Pick 6: Magic

Spells, faeries, witches, giants. Magical elements seem to resonate with young readers and there are some really excellent fantasy novels being written for them. Here are six books published in the past six months that feature magic.

6 new magical novels

1. Bad Magic by Pseudonomous Bosch

2. Jackaby by William Ritter

3. Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen

4. The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

5. Spirit's Key by Edith Cohn

6. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

 

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Elora of Stone by Jaime Lee Mann
There is a curse on twins in the Kingdom of Falmoor. Ever since the confrontation between the good witch Elora and evil sorcerer Larque, no set of twins has ever grown up intact. One twin always dies or disappears. At four years old, Arianna's twin brother Asher vanished. Now that she's thirteen, Arianna learns that Asher is still alive and if she can rescue him she and Asher may be able to save Falmoor.
I'm not usually a huge fan of fantasy but this one is rather charming. It has its own unique rules of magic and some truly likeable characters.
 
What did you recently finish reading?
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
Elena's village is impoverished and dying. The men have all either left in search of work or been conscripted into the Tsar's army. A flood followed by drought means there is little food. The people believe they are doomed. Then a train comes through town. The train carries a noble family on their way to visit the Tsar in St. Petersburg. Elena is determined to follow the train the Tsar's palace so she can appeal to him for help. When Elena accidentally switches places with a member of the family, young Ekaterina, she is sent of on an adventure that will lead her to cross paths with a Prince in disguise, a phoenix, and Baba Yaga herself.
I enjoy most any retelling of fairy and folk tales. Maguire has created a fantastic cast of characters in this book. Baba Yaga is fantastic in this tale and she has a great wisecracking cat. It really is an amazing read. Just long. It's an incredibly long, dense book. 
 
What do you think you will read next?
King Dork by Frank Portman
I like books about dorky kids and this one promises mysteries, music, and mistaken identity.

Book review - Fortunately, the Milk

Title: Fortunately, the Milk
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: fantasy/comedy
Similar books: Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve
                     Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner
Rating:

Silly, crazy fun

Summary: When their father returns home hours late with the milk he ran down the street to pick up, two children listen, disbelieving, as he spins the tale of his delay.
My opinion: Imagine that To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street had been an episode of Doctor Who. You would end up with this book. Futuristic, time traveling dinosaurs. Pirates. Aliens who want to replace all of the trees with lawn flamingos and the cloud with scented candles. Vampires (that call themselves wumpires). Intelligent ponies. This book has it all. It is an absurd romp and an absolute delight. You even get hints of the episode Gaiman wrote for Doctor who. Take this line for instance: "We have spoons. Spoons are excellent. Sort of like forks, only not as stabby." The whole book is full of that dry wit, making appealing to both kids and parents.

Peg dolls continued

As promised, here are the remainder of the peg dolls I painted for my craft fair. Many of these smaller ones have decorations glued to them for added interest.

 

 

 

 

Book review - The Book of Ivy

Title: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: Matched by Ally Condie
                     I am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
Rating:

There's just something about this book that I love

Summary: Ivy Westfall has spent the past two years in training. Training for the day when she must marry Bishop Lattimer, son of the president, grandson of the man who overthrew her family (once leaders of their settlement) and made them second-class citizens. Training to return her family to power. Training to kill Bishop. It doesn't take long for Ivy to realize, though, that Bishop is not the cruel tyrant she's always been led to believe. Can she carry through with the plan?
My opinion: This book has all of the standard dystopian elements: girl from a repressed group, arranged marriage, cruel punishment, city walls that claim to be keeping danger out but may be keeping the population in, an assassination plot. And some parts of the plot are kind of idealized, particularly Ivy's interactions with Bishop. (I find Bishop just a little too good to believe). And there's this notion of the power of love to break down barriers, change minds, all that jazz. these are things that tend to make me roll my eyes when I read them. Something about the way Engel put it all together, though, was just shy of perfection. What really sold me on this book was the ending. [ATTENTION: Here there be mild spoilers] What a cruel, dark, awesome ending. Nothing works out for Ivy. She's in a terrible situation with no way out. Clearly this is the lead-in for book 2, but it is also what keeps it from becoming too cliche. If you like dystopias, give this book a try.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

Picture books for everyone

Emma Kate by Patricia Polacco

There is plenty to love about this book. Firstly, the art is pencil drawings. Each object is carefully rendered, adding detail and contouring while maintaining the loose, sketchy style. Each page has a detail or two in color, adding nuance and an almost magical quality to the relationship between girl and elephant. Secondly, it's a book with a great twist at the end, one that never fails to delight both kids and adults when I read this at storytime. Smaller kids need a little bit of coaching to discover the surprise but this does not take away from their enjoyment of it.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
When two kids discover that the milk is all gone, their father runs down the street to buy some. He returns several hours later with a wild story of why it took him so terribly long just to buy a little milk.
I've been wanting to read this new Neil Gaiman book for some time now. With time travel, dinosaurs, pirates, aliens, and more it reminds me of To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street crossed with Doctor Who. 

What did you recently finish reading?
Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles (Dover Graphic Novel Classics) Adapted by John Green
Holmes and Watson investigate a family curse in this graphic novel adaptation.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most commonly retold Sherlock Holmes story. This version is fairly solid. The illustrations, while nothing spectacular, are solid and occasionally capture some excellent Holmes expressions. Not the best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes I've ever read but a good thrift edition of you're looking to save some money.

What do you think you will read next?
Niles Wormwart, Accidental Villain by D.M. Cunningham
Niles is determined to make waves at the science fair with his time travel wristwatch. No cliched experiments for this kid. Unfortunately, his experiment goes wrong and blows up the science wing of his school. In the wake of the destruction, Niles is sent of to Camp Mayhem. His father thinks it is a role-playing camp. In reality, it is a training camp for future villains.
This could be an interesting twist on the "kid finds out he is a superhero" plot.