My Brain on Books: December 2011

Monday, December 12, 2011

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday -- Winterling by Sarah Prineas

If you've ever read The Magic Thief trilogy by Sarah Prineas (my blogging friend Myrna Foster reviewed them in October -- at this post), you might be familiar with the story of the changeling girl. A chance comment by a bookseller in Ohio inspired Sarah Prineas to turn that story into Winterling. A bookseller! How cool is that?

Winterling by Sarah Prineas (HarperCollins, January 3, 2012, hardcover, 9780061921049, $16.99, for ages 10 and up).

Source: advanced reading copy from publisher

Synopsis (from the publisher): With her boundless curiosity and spirit, Fer has always felt that she doesn't belong. She hears the call of the wild wood, of the secrets it whispers to her. But when her grandmother reveals clues about the disappearance of her father and his mystical bond to her mother, Fer begins to unlock secrets about the the parents she never knew. Led to a reflecting pool that uncovers the Way, Fer finds an enchanting, dangerous land.

In this place cloaked in wonder, where pucks transform from boys to horses, Fer feels a strange magical attachment. But with her mother gone, everything has spun out of order and evil has imprisoned the place in ice. Now it is up to Fer to face down the powerful Mor, who has cruelly overtaken this world and its people, and discover the legacy she carries within.

Why I liked it: Gorgeous writing and sure-handed worldbuilding. The author has a fertile imagination and it shines through. And though the summary sounds a bit like The Snow Queen, this is very much an original fairy tale. And amazingly, nearly all the characters are female. In fact, Fer (short for Jennifer) has to save the puck boy from a nasty fate. Yay for powerful heroines!

What most impressed me, though, was the lushness of the sensory details. Nature, both beautiful and terrible, is all important here. Except for a few scenes, this book takes place outside, and you can really feel the icy cold and picture the leaves, the moss, and the pond.

Have you read any original fairy tales that impressed you?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is the brainchild of Shannon Whitney Messenger. Other regulars include (but are not limited to):

Shannon O'Donnell at Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster at The Night Writer
Natalie Aguirre at Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero at Somewhere in the Middle
Deb Marshall at Just Deb
Barbara Watson at her blog
Anita Laydon Miller at her middle grade blog
Michael G-G at Middle Grade Mafioso
Pam Torres at So I'm Fifty

Ms. Yingling at Ms. Yingling Reads

Danika Dinsmore at The Accidental Novelist

Jennifer Rumberger at her blog

Akoss at Nye Louwon--My Spirit
Gabrielle Prendergast at angelhorn
Sheri Larsen at her blog

I'm working extra hours as we zoom toward Christmas, and I still have some shopping, baking, and decorating to do. So I'll be back on January 2nd with the first of several interviews with some of the debut authors of the Class of 2K12! Enjoy your holiday! And Happy New Year!

Friday, December 9, 2011

I Need a Friend Like This...

According to Alex Palmer at Writers Digest, Harper Lee worked as a reservation clerk at Eastern Airlines for eight years, writing only in her spare time (sound familiar?).

Then a generous friend gave her a Christmas gift equal to a year’s wages. The condition? That she would take a year off and write whatever she wanted. Harper Lee finished the first draft of To Kill A Mockingbird that year.

Imagine, if you will, what the world would be like without that generous gift...

Wishing book contracts to all my writer friends this winter!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday -- Becoming Naomi Leon

Welcome, new followers! It never ceases to amaze me that I acquire new followers even while I'm on a blogging break. Thank you! Speaking of the blogging break... I managed to write more than 4000 words and I'm thisclose to finishing the rough of my second MG novel! Yay! Hope you're all accomplishing great things too.

Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan (Scholastic, May 2005, paperback, 9780439269971, $6.99, for ages 9 to 12).

Source: paperback from a friend

Synopsis (from Indiebound): Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw has had a lot to contend with in her young life, her name for one. Then there are her clothes (sewn in polyester by Gram), her difficulty speaking up, and her status at school as "nobody special." But according to Gram, most problems can be overcome with positive thinking. And with Gram and her little brother, Owen, life at Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho in California is happy and peaceful...until their mother reappears after seven years of being gone, stirring up all sorts of questions and challenging Naomi to discover and proclaim who she really is.

Why I liked it: So many reasons! The characters are wonderful, the details authentic, the situation heartwrenching. When Naomi and Owen's mother Skyla wants to take only Naomi back, not Owen, you quickly realize just what kind of person Skyla is. And Naomi will have to learn to speak up if she doesn't want to lose Owen and Gram. I cheered when Gram makes the decision to take the trailer and head to Mexico to seek the children's long-lost father. The ending was not at all what I expected, but I found it realistic and satisfying.

This is also a great read for this time of year! I've never been to Mexico, but after reading this, I'd love to go. I learned a lot about Las Posadas ("the inns"), a nine-day Advent celebration revolving around Mary and Joseph's search for a place to stay. Different families play host each night from December 16 to December 24, and the neighborhood children go from house to house, being turned away until they reach the designated house. There, they are welcomed with food, drink, and pinatas.