Book review: Winston Chu vs. The Whimsies
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Author, Speaker, Song-and-Dance Man
Middle grade fiction
By Lori R. Snyder
Set in Venice, California, this wildly imaginative tale draws on classic orphan tropes while carving its own fantastical path. 12-year-old orphan Maddy Adriana has always known that magic is real. All her life in group homes, she has always seen things no one else sees. And then there’s the matter …
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YA fiction
By Gaby Triana
You might not associate gothic horror with sunny Florida, but that only means you haven’t yet read Gaby Triana’s Moon Child. In a tale of steadily growing dread that draws on both the haunted-house vibes of The Shining and the witchy teen coven of The Craft, this book blends teen angst with …
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Middle grade fiction
by Jenn Reese
A moving, realistic fantasy tale with hidden depths. After an incident shatters their family, Sam and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with Aunt Vicky, whom they’ve never met before. Sam, however, wants nothing more than to return home to her life in LA.
Trying to make …
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YA fiction
By Martha Brockenbrough
With Into the Bloodred Woods, Martha Brockenbrough has crafted a dark and delightful tale that is as much about the power of story itself as it is about the stories of its characters. It opens in fairytale fashion, with a father promising the king that one of his daughters can spin straw …
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YA fiction
By Elizabeth Lim
Sixteen-year-old Princess Shiori has a secret. Forbidden magic runs in her veins, and if it is discovered, she’ll be exiled from Kiata, royal daughter or not. On the morning of her betrothal ceremony, she jumps out a window to avoid what she thinks will be a loveless marriage. Her would-be fiancé, Takkan, …
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Middle grade fiction
by Sarwat Chadda
A timely tale for our pandemic season, City of the Plague God draws on lesser-known Mesopotamian mythology to spin its tale of adventure in New York City.
Thirteen-year-old Sikander “Sik” Aziz works in his Iraqi refugee parents’ deli and mourns his dead brother Mo. One night, two demons show up demanding something …
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THE COURT OF MIRACLES
Young adult fiction by Kester Grant
Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables has proven an enduring touchstone, inspiring everything from a stage musical (remember Les Miz?) to numerous movie versions. Court of Miracles puts its own fresh spin on this durable tale by setting it in an alternate Paris where the wretched poor have formed …
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You’ve petted your dog, you’ve walked your dog, but have you ever been inspired by your dog? I have.
My newest book, Switched, is particularly close to my heart because it was inspired by my late dog, Riley. One morning when she was young, we went walking in a canyon and I let her go off-leash. …
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