I'm a little late getting this week's round-up posted, but for a rather relevant, as well as very pleasant, reason--I was busy chatting with Sage Blackwood, who is visiting these parts. (Here's what was especially interesting--my favorite part of Jinx is the bit before Things Really Start Happening, and Sage wrote lots more of this part that didn't make it into the final book....sigh.)
As always, please let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews
Beyond Silence, by Eleanor Cameron, at Charlotte's Library
Dark Lord: School's Out, by Jamie Thompson, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Doll Bones, by Holly Black, at Shelf Space Needed
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford, at books4yourkids, Hope is the Word, and Pages Unbound
Hades Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter, at This Kid Reviews Books
The Islands of Chaldea, by Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula Jones, at alibrarymama
The Magic Thief: Home, by Sarah Prineas, at Charlotte's Library
The Map to Everywhere, by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis, at Charlotte's Library
Masterpiece, by Elise Broach, at Read Till Dawn
Pathfinder, by Angie Sage, at Redeemed Reader
The Screaming Staircase, by Jonathan Stroud, at SLJ (audiobook review)
Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier, by Ying Chang Compestine and Vincent Compestine, at Charlotte's Library
Sleeping Beauty's Daughters, by Diane Zahler, at Tales of the Marvelous
Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, at Semicolon
The Squickerwonkers, by Evangeline Lilly, at Wondrous Reads
Time Square: UFO, by S.W. Lothian, at This Kid Reviews Books
The Witch's Boy, by Kelly Barnhill, at Nerdy Book Club and A Fantastical Librarian
Zero Degree Zombie Zone, by Patrik Henry Bass, at alibrarymama
The Zoo at the Edge of the World, by Eric Kahn Gale, at Ex Libris
Two audiobooks at Librarian of Snark--Under Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, and The Magician, by Michael Scott
Authors and Interviews
David Almond at The Guardian
Kate Hall (The Astronomer Who Met the North Wind) at The Book Smugglers
Other Good Stuff
This week's Tuesday Ten at Views from the Tesseract is a collection of ships.
It's the second Annual Diversity Month at Twinja Book Reviews--check it out!
The most recent short story published by The Book Smugglers, The Astronomer Who Met the North Wind, is up at their site,and is a lovely mg one.
And now I must get back to busy busy reading for the Cybils Awards....I have 40 books left to read out of 155.....
12/7/14
12/6/14
Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier, by Ying Chang Compestine and Vincent Compestine
Ming's father is the local archaeologist in a small town in Maoist China in the 1970s. But Chairman Mao is not a friend of intellectuals--Ming's father is in danger of losing his job unless he can make a spectacular find, and Ming himself is the friendless target of the anti-intellectuals in the community. One day, when his father is off in the city, men come to Ming's home with the find that will put his town on the map. They have found the fragments of a life-sized terra-cotta soldier.
Maybe the rumors are true, and the tomb of the great Emperor Qin who united China in 221 BCE, who is guarded in death by a whole army of such soldiers, is nearby....but can what can Ming, one lonely and hungry boy, do to find and claim it for his father's sake?
And then Ming finds he has an unlikely ally--the terra-cotta soldier, once a soldier named Shi, is alive. Shi shares with Ming the story of his life in the emperor's army thousands of years ago...and as the local communist leaders/bullies move in on the tomb, Shi takes Ming there to save it from their plan to dynamite their way in.
Both stories--that of Ming and Shi in the present, and Shi in the past, are fascinating, and any kid with an interest in archaeology will be intrigued. The exploration of the emperor's tomb, filled with traps, is especially exciting. It's also a nice introduction to life in China under Mao, and black and white photographs, some of archaeological finds, some showing life in Communist China, that make it clear that the story is based in reality.
The mix of the two stories, the photographs, and the crisp narration make this a good one for the type of kid who isn't into voluminous fantasy but prefers non-fiction, who might be ready for an interesting change of pace.
I myself found it made a nice change, as kids books in which fantasy intrudes into Communist Chinese village life are not exactly thick on the ground!
12/4/14
The Map to Everywhere, by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis
When the Enterprising Kraken, a magical ship sailing the magical waters of the Pirate Stream, shows up in an empty Arizona parking lot, Marrill is (understandably) taken aback. And when the fates conspire to get her on board, and sailing off with the old wizard Ardent who is its captain, she is less than pleased. She just wants to get home to her sick mom. But the waters of the Pirate Stream, which connect all of creation, are not so easily navigated....
At the next port of call, the city of Kaznot, Marrill meets a young thief Fin, caught in a sticky situation of his own, and he too comes on board. He's just committed the most audacious robbery of his life, and in so doing, he's freed the mysterious Oracle, a powerful lunatic determined to bring the world to an end as he saw it happen in his prophetic visions. But Fin has a problem that matters even more to him than keeping ahead of disaster--Fin is eminently forgettable, so much so that he can meet a person every day of his life, and they won't remember him. Except for Marrill, who can, making her friendship of incalculable worth to him. She is the only person who might ever value him--unless his own mother, who left him at an orphanage when he was four-ish, still remembers....
So Marrill and Fin both want to find their way to their mothers, and the wizard Ardent's own quest might be their only hope. He is searching for the pieces of the great map that gives its user a measure of control over the Pirate Stream--if they can put it together, they can maybe find their ways to where they want to be.
But the Oracle is also looking for the map--and if he gets a hold of it, he'll be able to end the world.
The first part of the book sets things up just beautifully. Marrill and Fin quickly become people to care about. Fin, with his truly poignant curse of forgetability, is my favorite boy character in this year's crop of middle grade fantasy. The authors do a really good job presenting the problems, opportunities, and pain of his disability, and making them part of the story. And the world of the Pirate Stream is fascinating, and the quest of the map promises a nice structure for the adventure to come.
I was, though, somewhat disappointed by the actual adventuring in this first book, which basically consists of two distinct episodes of Magical Encounter on land interspersed with the Oracle showing up, and not being quite ready to defeat the crew of the Enterprising Kraken (because of having to wait until everything is happening the way his prophecies said it would). There were also confusing pirates who I found distracting (but that is a personal weakness).
Both the two magical adventures had a Phantom Tollbooth feel to them--if you like the Phantom Tollbooth, you'll probably enjoy them more than I did. I myself don't really like episodes of quirky, imaginative fun that feel to me self-consciously aware that they are offering quirky, imaginative fun. For instance, in the second adventure, which takes place in a setting so cold words freeze when they come from your mouth, the antagonist is identified as "the Naysayer" by the authors, not by anyone within the book (to the best of my knowledge). It just felt a bit too much "children having a magical adventure!" as opposed to "this is a story that is making me be right there, emotionally committed and believing in it 100%.
Despite my own reservations, I can imagine young readers being utterly delighted. And indeed, The Map to Everywhere has gotten tons of glowing reviews, which I include here for the sake of Balance:
* "Ryan and Davis' swashbuckling quest features fantastic world building, gnarly creatures, and a villain who is both spooky and formidable.... The unique details, expert plotting, charming characters, and comic interludes combine in a tantalizing read."—Booklist, starred review
* "Wholly original.... This is an ambitious undertaking, and strong readers who enjoy adventure fiction and fantasy will inhale the first book in what has the potential to be an extraordinary series."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "Vividly cast.... Multifaceted characters, high stakes, imaginative magic, and hints of hidden twists and complexities to come."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "Fast-paced and imaginative, this adventure combines action with whimsy, injecting emotion and pathos into an otherwise lighthearted romp. It's a strong start for what promises to be a highly enjoyable series."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
And here's Stephanie's review, at Views From the Tesseract, which is also glowing.
But in any event, though this one didn't work perfectly for me, I myself will be looking forward to the next installment! (Fin....what will become of you????)
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
12/3/14
The Magic Thief: Home, by Sarah Prineas
The
Magic Thief was one of my favorite books of 2008. It was one of the
first books I read for the Cybils that year, and it stayed firmly in the
small group of books I was determined to push onto our final shortlist of elementary and middle grade speculative fiction. Happily,
no pushing was required.
The passage of years has not changed my opinion-- it is a great book for a ten or eleven year old fantasy reader. It has an interesting story, endearing characters, fascinating magic, a tough older man (Bennet) who knits and bakes biscuits (so few middle grade novels shatter gender stereotypes, and this is one of the best examples going!).
Then came The Magic Thief: Lost in 2009, and The Magic Thief: Found in 2010....which were kind of sadder, so it was harder for me to love them personally as much, and then Sarah Prineas wrote a whole different trilogy (Winterling, Summerkin, and Moonkind), which was lovely too, but it resulted in a long and anxious wait for those of us (like me and my target audience member child) who love Conn and co. to pieces!
Now another Cybils season is here, and lo, The Magic Thief: Home (HarperCollins, September 2014) is not only in the world, it is on the list of nominated books, which means that I actually read it (all to often I fall into the trap of buying books I really really want to read right when they come out, and then letting them sit because, uh, I know I'll enjoy them....so at least this one didn't have too terribly long to wait).
It is a fourth book, and so best appreciated by those who loved the first three. The action is somewhat slow to get going--Conn, his memories now restored, and his magical dragon Pip at his side, is trying to figure out his place in the world. And so we meet old friends, see trouble beginning to brew, see Conn not being happy with what other people want him to be....and then Trouble starts, and things really get hopping. An old enemy has returned to the city, and the fragile peace that Conn has brokered between its two magics is in jeopardy. As is Conn's life, and the life of dear Pip the dragon, and lots of other things too.
It's all very satisfying. Those who liked the first three books will like this one too.
Small things that I especially liked:
Conn's sentimental attachment to the black sweater Bennet knit him.
The nascent romance between Rowan and Embre, and the fact that Embre is a character whose badly broken legs means he uses a wheelchair but that this does not define him.
Bennet's to-do list.
And most of all, the fact that this particular happy ending is one that satisfies my maternal heart--Conn is really truly home at the end. And having a home where you are loved and your gifts and quirks of personality are appreciated is about the best ending there is.
The passage of years has not changed my opinion-- it is a great book for a ten or eleven year old fantasy reader. It has an interesting story, endearing characters, fascinating magic, a tough older man (Bennet) who knits and bakes biscuits (so few middle grade novels shatter gender stereotypes, and this is one of the best examples going!).
Then came The Magic Thief: Lost in 2009, and The Magic Thief: Found in 2010....which were kind of sadder, so it was harder for me to love them personally as much, and then Sarah Prineas wrote a whole different trilogy (Winterling, Summerkin, and Moonkind), which was lovely too, but it resulted in a long and anxious wait for those of us (like me and my target audience member child) who love Conn and co. to pieces!
Now another Cybils season is here, and lo, The Magic Thief: Home (HarperCollins, September 2014) is not only in the world, it is on the list of nominated books, which means that I actually read it (all to often I fall into the trap of buying books I really really want to read right when they come out, and then letting them sit because, uh, I know I'll enjoy them....so at least this one didn't have too terribly long to wait).
It is a fourth book, and so best appreciated by those who loved the first three. The action is somewhat slow to get going--Conn, his memories now restored, and his magical dragon Pip at his side, is trying to figure out his place in the world. And so we meet old friends, see trouble beginning to brew, see Conn not being happy with what other people want him to be....and then Trouble starts, and things really get hopping. An old enemy has returned to the city, and the fragile peace that Conn has brokered between its two magics is in jeopardy. As is Conn's life, and the life of dear Pip the dragon, and lots of other things too.
It's all very satisfying. Those who liked the first three books will like this one too.
Small things that I especially liked:
Conn's sentimental attachment to the black sweater Bennet knit him.
The nascent romance between Rowan and Embre, and the fact that Embre is a character whose badly broken legs means he uses a wheelchair but that this does not define him.
Bennet's to-do list.
And most of all, the fact that this particular happy ending is one that satisfies my maternal heart--Conn is really truly home at the end. And having a home where you are loved and your gifts and quirks of personality are appreciated is about the best ending there is.
12/2/14
Beyond Silence, by Eleanor Cameron, for Timeslip Tuesday
But then. Such a sad thing to find that this is actually a pretty bad book.
Oh Eleanor Cameron. What were you thinking? I love Court of the Stone Children, I re-read A Room Made of Windows and the other Julia books lots....you were good, Eleanor, at bringing to life smart, introspective girls. So why did you think it would be good to write about a teenage boy? It didn't work.
Andrew, the young protagonist, has come to Scotland to stay in the ancestral home, now a hotel. His brother died after coming back broken from the Vietnam War. His parents' marriage is on the rocks. And Andrew himself is battling demons in the form of haunting nightmares about his brother's death, in a car accident whose immediate aftermath he saw. And now in Scotland he is being haunted, but much more magically and pleasantly, by a young woman who lived there a hundred years (or so) earlier--Deirdre, who once was loved by another young Andrew, and who knew tragedy of her own.
The timeslip bits involving Andrew seeing Deirdre in the past, and occasionally her hearing/sensing him, are rather pleasant and not fraught with tragedy--it's time slip as window between times. But the Point of it all, the connection I assume was happening in Eleanor Cameron's mind between the time travel and Andrew's mental healing went right over me. Sure it gave Andrew something to think about, and put him in a state of open-ness that let him recover the memories of the details of his brother's death, but that isn't all that much of a connection. And sure it's always nice to read about people time slipping around in a pretty uneventful way, but the level of interaction between times was never great enough to be a worthwhile story arc in its own right.
Instead, what we get is Andrew (boringly) rehashing the same things over and over again in really over-wrought prose:
"The rain was swept and driven all night long. Even in my sleep, I was aware of it, and that I struggled, not physically, but in my mind, and this struggle was so exhausting that I could have cried for mercy, yet I would not let my struggles go." (page 131)
Turgid prose. I was all, like, get over your clauses, Eleanor. Even as I read, I struggled, not physically, but mentally, as the book continued on its melancholy way, and yet I had to finish it.
And then when Andrew achieves peace, he ends up with Deirdre's portrait which he hangs in his college dorm some years later. Which is odd, and probably not going help him socially.
Also odd is Eleanor Cameron trying to write about teenage male sexuality in a convincing way, and not being wildly successful.
Short answer: don't bother unless you are a romantic introspective young teen reader from 1980, back when satisfying books were thin on the ground. The time travel isn't enough to make it worthwhile to read on that account, and the rest of the story doesn't make up for it.
12/1/14
Uncle John's Weird Weird World: Who, What, When, and Wow!
And now for something completely different, did you know that Kraft Macaroni and Cheese had its origins in a failed attemped to get Americans to by powdered cheese? Did you know that virtually all the domesticated Golden hamsters in the world are descended from a single litter, plucked from the wild in 1930? Did you know that there is a cocktail that's a mix of mild and beer? (gah.)
I now know these things, and many more, thanks to Uncle John's Weird Weird World: Who, What, When, and Wow! (Nov., 2014).
This is the first volume to come from the Bathroom Readers' Institute (the folks behind the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader) that has pictures! All sorts of interesting, eye-brow raising, and even useful bits of information gathered by Uncle John over the past thirty years are now accompanied by bright illustrations. The result, for us children's book cognoscenti, is something like a Ripley's Believe It or Not book, only with slightly more grown-up oriented content. Not so grown-up, though, as to make it one you'd keep from falling into the hands of the young...but heavy enough so that you would not want it to fall on the heads of the young.
Here's what I liked best--reading about Sequoia and his creation of the Cherokee Alphabet. But there were so many, many good little bon mots for the mind--the fact that "meh" first appeared on tv in a Simpson's episode, the fact that the chicken/road joke first appeared in print in 1847, interesting little stories of people being stupid...so many, many things to learn (many of which were trivial, but some actually useful and enlightening). Some are little bites of information, but others pleasingly extended to double pages (like "how the ballpoint pen got rolling").
Give this one to the young teen who loves things like The Darwin Awards, and the aforementioned Ripley's Believe it or Not. Give it to you dentist, or better yet, my dentist, for waiting room entertainment. I myself cannot put this book in my bathroom (no appropriate shelf, and the floor too often has wet towels on it, thanks to the boys), but other people's bathrooms would be good homes for it too.
It would also be a good book to quickly dip into before Family Gatherings this holiday season--lots of good topics of conversation. Like "Someday I'd love to go see the cricket spitting contest at Perdue University." Or perhaps "did you know that Psycho was the first movie to show a toilet being flushed. This resulted in complaints about indecency." But you have to be careful if you try this at the dinner table. I just tried the Psycho one on my husband, and he went into great detail about how the knife stabbing thing was done, which is not really what one wants at supper....
disclaimer: review copy provided by the publisher
I now know these things, and many more, thanks to Uncle John's Weird Weird World: Who, What, When, and Wow! (Nov., 2014).
This is the first volume to come from the Bathroom Readers' Institute (the folks behind the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader) that has pictures! All sorts of interesting, eye-brow raising, and even useful bits of information gathered by Uncle John over the past thirty years are now accompanied by bright illustrations. The result, for us children's book cognoscenti, is something like a Ripley's Believe It or Not book, only with slightly more grown-up oriented content. Not so grown-up, though, as to make it one you'd keep from falling into the hands of the young...but heavy enough so that you would not want it to fall on the heads of the young.
Here's what I liked best--reading about Sequoia and his creation of the Cherokee Alphabet. But there were so many, many good little bon mots for the mind--the fact that "meh" first appeared on tv in a Simpson's episode, the fact that the chicken/road joke first appeared in print in 1847, interesting little stories of people being stupid...so many, many things to learn (many of which were trivial, but some actually useful and enlightening). Some are little bites of information, but others pleasingly extended to double pages (like "how the ballpoint pen got rolling").
Give this one to the young teen who loves things like The Darwin Awards, and the aforementioned Ripley's Believe it or Not. Give it to you dentist, or better yet, my dentist, for waiting room entertainment. I myself cannot put this book in my bathroom (no appropriate shelf, and the floor too often has wet towels on it, thanks to the boys), but other people's bathrooms would be good homes for it too.
It would also be a good book to quickly dip into before Family Gatherings this holiday season--lots of good topics of conversation. Like "Someday I'd love to go see the cricket spitting contest at Perdue University." Or perhaps "did you know that Psycho was the first movie to show a toilet being flushed. This resulted in complaints about indecency." But you have to be careful if you try this at the dinner table. I just tried the Psycho one on my husband, and he went into great detail about how the knife stabbing thing was done, which is not really what one wants at supper....
disclaimer: review copy provided by the publisher
11/30/14
This week's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (11/30/14)
Here's this week's round-up; let me know if I missed your post! And feel free to send me links at any time. Thanks.
The Reviews
Ambassador, by William Alexander, at alibrarymama
Beauty, by Robin McKinley, at Tales of the Marvellous
Black Suits from Outer Space, by Gene DeWeese, at Views from the Tesseract
The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint, at Books and Other Thoughts
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Ian Fleming, at A Reader of Fictions
The Egyptian Curse (Time Hunter Book 6), by Chris Blake, at Time Travel Times Two
Eight Days of Luke, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Here There Be Books
The Enchanted Castle, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews
The Forbidden Flats, by Peggy Eddleman, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm, at Great Kid Books
The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Leaf's Reviews
Gabriel's Clock, by Hilton Pashley, at Charlotte's Library
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford, at Children's Book-a-Day Almanac
Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell, at Leaf's Reviews
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, at Twinja Book Reviews
The Luck Uglies, by Paul Durham, at alibrarymama
The Magic City, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews
Niles Wormwort, Accidental Supervillain, by D.M. Cunningham, at Mom Read It
Pennyroyal Academy, by M.A. Larson, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, at The Bookworm Blog
The Secret of Midway, by Steve Watkins, at The Reading Nook Reviews
Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, at Views From the Tesseract
Spellbound, by Jacqueline West, at Librarian of Snark
Authors and Interviews
Anne Ursu is the featured U author at Teen Librarian Toolbox's A-Z feature
Kristin Tubb (The 13th Sign, an upper MG/younger YA that just won a Crystal Kite Award) at SCBWI: The Blog
Other Good Stuff
A Tuesday Ten of Cats in Space, at Views from the Tesseract
And also at Views from the Tesseract, a look at the lovely MG Spec Fic coming from Simon & Schuster this spring,
Top 10 things you didn't know about Peter Pan, at The Guardian
A quick shout-out for another nice round-up-- at On Starships and Dragonwings, every weekend (starting Friday) there's a gathering of sci fi/fantasy reviews to which anyone can contribute their posts
and finally, the fourth wish list of books for Ferguson is up--more details here.
The Reviews
Ambassador, by William Alexander, at alibrarymama
Beauty, by Robin McKinley, at Tales of the Marvellous
Black Suits from Outer Space, by Gene DeWeese, at Views from the Tesseract
The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint, at Books and Other Thoughts
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, by Ian Fleming, at A Reader of Fictions
The Egyptian Curse (Time Hunter Book 6), by Chris Blake, at Time Travel Times Two
Eight Days of Luke, by Diana Wynne Jones, at Here There Be Books
The Enchanted Castle, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews
The Forbidden Flats, by Peggy Eddleman, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm, at Great Kid Books
The Frog Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Leaf's Reviews
Gabriel's Clock, by Hilton Pashley, at Charlotte's Library
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford, at Children's Book-a-Day Almanac
Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell, at Leaf's Reviews
The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, at Twinja Book Reviews
The Luck Uglies, by Paul Durham, at alibrarymama
The Magic City, by E. Nesbit, at Becky's Book Reviews
Niles Wormwort, Accidental Supervillain, by D.M. Cunningham, at Mom Read It
Pennyroyal Academy, by M.A. Larson, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, at The Bookworm Blog
The Secret of Midway, by Steve Watkins, at The Reading Nook Reviews
Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs, at Views From the Tesseract
Spellbound, by Jacqueline West, at Librarian of Snark
Authors and Interviews
Anne Ursu is the featured U author at Teen Librarian Toolbox's A-Z feature
Kristin Tubb (The 13th Sign, an upper MG/younger YA that just won a Crystal Kite Award) at SCBWI: The Blog
Other Good Stuff
A Tuesday Ten of Cats in Space, at Views from the Tesseract
And also at Views from the Tesseract, a look at the lovely MG Spec Fic coming from Simon & Schuster this spring,
Top 10 things you didn't know about Peter Pan, at The Guardian
A quick shout-out for another nice round-up-- at On Starships and Dragonwings, every weekend (starting Friday) there's a gathering of sci fi/fantasy reviews to which anyone can contribute their posts
and finally, the fourth wish list of books for Ferguson is up--more details here.
11/27/14
Thankfully Giving Books--ways to get them to kids who need them, and the books I'm giving for Christmas to my own family, even though they have lots already
So here were are at Thanksgiving. Although I'm not thankful for the Pilgrims (if Europeans had to invade New England, I wish Thomas Morton's Merrymount was the colony we were remembering instead of that of the grave-robbing Puritans) there's lots I'm thankful for.
For instance, I am surrounded by books. And I'm also thankful that I have the ability to give books, both to kids who need them, and to my own family.
It's an immensely gratifying thing to get books to kids in need, and so I thought I'd share some pretty easy ways to do it.
--If your library has a booksale, ask the Friends if you can box up the good quality kids books left over and take them to your local Headstart, or check to see if your local food pantry can offer them along with the canned goods. Homeless shelters, children's hospitals, or organizations helping women in need are other thoughts. (As President, and pretty much only active member, of my own library Friends group, I would love a volunteer who would get bookmarks printed with basic library info. to put in each book donated to the food pantry and Headstart....your Friends group might appreciate this too).
--If you don't actually want to talk to anyone, you can check to see if there's a near-by Little Free Library in a community that might need books. This is the case in Providence, RI, for instance, and it is easy peasy just to swing by with a load of kids books and leave them there.
--Right now, the thoughts of many of us are with the kids of Ferguson, and supporting the library that serves these kids is something that we can do. Here's the library's donation page. Or if you'd rather send a book, the library is on its third wishlist (yay!) here at Powells. (Angie, who got the library wish-list going, has more information on how it works here at her blog).
--and of course there's always the lovely Reading is Fundamental, which has strong ties to the world of children's book blogging.
Please feel free to share your own suggestions in the comments!
And just because I like sharing my own gift-giving happiness, here's what I have so far (more will probably be added) for various family members for Christmas:
For my 11 year old son (these were all easy, because they are continuations of stories I know he likes):
The Ring of Earth (Young Samari #4), by Chris Bradford
Goblin Quest, by Philip Reeve (the first book of this series, Goblins, is available in the US and is a very fun read)
Mutts: What Now? by Patrick McDonnell
For my 14 year old son (he loves graphic novels and history which also makes things easy)
Sandman Vol. 1--Preludes and Nocturns, by Neil Gaiman
Propaganda Cartoons of World War II, edited by Tony Husband
The Hidden Doors, by Kazu Kibuishi
For my niece, who is 13 and who lives in Holland and so won't have read them already:
Smile, and Sisters, by Raina Telgemeier
For my big sister (tricky, because she likes books, but doesn't know in advance what books exist that she might like. Have had previous success with Brief History of Montmarry and Code Name Verity, which gives some idea of her taste....)
The Demon Catchers of Milan, by Kat Beyer (not sure about this one, because she doesn't generally read about demons, but the Italian setting might well appeal)
Maisie Dobbs, and Birds of a Feather, in one volume, by Jacqueline Winspear (got very cheaply at library booksale, so no great loss if she doesn't like them)
and The Paris Winter, by Imogen Robertson....
For my little sister, who shares my fondness for school stories and English children's books:
Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall, by Janet Wheeler (a 1920 American school story that I hope is decent)
(this next one is a book you don't know about, Emily, so don't peek)
Impossible, by Michelle Magorian because Michelle Magorian, and also my sister is a big fan of Arthur Ransom and so after reading this how could I not.
For my husband (because nothing says Merry Christmas like depressing Irish fiction):
Hello and Goodbye, by Patrick McCabe
And finally, a tentative thought for my mother (because she is a mystery fan and is going birdwatching in Japan this January...I have already lent her my own favorite book set in Japan, Hannah's Winter, which she read and enjoyed; she gets to go the very town in which that book is set! If you have any recommendations for a sort of comfort read type book set in Japan, as opposed to mystical/situational fraughtfulness and unhappy people books, do let me know!)
Rashamon Gate, by I.J. Parker
(I buy UK books via The Book Depository (free shipping, but the time to do it is now, because it can take a while for the books to make it over the ocean), and if you shop there using the link I have in my right hand sidebar I'll get a small commission.....)
For instance, I am surrounded by books. And I'm also thankful that I have the ability to give books, both to kids who need them, and to my own family.
It's an immensely gratifying thing to get books to kids in need, and so I thought I'd share some pretty easy ways to do it.
--If your library has a booksale, ask the Friends if you can box up the good quality kids books left over and take them to your local Headstart, or check to see if your local food pantry can offer them along with the canned goods. Homeless shelters, children's hospitals, or organizations helping women in need are other thoughts. (As President, and pretty much only active member, of my own library Friends group, I would love a volunteer who would get bookmarks printed with basic library info. to put in each book donated to the food pantry and Headstart....your Friends group might appreciate this too).
--If you don't actually want to talk to anyone, you can check to see if there's a near-by Little Free Library in a community that might need books. This is the case in Providence, RI, for instance, and it is easy peasy just to swing by with a load of kids books and leave them there.
--Right now, the thoughts of many of us are with the kids of Ferguson, and supporting the library that serves these kids is something that we can do. Here's the library's donation page. Or if you'd rather send a book, the library is on its third wishlist (yay!) here at Powells. (Angie, who got the library wish-list going, has more information on how it works here at her blog).
--and of course there's always the lovely Reading is Fundamental, which has strong ties to the world of children's book blogging.
Please feel free to share your own suggestions in the comments!
And just because I like sharing my own gift-giving happiness, here's what I have so far (more will probably be added) for various family members for Christmas:
For my 11 year old son (these were all easy, because they are continuations of stories I know he likes):
The Ring of Earth (Young Samari #4), by Chris Bradford
Goblin Quest, by Philip Reeve (the first book of this series, Goblins, is available in the US and is a very fun read)
Mutts: What Now? by Patrick McDonnell
For my 14 year old son (he loves graphic novels and history which also makes things easy)
Sandman Vol. 1--Preludes and Nocturns, by Neil Gaiman
Propaganda Cartoons of World War II, edited by Tony Husband
The Hidden Doors, by Kazu Kibuishi
For my niece, who is 13 and who lives in Holland and so won't have read them already:
Smile, and Sisters, by Raina Telgemeier
For my big sister (tricky, because she likes books, but doesn't know in advance what books exist that she might like. Have had previous success with Brief History of Montmarry and Code Name Verity, which gives some idea of her taste....)
The Demon Catchers of Milan, by Kat Beyer (not sure about this one, because she doesn't generally read about demons, but the Italian setting might well appeal)
Maisie Dobbs, and Birds of a Feather, in one volume, by Jacqueline Winspear (got very cheaply at library booksale, so no great loss if she doesn't like them)
and The Paris Winter, by Imogen Robertson....
For my little sister, who shares my fondness for school stories and English children's books:
Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall, by Janet Wheeler (a 1920 American school story that I hope is decent)
(this next one is a book you don't know about, Emily, so don't peek)
Impossible, by Michelle Magorian because Michelle Magorian, and also my sister is a big fan of Arthur Ransom and so after reading this how could I not.
For my husband (because nothing says Merry Christmas like depressing Irish fiction):
Hello and Goodbye, by Patrick McCabe
And finally, a tentative thought for my mother (because she is a mystery fan and is going birdwatching in Japan this January...I have already lent her my own favorite book set in Japan, Hannah's Winter, which she read and enjoyed; she gets to go the very town in which that book is set! If you have any recommendations for a sort of comfort read type book set in Japan, as opposed to mystical/situational fraughtfulness and unhappy people books, do let me know!)
Rashamon Gate, by I.J. Parker
(I buy UK books via The Book Depository (free shipping, but the time to do it is now, because it can take a while for the books to make it over the ocean), and if you shop there using the link I have in my right hand sidebar I'll get a small commission.....)
11/26/14
Gabriel's Clock, by Hilton Pashley
Jonathan is not an ordinary boy--he is half angel, half demon. His grandfather is the Archangel Gabriel, who fell from heaven years ago (for reasons), imbuing one small English village with his heavenly magic and making it a sanctuary for those of goodwill in need of refuge. And Jonathan is badly in need of refugee--as the only half angel/half demon in existence, he will have incredible power...and the demon Belial is determined to find him and seize that power for himself. Jonathan's parents kept him safe and hidden for years, but as the story starts, agents of darkness destroy his home, and capture his father.
So his mother sends him, still ignorant of his true nature, to the village of his grandfather Gabriel.
All the residents of Hobbes End know Gabriel is an angel and that he has made their village a magical place. Along with Jonathan, it's a delight to meet the people and beings that inhabit it--the gargoyles, the talking cat, the young daughter of a werewolf, Cay, who becomes Jonathan's friend. This part of the story I loved unreservedly (great gargoyles always delight me, as do smart-aleck cats).
But the agents of Belial have found a way to by-pass the safeguards of the village....and they come with their horrible violence to seize Jonathan, causing his powers to abruptly awaken. And though the villagers (gargoyles and all) fight fiercely, Gabriel is kidnapped, and tortured, and Cay too is held hostage. Belial demands that Jonathan surrender himself, and bring with him the back-door key to heaven that his grandfather made-the clock of the title. Or else.
And there is exciting action and action-filled excitement, and it is very easy to see the fantasy-loving young reader enjoying things very much.
But with all this war in heaven, and the archangels being real characters, and Lucifer being real, I just couldn't help wonder -- where was God? It just didn't make sense to me, not because I am a stickler for doctrine, but because the internal logic of it felt off; if you are going to have the Archangels, surely God has to be there somewhere....If there'd been just a smidge of an explanation about divine non-interference or some such, it would have felt more satisfactory.
I also do not like graphic torture. Gabriel's wings are ripped from him, and his eyes are gouged out and sent to the vicar with whom Jonathan is living. And though this happens off-stage, we see the bloody bandage and the fallen feathers, and when the box arrives, though the reader is not told what it holds, it's clear. Rather strong stuff, and though there's not much of it, it would make me hesitate to offer this one to a sensitive younger reader.
But the village of Hobbes End is lovely, and I adored its inhabitants (there's a rather English quirkiness to the whole ensemble I appreciated), Jonathan is a character to cheer for, and the story is brisk and engrossing. So I guess my short answer is recommended, with personal reservations.
Note: that is a dragon on the cover, and it is a very cool dragon who ends up playing cricket with the villagers, but she doesn't get quite enough page time (coming in at the end as she does) to make this a dragon fantasy.
Note 2: I appreciate that little or no meddling seems to have occurred with the Englishness of the original; it's nice to read an English book that really does feel English! And moving further down that line of thought--at one point the talking cat is only just stopped in time while reciting a rude limerick about "a young man from Venus, who had an unusual...." I don't think you'd be able to get away with this in a book first published in the States, prudes that we are...
Disclaimer: review copy sent by the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for Cybils Award consideration.
11/25/14
The Other Face, by Barbara C. Freeman, for Timeslip Tuesday
I think I am pretty well read as far as 20th century UK time travel books go, but oh, how nice it is to be proven wrong and to find a new author!
A little while ago, I got the following time slip book id question:
"It's set in England, must have been published before mid-1970s because that's when I read it (I was 11 or 12 at the time so I suspect it was for upper-primary school level).
The girl-protagonist was in the present; in an antique shop she found an old china-cottage pastille-burner (if you know what those are), but it only had a few pastilles left. She took it home and burned a pastille, which transported her into the past (from memory, 19th-C England). Because there was a limit to the number of pastilles left, she knew her visits to that time would have to come to an end (which was very poignant!)."
And I had absolutely no idea. Happily I am a member of an online community called Girls Own, made up of passionate readers of girls books from the 20th century, and happily a list member recognized the book as The Other Face, by Barbara C. Freeman (1976). And also happily I live in a state that does not believe in aggressive library weeding, and lo, there was The Other Face still in the system, and it was good.
When Betony was a child, her parents died and she was taken in by her two elderly aunts. Now that she's seventeen, she's had to leave school to be their caregiver...and slowly she is being ground down by their domestic tyranny. But a visit to her grandfather, the first since she's lived with her aunts, offers a respite....and he makes her welcome, as do her young cousins.
And in the cupboard of her grandfather's art and miscellany shop she finds an old china cottage (the pastille-burner above--not something those of us in the modern US know anything about! It seems to be a type of incense whose smoke comes out the china chimneys...). And the smoke takes her back to the 19th century, where her ancestors need her.
Betony lets herself be needed (it's what she's used to)...and takes on the job of a 19th-century serving girl (years of slaving for her great-aunts means this isn't too much of a leap of face). And there she meets the young botanist who will be her ancestor, who has fallen in love with an unsuitable girl....one who bears a striking resemblance to Betony.
And things come out right in the end.
The business of time travel has no explanation, and only minimal anxiety for Betony. Partly this is because her roots in her own time are so stunted by lack of affection, partly because the time travel is an episodic thing, with two short visits in which she successfully returns to her own time before she burns the third, last, pastille and commits herself to a longer stay. In any event, the reader has to just accept it, and move on....
Books really were shorter back then--this one has only 155 pages--but still it manages to fit in a lot of character, place, and story. And it is a fine example of a particular type of 20th century UK book for young readers that is so very recognizable (such as many books by William Mayne or Ruth M. Arthur). The reader isn't told what people are thinking and feeling in much detail, but must absorb things through the dialogue and the descriptions. I think that being a "reader as spectator" in this way can actually be more immediate and moving than being barraged with emotaional information from the main character, because there are never any jarring moments when you are asked to feel thing and think things along with that character that you just don't. Perhaps (reaching for metaphor, as is my wont) it is like entering a painting vs. going to the movies.....the result in the former being a reading experience that is simultaneously removed and distant from the main characters, while being utterly absorbing (if you are me).
So basically, it's one that those who love mid-20th century UK girls books would love. Which would be me, and I am very happy to find that Barbara Freeman has written lots of other books, even though only one other is still in the Rhode Island library system.
There are also some nice pen and ink drawings of plants, a smidge of botany, and the prospect of a garden brought back to life right at the end. I like these things!
note on age: this was put in the YA section here in RI back in the 70s, I guess because Betony is 17, and there is a romance in the past (and some hope for one for Betony in the present). But there is no swearing or sex or violence that would make it unsuitable for the middle grade reader of today, or yesterday.....
A little while ago, I got the following time slip book id question:
"It's set in England, must have been published before mid-1970s because that's when I read it (I was 11 or 12 at the time so I suspect it was for upper-primary school level).
The girl-protagonist was in the present; in an antique shop she found an old china-cottage pastille-burner (if you know what those are), but it only had a few pastilles left. She took it home and burned a pastille, which transported her into the past (from memory, 19th-C England). Because there was a limit to the number of pastilles left, she knew her visits to that time would have to come to an end (which was very poignant!)."
And I had absolutely no idea. Happily I am a member of an online community called Girls Own, made up of passionate readers of girls books from the 20th century, and happily a list member recognized the book as The Other Face, by Barbara C. Freeman (1976). And also happily I live in a state that does not believe in aggressive library weeding, and lo, there was The Other Face still in the system, and it was good.
When Betony was a child, her parents died and she was taken in by her two elderly aunts. Now that she's seventeen, she's had to leave school to be their caregiver...and slowly she is being ground down by their domestic tyranny. But a visit to her grandfather, the first since she's lived with her aunts, offers a respite....and he makes her welcome, as do her young cousins.
And in the cupboard of her grandfather's art and miscellany shop she finds an old china cottage (the pastille-burner above--not something those of us in the modern US know anything about! It seems to be a type of incense whose smoke comes out the china chimneys...). And the smoke takes her back to the 19th century, where her ancestors need her.
Betony lets herself be needed (it's what she's used to)...and takes on the job of a 19th-century serving girl (years of slaving for her great-aunts means this isn't too much of a leap of face). And there she meets the young botanist who will be her ancestor, who has fallen in love with an unsuitable girl....one who bears a striking resemblance to Betony.
And things come out right in the end.
The business of time travel has no explanation, and only minimal anxiety for Betony. Partly this is because her roots in her own time are so stunted by lack of affection, partly because the time travel is an episodic thing, with two short visits in which she successfully returns to her own time before she burns the third, last, pastille and commits herself to a longer stay. In any event, the reader has to just accept it, and move on....
Books really were shorter back then--this one has only 155 pages--but still it manages to fit in a lot of character, place, and story. And it is a fine example of a particular type of 20th century UK book for young readers that is so very recognizable (such as many books by William Mayne or Ruth M. Arthur). The reader isn't told what people are thinking and feeling in much detail, but must absorb things through the dialogue and the descriptions. I think that being a "reader as spectator" in this way can actually be more immediate and moving than being barraged with emotaional information from the main character, because there are never any jarring moments when you are asked to feel thing and think things along with that character that you just don't. Perhaps (reaching for metaphor, as is my wont) it is like entering a painting vs. going to the movies.....the result in the former being a reading experience that is simultaneously removed and distant from the main characters, while being utterly absorbing (if you are me).
So basically, it's one that those who love mid-20th century UK girls books would love. Which would be me, and I am very happy to find that Barbara Freeman has written lots of other books, even though only one other is still in the Rhode Island library system.
There are also some nice pen and ink drawings of plants, a smidge of botany, and the prospect of a garden brought back to life right at the end. I like these things!
note on age: this was put in the YA section here in RI back in the 70s, I guess because Betony is 17, and there is a romance in the past (and some hope for one for Betony in the present). But there is no swearing or sex or violence that would make it unsuitable for the middle grade reader of today, or yesterday.....
11/23/14
This week's round-up of middle grade science fiction and fantasy from around the blogs (11/23/14)
Welcome to another collection of links to blog posts of interest to us fans of middle grade science fiction and fantasy! Please let me know if I missed your post.
The Reviews
Bad Magic, by Pseudonymous Bosch, at The Bookworm Blog
The Boundless, by Kenneth Oppel, at Fantasy Faction
Boys of Blur, by N.D. Wilson, at alibrarymama
The Dragon of Trelian, by Michelle Knudsen, at Leaf's Reviews
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar, by Clarise Mericle Harper, at Charlotte's Library
Dreamwood, by Heather Mackey, at Cover2CoverBlog (audiobook review)
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by at Becky's Book Reviews
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford, at Fantasy Book Critic and Hope is the Word
The Imaginary, by A.F. Harrold, at Diva Booknerd
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, at Worthwhile Books
The Iron Trial, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, at Fantasy Literature and Jen Robinson's Book Page
Jinx's Magic, by Sage Blackwood, at Semicolon and Sonderbooks
The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly, by Ted Sanders, at from my bookshelf
The Luck Uglies, by Paul Durham, at WTF Are You Reading?
The Map to Everywhere, by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis, at Waking Brain Cells
Masterpiece, by Elise Broach, at Read Till Dawn
My Zombie Hamster, by Havelock McCreely, at Semicolon
Nuts to You, by Lynn Rae Perkins, at Semicolon
Rise of the Wolf, by Curtis Jobling, at Hidden in Pages
Saving Lucas Biggs, by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague, at alibrarymama
The Secret of the Key, by Marianne Malone, at Always in the Middle
Shouldn't You Be In School? (All the Wrong Questions, Book 3), by Lemony Snickett, at Semicolon
Storybound, by Marissa Burt, at Hidden in Pages (audiobook review)
The Swallow, by Charis Cotter, at Once Upon a Bookshelf and Hidden in Pages
Tesla's Attic, by Neil Shusterman and Eric Elfman, at Librarian of Snark
The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, by Bianca Turetsky, at Time Travel Times Two
Vampire Attack (Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird) by Eleanor Hawkin, at Wondrous Reads
The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, by Caroline Carlson, at Ex Libris
Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts, at Charlotte's Library
WhipEye, by Geoffrey Saign, at Mother Daughter Book Reviews
The Wide-Awake Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Leaf's Reviews
The Witch's Boy, by Kelly Barnhill, at Heavy Medal
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone, by Patrik Henry Bass, at Charlotte's Library
Zombies of the Carribean, by John Kloepfer, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Authors and Interviews
Jake Kerr (Tommy Black and the Staff of Light) at Word Spelunking
Kathleen Andrews Davis (Emerson's Attic) at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
Other Good Stuff
A lovely collection of quotations from (mostly middle grade fantasy) books at Semicolon
A Tuesday 10 of "Food Fantastic" at Views from the Tesseract
YA, but of interest nonetheless--dragons of the past few years at Stacked
Neil Gaiman talks about "Why Disney's Sleeping Beauty Doesn't Work" at The Telegraph
The Reviews
Bad Magic, by Pseudonymous Bosch, at The Bookworm Blog
The Boundless, by Kenneth Oppel, at Fantasy Faction
Boys of Blur, by N.D. Wilson, at alibrarymama
The Dragon of Trelian, by Michelle Knudsen, at Leaf's Reviews
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar, by Clarise Mericle Harper, at Charlotte's Library
Dreamwood, by Heather Mackey, at Cover2CoverBlog (audiobook review)
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by at Becky's Book Reviews
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford, at Fantasy Book Critic and Hope is the Word
The Imaginary, by A.F. Harrold, at Diva Booknerd
Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, at Worthwhile Books
The Iron Trial, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, at Fantasy Literature and Jen Robinson's Book Page
Jinx's Magic, by Sage Blackwood, at Semicolon and Sonderbooks
The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly, by Ted Sanders, at from my bookshelf
The Luck Uglies, by Paul Durham, at WTF Are You Reading?
The Map to Everywhere, by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis, at Waking Brain Cells
Masterpiece, by Elise Broach, at Read Till Dawn
My Zombie Hamster, by Havelock McCreely, at Semicolon
Nuts to You, by Lynn Rae Perkins, at Semicolon
Rise of the Wolf, by Curtis Jobling, at Hidden in Pages
Saving Lucas Biggs, by Marisa de los Santos and David Teague, at alibrarymama
The Secret of the Key, by Marianne Malone, at Always in the Middle
Shouldn't You Be In School? (All the Wrong Questions, Book 3), by Lemony Snickett, at Semicolon
Storybound, by Marissa Burt, at Hidden in Pages (audiobook review)
The Swallow, by Charis Cotter, at Once Upon a Bookshelf and Hidden in Pages
Tesla's Attic, by Neil Shusterman and Eric Elfman, at Librarian of Snark
The Time-Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, by Bianca Turetsky, at Time Travel Times Two
Vampire Attack (Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird) by Eleanor Hawkin, at Wondrous Reads
The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, by Caroline Carlson, at Ex Libris
Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts, at Charlotte's Library
WhipEye, by Geoffrey Saign, at Mother Daughter Book Reviews
The Wide-Awake Princess, by E.D. Baker, at Leaf's Reviews
The Witch's Boy, by Kelly Barnhill, at Heavy Medal
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone, by Patrik Henry Bass, at Charlotte's Library
Zombies of the Carribean, by John Kloepfer, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Authors and Interviews
Jake Kerr (Tommy Black and the Staff of Light) at Word Spelunking
Kathleen Andrews Davis (Emerson's Attic) at The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
Other Good Stuff
A lovely collection of quotations from (mostly middle grade fantasy) books at Semicolon
A Tuesday 10 of "Food Fantastic" at Views from the Tesseract
YA, but of interest nonetheless--dragons of the past few years at Stacked
Neil Gaiman talks about "Why Disney's Sleeping Beauty Doesn't Work" at The Telegraph
11/19/14
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone, by Patrik Henry Bass
Bakari Katari Johnson never wanted to be on the election slate for the position of Hall Monitor. Poised, popular Tariq had always done a fine job, and to go up against Tariq meant encuring the wrath of his most fervernt supporter, tough-as-nails (but sweet as all get out to grownups) Keisha. But to his horror, Bakari finds this his best friend Wardell has added his name to the list.
That is just the start to a very bad day indeed, one that involves the frozen seven-foot high lord of a land of ice zombies...who just happens to think that Bakari has his lost ring. Turns out Keisha has it. And so an unlikely alliance of the four kids is formed in order to take down the ice zombies popping into their school with evil intent.
But disposing of the zombies traps the kids in the ice realm, and the outlook gets rather chilly indeed....
This is one for the older elementary aged kid, the seven to nine year old/third or fourth grader, and it's short (131 pages of generous font with illustrations). So there's not really room to fully explore the backstory of the ice realm zombies and their overlord, and if there was an explanation of why the ring ended up in this particular school, I missed it. Those looking for full blown fantasy will therefore be disappointed.
But the four kids avoid being simple stock sterotypes, and the action is fast (zip! a trip to the ice land! Zap--more ice zombies after you in the halls! Cool ice-ring lassoing job, Keisha! etc.). If you have kids who aren't interested in the heft of full blown fantasy, who are simply looking for a fun book in which real life kids have real life problems alongside the excitement of ice zombie attacks in the cafeteria problems, this might very well be a good one. The illustrations add friendliness for the uncertain reader.
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone is, as far as I know, unique in that the entire cast is African American--four pretty cool looking kids, as shown on the cover, and not one of them white. So a good one for those actively seeking out multicultural kids' fantasy.
It is also a nice example of how to gracefully get out of running for an office you never wanted in the first place without loosing face (Bakari does a great job of this at the end of the book), which is truly a useful life lesson..........
11/18/14
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar, by Clarise Mericle Harper, for Timeslip Tuesday
Ashley is miserable. Her best friend has gone off to camp, and her mother has invited the child of a friend to spend the month with them--a seven year old girl named Claire, who's lost her own mom, and who Ashley is expected to babysit. But two things happen that make the month the opposite of terrible.
The first is that Ashley finds herself warming to determined, spunky Claire, whose drive and energy forces Ashley to do things she'd never have done on her own, like hanging out at the local senior center, doing crafts, hunting for thrift store treasures, and talking to people she doesn't already know. The last is especially hard for Ashley, because she has face-blindness--she cannot recognize people when she sees them out of context, and without her best friend at hand to tell her if she knows people, she's tremendously reluctant to reach out to strangers. But thanks to Claire, she makes new friends, one of whom a boy she would never have talked to otherwise...
The second thing that happens to Ashley is the discovery of a jar of wishes down in the basement--wishes written on scraps of paper by a girl named Shue years ago. When Ashley uncrumples each wish paper, she sees Shue living the experience that inspired it....and so, making a chronology of the wishes, she sees the story of all the ups and downs of Shue's friendship with another Ashley (Shue is a year younger than Ashley, and so parts of her story, when Ashley is off with older girls, are rather poignant....)
I've never read a book whose main character has face blindness, aka prosopagnosia. Ashley's experiences dealing with it seemed convincing, and the effects of it on her life, and her self-esteem, are made clear without being over-dramatized. This make it a good one to offer the young reader who's interested in physical/neurological differences and how they affect life experiences. (It also helps keep one of the sub-plots plausible!)
Both the Claire story and the timeslip story are interesting in their own right for those who like character-driven story full of small happenings and several nice surprises (one of which involves Ashley's favorite author, so especially pleasing for us bibliophiles!). The whole ensemble comes together very nicely indeed to make the story of this month in Ashley's live a lovely, warm reading experience that I enjoyed lots.
11/17/14
Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts
It should have been an ordinary Christmas at the Danish farm that's home to Bettina and her baby sister Pia. But this is the first Christmas without their grandfather...and then to make things worse, her parents both have to leave home. 12 year old Bettina is sure she can manage to look after Pia and the animals just fine...but in the rush and confusion, no-one things of the family Nisse, the helpful little magical being who looks after the barn.
Disgruntled that he didn't get his own Christmas treat, the Nisse takes baby Pia off into the winter frosted woods. Bettina must somehow get her back before her parents come home, so she sets of herself, and finds that the tales of the Nisse are just as true as her grandfather believed them to be. The Nisse of the woods are friendly and helpful (and Bettina even gets to shrink so that she can join them in their cozy home), but baby Pia isn't with them. Another Nisse, one with a grudge, has taken Pia further north, and Bettina must bring the divided Nisse family together to reunite her own, flying off on the back of a goose into the magical winter....
Though the anxiety about baby Pia is great, happily for the more sensitive reader the actual danger isn't. Though Bettina's parents aren't there to help, the Nisse family comes through with support, comfort, and a bit of magic. The young barn Nisse who was responsible, and who's (rightly) sorry for what he did, proves to be a fine friend and ally, and all is well.
There's a lovely sense of wintery place here, and the descriptions of the secret world of the Nisse are especially delightful (young animal lovers will especially appreciate the Nisses' care for small forest creatures!).* Thanks to her time with them, Bettina learns to see more clearly the small enchantments of nature, a gift that will stay with her forever. It might not be believable to grown-ups that a 12 year old could be left in charge of a farm and baby, but Bettina proves her mettle and young readers won't have any problem relating her as they follow on her adventures.
Here's what I am--jealous that we never get winterfrost, which happens when fog freezes, here in New England (at least I haven't seen fog cover everything with frost crystals). "Wintery Mix" and ice storms just aren't the same.
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Award consideration.
11/16/14
The Halcyon Bird, by Kat Beyer, with Guest Post and Giveaway!
So I was very pleased indeed to be offered the chance to participate in the blog tour for The Halcyon Bird (not least because it meant I would get a copy of the book!).
And happily I enjoyed this one too. I was tickled to see Mia falling in love (romance is a pretty big part of this book), happy to see how all the extended family are doing (and as is the case with the first one, envying them their delicious Italian food and wine),, and happy to spend time going through archival materials looking for clues from the past. Things are somewhat slow to get going on the demonic front (making this not one for those who like their supernatural danger non-stop/ever present), but good for those of us who like descriptions of places and people and slow burning mysteries. Which isn't to say there aren't mysteries and dangers and threats and supernatural adventures--they just aren't right there in the readers face until just toward the end of the book when BOOM!
As a direct result of the BOOM!, I am now waiting for the next book even more earnestly than I was waiting for this one....
So (just on a personal note) these books are the sort that would make good presents to offer (naming no names) one's older sister who likes Italy and is an ex-pat American and who doesn't really know what sort of books she really wants to read -- lots of engrossing detail and character, some supernatural excitement but not so much as to be off-putting for the reader who isn't already a fan of paranormal romantic suspense. Also they are Pretty books, which I think helps makes for better gift-giving!
The Year’s Question
by Kat Beyer
It was Siobhan woke me up. The smell of honey wine on Summer’s End does it. (Whiskey works too.) To my surprise and hers, it still worked, even after so many years when no one left anything beside my notched stone.Scared her bowels loose the first time. I got a laugh out of that.
“You’re allowed one question a year, granddaughter,” I said out of the air beside her.
When she got her breath back she said, “I’m not your granddaughter. She must be gone long ago.”
“I know that. I spoke with her for years after; she’s moved on now. I stay. And so does the customary name.”
“Well then,” she said, drawing herself up. She asked grimly, “There’s a man I want. How do I get him?”
Oh, the living.
“The answer is in the question you asked, and the way you asked it.”
“What do you mean?”
“One question a year,” I answered, and went for the honey wine and apples.
“I hate you,” she announced, and went down the hill.
She was back again the next year with a bigger plate.
“You were right,” she said sadly. “This year’s question. There’s a man who wants me. Should I have his child?”
“Certainly not.”
“You were right,” she said next year, holding the baby, a little girl with her same lively eyes and three-cornered smile. But I’d said no because she’d put no value to herself. I’m not all-wise; how was I to know that a baby would help her do that, instead of making the matter worse?
“There’s a job, overseas,” she told me ten questions later. “I want it. They want me. A good job. Will you hear me across the ocean?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “We used to stay at home, your family. Try. The baby and her father going with you?”
She smiled. “Sarah’s eleven. And his name is Ian; I’ve come to love him.”
“I’m glad.”
This year I was up early, moving things around in the grave, scaring birds off the stone, nervous. Well after dark came the scent of honey wine and flowers, candles and apples, drifting across the salt sea, and I climbed up out of my old bones for a taste of it. I heard her voice clearly, but with a sound of waves in it.
“Are you there?” She asked.
“Yes, I am,” I replied.
*****************************
Thank you Kat! Here are all the stops on The Halcyon Bird's blog tour, and you can visit Kat at her own blog, The Real Money’s in Poetry.
And you can win a copy for yourself-- just leave a comment between now and noon next Sunday (the 23rd), US/Canada only.
This week's roundup of middle grade fantasy and science fiction from around the blogs (11/16/14)
The good part about being the first one up is the peaceful house; the bad part is that there is never a roaring fire and toasty warm house waiting for me. Today was the first day this fall when my hands were almost too cold to type...but I bravely persevered.
Please let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews
The Battle Begins (Underworlds, #1), by Tony Abbott, at Hidden In Pages
Bliss, by Kathryn Littlewood, at Pages Unbound
Everblaze, by Shannon Messenger, at The Bookworm Blog and Rcubed's Reads and Reviews (with giveaway)
Faces of the Dead, by Suzanne Weyn, at The Reading Nook (giveaway)
Fat and Bones and Other Stories, by Larissa Theule, at Semicolon
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer Holm, at The Children's Book Review
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by Sheila Turnage, at Hope Is the Word
Hook's Revenge, by Heidi Shulz, at The Book Monsters, alibrarymama, and The Quiet Concert
The Jupiter Pirates: the Hunt for the Hydra, by Jason Fry, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
The Lost City of Faar (Bobby Pendragon #2), by D.J. MacHale, at Twinja Book Reviews
Lug: Dawn of the Ice Age, by David Zeltser, at Sharon the Librarian and This Kid Reviews Books
Many Waters, by Madeline L'Engle, at Fantasy Literature
Odin's Ravens, by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr, at alibrarymama
The Orphan and the Mouse, by Martha Freeman, at Charlotte's Library
Pathfinder, by Angie Sage, at Charlotte's Library
Pennyroyal Academy, by M.A. Larson, at Semicolon
The Silver Bowl, by Diane Stanely, at Read Till Dawn
A Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd, at Becky's Book Reviews
Spell Robbers, by Matthew Kirby, at Semicolon
The Thickety, by J.A. White, at Great Imaginations
Thursdays with the Crown, by Jessica Day George, at Semicolon
The Time of the Fireflies, by Kimberley Griffiths Little, at Semicolon
Time Square: The Shift, by S.W. Lothian, at YA Sleuth
Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George, at Leaf's Reviews
The Winter Wolf, by Holly Webb, at Wondrous Reads
A World Without Princes, by Soman Chainani, at Hidden in Pages and Readaraptor
And several posts with multiple reviews:
Mutation, by Roland Smith and Blood of Olympus, by Rick Riordan, at This Kid Reviews Books
Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts, and Moonkind, by Sarah Prineas, at Ms. Yingling Reads
A Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd, Dreamer, Wisher, Liar, by Charise Mericle Harper, and School of Charm, by Lisa Ann Scott, at alibrarymama
Five quick looks at books at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
and at School Library Journal, there are short reviews of The Iron Trial, Sparkers, The Witch's Boy, and Beyond the Laughing Sky.
Authors and Interviews
Piers Torday (The Last Wild, and The Dark Wild) at The Gaurdian
Other Good Stuff
Piers Torday wins the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Dark Wild (which made my 11 year old boy very happy!)
At Views from the Tesseract there's a very exciting list of forthcoming MG Spec Fic from HaperCollins
And also at Views from the Tesseract, the Tuesday Ten this week is Science Fiction and Fantasy Militaries
At Tor there's a peek at a book of concept art from the Harry Potter movies (the sort of book that would make a good present).
And finally, this is funny-- "Interview with the Choosing One" at An Awfully Big Blog Adventure (ever wondered who writes those rhyming prophecies? find out here!)
Please let me know if I missed your post!
The Reviews
The Battle Begins (Underworlds, #1), by Tony Abbott, at Hidden In Pages
Bliss, by Kathryn Littlewood, at Pages Unbound
Everblaze, by Shannon Messenger, at The Bookworm Blog and Rcubed's Reads and Reviews (with giveaway)
Faces of the Dead, by Suzanne Weyn, at The Reading Nook (giveaway)
Fat and Bones and Other Stories, by Larissa Theule, at Semicolon
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer Holm, at The Children's Book Review
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by Sheila Turnage, at Hope Is the Word
Hook's Revenge, by Heidi Shulz, at The Book Monsters, alibrarymama, and The Quiet Concert
The Jupiter Pirates: the Hunt for the Hydra, by Jason Fry, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
The Lost City of Faar (Bobby Pendragon #2), by D.J. MacHale, at Twinja Book Reviews
Lug: Dawn of the Ice Age, by David Zeltser, at Sharon the Librarian and This Kid Reviews Books
Many Waters, by Madeline L'Engle, at Fantasy Literature
Odin's Ravens, by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr, at alibrarymama
The Orphan and the Mouse, by Martha Freeman, at Charlotte's Library
Pathfinder, by Angie Sage, at Charlotte's Library
Pennyroyal Academy, by M.A. Larson, at Semicolon
The Silver Bowl, by Diane Stanely, at Read Till Dawn
A Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd, at Becky's Book Reviews
Spell Robbers, by Matthew Kirby, at Semicolon
The Thickety, by J.A. White, at Great Imaginations
Thursdays with the Crown, by Jessica Day George, at Semicolon
The Time of the Fireflies, by Kimberley Griffiths Little, at Semicolon
Time Square: The Shift, by S.W. Lothian, at YA Sleuth
Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George, at Leaf's Reviews
The Winter Wolf, by Holly Webb, at Wondrous Reads
A World Without Princes, by Soman Chainani, at Hidden in Pages and Readaraptor
And several posts with multiple reviews:
Mutation, by Roland Smith and Blood of Olympus, by Rick Riordan, at This Kid Reviews Books
Winterfrost, by Michelle Houts, and Moonkind, by Sarah Prineas, at Ms. Yingling Reads
A Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd, Dreamer, Wisher, Liar, by Charise Mericle Harper, and School of Charm, by Lisa Ann Scott, at alibrarymama
Five quick looks at books at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
and at School Library Journal, there are short reviews of The Iron Trial, Sparkers, The Witch's Boy, and Beyond the Laughing Sky.
Authors and Interviews
Piers Torday (The Last Wild, and The Dark Wild) at The Gaurdian
Other Good Stuff
Piers Torday wins the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Dark Wild (which made my 11 year old boy very happy!)
At Views from the Tesseract there's a very exciting list of forthcoming MG Spec Fic from HaperCollins
And also at Views from the Tesseract, the Tuesday Ten this week is Science Fiction and Fantasy Militaries
At Tor there's a peek at a book of concept art from the Harry Potter movies (the sort of book that would make a good present).
And finally, this is funny-- "Interview with the Choosing One" at An Awfully Big Blog Adventure (ever wondered who writes those rhyming prophecies? find out here!)
11/14/14
Pathfinder, by Angie Sage
All the things that I enjoyed about the Septimus Heap books are here in Pathfinder (including the appealing illustrations--I mostly don't look at illustrations, but I do for these books because of liking them. They are the sort of pictures that one can imagine drawing of the people in ones own imagined world).
There's the really large cast of characters to care about (with the added bonus of lots and lots of old friends). It is true that it would be hard to keep everyone straight if you hadn't read the first series, but I think it would be doable. There's the very appealing hero of the story, in this case a girl named Alice Todhunter Moon (who likes to be called Tod). Tod is special, but not Chosen; she's brave despite being frightened; she's a good friend and likable person who just happen to have a strong talent for Magic.
And there's a story with lots of twists and turns and bits and pieces that all comes together by the end of it (at least I think they all came together, but I was reading for character not plot so can't promise there weren't plot holes), and which I am not going to recap because it would take too long and because I think my attempts to do so would not convince anyone to read it who didn't already want to. If you loved Septimus Heap, read this too. If you were unsure about S.H., read this one anyway because I think there is a bit more tightness to it, and it's a faster read. If you have never read any S.H. books, but want a satisfying story in a richly imagined world, full of people who care about each other, give it a try.
Here's what I admired most about this book, though-- it starts a new series with new additions to the world, making it a fresh and interesting story while at the same time continuing the stories of what the old friends from the first series are up to. I was very pleased.
In large part because I really did like Tod a lot.
Thing I didn't like--I never find it appealing when there are people who get gills. I think gills are gross. Just saying.
11/12/14
The Orphan and the Mouse, by Martha Freeman
And I would just like to start off by saying that the cover of this book makes me cross, because I liked the book lots, and think lots of others would like it to, but it looks like it is a book for six year olds or something, and really this is somewhat off-putting for both the nine or ten year olds mentioned above and the parents/gatekeepers who find books for them to read (especially in these days of hypercompetitive parenting, with so many people (seemingly) wanting their kids to read "up."). On top of that, I think this cover would be almost impossible to sell to a boy, but the story is not in and of itself somehow boy unfriendly. So please just ignore the cover art.
And now, the story:
In an rather upscale orphanage (the upscale-ness is important to the plot) in the late 1940s, a girl and a mouse met. Caro, the girl, is ten, and has a badly burned hand from the fire that killed her mother. Mary, the mouse, is no longer young (she has lots of mouse children). But between these two unlikely friends a bond of empathy and good will is forged during an unhappy misadventure with the orphanage cat....and this bond ends up bringing them both to a much happier end than they would have otherwise (especially Caro.)
Because.....there are Dark Things happening within the walls and behind the doors of the model orphanage (not least of which is emotional manipulation of a really unkind sort--one's heart aches for Caro). Those in power (both mouse and human) have let power and material comfort corrupt them, and it is a good thing for Caro that Mary Mouse and her mouse ally Andrew are there to heroically (risking death by cat) help her put things to rights. Mice and child expose secrets (the reader gets to see the schemes in action, so it's not really a mystery from the reader's point of view), and things are tense, and the happy ending is happy enough to be gratifying without being insultingly too good to be true.
Mice in this world are not mindless squeakers--they have listened to, and appreciated on an almost spiritual level, the story of Stuart Little. They collect art (in the form of postage stamps). Andrew Mouse can even read. And Caro is not a mindless squeaker either--she is an utterly relatable (to me, at any event!) good child who deserves good things (who certainly doesn't deserve it when the movie starlet is disgusted by her scarred hand). The combination is a winning one.
I think one of the things that made it work for me was all the stories--stories told, stories imagined, backstories--that swirl around in the book. Not the sort of "now there will be a story" interruptions, but the much more subtle sense of richly textured and layered interior lives created by telling and thinking. Characters have stories about themselves that are changeable, and they think about what stories there are to be told, stories that will make life more than the immediate now. Each postage stamp picture is a window for the imagination...each character has a self they are shaping. And it is this open-ness to story that makes the friendship between girl and mouse both possible and emotionally convincing, even though they can never speak each other's language.
Note: as well as the cover issue, a possible problem with this book is this--although the sensitive, small-mammal-loving child is clearly the target audience, it starts with a pretty grim mouse death. This may well put off the truly tender hearted, and you might have to promise such a child that no other mice die (except one who dies offstage who isn't the nicest mouse anyway and by the time you get to that mouse death the sensitive reader will be so engrossed in the story that it won't matter, but if deceit really bothers you, you can say (truthfully) "the cat doesn't kill any more mice").
Second note: I decide this is one for my list of disabilities in kids' fantasy books, because it is mentioned that Caro's scarred right hand does pose difficulties for her with things like writing, although this is a very minor point in the grand scheme of the story.
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