Delightfully creepy but not too scary at any given time, which is a great balance to strike. Cautious, law-abiding Kendra and her impulsive brother Seth are dropped off at their grandparents’ for the summer; their grandfather Stan seems less than happy with this arrangement, and the children soon find out why, setting themselves up for a summer of magic, adventure, and plenty of opportunities for desperate bravery. I liked how both child and adult characters were given space to both make mistakes and learn from them, in a way that felt organic to the story and not forced. No particularly new ideas here, but very smoothly executed. Ties up the biggest conflicts at the end, but leaves lots of nice open ends for sequels.
Tag: genre-middle grade
The Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
For some reason I never read the Tiffany Aching subset of the Discworld books, so when I saw this volume at the used book store, I picked it up for the kid. He absolutely loved it and demanded more (dear Libraries ACT, you need to stock up). Tiffany is an excellent version of the practical Pratchett heroine; she pushes back aginst dogma, does her own research, and forges ahead with determination. The Wee Free Men are excellent supporting characters, as are Tiffany’s fellow countrymen. Fine middle-grade reading material, entertaining without being dogmatic.
Junior High, by Tegan and Sara
Super cute graphic novel of Tegan and Sara’s experiences in junior high, with each girl’s thoughts rendered in different colors to make it easy for the reader to follow along. The girls’ experiences are very relatable and smoothly rendered, with the problems of friend drama, puberty, crushes, and family expectations all clearly and sympathetically presented. The only hiccup for me was knowing that Tegan and Sara went to junior high around when I did, so I knew that their experience had been updated with cell phones and social media; it makes their story more relatable to the young but also reminds me of how different my own junior high experience was without these modern additions.
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend
Third in the Nevermoor series, this book deals with the deadly Hollowpox, a disease affecting sentient Wunimals which reduces them to mute, unthinking animals. Morrigan, though she is finally getting training for her unique skills, seems to have a mysterious connection with the Hollowpox and can’t stop worrying over her friends. Townsend does a great job balancing joy with terror for Morrigan, surrounding her with fearful experiences and supportive friends at the same time, so the reader never feels like the angst is too much to keep going. Really interesting political developments towards the end. Looking forward to reading the next book alongside the kids!
Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend
Sequel to Nevermoor, in which Morrigan begins classes with the rest of her unit at the Wundrous Society. I love the various ways in which friendship and loyalty are expressed and earned in this book, and how Townsend never leaves Morrigan completely alone to fight her battles. I also like that it’s not just the children in these books who get to learn and grow, but also the adults. The villain also seems to have far more complex motivations than Morrigan can comprehend; I look forward to learning more about what’s driving him. Overall a bit darker than the first book, but just as enjoyable. The kids tell me there’s only one book left before we have to wait for the next to be released.
Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce
I introduced the kid to Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series; once he polished that one off, he attacked the next one and asked that I read it as well. Wild Magic begins the next quartet of books, this one focused on Daine, a girl who can speak with animals (though not necessarily convince them to do what she wants). Daine has a traumatic origin story, and Pierce does a good job handling her subsequent trust issues without ever making her into a victim.
The Nameless City trilogy, by Faith Erin Hicks
The Nameless City trilogy consists of three books: The Nameless City, The Stone Heart, and The Divided Earth. The city in question has been conquered so many times that its name has been lost; its inhabitants merely put their heads down and just try to get by. Kaidu, an extremely unwarlike scion of the current occupiers, slowly gains the trust of a native girl who calls herself Rat, and soon the two find themselves at the center of a conflict that could destroy the city. The main characters were adorable and even the villains were deftly handled; the art style was simple and clean with great details, especially when it comes to illustrating the city itself. It’s theoretically for kids, but the complex character motivations and the themes of identity and belonging make it good reading material for adults as well.
Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom, by Ted Naifeh
Hey, we finally got the third Courtney Crumrin book from the library! In this one Courtney gets to hang with her supposed peers, except they’re just as snobbish and status-conscious as her normal crowd, which means she fits in just as well (or poorly). Of course when trouble happens, she handles things in her own attitude-filled way. I liked the interaction between the kids, and how the adults misconstrued things given the information that they had.
Minor Mage, by T. Kingfisher
A really tight little novella, about a very minor mage and his very major quest. Great characters (especially the armadillo familiar), and a realistic nod to the kind of mob mentality that can turn a kid into a target.
Minecraft: The Island, by Max Brooks
This felt like it was written for children (and my kids loved it!) – really simplistic and repetitive narration, very slapstick action. I didn’t really enjoy the tone or the framing of the book, but I did like the ending which tied it together well, and I also liked the wry acceptance of how things in the Minecraft world don’t quite jibe with normal physics.