Long List Title:  TUMBLE & BLUE
(Titles on our long list will be included in our online conversation and balloting, alongside the short list titles.)

This is the last book we’ll be looking closely at before getting to our short list and long list balloting.  More about those processes is coming soon.

TUMBLE & BLUE received five starred journal reviews (only four titles received six) as well as four nominations here on Heavy Medal.   The title characters are distinct and interesting protagonists, and we can see why they’re drawn to each other….and why their friendship isn’t always smooth.  Both learn and develop during the course of their adventures, and we get to know them so well that by the time they make their final choices in the swamp, it really matters to the readers.  Munch himself is a nice counterpoint, adding an ominous tone to the proceedings.  The premise of gifts and curses is intriguing and somehow manages to be very important (especially as it relates to the main characters) and comical (with some of the relatives) at the same time.  The Okefenokee Swamp makes for a dynamic setting:  we learn about the swamp in bits and pieces, most effectively in the Munch interludes, and when Tumble and Blue finally enter it towards the end, it’s vivid, scary, and magical.

We we learns a lot about the protagonists, both from the incidents within the plot and from their alternating point of view narratives, and that contributes to the strong finish.  It took a while to get there, though, and some parts were less engaging than others.  For example, Tumble’s obsession with Maximal Star made some sense because of her brother’s death, but seemed overdone to me.  Her disillusionment after meeting the guy is pretty predictable.  At the same time, though, it does further the exploration of what it means to be a hero, a central theme that’s key to the development of both Tumble and Blue.  This is one I’ll recommend to kids, I’m sure.  The premise is a good hook and there’s a nice blend of action, magic, and humor.  It falls short of distinguished for me, though, so I’d love to here more about its strengths.