Our library was giving a bunch of books away free, so of course I grabbed a big bag and dug in.  While I’m always on the lookout for new reading material for myself or the kids, I also had an alternative motive–get books that might get me credit on paperback swap!

But amongst my gleanings was a fun little sf novel aimed at the mid-grades–The Winds of Mars, by H.M. Hoover, and let me tell you, she packed a lot of punch into this novel.  I found the main character very likable, the reader sympathy well set-up.  While the protag experiences the semi-standard loss of a parent (or parents) that is so commonly used to increase sympathy, the woman who provides for the protag is so loving when placed in contrast to the mother of the protag’s half brother that one feels it was the mothered child who got the worse deal.  And yet, the sympathy for a gutsy girl making her way without a mother to fight for her is still there.

The plot has some nice twists, too, so that I was still unsure as to how some particulars would tie up right until the end.  And the sociological structure of the martians, while not dwelt on excessively, was interesting and well-played.

I’ve always enjoyed YAs, but lately I’m also picking them apart and taking notes, so it’s especially nice to come across one that is such an excellent sample of what a kid book can be.