Fantasy – Page 29 – Mom Read It

Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

“Weekend Person Needed” at The Ministry of Ghosts

Posted on June 20, 2016June 20, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Ministry of Ghosts, by Alex Shearer (May 2016, Sky Pony Press), $15.99, ISBN: 9781510704732

Recommended for ages 8-12

Minister Beeston, from the Department of Economies, is a superior bean counter. Nothing goes to waste under his watch, so when The Ministry of Ghosts comes to his attention, he is determined to shut them down: ghosts! Preposterous! The fact that they’ve been around for hundreds of years, with no proof that ghosts exist makes him even more flustered – think of all the taxpayer money that’s been wasted! He’s having no more of it. He gives the Ministry three months to prove the existence – or nonexistence – of ghosts, or he’s shutting them down, and reassigning some members to the Department of Sewage! The horror! The Ministry takes action, ultimately hiring help: a boy and a girl, Tim and Thruppence, after hearing that ghosts may be more likely to appear to kids. As the twosome commence investigating, they won’t believe what they learn, and neither will you.

I enjoyed Ministry of Ghosts. It took a bit to ramp up, but once the storyline kicked in, it was a fun read with likable characters and a good sense of humor. There are a few plot twists that are very satisfying. It’s not a scary story – kids looking for a scary book or some thrills and chills aren’t going to find it here, but readers will find a book with great dialogue between characters and a sweetly humorous story that will make you feel good at the close.

I’d booktalk this with Karen Foxlee’s Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy and Laurel Gale’s Dead Boy. YA Books Central has an excerpt if you want to read more.

Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Pick your parents: The Parent Agency

Posted on June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Parent Agency, by David Baddiel/Illustrated by Jim Field, (May 2016, HarperCollins), $16.99, ISBN: 9780062405449

Recommended for ages 8-12

Are you parents sooo boring? Are they too strict? Like your brother/sister/dog better than you? Not wealthy enough to give you the lifestyle you want to become accustomed to? What would you do if you could pick your own parents: what would be on your wish list? Barry Bennett feels the same way. His parents are too boring, they’re not rich, they’re strict, they named him Barry, and after they mess up his perfect idea of a James Bond birthday, he’s fed up. He wishes he had new parents, and finds himself transported to an a parallel universe, where an organization called The Parent Agency helps kids test drive and select the perfect parents for them. The thing is, picking parents out, even when you have an incredibly detailed list of demands? Not as easy as you’d think.

The Parent Agency is a fun book, with a premise all kids will appreciate: kids who want new parents. Parents that will let them do anything, get anything, be anything they want, but there’s always a catch. Kids learn that just because someone looks good on paper doesn’t mean that they’ll be as wonderful in reality. Barry meets parents who fit a certain mold, but they expect their children to fit into that mold, too – and who wants to do that? That whole unconditional love business comes into play, and gives Barry the wake-up call he needs.

Kids will get a good laugh out of the book – the laid back, hippie parents gave me some laugh-out-loud moments, as did the talking posters in Barry’s room. Jim Field’s black and white illustrations throughout add to the laughs. Booktalk this one with The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling and Judy Blume’s Freckle Juice for “the other side isn’t always greener” type reading. Ask kids to come up with their own Parent Agency lists, and try to debunk them – playing devil’s advocate can be fun!

Originally published in the UK, The Parent Agency has finally reached U.S. shores. David Baddiel is a comedian, TV host, and author; The Parent Agency is his first children’s book.

Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Night Flower series continues with Blood Orchid

Posted on June 15, 2016May 14, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Follow the tour at http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2016/04/blog-tour-sign-up-blood-orchid-night.html

Blood Orchid (Night Flower #2)
by Claire Warner

Genre: Historical Fiction/Paranormal/Romance
Release Date: June 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Tied to Justin with bonds stronger than blood, Melissa De Vire heads into her new life with fear and anger. Anger at Emily, at Katherine and most of all, anger at Justin, fuels her resolve to find a cure for the curse. From the English court in 1752 to the fires of the French Revolution, Melissa struggles to survive her new existence and find forgiveness for Justin as clues to a cure begin to surface.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt from Blood Orchid:

“Move,” Emily’s voice barked out the order and she began to run. Melissa followed as best she could. Her feet skidded on the slick messy cobbles that lined Paris’ streets and she slowed her progress, trying to stay upright.

“What the hell are you stopping for?” The blonde turned to face her, blue eyes angry beneath the large hat and hastily scraped back hair. Dressed in muddy breeches, an oversized shirt and carrying a long bloody dagger at her waist, she was a far cry from the poised, seductive creature she usually portrayed. At Emily’s insistence, Melissa had also ditched the long skirts and corsetry and was trying to keep pace with her lithe companion. “Come on,” Reaching out a hand, she seized hold of Melissa’s wrist and dragged her forward, across the unsteady surface with the grace of a cat. From some distance behind them, they could hear the catcalls and cries of the crowd that milled through the streets. The shouts bounced off ancient stone walls and the echoes produced amplified the sound so that it appeared to surround and envelop them.

“Why are we running?” Melissa choked out as Emily pulled her along an alley. “We won’t die,”

“Because I’d rather not know what decapitation feels like…” Emily’s voice was terse as she released Melissa’s arm and began to clamber over the wall. “You can stay and find out for me if you like,”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Melissa called as she reached up and found the first foothold. Pulling herself up the stone face she pondered how she had ended up with Emily as her companion for this mad dash through Paris.

“Then don’t talk nonsense,” Emily’s hands reached the top of the wall and she levered herself to the top. “And get a move on… I don’t want to get caught because you have the movement rate of a snail,”

Melissa gritted her teeth and pulled herself upward, her limbs stiff and uncoordinated since the loss of her last donor. Cold trickles of sweat rolled over her skin and she grunted with the effort of climbing. Emily reached down a hand and pulled her upwards, until they both straddled the top of the wall. Melissa stopped briefly and stared out across Paris. Fires flickered in the distance as shouts and screams echoed through the air of the ancient city. Emily had no such time for wool gathering as she began to lower herself to street level.

Also in the Night Flower series…

Check out the promo for The Black Lotus (Night Flower #1) here, then head over to GoodReads for more info!

About the Author

When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

Info to come.

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

It’s a Fairy Tale Summer: Girl in the Tower

Posted on June 5, 2016June 4, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Girl in the Tower, by Lisa Schroeder/Illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli, (March 2016, Henry Holt & Co.), $16.99, ISBN: 9780805095135

Recommended for ages 8-12

In true fairy tale fashion, we have an evil queen, a magic spell, and a hidden princess. Young Violet has never known life outside of the castle tower: the evil Queen Bogdana imprisoned her mother shortly after Violet was born, believing that Violet’s beauty will allow her to create a spell that will make her just as beautiful. Bogdana enchanted Violet’s father, sending him away with no memories of his wife or new baby. Mother and daughter pass their days making up stories for one another, alone in their small cell. Thankfully, the palace staff looks after the two, even creating a beautiful garden to sneak the young girl out to once in a while, where she plays with the hummingbirds that live in the garden. As Violet nears the age where the queen can work her spell, she takes Violet, telling her she will become a princess and be adopted by Bogdana and the king, but can never see her mother again. Violet’s mother makes the sacrifice for her daughter’s sake, but Violet is far too smart for Bogdana – she knows something is strange in the castle, and she’s going to find out and reunite her family.

This is a wonderfully modern fairy tale that retains the sense of wonder and magic from classic tales. Violet is a spunky, smart young princess in training, the Bogdana is a perfectly evil queen with a deep-seated self-esteem complex. Ms. Schroeder may humanize Bogdana by letting us in on her motivation, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s done horrible things to people for the most insipid purposes, and Violet – a naturally lovely and kind foil to Bogdana’s darkness – is going to set the balance right. It’s a great book with strong heroines – her mother is pretty outstanding, herself – and I can’t wait to get this onto my shelves and into my booktalks. I love my fairy tales – the kids here all know it – so I’ll be chattering this up alongside Imelda and the Goblin King for a nice discussion on smart heroines. The black and white illustrations by Nicoletta Ceccoli add beautiful depth to the story.

Add this one to your middle grade fairy tale collections, and take a look at some more of the artwork here:

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Mother Goose’s legacy is passed on in The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper

Posted on June 5, 2016June 4, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper, by Annabelle Fisher/Illustrated by Natalie Andrewson, (May 2016, Greenwillow Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780062393777

Recommended for ages 8-12

Fifth grader Pixie Piper discovers that she is a direct descendant of Mother Goose – yes, THAT Mother Goose – complete with her own goose, the ability to create amazing rhymes, and a bit of spellcasting magic. She has to protect her goose from the awful Raveneece – a descendant of the Sinister Sisters, who have some messy history with Mother Goose and the Goose Ladies – plus keep her status as a Goose Girl a secret, even from her mom and her best friend!

I really enjoyed this book. Pixie is very likable, as is her best friend, Gray, and her small group of friends at school. Her mom’s quirkiness and love of fairy tales appeals to me, so let me give a little side shout-out to moms out there: read the book! I love the idea of there being an actual Mother Goose, and having a legacy passed down – it’s not exactly what you may think, so that makes it even more fun. Destiny, Pixie’s goose, has her own personality, and the relationship between Des and Pixie is sweet. We’ve got a story with good Goose Ladies, mean Sinister Sisters, frenemies, and a Toilet Museum: this is summer reading gold.

This is the first of two books starring Pixie Piper, and I’m looking forward to spending more time in her world. Add this one to your middle grade fantasy collections and booktalk it with the Sisters Grimm, Grimmtastic Girls, Whatever After, and the Fairy Tale Reform School series.

Fantasy, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Wonderland Origins: The Queen of Hearts

Posted on June 4, 2016June 4, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Queen of Hearts, by Colleen Oakes (May 2016, HarperTeen), $17.99, ISBN: 9780062409720

Recommended for ages 12+

Dinah is princess of Wonderland, set to rule by her father’s side once she turns 18. Her awful, cruel father; the father from whom she seeks approval, finding only anger and distance. She’s thrown into a whirlwind of castle intrigue when her father introduces the kingdom to his long-lost daughter – a bastard child from another woman – a daughter he treats like the daughter he always wanted. Whispers worm their way through the kingdom, and Dinah needs answers, needs to stay one step ahead of her father and his cunning counselor, Cheshire, or she risks more than ascending the crown. It’s time Dinah learned about the very dark secrets that permeate Wonderland.

For years, the Queen of Hearts has been the villain of Wonderland. Think of the Queen, and what’s the first phrase that comes to mind? “OFF WITH HER HEAD!” From Disney’s cartoon villainess to Helena Bonham Carter’s giant-headed monarch in the Tim Burton films, The Queen of Hearts is not a woman to toy with.

That’s the beauty of flipped or fractured fairy tales, though: it’s all up for tinkering. Here, we’ve got the villains and the good guys flipped, and some characters we’re just not sure about. This is the first novel in a planned series by Colleen Oakes, and much of it is exposition and worldbuilding. We get a lot of Dinah’s point of view; her feelings; her digging into goings-on when you peel back the skin of Wonderland. Her father is a pretty one-dimensional bad guy, but I’m interested in Dinah: is she going to end up on the throne as the Queen of Hearts that we all know and love to hate? Is the rot that’s seemingly eating away at Wonderland eventually going to turn her into a villainess? Or will the Queen finally get her happy ending, even if a few heads have to roll to get there?

There’s a lot of build-up and machinations set into motion in this first novel, but Ms. Oakes caught my interest. I want to see where this goes, because at heart, I’m a sucker for a good fairy tale. Booktalk this with your other fairy tale collections: your Marissa Meyers books, the Dorothy Must Die series, Betsy Schow’s Spelled, Sarah Cross’ Beau Rivage books – this is a trend that’s still going strong. Collections with flipped YA fairy tales should add this one.

Colleen Oakes is the author of the Wendy Darling series. Her author website offers more information about her books, plus news and events.

Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

A fantasy quest: Grayling’s Song

Posted on June 4, 2016June 4, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Grayling’s Song, by Karen Cushman (June 2016, Clarion Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780544301801

Recommended for ages 9-12

Grayling’s mother – a local “wise woman” whose remedies and healing songs are popular in their village – is in trouble, and only Grayling can help her. Their home has been upended, her potions and herbs scattered, her grimoire (spell book) stolen… and she’s turning into a tree. Teaching Grayling a song to sing that the grimoire will respond to, she sends Grayling off in search of other wise women to bring help. As Grayling sets out, she’s accompanied by a mouse who’s eaten some of her mother’s potions and discovers he can talk and shape-shift! She names the mouse Pook and goes on her way. Grayling meets other witches in what becomes a coming-of-age quest, including a weather witch and her surly apprentice, an enchantress, and a soothsayer who uses cheese to perform his magic.

Grayling’s song was a little lukewarm, as middle grade fantasy goes. It didn’t have the “bigness” of a quest novel, and it was missing the introspection of a coming-of-age novel. More often than not, the adventure consisted of Grayling being annoyed at the company she kept, and the entire company dissolving into bickering and wandering around, hoping to find the grimoire. There are some humorous moments and the book’s pace moves along nicely, but overall, this wasn’t my book.

Karen Cushman received a Newbery Medal for The Midwife’s Apprentice and Newbery Honors for Catherine, Called Birdy. Her author website offers a full bibliography, an author biography, FAQ, and “odd facts”.

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Cover Reveal: Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Slippers

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I posted my review for the final book in the Zaria Fierce trilogy the other day, but I’m happy to give you guys the cover reveal today – and it’s a good one.

Eoghan Kerrigan has outdone himself this time. That dragon is beautiful – and wait until you see the illustrations inside. Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Shoes publishes in paperback and eBook on July 1st!

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle School, Science Fiction, Tween Reads

McSweeney’s brings back a classic by the author of The Neverending Story

Posted on June 2, 2016June 3, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Momo, by Michael Ende/Illustrated by Marcel Dzama/Translated by Lucas Zwirner, (Aug. 2016, McSweeney’s), $14.95, ISBN: 9781944211066

Recommended for ages 12+

Momo is a little girl who just appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and lives by herself in a small amphitheater in town. The people in the neighborhood embrace her and seek her out; she has the gift of listening, that seems to help soothe everyone’s nerves, solves problems, and fixes broken friendships. But the awful gray men are moving in and sucking the joy, the life, out of the neighborhood’s inhabitants. They Gray Men recognize that Momo is special and are determined to get hold of her before she can throw a wrench in their plans to steal time from everyone around her.

I am a huge Neverending Story fan, so I picked up Momo with tons of good childhood feelings (and that Limahl song on a loop in my head). Much like Neverending Story, Ende tackles a lot of big concepts in a middle grade book. The Neverending Story gave us a story about conquering depression: The Nothing was a devastating darkness that threatened to consume all of Fantasia. Ende also uses The Neverending Story to address concepts like grief, loss, and existential crisis. It’s the kind of book you read as a kid and appreciate the fantasy, and read as an adult, on a completely different level. Momo is similar in scope, contemplating the loss of free time and personal relationships. Pretty weighty and forward-thinking, especially when you consider that this book was written 40 years ago, before we were consumed with smartphones, tablets, and cable television. Momo’s gift for listening makes her adored until the gray men – who live off the time they steal from everyone – decide to isolate her by corrupting everyone around her. Children aren’t allowed to run and play in the streets any longer; parents don’t have time to spend with their children because they’re working so hard to save up free time – the rat race isn’t a new concept, and Ende mourns a time when people knew one another by name, listened to one another, and had time for one another.

Previously published in hardcover in 2013, McSweeney’s is giving the book a proper 40th anniversary celebration, with new illustrations from Marcel Dzama and a new translation from the original German by Lucas Zwirner. I’ve seen The Neverending Story on quite a few reading lists over the last couple of summers, which makes me really happy – and I’m going to happily booktalk Momo to middle schoolers who are looking for more realistic fiction with a touch of the fantastic: no gnomes, no knights, no spells, but something… more. If you know readers who love Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me, give them Momo.

A strongly suggested addition to middle grade and middle school-level collections.

Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Science Fiction, Young Adult/New Adult

The Frankenstein tale gets a new jolt in Heartless

Posted on June 1, 2016May 31, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Heartless, by Leah Rhyne (May 2016, Polis Books), $18.95, ISBN: 9781940610870

Recommended for ages 13+

After an argument with her boyfriend, college co-ed Jolene Hall storms out of his apartment and wakes up on a table in a creepy room, naked and covered in jagged wounds and stapled flesh. She tears herself loose and manages to get back to her dorm room, but she and her roommate, Lucy, notice pretty quickly that something is very, very wrong: Jolene is dead. Sort of. She has no heartbeat, and despite being able to walk and talk, she needs to be charged up in order to continue operating at a normal level. And she stinks. No offense. Jolene is determined to find out who did this to her, and what exactly she is now. The fact that college co-eds are disappearing right and left makes her pretty sure that what happened to her is part of a much bigger operation – but is her investigation going to put Lucy in danger?

This rejuvenated take on Frankenstein appealed to me, because I like the whole flipped fairy tale genre that’s emerged over the last few years. While Heartless certainly has its moments, overall, I wanted a little more. Jolene ends up being fairly skin deep (no pun intended) for a good portion of the book, and Eli, her boyfriend, is a complete jerk. There’s next to nothing likable about him, and Lucy is a little too happy-go-lucky, we’re-going-on-an-adventure about this whole situation. The villain(s) were a little too easy to spot, making the reveal somewhat anticlimactic. I would have loved more of Jolene’s introspective moments; those captured me and kept me moving through the story. The idea of a person embracing their fate and making his or her peace with it, while trying to save others from a similar fate, is a fascinating idea. Having to witness how other people process this fate, whether it’s a parent or a loved one, can be brutal and Ms. Rhyne captures some intense and deep feelings in those moments.

The book’s ending lets readers know there’s more of this tale to be told. I don’t do spoilers, so let’s just say that I’m interested in seeing where this goes, because I’ll be darned if I’ll let the story continue without me.

The book will work for readers who like a little drama in their horror; a little star-crossed romance in their chiller. iZombie and Warm Bodies fans will jump on this book, so make sure to booktalk it to those audiences if you’ve got them.

Leah Rhyne’s author website has more information about Heartless and her zombie series, Undead America.