MINI REVIEW: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven #3)

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven #3
Author: Brandon Mull
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
Genre: Fantasy

Ratings:
4/5 stars
PG: Mild fantasy action/violence; monsters, demons, ghosties, and other frightening mythical creatures.

Recommend to fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Ever Afters, Artemis Fowl, and their ilk. Good middle grade read, but still enough plot and character development for older readers -like me!

Summary:
Strange things are afoot at Fablehaven. Someone or something has released a plague that transforms beings of light into creatures of darkness. Seth discovers the problem in its infancy, but as the infectious disease spreads, it becomes clear that the preserve cannot hold out for long.

In dire need of help, the Sorensons question where to turn. The Sphinx has always given sound advice–but is he a traitor? Inside the Quiet Box, Vanessa might have information that could lead to a cure–but can she be trust?

Meanwhile, Kendra and members of the Knights of the Dawn must journey to a distant preserve and retrieve another hidden artifact. Will the Society of the Evening Star recover it first? Will the plague eclipse all light at Fablehaven? Find out in Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague.

The Mini Review:

Darkness has fallen on Fablehaven, thicker perhaps than ever before. When Seth encounters some of the most peaceful creatures in Fablehaven that have turned vicious and evil, he knows something's afoot. Of course, he wouldn't have encountered them at all, if he'd been following the rules. So that's a fun conversation with Grandpa Sorenson. (Hint: We definitely learn what Seth's middle name is.)

Surprising absolutely no one, Seth once again dominates this story in my eyes, but he is much more a driving force of this book than in the past. Seth continues to broaden and develop, still struggling with the balance between 'fun' and 'reckless'. I love, love, love the way Mull develops his character. Mull really plays up the role of opposites with Seth and Kendra -which is fantastic and serves the story magnificently. Coming back strong after Seth's key involvement in the last book, Mull continues to push Seth as much as Seth continues to push boundaries as his sister Kendra is ushered deeper into the magical world of the preserves and he's left behind. While Kendra gets to meet the Knights of the Dawn and travel on a dire and important mission to another preserve, Seth is left twiddling his thumbs back home and desperate to prove that he's valuable enough to help solve the mystery of the mysterious plague taking over Fablehaven and -more importantly- that his grandparents can depend on him to do the smart and right thing.

The only problem is, Seth seems to keep encountering gray areas where the

'smart' thing and the 'right' thing aren't always the same thing. And that's a thing I love to watch him deal with.

But enough about Seth the Magnificent because, while he's getting another decent chapter of character development (and a few special new tricks), Kendra is too, and we get to meet a whole slew of great new characters, including Gavin, Dragon Tamer Extraordinaire!

Also, you know, dragons.

But most importantly, we get to learn more about my favorite character, self-proclaimed World's Greatest Adventurer and understandable role-model for my beloved Seth -Patton Burgess! I love how Mull works Patton's influence into this story. (FYI, I would LOVE to see some Patton Burgess prequel adventures.)

Mull continues to expand his magical world, as he sends Kendra out to meet with the society behind the preserves and the single hand keeping the Society of the Rising Star at bay. I also love exploring a new preserve, made especially interesting by its local in Arizona and the native creatures that reside there.

The story is great, the twists are phenomenal, and the continuing development of Kendra, Seth, and the Fablehaven world make this my favorite Fablehaven books so far.

ARC REVIEW: Tricked by Jen Calonita (Fairy Tale Reform School #3)

Tricked
Author: Jen Calonita
Series: Fairy Tale Reform School
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy*
Publishing Date: March 7, 2017
*This book is considered MG and YA by different sources. Based on story complexity and characters, I would put it in Middle Grade.

I received an e-copy ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Ratings
4/5 stars
G for Good, clean fun!
Recommend to younger readers who enjoy adventure and fantasy. This would make a great classroom or family read. Though the main character is a girl, the story will definitely be enjoyable to boys as well!
If you liked Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, The Ever Afters by Shelby Bach, The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, or the Shrek films, you'll love this series!

Overall Impression:
Calonita once again delivers a fun fairy-tale themed adventure with strong, capable characters and a valuable theme. You know what they say; third time's the charm.

                                            Summary

This book is Aunt Approved!
As an aunt with 16 niblings between the ages of
0-13, I wouldn't hesitate letting them read this book!

Things are changing at Fairy Tale Reform School.

At least, that's what Gilly's heard through the Enchantasia rumor mill. Word is, notorious trickster Rumpelstiltskin has taken over management from Headmistress Flora, and he's locked down the school tighter than the Pied Piper's pants. Not that this news concerns Gilly. She's been released from FTRS and is now suffering through attending Jack of All Trades School, where she gets to learn about different kinds of shoe leather and ways to measure feet. Truly riveting stuff.

But when Gilly's little sister Anna gets whisked off to FTRS thanks to her troublemaking new friends, Hansel and Gretel, Gilly knows she's got to get Anna out of there. There's only one thing to do; make some serious trouble and get thrown back into FTRS.

It's time to out-trick a trickster.

Review

A villain is running FTRS!

Well, a real one, not like the reformed Evil Stepmother, Evil Queen, Sea Witch, and Big Bad Wolf who have been on the payroll up to now. And of all the trials Gilly has faced, the fact that the trickster Rumpelstiltskin has usurped Flora as head of the school isn't even the worst of it:

It's that her little sister Anna is thrown into FTRS and his clutches.

Anna's story has been slowly building from the first book and I like the direction it's taking. Calonita is taking her time revealing the little sister's development, and I love it! I can't wait to see where Anna winds up and I love watching how it effects Gilly's own development, having to watch her sister make mistakes but not being able to stop her. Just like Gilly has learned to make her own choices -and accept the consequences- she has to learn to let others do the same.

I've loved this series since the very beginning and this third installment is just as good as the rest. The more Gilly and her friends develop -and save Enchantasia from evil- the more they learn new ways in which to develop -and more evil to save Enchantasia from!

The world of Enchantasia and its Fairy Tale Reform School is a modern-ish, sort of whacky fantasy land. It's magic-tech and renaissance-style modern conveniences reminds me a lot of the Shrek franchise and the movie version of Ella Enchanted. From the instant news notifications of Happily Ever After Scrolls!  to the Pegasus Post mail service, Calonita puts a clever twist on tons of familiar things to fit them in her fantasy that readers will get a kick out of.

One of the things I love most about Calonita's world is how she's developed beloved fairy tale characters, from the reformed villains, to Little Red Riding Hood, to the Princesses themselves: (Cinder)Ella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Snow White. In their own ways, each of these characters has grown through the experience of their 'fairy tale', developing and empowering them in different ways. Often, one or more of them lend their own bit of advice to the story's overall theme.

After two books and two Enchantasia-saving adventures, I was glad to see the adults around Gilly and her friends recognized their abilities to help defeat the villains. Granted, the adults weren't happy about the kids taking on a villain, but recognizing the students' stubborn determination to do it anyway, they helped where they could. The teachers of FTRS, the Princesses of Enchantasia and, most importantly, their parents take the kids seriously, and I think this is a great thing for kids to see!

The adults in the story don't serve up answers or solutions on a silver platter, either. Wolfington (aka Big Bad Wolf) especially likes to offer advice and guidance that insists they make their own decisions, based on what's right vs. what's wrong. In the end, Gilly and the others always find themselves on the side of right, but it's very important that they struggle with those decisions and it's their own choices that led them there.

There's enough in this story to entertain all kinds of readers: adventure, mystery, fantasy, and spies! Gilly's motley crew consists of all kinds of personalities -including my personal favorite, mischievous Jax, who may or may not remind me of Chase Turnleaf- a hyperactive fairy, a pirate-obsessed sweet thief, a jewelry-loving ogre, and the Evil Queen's little sister. I personally think the covers for this series are GORGEOUS but they are a little girly, so I want to stress THIS IS A GOOD READ FOR BOYS, TOO. If they can get past the cover, and don't mind a girl narrator, they will love this story.

Gilly is a great character for kids to look up to. In turns tough-as-nails, mischievous, and funny, she always stands up for what she knows is right, she protects her friends, and she looks out for her siblings. She does have flaws. She makes mistakes. But Calonita does a great job of letting her and her friends learn from their mistakes, without losing a step of the fun story.

Every book so far has had a good core theme that are especially great to stress for kids. The theme of Tricked would be: Don't let what people say or think about you stop you from being yourself.

In addition to the great but subtle moral fiber of the story and the encouraging development of all the characters, this series is just pure fun!

Have you read the Fairy Tale Reform School series yet?

REVIEW: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Fever 1793
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Aladdin
Genre: Historical Fiction/Middle Grade

Ratings
3.5/5 stars
PG for scary situations
Recommend for anyone who doesn't like historical fiction but is required to read it AND for historical fiction fans.

Summary

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight—the fight to stay alive (via Goodreads)

The Review

I admit, I was really dreading this book. Plagues, diseases, the like? I really, really hate those stories. Never mind that I'm something of a germaphobe...

...what freaks me out about these stories is the overwhelming helplessness I feel reading them. If you're caught in a plague, there's not much you can do. There's no one to shoot or outwit or overpower. There's nothing you can do.

However, Fever 1793 was surprisingly less terrifying than I anticipated. Once I actually started it, I had trouble putting it down. Main character Mattie was interesting enough to override my terror of PLAGUE.

Anderson knows her storytelling; she's not relying on fear or grisly details for the drama here, instead giving Mattie personal hurdles in addition to and because of the epidemic to really put meat on the story. Anderson focuses more on Mattie's courage, determination, and wherewithal to survive a city gone insane than on the actual plague itself. While obviously dealing first-hand with the epidemic, it's less a story about yellow fever and more about the courage of people -even the most unlikely- in times of unimaginable despair and destruction.

Because of this, Fever 1793 didn't bother me near as much as I feared it would. Mattie is a great character and the story puts so much of the focus on her will and determination to and her BELIEF that she will survive than on the hopelessness and despair of the epidemic itself.

Mattie gave me strength and courage while I read this so I know this will be a great book for kids to read, especially in their formative years.

Fever 1793 is a great piece of historical fiction, but it wasn't a personal favorite. (Germaphobe, remember?) It's a good book and I loved how all the subplots end, but it's just not my king of book. I wouldn't read it again by choice, but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes/needs to read historical fiction.

However, I'm impressed enough by the storytelling that I will definitely try more by this author.

Warning: I cried at least 3 times reading this.

What subjects give you the heebie-jeebies in books?

UPCOMING TITLE: Potions in the Pizza by Mikey Brooks (W.H.O. Files) | REVIEWERS WANTED

Future House proudly presents Mikey Brooks’ The W.H.O. Files: Potions in the Pizza, a quirky children’s Halloween mystery just waiting to be devoured by young readers. Join twins Ethan and Emmy and their best friend Jax as they uncover the truth behind some strange occurrences at their school. Potions in the Pizza is a treat you won’t want to miss out on this Halloween.
Apply to be a reviewer or sign up for our Beta Reader’s Club to get an exclusive reminder of the book’s release this October!

So remember my Top Ten Tuesday list of Most Anticipated Reads for the Second Half of the Year? Potions in the Pizza should have been on it. A million times over. The reason it wasn't on the list? I found out about its publication FIVE HOURS AFTER the post was published. Really, Universe?

Nevertheless, this is one of my most anticipated reads for the rest of 2016. Imagine* it tucked neatly into the #2 spot on that list of mine, right under Eoin Colfer's Iron Man novel and just above Rowling's Cursed Child. Oi! Don't give me that look! I've been waiting years to read this middle grade adventure. Years! I only started reading Harry Potter in December.

So yeah. Mikey Brooks ranks higher than J.K. Rowling.

Let me explain. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to read the first few chapters of Potions in the Pizza. I fell in love with it and I fell hard. It is so much fun, hilarious, and a perfect middle grade adventure. And I've been waiting to find out how it ends ever since.

I am so happy this book has finally found a home with Future House. Congratulations, Mikey!

But let's face it. My joy is entirely selfish. BECAUSE NOW I GET TO READ IT!

And guess what? You could read it too! Future House is offering ARCs in exchange for honest reviews -details at the bottom of the post. NOW EVERYBODY'S HAPPY!

About The W.H.O. Files: Potions in the Pizza
10­-year-­old twins Ethan and Emmy’s parents have never told their kids what they do for a living. Then just before Halloween, while their parents are away on an emergency business trip, Ethan, Emmy, and their best friend Jax discover a HUGE secret: could the twins’ parents actually be . . . witch hunters?
Meanwhile at school, a new team of glamorous lunch ladies arrives on the scene, serving meals that taste way too good to come from a school cafeteria. There’s only one logical explanation: they’re witches, and the meals they serve are spiked with a dangerous potion! Why have witches come to Roosevelt Elementary? Where have Ethan and Emmy’s parents gone? Can it be a mere coincidence that their parents left just as the witches arrived? Whether they’re ready or not, Ethan and Emmy have only one option if they want to save their school and find their parents: become witch hunters themselves.

Meet Mikey Brooks
Mikey Brooks is a small child masquerading as an adult. On occasion you’ll catch him dancing the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is an award winning author of the middle-grade fantasy adventure series The Dream Keeper Chronicles. His other middle-grade books include: The Gates of Atlantis: Battle for Acropolis and The Stone of Valhalla. His picture books include the best-selling ABC Adventures: Magical Creatures, Trouble with Bernie, and Bean’s Dragons.
Mikey has a BS degree in English from Utah State University and works full time as a freelance illustrator, cover designer, and author. His art can be seen in many forms from picture books to full room murals. He loves to daydream with his three daughters and explore the worlds that only the imagination of children can create. As a member of the Emblazoners, he is one of many authors devoted to ‘writing stories on the hearts of children’ (emblazoners.com).
>> Follow Mikey on Amazon & Goodreads
>> Follow Mikey on Facebook & Twitter
>> Visit Mikey’s website

If you would like to be notified when Mikey’s book is published, join our Beta-readers list. If you would like to get an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a review of this book, contact Ryan Mendenhall (ryan AT futurehousepublishing.com).

For booking school assemblies or classroom visits, media appearances, interviews, and/or book-signings contact Ami Johanson (ami AT futurehousepublishing.com). Contact Ryan Mendenhall (ryan AT futurehousepublishing.com) to request podcast appearances, guest blog posts or other digital promotional opportunities.

*Okay, so you don't have to imagine it. I added it on.

ARC REVIEW: Red -The True Story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff

Red
The True Story of Red Riding Hood
by Liesl Shurtliff
4/5 stars 

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Kids for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The third book in Shurtliff's series of 'True Story' novels, RED is just as fun and enjoyable as RUMP and JACK.

In this story, we get to skip back to Rump's old village where his old friend Red has been getting by without him, though she does wonder where he ran off to. After JACK, it's fun to jump back into the part of the world Rump came from. It offers up a lot of questions as far as the series. Will we see Rump again? Is Shurtliff leading up to something? In the future, will we see these separate story lines start to connect on a grander scale?

These questions fuel my excitement for these novels, but for now they remain unanswered.

Red is a tough, spunky young girl, who doesn't need anyone looking out for her and doesn't mind telling you so. Also told in the first person, this was a very easy book to fall into because of Red's spirited narration, especially once she crosses paths with the flighty Goldie who's determined to be friends.

Granddaughter of the Witch of the Wood, Red is strong with magic. Maybe too strong. Where her grandmother is a powerful and competent witch, Red has a hard time making her magic work right. Spells she casts have a tendency to blow up in her face and she's vowed never to use magic again. When her grandmother gets sick, Red resolves to find her a cure.

RED offers us a chance to explore the magic of this world and how it works, as we watch Red struggle with the magic within her. Despite her vow to never use magic again, the magic still exists inside her, giving us an interesting look at the world through its magic.

As expected, Shurtliff not only puts a twist on the classic story, but she manages to cross its path with unconventional elements from a handful of other stories as well, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Snow White, and -my personal favorite- Beauty and the Beast. This gives further credence to the prospect that we may one day see all these stories merge on a bigger canvas. We already have proof these fairy tales are interconnected; the question now is how interconnected?

Along her journey, Red finds personal strength and growth in a satisfactory and engaging story. She will also be faced with a much more serious and mature topic than Shurtliff has heretofore taken on -accepting death of loved ones. Red's goal of finding a cure for her grandmother quickly becomes fixated on finding a way to beat death, because she can't ever imagine a life without her grandmother in it. This is a very heavy topic to take on in middle grade, but Shurtliff handles it well. She doesn't sugar-coat the reality of losing loved ones, but she manages not to depress us at the same time. The book is made all the better by the inclusion and handling of this genuine dread.

A great addition to Shurtliff's name, kids -and overenthusiastic fairy tale fans like me- are going to love it just as much as the first two.
Check out my reviews for RUMP & JACK
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
View all my reviews 





Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
View all my reviews 




Have you read RUMP or JACK?
What fairy tale do you hope Liesl Shurtliff tackles next?

REVIEW: Sidekicked by John David Anderson

Sidekicked
by John David Anderson
MG/Superhero
4 stars

Sidekicked has a serious Sky High vibe. I loved it.
 
Andrew Bean, as his alter ego The Sensationalist, is a member of a secret sidekick training program through his school. With other sidekicks, he trains to hone his abilities and to learn every way a sidekick should help and not hinder his hero. It talks about the little things, too, the inconveniences that arise from having to take your mask with you everywhere in case of an emergency and wearing your suit under your clothes and hiding chemical weapons in your backpack. Drew gives you the lowdown on what it's really like to be a sidekick and it's enthralling.

But Drew isn't super strong or super athletic (or athletic at all, really). He can't walk through walls and he doesn't know eighteen different forms of karate. Drew has heightened senses -he can hear a whisper from the next room even in a crowd. He can see something far away and he smells everything. Everything.

I loved Drew, but even more than that, I loved that Drew's abilities aren't what you would normally think of as 'awesome'. I also love that Drew really has to work at his powers. If he's not careful, if he doesn't focus on something, he is quickly overwhelmed by everything he hears, sees, smells, and touches. This is something he deals with throughout the book and I thought it was a great opportunity to show that you really have to work for what you want. 

Drew is a great character. The story is told from his perspective and some of his lines -my gosh. One of the things I love about superhero comics are the over-the-top narrations and descriptions and Anderson nailed it. 'Arms crisscrossed in a pretzel of triumph'. Drew calls supers the 'great fuzzy comforter of justice that ordinary citizens of the world snuggle up with at night'. He's funny and clever and sarcastic and he's so entertaining. He has his issues and his moments of self-pity but what really stuck out for me -aside from his humor- is his determination. He grows through the book from a kid to a future super, and it wasn't all sherry and giggles. Another big key in Drew's development is not only his own growth, but how he learns to help others grow.

This book deals with a lot of different issues. Between the fact that Drew's super won't get off his bar stool and the most notorious villain has returned to wage war on the city, Drew's trying to work up the courage to tell his best friend he likes her before fellow sidekick Gavin steals her away and he has to keep everything secret from his parents. Kids are going to find something to relate with Drew about.

On the whole, this middle grade fiction managed to catch the essence of the superhero genre and hold me captive. I had a hard time putting it down at night.

REVIEW: Flunked by Jen Calonita (Fairy Tale Reform School)

Flunked
Fairy Tale Reform School, bk 1
by Jen Calonita
Juvenile Fiction/Fairy Tale
4 stars

How is it that fairy tale retellings can still be popping up all over the place? Haven't we had enough of those already? The answer is no, because authors like Jen Calonita keep finding ways to make the classics fresh again. Until they can't do that anymore, retellings are here to stay. (And I love it!)

The little twist that makes Flunked so much fun is The Fairy Tale Reform School. Known throughout Enchantasia as the place where all bad kids go, it's run by Princess Ella's not-so-wicked-anymore stepmother, and the faculty includes her two daughters, Snow White's stepmother, a sea witch, and the Big Bad Wolf. When 12-year-old Gillian is caught stealing one times too many, she's sent packing from her family's shoe and into the waiting clutches of these supposedly reformed villains.

Soon, Gilly's suspicions are aroused by odd behavior from the teachers and the occasional gargoyle attack. Mystery starts crawling out of the woodwork as she and her new friend Jax begin investigating the oddities, especially once they learn that the princesses of Enchantasia -and the prey of the faculty's former nefarious activities- are coming to FTRS for a visiting day. Someone is out to harm the princesses, and who can Gilly trust in a school full of former villains?


The idea of a reform school for would-be villains is brilliant. It's so much fun getting to see not only our classic villains, but a band of mischievous juvenile delinquents all in one place.

Gilly has some great character development. Her string of petty thefts that lead to her stay at FTRS are born of necessity. At least, that's what she tells herself. As events push her to examine the lines between 'good' and 'evil', Gilly begins to realize the easy answers aren't always the best. And in a place where would-be villains go to amend their evil ways, Gilly learns what it is to be a hero.

I love Gilly's spunk and sass; it keeps the pages turning and the story upbeat. But I admit my favorite character here was her friend Jax, fellow thief and cocky troublemaker. (It's entirely possible this was born of his striking similarities to Chase Turnleaf, another favorite of mine, since I was just coming off the high of finishing The Ever Afters by Shelby Bach when I started this.)

There are great characters throughout the story, but it really benefits from the inclusion of so many former villains. How many of us love a bad-guy-wants-to-turn-good story? How many more of us obsess over bad guys WE want to turn good? I love seeing the villains used in this new way. It makes the story fun and unique.

Some elements of Flunked were predictable, but it was still a fun romp. A good book for anyone who loves fairy tales, and especially for the younger readers.

There is currently a Goodreads Givewaway for this book, so head over there and see if you can win a copy!

Top Ten Tween Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. It's so much fun to play along, and this week is a freebie! I've chosen the topic of my Top Ten Tween Books, in no particular order.

Tweens are stuck between middle grade and YA and, gosh darn it! They deserve some good books too.

There doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule for what exactly a 'tween' book is (I generally think of it as 13-14 year-olds) so what I've picked out are books that strike me as more advanced than most middle grade fiction (higher concept, bigger stakes, more intense character development, longer books, etc.) that also don't dip into the more mentally scarring inclusions of YA (swearing, smut, etc.). I've got a little bit of everything in this list, so you'll probably find something you'll like.

Here are my top picks for the in-betweeners. These first three are books I've found in the last few years that I think will work really well for a tween audience. If you want to learn more about any title, just click on the picture.

THE EVER AFTERS series by Shelby Bach

Fantasy/Fairy tale retellings

Coupled with great story and magic, the main reason for this pick is the amazing character development. This deals with so many issues kids face during that in-between phase, as they're trying to figure out exactly who they are and what they think. Taking place during the main characters' 12th-14th years, this series takes on a lot of real-life issues with growing up, like making and losing friends, relating to parents, figuring things out for yourself, bullying, peer pressure, and learning how to do what's right. All while saving the world from a homicidal maniac. So, bonus.

THE WIG IN THE WINDOW by Kristen Kitscher

Mystery

Best friends Sophie and Grace are convinced that their school counselor is a murderer. But after one false lead, nobody will believe them a second time. They'll have to prove it themselves, but will solving the mystery ruin their friendship? This is a great book, with wonderfully developed and clever characters, and it deals a lot with being the odd one out and figuring out who your real friends are.

THE NINJA LIBRARIANS by Jen Swann Downey

Fantasy/Adventure

A special library whose sole purpose is to track down books and writers all throughout history and attempt to preserve them any way they can. It talks about the sanctity of the written and spoken word, and especially the importance of the freedom to use them. There is a lot of sword fighting, time travel, Star Wars quotes, and the occasional Princess Bride reference. This is a perfect choice for the young or soon-to-be geek.

These next listed are all books I remember enjoying in my early teen years. (Ugh, so many cover redesigns. :P Maybe I should have done Top Ten Worst Cover Redesigns, instead...)


FINNEGAN ZWAKE series by Michael Dahl
Mystery

This series may be tough to find nowadays, but they're good. While these books are fairly short, it is a bonefide murder mystery series. For kids. Those don't come around too often now, do they? Especially when they're actually done well. The narration is kept upbeat, and Finn himself is such a strange kid, that these never get scary, just exciting. Dahl does a great job keeping these appropriate for a young audience, and your reader will love trying to solve the mystery.

ARTEMIS FOWL series by Eoin Colfer

Fantasy

The plot, concept, and ideas in this series are complex enough to appeal to both MG and YA, so that makes it a perfect pick for those in-betweeners. Not only does it have fairies and magic, but also sophisticated sci-fi equipment, evil geniuses, and lovable bodyguards. It's hilarious, and it has it's emotional moments too. As a personal favorite of mine, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this.

ALEX RIDER series by Anthony Horowitz

Spy Thriller

Fourteen-year-old British spy. Need I say more?

 

THE ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES by Patricia C. Wrede
Fantasy

Though these characters are all adults, it's a great book for tweens. Much like the Shrek movies, it takes a screwball comedy approach to the fantasy genre, and Wrede has a lot of fun with it. It's age appropriate for kids, and they'll love the quirky and hilarious characters while Princess Cimorene tries to save the kingdom from evil wizards.


 

DRAGONBACK ADVENTURES by Timothy Zahn

Sci-Fi

This series deals with a lot of gray areas and morality issues as Draycos, a dragon-like alien, with the help of young con artist Jack, race to save his race from extinction, but the morality lesson is never at the expense of the heart-pounding action and it is always intriguing. Great stories, good cons, and space dragons.
SPACE. DRAGONS.

 


SAFFY'S ANGEL by Hilary McKay
Contemporary

Meet the Cassons, a bizarre, eccentric, and completely lovable British family. I have several staple quotes from this series that mean entirely nothing outside of context -"Flag pants!"- and I listened to this book all through my teen years obsessively. This would definitely fall more into the tween category. There are several books about the Casson family, but this is the first and by far my favorite. This is a fun, delightful story about a young girl trying to find herself and her place in her family. Don't dismiss it just as a girl's book, either; my favorite character is the only brother of the Cassons, Indigo, and his daring efforts to overcome his fear of heights, and the youngest and fearless of the bunch, Rose, is absolutely hysterical.

ALIEN SECRETS by Annette Curtis Klause
Sci-Fi/Mystery

Puck is a clever heroine and she's thrown into a high-stakes conspiracy involving an alien of a nearly extinct race and a sacred artifact. This is a great sci-fi for a tween reader; the description and detail aren't too complicated, but they aren't dumbed down either. This is a great mystery that will keep the pages turning, and the ending packs a pretty good punch.

Okay, I'm going to cheat a little. I'm adding an eleventh to my top ten, because I just can't leave out...

Ugh, my least favorite of
the redesigned covers. :P

THE VESPER HOLLY ADVENTURES by Lloyd Alexander
Adventure

I discovered these when I was about fourteen and I adored them. It's basically an Indiana Jones setup -world travel, ancient legends, rebel armies- with Vesper Holly who is anything but your socially acceptable Victorian schoolgirl. Now, Vesper is sixteen, but the books are fairly short, 150-200 pages, and the adventures are all-consuming. If you want to give your little girl a role model, Vesper Holly is a good one. This series will also appeal to boys -did I mention the Indiana Jones set up? But if they don't feel comfortable reading a book about a GIRL, let them know it's all narrated Doctor Watson-style by her guardian, Uncle Brinnie, who is hilarious and slightly clueless. Have no fear; there's no incessant girl talk here. Plus, Lloyd Alexander is a master storyteller.

BOOK REVIEW: The String Quartet by Dan Hupalo

The String Quartet
Dan Hupalo
3 stars

When Dawn found the old cello in the dilapidated barn, she thought she had scored that jackpot. Now she could join the music class at her new school. She would be able to practice again. But when she begins to play, things happen. Magical things. The music of Dawn's cello and her string quartet draw them into another world.

Using music as a form of magic is a beautiful and fresh concept in this genre. As someone who's always loved the idea of playing music, it gave me goosebumps. While it did take me awhile to get into this book, it has a great story, with twists and turns, and a convoluted plot. It would have received a higher rating, except for a few flaws, the biggest of which was the occasionally confusing writing style. There is a lot of head jumping in the narrative and -while I love a good head jumping story- some of these leaps were not made clear to the reader.

There is a prologue, set during WWII, before we jump forward to present day. The prologue is interesting; it concerns several characters introduced later on down the road. My issue with it is that we didn't get a good indication of how these characters went from their situation in the prologue to where they wound up in the present day. I gleaned the gist of what happened, so there are no serious repercussions in the book, but it felt like there was a hole in history.

For the most part, the characters feel well-rounded and we get to see different sides of them. Abigail, the haughty popular girl, was probably my favorite because she had such opposing elements in her personality.

The world of Roethagen where the quartet finds themselves had some very interesting elements, and I like the way that magic can be stored and used from a pipe system throughout the main city. There seem to be detailed rules of magic here, and ordinary things like eating a meal can make you more susceptible to someone's attack, which I found utterly fascinating. I would have liked to know more about the world, its history, magic, and social structure but, for all the time spent here, I never felt familiar with it. This could have been intentional, since the quartet spends more time trying to find a way home than learning about the culture, but I would have loved to feel more a part of this place.

I did enjoy how much the real world was involved in the story. The adventure isn't just contained in this other world, but its repercussions follow the characters back and forth.

This is a fun story and I'd recommend it for the tween crowd of Brandon Mull's Beyonders.

THE EVER AFTERS Blog Tour: Character Playlists (Exclusive Content)

For those of you following this blog tour around, welcome! For my usual readers, WE'RE ON THE EVER AFTERS BLOG TOUR! *hyperventilates*

 

This has been my favorite series for four years running, so I am beyond excited for the opportunity to share some exclusive content from author Shelby Bach! Sit back and enjoy the music stylings that inspired some of our favorite characters.

EDIT: Because Grooveshark.com has shut down, these handy little playlist icons no longer work. I've put together a YouTube playlist with all the songs mentioned below. Enjoy! -Amanda (5/3/15)

Rory = songs 1-5; Lena = 6-10; Chase = 11-15; Rapunzel = 16-17; The Snow Queen = 18-20; Chatty = 21-23

Rory Landon

Rory is a powerhouse with a lot of emotion, so the songs that represent her feature powerhouse vocalists, loud percussion, and emotional lyrics. For me, Bastille's "Laura Palmer" and Florence + the Machine's "Heartlines" are all about following your instincts in spite of external pressure. Joy Formidable's "Whirring" and Paramore's "Careful" capture Rory's efforts to protect her friends and family, whether it is from her own emotions or her own destiny. "Hero," by Regina Spektor, has to get special mention—at almost 900 listens, it is the most-listened track on my iPod: it helped me find Rory's emotional core throughout the series. I love the lines "I'm the hero of this story/don't need to be saved" and the way Spektor sings them—wavering between sadness and determination. 

Lena Lamarelle

Disclaimer: Although I tried to make sure all songs in this post would meet with approval from Lena's strict grandmother, the last one in this playlist doesn't. Skip "That's Alright" for those of you who want to avoid (mild) cursing.

Lena’s music starts off lighter and more pop-oriented than Rory’s. “One Step at a Time” represents Lena’s longing to be a magical inventor like her famous ancestor, Madame Benne. With Lenka’s “The Show,” Lena is starting to feel torn between putting in the hours she needs to become an inventor and keeping up with Rory and Chase, who don’t seem to need her as much as she hoped they would. “Be OK,” by Ingrid Michaelson, has a frantic positivity that totally nails Lena when she is panicking but trying hard not to. The Laura Mvula tunes represent Lena as she is later in the series—“Can’t Live with the World” is how supportive Lena can be to her friends, and “That’s Alright,” which is totally my favorite, shows Lena realizing that she is in control of her own talents and her own life.

Chase Turnleaf

At the beginning of The Ever Afters, Chase could really “Use Somebody,” as the song goes. He needs good friends even more than Rory and Lena, who live with extremely loving (though sometimes overbearing) families. The line that captures Chase in OneRepublic’s “Secrets” is “I need another story.” (If you’ve read Of Witches and Wind, you know why.) “New Low” captures how much Chase feels trapped by the lies he tells. “Changing” and “Demons” capture a lot of the things Chase wishes he could tell Rory, especially after she finds out about his past.

Rapunzel

Sometimes, a certain artist completely meshes with my take on a Character. For Rapunzel , that is definitely Imogen Heap—her songs have a lot of eerie, beautiful harmonies, and her lyrics are definitely hard to understand, much like Rapunzel’s dialogue. Actually, you could say that about all these songs. Mirah’s “Generosity” captures Rapunzel’s frustration about EAS judging her by her family’s actions, and “Silhouettes” reminds me of Rapunzel when she makes peace with her role in Rory’s life.

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen, a.k.a. Solange, is both sinister and lovely, and the songs that represent her also share those qualities. However, "Possibility,” with all its lost and haunted hope, represents Solange in her youth, before she became immortal and started calling herself “The Snow Queen.” Note: “Après Moi”—with its big chords and its bloodthirsty self-preservation—helped me define the Snow Queen, much like “Hero” helped me with Rory. Actually, they’re by the same artist. That's kind of on purpose. It helps me remember how much my hero and villain have in common.

Chatty

Chatty, Rory’s mysterious new friend in Of Witches and Wind, doesn’t talk much (you’ll have to read the book to find out why). A lot of my characterization usually comes through dialogue though, so I had to work extra hard with Chatty. The music helped. “Expression” reminded me that you don’t have to use words to express longing. “Epicy,” “Something in the Water,” and “Salt Water” both have a hyper, bouncy quality that Chatty gives off—like she is just about to pull a prank on someone.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one to be listening to these playlists all day long. A couple of my favorite songs are in Chase's playlist, so I guess it's no wonder he's my favorite character of the series.

Pump up the music and get ready for more fun! We've got access to a great discussion guide for Of Giants and Ice. New Leaf Literary is also hosting a BOOK GIVEAWAY for signed copies of the series thus far. Plus, the blog tour continues until Nov 8, and here's the complete list because I know you don't want to miss a thing. (See that Aerosmith lyric I threw in there? Anyone? ...Bueller?)

Blog Tour Schedule
Nov 3 – Middle Grade Mafioso (Chase and Lena's Orientation Letters)
Nov 4 – From the Mixed-Up Files (Recipe for Fey Fudge)
Nov 5 – Log Cabin Literary (Excerpt from Madame Benne's Book)
Nov 6 – Amanda K. Thompson Blog (Character Playlists)
Nov 7 – Novels, News, and Notes
Nov 8 – Green Bean Teen Queen

Shelby’s Bio

Shelby Bach was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but while writing THE EVER AFTERS, she moved almost as many times as her main character. She came up with the idea for the series right before she left New York City, and she finished the first book, OF GIANTS AND ICE, in Montana—the second, OF WITCHES AND WIND, back in Charlotte. Driving up the West Coast to research the settings for the third book, OF SORCERY AND SNOW, Shelby fell in love with Portland, Oregon and settled there.

She would love to set up a Door Trek system in her apartment to visit her family and friends around the country, but she makes do with much slower and less fictional transportation. These days, while
finishing up the fourth and final book, she also works part time for a real-life afterschool program. It is strangely similar to the one where her stories are set—except the students study math instead of fairy tales.

Shelby’s Social Media
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

Of course I can't resist including the cover for the upcoming fourth (and final *sob!*) installment of The Ever Afters (coming June 30th, 2015). It's so gorgeous, I can't stop staring at it!

If you want to know more about The Ever Afters -or just hear me rave about them- you can also check out the book reviews and other videos I've done for this amazing series. I'm not kidding when I say that everyone should read these. 

Everyone.