The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (giveaway!)

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, by Trenton Lee Stewart (2012, Little Brown, middle grade, 480 pages).

Long before all the exciting events chronicled in The Mysterious Benedict Society and its sequels, Nicholas Benedict was a young orphan, friendless and plagued by narcolepsy (and cursed with an unfortunately large nose). At the age of nine, he was shuttled off to a new orphanage, in an old manor house off in the country. But it was no idyllic rural retreat--faced with vicious bullies, selfish and shortsighted adults, and haunted by nightmares, Nicholas is at first despondent. Fortunately for Nicholas, though, he's a genius....

And when he learns that there is a treasure hidden somewhere on the estate (one the master of the orphanage is also desperate to find), he bends all the powers of his intellect to finding it (except, of course, those powers of intellect he needs to stay one step ahead of the bullies). With the help of two new friends, a fellow orphan and the daughter of a local farmer (whom he meets in mysterious circumstances), Nicholas searches for clues to the treasure's whereabouts. He dreams that it will be a deus ex machina that will solve all his problems...and maybe it will be. Or not.

Far removed from the international high-jinks and dangers that await Nicholas in the future, this story is more domestic--the stage is smaller, the dangers less dramatic. Those, like me, who relish a good plucky orphan tale (that includes a basement stuffed with discarded odds and ends and a lovely library) will enjoy it even more than the later books! Those who enjoyed the puzzles and good hearted characters of those books will find those things here as well.

It is in large part a very satisfying character study of Nicholas--precocious, a tad selfish, and desperate for friends. Those looking for Action and Villains might be disappointed--the mystery here is a paper chase, involving understanding the characters from the people from past who were involved as much as anything else. I myself was not disappointed, enjoyed it immensely, and am looking forward to re-reading the previous books in the series with new insight into Nicholas.

Trenton Lee Stewart is currently on tour (although, sadly, not to New England). Here's the schedule.

Thanks to the publishers, I have three copies to offer as a giveaway! Just leave a comment (US only, no PO boxes) by the end of next Monday, April 23rd!

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

Here are the middle grade fantasy and sci fi related posts I found in my blog reading this week. Do let me know if I missed yours! This includes any authors or publishers out there--feel free to send me links if your mg sff book gets reviewed. What I'd really love is for people who don't know about my blog, and whose blogs I don't know about, to send me links to their mg sff posts, but this is tricky. So if you do read blogs I don't, feel free to send me those links too if it occurs to you. Thanks.

The Reviews:

The 13th Horseman, by Barry Hutchison, at Bart's Bookshelf

Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress, by Sarwat Chadda, at The Book Smugglers and My Favorite Books

Barry and the Fairies of Miller Street, by Barry Dickins and Jenny Lee, at Read in a Single Sitting

Boom! by Mark Haddon, at Mister K Reads

Candlewax, by C. Bailey Sims, at Sharon the Librarian

Caterpillar Hall, by Anne Barrett, at Staircase Wit

Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia Wrede, at Book Nut

Eye of the Storm, by Kate Messner, at Fuse #8

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Kidsmomo and Misbehavin' Librarian

The Fire King, by Paul Crilley, at Books Beside My Bed

Floors, by Patrick Carman, at The Book Zone

Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguiree, at GreenBeanTeenQueen, Sharon the Librarian, and books4yourkids

Indigo Magic, by Victoria Hanley, at Nayu's Reading Corner

The Inquisitor's Apprentice, by Chris Moriarty, at Library Chicken

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-- Detectives Extraordinaire, by Polly Horvath, at Book Nut

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, at 100 Scope Notes

Ordinary Magic, by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway, at Page in Training and Chronicles of a Book Evangelist

Remarkable, by Lizzie K. Foley, at Book Nut

Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Small Review

Return to Exile, by E.J. Patten, at A Librarian's Library

Scary School, by Derek the Ghost, at The Adventures of Cecelia Bedelia

The Search for WondLa, by Tony DiTerlizzi, at Parenthetical

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George, at Library Chicken

You Will Call Me Drog, by Sue Cowing, at Middle Grade Ninja

Two Titanic time-travel books at Ms. Yingling Reads-Return to Titanic by Steve Brezenoff, and Ghosts of the Titanic, by Julie Lawson.


Authors and Interviews

Bianca Turetsky (The Time-Traveling Fashionista on Board the Titanic) at Charlotte's Library (giveaway)

Jennifer Nielsen (The False Prince) at Literary Rambles (giveaway)

Rebecca Barnhouse (Peaceweaver) at The Enchanted Inkpot

Lizzie K. Foley (Remarkable) at Cynsations


Other Good Stuff

Rumpelstiltskin and the power of names, a guest post by Inbali Iserles, at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles

I read in the Guardian that Pottermore is finally open to the public, and duly signed up; I'm now waiting for my registration confirmation to arrive in my email. I confess to being intrigued, but my expectations are comfortably low.

However, my expectations for The Hobbit movies are getting higher with every trailer I see (unlike a certain character in the Lord of the Rings movies, the dwarves appear to wash their hair). Speaking of the Hobbit, HarperCollins is going to be pubishing movie tie-ins and extras, including behind-the-scenes movie guides, "essential Visual Companions" (does anyone else get odd futuristic images from that phrase? like dog avatar accessories?), a location guide (I would like this), and "a range of children’s books in the form of annuals, movie storybooks and feature titles, as well as a new series of lavish hardbacks written and designed by the award-winning team at Weta, who are working closely with the production team to guarantee that these books will be bursting with insider information and stunning visual imagery." I am doubtful about the "feature titles," but will wait and see...

And just cause I like to close with a picture, here's a link to classic video games reimagined as children's books, and an example:

Giveaway of the Time-traveling Fashionista On Board the Titanic, and Interview with Bianca Turetsky

Giveway extended till midnight tonight (Sunday, April 22)!

100 years ago today (at 11:40 pm), the Titanic hit its famous iceburg. With unusually impeccable timing, I'm pleased to share with you today a giveaway of a Titanic book that is both beautiful and fun--The Time-Traveling Fashionista On Board the Titanic, and an interview with its author, Bianca Turetsky.

Here's a quick summary from my original review: Louise marches to her own drum when it comes to clothes--not for her the racks of the new and never worn. She's drawn to the vintage, and is fascinated by the name brands and designs of the past. So when a fancy invitation comes in the mail, inviting her to a vintage fashion show, she's thrilled to have a chance to do just the sort of shopping she loves, and maybe pick out a dress for the middle school dance while she's there.

And indeed, there is a dress waiting for her, a beautiful pink one (shown at left). But when she puts it on, she's not in Connecticut anymore. Instead, she's on board a luxurious ocean liner, on of the White Star line, a hundred years in the past. And she's not her plain old 12 year-old, braces-wearing self anymore; she's a glamorous young film star, with enough beautiful dresses to make glad the heart of any fashionista.

"The White Star Line" seems to offer all Louise could want...except for one small detail--she's on the Titanic. Which, of course, is about to hit an ice berg and sink.

It's an enjoyable story, made more so by the lovely illustrations. And today, not only do I get to give away five copies (just leave a comment to enter, perhaps sharing your own favorite vintage possession!), but I'm honored to have had the chance to interview Bianca Turetsky.

(my questions are in bold)

What I really loved was how Louise had set herself to the serious study of fashion; it isn't just a passing fad, but a real part of who she is, and I appreciated her interest and expertise. Were you a vintage fashionista yourself when you were Louise's age?

I was a lot like that when I was Louise’s age. Actually the “Shopping For Vintage: Definitive Guide to Fashion” book that Louise considers her vintage fashion bible is a book that I own and refer to all the time. When I was younger the shopping I did was definitely more “thrift store” than vintage, but I did love reading about and looking at pictures of all the great designers.

The paintings in the book are gorgeous--could you talk a bit about the illustrations, and how they became part of the book?

The illustrations are done by this amazingly talented fashion illustrator from Barcelona, Spain named Sandra Suy. It’s funny, I’ve never met her in person but after seeing her drawings and the way she interpreted my text I felt like she knew me so well, because they were just like I imagined and hoped they would be. I feel so lucky that she agreed to work on my book, and I am so excited that she will be illustrating the second one as well!

(to which I, Charlotte, say--"me too!")

Are there more dress pictures that didn't make it in?

No, we used everything. It was too hard to chose because they were all so beautiful. I didn’t want to leave anything out.

Which of Louise's dresses in the book is your favorite? Are any of the dresses ones you yourself actually own?

Good question, that changes all the time for me! Right now my favorite is the white silk evening gown embroidered with gold and jeweled dragons that Lucy Duff Gordon is wearing on page 141. It’s one of the more subtle illustrations, but I think it’s gorgeous.

As far as my personal wardrobe, I do own a long pink ball gown that I bought at the fashionista sale that inspired the story (Fashionista Vintage & Variety in New Haven CT). It isn’t from the early 20th century like the one in the book, it’s probably from the 50’s or 60’s. I would LOVE to own all of the dresses though.

I'm looking forward lots to Louise's next adventure at the palace of Marie Antoinette -- which I feel is probably a much more challenging era for time-traveling fashionista (do you think that's so?) . Were you able to dress up in actual 18th-century clothes to get a good feel for them?

I wish I was able to play dress up in some clothes from that era! Unfortunately, clothing that old is generally kept locked up in museums, so I’ve never personally been able to try on a 18th century dress. But I did do a ton of research on the clothing, and read a lot about what it would be and feel like to wear those gowns. As far as a more challenging era, I’d say it was definitely a fabulous moment for fashion if you were part of the aristocracy, but it was certainly a dangerous moment to be living in as well. Louise got to experience a bit of both sides of the coin there, and I’m not sure if she’d opt to go back!

And finally, if you were going on board the Titanic yourself (not knowing it was going to sink), what item from your own personal wardrobe would you take?

Well if I did know what we know now I would definitely take a wetsuit- that water was freezing! But otherwise, I suppose I would bring the one dress that I own from that era, so that I could at least try and fit in. It’s a long white linen dress with tiered scalloped trim. It’s from the early 20th century and really beautiful, and I haven’t quite found the right place to wear it in my real life.

Thank you so much, Bianca! I'll look forward to Louise's next adventure!

To enter the giveaway to win one of five copies, just leave a comment by 11:40 pm on April 21st! (no PO Boxes, US only)

A Little Bitty Man and Other Poems for the Very Young, by Halfdan Rasmussen

A Little Bitty Man and Other Poems for the Very Young, by Halfdan Rasmussen, translated by Marilyn Nelson and Pamela Espeland, and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Candlewick, 2011).

I don't review a huge number of poetry picture books (maybe one or two a year), but when I saw the cover of A Little Bitty Man I wanted to read it--I can never say no to snail riders.

Here's the first verse of the titular poem:

"A little bitty man
took a ride on a snail
down little bitty rod that was shady.
The little bitty man
came to Littlebittyland,
where he married a little bitty lady."

And now the snail is shown tethered to a hitching post outside a little bitty house!

The thirteen poems in this book are about half fantasy--there's the little bitty man, of course, and a cloud child, an elf with mice in his pockets, and a doll who runs away, and about half observations on real life--how the seasons change, how to end a fight, and the days of the week, for instance. They were translated from the Danish, and I can't, of course, evaluate how closely they capture the originals. I can say that they were pleasing poems, in rhyme and scansion, with just one jarring word ("partake," for instance, is pretty sophisticated vocabulary for the young, although it's easy to see what it means in context).

But what I can say with confidence is that these poems, especially the fantasy ones, are lovely little sparks for the imagination. The cloud child poem, for instance, tells of a little cloud that just couldn't hold it anymore, and, lacking a potty, let loose on the road...it runs home again, and is scolded by its mom. It seems to me that a cloud child is a lovely thing to have in one's imagination--what adventures will it have next? And what will the little bitty man do next? What might his house look like inside? How do you tame a wild snail? Why does a child have lion for his pet:

Kevin Hawke's illustrations are, for the most part, light in color, and high on detail. They aren't in your face, bright and lavish--rather, they let the reader come to them, balancing the poems nicely.

A Little Bitty Man picked up a starred review from the Horn Book: "Most of the selections aren't more than a few stanzas long, but each one hits you with a bright burst of humor that's like a sip of a fizzy drink on a hot day. . . . Hawkes's pencil and acrylic illustrations highlight the humor and the whimsy of the nonsense verses, but they also underscore the poems' innocence and childlike dignity when called for, and the artist gets the mix exactly right."

And another star from School Library Journal: "The quaint poems have liberal helpings of both wit and whimsy and an occasional sprinkling of mild potty humor. . . . The whole has an uncluttered and inviting effect. Likely to become a classic, this is a great addition to any picture-book collection."

I still think the snail is the best part, but I appreciated the potty humor too, and, more seriously, I found the book as a whole both attractive and interesting.

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

For more poetry goodness, here's this week's Poetry Friday Round-up!

Vodnik, by Bryce Moore

Vodnik, by Bryce Moore (Tu Books, middle grade/YA, 359 pages), is an immensely enjoyable journey to a place where old, strange, crazy magic fills the streets of a medieval city. It's part mystery, part the story of a boy finding magical powers (while dealing with culture shock), part an exploration of ancient stories, and altogether engrossing.

When Tomas was an ordinary American teenager of 16, his house burned down around him. Miraculously, he survived unhurt--not like the time when he was a child in Slovakia, when someone (or some thing) almost drowned him, and another someone/thing badly burned him. After that first accident, his parents whisked him away from Slovakia to the United States, and tried to pretend it had just been normal bad luck. After this second brush with death, however, they decide to return to Slovakia, for purely practical reasons, even though they fear that the strange events of Tomas' childhood aren't safely buried in the past.

And they have very good reason to be afraid. The city of Trenčín is a rather busy place, malevolent supernatural being-wise. There's the titular Vodnik, whose home is in the old castle high above the city, who imprisons (or lovingly preserves, depending on who you ask) the souls of its victims in teacups (the city has an unusually high rate of deaths by drowning). There's a watery ghost girl, who haunts Tomas' dreams, a fire víla, and Death herself (a practical person, busily going about her work).

Real life isn't more peaceful. The residents of Trenčín despise Tomas's people, the Roma (aka gypsies), and aren't exactly subtle in expressing this, and with his dark skin, it's impossible to blend in. But their bullying prejudice pales in comparison to the threat that hangs over the head of Tomas' cousin Katka. Unless Tomas and Katka can make a deal with Death, and outwit the water víla, there will be no happy ending...

It's a wild trip for Tomas as he unravels the mystery of what happened to him long ago, anxiously peruses his handy supernatural self-help book for those in the business of Death, tries to stay alive, and slowly finds out what he's really capable of. It's funny, with flashes of dry wit that made chuckle. It's gripping, with some truly spooky moments. It was a treat, as well, to spend time with the magical beings of Slovakian folklore--it was refreshing to have a somewhat blank supernatural slate, and there was real uncertainty about which of the various beings were allies, and which enemies.

Tomas is a great character to spend time with--I found him to be completely convincing and very likable. He has a lot on his plate. Not only must he deal with the standard angst of teenage life (made more angsty, in his case, by his badly scarred arm from the childhood fire), and the standard middle grade/YA fantasy angst of facing down supernatural creatures, but he's also faced with culture shock and racial prejudice for the first time. Plus his family's return to Slovakia forces them to confront buried family history-- lots secrets that were never told. And then on top of that, there's the fate awaiting his cousin; it's harsh that the first time he gets to form a close relationship within his extended family, it's threatened more than a little. And so there's a lot of depth to Tomas' experience, making it much more than a smack down with bad elemental spirits.

I highly recommend it. Though it's labeled YA, the lack of a romance sub-plot (Tomas thinks about girls, and there's hinting about a future romance, but it's not happening yet here), makes it very friendly to upper middle grade readers, boys in particular. Adding to its boy friendliness are references to Star Wars and the Princess Bride, some jousting, and self-defence lessons from medieval knight reenactors, a desperate fight with a water dragon, a little cartoon death dude (shown on the cover) that keeps popping up, and Tomas' convincingly young-teen attitude. In short, I'd give this to an 11 or 12 year old boy in a heartbeat, even faster if said boy was a Princess Bride fan (I know several 11 year old boys who are). Which isn't to say that older readers wouldn't enjoy it lots too--I know I did!

I now want to a. read the sequel b. go to Trenčín and visit the castle, shown below.



Other thoughts:

Elitist Book Reviews: "VODNIK is a terrific YA novel. There's no doubt about it. It's uniqueness and characters overcome the shortcomings. You should buy it and read it. It's well worth your investment. Prospective authors should read it as an example of how to write a non-conformist Urban Fantasy. The best thing I can say about VODNIK is that it makes me want to read the sequel RIGHT NOW!"

Finding Wonderland "....full of The Crazy, and funny. This is a Tu-worthy book, indeed - another hit out of the ballpark for Lee & Low's amazing little imprint that could."

UMS Tigers Read: "....instead of Vodnik being a depressing read (I mean, Tomas does make friends with Death herself!), there is sarcasm, irony, and snarkyness that drew me in. The more I read the book the more I liked it and finally I decided that finishing the book was more important than doing laundry or going to bed at a decent time."

Beyond Dragons and Wizards: "I was truly impressed with Vodnik. If I were to explain it to someone (which I suppose I am, right at this moment), I would say it's a mix of middle-grade teen lit, crossed with Urban Fantasy, crossed with some kind of Societal Awareness piece. While magic is prominent in the book (and quite cool by the way), the story stands on its own as a really interesting tale of a kid who gets plopped down in a far off country, with strange people, weird food, and unfamiliar fairy tales."

Here's an interview with the author, Bryce Moore, at Kimberly Pauley's blog.

(comment on cover--at the publisher's blog, there's a two part (here and here) look at the evolution of the cover. I like the final version lots (I think Tomas' expression is spot on), and am so glad they got the little death dude in!)

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

A quick heads up for Diana Wynne Jones fans

I love the books of Diana Wynne Jones, and miss looking forward oh so eagerly to her next one... and I am not alone. I'll be one of a passel of bloggers celebrating DWJ days-- APRIL 12-26. Here's the schedule, and if you'd like to join in, there's still time (see the bottom of the schedule linked to above).

And here's the DWJ tumbler collection of goodness! Including instructions on how to crochet your own Calcifer!