C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 42
November 6, 2018
#amreading Fascinations
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A Single Shard is a historical piece set in Korea and introduces an orphan boy who would do anything to become an apprentice to the best potter in the village. Working with the area’s gray-green clay is harder work than he realized. Wings is about a lanky misfit of a boy who sprouts wings. A riff on fallen angels with a side of talking animals. And I finally decided to check out The Land of Stories. The Wishing Spell introduces twins who fall through a book into the world that inspired all o...
November 5, 2018
BYWAYS: Ewan Johns
Ewan is the eldest of the Johns brothers: responsible, protective, and a little bit shy.
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October 30, 2018
#amreading Delights
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The Tea Dragon Society is a graphic novel set in a fantastical world where a small group of friends tend to dragons inspired by different blends of tea. Skellig won my heart and will be one of my top books for the year. A boy finds a strange winged man/thing in his shed and tries to help. And The Samurai and the Long-Nosed Devils is the first in the Zenta & Matsuzo mysteries, set in 16th century Japan. Lots of cultural details for this historical setting, with two wandering samurai (ronin) s...
October 23, 2018
#amreading Bees and Birds
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I’ve discovered a fondness for novels in prose, and Rhyme Schemer is a fun one. A boy who bullies and posts rebel poems finds the tables turned. But he also finds support from his English teacher (who is awesome). Hour of the Bees brings a blended and estranged family together to sell the family ranch and move Grandpa Serge into assisted care. He’s getting senile, except Carol is beginning to think there’s some truth to his strange stories. And in Hoot, new-to-town Roy allies himself to a f...
October 22, 2018
BYWAYS: Illustrations
Every one of the Byways Books includes beautiful full-color art by my illustrator, Hannah Christenson. Here’s a sampling from Book #2, Aboard the Train: A Ewan Johns Adventure.
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October 16, 2018
#amreading Winged Things
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Flight of the Phoenix kicks off a smart lower middle grade series about a boy from a family with a long history of adventuring. My Side of the Mountain is a classic story about a boy who decides to try fending for himself, living off the land in the Catskill mountains. And Forest of Wonders is about a boy, too. Raffa’s a pother (apothecary) with an unusual knack for herbs. In saving the life of an injured bat, he inadvertently changes him … and is desperate to keep that fact a secret.
October 15, 2018
BYWAYS: Galena
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Little Details
■ Galena is expecting a baby. If she and her husband can stay ahead of the Chasers until their child is born, they’ll become free citizens of Liberty.
■ She was brought as a child from Arundel, an empire far to the south. Memories of her former home sometimes make her sad.
■ Her personal seal is an oyster with a pearl, hinting at the precious life she’s carrying.
■ Galena’s marriage to Hurlock was arranged by their owner.
October 9, 2018
#amreading Minnesota
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An autobiographical trilogy, in which Paulsen simply refers to himself as “the boy.” In The Cookcamp, the boy is bundled off to stay with his grandmother, who’s working as a cook for a team of nine burly men building a road through thick forests in northern Minnesota. Alida’s Song takes place about a decade later, when the boy’s grandmother sends for him to come help in the countryside where she’s working as a cook for two Swedish farmers. (This was my favorite, often reminding me of my own...
October 8, 2018
BYWAYS: Behind the Header
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We’re taking a look behind the header on Byways cover illustrations. The series title often hides pretty scenes or special secrets. This week, it’s Zane’s turn. On Book #6, we get a dramatic first look at one of the many creatures who call the Wilds their home. Since Zane’s half-wild himself, he gets along well with everything from firebirds to fairy kestrels.
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White stone littered the landscape. Round boulders came in every size, and smooth spikes jutted out of the grass like the ribs of a...
October 2, 2018
#amreading Cautiously
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Every so often, I’ll hit a patch of books that I’d be cautious to recommend (for one reason or another). Unclaimed Treasures is a slice-of-life story with a quirky cast. I did a double-take when it opened with an open casket in the parlor and serving wine to children. And it did get odder (in parts), but was also sort of wistful and lovely (in parts). Such is life? Starfire introduces us to herds of winged horses and the plight of the single black foal who’s a child of prophecy. Beware. Vici...
