Emerald Atlas (galley)

Emerald Atlas (galley) by John Stephens pub April, 2011 from Knopf.
Audience: 5th-7th grade
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage. Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.
Comments: Thank you, Cindy B., for loaning this ARC of Stephens' debut novel. Pacing was off for me and several aspects seemed too Harry Potter-ish to be original. Some compelling characters, though, in Dwarf, Witch, and Gollum-esqe categories. The climax was confusing and relied upon the reader remembering a detail from much earlier in the book; in general the time-travel "rules" were fuzzy to the point of disbelief. The late appearance of the true antagonist (very a la Voldemort) showed promise for the next two installments.
Read-Alikes: Harry Potter series, Series of Unfortunate Events

The Cabinet of Wonders (audio)

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski, 2008. Narrated by Lorelei King.
Audience: Grades 4 through 7
My Rating: 3* of 5
Summary: Twelve-year-old Petra, accompanied by her magical tin spider, goes to Prague hoping to retrieve the enchanted eyes the Prince of Bohemia took from her father, and is aided in her quest by a Roma boy and his sister.

Comments: Pacing was off for me--too slow until the final few chapters when it seemed everything resolved in a hurry. The magical elements are well done and appealing. Well read by King.

Read-alikes: Kronos Chronicles series, Ella Enchanted by Levine, The Princess Academy by Hale

Awards: 2010-2011 Bluebonnet nominee

11 Birthdays

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. 2009.
Audience: Grades 4th-6th. Ages 8-12.

My Rating: 4*s of 5
Summary: Amanda and Leo, born on the same day, have celebrated their birthdays together for 10 years. Still feeling hurt from an unkind remark Leo made at last year's party, Amanda spends her eleventh birthday without her now-estranged friend to share the fun. In the days that follow, both Amanda and Leo discover that they are caught in a time loop, waking up each morning to find themselves repeating their eleventh birthdays.

Comments: Fun and not as predictable as I thought going into it. Leo borders on too good to be true, though!

Awards: Bluebonnet List 2010-2011.
Read-alikes: When You Reach Me by Stead. Finally by Mass

*Sequel, Finally*

Not as engaging and magical as 11, but stronger on the coming-of-age themes.

Jinx by Meg Cabot (audio)

Jinx by Meg Cabot. 2007.
Audience: 7th Grade and up; 12 and up
My Rating: 4*s of 5
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Jean "Jinx" Honeychurch, the descendant of a witch, must leave Iowa to live with relatives in Manhattan after the first spell she casts goes awry, but she will have to improve her skills to stop her cousin from practicing black magic that endangers them and the boy they both like.
Comments: With a mediocre narrator, this book was slow to hook me. But once the magic kicked in, I was hooked. Jinx herself reminds me of the character from Dairy Queen in that she often cannot manage to speak her mind or insist that she be treated with respect or fairness. This clearly becomes purposeful at the end of the story when she *finally* stands up for herself and comes into her own.
Awards:
Read-alikes: Avalon High by Cabot

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law. 2008.

Audience: 10-13, Grades 4-7

My Rating: 4*s of 5

Summary: Recounts the adventures of Mibs Beaumont, whose thirteenth birthday has revealed her "savvy"--a magical power unique to each member of her family--just as her father is injured in a terrible accident.

Comments: I wish, wish, wish I had read this book instead of listening to it. The narrator was mediocre and her reading made the language quirks of the book (repeating words in threes, "sure as sure" formula, etc.) seem more annoying than charming. I wonder if, had I read the book, they would have blended into the overall recipe of the story and added to the delight rather than detract. Otherwise, I greatly enjoyed the characters and plot (though it could have been taken out of the oven a bit sooner in my opinion). The "savvy" concept is excellent and I'm sure will excite young readers who wish to find their own special talent.

Awards: Newbery Honor Book 2009; Bluebonnet nominee 2009-2010; Boston Globe-Horn book honors 2008

Read-alikes:

Half Magic

Half Magic by Edward Eager, 1954.

I stumbled upon this and couldn't put it down. For a juvenile book written 50 years ago, it is remarkably timeless. It reads with a dash of playful sarcasm that remided me of Peter Pan or Dahl. The four children (three girls, one boy) foil each other nicely and their magical adventures pull the reader along. Even the moral of the story, as well as the satisfying wrap up, are handled so delicately as to make it a pleasure to read.

What a pleasant surprise I found in Half Magic!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. 2008.
My Rating: 4.5*s out of 5

Audience: Ages 8-12/Grades 4-8

Summary: Contains five illustrated moral tales for children from the world of Harry Potter, reportedly discovered and translated by young witch Hermione Granger, with an introduction and commentary from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Comments: Delightful, quick read, okay as introduction to HP series, clever, wish it had been longer or ended differently

Awards:

Read-alikes: