MMGM~EVERTASTER: The Buttersmiths' Gold

MMGM aka Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!! It was created by Shannon Messenger to give middle grade reads the attention they deserve. If you'd like to see more MG books, click HERE to follow other participants. 

I first saw this book over on Shannon's site, and I thought it was adorable. I added it to my TBR list. But then something really cool happened. I WON a copy from the author! He sent me a physical copy and even signed it. Pretty sweet.

EVERTASTER: The Buttersmiths' Gold by Adam Glendon Sidwell

Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Publisher: Future House Publishing
Release Date: May 2013
Pages: 126

Favorite Lines/Passage: When it touched them it was like a warmth he had never known. While it was on his tongue all the sorrows and terror of the battle and the defeat of his people melted away, and he felt like a child again. It tasted creamy and sweet like honey, but salty like the sea. If snow could be warm, this was it. It was more than a taste--it was an embrace. (page 96)

Description: BATTLES. BLUEBERRIES. BOVINES.

TORBJORN AND STORFJELL’S HISTORY UNFOLDS IN AN EPIC EVERTASTER NOVELLA.

Everyone knows the most coveted treasure of the Viking Age was blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins so succulent that if you sniffed just a whiff, you'd want a whole bite. If you bit a bite, you'd want a batch; if you snatched a batch, you'd stop at nothing short of going to war just to claim them all. 

Young Torbjorn Trofastsonn comes from the clan that makes them. He's a Viking through and through – he's thirteen winters old, larger than most respectable rocks, and most of all, a Buttersmith. That's what he thinks anyway, until a charismatic merchant makes Torbjorn question his place among the muffin-makers. When Torbjorn lets the secret of his clan's muffin recipe slip, he calls doom and destruction down upon his peaceful village and forces his brother Storfjell and his clansmen to do the one thing they are ill-prepared to do: battle for their lives.

COVETED! A MUST HAVE!

My Splats: A perfect middle grade tale to read with your kids! There's action, mystery, and valuable lessons on loyalty and purity. Oh...and trolls!

Humorous and enticing narration. Plus, the cover is a hoot! Just look at it. Seriously. And once you read the story, the cover will hold such meaning for you. 

This is a great MG tale of self-awareness--in oneself as well as in one's place within a family unit. Torbjorn seems to always come up short in comparison to his brother. It's a constant battle for him, struggling with feeling like he has to prove himself to his family and clan. This stress aka drive pushes him to make some risky decisions, endangering the life he's always known, including the precious secret of his people's successful muffin business.

Most of you can relate to that movie, where you know a character shouldn't enter or go. Torb does exactly that, which is where this tale truly begins. Vivid description of setting and place gave the story breath and life. Coupled with Torb's inner contemplation about a strange man who sudden comes into his life, the story takes of in mystery and the unknown. This man, who sudden appears when Torb need help, seems to know more about Torb's muffin making clan than he does; and it just doesn't feel right. 

The world building is stellar, with colorful vocabulary and character quirks. This world is not only pleasurable, but tangible to the eye and ear. Streets and city names paint the world brightly. Smells of the sea and ancient honor fill the air.

Most important--at least to me as a reader--is the underlying message of truth and honor, even when the truth is not popular. This tale ultimately asks the reader to explore his/her motivations for performing a specified task and for whom they're doing it for.

I'd recommend this story to readers of MG age, those who love a comical adventure, and those with a vivid imagination not afraid to stretch those limits.  

What is the last Middle Grade story you've read or read to a child? What was your favorite part about the story?