C.J. Milbrandt's Blog, page 43

GALLERIES OF STONE: Illustrations

Did you know that the digital editions of Meadowsweet are filled with full-color illustrations by Hannah Christenson, who also does my cover art? Worth!

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Greenglass House

Greenglass House
Kate Milford

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The Pines run a historic inn known as Greenglass House, which is perched on a cliff overlooking a river famous for local smugglers. Young Milo Pine was looking forward to Christmas with his (adoptive) parents. Normally, they have the place to themselves over the winter holidays, but one guest after another shows up unexpectedly. The house is full of suspicious strangers, each with their own agenda.

Orphans and local legends. Maps and clues. Thieves and sabotage....

#amreading Culturally

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Here are three books that celebrate and explore culture and differences. In One Crazy Summer, three girls trade east coast for west coast in order to spend time with their mother. Set in the 70’s, there are many references to the Civil Rights movement. Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear is about a Chinese family that’s moved to America. Everyone’s a gifted musician except Yingtao, who’d really like to trade his violin for a baseball glove. And Save Me a Seat alternates perspectives betwe...

The Dagger Quick

The Dagger Quick
Brian Eames

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Until the day Captain William Quick arrives at port in Kitto’s hometown, the boy has no idea that his hard-working cooper father (that’s a barrel-maker, by the by) had ever done anything more interesting than turn staves into barrels.

Privateers and pirates. Step-mothers and half-brothers. Old secrets and hard memories. Slave ships and cheeky monkeys. A vivid adventure that takes the time to explore the complexities of integrity, loyalty, and bravery. Eames has...

#amreading Historically

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Sees Behind Trees was a surprise favorite for the year, the story of a Native American boy who’s limited by severe nearsightedness, yet can do things no other person in their tribe can accomplish. Homer Price is a childhood favorite that was fun to reread. I’d forgotten most details, but I definitely remembered that doughnut machine! And We the Children kicks off a serial tale (told in parts). Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School is shaping up to be a contemporary quest & a historica...

BYWAYS: Illustrations

Every one of the Byways Books includes beautiful full-color art by my illustrator, Hannah Christenson. Here’s a sampling from Book #10, Back on Track: A Ganix Johns Adventure.

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Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts
Alcatraz, #1
Gennifer Choldenko

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Moose’s family has moved to Alcatraz, where his father works as a prison guard, in hopes of enrolling his sister Natalie in a special school in San Francisco. Lemon cakes and button boxes. Baseball games and piano lessons. Convict cooking and laundering for money. Charm school smiles and knowing when to say no.

I am really sort of loving Choldenko’s ability to take imperfect people (who really get my back up at times) and cultivate the...

#amreading Assortment

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This set makes it obvious that I’d been tackling the more challenging letters for an A-Z Reading Challenge. Zinnia and the Bees is mostly about family and friendships … and anger and isolation … and not giving up. Oh, and yarn-bombing! The Year of the Book is a slice-of-life story about Anna, who is ABC (American-born Chinese), shy, bookish, and a little embarrassed by her mother. The Queen’s Nose (set in England) is about a girl, her uncle, and a magical coin that grants wishes. All you hav...

BYWAYS: Behind the Header

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I’m back with another peek behind the scenes on the Byways book covers. One of the unchanging features on the header is the circle of stars that surrounds the volume number. If you take a quick tally, you’ll find there are thirteen stars. It’s a nod to the original thirteen colonies. The thirteen stars also show up on the cloak pins worn by Liberty’s rangers.

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This time around, I’m letting you see more of the huge griffin that’s partly obscured by the header on Byways #4, Up the Mountain: A...

The Luck Uglies

The Luck Uglies
Paul Durham

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Rye O’Chanter and her friends run a bit wild in Village Drowning, bending rules and breaking laws. But harmless fun changes to real danger when Rye encounters a Bog Noblin, horrible creatures who eat people and wear their feet for necklaces. In times past, the villagers trusted the Luck Uglies to keep them safe, but no one’s allowed to speak of them these days. They’re considered exiles and outlaws … and worse.

Cloaked strangers and strange beasts. Muddled histori...