This year’s Middle Grade list of finalists features two books by J. Scott Savage, two by Jennifer Nielsen, and one by debut author Christine Hayes. This was one of the strongest categories I read in terms of overall quality, and you could make a case for any of the books winning. Here’s a rundown (and really, if you’re looking for books to buy for your kids, I recommend them all. We already owned Mark of the Thief, Mothman’s Curse, and Far World: Fire Keep before Whitneys were even announced.).

Fires of Invention (Mysteries of Cove)

In Cove, a city carved inside of a mountain, authorities frown on innovation. 13-year-old Trenton Colman, gifted (or cursed) with a mechanical, creative mind, feels restless and frustrated at being unable to use his talents. He’s reprimanded for any kind of creativity and forced to work on the farms instead of with the machines he loves. When he meets Kallista Babbage, the daughter of a notorious inventor, they begin to discover clues left by Ballista’s father Leo about the true nature of Cove and the dangers it faces. I enjoy Savage’s writing and so does my ten-year-old son, who devours all his books. The steampunk technology is clever, and I especially enjoyed Trenton’s relationship with his parents. It felt loving and strained at the same time, and therefore authentic. I look forward to the next books in the series.

Mark of the Thief, by Jennifer Nielsen

Nic, a slave in Ancient Rome, discovers an amulet–a bulla–with magic power in Julius Caesar’s grave. Although instructed to bring it back up, he has to fight off a griffin to touch it at all. Through fighting he bonds to both the bulla and the griffin. The griffin marks him as the bulla’s owner, which in turn marks him as a target for a general and for the emperor. In the middle of growing civil unrest, Nic must figure out who to trust and how to use his power in the best way to save himself, his sister, and his nation. I loved the concept for Mark of the Thief–I studied Latin in college–but I found myself skimming in places. My kids read it and liked it, although my daughter was indignant about the cliffhanger ending.

A Night Divided, by Jennifer Nielsen

In A Night Divided, Gerta’s father and brother leave East Berlin just before the Berlin Wall rises and are unable to cross the wall and return home. Gerta, left behind with her mother and her brother Fritz, blames her mother for not leaving, and chafes against all the government restrictions. Gerta and her brother want to resist the government, but their mother is too scared (and with good reason). When Gerta sees her father across the wall, she gives her an idea about a plan that might let them escape. I loved Gerta’s bravery and charm, and the way she acts in the face of danger and possible death. I could see myself in the mother as well: it’s hard to risk anything when you know there’s a greater chance that you and your loved ones may be killed. It’s a very tense book in places, and even though the ending is no surprise, it still felt dramatic and compelling to me.

Far World: Fire Keep by J. Scott Savage

J. Scott Savage finishes his Far World series with Far World: Fire Keep. Kyja is stuck in Fire Keep, but has no memory of her previous adventures with Marcus. Marcus has to find her, but getting into Fire Keep seems pretty impossible. They are the only ones with the ability to bring all the elements together and prevent the destruction of both Earth and Far World. This is another book that my son enjoyed—we got it last May and he’s read it a couple of times since then. I liked the riddle sequence at the end–a familiar trope with some different twists. And I felt that both Kyja and Marcus’s growth over the series really showed in this book. I think Savage did a pretty good job of helping readers who are not familiar with the series understand what’s going on; I didn’t feel as lost as I thought I might. However, there’s at least one major plot point whose significance I didn’t really feel because I familiar enough with the earlier books. I would recommend starting at the beginning of the Farworld books rather than jumping straight into this one.

Mothman’s Curse, by Christine Hayes

Josie and her brothers, Mason and Fox, live in Athens, Ohio, the most haunted town in America. Their father runs an auction house, and their Aunt Barb has kept house for them since their mother’s death. Together the siblings discover a haunted camera among the assortment of goods in their father’s auction house. The camera’s pictures always show the same man, and as they investigate they discover his connections to the legend of Mothman, who appears before major disasters strike. The more they investigate, the more Mothman’s curse affects them and their family, and even their entire town. This is more than a ghost story or mystery–it’s a story about siblings working together and healing not just a curse but the grief of losing their mother. I loved it.

Best Novel of the Year:

My top three adult books were Wreckage, by Emily Bleeker; The Devil’s Only Friend, by Dan Wells; and Doing No Harm, by Carla Kelly.

Best Youth Novel of the Year:

My top thee youth novels: This Monstrous Thing, by MacKenzie Lee; Mothman’s Curse, by Christine Hayes; and Calvin, by Martine Leavitt.

Best Novel by a New Author:
Wreckage, by Emily Bleeper

Whitney Award Winners will be announced tomorrow and I will link to them in the comments of this post. I’m always excited to see who wins. You can also follow the award ceremony on Twitter. If you want to check out potential Whitney finalists for next year, go to www.newldsfiction.com.

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!