Izzy and Zora are 8 and 5 (how did that happen?) but family story time is still an essential part of our evenings. The hubs and I (mostly the hubs because I work an increasingly weird money job schedule) have been reading them chapter books for ages (we started Izzy on Percy Jackson when he was two and a half). When Zora was a baby, it was easy: we simply kept reading whatever series Izzy was into. But Zora has opinions now and she is very comfortable letting them be known and, having developed her own taste in stories (as one should), she isn’t always satisfied with her brother’s (or her parents’) choices. Which means, especially in the last year or so, it’s been increasingly challenging to find stories that please everyone.

That’s one of the reasons we were so excited when Algonquin Young Readers sent us review copies of Carmer and Grit:The Wingsnatchers (2017) and The Crooked Castle (04-10-2018) by Sarah Jean Horowitz for review.

The combination of steampunk and fairy tale hooked both kids immediately; these novels blend the two perfectly, utilizing the best aspects of both genres without forcing the “standard” conventions of either where they don’t suit. The results are two stories with suspense, action, and friendship that are other and delightfully weird without the rigidity of a lot of middle grade genre fiction.

I know who’s opinion you’re really here for though, so, without further ado:

Of course, now the girl has to learn how hard it is to wait for the next installment of a beloved series, a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The rest of us are right there with her hoping there’s more more Carmer and Grit in the works!