Off the Bookshelf: ISLAND BOY, by Robert R. Harry Sr.

 

I can still see the shelf in the spare bedroom of my grandmother's house where I found this book when I was in elementary school. It was a hardback, kind of faded and dusty. I think it was marked as a book club pick for young readers.

This story took me to an entirely new place and time and culture. People who lived on islands and went barefoot and had such (to me at the time) strange customs. I loved this book and often when I was at my grandmother's house for a long period of time, I'd pull it out and read it again.

I'm delighted that Wildside Press picked up this book and has made it available in paperback.

So what's the story? Vicious warriors come to Paulo's little village demanding tribute for their new king. When they are unable to pay, they are slaughtered. Paulo is the only survivor. He is found by a friendly trader and taken to another island, where the quest begins to find a place for an orphaned boy to find a new home. Paulo is taken in by Olu the chantmaker, and as he tries to find a place on this much larger island, with so many people, the reader sees what life was like in ancient Hawaii.

Does Paulo find a new home and family? You'll just have to read it and see.

Off the Bookshelf: PETER AND THE CROWN, by A.L. Janney

The Phantom of New York, Volume 1

A fun, modern-day origin story that harkens back to old-time radio dramas like The Shadow and the Green Hornet, and stories like The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro.

Peter and his parents move to a grand old hotel, The Crown, when his father runs into trouble with a powerful, evil man who wants what he can't -- and won't -- give him. They change their names, his father becomes a maintenance man and his mother works in the laundry, and Peter's life changes drastically.

The Crown is an amazing place to live, and Peter grows as he slowly expands his horizons and reaches out to make friends, and learns some hard and painful lessons.

The legend of the Phantom of New York, the mystery of a boy in a painting who could be Peter's twin, quirky characters who live in the hotel, a boy genius who lives underground, the plucky daughter of a baker, and a real ghost are just a few of the characters who help Peter prepare for the biggest change in his life -- accepting his heritage as the next Phantom of New York.
 

Great fun. And definitely want to read more of Peter's adventures.

Off the Bookshelf: THE UNEXPECTED ENLIGHTENMENT OF RACHEL GRIFFIN, by L. Jagi Lamplighter

 

Free middle grade fantasy from Amazon, on Kindle.

Rachel is English nobility, sent to the hidden island of Roanoke in the US to study magic. Yes, it sounds familiar, but the worldbuilding is intense and intricate and the action happens in the first week of school, so ... not what you're thinking!

This is a fun romp with a lot of dark moments. The heroine is smart and blessed/cursed with perfect memory, so she can look back and get details letter perfect every time, no fading. Helpful with studying, and when it comes to dealing with a lot of treachery and downright nastiness in the magical world. Especially when searching her perfect memory helps her see things that were kept hidden under illusion the first time around.

The discussion of the non-magical people of Earth -- Unwary, rather than the M-word -- can be funny at times, especially when so much of our known history and culture either doesn't exist, or is considered fable. The Unwary don't know about the magical world and its inhabitants, and the same battle to shake off the rules and enslave them is going on there, just like in HP's world. 

There is so much history and social structure and general rules of magic to learn, but the author does a wonderful job of avoiding so many "as you know" moments. Then there's the angst of Rachel as she realizes that adults don't know everything, and some can even be unreasonable. Starting with her father, who she believes she is reporting to and helping him do his job of patrolling the magical world and keeping the evil forces at bay.

Fun story, cramming a lot of action and growing up into just the first week of school. Don't worry -- there are more books waiting to be read!

Off the Bookshelf: STARGAZER, by Dan Wells

Audible, Audio Drama, Middle Grade

Full cast

Zero and Nyx are up to their chins in trouble yet again, on the colony world Kaguya. Colony ships that left Earth after their ship, the Pathfinder, had improved engines, so they are startled when one ship arrives years early. Even worse, Nyx's pirate family managed to sneak on board the new ship and hide among the colonists in cold sleep, and they land on Kaguya ready to do some more pirating and get rich and powerful. 

Problem: a second ship that left Earth is nowhere in sight. Did it crash on a nearby planet? Zero and Nyx barely manage to escape the prison the pirates put them in before they get into more trouble: trying to stop the pirates from finding the wreckage of the missing ship. Oh yeah, and they have to deal with nasty castaways, dragons, xenon in the air, and some prejudice that makes life pretty hard for Nyx.

Will they save the day? Listen and find out. Love this series by one of the contributors to the Writing Excuses podcast, and I certainly hope there's another installment coming out soon. 
 

Off the Bookshelf: A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS, by Matt Haig

 

Fantasy, Holiday Fiction

I want to start by thanking the lovely ladies on the Bookmarked podcast for Realm Makers, Lauren Brandenburg and Gillian Bronte Adams, for recommending this book.

Lovely, fun, quick read. Humor and suspense and danger, nasties to boo and heroes to cheer -- and special effects!

Nikolas is a poor boy who has only had two presents in his entire life. His woodcutter father doesn't make much money and they barely get by. When Dad gets a chance to go on an expedition that will pay him a lot of money, he takes it. Poor Nikolas is left in the dubious care of his nasty Aunt Carlotta, and immediately his life gets much worse. Until he finally runs away, in search of his father.

He runs into elves who are going through some pretty severe oppression of their own, and barely escapes with his life. When he finds his father, it isn't the happy reunion he hoped for, and Nikolas ends up making some pretty painful choices, and grows up way too quickly. How exactly does a boy go from being nicknamed Christmas to being Father Christmas, and learn magic, and find flying reindeer, and decide to give away toys every year? Read and find out -- I ain't telling you and spoiling the fun!

The world-building and rules for elves and the adventure -- just lovely. Great fun to read. This might just be one of those books you need to read every year. Especially when you need help getting into the holiday spirit.

Off the Bookshelf: BEX CARTER #1: AUNT JEANIE'S REVENGE, by Tiffany Nicole Smith

 

Middle Grade fiction

Bex Carter series

Bex and her sister are living with Aunt Jeanie because of family problems where they can't live with their parents, or their grandmother.

Bex refers to Aunt Jeanie as "Aunt Meany," and apparently with good reason. Her aunt is constantly trying to make Bex into a girl she isn't -- and Bex is constantly getting into trouble, even when she tries to be good.

Things just get worse when Aunt Jeanie wants her to join a society for girls, called the Silver Roses. Bex is positive her aunt  has enrolled her in the Silver Roses to punish her. The girls learn to do makeup and dress  up and dancing and how to do community service. That's fine on the surface, but some of the upstanding young ladies that Aunt Jeanie wants her to learn to be like, to become friends with -- they aren't very nice girls. Bex is well aware of the irony and hypocrisy when one of the worst bullies in her grade announces that her goal in life is to stop bullying!

Through a series of misadventures and silent grumbling, Bex learns some things about herself, and even tries to do the right thing, even when it hurts. She and Aunt Jeanie both learn a few things, and their relationship might just be improving.

Love the sense of humor and accurate insight into the trials and tribulations of a girl who just wants to be left alone to be herself.

Off the Bookshelf: FAIRENDALE 1: THE TREACHEROUS SECRET, by L.R. Patton

Middle Grade fiction

"The Treacherous Secret" is more like the first chapter in a long, involved fantasy series full of magic and treachery and prophecies. I have to admire the author for the intense worldbuilding done, all the rules involved in magic.

Danger and threat are evident from the first scene!

Fairendale was a kingdom of magic and beauty, before a scheming conqueror took over and deposed the true king. The current king is even worse than his father, scheming and lying and hunting down anyone who stands in the way of keeping the throne, and ensuring his son keeps the throne.

In this magical world, people with magic can pass on their magic to one of their children, but then no longer have any magic of their own. So what do you do if you gave your magic to the wrong child, who doesn't do things or see things your way? And what if it's safe for girls to have magic, but not safe for boys to have magic? They're growing up under the watchful, paranoid eyes of the king who fears the one boy who will have magic enough to take the stolen throne from under him, or his son, who he can't give magic to no matter how he schemes and threatens.

It's enough to destroy friendships and shatter families and bring about dark, dreadful prophecies. And that's just in the first book. Prepare to keep buying each short book in the series quickly to keep the story going!

Off the Bookshelf: SOPHIE WASHINGTON: QUEEN OF THE BEE, by Tonya Duncan Ellis

 

Middle Grade fiction

Fun book, which I admit I got from Kindle to learn how to write Middle Grade fiction ... but very enjoyable just in itself!

Sophie is a very real girl, with real attitudes and reactions and problems. Her nosy, interfering, exasperating brother, and a snotty boy in class who has to be better than everyone -- and who, as she learns along the way, doesn't have it very easy at home.

Sophie wants a pet fish, but getting her dream doesn't seem very possible. Her parents have all sorts of objections, and reasons why they think she isn't ready for a pet of any kind.

Then her big-mouth brother lets everyone know about the spelling bee, and her parents want her to participate. Sophie is kind of reluctant, until the snotty boy in class lets her know she might as well give up, because HE is going to win. So she buckles down and studies and works hard and ... not going to tell you the ending, but it's satisfying, and Sophie and her brother both learn something along the way.

There are a lot more books in the Sophie Washington series. Check them out!

Off the Bookshelf: THE SODA POP WARS, Iggy & Oz, by J.J. Johnson

 

Middle Grade

Fun, silly, tongue-in-cheek adventures with two brothers in a slightly strange neighborhood -- complicated by their efforts to save the world without their parents finding out and grounding them.

At least, that's my interpretation of the fast-moving adventure. I've read J.J. Johnson before, more adult, still tongue-in-cheek -- with a hero (Mercury) who is mentioned by the brothers in the course of the story. 

The brothers are still recovering from their previous adventure dealing with toy dinosaurs that came to life. This time, the same strange old house that delivered the first problem has dumped something new on the neighborhood -- a soda pop machine that dispenses bottles with bizarre flavors and temporary superpowers. Some are kinda gross, and some unfortunately let the neighborhood bully be even meaner to the smaller kids at school. Well, what are our heroes going to do, when they find out their arch nemesis has access to his own soda pop superpowers? They have to get the bottles away from him. Easier said than done, when the girl of Iggy's dreams seems to be about to have a date with the bully, and they have to keep their parents from finding out that the world is in danger once again.

Lots of fun and a fast read. Take a break from the current nastiness, stupidity and angst in the so-called real world, and visit with Iggy and Oz and their friends.

Off the Bookshelf: THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP, by Liz Kessler

Actually, this ebook had SIX stories about young mermaid Emily Windsnap.

The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret
Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun
Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls

Fun! I picked up the book in my quest to get a sampling of middle grade stories so I could start out right, planning and writing my own hopeful middle grade SF series, Young Defenders, to tie into my AFV Defender series (book 1 just released this week -- shameless self-promotion!)

When the series starts out, Emily is anticipating middle school and finally learning how to swim. She and her mother live on a boat, but her mother won't let her go swimming, as she's afraid of the water. This makes no sense to Emily. There is a downside to starting a new school, because her nemesis from the harbor community will also be there, and Mandy is a bully. But then Emily jumps into the water and for a minute or two it's wonderful -- until her legs get heavy and she has other strange sensations. Determined to figure out what's going on, Emily goes swimming at night, when no one can see -- and transforms to a mermaid for the first time!

Our plucky young heroine goes through quite a few adventures and gets herself into and out of trouble again and again. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her, because seriously? Why does she keep doing what she knows she shouldn't? Why does she keep taking chances and hacking off Neptune?

The struggle and multiple moments of, "Oh, no, don't do that!" pay off in the end. Fun for mermaid enthusiasts, young and old.

Off the Bookshelf: THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL, by Stacy McAnulty

Middle Grade book

You don't know what you've got until it's gone -- in this case, that means LIBRARIES!

I had the pleasure and blessing to see the author in person at a library event several months ago. I got to hear the process she went through as she came up with the idea and characters and did the research for all the calculations and "tricks" of Lucy, our middle school heroine, who is a math genius, but somewhat handicapped when it comes to dealing with people.

Sometimes I do get irritated with the trend that I've noticed on TV and movies, portraying brilliant people as arrogant to the point of stupidity, and refusing to change to get along in the "real world," but rather demanding that everyone change to accommodate them.

Lucy, however, knows she has problems. She's trying to get along, even as she grumbles that it's a waste of time, that people will never accept her. She admits her quirks and OCD and the damage in her own brain from the lightning strike that made her a math genius (hence her name). She simply doesn't understand the reasoning of her age group, and she would much rather retreat than be hurt again, and mocked. But her grandmother loves her enough to refuse to let her hide from the world. And in a lot of ways, Lucy finds out she's a normal kid when it comes to mistakes and squabbling and being afraid and wanting to be liked.

You'll laugh, you'll sigh, you'll want to clobber the bullies, you'll cringe. And in this day of social distancing ... you'll agree with Lucy more than the author probably intended! The book is real. Enjoy.