Belated happy new year, dear readers! I’m officially back to work (from home) after two months of medical leave following foot surgery. It’s taken me a while to catch up with all the email, but I’m back, and will work on catching up with all the books I didn’t get to writing up during December. Meanwhile, here is the fabulous list of 2022 Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction that my fellow panelists and I put together. As always, this was a lot of reading and discussion – I hope you all love these books as much as we do! Click through the links to read our officially blurbs; the links below will take you to my own reviews.
- Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traore
- Eden’s Everdark by Karen Strong
- Fenris & Mott by Greg van Eekhout
- Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua
- The Clackity by Lora Senf
- The Marvellers (Marvellerverse, 1) by Dhonielle Clayton, illustrated by Khadijah Khatib
- The Mirrorwood by Deva Fagan
As always, there are more great books than we can fit in a seven-book list. Here are more of my personal favorites that didn’t make it.
- The Button Box by Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams. Illustrated by Harshad Marathe.
- A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow
- The Counter-Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey
- The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
- The Lock-Eater by Zack Loran Clark
- Monsters in the Mist by Juliana Brandt
- Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza by Laekan Zea Kemp
- The Prince of Nowhere by Rochelle Hassan
- Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson
- Secret of the Shadow Beasts by Diane Magras
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these books, or others of your favorites from last year!
alibrarymama 
Congratulations on a super list of finalists and runner ups! Most of these are on my TBR anyway, I just happened not to have read any of them yet! Looking forward to reading them. Also hope you are fully recovered from surgery?
You’ll have a lot of fun reading ahead of you, then, Valinora!
I am not yet fully recovered from surgery, but after two months with my foot in a cast and using a knee scooter, I’m starting to walk short distances again.
Apart from the pain, it is so inconvenient – all those things you take for granted (walking across the room!) are suddenly so difficult! I hoped your return to work meant you were fully better but at least you are on the mend, and looking forward to hearing of you doing long hikes or marathons in the near future (or at least fit to do them!) 🙂
Thank you again! Long walks over marathons for me for sure! I’m still not able to drive, and will not be able to go back to work in person until I can. Fingers crossed the driving will come soon!
I loved seeing the list. I haven’t read any of these. A Comb of Wishes, Freddie vs. The Family Curse, and The Marvellers are on my TBR list.
I look forward to hearing what you think of them!
I don’t know if this was obvious during our discussion but ahh I really enjoyed THE MARVELLERS! A lot more than I thought I would. I think it helped fill a void left in me by the wait for Nevermoor #4, lol.
I’m so glad! And here’s hoping for Nevermoor #4 soon!!!
Thank you for giving us such a great shortlist to read! Have been really enjoying all of these!
Aww!!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying them!