Biography

Anne Ursu’s work has been selected as a National Book Award nominee, a Kirkus Prize finalist, and as a best book of the year by Parents Magazine, NPR, Bookshop.org, and Publishers Weekly. She lives in Minneapolis with her family and an unruly herd of cats and teaches at Hamline University's low residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. (source: author website and Wikipedia)

Bibliography highlights

The Lost Girl: When you’re an identical twin, your story always starts with someone else. For Iris, that means her story starts with Lark. Iris has always been the grounded, capable, and rational one; Lark has been inventive, dreamy, and brilliant—and from their first moments in the world together, they’ve never left each other’s side. When fifth grade arrives, however, it is decided that Iris and Lark should be split into different classrooms, and something breaks in them both. And at the same time, something strange is happening in the city around them, things both great and small going missing without a trace.

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy: If no one notices Marya Lupu, it’s likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer. For all the hopes the family has for Luka, no one has any for Marya, who can never seem to do anything right. But even so, no one is prepared for the day that the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability, and Marya makes a terrible mistake. 

The Real Boy: On an island on the edge of an immense sea there is a city, a forest, and a boy named Oscar. Oscar is a shop boy for the most powerful magician in the village, and spends his days in a small room in the dark cellar of his master’s shop grinding herbs and dreaming of the wizards who once lived on the island generations ago. Oscar’s world is small, but he likes it that way. The real world is vast, strange, and unpredictable. And Oscar does not quite fit in it.

Latest release: Not Quite a Ghost: The house seemed to sit apart from the others on Katydid Street, silent and alone, like it didn’t fit among them. For Violet Hart—whose family is about to move into the house on Katydid Street—very little felt like it fit anymore. Like their old home, suddenly too small since her mother remarried and the new baby arrived. Or Violet’s group of friends, which, since they started middle school, isn’t enough for Violet’s best friend, Paige. Everything seemed to be changing at once. But sometimes, Violet tells herself, change is okay.

My reading experience

I started reading Ursu’s books all the way with Breadcrumbs (which was brand new when I started working at my current library) and The Real Boy. I’ve loved her books ever since! The blend of imaginative and sometimes spooky fantasy stories with complex characters and thoughtful, age appropriate commentary on social issues is right up my alley. 

Ursu tends to draw on a wide range of inspiration, including fairy tales, classic books, and history, which lend a richness to the worlds she creates. I very strongly recommend her books for anyone who loves complex fantasy stories that stay with you after you’ve closed the covers. 

Readalikes

• Sage Blackwood: Like Ursu’s books, Blackwood writes stories that combine adventure, magic, and a keen eye for real world issues like environmentalism. 

• Kelly Barnhill: Barnhill writes both adult and middle grade fantasy and I find her middle grade books to be thoughtful and complex, sometimes a bit cerebral, but very compelling. 

• Delia Sherman: Sherman has written a few middle grade books, but my favorite is The Evil Wizard Smallbone, which is a delightful take on the magical apprentice story.