The Edgar! Also, butterflies, a space shuttle, and a really big snake.

photo credit: Rocco Staino, SLJ

As some of you may have heard, last week Icefall won the Edgar Award in the Juvenile Fiction category! I am honestly still a bit stunned. The nomination alone took me completely by surprise, to say nothing of actually winning. But I’m so thrilled and honored, and I’d like to say thank you to the Mystery Writers of America.

I flew to New York City last week for the big banquet, which is a very fancy black-tie event. I actually went out and bought a suit for it, since I didn’t own one. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. The day before the banquet, I participated in a great panel with some of the other Edgar nominees, including Sheela Chari, Maureen Johnson, Todd Strasser, and Tom Angleberger. The topic of the panel was how we write for modern readers, and there were lots of witty and insightful things said by my fellow panelists. And Tom made us all laugh.

Prior to the banquet, we went to a reception for the nominees, and I have to say this part of the night was something I’d been anticipating for months, because Neil Gaiman was a nominee in the short fiction category. I was looking forward to the opportunity to meet him, shake his hand, and say thank you. As I was writing Icefall, I struggled with how to incorporate all the Norse mythology in an organic way. I wanted it to feel integral to the story, an essential part of the whole. And so I studied American Gods, because nobody does myth better than Gaiman. And I’m grateful that I was able to tell him all of that in person.

After the reception, the banquet began. It opened with a personal, videotaped message from John Cusack (who is currently staring as the man himself, Edgar Allan Poe, in the new movie The Raven) which, as a fan of his, I thought was super cool. Then, for the next hour or so, I tried not to think about the award. I just did my best to stay calm, eat my dinner, socialize, and for the most part I succeeded. But as soon as the presenter for my category took the stage, a tidal wave of nerves and heart palpitations crashed over me. And when they called my name, I got up and gave my acceptance speech in a daze. I’m still not exactly sure what I said. I know I quoted Richard Peck (“We write by the light of every book we’ve ever read.”) as a reference to the very bright light Gaiman had shined on me.

In fact, after the banquet I was able to give Neil a copy of Icefall, and that’s something I’ll remember for a long, long time.

During dinner, I was sitting next to School Library Journal’s own Rocco Staino, and he captured a photo and a video of me right after the announcement. He also wrote up a nice article on the event.

Congratulations to all the other nominees. I’m glad I was able to spend time with them, and if you’re looking for good mysteries to read or suggest to kids, I highly recommend every one of their books. (And for a bit more on each of them, try this article from the Christian Science Monitor.)

I also have to take a moment to once again thank my agent, Stephen Fraser, and my editor, Lisa Sandell, as well as Candace Greene and Lauren Felsenstein and all the other wonderful folks at Scholastic who have been so supportive of my career.

And just for fun, some more photos of NYC:

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

The top of the GE Building at Rockefeller Center

A bag-piping busker outside Grand Central Station

The Hayden Planetarium, where my wonderful editor took me to see a show – amazing!

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After the Edgars, I flew to Washington DC for the Malice Domestic conference, where Icefall was nominated for the Agatha Award. My fellow Edgar nominee Shawn Thomas Odyssey and his wife were on the same flight, a flight which had the amazingly good fortune of being on the runway right as the Space Shuttle Enterprise came cruising in on the back of a 747.

Taken by the nice guy next to me, who had the window seat.

The conference itself was a lot of fun. Such a nice group of people. Every person I talked to made me feel welcome, and though I didn’t win the award, I had a great time. Congratulations to the winner, Chris Grabenstein, and all the other nominees.

While in DC, I managed to catch a metro train to the Smithsonian for a couple of hours before my flight out, where they had a couple of new exhibits. The first was of the recently discovered “Titanoboa,” also known as the HOLY-CRAP-IS-THAT-A-SNAKE-boa. Seriously, this 50 foot, 25oo pound monster could strangle just about anything. One of the fact sheets on the creature posed the question, “What did Titanoboa eat?”

The answer?

“Whatever it wanted.”

That's an alligator tail sticking out of its mouth.

The other exhibit I caught was a butterfly atrium, which was one of the most serene and beautiful things I’ve experienced in a long time. They say that watching fish lowers your blood pressure. Well, I think watching butterflies has the same effect.

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And finally, a few more reviews of Icefall from around the web:

Random Musings of a Bibliophile

11 Comments by Matthew on May 3, 2012

filed in Books, Events, Icefall, Travel

I can see clearly now…

A few of weeks ago, I went and got LASIK done. I’ve had glasses since I was about thirteen years old, but in the beginning I only wore them to see the board in class or when I went to a movie. I started wearing them all the time when I was about twenty-one and couldn’t pass the driver’s test without them. So not having to wear them anymore was a pretty big change for me. And the procedure was . . . amazing, strange, and frightening. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skip this section with my apologies and move onto the next, because I’m going to describe what the whole thing was like.

I have to start by saying I have crazy-sensitive eyes. I’ve never been able to wear contacts. I often can’t go outside without my prescription sunglasses. I hate optometrist visits the way most people hate going to their dentist. By the end, the doctor has to pry my eyes open Clockwork Orange-style just to get anything done.

Not really. But this is how it feels.

All of this is to say that I was pretty uncomfortable with the idea of someone slicing my eye open with a laser, which is what they do. But first they offer you a Valium to help you relax, which I accepted, but they only gave it about five minutes to kick in before they took me in for the procedure. So I wasn’t relaxed at all. Then they lay you down on a medical bed that might actually be pretty comfortable if not for the hulking, humming machinery on either side. Then they pull the first laser around, the slicing laser, and there’s no going back after that.

The doctor reassured me that the technology is so advanced, the machine actually knows whether it’s your eye before it starts working. If it’s not your eye, it won’t even turn on. Same goes for movement. If your eye moves even the slightest bit, the machine turns off and waits until you’re realigned before it kicks back on, remembering exactly where it left off.

So the first laser slices open the top layer of your eye, creating a flap that they pull back to expose the second layer of your lens. The strange thing is, you can see them do it. I watched this flap get peeled back, like a curtain being pulled away, and my vision went with it. The world became a hazy blur. That’s when they switch you to a second machine, the one that does the reshaping of your lens to correct your vision. That was the hardest part for me, because you have to hold your eye perfectly still. They tell you to focus on a red light, which isn’t a red light so much as a red tinge in the center of your cloudy world, and the whole time the machine is making a loud ratcheting sound all around you. When that’s done, they fold the flap back into place, wash it and smooth it out, and your vision returns in what was, for me, a glorious moment of relief.

Then they do the other eye.

The whole procedure took about ten minutes. I was in and out of the office in less than an hour, and most of that time was spent in the waiting room. For the first few hours following, my eyes burned like someone had just wacked them with the sleeve of their sweater. But I slept for a few hours (the Valium having finally kicked in) and when I woke up they felt much better. I went about my day as normal, and the next morning at my post-op checkup, I learned I now have 20/15 vision in both eyes. 20/15! That’s better than regular eyes! It’s like I have a very mild super-power!

It’s been amazing. I’ve worn glasses for so long, I had forgotten how inconvenient they can be. It’s only now that I no longer encounter those inconveniences that I’ve become aware of them again. Simple things, like going out in the rain and not having to wish glasses came with windshield wipers. Or going to a 3D movie without having to somehow fit the 3D glasses over my own (made Wrath of the Titans much more enjoyable). All of this is to say that I’m very, very glad that I did it. And I’m grateful to my wife for encouraging me, because I don’t think I would have gone through it without her.

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Icefall has been released in Italian as The Daughter of the Ice, which is a beautiful title. The cover is gorgeous as well, though perhaps a little more fantasy in tone than the book.

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I want to put out another plug for the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop. My fantasy class is sold out, but Mette Ivie Harrison is teaching one as well, and hers is almost full, too. There are classes for most genres, including contemporary, paranormal, middle grade, and young adult. And there are two advanced classes being taught, so even if you’ve attended the workshop before, you can attend again and take your writing to the next level. So if you’re wanting to attend, don’t wait. Register to make sure you get the class you want.

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To close out this entry, another review appeared for Jenna Lamia’s wonderful reading of the Icefall audiobook, this time from Publisher’s Weekly.

And a few more reviews for Icefall from around the web.

National Homeschool Book Award

One Librarian’s Book Reviews

Fantasy Literature (second review)

7 Comments by Matthew on April 4, 2012

filed in Uncategorized

A Mutiny in Time cover reveal!

I’m pleased and excited to share the cover for Infinity Ring Book 1: A Mutiny in Time, by James Dashner!

Release date is set for August 28th, 2012! I can’t wait!

For a pretty cool write-up, Publishers Weekly ran a piece you can read here.

No Comments by Matthew on March 16, 2012

filed in Uncategorized

Awesome Events of Awesomeness

We’re only a couple of weeks away from the Writing for Charity event. That’s still plenty of time to register and make sure you get a spot. It’s going to be great this year. I think the new format is going to work really well, there are some amazing authors donating their time and critiques, and the list of silent auction items keeps growing. My own agent, Stephen Fraser, has graciously donated an “ask an agent anything” personal phone call. Want some one-on-one time with an agent? Register! Then come and bid. And the best part, it’s all for charity to put books in the hands of kids.

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One of the best free book events in Utah is happening next Tuesday, the 13th of March. Brandon Mull (author of Fablehaven) is launching the second book in his New York Times bestselling Beyonders series. There will be lots of fun stuff happening, including actors in costume, games & activities, sketch comedy, and more. Shannon Hale will be there, and I’ll be on stage for a bit along with a few other surprise guests. Bring the whole family!

The details:

TUESDAY, MARCH 13
Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion Launch Party
Doors Open: 6:30 PM
Show Begins: 7:00 PM
Cottonwood High School
5715 South 1300 East
Murray, UT

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Spaces in this year’s Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop are filling up fast. My fantasy workshop is already full, but there are still some excellent classes open. If you want to write for kids of any age, this is one of the best writing workshops out there.

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Our regional conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is coming up in April on the 20th and 21st in Boise, Idaho. I’ll be speaking there, and probably post more details closer to the event.

2 Comments by Matthew on March 7, 2012

filed in Uncategorized

Travels, Part 2

This post has been a long time coming, but I do still want to talk about some of the trips I took last fall. One of the things I’ve loved most about my writing career has been the opportunity to travel, to meet new people and have wonderful experiences I wouldn’t otherwise get to have. So without further ado…

Portland

I went for the trade-show of the Pacific Northwest Independent Booksellers Association, and was reminded of what amazing people booksellers are. Seriously, for anyone who likes books, it doesn’t get much better than spending time with people who are passionate about getting them into the hands of readers. As part of my events there, I also got to spend time with Allen Say, whose new Drawing from Memory is absolutely wonderful. Allen, by the way, has the smooth and resonant kind of voice that you can listen to all day. He can be saying anything, really. Kind of like when Oprah asked Anthony Hopkins to read the phone book. While in Portland, I also got to spend time with two friends, Danielle Jones and Kimball Fisher, and it was nice to catch up. Danielle took me to Burgerville, a locally sourced, sustainable, and environmentally conscious restaurant chain, and I think it was the first fast-food I’ve eaten without feeling guilty.

Houston

The Tweens Read Book Festival was fantastic. The people in charge did an amazing job organizing, and I think it was a great success for its first year. Plus, I got to hear Richard Peck speak, and that is something for which I will go well out of my way. I’ve heard him speak a couple of times before, and the man blows the roof off every time. I carry around several quotes of his in my head. I think my favorite is, “We write by the light of every book we’ve ever read.” But coming in behind that is a new favorite: “Unless you find yourself early in the pages of a book, you will go looking for yourself in all the wrong places.” Brilliant. Here’s a video with some pictures of the event.

Denver/Boulder

I’d already been to Denver earlier in the year, but I went back for several school visits over the course of a few days. The whole trip was put together by Boulder Country Day School’s librarian Melinda Elzinga, and she made my first out-of-state school visits an absolute delight. Everything was well-planned and organized, there were no panic moments, and it all came off without a hitch. Well, except for the part where I tripped over my laptop’s power cord and ripped the power-port right out, leaving me without a laptop for my presentations (fortunately, that happened near the end of my trip). I went to several different schools, including Dawson, the Montessori School of Denver, Friends’ School (which wasn’t a Quaker school as I had assumed) and finally a book fair signing for Graland.

They did something really cool at Melinda’s school, where they teach Latin to the upper grades. They had taken several of the Latin phrases from The Clockwork Three and taped them up in the hallways for the students to translate.

Their Latin teacher had also picked up on the fact that I used Medieval Latin in the book instead of classical Latin. That was actually a conscious choice on my part, one of those little details we writers use and wonder if anyone will even notice. But someone did, and that was gratifying. Thanks again to my brother, Josh, a real-life Renaissance Man, for providing the translations.

The only sightseeing I had time for outside the school visits was a tour of the Celestial Seasonings factory in Boulder. That was a lot of fun, in a Willy Wonka kind of way. I mean, they have a Peppermint Room there, and when you walk into it you get hit with this wall of peppermint that you feel in your nose and makes your eyes water. If you’re ever in Boulder, I recommend the tour. I also stopped back by The Bookies and said hello. Love that store.

Chicago

I went to NCTE for the first time in November. It has a similar vibe to ALA in that it’s an enormous group of people who are all passionate about books and literacy. I was there for five very busy days. The first couple of days I did school visits, and here I would just like to take a moment to say how much I love doing school visits. To begin with, since schools are where I work, I feel right at home in them. And something else my job has done is inoculate me against any fear of a group of kids, even a large group of kids. I actually enjoy the energy of a big assembly with two or three hundred students. I really don’t get nervous at all, and I thank my job as a school psychologist for that. The other great thing about school visits are all the wonderful things students do to make you feel welcome. Like banners and posters…

…and even violin performances!

I hope to keep doing lots more school visits in the future (if you’re interested, feel free to contact me with the link in the sidebar).

At NCTE I was on a panel talking about revision and peer critique. I gave a big shout-out to my own intrepid critique group, and how they help me every week. (Hm. I just realized that I haven’t talked much about them on the blog before. Have to remedy that.) Also on the panel were Kate Messner, Eric Luper, and Linda Urban, moderated by Denise Johnson.

I really appreciated what everyone on the panel had to say, since revision does not come naturally to me. As I said in my remarks, left to my own devices I am far more likely to go chasing after something new and shiny than I am to return to polish something a bit old and tarnished.

Another NCTE event I did was the Scholastic Literary Brunch with Sarah Weeks, Coe Booth, Jeff Hirsch, and Jen Nielsen.

I love this kind of thing because it allows you to hear an author’s words in their own voice, the way they heard them when they wrote them. It adds so much to the experience of their work when I hold their voice in my head as I read. Case in point, once you hear Coe Booth read from one of her novels, you won’t ever read it the same way again. Oh, and also, David Levithan does an absolutely hilarious impression of an attorney.

Readers' Theater with (L to R) David Levithan, Sarah Weeks, and Coe Booth

While in Chicago, I did a signing event at Anderson’s Bookstore with Trent Reedy, Kenneth Oppel, and Gordon Korman. We had a lot of fun, and afterward went out to a cajun restaurant where they seated us right next to the jazz band. It can be hard to carry on a conversation with a trumpet in your ear, but we gave it our best. I had the turtle soup, since I’d written about it in The Clockwork Three without having ever tasted it, and I figured I needed to at least once. I liked it, enough that I’ll order it again if I ever have the chance.

At the recommendation of my driver, I also stopped by with a few friends for some blues one night at Buddy Guy’s Legends. That was a blast.

One last thing before I move on from Chicago. I have to take a moment and talk about the hotel where we stayed, which was the fanciest hotel I’ve ever been in. To illustrate, when I first walked into the bathroom, I noticed a remote control on the counter by the sinks. I’d never seen a remote control in a bathroom, and I had to wonder what it controlled. So I just kind of held it up, hit the “on” button, and looked around. That’s when I noticed the TV come on in the mirror. Yes, a TV came on inside the mirror! I had that thing on the whole time I was getting ready in the morning because, well, if you have a TV in your mirror, how can you not use it?

Also, the room had an Eames Classic, AKA the chair I’d admired for years while watching Frasier.

I took a nap in it.

New York City

The trip to NYC was for Infinity Ring, which I already wrote about briefly after they announced the series. Aside from the stuff I talked about in that post, we got to see a demo of the 3D computer game (awesome!) that will be an integral part of the series, did some promotional photo and video shoots, and spent time with Scholastic’s sales reps. Also, one night David took us all to see Tiger Beat, the YA band fronted by Libba Bray, which was hilarious and a blast.

And I think that about catches me up. I don’t have too much going on for a little while. I’ll be in Boise in April, speaking at the SCBWI conference, and the week after that I think I’ll be back in NYC for the Edgar Awards Banquet. I’ll be sure to let you know how those trips go.

No Comments by Matthew on February 14, 2012

filed in Books, Events, Icefall, Infinity Ring, The Clockwork Three, Travel

4th Annual Writing for Charity Event

Next month, I’ll be critiquing at the Writing for Charity workshop. This annual charity event keeps growing and improving, and I’m pleased to be a part of it once again. They’ve made a few changes to the format, but attendees will still have the opportunity to have their work critiqued by one of Utah’s own professional children’s authors (this year, the critiques will be much more personal), attend break-out sessions on the writing craft, and participate in a silent auction for some pretty cool stuff. Everyone involved is donating their time, and all proceeds go to charity. Some of the authors involved include Brodi Ashton, Shannon Hale, Jennifer Nielsen, and Dan Wells. For more details, or to register, click here!

1 Comment by Matthew on February 6, 2012

filed in Uncategorized

More claymation!

Another wonderful fan-made book trailer for The Clockwork Three in claymation, and again I find myself amazed at the talent and creativity.

5 Comments by Matthew on January 29, 2012

filed in Uncategorized

An Edgar Nomination for Icefall

Just a quick note with some really cool Icefall news. Pretty soon, I hope to do another post about the travel I did in the fall, as well as a belated New Year kind of thing where I talk about my writing goals for the upcoming year.

But in the meantime, I’m really excited to announce that Icefall is a nominee for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the juvenile fiction category! I am so thrilled by this. I love mysteries. I grew up watching Mystery! on PBS. I had the Edward Gorey introduction memorized, down to the desperate cooing of the lady in distress…

…and Jeremy Brett will always be my first Sherlock Holmes.

That said, the mystery aspect of Icefall was something I always felt a bit insecure about, and doubted whether I could actually write. I think it helped that as a mystery, it is unconventional. I deliberately set out with two goals when writing it. First, I wanted multiple theories to be proven correct in the end. Second, I wanted to write a mystery where the reader didn’t actually want to know who did it. What I mean by that is, I wanted the reader to love each of the characters so much that, like Solveig, they don’t want to find out that any one of them would be capable of betraying her and her family. I don’t know if I accomplished either, but the fact that Icefall has been nominated for a mystery award delights me to no end. Thank you to the Mystery Writers of America.

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Icefall is also a finalist for the Cybils in the Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy category, and I’m so excited about that as well. It’s always interesting to me to hear Icefall described as fantasy. Some don’t consider it to be fantasy at all, but historical fiction. As the author, I’m not sure what it is. I know that it feels like a fantasy, because the world in which it takes place is quite foreign, and the Norse myths and legends seem to be stalking the characters, lurking in the mist and the ice. But you never actually see Odin, or Thor, or any dragons or trolls. In the end, I don’t know that it has to be one or the other for the reader to enjoy it. First and foremost, it’s a story.

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The New York Public Library recently released their 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing for 2011. Icefall is on the list, and so are a great many other wonderful titles. You should check them out.

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And here are a few more reviews of Icefall from around the web.

Kids Reads

Fantasy Literature

Pica Reads

Bibliophile Support Group

Tripping Over Books

Mother. Write. (Repeat.)

Fantasy Book Critic

Luxury Reading

9 Comments by Matthew on January 19, 2012

filed in Books, Icefall

Infinity Ring

I’ve recently mentioned a secret project I’ve been involved with, and I am excited to finally announce it. But before I talk about it, The New York Times just ran a piece on it, which I would recommend reading first. You can find it here. If you want to track down the print version, it’s on the front page of the arts section.

And here is the announcement on Scholastic’s On Our Minds blog.

From the press release:

Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, and the pioneering force behind the groundbreaking and international bestselling The 39 Clues^™ book series, expands its innovative multi-platform publishing program with the worldwide launch of Infinity Ring^™, an alternate-history time travel series for readers ages 8-12. To be written by a team of six authors, this exciting new adventure combines books, an interactive “Hystorian’s Guide” map feature (named for a centuries-old secret society featured in the books), and a fully-immersive online game experience where readers travel back in time to fix history. Infinity Ring will launch simultaneously in September 2012 in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, with “Book 1: A Mutiny in Time,” written by New York Times bestselling author James Dashner (The Maze Runner), who also outlined the program’s overall story arc. Dashner will be followed by a team of bestselling and acclaimed authors including Carrie Ryan (Book 2; November 2012), Lisa McMann (Book 3; February 2013), Matt de la Peña (Book 4; June 2013), Matthew J. Kirby (Book 5; September 2013), and Jennifer A. Nielsen (Book 6; December 2013). The last book in the Infinity Ring series also will be written by James Dashner (Book 7; March 2014).

The story…

History is broken, and a long-feared Cataclysm seems imminent. The capital of the United States is Boston. Lincoln’s face is nowhere to be seen on Mount Rushmore. Everyone’s buzzing about the French royal wedding. And an international group of men and women known as the SQ is more powerful than kings, richer than nations, and more fearsome than armies. When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the key to time travel – a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring – they’re swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone completely, and disastrously, off-course. Now it’s up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the “Great Breaks”… and to save Dak’s missing parents while they’re at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

And if you want to read the full, official press release, it’s here.

Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

When I got the call from David Levithan a couple of months ago asking me if this was something I would be interested in, I told him that this was exactly my kind of project. I love alternate history, I love science fiction, and I love computer games. I grew up reading books and playing old-school Sierra games like King’s Quest, Hero’s Quest (tragically renamed Quest for Glory) and Space Quest. Putting books and computer games together? Infinity Ring is the kind of integrated story and multi-platform experience I wish had been around when I was a kid. So yes, I wasn’t just interested, I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of it.

I’m also honored to be working alongside James Dashner, Carrie Ryan, Lisa McMann, Matt de la Peña, and Jennifer Nielsen. Such an amazing gathering of talent. The experience of working with them on this story – creating, building, firing ideas back and forth – has been remarkable. We were all together in New York City a couple of weeks ago for the Scholastic sales conference, and we had the opportunity for a face-to-face brainstorming session. The creative energy in the room was palpable. And to top it off, we all get along really well, and though I always respected each of them as writers, I now count them as friends.

Clockwise from back row, left: Matt de la Peña, James Dashner, me, Jennifer Nielsen, Carrie Ryan, & Lisa McMann. Photo Credit: Ken Karp

There will be more details in the coming weeks and months, I’m sure. Check the official Infinity Ring website for news. But for now, I’m glad I can finally talk about it. Any questions?

10 Comments by Matthew on December 20, 2011

filed in Books, Infinity Ring, Writing

Parents’ Choice, and a few more Icefall reviews

Some more good news and reviews have been coming in for Icefall.

First, it was recently announced that Icefall has been given the 2011 Parents’ Choice Gold Award in the Fiction category! I’m honored and grateful. Icefall is sharing the award with Brian Selznick’s Wonderstruck, and there are some other great titles on the lists, including The Cheshire Cheese Cat by fellow Utah writer Randall Wright and Carmen Agra Deedy. Be sure to check them all out here.

Second, Icefall is a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee, along with many other wonderful books.

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I recently gave an interview to the Scholastic Book Clubs about Icefall, and you can read it here. Additionally, Icefall was featured in the Editor’s Picks video, which you can watch below.

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Icefall has received some very nice reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist.

School Library Journal said, “In a page-turning climax… the ensuing battle and survival scenes are vividly portrayed, and characters fight back with the epic heroism of gods. Solveig is an empathetic heroine and Hake, the hulky berserker war chief, is also a well-developed and (eventually) endearing character. Fans of John Flanagan’s “Ranger’s Apprentice” series (Philomel) will enjoy this adventure tale.”

And Booklist said, “Over the course of the brutal winter, Solveig learns the delicate art of storytelling from her father’s skald (“the poet of the living past”) and also forms a bond of mutual affection with the most fearsome berserker of the bunch. Her stories provide comfort, distraction, and hope for the starving people, but are tested to the utmost when blood begins to spill. Both elegant and exciting, this work recalls Jonathan Stroud’s Heroes of the Valley (2009) in its treatment of the lofty spot that lore occupies in a warrior society and how stories give meaning to both life and death.”

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Ann Cannon recently mentioned Icefall in a round-up of some great fall titles by Utah writers. Lots of fine recommendations there. Check out the article here. Of course, Ann should have mentioned in the article that her wonderful middle grade novel Charlotte’s Rose is also back in print.

And Ann Diener, owner of the Yellow Book Road, recently recommended Icefall in the San Diego Union-Tribune, which you can read here.

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Finally, a few more bloggers have reviewed Icefall, and you can read their thoughts by following the links below.

BooksYALove

Kinnelon Library Teen Blog

Collected Miscellany

6 Comments by Matthew on November 21, 2011

filed in Books, Icefall