Middle Grade Adventure Novels

I’m on my way to the 21st-Century Children's Nonfiction Conference, so for today's post I wanted to share some middle grade adventure stories from authors I know. The first is someone I went to high school with in Juneau, Alaska. We reconnected on Facebook. The second is a critique client. I invited them to describe their stories and offer a bit of advice. If you like adventure stories, or know young people who do, check out their books!

True North by P. Wyatt Slack

A shipwreck... A mystery... And the search for hidden treasure. Twelve-year-old Shelby is looking for adventure. When the shiny object she finds frozen in a chunk of glacier ice hints at hidden treasure, she and her brother Cole rush to follow the clue. But they are not the only ones on the trail. Fighting the real dangers of Alaska's wilderness, they race to find the treasure before the man in the brown rubber boots gets it (or them).

True North is the first in what will be a series of adventures for Shelby and Cole as they spend their summer in various towns of Southeast Alaska. Each port of call comes with new excitement, mystery, and a taste of the history of this fascinating and wild land.

Ideal Audience:

The Alaskan Inside Passage Adventure series is for middle grade readers (grades 3-6) who want to go on adventures (vicariously) with kids like them. I was lucky enough to grow up in Alaska where dangers are real and adventure is around every corner. Abandoned gold mines, a glacier you can climb on, stormy seas, and wild animals (all places I got to explore during grade school) offer Shelby and Cole endless ways to find adventure, danger, and fun!

Words of Advice or Inspiration:

Give your characters a spirit of adventure. No one wants to hang out with sullen kids in real life, so why would they hang out with them in books? Give those characters a zest for life. And if their tendency to seek excitement leads them into trouble, so much the better!

http://clayinkpotpress.com/

Amazon author page

Missing Danny Who?: Stories of a Runaway

by Danny Ockham as told to Zandy Clark

Danny Ockham should be called Danny I. Dunno, because he does not know much about his past, or his future. Living in the present, he survives his wildman father one day at a time. When his mother deserts them, Danny runs away to the desert alone. Now, every act is a plan to get food.  Now, foraging  and fishing are real, when before they were his mother's hobby.

Danny changes his name as often as his underwear to escape foster care and the blame for a wildfire. "No more stupid dreaming to be someone else," he thinks. "Now I am a new person." Danny stays one step ahead of trouble, like a modern-day Huckleberry Finn. Does odd jobs for people he befriends in his trek up Arizona rivers to the high country. When he finally seems to have found a home, his mother reappears. Will he choose her reservation life, or the one he has made for himself?

His troubles double when he tries to help his Iraqi friend escape from her abusive adopted father. Danny grows up fast while learning about confusing laws intended to help abuse victims. He wants to help, but does he have a right to interfere, if she won't go willingly? 

Part wilderness adventure, part coming-of-age story, Danny's tale will appeal to anyone who has ever wondered what would happen if they simply ran away from it all.

What I learned by self publishing my first novel:

I am a loner, like my hero, Danny, so at 75 years of age, naturally I didn't wait for publisher's rejections of my first novel, but rather set out to publish it myself. I avoided all the expensive self publishers, thank God, and was guided by friends to CreateSpace.com, an Amazon affiliate.

What I learned was how to collaborate. No, I did not use CreateSpace editing service, formatting service or cover design service, but I did take chances by contacting people through networking who might mesh with my subject, an abused runaway in Arizona.

I met Velma Moss, Ph.D. In education, who had written and self published several books. She liked Danny's story and wanted to help make it available to teachers as well as kids. Since my only computer is an iPad, she offered to format the book on her ancient Dell so it would not turn into spaghetti due to the scrambling that inevitably happens when Apple software meets Createspace's Microsoft.  Even so, justifying the copy flush left and right created what I call "squiggles", which are hanging               

Lines such as you see here, but not too hard 

to fix!

Then, I stumbled on Chris Eboch and took a chance asking her to help edit my book, because her books are southwestern and sometimes Middle Grade, like mine. Think about it for a minute! She could be blunt about some inappropriate subject matter that would kill it for all publishers as well as most teachers and parents. Somehow, I knew she was the right person to fix Danny's rambling narrative. Perhaps it still is rambling (you tell me!), but it flows much more smoothly than before, by all accounts. That's partly because my pet babies, my rants, have been eliminated. Createspace editors, who cost the same, would not have been so direct as Chris.

Danny's cover happened by chance. I saw a news story about a mural painted by a hundred or more abused foster children, guided by Oliverio Balcells. What could be more...ummm, symbolically synergistic? Baloney, it works because it is a surrealistic desert landscape highly colorful and simple. I drew Danny and stuck him in the foreground with scotch tape.  (Yes, I am Scottish).

Getting permission took time. A lawyer had to chime in, but I waited for that. Normally, I would not, but my norms have changed since I wrote Danny. 

So, I have learned to collaborate with like-minded people and wait and rewrite for two years or more, a first in my runaway life.  

Amazon page 

Thanks for joining us, P. Wyatt Slack and Zandy Clark!

What are your favorite recent adventure novels for young people?

Chris Eboch's novels for ages nine and up include The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy; The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; Bandits Peak, a survival story, and the Haunted series, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers and Advanced Plotting. Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or her Amazon page or sign up for her newsletter. 

TWO Giveaways to Celebrate the Release of A SLIVER OF STARDUST, by: Marissa Burt

**Congrats to ayokosabieh who randomly selected as the winner of the signed copy of A SLIVER OF STARDUST! I'll post the results to the other giveaway on my blog.**

In the stars, a world of wonder and magic awaits...

but it is in grave danger, and only Wren can save it.

Hello Mayhemers!

I am so thrilled that A SLIVER OF STARDUST is officially launched and wending its way into the hands of readers. I want to celebrate by offering a signed hardback to one of you lovely blog readers! To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post. :) For extra entries, check out this widget: a Rafflecopter giveaway. This contest is open to US mailing addresses only and will run from now until midnight on Sunday 11/1.

I'm also running a giveaway on my blog for anyone who pre-ordered or has purchased the book, so check that out, too, in order to win the items below:

Want to know more about this new middle-grade fantasy? Here's a bit from the jacket:

I am a gold lock,
I am a gold key.
However high and low you hunt,
You'll never find me.

Wren Matthews outgrew nursery rhymes a long time ago. Little did she know that songs of twinkling little stars and four-and-twenty blackbirds are the key to the ancient magic of stardust - a magic that only a few people can see and use. And Wren is one of them.

Wren has always preferred to stick to herself. But when she is invited to the faraway fortress where an ancient order has long studied and guarded the stardust, she doesn't hesitate to accept.

Soon Wren is swept up in strange dreams, buried secrets, and rumors that an old enemy is plotting his return. As she tries to master her new abilities, Wren only knows one thing for sure. There's magic in the world - and it's waiting for her.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Autumn! -- Marissa

FINN FINNEGAN - Celtic Lore and Monsters (in Colorado)

St. Patrick’s Day may be over, but the appeal of all things Irish inspired me for this post today. Author Darby Karchut has taken inspiration from a legendary Irish hero, Fionn Mac Cumhail, and fashioned a terrific modern-day story of a boy fighting monsters in our own world: 

“Finn (not bleedin' Finnegan) MacCullen is eager to begin his apprenticeship. He soon discovers the ups and downs of hunting monsters in a suburban neighborhood under the demanding tutelage of the Knight, Gideon Lir. Both master and apprentice are descendents of the Tuatha De Danaan, a magical race of warriors from Ireland. Scattered long ago to the four corners of the world, the De Danaan wage a two thousand year old clandestine battle with their ancient enemy, the Amandán, a breed of goblin-like creatures. Now with the beasts concentrating their attacks on Finn, he and his master must race to locate the lost Spear of the Tuatha De Danaan, the only weapon that can destroy the Amandán, all the while hiding his true identity from his new friends, Rafe and Savannah, twins whose South African roots may hold a key to Finn's survival. Armed with a bronze dagger, some ancient Celtic magic, and a hair-trigger temper, Finn is about to show his enemies the true meaning of "fighting Irish."

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Finn Finnegan last year before the book was released and enjoyed it so much, I added it to my list I recommend to parents and readers looking for action-oriented stories. I particularly liked the bits of Celtic lore woven in to the story, but I suspect young readers will most enjoy the feeling that there just might be such secretive magical and exciting happenings in the real world, maybe right around the corner from them.

The next book in the series, GIDEON’S SPEAR, recently came out, and I just finished reading it. It’s a great follow-up to the first book, in what I hope will be a long series.

*Author Darby Karchut is a junior high social studies teacher, and I suspect her years of being around 13-year-olds has allowed her to add such realism to her characters - I think I know kids like them.

Happy Reading! ~ Dee Garretson

Deadweather and Sunrise Review, by Mike Winchell

Ahoy, me matey. Ye be fittin’ ta visit Davy Jones’ Locker if’n ye don’t pick up tis book here. Aye, a good one it be.

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of posting an interview with author Geoff Rodkey, but the true pleasure was reading his book DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE (the first book in the CHRONICLES OF EGG series). The second book, NEW LANDS came out today, and although I haven’t read it yet, I do have a copy for future reading (trust me, I’ll be reading soon).

There are many things to love about DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE, but one of my favorite features was Rodkey’s ability to incorporate pirate jargon and mannerisms without making them stand out. The dialogue between the pirate characters comes off naturally without feeling overdone. Having read quite a few pirate books, I know this is not easily done. More than a few pirate books overuse pirate lingo and phonetic spellings too much, but not Rodkey’s tale. It grounded the reader from the outset in the world Rodkey has created, and made the journey that much more enjoyable.

Although I’ve already referred to the book as a “pirate book” I feel it necessary to explain that this isn’t merely a pirate tale, but a true adventure of a fantastic voyage. If there isn’t yet a middle-grade mix of an adventure-fantasy-mystery-thriller genre, this book should be the archetype. The pace is fast enough to capture the typical middle-grade reader, but not too breakneck to omit the substance of the story or the definition of the characters. We hear all the time with adventure books that the characters are too often sacrificed for the sake of the plot, but that's not the case here.

Speaking of the characters, Egbert (Egg) is a truly authentic main character that we root for at every turn. His brother Adonis and his sister Venus (love the names) are rough around the edges and aren’t exactly loving siblings, but this makes us root for Egg all the more. While some might argue that the siblings aren’t quite “likeable” and this hurts the story, I argue that the siblings are used to push readers toward Egg even more. The same can be said of Egg’s desire to learn, and his horrible teacher Percy, who we hate as readers. Writers understand the use of foils and dastardly characters of this mold, and Rodkey uses his characters with purpose. Not every person in real life is likeable, and so too is the world of fiction. As a writer, it's using these unlikeable characters that's the trick. It is well done in this book.

I highly recommend DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE, and I am eager to read the second book in the series, NEW LANDS. Remember, it came out today (5/1), so now you can get a copy too! Here's the fantastic cover, and a bit about it:

After a narrow escape from Deadweather Island, Egg and his slightly deranged partner Guts head for the remote New Lands. They’re in search of the lost Okalu tribe, who hold the key to the mysterious treasure map that Egg can't decipher. But the ruthless Roger Pembroke is hard on Egg's trail, and the New Lands are full of new enemies—against which our heroes' only weapons are their brains, their courage...and the two dozen swear words Guts just memorized in the local tongue.

They're going to need help. But who can they trust? Is Kira, the beautiful and heavily armed Okalu refugee, their ally…or their enemy? Is Pembroke's daughter Millicent on Egg's side…or her father's? Why on earth is the notorious pirate Burn Healy being so nice to them? And the biggest question of all: what shocking secret is Egg about to discover in the shadow of an ancient Okalu temple?

New Middle Grade Books on The Titanic - Why the Fascination with Disaster?

The 100^th anniversary of the Titanic disaster is coming up this April, and there are several new books out for middle grade readers about it, both fiction and nonfiction. When I decided to write this post focusing on these books, I started to wonder why it has held such a fascination for so many people, including kids who have never even seen the Leonardo DeCaprio movie. For those who aren’t fascinated by it, it can seem like a morbid topic, and hard to understand why some want to read about it. I asked several writer friends for their opinions and got some great answers:

The protracted nature of the disaster – It gave a chance for people to react, testing the limits of their bravery. If it had all been over suddenly, like in an explosion, there would have been no human element.

The unusual element added by the iceberg - The unsinkable ship sank from a cause that fits into the category of stranger than fiction.   

The lure of imagining yourself on the ship – In so much fiction, the exciting part is trying to figure out how you would react in such a situation, in a sense testing out the limits of your own bravery and ingenuity.

These are only a few possibilities. I was surprised by how many people remember liking disaster stories as children, and clearly they are still popular today

Here are a few of the new books just out or coming out.

Fiction

DANGEROUS WATERS: AN ADVENTURE ON THE TITANIC by Gregory Mone

This is the story of a twelve-year-old who sneaks aboard the Titanic, a passenger who is rare book collector and a thief who is out to steal a rare book, all in the midst of the disaster. The rare book collector in the story, Harry Widener, was an actual passenger on the fatal voyage, so I thought that was a fascinating premise on which to build a story. The addition of a mystery involving Sir Francis Bacon, alchemy and a girl who can pick locks adds to the fun.

KASPAR THE TITANIC CAT by Micheal Morpurgo

There were pets aboard the Titanic, and this is about a fictional one, a cat, who through a convoluted set of circumstances ends up on board along with a fourteen-year-old stowaway and a young heiress.  About half of the story takes place before they board the ship, and it gives a nice feel for the time period. This was first published in Great Britain in 2008 with the title Kaspar Prince of Cats, but was only released in the U.S. this year. The illustrations are useful to get a sense of the time period.

CAN YOU SURVIVE THE TITANIC? An Interactive Survival Adventure by Allison Lassieur

Similar to the old Choose Your Own Adventure Stories, in this book you can choose to be a surgeon’s assistant, a governess in charge of three children, or a twelve-year-old boy traveling with his father. This is very easy to read with some nice illustrations. My daughter enjoyed it very much.

Nonfiction

 

WHAT SANK THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SHIP? AND OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TITANIC by Mary Kay Carson

This book doesn’t come out until April 3rd, but it looks like a good choice for the middle graders who want the facts, those nonfiction readers who devour books with good details. It got a great Kirkus review: “The format is irresistible, each answer just long enough to provide essential information...overall this will be a sure hit with young readers.” Since I didn’t get a chance to read this before the post, I emailed the author and asked her to give us one fact she learned in her research that really surprised her. Here’s her answer: “I'd say it was that the hull wasn't so much ripped open by the iceberg, as it was unzipped. Poor quality, cheap bolts were used to attach the sheets of metal along the hull. When the iceberg scraped alongside the hull, the iceberg sheared off the bolt heads and the sheets of metal came apart. This was discovered by analyzing the metal of bolts retrieved from the wreck site."

So were any of you fascinated by the Titanic or do you know kids now who are? I’d love to hear your thoughts on why it has gripped the imaginations of so many.

~Dee Garretson