MMGM: The Beyonders by Brandon Mull

About The Book:  Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

First Line: The prince dangled in the darkness, shoulders aching, ancient manacles digging into his wrists as he tried to sleep.

Great Quote: "A hero sacrifices for the greater good. A hero is true to his or her conscience. In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Although any person could fit that description, very few do. Choose this day to be one of them."

Illustrator: Antonio J. Capara
Website
Behance
Shannon Associates
CG Associates

Who: "I'm an Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Comic Artist. My works has been published in Children books, Young Readers books and magazines in North America, South America and Europe. My clients include Scholastic, Harper Collins, Penguin, Henry Holt, Hyperion Books, EMI Records and many others. I have also worked in the Animation field as a Character Designer and Background Creator." —Antonio J. Capara on Behance

What Others Have Said: "Brandon Mull is a wizard with words. With Beyonders, he has conjured one of the most original fantasies I've read in years—an irresistible mix of adventure, humor, and magic." —Rick Riordan

"The book's conclusion is not so much an ending as a respite before the beginning of the sequel. Readers seeking character-driven fiction should look elsewhere, but those drawn to long, action-filled fantasies may want to try Mull's latest." —Carolyn Phelan on Booklist

What I Thought: For me to become engaged in high fantasy quest I have to be engaged with the characters. World building is fascinating and will hold my interest for awhile but at some point I have to believe in what the character(s) are after. While I think there could have been more depth of character, I don't think 9-12-year-olds are quite so discriminating. The adventure of the quest is fast moving and full of twists and turns. I also enjoyed the humor dispersed throughout the novel. 

About The Author: 

Brandon Mull

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Facebook

Publisher

Who: "The idea for Beyonders has been cooking in my mind for more than ten years. The desire to create this story is what lured me into writing novels. In Beyonders our main characters leave this world and cross into a fantasy world called Lyrian. To help the new world feel different from our own, I created some original fantasy races. It was important to me that these races weren’t breeds we were familiar with from our own mythologies. One race is called the Amar Kabal. They have seeds at the base of their skulls. If they’re killed and their seeds are planted, their bodies can regrow and live again, with the seeds preserving their memories. That is just one example.

"Beyonders is a story about heroes. The emperor Maldor has systematically been buying off or breaking the heroes of Lyrian, so there are almost none left at the start of the story. Most who remain have given up or are damaged in some way. We have a boy and a girl from our world who are learning to be heroes, and at the same time we have some of these broken heroes coming out of retirement. One of my favorite characters is the Blind King, who used to be the greatest swordsman in Lyrian until the emperor took his sight.

"The three Beyonders books are now written. I think the first tells a fun story and introduces the reader to the world of Lyrian and many of the characters we’ll be following. But readers won’t really know where the story is headed until the second installment. Then I’m confident that the third book is the best I have written so far. I’m very eager to see what readers think!" —Brandon Mull on Website

Thanks for joining me for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. Be sure to check out the other MMGM listed in my sidebar! 

Up next week: Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Wednesdays by Julie Bourbeau

Release Date

August 14, 2012

About The Book:  Max’s village is absolutely normal in every single way and on every single day—except Wednesday.Most of the townsfolk shutter their windows and lock their doors to hide away from the many peculiar things that happen—things like cats getting stuck in the vacuum cleaner and birthday cakes meeting fiery and horrific ends. But Max is too curious for that, and so, breaking every rule in the village, he searches out the cause of all the Wednesday weirdness.
What he uncovers is a secret so devious—so dastardly and mischievous—that life as he knows it will never be the same. Max himself is not the same. Suddenly the mysterious little accidents so common on Wednesdays are happening to him on Thursdays, Fridays—even Saturdays!
What’s come over Max? And more importantly, is there any cure for a case of the Wednesdays?
Mystery, magic, mischief and monsters abound in this slightly fantastical story of a human kid who wants to stay that way.

Illustrator: Jason Beene
Blog
Portfolio On KidShannon
QuietBomb


Who:  Jason Beene enjoys picture book illustration and portrait painting. His work also includes bookbinding which he studied in Assisi, Italy and glass blowing. Jason also studied in Rome, Italy for his entire junior year at RISD. This was a life and work changing experience and its influence can be seen throughout his work. Today Jason works for a major video game development company, taking skills from his training as a picture book illustrator and applying them to interactive children's software. He is currently working on production of his second Game Boy Advance title.
http://www.creativeshake.com/jbeene


First Line: There was nothing in particular about the boy standing in the open window to indicate that he was anything but perfectly normal.


Great Line: "He had two dreadfully screechy older sisters who Max definitely didn't want to run into today." (59)


What Others Are Saying: "Max is hilarious, and never whinges. Did I mention he turns blue? And has to wash his hair with oil? You see that’s the difference between Max and I… I would be sulking like no one’s business if that happened but for Max, it’s all part of the adventure!"-Wear The Old Coat


What I Thought: I'm excited about The Wednesdays for two reasons. One it appeals to boy readers and two it has just enough mystery to keep them interested. Max is a great character and meets his adventures head on and fearless. The Wednesday's crack me up and I found the entire story very entertaining.

About The Author: Julie Bourbeau
Website
Publisher: Random House

Who:   My life has probably been more adventurous than absolutely necessary.

I have jumped out of airplanes, been swept out to sea, and ridden camels across windblown sand dunes in the Middle East. I was married on a Himalayan mountaintop by four crimson-robed Tibetan monks, and I have traveled far and wide.

Because of all of these adventures I came to writing a little later than most, but now I'm making up for lost time. Besides, I'm now the mother of two exceptionally energetic young boys who provide me with a whole new world of adventures.


Don't forget to check out the other MMGM reviewers listed in my sidebar.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

About The Book: Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else. 

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbsis a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind. —GoodReads

Self Portrait
Erin McGuire

Illustrator: Erin McGuire                   

Website

Blog

First Line: It snowed right before Jack stopped talking to Hazel, fluffy white flakes big enough to show their crystal architecture, like perfect geometric poems.

Another Great Line: [When Hazel's friend decides not to sit with her.]  Mikaela got up and moved over to join Susan and Molly. The two became three, and Hazel carefully studied the shift of gravity. (121)

What Others are Saying:  “Although this is a fantasy, its grounding in psychological realism and focus on Hazel’s feelings makes it a fine choice for readers who prefer realistic fiction. Ursu's multilayerd, dreamlike story stands out from the fantasy/quest pack/” —School Library Journal starred review

"The evocative magical landscape, superbly developed characters (particularly dreamy, self-doubting, determined Hazel and lost Jack), and the piercing sadness of a faltering childhood friendship give this delicately written fantasy wide and lingering appeal."

 —Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, starred review

What I Thought: Each of us have our own childhood wilderness where things are bigger and darker, where mystery is around each corner and anything is possible, hidden deep within us. This is the childhood that Ursu takes us to. A place where edges run together and color bleeds through. These are the images that light upon us as gentle as snow but sharp as jagged ice. Ursu cleverly weaves the stories of childhood that lead us to the reality of change so when the snow melts and wardrobe door is shut, we nod knowingly and remember that we've been down that path, too. 

About The Author: Anne Ursu

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Anne is the author of Breadcrumbs, a contemporary retelling of “The Snow Queen,” and the three books in The Cronus Chronicles series—The Shadow Thieves, The Siren Song, and The Immortal Fire. She has also written two books for adult readers. Anne teaches at Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children, and lives in Minneapolis with her young son.