) at Susan Kaye Quinn

PHC Marchesi (Shelby and Shauna Kitt and the Dimensional Holes) at Susan Kaye Quinn

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson (The Familiars) at The O.W.L., and at The Enchanted Inkpot

Matthew Kirby (Icefall) at Whatever (even though Icefall isn't, technically, fantasy, it still reads as such!)

Shannon Messenger (the forthcoming Keeper of the Lost Cities--congratulations, Shannon!) at Author Turf

An interview with Stacy Whitman, of Tu Books (publishers of multicultural sci fi/fantasy for kids and teens) at Diversity in YA

Other Good Stuff:

A steampunk appreciation of Scott Westefeld's Leviathan trilogy at Tor

The science behind Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, at theeldertree

Fifty years of The Phantom Tollbooth at The New Yorker

A panel of authors addresses the question "Magical Schools: What are they Good for?" recapped at Tor

Trivia Tuesday at Books Kids Like features A Wrinkle in Time

Very excitingly, Shannon Hale has announced that there's a forthcoming sequel to The Princess Academy!

Here's a news item I missed--the winners of the 2011 Golden Duck Awards (for excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature)

And I missed this article in the Guardian last week on "The enchantments of witch fiction." (One of my favorite books, Witch's Brat, by Rosemary Sutcliff, is mentioned)

Nominations have closed for the Cybils; here's the list of what was nominated for mg sff (down about 25 from last year's 150). It will change somewhat as a few books get shuffled around categories. If anyone wants to read along, at Hope is the Word you can find an Armchair Cybils challenge.

At Seven Miles of Steel Thistles, Katherine Langrish has a lovely mystical voyages series--up now, Jason and the Argonauts.

And just in case you want inspiration for Halloween desert, here's a gallery of horrific cakes!

Cybils nominations close tonight; here's what I nominated

Having waited till the last minute to do the bulk of my nominating for the Cybils, I found myself with several categories for which the books I would have chosen were already on the list. However, I did get some favorites added:

For my picture book, I chose You're Finally Here, by Melanie Watt.

For middle grade fiction, I chose Where Do You Stay, by Andrea Cheng (this is my personal pick for the Newbery. I think the writing is utterly stunning. I'm a little doubtful about its Cybils chances, though--I think the cover works against it).

For middle grade/YA nonfiction, I chose my favorite of the Thinking Girls Treasury of Real Princesses--Nur Jahan of India, which was careless of me, because it was published two weeks before the deadline.

For YA science fiction/fantasy, I chose Wolf Mark, by Joseph Bruchac

and for middle grade fantasy/science fiction, I still don't know--I'm still hoping that some of the books from which I'm trying to choose will be picked up by others!!!! I ended up going with Season of Secrets, by Sally Nicholls.

(If anyone can remind me of any lovely poetry books or non-fiction picture books that haven't been nominated, I'm open to suggestions!)