Middle Grade Monday: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman

Image: Hachette Book Group

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. Unabridged audiobook, ~6 hours. Read by Marisa Calin. Hachette Audio/ Little, Brown Young Readers, February, 2025. 9781668647448.

Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is rather relieved to be undead. He's a silver-tailed fox who was run over as a kit and was convinced that his afterlife would be spent in the realm of Pain. Instead, he became an usher, one who welcomes the newly dead to Deadwood Forest and prepares them to enter one of four realms, Peace, Pleasure, Progress or Pain. Excepting for the yearly taunting by children each Halloween about how he's a monster who feasts on bones, his life is orderly and predictable. He enjoys helping souls move on and loves tending to his mushroom garden.

Things become a bit unsettled though, when a badger named Gingersnipes appears. Clare hates badgers, but this one doesn't seem so bad. She has way too many questions for Clare's liking, and he tries to show her the way quickly. Unfortunately, Gingersnipes knocks on Clare's door again, apparently unable to pass on. With great foreboding Clare attempts again, and again, and again. What does this mean?

This was an absolutely immersive audiobook! Ms. Calin's smooth narration and unique voices added dimension to this layered, lovely and magical story. The world building was deeply engaging. There was humor, suspense, sadness, heartbreak and hope. It's a story that can be read on many levels and should have broad appeal. 

As I listened, it occurred to me to check out the print book. Something told me it was illustrated. It was, and they were a lovely addition! 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

Image: Hachette/ Little, Brown

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~4 hours. Read by Kobna Holbrook-Smith. Hachette Audio/ Hachette, September, 2022. 978

Happy Monday. I hope you had a terrific weekend. Mine was again not as productive as I would've hoped. Middle Grade Monday features The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander. Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin has a pretty good life in Upper Kwanta. He is anticipating his manhood ceremony, is gently teased by his older brother, doted on by his mother and loves his grandfather's stories. He is a strong swimmer, loves nothing more than swimming in the river near his home and is determined to beat his overbearing, bullying cousin in a race. At school, he's learning the Queen's English and is punished when his school master overhears him speaking his tribal language. He also has a best mate and a crush on Ama. His idyllic life is turned upside down when his brother inadvertently kills an opponent from Lower Kwanta in an annual wrestling match. The victim was the king's nephew, and he demands retribution. When the courts decide that it was an accident, the king threatens revenge.

Revenge comes when Kofi and his brother are kidnapped and brought to the coast of western Africa. Mr. Alexander's historical verse novel, the first of a planned trilogy is utterly riveting from page one. The rich language evokes a myriad of emotion from warmth to humor to terror to despair as Kofi faces the door of no return. This important novel about the Middle Passage belongs in every school, public and classroom library. It is outstanding and I cannot wait for the next installment. I loved reading this one with my ears because the narrator was outstanding.

Middle Grade Monday: The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling

Image: Little, Brown and Company

The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~3 hours, 5 minutes. Read by Casey Holloway. Hachette Audio, September, 2020. 9781549134456. (Review of e-audio borrowed from public library.)

Happy Labor Day! I hope you've been enjoying your holiday weekend! Middle Grade Monday features The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling. A number of my students are fans of the author's debut, Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus and its sequel, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus. The Canyon's Edge is very different. It's written in verse with sections of prose. The mostly present tense stream of consciousness and use of flashbacks are very effective in setting the mood and instilling tension.

Nora and her father head out to the Sonoran Desert to celebrate her birthday with a hike and climb into a slot canyon. Nora's father chose this celebration to be far away from civilization and danger, because a year earlier, the family were celebrating at a restaurant when a man dressed in cammo entered and began shooting, killing Nora's mother and wounding her father. Both are grieving, suffering from PTSD and have withdrawn from the world. Nora has been homeschooled, but is ready to return.

Unfortunately, the desert also contains danger. They are hiking in the slot canyon when a flash flood roars through. Nora's father pushes her up to safety, but is swept away by the strong current. Nora is left alone with no supplies and many decisions to make. Does she attempt to climb out of the slot and find their car? If so, what then? They were parked in the middle of the desert. Does she climb back down into the slot and follow the trail hoping to find her father? Luckily for Nora, she's an experienced hiker/ climber. Even without equipment, she knows to look out for danger, such as snakes and scorpions and, worst of all, another flash flood.

The audiobook was effectively performed, but I think I should've read this one with my eyes to appreciate the various breaks and poetry forms. 

The Sonoran Desert setting is vivid and tension runs high throughout this intense, edge-of-your-seat survival adventure that you won't want to miss.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Indivisible by Daniel Aleman

Image: LBYR

Indivisible by Daniel Aleman. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~9 hours. Read by Adan Rocha. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/ Machete Audio, May, 2021. 9781549138058. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Today is the end of my first full week of summer break and it certainly has been eventful as have the last 26 days. I'm reading some awesome books and have just made my way through a stack of fun picture books. 

Teen Tuesday features Indivisible by debut author, Daniel Aleman. Sixteen-year-old Mateo Garcia leads a pretty good life in the lower east side of Manhattan. He's out to his supportive parents, he's on track to get into a good college, he has two best friends in Kimmie and Adam and, while he may be poor, he, his seven-year-old sister, Sophie, and his parents are close-knit and happy. All that comes crashing down when ICE agents arrest his parents. It doesn't matter that they have built a life in the U.S. after overstaying their visas. It doesn't matter that their children were born here and are U.S. citizens. It doesn't matter that Pa runs a bodega that is an important part of their neighborhood. 

With no relatives to turn to, Mateo and Sophie do their best to maintain normalcy. A family friend offers to take them in, but Mateo declines. His apartment is tiny and his wife just had a baby. Soon, the reality of keeping up at school, running the bodega, caring for Sophie and making rent sets it. A near-miss with Child Protection forces Mateo to face reality.

Mr. Aleman effectively puts faces on the faceless. He paints portraits of striving immigrants who love their adoptive country and work hard for very little. Mateo is an earnest narrator and Adan Rocha's performance is nuanced and emotionally resonant. 

Like Efrén Divided, Indivisible is powerful, timely and important. It belongs in all library collections. 

Teen Tuesday: Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Image: Hachette Audio

Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, 10 hours, 48 minutes. Read by Lauren Fortang. Hachette Audio, April, 2020. 9781549105166. (Review of e-audiobook downloaded from the public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Mature teen readers who loved Once and Future will absolutely adore the concluding volume. Ari Helix (the 42nd reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur) and her Rainbow Knights may have won a battle against the murderous Mercer Corporation, but the war is not yet over. Merlin has concluded that the only way to defeat them is to find Arthur's Holy Grail. Only Merlin can't seem to remember where it is hidden. The band travels back to the time of King Arthur where they must attempt to blend in with the Medieval folk and avoid disturbing the space-time continuum lest they be lost forever.

The pace is whiplash fast in this gender-bending, mind-bending sci-fi interpretation of Arthurian legend. The characters are all well-developed and easy to care about. There were many humorous moments, but there were also tears. The more you know about the legend, the more you will appreciate what the authors have done here. No knowledge of the legend is necessary to enjoy this rip-roaring adventure, though you must absolutely read the two books in order. I read both volumes with my ears and utterly enjoyed Ms. Fortang's performance in both. I am definitely purchasing this duology for my personal collection of King Arthur variations and will enjoy rereading with my eyes.

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Image: Hachette Book Group

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Once and Future series #1. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook, ~10 hours, 55 minutes. Read by Lauren Fortang. LBYR/ Hachette Audio, March, 2019. 9781549178863. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Regular readers of this blog might know that I'm a fan of King Arthur retellings. The legend gets a gender-bending, sci-fi twist here and it's utterly delightful! Ari Helix is on the run from the Mercer Corporation, which literally controls the galaxy. Planet Earth has been abandoned, Ari's planet has been destroyed and her parents murdered. She has been raised by two adoptive mothers and adored Kay, her adoptive older brother. 

The two are eluding capture when they crash-land on Earth. Ari finds a sword embedded in a stone, yanks it out and discovers that she is the forty-second incarnation of King Arthur. This awakens Merlin, Arthur's mentor and wizard. He has been aging backward and is now a teen-age boy.

The pace is whiplash fast, the humor is high and surprises abound. I had no idea what to expect going into this. I hadn't read a review. I just knew it was a King Arthur retelling. This book sizzles and that cliffhanger ending left me needing the next installment ASAP! The good thing about coming to a series later is not having to wait for the sequel. Sword in the Stars is in my Libby queue. I cannot wait.

Once and Future is not quite middle school fare. Mature teens who are into King Arthur, science fiction and/ or lgbtq literature where the sexuality of characters is not the issue will go gaga over this adventure. Once and Future was my final book of 2020. What a way to end a reading year. Highly recommended!

Teen Tuesday and Audio Review: The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

Image: LBYR

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black. Folk of the Air series #3. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~ 10 hours. Read by Caitlin Kelley. Hachette Audio, November, 2019. 9781549150173. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Teen Tuesday features The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black. This is the conclusion of the Folk of the Air trilogy and it does not disappoint. I cannot say much without spoiling the earlier books; but if you love fairy fantasy, this is the series for you. Holly Black worked with Tony DiTerlizzi on the Spiderwick Chronicles. She doesn't whitewash the violence and caprice of the fey. She didn't in Spiderwick, which is middle grade-friendly nor did she in this trilogy, which is definitely for mature teen readers. The world-building is rich and suspense is high as everything Jude worked for is at stake.

I read The Cruel Prince as an arc and utterly loved it. I read the next two books with my ears. Caitlin Kelley's narration was pitch-perfect and perfectly paced. Teens who love all things fairy will love all things Holly Black.

#tbt: How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Image: Little Brown BYR

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. How to Train Your Dragon series #1. Unabridged audiobook on 4 compact discs. 3.5 hours. Read by David Tennant. Hachette Audio, 2005. 9781478954002. (Review of audiobook borrowed from public library.)

#tbt features How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Cowell featured Hiccup in a picture book called Hiccup: the Viking Who was Seasick in 2001. How to Train Your Dragon is the first of a twelve-book series featuring Hiccup and his Viking clan. It was published in the UK in 2003 and in the US in 2005. 

Though Hiccup is son of the clan leader, he's a bit of an outsider. However, he does prove to be resourceful, earning the grudging respect of his father. Three animated films were very loosely adapted from the books. If you enjoy fantasy and action, give this series a try.

David Tennant is quickly becoming a favorite narrator of mine and seems to be the go-to voice actor for Cowell. They are well-matched. This was a fun listening experience. 

Middle Grade Monday and Audiobook Review: Wundersmith: the calling of Morrigan Crow

Image: Little, Brown Young Readers

Wundersmith: the calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. Unabridged e-audiobook, ~12 hours. Read by Gemma Whelan. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/ Hachette Audio, December, 2018. 9781549147296. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from the public library.)

Middle Grade Monday features Wundersmith: the calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. If you've been reading "The Daily Book Talk," you may remember that book one of the Nevermoor series was highlighted in last week's "Middle Grade Monday" feature. Book two is darker and the world-building is just getting better. If you loved the Harry Potter series, you will love Nevermoor. 

Morrigan feels as if things will finally fall into place now that she's a student at the Wundrous Society. But, once she arrives, via the coolest conveyance ever (and I thought the Brolly line was neat!), Morrigan is dismayed to find that her schedule contains only one class and it is the most boring class ever! Meanwhile, her best friend, Hawthorne gets to ride and train dragons! Jupiter, who is supposed to be looking out for her is mostly away solving a rash of unexplained accidents. 

There's no "book two lull" here! Would anyone like to guess what's going to be featured in "Waiting on Wednesday" this week?

Gemma Whelan continues to maintain distinct and interesting voices as well as a brisk pace. I think I would enjoy reading this series with my eyes but the audio experience is just fantastic. I can't wait for the next installment!

Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King by Holly Black. The Folk of the Air series #2. Unabridged audiobook on 9 compact discs. 10.5 hours. Read by Caitlin Kelly. Hachette Audio, January, 2019. 9781549171314. (Review of purchased audiobook.)

This sequel to The Cruel Prince picks up five months later. Jude continues to narrate in the present tense. She has Cardan firmly under her thumb thanks to the oath she extracted from him, but maintaining hold and sussing out shifting alliances is not easy. She realizes she needs more than a year and a day. The queen of the sea is bent on taking control of Elfhame, preferably by marrying her daughter, Nicasia to Cardan, but by war, if necessary. And there are those within Elfhame who are not happy with Jude's power and position, including her "father," Madoc. (Please forgive character name misspellings.)

The Cruel Prince was an absolutely wild ride from beginning to jaw-dropping end. The betrayals and plot surprises were enough to give me whiplash. Holly Black's worldbuilding is magnificent. Faerie is a world both terrifying and fascinating. Her many characters are unique and distinct. I just love these books and am eagerly awaiting the next installment. 

I just reread my audio review of The Cruel Prince and realized that I did not comment on the performance by Caitlin Kelly. She embodies Jude - her determination, her love for her sisters, her passions and her hatred. She was a new-to-me narrator with The Cruel Prince but a quick peek at her past performances reveals she's a seasoned narrator. 

The series is rich, complex and utterly satisfying. It's an absolute first-purchase for high school libraries and all YA public library collections. 

Fact Friday and Audiobook Review: Proud (Young Reader's Edition): living my American dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Proud: living my American dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad with Lori L. Tharps. Unabridged audiobook on 8 compact discs. ~9.2 hours.  Read by the author. Hachette Audio, 2018. 9781549172908. (Review of audiobook borrowed from the public library. Own Young Reader's Edition.)

Fact Friday features Proud: living my American dream by Ibtihaj Muhammad. Muhammad is the first hijabi to win Olympic bronze and one of few people of color in the predominantly white sport of fencing. Her memoir covers her life growing up in Maplewood, NJ, a suburb of Newark through the 2016 Olympics, where she and her teammates captured the bronze medal in the saber event. 

As the only Muslim in her class, she often encountered racism and micro-aggressions. But when she began wearing hijab, comments and taunts escalated and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she often faced blatant hatred. She found strength in her religion, her close-knit family and sport. However, competing in sport was often a challenge due to the necessity to be covered modestly. When Muhammad was in eighth grade, her mother noticed the fencing team practicing at their local high school. The team members were covered from head to toe in protective clothing. Ibtihaj would not stand out. But, she eventually would stand out as a fencer.

Participating in a predominantly white sport as the first muslim athlete brought many challenges, adding to the stress and loneliness of high caliber training and competition. Honestly, I don't know how she did it. The racism and animosity were relentless and infuriating. This is an inspirational and important story. Hand to fans of sports memoirs and fencing fans.

I accidentally ordered the wrong edition of the audiobook from the public library. The adult version is narrated by the author, whose performance, though earnest lacked variety of expression and nuance. The Young Reader's Audiobook is read by someone else, I assume a professional reader and will check that out when my hold comes up. I recommend reading this with one's eyes.