Archives de catégorie : Middle Grade

THE SCIENCE OF BOYS d’Emily Seo, illustré par Gracey Zhang

A funny and unique upper middle-grade standalone about a goofy and awkward science enthusiast who, in a bid to fit in, puts her expertise to good use and writes a manual for understanding boys for the girls at her High School.

THE SCIENCE OF BOYS
by Emily Seo
illustrated by Gracey Zhang
‎ Tradewind Books (Canada), September 2022
(via Emily Randle Literary)

When 12 year old science buff, Emma Sakamoto, starts her first day at High School, she just wants to fit in. Her Dad is struggling with his job and her Mum is still away, just when she needs her most. Aside from her best friend Olive, Emma always found it hard to make friends and has decided that this year – new Emma! New girl Poppy loves books, and Emma thinks maybe this could be a new pal, but Poppy seems completely uninterested. Until she needs Emma’s brains, that is. Poppy wants to attract the new heart-throb and, for an exchange of fashion advice, Emma pretends that in this department, she’s an expert… she knows science… so why can’t she write a manual about ‘The Science of Boys’ to help her new friend? The same principles can apply, right? One twist of the truth leads to a tornado of deceit and Emma must figure out what is truly important before ruining all the good things in her life…

Emily Seo is a Japanese-Canadian chemist who experiments with words and writing stories. Her first product is this book. She currently lives in Richmond, British Colombia with her husband and two young scientists.
Gracey Zhang is a freelance illustrator and animator. She has recently published her first picture book, Lala’s Words, with Scholastic. Born and raised in Vancouver, she now lives and draws in Brooklyn, New York.

Série THE GIFTED CLANS de Graci Kim

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Graci Kim’s thrilling middle-grade debut series about an adopted Korean-American girl who discovers her heritage and her magic on a perilous journey to save her witch clan family.

THE GIFTED CLANS TRILOGY
by Graci Kim
Disney-Hyperion
(via Kaplan/DeFiore Rights)

Book 1: THE LAST FALLEN STAR (May 2021) – Riley Oh can’t wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to follow in her sister’s footsteps when she herself turns thirteen, she’s a saram–a person without magic. Riley was adopted, and despite having memorized every healing spell she’s ever heard, she often feels like the odd one out in her family and the gifted community.
Then Hattie gets an idea: what if the two of them could cast a spell that would allow Riley to share Hattie’s magic? Their sleuthing reveals a promising incantation in the family’s old spell book, and the sisters decide to perform it at Hattie’s initiation ceremony. If it works, no one will ever treat Riley as an outsider again. It’s a perfect plan!
Until it isn’t. When the sisters attempt to violate the laws of the Godrealm, Hattie’s life ends up hanging in the balance, and to save her Riley has to fulfill an impossible task: find the last fallen star. But what even is the star, and how can she find it?
As Riley embarks on her search, she finds herself meeting fantastic creatures and collaborating with her worst enemies. And when she uncovers secrets that challenge everything she has been taught to believe, Riley must decide what it means to be a witch, what it means to be family, and what it really means to belong.

Book 2: THE LAST FALLEN MOON (June 2022) – For Riley Oh, life as the Godrealm’s last fallen star is not all it’s cracked up to be. Her new divine heritage doesn’t even come with cool magical powers; half of her friends and family (including her parents) can’t remember her; and to top it all off, the entire Gom clan is mad at her for killing the Cave Bear Goddess and stripping away their healing abilities.
But when their anger boils over and a group of witches curse Riley’s home, she knows it’s up to her to restore magic back to her clan – even if it means sneaking into the Spiritrealm.
Luckily, Riley has some backup. Along with her sister, Hattie, Riley meets Dahl, a heaven-born boy with shockingly white hair and a fondness for toilets who might not be telling the whole truth about who he is. Together they’ll fight vicious monsters, discover dark underwater worlds, and race to save the land of the dead from a fate that no one could have foreseen.
And this time, Riley won’t let anything get in her way. Because she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is coming their way – and the gifted community is going to need all the powers they can get.

Book 3: THE LAST FALLEN REALM (June 2023) – Riley Oh wasn’t born into her family. Instead, as she recently discovered, she tumbled down to the earth many years ago as the last fallen star. Riley Oh also wasn’t born to be a witch. Like, at all―even her status as a divine celestial being comes with zilch in the magical powers department. And Riley Oh definitely wasn’t born to be a leader. But now the entire magical community thinks she and her soul-twin, Dahl, are meant to lead the world into the Age of the Final Eclipse (or whatever it is that the Haetae keeps saying they’re “destined” to do). Greeeat.
But ever since Riley killed the Cave Bear Goddess, she’s been a bit pre-occupied with one thing: waiting for the goddess’s sisters to get their revenge. And it looks like her wait is finally over―because as witches from around the world prepare for war, it seems as though the goddesses are preparing for something much worse. Something that will lure Riley and her friends deep into the realm of the gods. Into a world of humongous, talking moon bunnies; life-or-death mini-golf competitions; and…magical gummy candies?
And in order to save the world, Riley must do the one thing she was born to do: believe in herself.

« Graci Kim does such an amazing job of blending Korean mythology into the modern world, I am now wondering how I ever lived without knowing all this cool information. » –New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan

Graci Kim is the national best-selling author of The Last Fallen Star, the first book in the Gifted Clans trilogy. A Korean-Kiwi diplomat turned author, Graci writes about the magic she wants to see in the world. In a previous life she used to be a cooking show host, and she once ran a business that turned children’s drawings into cuddly toys. When she’s not lost in her imagination, you’ll find Graci drinking flat whites, eating ramyeon, and most likely hugging a dog (or ideally, many). She lives in New Zealand with her husband and daughter

Video: Rick Riordan talks to Graci Kim about THE LAST FALLEN STAR

THE CLAN SERIES de Rennie McOwan

The timeless tales of adventure and intrigue starring eleven-year-old Gavin and the Stewart children set in the Ochil Hills of bonnie Scotland, first published in the 80s and now in their fifth edition. A classic family read that explores themes close to young readers all over the world – friendship, rewilding, appreciating the natural world, and adventure – as well as a hint of scout survival skills.

THE CLAN SERIES #1 to #4
by Rennie McOwan
‎ Rowan Tree Publishing, 2016-2020
(via Randle Editorial & Literary)

Book 1: LIGHT ON DUMYAT (2016) – Gavin, on holiday from London in the wild and remote Scottish countryside, meets the three Stewart children and is desperate to join their ‘Clan’. To do so he has to pass a series of tests. The three redoubtable Stewarts, Clare, Michael, and Mot, teach Gavin about the ancient ways of the Clans, how to survive outdoors. Together their summer of adventure turns darker as the children come face to face with a devious criminal gang.
Book 2: THE WHITE STAG ADVENTURE (2017) – Gavin and his friends Mot and Michael Stewart under the resourceful leadership of their sister, Clare are planning to spend their summer holiday turning a ruined castle into a den for themselves. Their activities are interrupted when they are caught up in a series of mysterious and frightening incidents…
Book 3: THE DAY THE MOUNTAIN MOVED (2019) – While on holiday in the Scottish Highlands, Gavin and his friends Clare, Michael, and Mot find a dusty trunk full of strange objects with magical powers. The objects take the children on a magical adventure to a time and place where magic is part of everyday life and the children encounter ancient Celtic goddesses, warriors and witches. However the children can only return to their own time if they complete all the treacherous tasks contained in an ancient rhyme.
Book 4: JEWELS ON THE MOVE (2020) – When Gavin, Clare, Michael, and Mot visit an ancient castle, they find themselves taken back in time to 17th century Scotland, where they become caught up in a desperate journey to rescue the priceless ‘Honours of Scotland’ – the Scottish Crown Jewels. With armed men at their heels and an injured girl slowing them down , it’s touch and go whether they will succeed, and even if they do, how will they get back to their own time?

“Rennie McOwan has the great gift of telling an exciting story in a way that children love to hear. These lovely books will be cherished by generation after generation.” – best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith

Rennie McOwan was not only a famous journalist for newspapers such as The Scotsman, but also a keen outdoorsman and architect of the Freedom to Roam act in Scotland – protecting the right to explore the outdoors which is such a huge part of Scotland’s identity. This work won him the Outdoor Writers Guild Golden Eagle Award. Rennie dreamt up the adventures of Gavin and his friends to tell his children at bedtime and remind them of the wonders of the natural world. These stories soon became ‘The Clan Series’ and have not gone out of print for thirty years since.

WRASSLE CASTLE #1: LEARNING THE ROPES de Paul Tobin, Colleen Coover et Galaad

The first in a middle-grade fantasy trilogy by Eisner-winning comics creators Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover. Lydia Riverthane has always dreamed of being a professional wrassler, the greatest of all fighters in the kingdom of Grimslade. There are just a few pesky things standing between her and the big tournament at Wrassle Castle.

WRASSLE CASTLE #1: LEARNING THE ROPES
by Colleen Coover & Paul Tobin
illustrated by Galaad
‎ Wonderbound/Vault, September 2021
(via JABberwocky)

There’s only one way Lydia can save her brother—wrassling! Lydia Riverthane has always dreamed of being a professional wrassler, the greatest of all fighters in the kingdom of Grimslade. Growing up in the shadow of Wrassle Castle, where her older brother routinely racks up championship belts, has only fueled her competitive fire. But when her brother is mysteriously arrested for treason, Lydia and her friends must find a way into the year-end tournament. There she can win back his freedom the only way she knows how…wrassling! Book 1 of the three volume series of original graphic novels.

(This is Book 1 of the three volume series of original graphic novels. Book 2 and 3 are also available.)

Paul Tobin is the New York Times best-selling author of the Plants vs. Zombies graphic novels, as well as a wide range of other titles for all ages of readers. Paul wrote extensively for Angry Birds, and for Marvel’s all-ages « Adventure » line, and teamed with artist Benjamin Dewey on the Eisner-nominated I Was The Cat graphic novel, and with his Plants vs. Zombies artist Ron Chan for their recently released Earth Boy graphic novel. Along with his wife, artist Colleen Coover, Paul is the creator of the multiple Eisner-Award-winning Bandette comics featuring the antics of the world’s best—and most charming—thief. Paul and Colleen also teamed up on their Banana Sunday graphic novel. Paul lives in Portland, Oregon, where he feels that it rains frequently enough, but not hard enough.
Colleen Coover is a comic book storyteller and illustrator living in Portland, Oregon. With writer Paul Tobin, she is the co-creator of the comics Banana Sunday and Bandette. When she is not making comics or creating illustrations for a variety of clients, Colleen spends her time spinning yarn, knitting sweaters, and eating ice cream. She is a member of Helioscope, a collective of Portland-based creators.
Galaad is a French comic book artist and a former freelance illustrator, animator, concept artist, and storyboard artist for the entertainment industry – specifically for video games and animation.

CHILDREN WHO COME AND GO de Isi Hendrix

A debut middle-grade novel about a girl convinced she’s possessed by a demon who finds herself apprenticing in the kitchen of an elite magic school, only to discover a shocking secret that will upend her destiny—and potentially lead to her kingdom’s ruin. Irresistibly funny, imaginative, and full of heart – this debut has everything that makes middle-grade great!

CHILDREN WHO COME AND GO
by Isi Hendrix
‎ On submission in the US
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

Life in the Swamplands is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her family thinks she’s a nuisance, the missionaries make daily life a misery, and the neighbors all believe her to be an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child thought to bring misfortune wherever they go. Adia can’t disagree: she blames herself for the death of her cousin EJ, and when she manifests mysterious, uncontrollable powers, she has to face the possibility that there might be something wicked within her.
When an offer for a kitchen apprenticeship at the faraway Academy of Shamans arrives on the same day she nearly flattens her whole town by accident, Adia seizes the opportunity to flee, with nothing but a small pouch of change, her cat Bubbles, and the hope that she’ll find someone at the school who can help figure out what is wrong with her—and fix it. But at the Academy , Adia stumbles upon a shocking secret. Darian, the ruthless emperor of Zaria, really is possessed, and by a demon said to be more wicked than any other: the mythical Olark. And he’s on the way to the school—for what purpose, no one knows.
Joining forces with a snarky Goddess, a knife-wielding 500-year-old girl, and a status-obsessed soldier boy, Adia goes on a mission through hidden realms to exorcise Olark from Darian, save her kingdom, and herself. But if she is to succeed, she will have to understand the mysterious powers that dwell inside her…and learn who she really is. Whatever choices Adia makes, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Bursting with imagination, heart, and humor, CHILDREN WHO COME AND GO is the type of immersive, action-packed adventure that readers of all ages will want to return to again and again, perfect for fans of magic school stories like SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL and fast-paced fantasy such as ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME. It’s an unputdownable story about carving your own path out in the world, and introduces Isi Hendrix as an exciting new talent in the middle-grade space.

Isi Hendrix is a Pitch Wars 2020 mentee and an Avengers of Color 2020 mentee. She has degrees in anthropology and psychology from USC and has spent many years living in the Amazon and Gabonese rainforests working with shamanic tribes. She is a Black feminist, avid gardener, and, to the horror of her goat meat-loving Nigerian mother, a vegan since kindergarten.