Tag Archives: youth fantasy

Dystopias: the Last Cuentista and the Monster Missions

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Katy K.

Here are two Cybils nominees, very different stories of life after disaster on earth – one literary and set in space, one action-oriented, and set on an Earth entirely covered by oceans. Continue reading →

Posted in Middle Grade, Print, Sci-Fi | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Katy K.

A fantasy from Irish author Pádraig Kenny that strikes a balance between scary, adventuresome, and thoughtful. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

3 Fantasies by Award-Winning Authors: Willodeen, the Beatryce Prophecy, and the Robber Girl

Posted on December 11, 2021 by Katy K.

Here are three Cybils-nominated books, all of them by authors who have already won major awards – Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Applegate, and Franny Billingsly. All three are also about children finding meaning and a new life after major trauma. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

3 Scary Stories: Temple Alley Summer, Ghost Girl, and Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Katy K.

Here’s some more of my Cybils reading – ranked roughly in order from least to most frightening. Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba. Translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa. Illustrated by Miho Satake Yonder, 2021 ISBN 978-1632063038 Read from library copy.  Fifth-grade … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

3 Fantasies about Change: Josephine Against the Sea, A Wilder Magic, and Elvis and the World as it Stands

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Katy K.

Here are three Cybils-nominated fantasies about kids forced to deal with change they don’t want to accept. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

3 Fantasies about Bullying: The Insiders, Friend Me, and the Nightmare Thief

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Katy K.

As an empathic adult who was bullied as a child, bullying is always very painful for me to read about. But it happens all too frequently, and it is dishonest for adults to deny kids the opportunity to read about … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Sci-Fi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Five 2021 Cybils-Nominated Fantasy Adventures

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Katy K.

Here are reviews of five great Cybils-nominated adventure fantasies. Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

3 Spine-Tinglers: The Plentiful Darkness, Long Lost, and Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Katy K.

Halloween may be over, but I’m still reading books to make you want to keep the light on at night. Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

That Thing about Bollywood by Supriya Kelkar

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Katy K.

A girl who’s always loved Bollywood but keeps her feelings locked up suddenly unable to stop singing and dancing about them – and everyone else thinks it’s normal. Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Katy K.

An impossible task, banished magicians, the meaning of family, and deepest betrayals blend in The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments