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Iron Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill (fiction) – a plain princess, evil whispers, lying mirrors

Oct22
book cover of Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill published by Little Brown

Must every princess be beautiful?
Must every king be brave?
If they aren’t, can the realm survive?

Secret rooms in the castle, glinting hints in mirrors, lost dragons under the two-sunned sky – Princess Violet lives in a world where stories have more power than anyone living can imagine, and no one living can imagine the threat that lies just ahead for the kingdom.

Find this September-published adventure of a most-unusual princess,  a clever stableboy, a forbidden book, and a long-suppressed god of the metaverse at your local library or independent bookstore today.
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Book info: Iron Hearted Violet / Kelly Barnhill; illustrator: Iacopo Bruno. Little Brown, 2012. [author’s blog] [publisher site] [illustrator interview]

My Recommendation: Princess Violet isn’t beautiful, but she is brave and clever and loved by all. If royal storyteller Cassian hadn’t always made the princesses in his stories beautiful, perhaps plain-looking Violet might not have listened to the sinister whispers from mirror corners, might not have searched deep below the castle with her friend Demetrius, might not have found the evil something that wants to destroy their world.
In the Old World, there were twelve gods (no one dares speak of the thirteenth) and dragons and such. Now, the King has gone searching for the possible last dragon, taking Demetrius along for his amazing skill with animals, little realizing that the Mountain King is preparing to invade the Andulan Realms or that the something beneath the castle is spreading evil thoughts like a fog.

Perhaps Violet can change her mismatched eyes to the blue of the sky, if she discovers enough secrets in the hidden library. Perhaps she can be a “real princess” if she becomes beautiful, the unwanted thought sneaks in. Perhaps the evil Nybbas will be able to control everything if it leads Violet along the selfish path that makes her neglect the kingdom…

A mournful dragon who can’t remember where it has hidden its heart, the ill-health of Queen Rose, three very worried ancient guardians, and the twisty stories used by Nybbas to turn people on one another – is Violet strong enough to discover her true path and save her kingdom? Can the wrong stories be turned right before both suns set forever?

This epic tale of adventure and forgiveness introduces an unforgettable princess, as she and Demetrius discover the true power of stories in creating the world.  (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Cardboard, by Doug TenNapel (book review) – living cardboard people, good and evil

Oct19

book cover of Cardboard by Doug TenNapel published by GraphixWe’ve all played with cardboard boxes,
made forts and racecars and castles,
but we didn’t use magic cardboard like Cam has!

Hopefully, we don’t have evil neighbors like Marcus either… (stealing a guy’s only birthday present, when it’s just made with a cardboard box…sheesh!)

The creator of Earthworm Jim of video-game fame and the recent graphic novel hit Ghostopolis  (my review here) brings another fantasy world to life in full-color,  so find it now at your local library or independent bookstore.  

Cardboard  has already been optioned to become an animated feature film, but you’ll have time to read it first… and keep an eye out for that Marcus.
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Book Info: Cardboard / Doug TenNapel. Graphix (Scholastic), 2012. [author’s website] [publisher site] [video author interview]  [inside TenNapel’s sketchbooks]

My Book Talk: Worst birthday gift ever: a cardboard box… but Cam’s widower dad took their last few cents to buy it from a strange fellow who gave them rules about how to use it. So the teen and his dad bend and cut the box into the shape of a man, a boxer who magically comes to life!

Bill the boxer-guy talks to them, will mow the lawn, wants to be a real friend to Cam – but his cardboard can’t withstand the water-cannons of neighborhood bully Marcus. Taking the leftover cardboard bits (despite the seller’s warnings), Cam creates a cardboard-making-machine that allows him to repair Bill… and tempts the very evil Marcus into wicked plans and plots that might destroy everything.

TenNapel’s detailed drawings underscore the barely-hanging-on desperation of Cam and his depressed dad, the manic gleam in Marcus’s conniving eyes, and the contempt that the rampaging Cardboard bad guys have for good-fellow Bill and the “fleshies” he tries to protect in this outstanding graphic novel from the creator of Ghostopolis.   (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Daylight Saving, by Edward Hogan (fiction) – swimming, mystery, time loops to break

Oct17
book cover of Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan published by Candlewick

Cute girl in a swimsuit,
lovely lake in the woods.
Everyone can see the water,
but no one can see the girl struggling there…
except Daniel.

The days are growing shorter at the resort, giving him less and less time to solve the mystery of Lexi. Shouldn’t injuries heal up over time, instead of getting worse? As the teens stay near each other through his vacation, Daniel awakens to find the same injuries on himself.

If Lexi is a ghost, why can he touch her? If Lexi is a girl, why is she at the resort alone… and how can they prevent terrible things from popping into the woods during that hour everyone relives when Daylight Saving Time ends and the clocks fall back?

Published in September 2012, you should be able to find Hogan’s first YA book at your local library or independent bookstore now. Then find some uninterrupted reading time – you won’t want to put it down!
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Book info: Daylight Saving / Edward Hogan. Candlewick, 2012.  [author’s writing room] [publisher site] [book trailer]  

My Recommendation:  An “active holiday” away with Dad…couch-potato Daniel can’t imagine a worse vacation. Bicycling through Leisure World’s well-manicured woods to avoid sports activities, the English teen spots a cute girl swimming in the fake lake. And she’ll even talk to him – about his parents’ divorce, Dad’s spiraling depression, but not herself.
Daniel wonders if Lexi is playing hard-to-get or hiding a dangerous secret. He only seems to see her at the lake, never at the pizza place or the pool. She says swimming is a good way to let your mind relax while your body works, so Dan hits the pool, huffing and puffing at first. The more he swims, the more he worries about Lexi.
How can a teenager be at this fancy resort by herself? Why can’t anyone else see her?  Why is her watch running backwards? What’s causing her wounds which seem larger each night?
As the autumn evening approaches when all Great Britain’s clocks turn back one hour, Lexi and Daniel try to find a way to stop a terrible past event from happening again. Part mystery, perhaps some ghost story, all thriller – will the night of Daylight Saving be too late?  (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Time-Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette, by Bianca Turetsky (fiction) – glorious gowns in guillotine’s shadow

Oct15

book cover of Time Traveling Fashionista in the Palace of Marie Antoinette by Bianca Turetsky published by PoppyIt’s a mysterious Monday, and fashion-lover Louise Lambert has received another invitation from the most exclusive vintage dress shop ever.

When Louise tries on an delicate blue gown for Brooke’s fancy dress birthday party, she is suddenly sent back to young Marie Antoinette’s court!

Weren’t they just talking about the French Revolution in history class this morning? If Louise could just remember those important dates from her homework… but can she change what happens to the princess?

While you’re getting this September 2012 release at your local library or independent bookstore, ask about book one, The Time-Traveling Fashionista  (my review here) so you can start Louise’s adventures at the beginning and join her aboard the Titanic!

Hmmm… what other fantastic history-imbued frocks do mysterious shopkeepers Marla and Glenda have in their Traveling Fashionista Shop inventory?
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Book info: The Time-Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette (Time Traveling Fashionista, book 2) / Bianca Turetsky. Poppy, 2012  [author’s website] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My Book Talk: Oh, no! Louise’s trip to Paris with her French class is cancelled when her dad loses his job, and history homework is building up. What she needs is some time with vintage fashion to take her mind off things. But trying on an antique gown sweeps her away from the tiny shop to the court of a French princess!

It’s a bit odd to speak old French with no effort and have courtiers calling her Mademoiselle Gabrielle, but Louise does pretty well at playing along. Soon she realizes that she’s part of the entourage of young Marie Antoinette – and that she might not be the only person at Versailles with a false identity…

The princess is never seen in the same ensemble twice and demands that her ladies-in-waiting follow that fashion as well. Somehow, Louise must keep her original gown hidden so that she can wear it and return to modern Connecticut safely.

So many different experiences – beautiful palace gardens and boring waits for royal arrivals, splendid gilded ballrooms and bitterly critical letters from Marie’s mother, stunning Paris-designed dresses and the stench of Parisian streets. As time passes, Louise remembers more details from history class and wonders if she should warn the princess about the perils ahead.

Who is spying for Marie’s mother, sending detailed reports back to the Empress? Can Louise make the princess understand the suffering outside the palace walls, before it’s too late? Most importantly, can she get back to her own time before France’s nobility start losing their heads in the Revolution?

The second book of the series puts this Time-Traveling Fashionista in as much danger as she faced on board the Titanic in book one. Where will Louise’s passion for vintage fashion take her next? (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Jump Into the Sky, by Shelley Pearsall (book review) – black paratroopers in WWII, secret mission or phony war?

Oct12

book cover of Jump Into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall published by KnopfLevi Battle was always being left.
His mom left when he was a baby,
His dad left to serve in the Army.
Now his aunt says it’s his turn to leave his friends and go be with his father – in the middle of World War II!

Hard to be a teenager without his dad around, harder to trade the big city of Chicago for the prejudices of the South, harder still to imagine what life would be like if every paratrooper of the 555th doesn’t come home from their missions…

Be sure to visit the “Triple Nickle” website to learn more about this little-known battalion and the brave paratroopers who served the nation during World War II, like Bradley Biggs, the first African-American officer accepted for parachute duty in the US Army.

Get this great book today at your local library or independent bookstore; it is also available as an audiobook. Could you be as brave and loyal in the face of prejudice and danger as Lt. Battle and the men of Triple Nickle?
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Book info: Jump Into the Sky / Shelley Pearsall. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012.  [author’s website] [publisher site]

My Book Talk:  Rattling over the rails, Levi tries to figure out how he got here, dress shirt covered with coal dust, stuck on a “Jim Crow” train car so very far away from home. Why his Aunt decided right now it was time for him to be with his father on an Army base in the middle of the War, he’ll never know.

Sure, he missed his dad, but in 1945 so many fathers and brothers and cousins were gone. If it wasn’t war-time, the Army wouldn’t let a colored man be an officer, says everyone in their Chicago neighborhood, and not one single soul believes that Charles Battle is a paratrooper.

It doesn’t help that Levi’s jazz-singer mother left home when he was a little baby, that his father has no idea that the tall thirteen-year-old is on his way to North Carolina to join him, that Aunt Odella’s prayers and fried chicken might not get him safely to Fort Bragg.

Levi couldn’t believe that white people in the South would act so hateful, but he learns quickly to stay away from town, stick with the other black soldiers’ families, and be ready to move at a moment’s notice. When the Army says leave for Oregon, off they go, Levi helping Sgt. Cal’s wife with the new baby on the long cross-country trip.

But why is the 555th battalion really in Pendleton?
Is it just busy-work to make it look like the Army is letting black soldiers fight?
What if Lt. Battle doesn’t come back from the next mission or the one after that?

Inspired by interviews with real veterans of the original 555th, this journey of discovery will take readers back to the home front during World War II as Levi watches his father and brothers-in-arms Jump Into the Sky  to defend the USA, whether acknowledged for their bravery or not. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Another Life, by Keren David (fiction) – London gangs, family ties, choices that can’t be unmade

Oct10
book cover of Another Life by Keren David published by Frances Lincoln Childrens Books

So that’s it then,
Ty will spend some weeks in young offenders’ institution for having the knife.
What if other gang members are there, too?
The ones that he testified against?

World Wednesday takes us back to London – not the spic-and-span home of the 2012 Summer Olympics, but the hardscrabble, workingclass corners where rival crime gangs control more than we really want to know about.

And typically-teenage guy middle-class Archie thinks he can figure out how to help Ty, by going undercover into his cousin’s multicultural, rough neighborhood…

You’ll want to read all of Ty’s story, so pick up When I Was Joe  (book 1) and Almost True (book 2) at your local library or independent bookstore then jump into Another Life  to see what becomes of these unlike cousins.
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Book info: Another Life / Keren David. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2012.  [author’s website] [publisher site] [book trailer]  

My Recommendation: Archie didn’t even know he had another cousin until recently, let alone one who’s had run-ins with London gangs and the police. Too busy trying to get tossed out of yet-another boarding school, trying to get girls interested in him. But passing messages between Ty and his girlfriend shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Just because his cousin is in witness-protection programme and all that…

Still strange to Archie that his mum and dad could cut off contact with a whole branch of their family for years. Ty is just a year older than he is, but certainly isn’t coping well with being confined. Yeah, some of the guys that Ty testified against are locked up now, but not in the same facility as him, right? Right? Hmmm…will Claire wait for Ty once she discovers the real reason he’s gone?

Maybe if Archie ventures out of his posh neighborhood and into the gritty quarter where Ty lived before the knife incident, he can figure out what makes his cousin tick. Maybe joining the boxing club there will let him see why his own dad worked so hard to get out of there. Maybe cute Shannon there in the park will take a shine to him.
Dad always said that Archie acted first and thought occasionally – and he’s dead-right this time. How long until someone in Ty’s neighborhood figures out their connection? How long until the gang bosses take action against the snooping teen? How long until Ty’s post-traumatic stress reactions get the better of him?
Told mostly in the rambling voice of Archie with sudden bursts of Ty’s frantic, worried thoughts, Another Life closes the stories started in When I Was Joe (book 1) and Almost True(book 2) – a gripping look at modern London gangs, choices gone wrong, and the quest for family connections at any cost. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Ivey and the Airship, by Cheryl Ammeter (fiction) – dark shadows, steampunk quest

Oct8
Ivey and the Airship by Cheryl Ammeter published by Wisdom House Books

A luxury dirigible high above the clouds,
Fine dinners and stealthy footsteps,
Sudden visions through others’ eyes,
Rumors of vicious war.

Welcome to the steampunk world of Aether, where a young lady’s social skills are far more valued than her intelligence, where a good marriage is a barometer of success, and where Ivey Thornton is determined to do things differently.

Favorite of her father’s five botanically-named daughters, she wants to follow in his scientific footsteps, investigating the new otheophainers that allow flight without use of a balloon. But first, she must discover why otheocoils affect her so strangely – and break off her arranged engagement to Miles (and his mother).

Ask for the first book in The Aether’s Edge series at your local library or independent bookstore. The author is busily at work on book 2 right now; let’s hope that the life-sucking leeches don’t make an encore in Master of the Manor!
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Book info: Ivey and the Airship (The Aether’s Edge, Book 1) / Cheryl Ammeter. Wisdom House Books, 2012.  [author’s website] [publisher site]

My Recommendation: Ivey just wants to research the unknown with her father. But Aether’s society frowns upon girls as scientists, so Ivey’s family arranges her betrothal to the son of her father’s best friend. Perhaps she can make Miles so angry during their airship voyage that he’ll break off the engagement – if the murderer on board doesn’t get them first!

Wrestling underwater with her secret pet waterdog and experimenting with explosives aren’t the ladylike arts that her sisters learned; it’s doubtful that Mrs. Fenchurche will appreciate Ivey’s ideas about the essential skills of life. However, the young man’s mother must admit that his late father would have delighted in this union between their innovative families. If Miles would only cease his world travels and settle down to provide heirs to the transportation industry fortune…
The luxuries and gadgetry of the airship Monarch take Ivey by surprise, as does Miles’ appreciation of her curiosity about his inventions. Neither is happy about the idea of marriage, but their scientific discussions are quite interesting. Someone else is paying extremely close attention to the awkward young couple, as strange ‘accidents’ begin to occur around them once the airship is far from port.
Sabotage, murder, killer bubble baths? Who wants to bury the Monarch and her passengers deep into the mountains? What is drawing Ivey into a sinister dreamworld that threatens Aether? Who is trying to unearth a secret that will shatter the world? Does the Institute of Sciences hold the key to these mysteries?
Steampunk meets dark and mystical forces in this action-packed first book of the Aether’s Edge series, where Ivey and Miles use quick thinking and their own kind of courage to meet dangers head-on. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the author.

Ashen Winter, by Mike Mullin (fiction) – survival, danger, love amid peril

Oct5

book cover of Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin published by TanglewoodEnormous snow drifts where green summer cornfields should be thriving…

How long will the volcanic ash in the atmosphere keep the sun from shining through?

Can teens armed with determination, taekwondo skills, and dwindling supplies rescue their family members in peril?

Grab Ashfall (book 1, reviewed here) at your local library or independent bookstore so you know the whole story, then bundle up warmly to continue Alex and Darla’s chilling journey through Ashen Winter on its October 8th publication date.

Gotta admit that I was a trifle nervous traveling through Yellowstone National Park a few weeks ago, seeing the steam from its thousands of “thermal features” rising up into the blue sky on a freezing morning. Glad that it’s all being monitored – but will we truly have enough warning if the supervolcano threatens to blow sky-high?
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Book info: Ashen Winter (Ashfall Trilogy, book 2) / Mike Mullin. Tanglewood, 2012. [author’s website] [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My Book Talk: The world now is all snow and questions for Alex, trying to locate his parents after all communication was wiped out by the supervolcano eruption, trying to keep himself and his girlfriend Darla safe and alive in the unending winter.

A scrap of news now stirs the teens into action: his parents were accosted by bandits while hiking across the state to find Alex and are alive – for the moment. Desperate times and dwindling food supplies are turning some people into savages of the worst sort.

The government is keeping ashfall refugees within the affected area, in camps that lose more people to starvation and cold than to escape. Avoiding their patrols, staying clear of bandits (and worse), holding onto all their supplies – it’ll be a tough journey, but Alex must find his parents.

As Alex and Darla leave his little sister at their aunt and uncle’s farm, they hope for the best and prepare for emergencies – possible injuries, bandits, sinkholes in the snowpack. But a sudden encounter and an ambush separate them early in their journey, leaving Alex to seek help from the townspeople they met on their earlier travels in order to rescue her.

Can Darla stay alive and unharmed in the hands of the gang?
Can Alex convince anyone to go along on the rescue mission?
If his parents did make it to the next refugee camp, can the teen help them escape?

This second book in the post-apocalyptic trilogy answers key queries for Alex and Darla (and readers) following the initial Ashfall (book one) while leaving the survivors to wonder what happens next. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Jepp, Who Defied the Stars, by Katherine Marsh (fiction) – a court dwarf dreams of more

Oct3
book cover of Jepp Who Defied the Stars by Katherine Marsh published by Hyperion

In the company of tall women and taller men,
a thinker, a planner, a dreamer,
Jepp’s life as a dwarf in the 16th century was never easy.

From a humble country inn to the royal court in Brussels to Tycho Brahe’s observatory, Jepp’s meteoric rise and fall are not what his horoscope predicted! Being part of a collection, as shown in Diego Velasquez’ paintings – pah!

You’ll find Jepp and his adventures at your nearest independent bookstore on its US publication day, Tuesday, October 9th; ask your local library to order it, too.

Jepp is a fascinating character, not satisfied with the hand that Fate has dealt him – do you think he can escape his destiny?
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Book info: Jepp, Who Defied the Stars / Katherine Marsh. Hyperion, 2012.  [author’s website] [publisher site]

My Recommendation: Jolting down a frozen dirt road, Jepp wonders how fate took him from his tiny village to a royal palace to this prison on wheels heading north. If the young teen could just find his long-absent father, discover why he was born a dwarf, learn to change his destiny…
His family’s inn sees fewer and fewer travelers, as Spanish Netherlands wars with its rebellious Protestant north in the late 1500s. Elegant Don invites Jepp to become a court dwarf at the Infanta’s palace in Brussels, to own more than one tattered book, to be dressed in silks, to dine on rare delicacies, so the thirteen-year-old leaps at the chance.
But the luxuries come at a high price, for the five court dwarfs are essentially prisoners in their gilded rooms and must perform silly tricks to amuse the princess and her courtiers. Jepp is not happy to be a mere clown, but is even unhappier to see his friend Lia become sadder by the day. Their daring attempt to escape the palace together proves costly, and Jepp is shackled and sent far away from the Infanta’s court and his friends. His horoscope promised much better than this!
In a distant icy land, Jepp finds himself part of an astronomer’s astonishing household, full of amazing mechanical devices, researchers mapping the stars, and a chance to think and learn. Are our fates truly locked in place, as the star-readers claim? Can Jepp change his destiny? Will he ever find his father? Could his horoscope promising “a good marriage to one faithful and true” really come true, or will only the predicted disasters befall him?
Inspired by the real Jepp of Uraniborg and Velasquez’s paintings of court dwarfs, this historical novel pulses with energy and intrigue as our narrator traces his life journeys and indeed tries to defy the odds and live happily into the landmark year 1600. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Fathomless, by Jackson Pearce (book review) – mermaids, psychics, death and desire

Oct1

book cover of Fathomless by Jackson Pearce published by Little BrownBeautiful swimmers,
entrancing songs,
death in the sea.

Walled-off memories,
Screams and forgetfulness,
how can seeing a person’s past be a gift?

The legend of the Little Mermaid takes a psychic and sinister turn in this shivery story of remembrance, loneliness, and love.

Jackson talked about Fathomless  at its September 2012 release party (video), reminding readers that her Fairy Tale Retellings series books are not for the faint of heart, hearkening back to the dark originals by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and others.

You’ll love the tie-ins with Sweetly  (my no-spoiler recommendation here) and Sisters Red  (#1 recommended here), so grab them all at your local library or independent bookstore now.

Which fairy tale should Jackson retell next?
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Book info: Fathomless (Fairy Tale Retellings #3) / Jackson Pearce. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012.  [author’s website] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My Book Talk: Reluctantly, Celia tags along as Jane and Anne finagle gifts and attention from cute boys in the vacation crowds. But it’s the shy triplet who runs to rescue a guy who’s fallen from the dock, and she’s the one who encounters his true rescuer under the waves.

It’s boring to spend summer in their boarding school apartment when no family members can take them in, so Jane and Anne practice their talents on the seaside tourists, seeing into their minds and into their futures with just the lightest touch. But Celia’s gift of seeing someone’s past seems so useless that she tries to ignore it, like she tries to convince her sisters not to manipulate others with theirs.

>Offshore, an aging shipwreck hosts a colony of young swimmers whose land-based details are slowly washing away with the tides – skin colors all turning to seafoam, memories of family and names drifting into the depths. Each girl was brought into the sea by an ‘angel’ who may call her back some day. Or perhaps it’s singing a mortal boy into her arms that will change her, by taking all his breath with a kiss.

>So why does Lo take Jude back to the surface when he falls from the dock instead of kissing him until he breathed no more? When Celia wades out and drags him onto the sand, why does she let folks think she was his sole rescuer? How can she tell Jude that the song he remembers from the sea was sung by Lo’s rival, luring him to die? How can Celia’s gift of seeing someone’s past help Lo find her true self and peace? How can she stop her talent long enough to hold Jude in her own arms?

>A mermaid story with psychic twists, Jackson Pearce’s third Fairy Tale Retelling of a classic with undercurrents of the unexpected is a companion to Sweetly  and Sisters Red  that will leave readers breathless. (One of 5,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)