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Cybils 2013 Middle Grade Speculative Fiction

Oct7

Here are a few ideas for nominees for the Cybils category, Middle Grade Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction and Fantasy):

The Spies of Gerander by Frances Watts. Book Two in the series, The Song of the Winns. I just read this sequel and liked it even better than I did the first in the series, Song of the Winns. The pace is picking up, and I’m starting to fall for the mice characters. In fact, it’s been a good year for talking mice characters.

Darkbeast Rebellion by Morgan Keyes. Reviewed at Charlotte’s Library.

The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg. Reviewed at Charlotte’s Library.

Cake: Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar by Joyce Magnin, reviewed at Semicolon.

A Whole Lot of Lucky by Danette Haworth. Reviewed at Redeemed Reader.

Risked by Margaret Peterson Haddix. One of my favorite middle grade/YA authors.

Listening for Lucca by Suzanne LaFleur. Reviewed at A Garden Carried in the Pocket.

The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore by Kate Maddison. Reviewed at Charlotte’s Library.

There are lots more ideas/reminders in this post at Charlotte’s Library. And here’s yet another list from the lovely Charlotte. Surely, you have a favorite from one of these lists. If so, nominate before October 15th at the Cybils website.

Going Clear by Lawrence Wright

Jul16

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright.

Wow! After reading Mr. Wright’s exposé of L. Ron Hubbard’s “new religion” of Scientology, I want to make sure that I and my family never even read any of Mr. Hubbard’s multitudinous works of fiction, much less his supposed nonfiction best sellers such as Dianetics and Self Analysis, to name only a couple of the many, many books he wrote and published. (Mitt Romney said during his run for the presidency that his favorite novel was Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. That’s a little disturbing on several levels.) Yes, I know that sounds a little paranoid, and the books themselves may or may not be harmlessly entertaining, but the information about the abusiveness of Scientology in Going Clear is just that disturbing. So disturbing that I’m looking for my ten foot pole.

Scientology doesn’t get many (any) kudos in this book by a Pulitzer prize winning author and journalist. Famous Scientologists come across as either well-meaning fools (John Travolta) or deluded jerks (Tom Cruise). Hubbard himself seems to have been a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur and a sadistic streak. Then, of course, he did establish a religious empire with millions of dollars in assets and a lot (Scientology won’t say exactly how many, with estimates varying widely and wildly) of adherents.

I won’t go into the specific abuses and illegalities that Mr. Wright alleges against Hubbard and the Scientology organization. You can read the book for more corrupt and salacious details than you probably want to know. I will warn anyone who is even considering taking one of Scientology’s copious and expensive courses that he or she should read Wright’s book first. If even half of what Mr. Wright writes is right, then you will want to stay as far away from Scientology as possible.

Of course, Lawrence implies in the final chapters of his book that all religious faiths are much the same as Scientology in their irrationality and odd beliefs. He writes, ” . . . every religion features bizarre and uncanny elements.” Then he proceeds to compare Scientology to Christian Science, the Amish, Shakers, Buddhists, Pentecostals, and several other groups. He’s struggling to put Scientology into some sort of context, but there is very little precedent for an L. Ron Hubbard and his invention of a money-making pseudo-science that outlived its founder. To invoke one of those beliefs that Mr. Wright classifies as bizarre, I think Scientology is simply demonic.

Read the book and weep for those who are enmeshed in a belief system that defies belief. I especially felt moved to pray for those children who are raised and indoctrinated in Mr. Hubbard’s exploitative religion. I believe the only Power that can free them from such an insidious and insane cult is the power and sanity of Jesus Christ.

Famous Scientologists and former Scientologists. I was surprised to read (not in this book but online as I looked up information) that author Neil Gaiman was raised in a Scientology family. He has left the Church of Scientology as an adult, but prefers not to talk about it either negatively or positively, probably because he still has family members who are deeply involved in Scientology.

Other author connections with Scientology:
Science fiction author Robert Heinlein was close friends with L. Ron Hubbard in their early days in the 1940’s as aspiring writers of science fiction. In fact, Hubbard had an affair with Heinlein’s wife, after which they weren’t such good friends anymore.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future contest for new writers of science fiction and Illustrators of the Future contest are “prestigious and lucrative. They feature judges who are among the biggest names in the field, and they’ve helped launch the careers of important new artists.” These contests are administrated, sponsored, and funded by a subsidiary of The Church of Scientology. However, the judges and the authors who win the annual contests are, for the most part, not members of the Church of Scientology. (Scientology’s Writers of the Future Contest, Village Voice, by Tony Ortega)

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Jan22

A sequel to Shusterman’s best-selling Unwind. I think publishers probably talked him into making it a trilogy in light of the success of The Hunger Games and other dystopian fiction series. It was a good move for all concerned, whoever had the idea.

UnWholly begins where Unwind left off: Connor and Risa are leaders at The Graveyard, an airplane parts yard in the Arizona desert, where teens who have escaped from the unwinding centers have taken refuge. Lev lives with his brother in an apartment under sort of probationary status, and he spends his time counseling troubled youth who are in danger of being sent by their parents to the unwind centers themselves. This new book includes:
trouble in paradise in the relationship between Risa and Connor,
evil parts pirates who sell children to the highest bidders so that their organs can be harvested,
a “storked” (abandoned) teen named Starkey who will stop at nothing to get revenge on his parents and to wrest control of The Graveyard from Connor,
a million dollar creature named Cam who is simply a conglomeration of parts from dozens, maybe hundreds, of unwound teens,
and Miracolina, a tithe (person who chooses to be unwound as an offering) who isn’t brainwashed but really, truly does want to give herself to others through unwinding.

This second book continues to bring up ethical dilemmas and give readers room to work through them in a story environment. If the idea of self-sacrifice bothers us as a society, do we have the right to force people to not give up their lives for others? When does the laudable goal of sacrificing oneself for others become the horror of suicide and self-immolation? What is real leadership, and how much responsibility should a leader take for the entire group? Does a good leader keep secrets that he thinks are too hard for the group to handle? What is the right way to deal with teenage rebellion? Do all humans need something or someone to worship? If so, should they be allowed or even encouraged to worship whomever they want as long as they are learning to become psychologically whole? What makes someone a “real person”? If you receive transplanted body parts from another person, at what point do you become not yourself, but some else?

Mr. Shusterman wrote UnWind in 2007. In the five years since that book was published, we have come closer and closer to the kind of society he describes. Already we have a “black market for body parts in Europe” and other places. Children are encouraged, sometimes forced, to become child soldiers in Africa and suicide bombers in the Middle East.

Sunday Salon: Books Read in November and December, 2012

Dec30

I didn’t manage to get an end of the month post written for November, so here are the books I read in November and December:

Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction:
The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin.
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde.
Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey.
In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz.
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill.
The Cup and the Crown by Diane Stanley.
Beauty and the Beast: The Only One who Didn’t Run Away by Wendy Mass.
Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung.
Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde.
Freakling by Lana Krumwiede.
The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda.
The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons by Barbara Mariconda.
Tilly’s Moonlight Garden by Julia Green.
Signed by Zelda by Kate Feiffer.
The Dead Gentleman by Matthw Cody.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui Sutherland.
The Hop by Sharelle Byars Moranville.
Project Jackalope by Emily Ecton.
My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski.
The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith.
Infinity Ring: A Mutiny in Time by James Dashner.
The Secret of the Ginger Mice by Frances Watts.
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachman.
The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas
The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade.
A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle.
Whatever After: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski.
The Brightworking by Paul B. Thompson.
Darkbeast by Morgan Keyes.
Twice Upon a Time by James Riley.
Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Young Adult Fiction:
Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow.

Adult Fiction:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Since everybody and her dog was recommending this psychological thriller, I decided to read it. It was intelligent, well-plotted, psychologically astute, crude, profane, and ultimately repellent. The ending was especially disturbing.
Call of Duty by Charles Todd.

Nonfiction:
From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart: Rekindling My Love for Catholicism by Chris Haw.
Gray Matter, A Neurosurgeon Discovers the Power of Prayer . . . One Patient at a Time by David Levy, with Joel Kilpatrick.

The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith

Nov21

I don’t know what they’re paying Brett Helquist to illustrate a book, but if it’s not a lot, he should demand more. I also don’t know if Mr. Helquist has some kind of magical spell that he places on his illustrations, but I’m telling you that his pictures draw me into a story in a way that seems almost bewitched. I’m reading along, thinking how much I’m enjoying the story, glancing at the illustrations, thinking something looks familiar about them. However, I don’t usually pay much attention to pictures. Then, I get to the end of the book, close it with a satisfied sigh, and idly wonder who the illustrator was. I look and see that it was Brett Helquist, and I try to imagine the book without the added dimension of Mr. Helquist’s drawings. It’s just not the same story without the pictures.

The Storm Makers would be a good book even without illustrations, but with Helquist’s talents, it’s a great book. The twins Ruby and Simon McDuff have moved to a farm in Wisconsin from their previous home in Chicago. Dad wants to be an inventor, and Mom wants to become an artist. And since the move, all Simon can think about is baseball and being with other boys. Ruby misses the way she and her brother used to share everything. Now it feels as if everything is changing, and she and Simon are miles apart even though they live in the same house.

The changes that are coming, however, push Ruby and Simon closer and closer together, even if they’re not sure what to do about the drought and storms that are shaking their little world. Could Simon have a special talent that might put him in great danger? Who is the mysterious stranger hiding out in the old barn? Who can Ruby and Simon trust to tell them the truth about the weather and the world?

I really don’t want to tell you too much more about this book because I want you to enjoy all the twists and turns as much as I did. I was a bit frustrated with the “good guys” and how little information they were willing to share with Ruby and Simon. And of course, you know that “door” that you absolutely know as you’re reading the characters shouldn’t open? Ruby and Simon open it, of course.

Still, if you can get past the refusal of adult mentors to share vital information and the stupidity of the main characters in going where they ought not to go, it really is a great story. Readalikes are Savvy by Ingrid Law, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and perhaps 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. At least, those are the books I was reminded of as I read The Storm Makers. Some budding young scientists may also want to read more nonfiction about weather and how it works after reading The Storm Makers. I’d suggest:

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Nov7

Caught, The Missing, Book 5 by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series about time-traveling children who were kidnapped from their proper places in history and given to adoptive parents in the twenty-first century, but Caught may be my favorite of all the books in the series. In this installment, Joshua and his sister Katherine go back to the early twentieth century to prevent the unraveling of Time by the unwitting interference of the super-intelligent Albert Einstein and his wife Mileva and to rectify the kidnapping of Mileva’s and Albert’s first, secret daughter, Lieserl.

The story uses the true story of a daughter that Einstein and his first wife hid because of her illegitimacy and takes that piece of historical information to create a novel that asks all of the old time travel questions and deals with the mind-bending answers in a fresh and thought-provoking way. You could start with this fifth book in the series, but I’d suggest starting at the beginning with Book 1, Found, and continuing on if you like the first one. I do think the books get better as the series progresses.

“If you’d asked me back in the time cave, back at the beginning of all this—when it began for you, I mean—I would have said that I understood time travel perfectly. . . I knew that the past was set in stone, and had to be kept that way, to prevent any paradoxes or cause-and-effect catastrophes. But I thought that the present–my present–was open and flexible and free for me to use however I wished. I thought my contemporaries and I had free will, but everyone in history was locked into . . . well, shall we call it fate?”

I’m writing this review on the day after election day in the U.S., and the above quote sounds quite prescient and analogous to my thought processes and those of many of my friends:

“If you had asked me back six months ago, I would have said that I understood God’s purposes in this election perfectly. I knew that Obama had to be defeated to prevent more abortions and the re-definition of marriage and confiscatory taxation and other evils. I thought that my vote and everyone else’s was free and we had free will, but that God would do just as I thought He should and make sure that The Good prevailed.”

J.B., a “time agent” in the Missing series, then quotes Albert Einstein:

“We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filed with books in many languages. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books, but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God.”

Or as C.S. Lewis put it more succinctly, using the name “Aslan” for God, “He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”

God is working His own purposes out, and we see through a glass very dimly. I have moved from reviewing to “meddling”, but these are the thoughts I had as I read about Einstein and his wife and Time and relativity and fate and the foolishness of the most intelligent of human beings. I’m called to “try to help people” the best I can and “have fun (joy) while I still can.” Oh, and always Read Good Books. The rest is mostly beyond my capacity for understanding.

Some post-election scriptures:

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; upon them he has set the world.” I Samuel 2:8

“Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” Daniel 11:35.

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:20-22

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” I Timothy 2:1-2.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17.

Above World by Jenn Reese

Nov6

“Above World” is what the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides call the land world outside the ocean. Thirteen year old Aluna has lived beneath the ocean’s surface all her life, and she’s about to undergo the ceremony in which she will be genetically modified to receive her tail to replace the two legs she now carries. (She’ll be sort of like a mermaid, only not.) All of the creatures in this future dystopia are genetically modified to be able to live in parts of the earth that were historically uninhabitable: the ocean (Kampii and Deepfell), the desert (Horse People and Snake People), the air (Aviars). All of these hybrid creatures depend on LegendaryTek for power to sustain their technical modifications.

However, there are also villains in Above World. Some of the hybrid people may be enemies, more concerned with their own survival than with that of anyone else. Upgraders and other animal-like creatures have modified themselves so much that they are more machine than human. Humans, if any are left, are considered barbarians. It’s a dangerous world. But Alana decids that she must go to Above World to save her people the Coral Kampii who are dying for some unknown reason.

Martial arts aficionados would especially enjoy this story since there’s lots of “kung fu fighting” (is everybody else too young to remember that song?). Alana is a tough, fighting, feminist heroine, and her friend Hoku makes a good contrast with his techie/geek personality.
The blurb asks, “Will Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s intelligence be enough not only to keep themselves safe but also to find a way to save their city and possibly the world?”

I’m going to start keeping count. In the middle grade fantasies I’m reading, how many of them portray the girl (protagonist) as the tough, fighting leader and rescuer and the boy (if there is one) as the gentle or confused or phlegmatic sidekick in need of rescuing? I think it’s a trend, but maybe not.

Female leader/rescuer (12): Above World by Jenn Reese, The Book of Wonders by , Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen, Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse, Winterling by Sarah Prineas, Sword Mountain by Nancy Yi Fan, The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet, Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis, Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extarordinaire by Polly Horvath, Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz, Ordinary Magic by Caitlin Rubino-Bradway, Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin.

Male leader/rescuer (9): Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes, Goblin Secrets by William Alexander, The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, Neversink by Barry Wolverton, Cold Cereal by Adam Rex, The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, The Unwanteds: Island of Silence by Lisa McMann, Twice Upon a Time by James Riley.

Equally strong male and female protagonists (4): Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar, Storybound by Marissa Burt, Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan, The Brightworking by Paul B. Thompson.

The girls are winning so far.

What Came from the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt

Nov3

I just finished What Came from the Stars, and I loved it. I was somewhat annoyed by all the “foreign” words at first (“The quality of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy story is inversely proportional to the number of new words made up by the author.”), but then I started having fun trying to figure out exactly what they meant. Then, I got to the end and saw that there is a glossary. Duh!

Anyway, I looked for some other reviews on this one (Melissa’s review, Sondra’s review) because I remembered a couple of people saying that the book didn’t live up to their expectations. That in turn lowered my expectations, and I think that’s one reason I liked it so much. (I’m susceptible and contrary like that. I also thought Okay for Now by Mr. Schmidt should have won at least a Newbery Honor last year, another expectation which might be coloring my opinion.) I really liked the “ordinariness” of the hero, Tommy, and the theme of healing after tragedy and bravery in sacrifice, and the battle between the Valorim and the O’Mondrim. The evil real estate developer was a bit of a stereotypical plot device/character, but everything else worked for me.

The book alternates between an epic story of battle between good and evil on a planet far, far away and the poignant earthly story of Tommy and his sister Patty and their artist father who are trying to recover from their grief over the untimely death of Tommy’s mother. The language for the alternating parts of the story is very different, the two narratives are set apart from each other by different print, italic for the story of the Valorim and regular font for the story of how Tommy comes to encounter and help the Valorim in their fight against the darkness.

Chapter 1, The Last Days of the Valorim: “So the Valorim came to know that their last days were upon them. The Reced was doomed, and the Ethelim they had loved well and guarded long would fall under the sharp trunco of the faceless O’Mondim and the traitors who led them.”

Chapter 2, Tommy Pepper’s Birthday: “It was Tommy Pepper’s twelfth birthday, and for it he had unwrapped the dumbest birthday present in the history of the entire universe: an Ace Robotroid Adventure lunch box.”

The alternating chapters and the intersection of our world with that of a distant planet made my imagination happy. I’m ready to go visit the weoruld of the Ethelim, if I can just figure out how to travel at the speed of Thought. That’s the test of good world-building for me—if I want to go and see it for myself. (Or maybe in the cases of some dystopian worlds, if I really, really don’t want to see such a world ever.)

I think Narnia fans and Madeleine L’Engle fans (like me) would really like What Came from the Stars.

Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar

Oct19

Caleb is a time snatcher, an orphan trained by the man he calls “Uncle”, to travel through time and steal valuable artifacts that people in the year 2060 will pay big bucks to own. His time-traveling and thieving partner is Abbie, and the two of them have been living with Uncle and working for his company, Timeless Treasures, for as long as they can remember. The two teens enjoy their time travel, cat burglar adventures, but Uncle is becoming more and more callous and brutal. And Caleb is confused by his longing for a real family and by his feelings for Abbie. Are they partners or does Abbie care for Caleb in a different, more romantic way? Or is Abbie falling for Caleb’s cheating arch-enemy, Frank?

The author blurb says that Mr. Ungar “was inspired to write this novel by an image in Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.” Good inspiration. Time Snatchers is a good novel.

What I liked: the idea of combining con games and cat burglary with time travel, the characterization of Caleb in particular, the cranky computer cyborg, Phoebe, who runs the elevator and has a running feud with Caleb, some of the snatches that Abbie and Caleb pull off.

What I disliked: Uncle is a particularly nasty bad guy who engages in rather gruesome child abuse to keep his “time snatchers” in line. To be specific, he uses a sword to cut off body parts of those who disobey him, and at one point he has his captive snapping turtles gnaw on Caleb’s arm. Yuck. The torture episodes gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Also, the romantic interludes (very tame and junior high-ish) seemed a little bit abrupt, not quite enough set-up or insight into what Abbie is thinking or feeling.

I’ve been watching a lot of the TV show White Collar, and I was reminded of that program while I was reading Time Snatchers. Caleb is not quite as classy as Neil Caffrey; he’s a lot younger, for one thing. However, just as Neil wants to know who his parents were and wants to be a part of a family, Caleb longs for a normal life with a real family. And both Caleb and Neil are pretty good at fast-thinking and theft. Unfortunately for both of them, thievery is not a very sustainable or morally justifiable lifestyle. Neil Caffrey and Caleb are both in the process of learning that crime doesn’t pay.

Time Snatchers ends with major unresolved questions, so I’m assuming we’re headed for a sequel or two. If you don’t mind the child abuse parts, it’s a good story.

The Prince Who Fell from the Sky by John Claude Bemis

Oct13

“JRR Tolkien said that story ideas arise from ‘the leaf-mould of the mind.’ This story grew out of the rich compost of Alan Weisman’s speculative science book The World Without Us; Native American creation myths; one of the first postapocalyptic novels (and possibly the only hopeful one), Earth Abides by George R. Stewart; and the animal-fantasy classics The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling and Watership Down by Richard Adams.” Acknowledgements, The Prince Who Fell from the Sky by John Claude Bemis.

This story surprised me. I was expecting a medieval fantasy, or maybe a science fiction/medieval fantasy with space men going back in time. I guess I should have gotten a clue from the Big Bear on the the cover along with the spaceman-looking boy. This book is talking animals, but not cute talking animals, more like Watership Down, and it takes place in a postapocalyptic Earth jungle or forest where the wolves have taken over as tyrants and absolute rulers.

The bear is Casseomae, and when an airplane or space shuttle or some kind of flying vehicle falls from the sky near Casseomae’s meadow, the great she-bear rescues a a Skinless One, a child, and begins to take care of him as she would her own bear-cub. Along with a rat named Dumpster, Casseomae goes on a quest to find a place where the child-cub will be safe from wolves and other predators, called “voras.”

The bears and other voras speak a languge called Vorago, and there is some new word insertion, but it’s not excessive. (I agree with whoever it was that said that “the quality of a Sci-Fi/Fantasy story is inversely proportional to the number of new words made up by the author.”) The journey is fascinating as Casseomae follows her own instincts to protect her man-cub, and yet realizes that she is not really following the ways of her tribe when she preserves the life of a creature whose ancestors destroyed the entire forest many generations back. I definitely got the Jungle Book vibe from the plot, even thought it’s a very different stye, tone, and narrative from Kipling’s classic.

This book must have been difficult to write because we never see the events or the setting from the point of view of the only human in the story, the boy. Instead, we hear the words and the thoughts of Casseomae and Dumpster and later on, a dog named Pang. It was fun trying to figure out what some of the “relics” and other things that the animals described really were in human terms.

If you’re looking for an animal story combined with post apocalyptic fiction combined with sci-fi, The Prince Who Fell from the Sky is definitely the book for you. If, like me, you just enjoy a surprisingly good story, then this one might also be a good fit for you.