MMGM- Space adventure!

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe and What Are You Reading? day at Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers. It's also Nonfiction Monday.


I think that 2015 will go down in the annals of middle grade literature as The Year Authors Tried to Depress the Living Hell Out of Everyone. Don't know why. Spent a quality weekend getting caught up on reading, but it was JUST. SO. SAD. I ended up on Sunday evening watching YouTube videos of 1980s BBC comedies because I couldn't even face picking up the last Zombie Chasers book, lest the main characters find out their grandparents have Alzheimers, their parents are clinically depressed alcoholics who are starting to abuse them, and the dog has leukemia WHILE fighting the zombies. 

Seriously. I had my fears. Not that Kloepfer would ever do that to me. 

So it's nice to read a book where they at least fight against the alien invasion with bravery and resolution, and the fact that all of their parents were brutally killed in the initial attack is dealt with fairly well. But see? Even our action/adventure books are sad!



Sylvester, Kevin. Minrs
September 22nd 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Christopher and his best friend Elena live on Perses, a planetoid that an Earth company, Melming Mining, has colonized. Things are going pretty well, but there will soon be a communications blackout between Perses and the Earth, and some of the other children are worried. Christopher plans a blackout party, but during the celebration, the settlement is attacked. The children are sent down to the mines, and Christopher's father gives him some clues to find an emergency beacon that has been hidden. The children all band together to find food and work out a survival plan, but it is difficult to get everyone to work together, especially since many of the children are traumatized by having lost their parents in the raid. Christopher, with the help of Elena, rallies the troops as best he can, and even tries to train them to raid the food supplies of the attackers, or "Landers" as they are called. Some of the plans work, others go awry. When they find four children in a locked room, they discover than Melming was using children to get some of the resources out of the mine. When the Landers discover the children, things get even more intense. Loyalties are tested, secrets are found, and Christopher and Elena have to figure out the best way to get the most of the children to survive. 

Strengths: This one reminded me of Mars Evacuees, and I wanted to know more about the colony before the attack, but only because the premise was so intriguing. Lots of action and adventure, some good leadership skills displayed by Christopher, some good twists and turns to the plot. Interesting use of Oliver Twist, as well. 

Weaknesses: I wish we had found out something about the Landers, especially since there is a sequel in the offing. Also, the parents could have been kidnapped instead of killed. Same effect, but not so distressing. 

What I really think: Definitely buying a copy, and need to label all of the good new sci fi books in my catalog system. 

Guy Friday-- Ghouls!

Newbound, Andrew. Ghoul Strike.
This cover goes to prove that boys WILL read books with girls as the main characters, as long as there is enough action, an intriguing cover, and ... ghost drool. Sigh.
Alannah has a ghost busting business, but it's not the paltry 50 pound fee she charges to get rid of the ghosts that earns the big bucks-- it's selling the treasures that she gets from the ghosts! Most ghosts are bound to earth by some valuable worldly good, so Alannah dispatches the ghosts and keeps the treasures! She runs into problems at Pittingham Manor with her sidekick Wortley when they meet up with the otherworldly Office Flhi who is dealing with a ghoul invasion. Alannah is a bit put out by Flhi's interference because she is trying to find her parents and the ghouls are an unwanted wrinkle, and Flhi is irritated that Alannah doesn't understand the seriousness of the threat. The two find a common enemy in Horrad, who knows more about Alannah's parents than he will admit AND is definitely working with the ghouls. While the two are able to thwart the imminent demise of the earth, the next threat is just around the corner.
Strengths: There are not enough monster books out there that are not overly cartoony. This is a loto f great action and adventure, and my students will be pleased. Not a surprise that Newbound is British. The Brits seem to write ghosts and horror so much better than authors in the US! (Gauntlet flinging? Why, no!)
Weaknesses: While action is good, the first major ghoul fight went on four about 8 chapters. I wanted a bit more background, but that translates into "nothing happening" to my students.



LINDA GERBER IS MADE OF AWESOME!!!
The 7th graders are writing letters to authors, and about eight girls asked me for Linda Gerber's address. Since Linda was my first author interview, has spoken at my school several times and drove me to a cupcake party in Cleveland (um) two years ago, I had (um) her phone number still in my phone. Not that that is creepy and stalkerish at all!
So I told the students "Let me text her and ask!" They were suitably impressed.
I forgot that unless someone has your number in the phone, they have no idea what crazed lunatic is asking for your address! I texted her back with my name, and she very kindly provided a destination for their letters AND told me I could tell the students that she always replies to me. Hee, hee, hee.
So, not only are Linda's books awesome, she is, too. My students will be thrilled. Go buy her books NOW!