Mini-Reviews: Middle Grade Magic

Frogged by Vivian Vande Velde
Available now from Harcourt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Review copy

When Princess Imogene tries to help who she thinks is a prince cursed to be a frog, she ends up a frog herself.  But she must pass the curse on to someone else to save herself and Imogene has enough fortitude not to do that.

Imogene is just a little younger than thirteen and it shows in her actions.  She's not unintelligent, just young and sheltered.  Her eventual traveling companion, Luella, is a delight.  She's the butt of a mean joke at first, but she turns out to be more.  This is not my favorite of Vande Velde's books, but FROGGED is a fun little fractured fairytale.  It's also quite funny.

The Colossus Rises by Peter Lerangis (Seven Wonders, Book 1)
Available now from Harper (HarperCollins)
Review copy

I first became aware of Peter Lerangis during the Columbia Publishing Course's Book Workshop.  He's written more than a hundred books for children and young adults, including entries in the popular series The 39 Clues.  His new series, Seven Wonders, is obviously aimed at the Percy Jackson demographic of his fellow 39 Clues author Rick Riordan.

THE COLOSSUS RISES begins with Jack McKinley getting sick, collapsing in the street, and briefly waking up in the hospital before coming to at a strange Academy.  He and the other kids there have special abilities, but the price is that they'll die within the year.  What comes next is a fast-paced adventure with plenty of puzzles to solve.  Lerangis does a good job setting up the world and search for the McGuffins, so I hope future Seven Wonders books will develop the four kids more.

My main complaint would be that Aly is the only girl.  There are three boys - Jack, Marco, and Cass - why not two boys and two girls?  There's no indication as to the kids' race.  All four are thirteen, but I think this book will appeal most to slightly younger readers.

Kevin by Paul Kupperberg
Available now from Gosset & Dunlap (Penguin) in partnership with Archie Comics
Review copy

Paul Kupperberg's novel based on the Kevin Keller character created by Dan Parent may not be as magical as the others I've reviewed today, but it is pretty sweet.  I was a bit worried when I read that the storyline dealt with Kevin's middle school year, when he wasn't a hot out jock but instead a bullied awkward kid.  I was afraid it would be a step back into an older, more stereotypical storyline.

But the bullying is because Kevin's a nerd, not because of his sexuality.  (Not that that makes it alright.)  In fact, he's just discovering his sexuality.  There is some homophobic bullying, but since this is the Archie-verse the strongest insult used is "pansy."   KEVIN is short and simple, but it's a good storyline.  Stand up for your friends, don't be ashamed of who you are, and you should pay attention to your dad's judo lesson.  Older fans of the Kevin Keller comic might be bored, but younger fans should enjoy his foray into novels.

Waiting On Wednesday: April Fairytales!

Waiting On Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine.

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, The Book Rat, and A Backwards Story are hosting the Fairy Tale Fortnight.  In honor of that very fun event, I decided to highlight three new fairytale retellings coming out next month.  All three are middle grade and all summaries are provided by the publisher.

FROGGED by Vivian Vande Velde

How can I resist a new book by Vande Velde? She's tackled fairytales before, so I'm sure FROGGED will be fantastic.

One should be able to say of a princess “She was as good as she was beautiful,” according to The Art of Being a Princess (third revised edition), which the almost-thirteen-year-old Princess Imogene is supposed to be reading. Not feeling particularly good, or all that beautiful, she heads for a nearby pond, where, unfortunately, a talking frog tricks her into kissing him. No prince appears, as one might expect. Instead, the princess turns into a frog herself! Thus launches a funny, wonderfully spun fractured fairy tale in which Imogene wonders if she will be forever frogified.

THRICE UPON A MARIGOLD by Jean Farris

This is the third book in Jean Ferris' terrific Marigold series. Not a direct retelling, but the series has a fairytale sensibility.

Princess Poppy, the bouncing baby daughter of Queen Marigold and King Christian of Zandelphia-Beaurivage, is in terrible danger. The kingdom’s former torturer-in-chief and poisoner-in-chief have joined forces to kidnap the baby as an act of revenge for their exile! Can a ragtag parade of rescuers—including the king and queen, the evil kidnappers’ mortified children, five dogs, a white elephant, and a washed-up wizard—save Princess Poppy in time?

RUMP: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Sutcliff

I am not familiar with Sutcliff, but this novel looks super cute!

In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke.

Rump has never known his full name—his mother died before she could tell him. So all his life he's been teased and bullied for his half-a-name. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. For Rump discovers he can spin straw into gold. Magical gold.

His best friend Red Riding Hood warns him that magic is dangerous—and she's right! That gold is worth its weight in trouble. And with each thread he spins, Rump weaves himself deeper into a curse.

There's only one way to break the spell: Rump must go on a quest to find his true name, along the way defending himself against pixies, trolls, poison apples, and one beautiful but vile-mannered queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—Rump just might triumph in the end.

An inventive fairytale retelling, perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale.