Book Review: The Secret of Grim Hill

The Secret of Grim Hill
by Linda DeMeulemeester

The Secret of Grim Hill is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

It's Cat Peters' first day at Darkmont High, and everything is going wrong. Cat just moved to a new town, and she doesn't know anyone at her new school. By the end of her first day, she's accumulated several demerits, alienated all her teachers, lost points in several classes, and made no friends. The only student at the school who even acknowledges her existence is Jasper Chung, who skipped a grade and is younger than everyone else at the school. It doesn't look like thing are going to get any better at Darkmont, so when Cat learns that nearby private school Grimoire is holding a soccer match and offering scholarships to all the members of the winning team, Cat is determined to go for it.

Cat gets so caught up in the competition that she doesn't notice that something seems amiss. Jasper and Cat's sister Sookie try to warn her, but Cat's just happy that since she made the soccer team, everything seems to be going right. Perhaps a little too right...

The Secret of Grim Hill is just gently spooky enough to be fun without being overly scary. It's a straightforward, fast-paced story and an easy read that's perfect for tween reluctant readers.

Book Review: Billy Hooten: Owlboy

Billy Hooten: Owlboy
by Thomas E. Sniegoski
illustrated by by Eric Powell

Billy Hooten: Owlboy is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

Billy Hooten is just an ordinary boy who likes comic books and tries to avoid the school bully. He likes reading about comic book super-heroes, but he never imagines that he'll become one! But when he hears a cry for help coming from the cemetery, Billy doesn't think twice; he rushes to the rescue. What he finds in the Sprylock family crypt, though, is quite unexpected: a small goblin being threatened by a pig-headed monster. Once the monster is out of commission, the goblin, whose name is Archebold, tells Billy that he may be the next Owlboy, hero of Monstros City, which exists underground with an entrance in the crypt. Billy refuses to believe at first, but gradually he is drawn into the world of Monstros City and the role of Owlboy. Being a super-hero is much harder than Billy ever imagined, but it's not without it's rewards, either!

Billy Hooten: Owlboy is one of those books that I would never have picked up if it weren't for the Cybils, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The plot is simple but fun, and there's more character development than I expected for a book with a comic book super-hero theme. Billy is very much an ordinary kid, which makes it easy to identify with him. While he does get some super-powers as Owlboy, he also learns that being a super-hero requires intelligence, self-sufficiency, and sometimes just plan hard work, such as when he works all night to alter the Owlboy costume so that it fits. The illustrations by comic book artist Eric Powell are a good complement to the story. This is a book that should appeal to reluctant readers, especially comic fans.

John Christopher week

Sam Riddleburger, author of The Qwikpick Adventure Society, is highlighting author John Christopher on his blog this week. I read Christopher's Tripods trilogy as a child, and it made a big impression on me. It was one of the first science fiction books I read, and I've never forgotten it. I reread the books as an adult a year or two ago and found them to be as good as I remembered. Read my reviews here (in the Wands and Worlds directory).

Check out Riddleburger's John Christopher week here

Thanks to Gail Gauthier for the information.

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 11/26

For the week ending November 26, 2007, the following books have been added to the list of Cybils fantasy/science fiction nominations. Nominations are now closed, so this is the last group of nominations!

Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Incarceron
written by Catherine Fisher
Hachette Livre UK/Hodder Children's Books (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
written by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Pyre
written by James McCann
Simply Read Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Warrior's Daughter, The
written by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:

The following book was transferred from the Middle Grade category:

Penguins of Doom, The (From the Desk of Septina Nash)
by Greg R. Fishbone
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

The F/SF nominating committee reviewed the following books this week:

• Sheila reviewed Fathom Five by by James Bow
  
• Kim reviewed Fathom Five by by James Bow
  
• a.fortis reviewed Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
  
• Sheila reviewed Two Moon Princess by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
  
• Sheila reviewed What-the-Dickens by Gregory Maguire
  
• TadMack reviewed Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson
  
• TadMack reviewed The Silenced by James Devita
  
• TadMack reviewed The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep by John Hulme
  
• TadMack reviewed Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander
  

View the complete, final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Cybils 2007 Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominations final list

Here's the final list of fantasy/science fiction nominations for the 2007 Cybils awards. Final tally: 94 books!

Updated to add latest reviews, January 10, 2008

100 Cupboards
written by N.D. Wilson
Random House
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Alchemyst, The
written by Michael Scott
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
written by Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila


Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
written by PC Cast
St. Martin's Griffin
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Billy Hooten: Owlboy
written by Tom Sniegoski
Random House/Yearling
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


Black Book of Secrets, The
written by F.E. Higgins
Feiwel & Friends
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila


Book of a Thousand Days
written by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Tasha Sheila TadMack


Call to Shakabaz, The
written by Amy Wachspress
Woza Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Chaos King, The
written by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Tasha TadMack


Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
written by Mel Hogan
Athena Press Ltd (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Choices
written by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Tasha


City of Bones
written by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Cobra King Of Kathmandu, The
written by P. B. Kerr
Scholastic/Orchard Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Cupid
written by Julius Lester
Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Darkwing
written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila TadMack


Defect
written by Will Weaver
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Dragon Slippers
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim TadMack


Dragonhaven
written by Robin McKinley
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Dragon's Keep
written by Janet Lee Carey
Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha TadMack


Dreamquake
written by Elizabeth Knox
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Eclipse
written by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Leila


Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
written by Lynne Jonell
Henry Holt and Co.
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha


Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness
written by Kaza Kingsley
Firelight Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Extras
written by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Tasha


Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
written by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
written by Laini Taylor
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Sheila


Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
written by James Bow
Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Sheila TadMack


First Light
written by Rebecca Stead
Random House/Wendy Lamb Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Tasha Sheila


Flora Segunda
written by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


Fred & Anthony's Escape from the Netherworld
written by Esile Arevamirp
Disney/Hyperion
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Ghost in Allie's Pool, The
written by Sari Bodi
Brown Barn Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Sheila


Giving Up the Ghost
written by Sheri Sinykin
Peachtree Publishers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Tasha TadMack


Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, The
written by Lloyd Alexander
Henry Holt and Co
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha


Gray/Guardians
written by Kathy Porter
BookSurge Publishing
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
written by J. K. Rowling
Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Traci


Hungry Ghosts
written by Sally Heinrich
Lothian Publishing
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


In the Serpent's Coils (Hallowmere)
written by Tiffany Trent
Mirrorstone
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Incarceron
written by Catherine Fisher
Hachette Livre UK/Hodder Children's Books (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila TadMack


Into the Wild
written by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin/Razorbill
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila


Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale
written by Holly Black
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Jackie Tempo and the Emperor's Seal
written by Suzanne M Litrel
iUniverse
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Jinx
written by Meg Cabot
HarperCollins
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila TadMack


Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger
written by Lee E. Fodi
Brown Books Publishing Group
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom)
written by Garth Nix
Scholastic Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Land of the Silver Apples, The
written by Nancy Farmer
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Kim


Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
written by Obert Skye
Shadow Mountain
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Little (Grrl) Lost
written by Charles de Lint
Penguin/Viking
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Marigold and the Feather of Hope
written by J. H. Sweet
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


New Policeman, The
written by Kate Thompson
HarperCollins
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila TadMack


Night Tourist, The
written by Katherine Marsh
Disney/Hyperion
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin
written by K. V. Johansen
Orca Book Publishers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis


Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
written by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Sheila TadMack


Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Penguins of Doom, The (From the Desk of Septina Nash)
by Greg R. Fishbone
Publisher: Blooming Tree Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Kim Sheila


Platinum
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Powers
written by Ursula K. Le Guin
Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis Leila


Prom Dates from Hell
written by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim


Pyre
written by James McCann
Simply Read Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Quest for the Elfin Elixir
written by Ami Blackford
Red Cygnet Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Red Spikes
written by Margo Lanagan
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Tasha


Repossessed
written by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha Sheila TadMack


Return to Zandria
written by Christine Norris
LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Secret of Grim Hill, The
written by Linda DeMeulemeester
Lobster Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Sheila


Secret Zoo, The
written by Bryan Chick
Second Wish Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars)
written by Frank Beddor
Penguin/Dial
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Seems, The: The Glitch in Sleep
written by John Hulme
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


Senrid
written by Sherwood Smith
YA Angst
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Sensitive
written by Nina Wright
Flux
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila


Seventh Chair, The
written by Ann Keffer
iUniverse
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila TadMack


Silenced, The
written by James Devita
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack Traci


Silver World
written by Cliff McNish
Lerner Publishing/Carolrhoda Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Skin Hunger
written by Kathleen Duey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila TadMack


Skulduggery Pleasant
written by Derek Landy
HarperCollins
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Tasha Sheila


Standard Hero Behavior
written by John David Anderson
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


Swan Maiden, The
written by Heather Tomlinson
Henry Holt
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis


Tantalize
written by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Tattoo
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha


Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
written by R. L. LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Traci


Thief Queen's Daughter, The
written by Elizabeth Haydon
Tor/Starscape
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Through the Eyes of a Raptor
written by Julie Hahnke
iUniverse
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


Titan's Curse, The
written by Rick Riordan
Disney/Miramax
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Sheila


To Catch a Mermaid
written by Suzanne Selfors
Little, Brown Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


True Meaning of Smekday, The
written by Adam Rex
Disney/Hyperion
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Two Moon Princess
written by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Tanglewood Press
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Un Lun Dun
written by China Mieville
Random House/Del Rey
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: a. fortis


Verdigris Deep (Well Witched in the U.S.)
written by Frances Hardinge
Macmillan Children's Books (UK)
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila TadMack


Warrior's Daughter, The
written by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: TadMack


What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
written by Gregory Maguire
Candlewick
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Sheila


Wicked Lovely
written by Melissa Marr
HarperCollins
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Leila Tasha Sheila TadMack


Wildwood Dancing
written by Juliet Marillier
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Kim Leila Tasha Sheila TadMack


Woolies and Worms
written by Stephen MacNeil
Cobblestone Publishing/Cricket Magazine Group
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews:


Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage
written by Alma Alexander
HarperCollins/Eos
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)
Reviews: Tasha TadMack

Book Review: What-the-Dickens

What-the-Dickens
by Gregory Maguire

What-the-Dickens is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

The food is gone, there's no power in the house, their parents are gone, and a terrible storm rages outside. But Dinah, Zeke, and little Rebecca Ruth are in good hands with twenty-one-year-old cousin Gage to take care of them. It's not that Gage is any good in a disaster - he can't start the generator or find food. But what he can do is tell a story to pass the time. And such a story! Gage tells the three children a story about an orphan skibbereen named What-the-Dickens.

Skibbereen are usually hatched in large groups, so when What-the-Dickens hatches alone in an old tuna fish can, he has no one to teach him the language or the ways of the skibbereen. He doesn't know that skibbereen are tooth fairies, or that they never allow themselves to be seen. What-the-Dickens sets off into the wide world to find a place where he belongs. One adventure leads to another, as he encounters a human, a cat, a bengal tiger, a family of birds, and an old woman. He learns a little more from each encounter, until finally he meets a colony of skibbereen. But his experiences have led him to grow in ways that make him different. Is there a place in the rigidly hierarchical skibbereen society for a free thinker?

I really didn't think I was going to like this book. "The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy," the cover proclaims. Tooth fairy? The idea just didn't seem all that interesting to me. Boy was I wrong. This is so much more than a book about a tooth fairy. It's about love and home and finding your place in the world. It's about non-conformity and free thinking and imagination. It's about belief and faith and magic and miracles. It's about the power of Story (with a capital 'S'). It's a book that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go.

What-the-Dickens' early adventures reminded me of the little bird in P.D. Eastman's classic Are You My Mother?, so when What-the-Dickens finally arrives at the skibbereen colony and he asks an older skibbereen, "Are you my mother," I was delighted. The whole book is packed with references like that, to everything from A Wrinkle in Time to Gone with the Wind. While the references were fun, I'm not sure that that the 10- to 13-year-olds who are the target audience for this book will pick up on many of them. (Many will probably pick up on some of them, such as the Wrinkle in Time reference, but how many preteens today have read Gone with the Wind?)

One of the best things about the books is the characters, from ten-year-old Dinah, conflicted between her parents' strict teachings and her own sense of wonder, to What-the-Dickens himself, whose childlike innocence makes him appealing, but who, like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, is a lot more intelligent than people give him credit for.

My one complaint about this book is the stereotyped portrayal of homeschoolers. Why must homeschoolers in fiction always be strict evangelical Christians trying to shelter their children from the world? We homeschool, and none of the homeschoolers we know are even remotely like the stereotype. I have no doubt that there are homeschoolers like that out there, but if you were to believe the portrayal of homeschoolers in fiction, all homeschoolers would be reactionaries hiding from the world.

Book Review: Two Moon Princess

Two Moon Princess
by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

Two Moon Princess is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

I knew knights did not really fight for us ladies. If they did, they would have the courtesy of asking first whether we want their help.
—Princess Andrea de Montemaior

The fourth daughter of a royal family in the world of Xaren-Ra, Andrea doesn't want to be a princess, she wants to be a knight. But her father, the King, has forbidden her to train as a knight. Now that she's fourteen, she has to give up the things she loves, archery and riding her horse, Flecha, to join her mother's court and train as a lady. Andrea finds court life stifling and difficult, so when she discovers a door to an alternate world, she enters it hoping for a better life. She finds herself in a strange land - California - but with the help of her uncle, who unknown to her is from that land, she quickly adapts to life in California.

She loves living in California - the independence, the friendships, her studies at the University. But when an accident sends her back to Xaren-Ra with a young man she considers a potential boyfriend, the consequences of her return send her kingdom to the brink of war with a neighboring kingdom. Andrea has a plan that just may stop the war, and she sets off on a dangerous mission into enemy territory to try to save her kingdom and her family.

I found this to be quite an engaging book. I was reading it on Thanksgiving, and I was so engrossed in Andrea's adventures that I didn't notice for several minutes that someone was talking to me. Andrea is a likable protagonist: strong-willed, adventurous, and independent, yet sensitive, too; when she comes to understand the death and bloodshed that are the result of war, she questions her ambition to become a knight.

The book is not without romance, either. In some ways the romance seems almost Shakespearean, with mix-ups and misunderstandings and couples switching partners. I wasn't very happy with the men that it seemed initially that she would be partnered with, but Andrea's ultimate romance is very satisfying.

The plotting is a little uneven in places, and some of Andrea's choices and misunderstandings stretch the line of credulity a bit. Overall, however this is a strong title that will appeal to teens who like fantasy with adventure, romance, and strong female protagonists.

Cybils Widget

Tracy Grand of JacketFlap.com has created this awesome widget to showcase the Cybils nominees:



You can even customize it to choose the colors and the categories displayed (I selected just the fantasy and science fiction category. Although there are so many interesting-looking books in the other categories, I thought that this blog's audience would be primarily interested in the F/SF books).

Get the widget for your blog or web page here

Thanks, Tracy!

Book Review: Fathom Five

Fathom Five
by James Bow

Fathom Five is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

Fifteen-year-old Peter McAllister is an orphan. His parents were hit by a car when he was nine, and he lives with his uncle, who travels a lot. But Peter has a good friend in Rosemary, so he never really feels alone. Peter's relationship with Rosemary is changing, though. Each is attracted to the other, but neither wants to admit it. Peter finally takes a chance and kisses Rosemary, but when she rejects him, their relationship becomes strained, and Peter feels like he's lost his only friend.

When his old babysitter, Fiona, shows up out of the blue and tells him that he's really a siren changeling, and that it's time for him to come home, Peter eagerly accompanies her to the siren's world. The lonely teen has finally found a place where he belongs. But Rosemary doesn't believe Fiona, and sets off on a difficult journey to the siren world to find Peter and try to convince him to come home.

Fathom Five is an exciting book and a quick read. The teen relationship issues feel real, and the story is well-paced. This isn't just a relationship book, however. There's plenty of action, and a theme of belonging and finding your place in the world. I highly recommend this book for teens who like fast-paced fantasy with realistic teen characters dealing with coming of age issues.

Last chance to nominate

Today is the last chance to nominate books for the 2007 Cybils awards! If you've been waiting to nominate, your time is up. Nominations close tonight at midnight, so get your nominations in while you still have a chance! Any book published in English for the first time in any country in 2007 is eligible and you can nominate one book per category.

Choose your category to nominate:

• Fantasy and Science Fiction
  
• Fiction Picture Books
  
• Graphic Novels
  
• Middle Grade Fiction
  
• Non-fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
  
• Non-fiction Picture Books
  
• Poetry
  
• Young Adult Fiction

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 11/19

For the week ending November 19, 2007, the following books have been added to the list of Cybils fantasy/science fiction nominations.

The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio
by Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Billy Hooten: Owlboy
by Tom Sniegoski
Publisher: Random House/Yearling
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Dragon Slippers
by Jessica Day George
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Little (Grrl) Lost
by Charles de Lint
Publisher: Penguin/Viking
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Thief Queen's Daughter
by Elizabeth Haydon
Publisher: Tor/Starscape
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Woolies and Worms
by Stephen MacNeil
Publisher: Cobblestone Publishing/Cricket Magazine Group
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

The F/SF nominating committee reviewed the following books this week:

• Sheila reviewed The Seventh Chair by Ann Keffer
  
• Leila reviewed Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan
  
• Tasha reviewed Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan
  
• Kim reviewed Betrayed by P.C. Cast
  
• Sheila reviewed First Light by Rebecca Stead
  
• Kim reviewed Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
  
• Kim reviewed Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
  
• Tasha reviewed Choices by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
  

View the complete list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Haven't nominated yet? Better hurry! There's only two days left to nominate!

Go here to nominate your favorite fantasy/science fiction book of the year! (Please be sure to nominate a book that's not already on the list).

You can also nominate your favorite books in other categories here.

Book Review: First Light

First Light
by Rebecca Stead

First Light is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

Twelve-year-old Peter lives with his parents in a small apartment in New York. Peter's father is a glaciologist, which involves both University teaching and fieldwork. Peter feels cheated, because he never gets to see the "superman" side of his father: climbing glaciers, scaring off polar bears, and driving a dogsled. So when Peter's father gets a grant to study global warming in Greenland, Peter jumps at the opportunity to go with him. Peter's mother will also be going on the trip, as will graduate student Jonas, who is half-Inuit.

Thea lives in a closed city under the ice. Thea's ancestors, fleeing from persecution, found a safe haven under the ice and built the city of Gracehope there. Now, seven generations later, the community is outgrowing the space and the resources there. Thea proposes opening up a passage to the outside world, in order to expand the city. But her proposal is blocked by her own grandmother, Gracehope's council chief, who plays on the fears of the other council members. Then Thea receives help from an unknown source, and discovers secrets her community leaders have tried to hide. Thea and her friend Mattias work in secret to discover a way to the surface.

While Peter's parents and Jonas are out doing fieldwork, Peter begins to explore the surrounding countryside, accompanied by sled dog Sasha. He also begins to explore the strange ability he seems to have developed, which enables him to see far away things as if they are close, although doing so causes him a raging headache. When Peter and Thea meet, the two young people work together to try to save Gracehope before it's too late.

Almost every review that I've seen of this book compares it to The City of Ember, and it's easy to see why: both deal with closed cities shut off from the outside world, cities which are running out of resources. In both, young people seek to find a way out to save the city. But for all the similarities, City of Ember and First Light are very different books. First Light is a more strongly character-driven novel, which puts more emphasis on the development of Thea and Peter in the context of their environment, and less emphasis on the "solve the mystery of how to get out of the city" which was central to The City of Ember, although both books have elements of both. I loved both The City of Ember and First Light, so I'd have a hard time saying that one is better than the other; they're just very different.

First Light is one of those books that draws you in to its world and makes you care about the characters. I was so captivated by the book that I didn't want to put it down, and pretty much read it straight through in a short time. This is a perfect book for anyone who enjoys reading about real young people in exotic, but not too fantastic, situations. There's also a lot of appeal for dog lovers in this book; besides Peter's dog Sasha, all the people in Gracehope have a bonded dog companion.

Inkheart movie trailer & Cornelia Funke news

Even though the Inkheart movie isn't due to be released until September, 2008, the first trailer has been posted online!

I think it looks pretty good, and for the most part, they've done an awesome job of casting. I didn't picture Basta with a mohawk, though. (I assume the guy with the mohawk is Basta).

Thanks to Educating Alice for the trailer news.

The third book in the trilogy, entitled Inkdeath, is also due to be released in 2008. Amazon.com lists the release date as April 7. 2008, but The Official Cornelia Funke web site says that there's a "little less than a year to go" until the U.S. release of Inkdeath, so I think a Fall publication date is more likely. You can't preorder the Inkdeath hardcover on Amazon.com, but you can preorder the audio CD. If you absolutely can't wait, you may be able to find the German version, Tintentod.

In other Cornelia Funke news, the official web site announced on October 22 that she's working on a sequel to Dragon Rider!


Update 18 Nov 2007: I'm sorry to say that the Inkheart trailer was removed by New Line Cinema because they didn't have the rights to use the music in it for internet distribution. Read the details here on Cornelia Funke's web site. The letter says that there will be an official teaser trailer on December 7, so we won't have to wait too long.

Thanks to Fuse #8 for the news.

Book Review: The Seventh Chair

The Seventh Chair
by Ann Keffer

The Seventh Chair is a 2007 Cybils nominee.

At a Catholic School in Washington DC, a chair comes out of the sky and lands on the playground. Seated in the chair is a being who appears to be a nun, but who turns out to be Merlin. Merlin has come in the Siege Perilous looking for his new protégé, a modern-day Arthur who can help the world out of its troubles. But first he has to deal with a confused headmaster, a school bully, and a missing grail.

The Seventh Chair is a cute, funny, and lively story. Unfortunately, though, author Ann Keffer made a mistake that many novice children's writers make: she wrote the story from an adult perspective. Not only does most of the story follow the adult characters, rather than the children, but it seems to be written with an adult way of looking at the world. Also, while the book looks and reads like it's intended for a fairly young audience, there are some difficult vocabulary words. I'm not in the camp that believes that all children's books should have controlled vocabulary. I think it's good for children to be exposed to difficult vocabulary words. But if you have too many of them, it can frustrate budding readers.

In spite of these flaws, though, The Seventh Chair is an entertaining book. I quite enjoyed it, but then, I'm an adult and not the target audience. I have a hard time judging whether elementary-age children will enjoy it. I think that children will enjoy the humor, especially the way that the adult characters are depicted as largely incompetent. I loved the way that the school bully is depicted as a sympathetic character, and the ending was refreshing.

Young Writers Online

Blogger Shaun Duke emailed me to let me know about a new community for young writers that Shaun and his co-founder Andrew Kay have created, Young Writers Online. According to their FAQ:

Young Writers Online was created so that young writers would be able to receive constructive advice on their work, so that they may become better writers and artists. We strive to do this by creating an environment where people can post any sincere literature, questions, suggestions, or critiques, and receive answers in a friendly, constructive manner.

Young people (teens to mid-twenties or so) who join the community can:

• Post your work and receive constructive comments while helping other writers improve their own work.
  
• Read guides and play games to expand your literary talents.
  
• Discuss everything from plot and politics to writers' block and current events with other writers your own age

Young writers who are looking for a safe online community to help them become better writers should check out Young Writers Online.

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 11/12

I've updated the list of 2007 Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominations. The following books have been added:

Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom)
by Garth Nix
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews: Sheila


Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm)
by Michael Buckley
Publisher: Abrams/Amulet
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars)
by Frank Beddor
Publisher: Penguin/Dial
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Ghost in Allie's Pool
by Sari Bodi
Publisher: Brown Barn Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
by Gregory Maguire
Publisher: Candlewick
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio
by Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

The nominating committee reviewed the following books this week:

• TadMack reviewed Defect by Will Weaver
  
• Tasha reviewed Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
  
• Leila reviewed The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh
  
• Leila reviewed Defect by Will Weaver
  
• Tasha reviewed Extras by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Sheila reviewed Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
  

View the complete list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Haven't nominated yet? Better hurry! It's only a little more than a week until nominations close!

Go here to nominate your favorite fantasy/science fiction book of the year! (Please be sure to nominate a book that's not already on the list).

You can also nominate your favorite books in other categories here.

Book Review: Darkwing

Darkwing
by Kenneth Oppel

Darkwing is a Cybils nominee.

Dusk is a chiropter, a small prehistoric mammal with a flap of skin attached to his arms that enables him to glide through the air. But Dusk is different from the other chiropters; his legs are weak, making it difficult for him to climb trees, and his chest and shoulders are freakishly large and bulky. But the differences go beyond appearance, as Dusk discovers that, unlike the other chiropters, he can "see" in the dark using his echolocation. And even more astonishing: he can fly! Dusk's parents love and encourage him in spite of his differences, but not everyone in the colony is as tolerant, and Dusk is often shunned for his differences.

Meanwhile, another mammal, a felid named Carnassial, discovers that he has a taste for meat. The various species of beasts, including felids and chiropters, have always been allies; they have a pact to work together to destroy the last of the saurians, or dinosaurs, by finding the nests and destroying the eggs. Now that the saurians are apparently wiped from the earth, Carnassial and some of his fellow felids do the unthinkable: they turn on their fellow beasts and begin to hunt and eat them.

When Carnassial's prowl attacks Dusk's colony, the colony flees its home. But in a world growing increasingly crowded, will the colony be able to find a new home? Dusk's abilities may be able to help the colony, but will they learn to accept him, or will Dusk become an outcast?

I found Darkwing to be excessively violent and fairly disturbing. There's definitely a Darwinian theme running through the book; everything seems to be killing and eating everything else. That wouldn't be too bad, however, except for the way the carnivores, and especially Carnassial, are portrayed. The theme of the book seems to be accepting who you are, and that even carnivores are a part of nature. Yet, all of the carnivores are depicted as evil, which makes you question whether it really is natural. And the scene where Carnassial first yields to his impulses and kills one of his fellow beings has a high "yuk" factor; it's a disturbing scene that made me think of a serial killer making his first kill.

If you can overlook the violence, Darkwing is a fairly readable and enjoyable book. The story of the colony's search for a new home is entertaining and exciting, and readers will engage with "Ugly Duckling" Dusk and his family. I particularly liked that Dusk's family loves and supports him in spite of his differences. I think that too often this kind of books portrays parents who reject or poorly treat a child who is "different" for the sake of dramatic tension, but it was refreshing to see a loving family trying to support their child. Readers of animal fantasy who aren't disturbed by the violence, and especially fans of Oppel's other books, will probably enjoy Darkwing.

David Clement-Davies author chat transcript

On November 3, 2007, author David Clement-Davies visited the Wands and Worlds community to chat with the fans. David Clement-Davies is the author of The Sight, Fell, Fire Bringer, and The Telling Pool.

David proved to be quite the adventurer, having swum the Colorado River and hiked up the Grand Canyon right before the chat. He answered questions about his books, writing, wolves, and more. Read the transcript of the chat here.

Book Review: The Shadow Speaker

The Shadow Speaker
by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

In a world where everything is changing, Ejii is one of the changed. Ejii is a shadow speaker, one who can commune with the shadows and hear their advice and warnings. There are many types of metahumans on Earth in 2070: shadow speakers like Ejii, windseekers, who have wings and can fly, rainmakers, who can bring rain and control the weather, and shape shifters. The metahumans are mutations caused by the Great Change, when the Earth was changed by nuclear war and Peace Bombs,

Ejii's childhood was warped by the strong influence of her father, Chief Ugabe, a cruel and dictatorial leader who ruled the town of Kwàmfà in Niger, and by her father's death. Her father took it upon himself to rule in the name of Jaa, the Red Queen, and everything he did he said was in her name. When Ejii was nine, Jaa returned to Kwamfa and put an end to this by cutting off Chief Ugabe's head in front of the whole town, including Ejii.

Now, five years later, Jaa is leaving Kwàmfà. The shadows tell Ejii that she must go with Jaa to save the Earth, so against her mother's wishes, she sets off into the desert to follow the Red Queen. On this perilous journey she will come face to face with terrifying creatures, make new friends, travel to another world, and, if all goes well, find herself.

The Shadow Speaker is a richly imagined coming of age story with a theme of empowerment. The book's biggest strength is the characters: author Okorafor-Mbachu breathes life into a fascinating cast of characters: Ejii herself, Jaa and her two husbands, Buji and Gambo, the young rainmaker Dikeogu, and a host of supporting characters. The portrayal of future Niger is interesting, combining highly imaginative world-building with elements of modern Niger projected into the future. However, the imaginative elements were occasionally a little too bizarre for my tastes, and the reasons for the changes weren't always well-explained or believable. In spite of this, The Shadow Speaker is a fresh and enjoyable fantasy that will appeal to teens and adults.

It was refreshing to read a fantasy set in a country that I knew very little about, and I was moved to do some research on Niger to find out a little more about the setting. One of the characters in the book is an escaped slave, and I was horrified to discover that slavery apparently still exists in Niger: it was only outlawed in 2003 and it's believed that tens of thousands of people still live in slavery in Niger.

Cybils 2007 F/SF Weekly Update 11/5

I've updated the list of 2007 Cybils Fantasy and Science Fiction nominations. The following books have been added:

Cupid
by Julius Lester
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Secret Zoo
by Bryan Chick
Publisher: Second Wish Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Marvin Monster's Teacher Jitters
by Tabatha D'Agata
Publisher: Keene Publishing/Moo Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


Repossessed
by A. M. Jenkins
Publisher: HarperCollins
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:


The Secret of Grim Hill
by Linda DeMeulemeester
Publisher: Lobster Press
Buy from: Amazon.com | Your local bookstore (Booksense)
Reviews:

The nominating committee reviewed the following books this week:

• TadMack reviewed City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
  
• TadMack reviewed Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
  
• Leila reviewed Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin
  
• Tasha reviewed Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
  
• Tasha reviewed First Light by Rebecca Stead
  
• Traci reviewed Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. LaFevers
  

View the complete list of fantasy/science fiction nominations here

Haven't nominated yet? Please don't wait too long! The sooner you get your nomination in, the more time the panelists will have to read and consider the book. Go here to nominate your favorite fantasy/science fiction book of the year! (Please be sure to nominate a book that's not already on the list). You can also nominate your favorite books in other categories here.