Tag Archives: youth fantasy

Freedom Fire and Spark

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Katy K.

Today I’m featuring a couple of middle grade speculative fiction books that are eligible but not yet nominated for the Cybils – Dactyl Hill Squad 2 by Daniel José Older and Spark by Sarah Beth Durst. Both feature kids flying on the backs of fantastic beasts! Continue reading →

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

Cats and the Sea: Graphic Novels for Kids

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Katy K.

I’ve found myself reading a lot of graphic novels lately.  Here are some for the elementary to middle grade set.  Curiously enough, they all have either cats or the sea as central themes – or both, in the case of Sea … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Historical, Middle Grade | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Riverland by Fran Wilde

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Katy K.

Though Fran Wilde apparently didn’t make my list of Top 10 Fantasy Authors I’ve Never Read, she has been on my radar but unread for quite a while. Good thing she came out with a middle grade book, rather than … Continue reading →

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Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Katy K.

Game of Stars. Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond 2 by Sayantani DasGupta. Scholastic, 2019. New Jersey middle schooler Kiran – aka Princess Kiranmala of the Kingdom Beyond – returns in the second volume of the series that began with The … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Katy K.

I am breaking a trend – I just realized my last three books reviewed all had “dragon in the title.  Here’s another book that I was really looking forward to this year.  I first listened to it on my own … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, books, Fantasy, Middle Grade | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

Posted on August 18, 2019 by Katy K.

Science fiction mixes with Korean mythology in this book by acclaimed adult SF writer Yoon Ha Lee.  Of course I had to read it! Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. Read by Kim Mai Guest. Rick Riordan Presents/Listening Library, 2019. … Continue reading →

Posted in Audiobook, books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Sci-Fi | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Dragonfell by Sarah Prineas

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Katy K.

Sarah Prineas’s Magic Thief series is one I’ve loved enough to listen to multiple times, so I was very excited to read her new book, the pages going quickly and happily by after a period where it felt like I … Continue reading →

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

Starring Kids with Hearing Loss: You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P! and The Collectors

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Katy K.

My daughter wears hearing aids, which has shone a light for me on how difficult it is to find mainstream books whose main characters are Deaf or hard of hearing.  There’s El Deafo, which is great, but not a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print, Realistic, Reviews | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Katy K.

Here’s a magical midsummer book for the summer solstice!  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book at KidLitCon, and waited to read it until closer to its release date. Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca. Yellow Jacket, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Print | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

4 Kids’ Fantasies from Outside the US

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Katy K.

Here are four middle grade fantasy books from the English-speaking world outside of the US – South Africa, Australia, Ireland, and the UK.  (Shorter reviews as part of my trying to catch up with my reading.) The Turnaway Girls by … Continue reading →

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