2020 Cybils Award Finalists: Elementary/Middle-Grade Speculative Fiction

The seven finalist's moving on to the second round judges, which includes me Yeah!! have been announced.   Here are the summaries for the books that were selected and you can see the complete list here.  Happy New Year to you all.  Brenda

A Wish in the Dark (Amazon, IndieBound)
by Christina Soontornvat
Candlewick Press
Nominated by: Deb Nance at Readerbuzz

In this mix of magic and Thai culture, with inspiration from Les Miserables, orphaned Pong escapes the prison where he was born with the help of his friend Somkit, who doesn’t make it out. Pong is now a fugitive from the government, marked as a criminal forever by his prison tattoo. The Governor who promised order and goodness has become a dictator, providing magical orbs of colored light only to those who faithfully follow his ever-increasing number of rules. Pong is a boy version of Jean Valjean as he finds himself condemned to be always on the run. Eventually he learns the lesson: “You can’t run away from darkness. It’s everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light.” And that is just what he does. This exciting story with an unusual setting and a positive message about light that conquers darkness and change that is difficult and costly but always possible will win readers’ hearts!

Sherry Early, Semicolon

Curse of the Night Witch (Emblem Island) (Amazon, IndieBound) 
by Alex Aster
Sourcebooks Young Readers
Nominated by: Katy Kramp

On Tor’s island, most kids bear the physical marks of their destiny. When Tor wishes his leadership emblem gone, he wakes to find a curse in its place, and his lifeline shortened to almost nothing. Two other kids quickly become contaminated by the curse. To save their lives, they must find the legendary Night Witch. Their only guide is the stories told about her, and the journey takes them through fearsome dangers from magical creatures and treacherous terrain. The stories of the Night Witch are rooted in tales told to the author by her Columbian grandmother, which makes the book even more appealing. Readers will love the wildly extravagant world-building, the solid friendships between the kids and their bravery. On top of that, there’s thought-provoking considerations of destiny, and a powerful and nuanced final confrontation.

Charlotte Taylor, Charlotte’s Library

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch (Amazon, IndieBound) 
by Julie Abe 
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Kristen

Eva Evergreen has set off on her own to take on her first station as a witch in the town of Auteri to prove herself on her Novice quest. While she does her best, she only seems to have a small pinch of magic and often overdoes it without achieving the result she hoped for. When a magical storm heads towards the town, Eva must use ingenuity and find a way to protect her town and the friends she has made in it. A charming and serendipitous tale, Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch will capture your heart, make you laugh and have you cheering for her to accomplish her goal of becoming a Novice Witch. She proves that just a pinch of magic mixed with hard work and a little creativity can go a long way.

Kristen Harvey , The Book Monsters

In the Red (Amazon, IndieBound)
by Christopher Swiedler
HarperCollins
Nominated by: Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Michael dreams of joining the Rescue Service, which protects the public from the many dangers of living on Mars. But those dreams are dashed when he suffers a panic attack during his first test on the surface and keeps having them whenever he dons a spacesuit. He and his best friend sneak out to the surface in an attempt to prove he can overcome his anxiety, but it goes very wrong when a solar flare strands them out in the middle of nowhere with limited resources. The dangers of Mars are very real, and Michael worries another panic attack might doom them. Both the physical and the emotional stakes of this story are incredibly high as Michael uses his scientific smarts to conquer the dangers of Mars’ surface while struggling to understand and deal with his anxiety. It’s a high-octane survival story packed with peril that keeps the reader frantically turning the pages!

Nicole Hewitt, Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Mulan: Before the Sword (Amazon, IndieBound) 
by Grace Lin
Disney Press
Nominated by: Heidi G.

When Mulan’s sister is bitten by a deadly nine-legged spider, Mulan joins forces with a healer who turns out to be the immortal Jade Rabbit to gather the ingredients for a healing potion. Then the evil White Fox intervenes to stop Mulan and Rabbit, and a prophecy about a member of the Hua family saving the emperor turns out to be at the heart of it all. Enormous challenges face Mulan and Rabbit; will they be able to make the antidote in time or will the White Fox prevail? Though she doubts herself, Mulan faces many challenges without immortal help, allowing her strengths and courage to shine through. As she did in her Where the Mountain Meets the Moon series, Lin integrates Chinese folktales beautifully into the story, each placed carefully to move the story forward to its fitting conclusion, and the end result is a joyous fantasy full of heart.

Heidi Grange, Geo Librarian

Rival Magic (Amazon, IndieBound)
by Deva Fagan
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Anne Nesbet

Antonia dreams of being a great wizard, even if her wizarding skills aren’t so great, and she gets her chance when Master Betrys takes her on as an apprentice. Then Moppe, the young new scullery maid, arrives with secrets and powerful budding wizard abilities of her own, earning her a place as another apprentice. When Master Betrys is arrested, these two wildly different, yet equally fierce and determined girls must put their jealousy and arrogance aside to find a magical relic that may help them save their teacher and home. Rival Magic takes readers on a fun adventure, rife with magic and mayhem, and full of unexpected twists, fantastical elements, and a lot of heart. The two smart, capable female leads will delight, the unique take on wizardry will captivate, and readers will walk away from Rival Magic inspired to follow their hearts and forge their own paths.

Aeicha Matteson, Word Spelunking

Thirteens (Amazon, IndieBound)
by Kate Alice Marshall
Viking Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Jennifer Naughton

Eleanor has come to live with her aunt in an old, illogical mansion on the edge of the perfectly picturesque town of Eden Eld, a place her mother told her never, ever to go. She knows not to talk about the things she sees and hears that no one else can – but when she meets two kids at school who see them too, including a flame-eyed dog, a bone crow, and a cat of ashes, she finds out that they share more than just a birthday. All three are turning 13 on Halloween, and in this perfect town, this means they only have a few days to save themselves from the horrible bargain that’s at the heart of the town’s perfection, a bargain in which they are slated to die. The suspense mounts as, in true fairytale fashion, the kids have to figure out how to bend the rules in order to make it through to an ending that is both hard won and deliciously uncertain. It’s perfect for those who like brave friends confronting old and twisted magic in the real world!

Katy Kramp, A Library Mama

Review of Fart Quest by Aaron Reynolds, illustrations by Cam Kendell

Fart Quest by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Cam Kendell

Format:  Hardcover

Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press

Number of pages:  277

Published:  September 15th, 2020

Source:  Publisher via Giveaway offered by Goodreads

Opening Lines:  "My name is Fart.  Of course, that's not my real name.  My real name is Bartok.  Someday I plan on going by BARTOK THE BRILLIANT!"   

Fart is an apprentice mage to Elimore the Impressive, and aspires to do impressive deeds just like his master.  Which has proven to be difficult when his master can't even take him seriously.  Who wants to be referred to as a gaseous emission?  Fart can't help that on spell picking day he picked out the spell for Gas Attack, it was just too cool of a name to pass up.

Mage Elimore is in the craft of seeking adventure,  slaying goblin's, and collecting treasure.  At the moment Fart and two other apprentices are on a mission with their mentors to raid  nearby goblin's.  Well actually, their master's will do the raiding, they're just supposed to watch and learn.  However, during the goblin attack, all of the goblins, along with Master Redmane, Master Oonah, and Master Elimore vanish.  Poof!  Vaporized with nothing but their robes and weapons left behind.  Left to fend for themselves, Fart, Pan, and Moxie, decide that they'll have to impersonate their masters and continue on to become heroes on their own.  None of them want to return to Krakentop Academy having failed their Hero Wilderness Training.  Then they come upon The Great and Powerful Kevin, who just happens to have a quest for them to seek out the Golden Llama and retrieve one of its magical golden farts.  So our three apprentices head out on their first quest in hopes of  proving they're the heroes they've aspired to be. 

Fart Quest reads like a dungeon and dragons adventure with the added bonus of a culturally diverse character, and fart type humor, placing this more in line with elementary school readers.  I quite enjoyed the descriptive action scenes, the full page illustrations by Cam Kendell and the way each illustration was coupled with a description of various terminology one would expect to see in a dungeon and dragon type campaign.  There's even a point when the story pages become completely dark, to give the reader the feeling of going into the dark Caves of Catastrophe.  Each illustration added to the action or helped the reader define certain aspects of the story, from the differences between a mage, a dwarf warrior and a monk, as well as defining the creatures the adventures encounter.   I also liked how Reynolds had Fart, Moxie and Pan gaining experience points for each task, new spell (magic missile) and for the monsters (ogres, owlbears and harpies) they encounter along the way to the Golden Llama.   And though at first the apprentices were seen as bumbling, lost and lacking some fundamental skills, they learned that the most important thing was to be who you are, and not to try and emulate someone else.  They learned to form a team and Bartok gained courage by defending his friends.  Lastly, I so loved Tick Tock, the philbling, not to be confused with a frog, salamander or gecko, he so reminded me of Dobby and hope to see more of him in The Barf of the Bedazzler, releasing February 2nd, 2021.        

    

MG review of Otto P. Nudd by Emily Butler

Otto P. Nudd by Emily Butler 

Format:  Paperback 

Publisher:  Crown Books for Young Readers

Number of pages:  240

Publishing:  December 29th, 2020

Source: Author in exchange for an honest review

Opening Lines:  "Otto, you're splendid, mumbled Bartleby Doyle."

Otto is a tinkerer, builder,  and the feathered raven assistant to inventor Mr. Bartleby Doyle.  They've been working on a secret project together in Mr. Doyle's workshop for quite some time.  Each morning Mr. Doyle has a favorite routine, he  meets up with his next door neighbor, ten year old Pippa for a walk to school, while Otto follows them from above.  Their routine usually includes making a loop around the park,  where they leave a peanut on each fence post along the way for Otto and the other birds in the park to retrieve.  However,  today their ordered routine is interrupted when a squirrel named Marla swipes Otto's peanuts.  As the one who keeps order in the neighborhood, Otto takes great offense to having the peanuts meant for the corvids stolen. Unfortunately, Marla is too fast for Otto to confront so he heads to the workshop to check on Bartleby's progress on their flying device instead.   Unknown to Otto, Marla is just trying to provide for her small children.  Delayed in arriving to the workshop, Otto is unfortunately  locked out, all he can do is look in from the window.  What he sees is very unsettling,  Mr. Bartleby has begun the experiment without him,  he's even rattled to witness Bartleby neglecting one of the most important safety measures for any experiment such as theirs, wearing a helmet.  Then Otto sees the experiment go horrible wrong and Bartleby is injured in the process.  Unable to get inside the workshop, Otto seeks help from an unlikely source.  

 Otto is an interesting character, maybe a little rude, often belittling to his friends by over emphasizing how smart and knowledgeable he is.  I loved how his attitude and behavior began to change as he started to realize just how poorly he treated his friends.  There's a valuable lesson in here about asking for forgiveness and being open to the idea of making a change.  The illustrations by Melissa Manwill punctuating the beginning of each chapter were cute and added to my enjoyment in reading the book.  However,  I do wish there would have been one of Mr. Doyle, he sounded like such a nice old man.  There's also a nice note at the back of the book which includes some interesting facts about corvids.   Overall, Otto P. Nudd is an adorable story which will especially appeal to readers who enjoy books with anthropomorphic characters, stories involving inventions or unlikely friendships.  

**A huge thank you to Emily Butler for the ARC**    

MG review of Freya & Zoose by Emily Butler, illustrations by Jennifer Thermes

Freya and Zoose by Emily Butler

Format:  ARC paperback

Publisher:  Crown Books for Young Readers

Number of pages:  186

Published:  January 29th, 2019

Source: Author in exchange for an honest review 

Opening Lines:  "There was no question in Freya's mind that this was her last chance.  Either she would find a way onto the balloon, or she would live out the rest of her days on this miserable rock."

Freya has always craved a bit of adventure but has lacked the courage to actually give it a try, but once she starts reading Hints to Lady Travellers, she is inspired to stowaway aboard Captain Salomon August Andre's hot-air balloon expedition to the North Pole.  Zoose, on the other hand, has always wanted to be the first mouse explorer to reach the North Pole and he has no qualms in telling anyone who will listen about it.  Moments after sneaking aboard the balloon, the two come face to face when they're tossed about as the balloon has difficulties staying airborne.  Freya is dignified and lady like where Zoose is uncouth and ill mannered, needless to say they don't initially hit it off.  However, when the hot-air balloon crash lands in the Artic, they start to realize that they need one another more than the thought.  

At first glance, I was expecting a light hearted story about an unlikely friendship between a rockhopper penguin and a mouse.  What surprised me was the adventure they had aboard Captain Salomon August Andre's hot-air balloon, and that it is based on the real events of the Swedish polar explorer's expedition to reach the North Pole with a hydrogen balloon in 1897.  While the story does provide some of the historical details of their attempt to reach the North Pole, the story is told primarily from the vantage point of Freya and Zoose viewing the explorers progress.  Meaning they don't really interact with the humans but do observe them building sledges, discussing what supplies to abandon after they crash land, and they witness the difficulties the crew experience being stranded in the Artic.  There are several tense moments when the crew and Freya and Zoose are thrown overboard from the boat, risking drowning, as well as a polar bear attack on their tent.  Again the kinds of things one would expect with such a challenging expedition, but would require picking just the right kind of reader for the story.  This is not merely an adventure friendship story, it also includes huge feats of survival and themes of death and dying.         

Freya and Zoose are such polar opposites.  Freya has impeccable manners and feels bad about trying to stowaway on the crews boat after they crash land, thinking that they'll just add to their load.  However, Zoose doesn't seem to be bothered by taking what he can from the crew and would just abandon them all together and go it alone if need be.  The friendship that develops between the two was my favorite part of the story.  The way that they learned more about each other's past and found that they had more in common then just stowing away together.  Included in the story are several black and white illustrations by Jennifer Thermes which are quite delightful in the way that they capture Freya and Zoose in action.  Especially the one where the boat tips over and Freya is gliding through the water to rescue Zoose.   While I was surprised at first about the historical aspects of Captain Andre's expedition the story illustrates how a rockhopper penguin and mouse can form an unlikely friendship and develop a home for themselves.  

**Thank you Emily Butler for my review copy**

Favorite line:  "I never worry about what I'll do.  Doing is what happens along the way."  

MG review of Toro by Andrew Avner

Toro by Andrew Avner 

Format:  E-ARC

Publisher:  Black Rose Writing

Number of pages:  114

Published:  September 17th, 2020

Source: Herrea Agency in exchange for an honest review 

Opening Lines:  "Bright rays of sun bore down on sharp young shadows at the break of dawn."

Toro is set in Pamplona, Spain just before Feria del Toro or the Festival of the Bulls is to begin.   Alicía Catalina Cortés has a dream to take after her father and compete in the running of the bulls.  She has the speed, tenacity and will, but given she's a cow, it's forbidden for her to compete.  Per tradition, only the bulls have the honor of representing their family and running in the race.  Alicía's father, Don Cortés tries to get her to "embrace her fate" by marrying her off to Don Juliaín, but Alicía can't bear the thought of being forced into marriage, so she runs away.   

Diego Del Toro is a bull who is being forced to run in Pamplona, when his dream is to perform in an American rodeo.  Despite his family wanting him to compete, his heart is just not in the race so Diego also runs away.  Along the way, Diego witnesses Don Juliaín attacking Alicía for running away from him, and Diego helps her to escape.  As the two begin to talk about their dreams,  Alicía begins to see an opportunity to replace Diego in the race by disguising herself as a bull.  Diego is free to find a rodeo to perform in and she can go on to Pamplona to live out her dream.  Yet unbeknownst to Alicía there is still something she doesn't know about the race, a secret her father never mentioned about the race, and by planning to run with the bulls she is putting herself in grave danger.

I think at one time or another everyone has heard of Pamplona's Running of the Bulls, or maybe even seen images of the bulls chasing down spectators and participants during the race.  It's a rite of passage, or perhaps a personal challenge, but I don't think there are many that have seen it from Avner's perspective, or from the perspective of a Vaca or cow.  This certainly was an interesting way to present the theme of overcoming obstacles, striving for your dreams, and gender equality.  

 Alicía is feisty, strong willed and determined to break away from her father and the festival's tradition.  Early on we see her skills as she races her brothers across the farm, she's faster and very capable.  When her father forbids her from competing, she's upset with how he infers she's not able to do what they do and instead should embrace breeding strong sons and learn to obey her soon to be husband.  Alicía is an empowering character who never backs down, even when she's bruised and battered by Don Juliaín.  I quite liked Diego as well.  Especially when he makes the distinction between "what you are" and "who you are." Which you'll have to read the book to understand for yourself.    Overall Toro was a highly entertaining read and I especially enjoyed learning more about the Spanish tradition of running of the bulls and containing both the Spanish and English translations for the various words used added to my overall enjoyment of the story.  From the reviews I've read the audiobook is also very well done.  TORO  has been nominated for a Cybils Award in the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category, for which I am a second round judge, and is being considered for the Odyssey Award, Newbery Medal, and National Book Award.  ** Thank you to the author and Herrea Agency for my review copy. ** 

MG Historical Ficiton review of Malcolm and Me: A Novel by Robin Farmer

Malcolm and Me: A Novel by Robin Farmer 

Format:  E-ARC 

Publisher: SparkPress 

Number of Pages: 240 

Publishing:  November 17th, 2020 

Source: Publisher via Negalley 

Opening Lines:  "The penguin is in a wicked mood today, Geoffrey whispers, as he passes my desk in eighth grade history class on the way to the pencil sharpener." 

Malcom and Me takes place in 1973 in Philadelphia, some time after the Watergate Scandal broke.   Roberta Forest attends a private Catholic school and is excited about her upcoming thirteenth birthday, as well as a writing contest that she can't wait to enter.  Roberta generally enjoys school, but dislikes that she is only one of a few black girls who attend.    In school they've been learning about the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson.  During one of their group discussions, Roberta refers to the former president as a hypocrite for saying that "all men are created equal" while at the same time owning slaves.  Her comment doesn't sit well with Sister Elizabeth who responds by using a racist insult and then proceeds to slap Roberta.  When Roberta tries to defend herself, she is kicked out of class and sent to Mother Superior.  Following their disagreement, Sister Elizabeth takes ill and Roberta's faith in God is shaken.  Angry, hurt and feeling a little guilty about what transpired, Roberta turns to the words of Malcolm X and starts reading his autobiography.  She also writes poetry to help her cope with her feelings.  While at home, her relationship with her mother becomes further strained, and her parents begin to argue making an already difficult situation that much worse.  After her suspension from school is over, Roberta learns that she is no longer eligible to compete in the school's writing contest.  Devastated by the news, Roberta once again feels hurt that she seems to be the center of everything going wrong in her life.

Malcolm and Me is based off of an experience the author had in the sixth grade.  It's an impactful story that discusses issues of racism, religion and parental separation.  At first glance, the cover makes this look as if it's a YA book, but it's really geared toward middle grade, those kids who are interested in more meaty topics with engaging characters.  Roberta is a talented, strong minded girl, who's very proud of being black.  Sister Elizabeth see's her as being defiant, willful or rebellious, someone in need of discipline.  Even Roberta's mother calls her mouthy and they both try to punish her, hoping it will bring her under control.  I really liked Roberta, the way she stands up for what she believes in.   She is instrumental in getting the school to reevaluate some of their practices.  The events that transpire are seen through Roberta's perspective, providing a glimpse of what it is like to be a teenage girl of color during the time period of hot pants, ten speed bikes, Mission Impossible and Kool-Aid.  I really felt sorry for Roberta as she began to question her faith in God, wondering whether the Catholic school was the right place for her.  Her sadness over her parents arguing was also palpable.  I'd pair Malcolm and Me with Blended by Sharon Draper or maybe The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert.  A lovely #ownvoices story that draws inspiration from the authors own lived experience.    

MG Contemporary Review of On A Good Horse by Darby Karchut

On A Good Horse by Darby Karchut

Format:  E-ARC

Publisher:  Owl Hollow Press

Number of pages:  246

Publishing:  November 10th, 2020

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Opening Lines:  "The sorrel horse eyed the man.  Not foe, but not friend.  Nope.  Not even a little.  Well not yet, anyway." 

After Alex Nash's mom suddenly dies, his father flies him out to Colorado to live with him for the summer.  Initially it's only meant to be a temporary solution, or at least until custody can be determined.  Alex is very apprehensive at first.  Wondering why he can't just stay in New York with his Aunt and Uncle?  They clearly prefer that he live with them.  Alex hardly even knows his father,  Rob Nash,  he's just the man that he shares DNA with.  All this is happening while Alex is still trying to process his mom's death and dealing with his own grief.  He's even questioning whether living with his dad was something his mom would have ever wanted.  Then Alex's dad surprises with a very special gift, his very own horse named  Rio.  Rio is meant as a peace offering between the two, but maybe it can turn into just the something that they both needed.  

On A Good Horse is told in the dual perspective of Alex mixed in with chapters that feature the internal dialogue of Rio.  Rio is sympathetic to Alex's grief and always expresses a desire in wanting to help him overcome his sadness.  Rio's also the first to recognize that Alex and his father need to mend their relationship.  He's sort of a link between the two where they can share information and Alex can become more "horse savvy."  For Rio he just wants to ride fast across the open range and share that feeling with Alex.   Karchut wonderfully captures that feeling of what riding a horse feels like for the very first time.  The nervousness, anticipation and slight fear.  For Alex it's developing a trust between the two.    As Alex begins to take over more and more of the daily chores and care of Rio, he starts to learn more about his father, what his job entails,  why his parents split apart and just what kind of man his father is.  The relationship between Alex and his father and even Rio and Alex grows slowly.  At first there are those awkward pauses and silences, even misunderstandings between father and son, and then you start to see these beautiful moments where they begin to connect with one another on a more personal level.  This is such a beautiful story, about family and the things that connect us, I just adored the relationship that developed between Alex and his dad.  Especially the moments when Alex's dad was teaching him how to shoe a horse, talking him through the steps, teaching him how to do one and then allowing him to take over and do one of his own.  On A Good Horse will appeal to readers who love reading books about horses, and is perfect for someone who enjoys the complexity of familial relationships and stories about repairing the relationship between a father and son. 

**A huge thank you to Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for the E-ARC **