A new book from Patricia MacLachlan

Waiting for the Magic
by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Amy June Bates
Simon & Schuster, September 13th, 2011

Patricia MacLachlan uses each world carefully, never giving the reader more or less than they need, always keeping the delicate balance between what to state and what to suggest. In Waiting for the Magic, this precision allows the magic of MacLachlan's story to unfurl slowly and believably. When Willam's father leaves, his mother, seeking to fill the hole of William's father's absence, adopts four dogs and one cat. William's younger sister Elinor talks to the animals and they seem to understand one another as if by magic. But the only ones who know magic are "the young, the old, the brave, the honest, and the joyful." If William is brave enough to accept his new family, will he, too, experience the magic Elinor does? MacLachlan's heartwarming story combines a simple, realistic story with just a pinch of magic....and a pinch is all it needs.

Mythology, horses, and a hint of magic

The Scorpio Races
Scholastic, October, 2011
Maggie Stiefvater's newest young adult novel, The Scorpio Races, is lyrically written and features just a hint of fantasy. Stiefvater's heroine, Puck Connolly, lives on an island where the sea is very much alive, a place where the capaill uisce,or horses of the sea, walk on land. These horses, though blood thirsty and fey, are faster than any normal horse. Each year at the Scorpio Races men ride the capaill uisce at the edge of the ocean in a reckless and bloody race. Sean, the best rider with the fastest capaill uisce, has won the race for the past handful of years, but has his own reasons for entering this year. Puck, in an attempt to keep her brother on the island and her family in their house, enters, though she has only a pony to ride. Though the two know little of one another, both are children of the island, who love the sea, the land, and the horses. Sean and Puck each hope to win more than money in the races, but while many die in the Scorpio races, there can only be one winner.
Light fantasy and romance combine in this strong coming of age novel, slightly reminiscent of Robin McKinley's Blue Sword.

A middle grade gem from Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po
by Lauren Oliver, illustrated by Kei Acedera
HarperCollins, October, 2011
I was immediately captivated by the cover of Liesl and Po. This was a magical book, a new fairy tale, a story with both great darkness and wondrous possibility. And then I started reading...and Oliver's text was exactly what the cover promised.

The story begins in a world without sunshine. Liesl is locked in the attic by her stepmother and her father is recently deceased. Po and Bundle are dark ghosts who are attracted to Liesl's drawings and Will is an orphaned alchemist's apprentice who is attracted to her face at the attic window. When Will accidentally loses the alchemist's most powerful potion, accidentally switching it with the ashes of Liesl's deceased father, he is forced to run away. Soon after, Liesl sets out with Po and Bundle to bury the box she believes holds her father's ashes. While escaping a host of strange adults- characters who might have escaped from a Roald Dahl novel- Liesl and Will meet one another, their story threads weaving together effortlessly. But what will become of the most powerful magic in the world? And how can Liesl and Will ever escape the powerful and murderous adults following them?

Oliver takes the classic fairy tale ghosts, orphans, and evil stepmothers, and crafts a heart wrenching yet humorous tale that is completely original. Kei Acedera's drawings supplement the gorgeous text of this stunning stand-alone novel.

Around the World
by Matt Phelan
Candlewick, October 11, 2011
Many local teachers have been using graphic novelizations of classic stories in their classrooms. Phelan's Around the World, though fiction, is grounded in historical fact and quotes from primary sources, proving an exciting base for history lessons or a path to the exploration of non-fiction. Phelan's book presents three famous individuals who each circumnavigated in the world in his or own way: Thomas Steves by bicycle, Nellie Bly by ship and rail, and Joshua Slocum by sail boat. The pacing and speed of each journey are captured by the graphic novel lay-out, which serves to combine writing, image, maps, and other materials, each adding a layer to the reader's understanding of the journey. Sprightly line drawings and colorful washes capture the emotion and drive of each character, bringing a rush of thrilling speed to each adventure.

Ah ha! (Or one of those fabulous picturebooks)

I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
Candlewick, September 27, 2011
Dark, sorrowful and funny. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus flavored with a squeeze of Edward Gorey. Lemony Snicket finds a morose friend. All these tag lines ran through my head as I read I Want My Hat Back. I've been a fan of Jon Klassen's work since I first grabbed an ARC of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place for the cover. Now, it's exciting to finally see an entire book by Jon.

Bear has lost his little red hat. He ventures through the forest, inquiring if anyone may have seen it. All the animals simply say that they haven't- except a rabbit wearing a hat, who suspiciously continues to insist that he has not seen any red hats. When a deer stops to ask Bear what his hat looks like, Bear comes to the startling realization that he's seen his hat. Until now, the backgrounds have been the creamy color of the page. But at this climax, Bear is depicted against a vivid red page, his emotion clearly evident. But how will Bear retrieve his hat? All I can say is this snarky ending is not to be missed and will have both adults and children laughing. I Want My Hat Back is a wonderful read aloud- especially for those enterprising individuals who will create a distinct voice for each and every character.

If you like aliens, try these angels

Angel Burn
L.A. Weatherly
Just between us, I'm not really interested in picking up any book that has an angel in it. But Candlewick has such a good record, that I figured I'd give Angel Burn a try-- I couldn't put it down. Weatherly's angels aren't good, sweet, or angelic. Rather, they're predatory, hungry creatures, more like aliens than classic angels, who suck life-force from humans and leave them sick, dying, and in complete awe of angelic beauty. Add one half-angel girl and an angel-killing boy for a thrilling romantic adventure, the first of a series. If you're a science-fiction or fantasy fan, pick this up.

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

October 25th, 2011
by Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket (introduction), and Chris Van Allsburg.

Very very rarely, I will swoon over a book. Swoon-worthy books must not just be well-written, they have to be beautifully packed, or have exquisite illustration, mostly, all three. Four stories into The Chronicles of Harris Burdick I was already swooning. Mind you, this is the ARC, too, not the gorgeous hardcover that will be the best holiday gift when it hits shelves.

What strikes me as I read- one story at a time, with space between each to savor- is the inventiveness of the writers. Van Allsburg's illustrations are surrealistically magical drawings, but they are snap shots. The ability to see the past, future, and alternative presents hinted at in these illustrations is an amazing imaginative feat.

Strangely enough, they now have my mind turning to Lev Grossman's The Magicians. There is a kinship here, I think. Both loved, enjoyed, and familiar, yet strange, surreal delights. Not matter how many times one sees a Van Allsburg drawing or reads a Lev Grossman novel, they will be strange and mysterious, even if you feel, as I do, that you somehow know them, even during the first reading.

From a darkly humorous story by Jon Scieszka to the fearful hint of magical oddness in Stephen King's, The Chroicles of Harris Burdick will leave readers spellbound. Adults who remember writing their own Harris Burdick stories and readers ages 10 and up will enjoy the strange magic of the tales. In a collection featuring such incredible authors as this, it will be difficult to choose a favorite.