Category Archives: Fantasy

The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight

The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight. Greenwillow Books, 2018. Here’s a book based around a real art museum, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in New Brunswick.  It’s built around an intriguing, Hogwarts-like concept – the people in paintings can come to … Continue reading

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Truth-Tellers: Endling #1 and Heartseeker

Two Cybils nominees star main characters who know when the truth is being told – and the danger this puts them in from those in power. Last. Endling #1 by Katherine Applegate. HarperCollins, 2018. Byx is one of the last … Continue reading

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The Wild Book by Juan Villoro

Here’s a rare middle grade book in translation, from an award-winning author of Mexican literary fiction. The Wild Book by Juan Villoro. Translated by Lawrence Schimel. Yonder Books, 2017. Juan’s mother has been falling apart since his father moved in … Continue reading

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The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings

I was so excited to learn that Sarah Prineas – author of the Magic Thief series and the Winterling series, both middle grade, as well as Ash & Bramble and Rose & Thorn – has started a new series. Happily … Continue reading

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Out of the Wild Night and Denis Ever After

Here are two middle grade ghost stories for late October, plus some others nominated for the Cybils award. Continue reading

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Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.

This was one of my most anticipated titles for the year, which I realized rather belatedly I listened to over the summer and hadn’t yet reviewed.  Though I started reading Naomi Novik back with His Majesty’s Dragon, I really loved … Continue reading

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Black Panther: the Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith

This book didn’t end up getting nominated for the Cybils (unless Marvel swoops in to nominate it during the last week of the publisher/author nominating period) but it’s still worth reading about. Black Panther: the Young Prince by Ronald L. … Continue reading

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The Door to the Lost by Jaleigh Johnson

I first picked up this book because Charlotte had read and liked it, and also because I enjoyed one of the author’s previous books, Mark of the Dragonfly. The Door to the Lost by Jaleigh Johnson Long ago, a world … Continue reading

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City of Islands by Kali Wallace

City of Islands by Kali Wallace. Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins 2018. 12-year-old orphan Mara works hard as a diver for the Lady of the Tides, taking a small boat out with her teen partner Izzy to look for magical relics.  The Caribbean-like … Continue reading

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2 for Teens: Dread Nation and Tess of the Road

Just a few more days of Cybils nominations!  I’ve updated my list of Cybils hopefuls to note which books have since been nominated – as of this writing, four of the twelve books I wrote about. Dread Nation: Rise Up … Continue reading

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