Behold the Infant of Insanity!

Especially since two people I know have given birth in the last two weeks, and a little Bird just mentioned something about fluffing up her nest, this little hat appeals to me! Is it not the single-most adorable baby hat, ever? Behold, the infant Cthulhu! Yes, Baby Cthulhu will make you insane, but you will die happy. People: THERE IS A CROCHET PATTERN FOR THIS ON SALE. And there's an adult pattern...

Other fun bookish SFF gift geekery include Marvel Comics wallets and 20-sided die soap-on-a-rope. Via Tor.com.

Cybils reading is picking up pace -- and I can't wait to share as gifts some of the MOST EXCELLENT books on the YA list. It's going to be a Dystophia Christmas!

Now, back to the books...

Conference Alert!

Have you ever heard of Narrate Conferences? I hadn't, but I just learned today about this remarkable nonprofit, which describes their mission as presenting

innovative conferences and events for teens and adults. The mission of our organization is to provide unique opportunities for scholars, students, professionals and readers to discuss books, television, films, other media and popular culture. We aim to challenge and inspire a wide range of individuals, from the seasoned academic to the literary enthusiast, and our events combine aspects of academic conferences, professional retreats and fan conventions.

Their past events include Harry Potter conferences, but perhaps even more exciting is an upcoming conference on the theme Sirens, dedicated to women in fantasy literature. It's an annual event, and this year's topic is "monsters." Guests include Justine Larbalestier, Nnedi Okorafor, and Laini Taylor, and the conference will take place October 6–9, 2011 in Vail, Colorado. Presentation proposals will be accepted until May 7, 2011. It's a pretty reasonably-priced conference, too...ahem, fantasy fans! Hopefully it won't overlap with the Kidlitcon...

I found out about this intriguing event thanks to fellow Cybils Fantasy/Sci-Fi judge Hallie Tibbetts of Undusty New Books--a fun perk of being Cybils blog editor is getting to cruise around the kidlitosphere and get acquainted with new (to me) blogs.

They're Back! They're Back! They're Baaaaack!!!!

Coming DECEMBER 1 to a children's book podcasting book blog near you, JUST. ONE. MORE. BOOK~!

You guys, you rock.

The Foundling's Tale, Part Three: Factotum...and a Contest

If you're a fan of D.M. Cornish's unique and astoundingly detailed world of the Half Continent, as portrayed in the Monster Blood Tattoo trilogy—now known as The Foundling's Tale—you'll be pleased to know that A) the third book, Factotum, is out THIS MONTH, and B) it's a truly satisfying end to the tale of foundling-turned-lamplighter-turned-monster-fighter's-assistant Rossamünd Bookchild.

One of my favorite aspects of this trilogy is the fact that the world Cornish has created is so rich and so utterly unlike anything else, down to the use of language at the individual word level. It's not just that characters and places are named in an unusual way (like J.K. Rowling, he's got a talent for naming people), but even the terminology for technology and social structures in this semi-industrialized setting is unique to this book. Words are put to use in new and connotative ways, related to the meanings we might already be familiar with, but not quite the same, with a pure enjoyment of the very sounds of the words themselves. The words are decontextualized, but somehow all of this adds to the feeling of atmosphere in these books—and, as an unrepentant word nerd, you'd think that would annoy me, but instead, I'm happy to go along for the ride.

I don't want to give too much away about this book, but the one of the central themes revolves around the definition of what is, in fact, a monster—and whether in fact all monsters are nefarious and to be universally reviled, or if there may be some (as we learned in book 2) that help humankind and coexist peacefully.

Three for Mid-November: Skim, Finnikin of the Rock, Faerie Lord

It's the Return of Three-Sentence Reviews! As the holidays creep closer (and I indulge in more escapist binge-reading) I'm forced to limit my time writing reviews so I can get some, er, work done. So here are a few to start with. All three of these books were checked out from the Stanislaus County Library.

Skim, which was the Cybils YA graphic novel winner in 2008, finally appeared in my library at some point—set in Toronto, it's the story of multiracial (I think) Wiccan Kimberly Keiko Cameron, aka Skim, who struggles with fitting in with her classmates and suffers in silence from a crush on her young, charismatic English teacher Ms. Archer. Her crush and her resulting depression cause her to drift apart from her best friend Lisa, and the rift between them only grows as Skim begins to make friends with Katie, a girl at school whose boyfriend committed suicide. This story is surprisingly complex and touching, Skim is an endearing character with a lot of depth and sweetness, and the artwork retains a loose and sketchy hand-drawn feel while also making a subtle nod to traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints—a hybrid blend just like Skim herself.

Buy Skim from an independent bookstore near you!

Finnikin of the Rock, the latest book by Melina Marchetta, will likely appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce for its fully realized world, its well-drawn cultures, its complex and thoughtful characters, and its strong women. Finnikin is the son of the Captain of the Guard of the country of Lumatere—a country that's been cursed and essentially riven in two, with half of its people trapped inside with an impostor king, and the rest wandering exiled throughout the other countries of the continent. I was thoroughly absorbed by Finnikin's story, which is really also the story of the mysterious young woman Evanjalin, who guides him on a harrowing journey to bring their people back to their homeland. Extra Bonus Fourth Sentence: I loved this book, and fans of Marchetta's Jellicoe Road will recognize and revel in the feeling of mysteries unfolding and surprises revealed.

Buy Finnikin of the Rock from an independent bookstore near you!

Faerie Lord is the fourth book in Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars series, and is sure to be a satisfying conclusion for series enthusiasts. As with the other books, I enjoyed the humor and the quirky world that Brennan has created in which the Faerie Realm is really just a parallel world to our own, and Faeries an awful lot like humans—the technologies (and magic) may differ, but they don't flit about on gauzy wings, and they suffer from political strife and power struggles just as the human world does. Henry's fourth adventure brings him back to the Faerie World to help Queen Blue—whom he sadly jilted at the end of the last book, so there's THAT awkwardness to contend with—address a rapidly-worsening plague of mysterious origin and no known cure.

Buy Faerie Lord from an independent bookstore near you!

Adjust Your Goggles and Fire Up Those Steam Engines...

WHO:
You. Us. That is, anybody who enjoys reading steampunk fiction and other forms of alternate history.

WHEN:
The week of December 13th.

WHERE:
A blog near you. Like this one.

WHAT:

Alt History/Steampunk Celebration Week!

Many of us around the kidlitosphere and beyond will take some time that week to celebrate and discuss great books--especially YA and crossover titles--with steampunk and alternate history themes. Here at FW we'll post a review or two, take a look back at some past posts featuring steampunk books and authors, and we may even raise a few questions about the writing craft.

Oh, yeah--there's also a CONTEST! You can read all the details at Bookshelves of Doom, but essentially this is a CREATE-YOUR-OWN-STEAMPUNK-BOOK-COVER contest. Cruise on over to Leila's blog, select one of the eligible titles, and try your hand at hooking the audience. Deadline's December 15th. And there are PRIZES! Namely books! And approximately 15 minutes of internet fame.

Tune in here on Friday for another teaser, and of course join us here, at Bookshelves of Doom, Chasing Ray, and MANY OTHER PLACES for Alt History/Steampunk Week.

SFF CYBILS BOOKMARK: Schooled

There's a good chance that I'm one of the few people in my cohort of Cybils SFF judges who reads books with an eye toward whether or not they'd be good in a classroom setting. You can take the chick out of the classroom, apparently, but there's not so much chance of removing the classroom from the chick. I don't know if I'll ever get over the idea that teaching should be made up of moments of brilliant discussion with students - it's a nice dream, isn't it? But mostly I spent time trying to a.) get people to read their assignments, b.) taking away cell phones, and, c.) trying to get people to read their assignments.

If I'd had books like these, I think the whole "Do Your Reading!" rant would have happened a whole lot less often...


Epitaph Road, by David Patneaude: It's the future, 2097, and a calm future it is -- no poverty. No war. No crime. It's a future with a paucity of options, however, at least for men. They're the smallest portion of the population, and their unimportance is reinforced -- by having them travel with minders, by keeping them out of certain fields of work, and by treating mothers so that they only bear a limited amount of boy babies.

Elisha's Bear is the disease which wiped out the population of men, 'til they were only 2% of the population, and since the world was so, so, so bad, due to the mismanagement of the planet by men, the women took over. And remain in power. Probably forever. Every time men gather in large numbers, the disease reawakens. There may never be large groups of men, men in families, men in business and the public life, ever again.

The men who have bucked the trend move into the woods and the mountains. Kellen's Dad, Charlie, is one of these, and lives on his fishing boat near the malecentric community of Afterlight. Kellen really wishes he could too, but he's living with his mother, who has expectations for him. In a household of women and their children, Kellen is the only boy.

When his mother's boss, a highly placed member in the government, shows up at the house, Kellen's eavesdropping reveals a shocking piece of information that convinces him that he needs to go to Afterlight, immediately.

This dystopian novel may very well be as popular in schools as The Giver. It is absolutely gripping - and covers a lot of ground. Themes of gender and group identity, history, community, matriarchy, feminism, and genocide could start some great classroom discussions.

You might also need tissue. Just, FYI.

Cloaked in Red, by Vivian Vande Velde: Normally I don't bother reading forewords or author's introductions to a novel until I'm finished with said novel. (Sorry, authors who write them, but we readers are difficult beasties.) I made an exception for this slim Vande Velde volume, because the novel itself was so short. It was a good call. The foreword was hilarious. The rest of the short pieces were not necessarily as funny or straightforward, but I still think this would be a great book to introduce a unit on writing fractured fairytales for an English lit or creative fiction class. Eight short stories which seam-rip and resew Little Red Riding Hood's traditional tale into something that makes more -- or less, depending on the story -- sense than the one we know.

My favorite of the eight short stories was Why Willy and His Brothers Won't Ever Amount to Anything. Strange, imaginative, obnoxious Willy, always coming up with the wrong end of the stick. What else is the boy to do but become a writer?

A quick, very quick read. This one was a bit short for me, but it not only works well for younger readers, it's the perfect size to be stuffed into a stocking, for those already on the move for holiday books.

Draw the Dark, by Ilsa J. Bick: Before I get into what I actually liked about this story, let's have a word about the cover. It's somewhat horrendous. Yes, the barn is germane to the story. Yes, a sort of low-grade spooky is a good thing. However, I tend not to gravitate toward blood and gore and the drippy title font didn't make me feel very confident as I embarked on my relationship with the story. The cover doesn't match the book, to my mind. I was prepared for Saw II, and fortunately, this isn't it.

Winter, Wisconsin is a strange town anyway -- it's small, so everyone knows everyone. It's nosy, so everyone knows everyone's business. And it's secretive -- it's a town that keeps them. And one big secret is that a murder happened way back when. A routine house remodel is the scene of the grisly discovery, and it's enough to unsettle quite a few of the old-timers.

It's not all that calming to the younger residents of Winter, either. Christian Cage lives with his uncle, the sheriff, because his father disappeared, and then his mother vanished, too. He's looked upon with a mixture of pity and fear, since his second grade teacher attempted suicide, and named him in her goodbye note. Christian has been dreaming of terrible, terrible things, and he's started drawing his sleep. He's drawn something awful and insulting on a barn outside of town. And Christian is now afraid that what he draws, dies...

You might not see this one as a classroom novel, and admittedly, low-grade horror would be a stretch for some. However, this novel is based on historical fact: that many small towns in the U.S. were places where German prisoners of war were sent after they were captured during WWII. They lived and worked peacefully in these small towns, and in some cases, stayed on after amnesty.

That's not quite what happened in Winter, however. Not quite...

An intriguing novel which would open up discussion on art, psychology, reality, dreams, WWII history, prisoners of war, and the dynamics of small towns. It would really liven up an English class, for sure!

Other fine Cybils nominees which could find good homes on a suggested reading list include Chelsea M. Campbell's THE RISE OF RENEGADE X, at The Book Smugglers, THE REPLACEMENT, by Brenna Yovanoff, reviewed by Liz at the School Library Journal Tea Cozy, and BRIGHTLY WOVEN, by Alexandra Bracken, ably reviewed at The Story Siren.

You'll find EPITAPH ROAD , as well as CLOAKED IN RED, and the spooky-but-not-too-gory DRAW THE DARK at an independent bookstore near you!

All three novels received and reviewed courtesy of their respective publishers.

Save the Contemporary, Part II

If Contemporary YA quietly disappeared tomorrow would teens even notice?

That, friends, is the question at fomagrams.

Sometimes as a writer, I'm a little scared that the books I think of have no point, as in, "There's no point in writing this because there's no werewolf in this."

Worse, sometimes I'm scared that the fantasy and science fiction books that I want to write are buying into a hype that's already existing. No, I'm not going to write steampunk. Or werewolves. Or Animorphs, although that was a really fun series. I really want to write original content, but there's none of that left, really.

All writing is rewriting another story - and these days, it's another story with vampires.

Is there a point to continuing to try?

P'raps Mr. E. will provoke some thought.

Love At First Sight: Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Source: Was offered a review copy by the author and received it from the publisher.

This book is a 2010 Cybils Fantasy and Sci-Fi nominee.

Love at first sight. Nope, I'm not talking about falling in love with some compelling and handsome member of the opposite sex, although there are not one, but TWO lust-inspiring love interests in Sarah Beth Durst's latest novel, Enchanted Ivy. I'm talking about that experience of visiting colleges when you're a teenager, when you find yourself at that one school you just know in your bones is the place where you want to spend the next four years of your life.

According to the insert that the author included with the review copy, she herself felt that way about her alma mater, Princeton (where the book is set). I definitely related to that feeling. I felt that way about Berkeley, maybe because my mom graduated from there, too, and we often went back to visit. It's a similar situation with Lily Carter, the main character of Enchanted Ivy, only it's been multiple generations of her family that have attended Princeton. And it's HER dream, too.

So, obviously, Lily's overjoyed to attend Reunion weekend with her grandfather, and amazed that she's been offered an opportunity to take the Legacy Test—a top-secret test that, if she passes, will guarantee her admission to the school. But her assigned quest—to find the Ivy Key—leads her to discover a wondrous, magical Princeton coexisting with the ordinary one she already knows. There, the gargoyles aren't just whimsical historical statuary—they're real. And other, less charming creatures are real besides. Her quest ends up being a lot more dangerous than she bargained for, with two love interests on opposite sides of the conflict competing for her attention, her own family at risk, and out-and-out war between the magical and the mundane becoming increasingly likely.

What could have been a somewhat indulgent and nostalgic exploration of the excitement of preparing for college is, in fact, an adventuresome and charming story that catches the reader up in the sense of anticipation that anything could happen when you leave for college. ANYTHING--up to and including magical battles and handsome were-tiger boys. There's a little bit of everything in this story: adventure, romance, family drama, magic...and the more ordinary magic of discovering who you are and how many possibilities lie ahead.

Buy Enchanted Ivy from an independent bookstore near you!

CYBS SFF BOOKMARK: Putting the speculation in SpecFic

People, I love to be surprised. (Really, I don't, but that was a good first line for a post, no?) Let me specify: I love to be surprised by book plots. I like unusual science fiction and fantasy, as speculative fiction is supposed to be all about the speculation. I like writers who think from new angles, and bring out more than one shade of "what if?"

Occasionally, I'm startled by some of the angles, though. This week, it was STORKS. Storks. As in, teh birds what brings teh 'lil beebees. Yeah. those storks.

And Demons. Aliens. Freaky Friday, redux. It's speculative fiction, Cybil's style.

The Demon's Covenant, by Sarah Rees Brennan: this is actually a book I looked forward to with a great deal of ...well, trepidation. I adored The Demon's Lexicon last year, despite Nicky's soulful lips (!) on the cover, but sequels are tricky things. If you've had the least bit of concern, you'll be pleased to note that Brennan's done it again. I'll only offer a brief recap on this because there is just too much to give away. Some things haven't changed: Jamie and his sister, Mae, are still annoying Nicky's, er, soul. Jamie's lame weak cringe-y-ness and Mae's crush bugs him like a burr under a saddle, but he's trying to be better. Mostly. When he's not calling down lightning by losing his temper and stuff. I mean, after all, Nick's not human. He knows it now. Why even bother trying?

Mae's finally got it figured out: Nick is unable to totally throw off doing what his brother wants, even though something has happened between them which has totally and completely changed the way the brothers relate. No matter how much she's into her new boyfriend, Mae's still all over Nick like a bad rash. As it turns out, that might be a good thing. Alex, for once, might not actually be looking out for Nick. He might finally see him as the demon he is, and be totally ready to betray him...

It took a moment or two for me to get into this novel, but then I wanted to throw things and weep because I didn't have the sequel right on hand when I finished. Cliff. Hang. Er. Be warned. Also: new cover artists. Normal lips! Yay.

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences, by Brian Yansky: Between one breath and the next, Earth is ...lost. Jesse looks around his history class, and he's the only one awake -- and alive. Running through the hallways, the neighborhoods and the town show the same chilling fact: he's only one of millions left alive. Even the squirrels are dead.

What. The. Heck. Happened?

Invasion's what's happened, and Jesse's now an able-bodied piece of "product," set to working for the overlords. He's not particularly uncomfortable physically, but he's scared, grieving, and lonely. Despite a tentative friendship with a NFL hopeful - no more NFL, so Mr. Hopeful's pretty bitter -- he's facing a life sentence as a worker for essentially the little green men. There's got to be more to life than this. But, there isn't. For anyone.

With his father's imaginary voice echoing in his head, and real voices starting to inhabit his hours waking and sleeping, Jesse realizes something has to change. Is it worth it to save your life and live carefully? Or is the human spirit all about risk?

A short, quick-paced novel with an almost cinematic conclusion (you'll hear the theme to Big Valley, I swear).

Also, I can't say enough good things about the COVER of this one. Clean and straightforward with the little iconic alien vessel: it just works.

Stork, by Wendy Delsol: A snarky teen moves from California to Minnesota. Cracking-wise about the cheeseheads ensues, right? Unfortunately, yeah, there's a lot of snark and attitude from Katla, and a stereotypical blonde-brainless-Cali-girl attitude (the author grew up in Detroit, and as a Californian, I take serious exception to her stereotyping), but she's got her reasons, she thinks. For one thing, moving from Southern California to Minnesota means subtract beaches, add snow. Katla hates being cold. For another thing, there's something plain weird about, well, everyone. Forget Minnesota nice - her whole high school seems to hate her. A cadre of old ladies seem to be the only people interested in making friends with Kat at all -- and to be honest, they're not all that friendly. They're some ancient sorority and they swear Katla is part of them. It's a bit of a ...head-scratcher, for sure.

Soon the former California fashionista is layering on the parkas and trying to make sense of crazy dreams about crying babies, the gorgeous Jack's total antipathy toward her, and the creepy advances of Wade, a guy she should never have messed around with in the first place. It's starting to look like Minnesota is more of an interesting place than Katla could have ever dreamed...

Despite the fact that we only ever see eagles or ravens, this bird-centric title is fast-paced enough to catch and hold a reader's interest. A sequel is already in the works for September 2011.

Girl Parts, by John Cusick: David Sun considers himself a typical "one of the guys" kind of guys. He has his crew, his girl(s), and his computer. He's just one of thousands of guys who watch a girl from his school commit suicide online. Of course, he's running two other monitors while he watches, but you've got to admit -- even death is not that interesting.

David's parents are shocked, and adults in the entire community are equally horrified. How could their teens be so callous? They have dissociative disorder, is the official school psychologist diagnosis. They need to learn how to have balanced human interactions again. They need Companions.

Companions are realistic, flesh-covered... androids. Programmed to relate solely to their boys, they want to do nothing more than please them, and help them relate... to a certain extend. Relating a little too much too soon will give said boy a nasty electric shock.

Self-centered David loves relating to Rose. Just holding her hand and staring at her isn't enough, though. David wants it all. He's willing to wait, though. Isn't that what having a Companion is all about? Waiting until the elusive "right time?"

This book had a lot of dark, subtle humor, which I appreciated, but there are myriad subplots which I wish could have been explored. First, the Companions were only female. Why? Especially since the person who committed suicide was female, wouldn't it also stand to reason that the girls in this community were disassociated? Second, Rose "patiently" waits through David's partying - and while she's fully equipped with a nasty electrical component, doesn't shock him for underage drinking or being an annoying lush; instead the writer characterizes her as waiting for him. Wouldn't she simply shut down when not in use? I found it hard to believe that an android would become emotional sans programming. How did that happen? That a major company was involved with psychologists had interesting ethical applications which weren't discussed. There's a lot yet to tease out of this novel, and a close reading may result in some interesting discussion.

So many books, so little time...

---

DARKLIGHT (Wondrous Strange, Bk 2), by Lesley Livingston was ably reviewed at the Sarah Laurence Blog. The breathless Brit novel SWAPPED BY A KISS is reviewed at Bookalicious. YA Books Central has SHADOW HILLS covered.

You can also find THE DEMON'S COVENANT, ALIEN INVASIONS AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES, STORK, and GIRL PARTS at an independent bookstore near you!

The final three books reviewed in this post received and reviewed courtesy of their respective publishers.

A really bad shot taken with the phone's camera...

...but you can't make this kind of stuff up.

You want painful lives? Check out celebrities.

But, seriously. I have ZERO clue who is going to walk up and WANT to read about painful lives. And since B&N is now dividing the YA section into genres... are we going to have this now?? Because what is YA lit if it isn't sometimes... painful?

Weird. Weird, weird, weird.

Via Tor.com: The Carl Brandon Society

The Carl Brandon Society, an organization dedicated to racial and ethnic diversity in speculative fiction, will hold a prize drawing of five eReaders to benefit the Butler Scholarship, a fund that sends two emerging writers of color to the Clarion writers workshops annually.

::wait, hold up::

Did YOU know there was an organization dedicated to racial and ethnic diversity in speculative fiction??? Me neither! Color me thrilled! Carl Brandon was imaginary, a pretend African American speculative fan-fiction writer a couple of Caucasian authors made up in the 1950's. A pretend voice, so that African Americans would eventually have a voice in the field. As made-up as James Tiptree (who was really a woman), and just as important, the Carl Brandon Society exists to make sure that the future we imagine is one that is multicultural.

Established in 2006 after the author’s passing, the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship provides funds to writers of color accepted to the Clarion and Clarion West writers workshops.

Read the rules and find out where to buy tickets for the eReader drawing. Support ethnic diversity in steampunk, science fiction, fantasy, and all speculative fiction! Remember the awesome that was Octavia Butler, and go read one of her books.

Happy Weekend.

Two Middle-Grade Gems

More catching up from me today: two quick reviews of middle-grade titles that crossed my desk over the past few months. There's sort of a gem or jewel theme to both of these, hence the post title. Source: I received Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool from a book publicist, and I bought a copy of The Diamond of Darkhold at an SCBWI conference.

The Diamond of Darkhold, which I actually read months ago and forgot to review (Bad Aquafortis! Bad!), is the fourth book in Jeanne DuPrau's Ember series. I'm definitely a fan of this series, and the fact that the author is local to the San Francisco Bay Area and created a setting suggesting a dystopian California only makes it more enjoyable for me. In this volume, we rejoin our heroes Lina and Doon as they continue to their new and hardscrabble lives aboveground in the town of Sparks.

Life in Sparks seems dire, until Doon finds a clue to a device that Ember's builders may have left behind—a device that could make all of their lives better. Unfortunately, they may have to return to Ember to find it...and, as it turns out, they're not the only ones searching the remains of the underground city. This volume reprises the tense adventure feel of the first book, in which Lina and Doon escape Ember—and it reminds us once more that a creative spirit, an open mind and an open heart are as important to our survival as stubbornness and grit. Fans of the series will no doubt be happy about another adventure in this unique and compelling setting—I definitely was.

Buy The Diamond of Darkhold from an independent bookstore near you!

Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch isn't exactly a fantasy novel, but it does have a whimsical feel to it. In fact, the setting is reasonably realistic and modern-day, but fictitious, with a sort of fairy-tale, "once-upon-a-time" feel. In this story, the Bell family was once wealthy and powerful, living on a grand estate, gentlefolk benefiting from the riches showered upon them by the townspeople. In return—according to an ancient agreement, the Bell Grant—the Bells would give a grandiose gift to the town every 25 years: a statue, or a belltower, or something equally impressive.

Now, though, the Bell family's running out of money. Everyone knows it, but nobody's talking about it. The grounds are in decline, and the time's almost up for Darius's dad to give his gift to the town—but how can they afford anything at all? Darius, though, has an ingenious idea, and he enlists the help of several friends, a curious archeologist, and even his annoying, know-it-all older brother to try to make it a reality. I hadn't ever read anything by Odo Hirsch before, but I enjoyed this one. What could have been simply a fairy-tale-like story of the youngest son embarking on a quest and redeeming his family ended up a very endearing, down-to-earth, funny story about finding a creative way out of a dilemma and growing closer to family and friends in the process. Darius is determined, smart and likeable, and the remaining cast of characters are quirky but also believable. This also strikes me as a fun one for parents to read together with younger kids.

Buy Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool from an independent bookstore near you!

A New ALA Award -!

This just in: according to the San Francisco Chronicle and followed up with a piece on the ALA website, there's a new award in town. Actually, it's not new -- the ALA's been giving this award out since 1971, but this year they've decided that to add onto it. From the site:

The Stonewall Book Awards are given annually to English-language books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

This year for the first time the Committee is giving an award for children’s and young adult literature. From a very strong pool of finalists that included picture books, young adult literature and non-fiction, the Committee has selected "The Vast Fields of Ordinary" by Nick Burd, published by the Penguin Group, to receive the first children’s and young adult literature award.

Congratulations, Nick Burd. I'm happy to see this new award, but know that there will be those with questions. Like those who struggle with the idea of the Coretta Scott King Award, it troubles some folks to think that we need awards for specific races and now gender orientation. Like the man I met at the YALSA speed-dating gig who said brusquely, "Well, I've never won that one," when I told him why I was there, I may never win this one -- although, unlike the Coretta Scott King Award, you don't have to be of gay or lesbian preference to win this one, unless there's fine print I haven't found.

-- but either way, not the point. I'm just a little startled and pleased -- according to national statistics, about 14 million children have a gay or lesbian parent. The need is there, and now the writers will be further recognized. Well done, ALA.

Pirates! Murder! And Light Romance! The Bird of the River by Kage Baker

I hadn't heard of fantasy author Kage Baker until a friend mentioned her latest book to me, The Bird of the River. I borrowed it, and liked it—a lot more than I expected to. It's one of those books that kind of grows on you after you've put it down and thought about it a while.

Which makes it a cryin' shame that the author died this year. On a more positive note, she's written quite a few books, including a few I've even heard of (by title if not by author's name)--The Anvil of the World, The Empress of Mars. I, for one, will be looking for more of her work.

The Bird of the River was, I believe, released posthumously. It was her newest fantasy work, set in the same universe as The Anvil of the World. As this was my first entry into that universe, I wasn't sure if I'd be at a disadvantage for not having read the other books. However, I didn't feel lost at all; the book works well as a stand-alone. Baker provides a measured introduction to the world through the eyes of its characters, specifically the main protagonist, the teenaged Eliss.

We start with Eliss and her family—her mother, Falena, and her half-brother, Alder—in an unfortunate situation: Falena is a drug addict, and she's using again. Hoping to help her mother get clean, Eliss finds Falena a job as a diver on a river cleanup barge, the Bird of the River.

In this universe, only women become trained divers. The crew of divers on the Bird of the River are responsible for clearing debris from the river as the ponderous craft wends its way upstream and then back down. But when Falena dies (don't worry, that's not really a spoiler; nothing you won't find on the dust jacket copy), Eliss must fend for both herself and her brother. She goes to work in the crow's nest, spotting river obstacles and...a few other not-so-routine things.

There are a lot of subtle themes at work in this piece. Eliss's younger brother Alder is half Yendri, a different race. Issues of mixed race and of fitting in, of dealing with prejudice, are woven throughout the story. There are some very interesting questions of social class brought up, too. Eliss, now an orphan with nothing but her job and her life on the boat, befriends a young man who comes aboard: Krelan, who moves in highborn circles. He's a member of a family that is sort of like...butlers combined with the Mob. His family is born in servitude to one of the noble families, meaning they are sworn allies and bodyguards, and also carry out the family's dirty work. And he's on a quest to carry out some of that dirty work right now...

...which brings me to my next point: there's plenty of action, too. A mysterious murder, a disappearance, pirates, demons, demon pirates, raiding and pillaging, sneaking around in disguises—there's plenty here to please readers who enjoy the adventure aspect of fantasy. At the same time, one of the things I enjoyed most about The Bird of the River is the overall feel of the book—the story has a flowing calm rhythm, even with all the action. It's very fitting--a perfect way to tell the tale of Eliss's life on the barge meandering upstream, city by city, following the curves of the river and slowly coming into her own as a capable, compelling person. I really enjoyed this one. Though it doesn't seem specifically marketed as a YA book, it definitely fits for both teen and adult audiences, and it's encouraged me to look for the author's other work.


This review cross-posted at Guys Lit Wire.

Buy The Bird of the River from an independent bookstore near you!

Now's Your Chance! The Contest, The Challenge, The ...earrings.

via Smart B's, Trashy B's:

Harlequin Publishing is launching an online search for new writing talent called So You Think You Can Write. For the first five days of November (that'd be 1-5, FYI), Harlequin editors and authors will be hosting outreach and educational events on various social media platforms designed to both seek out new writers and instruct folks on what goes into writing a quality romance. Submitted manuscripts from unpublished writers will receive an examination from Harlequin editors, and you can follow the week of events on the Harlequin blog, and on Twitter at hashtag#sytycw. The Rules! The Blog.

Podcasts, blogs, and discussions with expert editors and current authors will make this a valuable experience for writers who've wanted to break into the genre, and for anyone who's ever thought, "Heck, I could write a better romance than that!" -- ? Well, money + mouth. You know the drill.

via Anne's Really Cool Agent™, by way of Tameeka at Serendipity Literary Agency:

With just 250 words, you can have a chance to get your writing read by editors at HarperCollins, Penguin, Harlequin, Random House, and Sourcebooks. In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org)—an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days the YA Discovery Contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author (THAT'S YOU!) to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at MacMillan, Scholastic, Candlewick, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. The first 100 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks, Anne's Cool Agent™. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary. These five winners will also receive a free ONE YEAR subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will win a full manuscript reading and editorial consultation from Regina Brooks, Anne's Cool Agent™ and a free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

BUT WAIT, KIDLITOSPHERE. THERE'S MORE!
Because the really cool agent is Anne's? As in, Anne Boles Levy, freelance novelist and news writer whose book reviews have appeared in the Los Angeles Times? Who is in my writing group, and has an astonishingly brilliant SF novel in process and leads the heck out of the Cybils and kicks kidlitosphere behind? She's throwing in a pair of handmade, original earrings from her Quartz Trail Studio store to the top 20 subs. (If a guy wins, I'm sure she can flex on that, so don't panic, gents. Or, hey: Christmas is in the bag! Early!)

You know you have to enter. Go. Now.

Norah McClintock's North-of-the-Border Mysteries

I frequently find myself wishing that there were more good mysteries written for the YA audience. One that I really did enjoy (and which was a Cybils nominee a couple of years ago) was Norah McClintock's Dooley Takes the Fall.

This Canadian author's series of YA hardboiled detective books—the Chloe & Levesque mysteries—are being re-released in paperback by Kane Miller publishing. I missed these before, if they were ever released for a U.S. market, that is. But the folks at Raab Associates unexpectedly (and a bit fortuitously) sent me copies of Book 1: Over the Edge and Book 2: Double Cross.

These mysteries are structured in a traditional detective style, but with a twist—the primary crime-solver is narrator Chloe Yan (a mixed-race protagonist—yay!), a high school student, whose new stepfather, Louis Levesque, is the chief of police in the small town of East Hastings. There are a lot of subtle threads in this series, from Chloe's slow acceptance of her new stepfather, to her difficulty adjusting to life in a new small town after growing up in Montreal. These create a nicely textured backdrop to the mystery action—and, of course, as implied by the title, Chloe and her stepfather end up as reluctant teammates in finding solutions to the crimes that take place.

In Over the Edge, Chloe has to use her nosy school-newspaper skills to sniff out foul play in the suspicious death of a classmate. In Double Cross, Chloe goes to great lengths to help a guy at school—Jonah—try to clear his father of murder, even if that Jonah is...kind of a jerk. Clearly she's someone with principles, and her bulldog-ish persistence and clear sense of right and wrong lead her to try to help address injustices, even when it leads her into real danger. What I like is that it isn't artificial-seeming or wimpy danger—there's genuine tension and suspense. Again, I'm happy to see more of McClintock's work and I'm pleased to see some more good YA mysteries. These are listed by Amazon as suitable for ages 9 – 12, but I'd probably say 11 and up, myself, unless we're talking about mature readers—I'd definitely consider them YA and not MG.

Buy Over the Edge and Double Cross from an independent bookstore near you!

CYBILS SFF BOOKMARK: Out of the Ordinary Sibling Stories

Sirens. Sisters. Whisperers. Angelic automaton. A serving of siblings - loving brothers, backstabbing sisters -- all out of the ordinary Cybils nominations, served with a hint of intrigue and a soupçon of darkness. Oh, and a smidgen romance, too.

Siren, by Tricia Rayburn: Cowardly Vanessa hides behind her vivacious, daredevil sister, Justine. Despite being almost finished with high school, Vanessa is afraid of the dark, of heights, and of being alone. Once a water-lover, until a near-drowning accident changed her, Vanessa even fears the sea. Justine doesn't believe in fear, and patiently coaxes her sister into believing that her darkened bedroom is bright as broad daylight, that the Maine cliffs where Justine loves to dive are perfectly safe, and that she, Justine, will never leave her.

None of that is true, of course, and for awhile it's difficult to read a character's inner voice which is so diffident and so insecure. The sisters' unequal relationship continues through to the summer Justine and Vanessa return to the vacation home. Vanessa can add fear of the strangely turbulent seaside weather, her sister's increasingly more dangerous behavior, and her discomfort with the newly gorgeous Simon, from the cabin next door, to her list of fears. Everything is different this year -- and Vanessa doesn't quite understand how it all happened. Justine is crazier this year, and she and Caleb, her on-again, off-again, he's-only-good-to-make-out-with boyfriend, seems to be the true love of her life.

Then, only two days into their summer retreat, Justine takes a risk from which she doesn't return. No one understands. Is it Vanessa's fault, as her mother seems to imply? Or it it something else? And why has Justine's boyfriend, who was devoted to her, vanished -- and been seen hooking up with someone else?

A strange, twisty bit of fiction which from one angle could seem a perfectly normal story of a family's loss -- until the unexpected turns where things stop adding up. The novel ended on a disquieting note that makes me think there will be a sequel. It wasn't entirely successful in creating Vanessa as a likable character, but the novel was, shall we say, darkly intriguing.

Whisper, by Sophie Kitanidis: Who would you be, if you tried to make every single person you knew... happy? Who would they be? Joy and her icky sister with the mocking nickname of "Icka" have a special gift, which enables them to hear the whispers of wishes. Their mother has taught them that it's a gift, and that it enables them to make the world a brighter, better place. For Joy, this has been mostly true -- but not helping wishes come true for her friends is somewhat scary, and actually causes her a pain in her heart. So, she does her best to make the world better for her crew, and in turn she's been made one of the most popular, best-known freshman in her class. She's also prone to anxiety migraines, and is constantly trying to be sure and serve up happiness to everyone on a silver platter.

Jessica, Joy's sister, doesn't agree with their mother's happiness theory. She rants that the world is dark and full of evil people, that most people wish for crap, and that their mother is on a permanent vacation from reality. She calls Joy her mother's Mini Me. The Whispers, Jessica always says, are nothing but a curse, and their mother has lied about all the good things they're supposed to bring. She also tells Joy that if she really knew what her friends wished for, she'd know they weren't really her friends.

When Jessica deliberately destroys the vibe the morning of Joy's fifteenth birthday by reading the wishes of Joy's best friends and manipulating them into believing that Joy is the reason they're unhappy, Joy has had it. She tells Jessica that she wishes she never had to see her, ever again.

But something has happened - Joy's Whispers crackle out and fade once her fifteenth birthday is past, and then -- Jessica vanishes. Waking or sleeping, Joy can't get her sister out of her head -- and it seems like she's trying to tell her something -- that she's in danger.

Is it worth wishing you can find someone you think you hate?

An excellent twist on sister-fiction, this held my attention right to the end. This novel also left room for a sequel.

Clockwork Angel [Infernal Devices, Book 1], by Cassandra Clare: After the death of her aunt and only remaining female relative, Tessa Fell sails from New York to join her brother, Nathan, in England, where he has found employment and promises that he can take care of her. Only, he's not at the docks to meet her ship. Instead, two women, Mrs. Black, and Mrs. Dark, meet her. Troubled, Tessa resists going with them until she reads a note from her brother in his familiar script, full of reassurances. The two women say they'll take her right to him.

They don't.

What follows next for Tessa is a harrowing, terrifying time - she is alone and frightened, imprisoned in a house with only one dress to wear, scratchy, thin, blankets on the bed, and silent -- and very strong -- servants who drag her kicking and screaming to The Dark Sisters, as they like to be called, to be trained to do -- what? What is it that these women want? Why do they expect her to be grateful? Why won't they let her go, leave her alone? What is the Pandemonium Club?

And the most crucial question of all -- where is her brother?

Without giving you any spoilers, I can only say that this is a steampunk mystery with plenty of action and suspense and questions that don't get answered. Look at the cover - even though we're introduced to Tess first - look, Ma: no female face! No face at all, really. Woot! In this book, there are gadgets galore, and a full cast of the best sort of characters - mad inventors, debonair swains, a teensy flying machine -- the works. Since it's Book 1, obviously there's going to be a sequel! This is also the prequel to Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, and so far, I like this even better than those.

So, there you have it: three sit-down-and-read-it-in-one-gulp sibling stories -- with mystery, murder, and mayhem to spare. And the odd gear.

Sisters Red, an unusual modernization of by Little Red Riding Hood, Jackson Pearce, is more intelligently reviewed at The Book Smugglers.

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You can find SIREN, WHISPER (which I still think should have been called "Wishes"), CLOCKWORK ANGEL, and the brooding, SISTERS RED at an independent bookstore near you!

The first novel reviewed in this post received and reviewed courtesy of its publisher.

Kidlitcon 2010: The Fun! The Conversation! The Hijinks!

Okay, so there were not really any hijinks that I am personally aware of. (Sorry if that disappoints you.) However, it was truly an amazing weekend. I gleaned useful blog- and writing-related tidbits, got to do a little sightseeing around Minneapolis—but, best of all, I got to meet so many great people that I've only known in virtual form. Henceforth, I present you with:

KIDLITCON: THE PEOPLE

I love the feeling of community that the Kidlitcon fosters—it's not like any other conference I've ever been to. It's as much about that sense of community, I think, as it is about learning more about blogging, or creating networking opportunities, or getting to listen to knowledgeable speakers. And meeting people who've already met Tanita is always a kick--I can't help wondering if they think we're a strange duo...

Some of the people I saw at this year's conference I've known for a number of years but hadn't met yet, like Liz B. (Tea Cozy), Mary Lee (A Year of Reading), Charlotte (Charlotte's Library), Melissa Wiley (Bonny Glen), Mary Ann Scheuer (Great Kid Books), Laura Salas, and Camille (BookMoot). Others I only just met at the conference but still sort of felt like I'd known them for ages: Alice Pope, Blythe Woolston, Laura Lutz (Pinot & Prose), Elissa Cruz (From the Mixed-Up Files), Kirstin Cronn-Mills, and Toby Speed, just to name a few. (I know I missed some. Please don't hate me.)

I got to see some good friends again whom I'd met in person before: Jen Robinson, Pam @ MotherReader, Maureen Kearney (Bibliovore), and, awesomely, there was a cameo appearance by the legendary Kelly H.! So great to see you, Kelly.

I met the indomitable and amazing Carol Rasco (RIF) and was almost incoherent with awe. I met Susan Taylor Brown, who lives not far from me but yet I hadn't met in person until this weekend. (Same with Mary Ann!)

I'd be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful organizing trifecta of Brian Farrey (Flux), Andrew Karre (Carolrhoda), and Ben Barnhart (Milkweed). Thanks, guys, for such a memorable weekend!

And, lastly, a notable part of going to Minneapolis for me was getting the chance to meet with my acquisitions editor, Brian, and one of the publicists I've been working with at Flux, Steven. We had great conversations, and it's always valuable to be able to put names to faces in a work-related situation.

For pictures of people, check the Kidlitcon Flickr group. For more recaps of the weekend, check here.

KIDLITCON: THE PLACE

The conference was held at Open Book, a literary center located in a building called The Loft in downtown Minneapolis, a short walk from the hotel. I really wish we had a facility like this in my town: the bottom floor has a café, a gallery space and a supremely cool gift shop; the second floor has the Open Book center, complete with a classroom, a large meeting room and a spacious foyer for mingling (and, in our case, that’s where we had lunch); and the third floor was home to Milkweed Editions. So awesome.

I didn't spend my entire time indoors, though—on Friday, I met up with a friend who lives in St. Paul and she showed me around the downtown Minneapolis area. We took a fabulously long walk and I got to see some of the many bridges over the river. And the weather gods were smiling upon us—Friday was gorgeous, and it didn't rain on us until Sunday, and it didn't snow at all (which is good, since I have no snow-suitable duds).

KIDLITCON: THE EXPERIENCE

I think I'm going to follow the bullet-point format I'm seeing used so effectively on other recap posts, so this doesn't go on for eons. Here goes:

• Thursday night, I met Laura Salas, Susan Taylor Brown, Camille Powell, Camille's husband, and a handful of people from the local SCBWI chapter for a kidlit drink night in the hotel lobby. Very friendly company--what a great way to open the weekend!
• Friday, I did some daytime sightseeing and then returned in time to meet with my publicist, Steven, before the unofficial event kick-off event. Chatted and mingled most enjoyably during the wine and cheese reception.
• Critique Groups: The panel discussion about critique groups featured the Merry Sisters of Fate. I learned that they do real-time reader responses using instant messaging, which kind of blew my mind. I think I'm glad we don't do that in our writing group. My brain might implode.
• Keynote Speaker: Maggie Stiefvater was the keynote speaker, and she reminded us all that blog readers are real people and they might even be real WEIRD people who find out your pets' and children's names if you aren't careful.
• Best of Backlist: Blogging backlist titles enables us to share our passion for our favorite books, give new life to those books, help give your blog a personality, bring in new readers with similar tastes—and it can provide a resource for the greater good.
• Author Blog Touring: Each panelist talked about a different aspect of blog touring, but my favorite tidbits were these: Bloggers can help authors by asking in-depth questions that involve the reader and prove you've done some research on the author. And, for authors: think about different types of blog posts you can do while "touring" to mix it up a little; remember to be nice; and remember that self-promotion is a necessary evil. Oh, and author Jacqueline Houtman showed off this amazing Periodic Table of Cupcakes (see photo) that was at her book launch.
• Pro Blogging: Some print review outlets are facing financial challenges, which means increased opportunities in the online market. The voice you establish in your blog reviews may lead to pro blogging opportunities.
• Book Reviews and Publishers: Publishers want a clear way to contact you and a clear review policy, right up there on the front page of your site. If you're the one initiating contact, they want that same information. Some are also interested in blog stats/traffic.
• Poetry Friday: A whirlwind tour of Poetry Friday! How to get involved and so forth. You don't have to post an original poem—you can share a favorite poem or even review a book of poetry.
• School/Library Visits: Technology can help engage young readers, and they can use downloadable media in their school projects. Don't forget to ask whether kids are allowed to have their picture taken, if you want to include a photo of a school visit on your website. Similarly, make it clear if you don't want your picture taken.
• Cybils/Kidlitosphere: Pam, Liz, Jen and I gave a panel about the Kidlitosphere and Cybils, and it went rather well, if I say so myself. We had a Powerpoint and everything. I was nervous and thought I could have been more coherent. But aside from that, I think it was a good thing.
  

Thanks again to the organizers! As for me, I've caught up on my sleep, and I'm already looking forward to next year's conference in Seattle. I'll be trying to help out a little from afar, which should be exciting. Will I see you there?

The Kidlitosphere Bloggers: We're Everywhere

"This is why I'm glad my parents are not religious. We would skip the whole God thing and just go. That's the way it should be. You religious people always have to pray first. It takes up valuable running away time."

"It gets worse, doesn't it?" asked Jack.

"Yeah," I said. "It gets worse."

Oh, yeah.

Colleen got a story published in STRANGE HORIZONS which is one of the story 'zines I have delivered to my Reader each and every lovely Monday. I love the weird stories I read there, the reviews and the articles on speculative fiction, and Colleen's October Country-type story included this week makes me both laugh (seriously: we religious types do tend to cut down our running away time. Maybe we should run and pray concurrently? Does prayer on the hoof show a galling lack of faith? Then again, how many haunted house movies have people praying in them at all? Oh, wait. The Exorcist... - I guess there were priests? Obviously, I'm not up on the haunted house/horror film thing...) and sigh in a bittersweet way. A haunted house story with a real-life twist.

You should read the story first (and ooh - there's a place for comments! I never leave comments, but I think I just might), and then read Colleen's backstory.

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Did you know that Elaine Magliaro - of Blue Rose Girls and Wild Rose Reader fame - has another blog? Elaine's Political Verses amuse me deeply - I love how she gets irritated and then bursts, not into diatribe, as so many do, but she bursts into poetry. I'm always tickled to read her snarky little takes on names we hear bandied about so often in the news.

(If you've never met Elaine, she's a hoot, and you know her poetry might be an anger outlet, but it's always funny. I had SO much fun meeting her at the ALA Convention in June!) This week, Elaine's been invited to guest blog at a popular law blog! We kidlitosphere peeps, we totally get around.

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Tech Boy got notes this week from two poor, sad little boys who said their mother abandoned them this weekend to go to some kind of blogging conference. On behalf of Charlotte's pathetic, beleaguered children, I'm looking forward to Sarah's post on the Kidlitosphere Conference 2010, so I can know their mother's abandonment was not in vain. I'm already crossing my fingers that I can actually a.) be of some use and b.) actually manage to show up, for once, to Kidlitosphere Conference 2011. Hope springs eternal.

Almost November. Just doesn't seem possible, does it? Enjoy your week!