Working on a schedule

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

Just added a post to the S&L Kids blog revealing the next couple of picks and what's going on with the schedule.

Here's the link.

[Cliff, Moderator]

Are you planning on keeping to the alternating Sword/Laser format of the "adult" group?

While I like the choices you made for March and April books, both of them are "Laser" picks. Shouldn't April be a "Sword?"

(Edit: whoops, I only just read the blog post and saw your reasoning for that.)

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

I will try to get to that format but right now, since I'm just kind of jumping in without much of a plan, I'm using my daughter as co-host and needed to pick books her group is doing or there would have been even more of a lag time in getting this going.

[Beth, Moderator]

How about The Thief by Megan Whelan Turner for July? A start to a good series, and the audiobook is well done.

Another fantasy book I liked was Jinx by Sage Blackwood. I found that on the Cybils finalist list this year. Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities is a superhero book -- it feels more like a laser book. Some of the old Heinlein boy scout books would work for laser picks -- Have Space Suit, Will Travel.

[Cliff, Moderator]

The Thief is an excellent choice.

I was going to offer up some of these:

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede

For fun light-hearted fantasy.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Because...well, it's Neil Gaiman and wonderful, although maybe better suited for an October (Halloween?) pick.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

A great book if you're looking for a Chinese folklore bent.

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski

Which was a discovery for me, because I had never heard of Rutkoski prior to a recommendation in an author's afterward. The caveat is that it's the first of a trilogy and does lead into the next book.

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

Sounds like The Thief for July it is, then. And yes, I'm a big fan of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and already have it on my list of titles to get around to discussing. Great book on a number of levels.

Thanks for the input guys! I'll add them all to the list and see when they pop out of the hopper.

[Beth, Moderator]

I'm trying to think of more laser books and William Sleator comes to mind. I remember Diana Wynne Jones' Archer's Goon as SF. McKissack (Frederick & Patricia) have a trilogy on The Clone Codes.

[Cliff, Moderator]

I thought about it too, when I realized that above we had all only suggested Sword picks.

My suggestions:

Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

[Beth, Moderator]

Those are both great books!

I tend to think of the Alex Rider books as SF, since he always has these impossible feats and devices. I think there are other series about kid superspies.

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

Beth wrote: "Those are both great books!

I tend to think of the Alex Rider books as SF, since he always has these impossible feats and devices. I think there are other series about kid superspies."

Yeah I was wondering about that. Like is 39 Clues SF? It's got some pretty implausible tech and would definitely be enjoyed by SF lovers but technically it's more in the James Bond realm. But I'm glad you concur. There is definitely more of that kind of thing lately. N.E.R.D.S by Buckley comes to mind.

[Beth, Moderator]

I just started reading N.E.R.D.S! I haven't gotten far enough in to have an sword/laser/secret-decoder-ring opinion yet.

[Beth, Moderator]

I saw a recommendation for The Junkyard Bot: Robots Rule, Book 1 on Ms Yingling's blog, so I thought I'd put it here so I wouldn't forget.

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

I love Ms. Yingling.

[Beth, Moderator]

I made a listopia list : Sword & Laser Kids Laser (Sci-Fi) List at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7... and put the Laser books suggested there.

And then I made another one for the Sword books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

I tried to add some. Don't know if it worked or not. Mostly based on reviews I've read and lists I've made, not necessarily all books I've read.

[Beth, Moderator]

Hey, you put The Fourteenth Goldfish in as a Sword, and I was considering it for a Laser pick. This genre stuff is hard!

Cliff, I was thinking of doing Wrinkle in Time for the December pick, and also wondering if we should then do two Swords in a row to move you onto even numbered months. Fantasy has a lot more holiday tie-ins, and that would give you February, October, and December.

[library_jim, Creator & Organizer]

I don't know why I did that. Much more of a science-y theme I think for the Holm book.

Wrinkle in Time is good. There's also supposed to be a very well received graphic novel version by...let me see... "adapted and illustrated by Hope Larson."

You guys have any ideas on getting some more members?

[Beth, Moderator]

Thinking more about the schedule, maybe we should keep even months for lasers, and try to read ahead of the holiday month. I think most of our audience would be adults picking books for their kids/book clubs, so reading ahead would help them make picks. I know our school likes things to be sorta relevant, but I also like to know what I'm getting into, so I'd be hesitant to pick something that I didn't know anything about.

[Cliff, Moderator]

Sorry, everyone, I'm traveling over the holiday, so I'm going to quickly make a pick for January:

Because 2015 marks the 50th year since publication and because I rather enjoyed revisiting a classic book with Wrinkle in Time, January's pick is:

Over Sea, Under Stone

Under other circumstances, I might have chosen The Dark Is Rising, since it is truly the start of the Sequence. But I think the "prequel" is underappreciated. And probably better suited for our younger readers.