Spectacular new fantasy fiction!
I'm plowing through the CYBILS middle grade speculative fiction. There were a few dogs in the pile but I've hit a bit of a hot streak and it's SO much fun to read such imaginative, creative, exciting stories! Check out these beauties!
The first one is called "The Shadow Cipher" and it's the first one a series called York by Laura Ruby. I'm relieved that this only the first one because the characters and plot of this one were so interesting, I was really sorry for the book to end! It's about fraternal twins, Tess and Theo, who live with their parents in an old apartment building in New York. The apartment has been in their family for several generations and there is a story about a mysterious treasure that's hidden with lots of clues and ciphers. They connect with a boy who lives in their building, Jaime, who is a computer whiz. He lives with his grandmother, the building's caretaker. Suddenly, they have a very sharp deadline for solving the mystery, a developer has purchased the building and is planning to knock it down and build something more modern. One of the things that's really great about this book is the setting, which is New York, present day, sort of. There are a lot of things in the book that are realistic, like subways and cellphones, but there are lot of things in the book that are very fantastic-like the Guardians in the subways that are robots but very lifelike robots. Or the cat that is Tess's therapy animal, that weighs 45 pounds and likes to fetch things like socks. The characters in this one are great (like the 6 year old annoyance who also lives in the building or the super creepy bearers of bad news). I really loved this one and I think the kids are going to like it too. In case you're interested, here's a link to her webpage that has an excerpt. And here's a link to the publishers page and it has a part of the audiobook.
The first one is called "The Shadow Cipher" and it's the first one a series called York by Laura Ruby. I'm relieved that this only the first one because the characters and plot of this one were so interesting, I was really sorry for the book to end! It's about fraternal twins, Tess and Theo, who live with their parents in an old apartment building in New York. The apartment has been in their family for several generations and there is a story about a mysterious treasure that's hidden with lots of clues and ciphers. They connect with a boy who lives in their building, Jaime, who is a computer whiz. He lives with his grandmother, the building's caretaker. Suddenly, they have a very sharp deadline for solving the mystery, a developer has purchased the building and is planning to knock it down and build something more modern. One of the things that's really great about this book is the setting, which is New York, present day, sort of. There are a lot of things in the book that are realistic, like subways and cellphones, but there are lot of things in the book that are very fantastic-like the Guardians in the subways that are robots but very lifelike robots. Or the cat that is Tess's therapy animal, that weighs 45 pounds and likes to fetch things like socks. The characters in this one are great (like the 6 year old annoyance who also lives in the building or the super creepy bearers of bad news). I really loved this one and I think the kids are going to like it too. In case you're interested, here's a link to her webpage that has an excerpt. And here's a link to the publishers page and it has a part of the audiobook.
The second one is a very fun fairy tale. I DO love a good fairy tale and this one is particularly excellent. It's called "The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart" by Stephanie Burgis. It's about Aventurine who is a young dragon. Her favorite pastimes are annoying her older brother and dreaming about escaping the family lair (even though it's full of treasure and a family who loves her). She has an older sister that is very famous in the dragon world (she writes poetry that dragons love) and worries that she will never find her passion. One afternoon, while everyone is resting (hunting is hard work!), Aventurine decides to make a run for it and busts out of the cave. She is enthralled with the big wide world around her and hungry. She smells something delicious (humans) and decides to pursue her prey. And I flat out can not tell you any more (which is only like the first 10 pages) because it would totally ruin the book! I will tell you that there are some amazing plot twists, some really funny characters, and some terrific themes of friendship, loyalty, and treachery as well as a terrific lesson on finding your passion, no matter what your family thinks. This one was awesome and I can't wait to give it to my students.
Here's the book trailer.
The last one is a fairy tale. It's called "Snow and Red" by Emily Winfield Martin. It's the story of two sisters, Snow and Red who are basically living a fairy tale. They have a loving mother and father who are wealthy enough to indulge most of their whims, when suddenly the father disappears and their lovely home and gardens are yanked out from under them and they have to go and live in a dilapidated cottage in the woods. Both girls miss their father terribly and cope with the loss in different ways. They often go walking through the forest, looking for food, entertainment, and their dad. They come into contact with lots of interesting characters, some kind and some pretty evil. The story is entertaining and well written. What really set this one apart for me was the art work. Each chapter has a beautiful full color embellishment and there are several full page watercolor pictures and decorations through out the book. It gives the book a feeling of richness and tradition that I really liked. I think the kids will like this one as well.
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