Well, I can’t say just yet. The past month I’ve been a part of a five-member panel of judges critiquing the seven finalists for the CYBILS 2018 Middle Grade Fiction award. Here’s the wonderful lineup we were presented with:
Stay tuned! The official winner will be announced on Thursday, February 14th at Cybils.com.
I’ve known a few knowledgeable, tech obsessed kids but none like Web Paige. She can troublesh
oot your computer or cell phone problem and fix it for you. There’s no charge— just do a favor for someone else in the future
The compassionate side comes from her mother, a nurse, and the technical cyber stuff comes from her dad, a computer forensic expert in nearby Washington D.C.
The book begins with some needed backstory about how Web got her name, but then she is off to help a friend’s mom whose computer is doing some strange things. Ten chapters take you through many technology related problems, ones we’ve all probably heard about or experienced. Although Web frequently talks like an adult, you’ll be enriched with the information she provides.
The subplot of friends getting into trouble with their online activities and meeting strangers in chat rooms, is a strong reminder how dangerous the Internet can be for those who haven’t learned. A handy reference guide follows the story with tips on many of the common problems.
The Web Paige Chronicles is a much needed springboard for discussion about our current “always on” world. Middle grade kids and adults can learn from its lessons.
The Official Plot (from Tell-Tale Publishing)
Wilhelmina Evangeline Beatriz Paige is better known as “Web” to her friends because of her seemingly endless knowledge of computers. Always eager to lend a hand, she takes pride in helping the “technically-challenged” in her neighborhood as part of her “pay-it-forward” philosophy. But when her closest friends become the targets of cyber bullying and online predators, Web realizes that safely navigating the Internet is more than just using strong passwords and antivirus protection. By helping those who can’t help themselves, Web embarks on a journey through which she learns things from not only her friends, but also strangers, adults, and most importantly, herself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (From Emilio’s own web site)
Emilio Iasiello is the author of the short story collection Why People Do What They Do, and a nonfiction book, Chasing the Green. He has published poetry in several university and literary journals, and recently had his chapbook Postcards from L.A. published in 2018. An avid screenwriter, Emilio has authored several independent films and short films. His stage plays have been produced in the United States and United Kingdom. A cyber security expert, Emilio has more than 15 years’ experience in cyber threat intelligence leading teams in the public and private sectors. He has delivered cyber threat presentations to domestic and international audiences and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and cyber security blogs. He lives in Virginia with his amazing wife and two adorable children.
Coming up this Monday is another edition of…
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WELCOME TO ANOTHER MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY!
The legend of astronaut Michael Collins lives on in middle grade books. Collins was the one who stayed back in the Apollo command module as fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the historic first walk on the moon. He first appeared in 2017’s historical, I Love You, Michael Collins, set in 1969.
Ruby in the Sky is set in the present. Ruby and her mom have been on the move since leaving their home in Washington D.C., never staying in one spot long enough to get connected to a new community. Ruby’s father was left behind. The why isn’t revealed until the climatic end. Ruby stays close to him by looking at the moon. It’s what they always did when separated. Vermont is their current spot and before they can get settled a policeman is at their doorstep.
Told through Ruby’s twelve-year-old perspective, the story is full of heartbreak and engaging characters with their own often hidden pasts. The subplot of Michael Collins comes in as Ruby chooses him to research for an oral report—a frightening event for a girl who likes to stay hidden and silent.
Ruby’s tale will grip you to the end. Her friendships with Abigail, the old lady who lives in a shed, and fellow classmate, Ahmad, give her the strength to make her life right. In the end you just might stare at the moon and smile.
PUBLISHED: February 5, 2019 PAGE COUNT: 304
THE OFFICIAL PLOT (From Amazon)
Twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes does not want her new classmates to ask about her father. She does not want them to know her mother has been arrested. And she definitely does not want to make any friends. Ruby just wants to stay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. She and her mother won’t be staying long in Vermont anyway, and then things can go back to the way they were before everything went wrong.
But keeping to herself isn’t easy when Ahmad Saleem, a Syrian refugee, decides he’s her new best friend. Or when she meets “the Bird Lady,” a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby’s house.? Before long Ahmad and Abigail have become Ruby’s friends―and she realizes there is more to their stories than everyone knows.
As ugly rumors begin to swirl around the people Ruby loves, she must make a choice: break her silence, or risk losing everything that’s come to mean so much to her. Ruby in the Sky is a story of the walls we hide behind, and the magic that can happen when we’re brave enough to break free.
FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT—
RUBY IN THE SKY by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (From Jeanne’s Website)
Jeanne lives in Ellington, Connecticut with her husband, Paul, her children, Andrew and Sophia and a poorly behaved Golden Retriever named Meadow.
Her middle grade novel, Ruby in the Sky has won the SCBWI Work-in-progress Award in the Middle Grade Category (2016), the PEN-New England, Susan Bloom Discovery Award (2016), the Tassy Walden, New Voices in Children’s Literature Award (2015), and the Ruth Landers Glass Scholarship at the spring NE-SCBWI conference (2016). She is currently working on another middle grade novel, The Prisoner’s Daughter, set in communist Czechoslovakia in 1989.
A breast cancer survivor, Jeanne has been a public defender, taught English at the Gymnazium Parovska in Nitra, Slovakia, worked on Capitol Hill and waited tables at an all-night café/bookstore in Washington, D.C.
She is a member of SCBWI and has attended numerous writing conferences, most notably: Rutgers One-on-one Plus, namelos, Patricia Reilly Giff’s Writing Class, Whispering Pines and the Time to Write Retreat.
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Please comment below.
(I received an ARC of this title for my honest review)
This touching memoir begins when fifteen-year-old Nioucha Homayoonfar is lectured and detained 
by authorities because a small triangle of her neck is showing. The place is Tehran. The year, 1986.
The story shifts back to 1979 and the Iranian revolution, three years after Niocha and her family had moved from Pittsburgh to Iran. Baba—Father—wanted to be closer to his family. What comes next is a series of memories as Nioucha reminisces about life leading up to the scary ordeal detailed in chapter one.
Heartwarming at times but also brutal, you’ll be saddened at many of the struggles this family is put through. Eight pages of colored pictures fill the middle part of the book and attach yourself even more to Nioucha and her family You’ll get a deep understanding of life for those caught in a system of government that young Nioucha always questions. Use it to elicit discussion and comparison to the plight of many in today’s world.
Taking Cover(ages 12+) by Nioucha Homayoonfar, forward by New York Times best-selling author of Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas
In the mid 1970’s Nioucha Homayoonfar’s French mother and Iranian father made a decision that would change her life forever. At the age of five, Nioucha and her parents moved from Pittsburgh to her father’s homeland of Iran, at the time a modern, bustling country where people from different religions co-existed peacefully and women and men alike pursued the highest level of education and professional opportunities. A new school, new language, and new friends took some time to get used to. But none of that compared to the changes that Nioucha experienced during and after the Iranian revolution of 1979. Once the Ayatollah took control, full robes and head scarves were required, religion classes became mandatory and boys were no longer allowed to interact with girls. Her life continued to be filled with family, friends, pop music and even her first boyfriend (although both the music and the boyfriend were strictly prohibited), but Tehran had become barely recognizable as bombs were dropped on her neighborhood, loved ones and even Nioucha herself were kidnapped, acquaintances were executed and day by day, their freedom was chipped away. Publishing in time for the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution, Taking Cover reveals the extraordinary story of Nioucha’s struggle to adjust, to understand and to figure out her place in the world while unrest and oppression swirled around her. Additionally, this title is a unique blend of coming-of-age storytelling and history. Coupled with a thought-provoking forward by New York Times best-selling author Firoozeh Dumas (Funny in Farsi) Taking Cover encourages readers to take a deeper look at the importance of protecting religious, political, and social freedoms while Nioucha’s vivid descriptions of Iranian life — the food, the smells, and its customs — exposes readers to a country and culture rarely written about.
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Here are a few news and special feature articles I’ve enjoyed recently:
That’s all for now. I’ll be back Friday with a review of TAKING COVER.
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This new fantasy series has a familiar plot line of a boy discovering his magical abilities but with plenty of surprising twists. We first meet twelve-year-old Thomas Wildus as a loving son going to school and spending 
time with his mom and a best friend, Enrique. Then he wanders into a book store and is given a copy of The Book Of Sorrows to read. His concept of who he is and the world around him begin to change.
Memories of his father’s final words seven years prior have renewed meaning… “Magic is real Thomas. No matter what happens, always remember that magic is real.” He’s never been able to find evidence of those words until now. It’s a journey that takes him from California to places around the globe, giving him insights into his own talents and heritage.
Told in third person, the storytelling stays close to Thomas. The focus is on good versus evil and figuring out which side is which. The page turning climax reveals the answer and will have you wanting to read more about Thomas. Thankfully, the wait won’t be long with the soon to be release of Thomas Wildus and the Wizard of Sumeria, book 2 in the series.
Until then you’ll find this story weaves our modern world perfectly with ancient magic, giving readers an adventurous ride with plenty of memorable characters.
PUBLICATION DATE: 2019 PAGE COUNT: 364
THE OFFICIAL BLURB (From AMAZON)
FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT:
THOMAS WILDUS AND THE BOOK OF SORROWS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (From J.M. Bergen’s website)
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away…
J.M. Bergen graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in creative writing, a minor in business, and a head full of dreams.Over the years his writing has appeared in a variety of publications under a variety of pen names, and though his favorite stories feature magic and adventure, his best-known work to date has been non-fiction. J.M.’s debut series originally started as a bedtime story for his oldest son. The story turned into a saga, and one book turned into five.The first book in the series, Thomas Wildus and The Book of Sorrows, is scheduled for release in February 2019. The second, Thomas Wildus and The Wizard of Sumeria, will be published in late 2019, with the remainder of the series released before the end of 2021.
When J.M. isn’t working on the Thomas Wildus books, you can find him playing with his kids, napping, or dreaming up new adventures. If you ever meet him and can’t think of anything to talk about, you might ask about Herman the Shark, the Kai and Eli stories, or why Riddle-Master by Patricia McKillip is his all-time favorite book. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll have questions and stories of your own (if you do, he’ll think that’s far more interesting).
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I was given an ARC for an honest review.
Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comment link below.
This sweet but sad tale is set during World War I. In just 60 pages, you learn how Rosalie is dealing with her father’s absence. He’s a soldier away on duty. She sits in back of the classroom and plans her own mission. Meanwhile, her mother works long hours to support the war efforts. The consequences are great for both of them.
Told in first person through Rosalie’s eyes, the text is frequently broken up with charming illustrations that give deeper meaning to the story. Read it to yourself or as a read aloud. The tale brings understanding to those who have never had a loved one fighting for a cause in a far away place.
Captain Rosalie is a beautiful effort and a book you will want to share.
THE OFFICIAL WORD
While her father is at war, five-year-old Rosalie is a captain on her own secret mission. She wears the disguise of a little girl and tracks her progress in a secret notebook. Some evenings, Rosalie’s mother reads aloud Father’s letters from the front lines, so that Rosalie knows he is thinking of her and looking forward to the end of the war and to finally coming home. But one day a letter comes that her mother doesn’t read to her, and Rosalie knows her mission must soon come to an end. Author Timothée de Fombelle reveals the true consequence of war through the experiences of small, determined Rosalie, while acclaimed artist Isabelle Arsenault illustrates Rosalie’s story in muted grays marked with soft spots of color — the orange flame of Rosalie’s hair, the pale pink of a scarf, the deep blue ink of her father’s letters. All the more captivating for the simplicity with which it is drawn and told, this quiet tale will stay with the reader long after its last page is turned.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothee de Fombelle was born in the heart of Paris in 1973, but often accompanied his architect father on his travels to Africa. Each summer his family left for the countryside (the west of France), where the five brothers and sisters lived like wild horses, making huts in the trees, playing in the river and losing themselves in the woods. In the evening they performed plays for their parents and devoured the books in the library. Childhood remains for him the lost paradise which he re-discovers through writing.
After becoming a literature teacher, Timothee taught in Paris and Vietnam before choosing the bohemian life of the theatre. Author of a dozen plays, he writes, designs, builds sets and directs the actress he admires the most, his wife Laetitia. They have a young daughter, Jeanne Elisha, who already loves climbing trees. Toby Alone was his first novel and has been translated into 22 languages. He has since written its sequel, Toby Alone and the Secrets of the Tree, and the Vango series.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Isabelle Arsenault is an internationally renowned children’s book illustrator whose work has won many awards and much praise from critics. Her books include the graphic novels Jane, the Fox and Me and Louis Undercover by Fanny Britt, Spork and Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear, Cloth Lullaby by Amy Novesky (Bologna Ragazzi Award 2017) and Colette’s Lost Pet, which marks her debut as an author. She has won the prestigious Governor General’s Award for Children’s Literature three times, and two of her picture books were named as New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. The poetry expressed through Isabelle Arsenault’s graphic universe, the gentle flow of her lines and the overall charm of her books have made her one of Quebec’s best-known and esteemed illustrators.
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Coming up this Monday is another edition of…
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It’s easy to get a spot in the lineup. Email me the title of the book or feature for any middle grade book, author or giveaway, and a link to your blog. Send it to: gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and don’t forget to say what you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for that week’s MMGM. *Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.
 | LindaBrowne on SOME OF US ARE BRAVE |
 | carolbaldwin on CITY SPIES EUROPA |
 | logcabinlibrary on CITY SPIES EUROPA |
 | ofmariaantonia on CITY SPIES EUROPA |
 | Jenni Enzor on CITY SPIES EUROPA |
Always in the Middle... 