 The
Lost Island of Tamarind
by Nadia Aguiar
Ages 10–14
When a sudden storm hits the
Nelson’s research boat, the parents are swept overboard.
Maya (13) sails the boat to Tamarind, the island setting
for her father’s fantastic tales. Stranded on the island,
Maya, her brother Peter, and baby sister Penny, find
themselves surrounded by pirates and involved in one
exciting adventure after another in this high-energy
fantasy. |
|
 Keeper
by Kathi Appelt, August Hall
Ages 8–12
Since her mother swam away and never
returned seven years ago, 10-year-old Keeper, convinced that
her mother is a mermaid, has lived on the Texas coast with
her guardian Signe. Keeper has waited all summer for the blue
moon, when Signe will make a special gumbo, but she accidentally
spoils everything. So Keeper sets out in a small boat into
the sea to find her mother and set everything right. Mermaid
lore, local legends, Cajun superstitions, and natural history
enliven this magical tale. |
|
 Ship
Breaker
by Paolo Bacigalupi
Ages 12–up
In this futuristic adventure,
Nailer, a teenager on the Gulf Coast, works on a crew
scavenging parts from grounded oil tankers. Along with
crushing poverty, Nailer must survive dangerous hurricanes
and his violent and drug-addicted father. When a beautiful
shipping heiress, nick-named Lucky Girl, is stranded
on the beach, Nailer becomes aware of the extremes
of class disparity. Defying both his crew and his father,
Nailer helps Lucky Girl escape toward the ruins of
New Orleans, expanding his understanding of the larger
world around him and working to transcend expectations
of who he is and what he can be. |
|
 Heck:
Where the Bad Kids Go
by Dale E. Basye, Bob Dob
Ages 9–12
Milton, an innocent 11-year-old
bookworm, and his 13-year-old rebellious sister Margo,
meet their end in a ludicrous accident at the mall. Unfortunately
Margo has been shoplifting and hid her loot in Milton’s
backpack, so they are both sent to Heck, purgatory for
children. Clever allusions (Heck’s ruler is Bea Elsa
Bubb) make this funny book sparkle. |
|
 The
Amaranth Enchantment
by Julie Berry
Ages 10–14
Lucinda is a 15-year-old orphan
who lives a life of miserable servitude in her evil aunt’s
jewelry store until the day she finds an unusual gemstone
belonging to Beryl, who just might be a witch. The stone
is stolen and sold to a prince and Lucinda sets out to
get it back. A clever twist on the Cinderella story,
this funny and suspenseful fantasy is also a fast-paced
adventure. |
|
 White
Cat
by Holly Black
Ages 14–up
Cassel Sharpe (14) comes from
a family of curse workers, people who have to power
to change luck, emotion, or memories with the touch
of a finger. Curseworking is illegal, so all curse
workers are mobsters or con artists, and everyone wears
gloves to avoid being taken advantage of. But Cassel
doesn’t seem to have the family power, except for the
fact that he killed his best friend three years earlier.
Cassel has tried to bury that event in the past, but
now he is having dreams of a white cat that wants to
tell him something, and he fears that he may be in
the middle of the biggest con ever. (first in a projected
series) |
|
 The
Compound
by S.A. Bodeen
Ages 12–up
Ellis, the 15-year old son of
a billionaire, has spent the last six years in the massive
underground shelter his father built to shelter the family
from the nuclear war that destroyed the world above.
With nine years to go before the air above is safe, the
food begins to run out, and Ellis is caught in an ethical
and moral dilemma as he becomes increasingly suspicious
about his father’s choices and actions. |
|
 Going
Bovine
by Libba Bray
Ages 14–up
Cameron Smith (16) is coasting
through high school in the shadow of his perfect sister.
While working at Buddha Burger, Cameron comes down
with mad cow disease and the prognosis isn’t good.
In the hospital he is visited by Dulcie, a neon pink
angel who just may be a hallucination. Dulcie convinces
Cameron to go on a quest to find a cure and save the
world with the help of Gonzo, a neurotic dwarf, and
Balder, a Norse god who is trapped in the form of a
garden elf. This wacky fantasy adventure will appeal
to fans of The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. |
|
 Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
Ages 14–up
People with special talents, called
Gracelings, are identified by their unusual eyes. Katsa has
one green and one blue eye, but it is not until she is eight
that her special talent is discovered—killing. By age
18 she is henchwoman to the king. Hating her job, Katsa creates
a secret council to work against corrupt power. Teens (and
adults) struggling to put their own talents to good use will
enjoy this riveting novel. |
|
 Fire
by Kristin Cashore
Ages 14–up
Fire, an orphan with hair as red as
her name, can control the minds of everyone around her. Young
King Nash is barely holding on to his throne, while rebel lords
in the north and south build armies in hopes of taking over
the throne. This suspenseful and romantic companion volume
(prequel) to Graceling,
shares one pivotal character. |
|
 Happenstance
Found
by P.W. Catanese
Ages 8–12
Happenstance, a boy with weird
green eyes, wakes up in a cave with no memories of
his past life or his present surroundings. He meets
Lord Umber, who seems to know as much about our world
as his own. They discover that Hap has strange powers—he
can see in the dark, speak many languages, and leap
high in the air. First in a new series (Books of Umber),
this strange tale is action-packed and surprising. |
|
 Oh.
My. Gods.
by Tera Lynn Childs
Ages 12–up
Phoebe is shocked when her widowed
mother returns from a Greek vacation not only engaged to a
man she has just meet, but determined that Phoebe will complete
her senior year of high school at her future stepfather’s private
academy. The twist is that the school caters to the descendents
of the Greek gods and goddesses, cleverly mixing mythology
into the usual high school cliques. |
|
 The
Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Ages 12–up
In this future world the United
States is gone and North America has become Panem, a
TV-dominated dictatorship. Every year 24 teenagers are
chosen by lottery to fight in the Hunger Games, a reality
TV show where the only rule is that you cannot eat the
dead contestants. Katniss takes the place of her younger
sister and is soon being groomed for maximum camera appeal.
As Katniss struggles to win both the Games and audience
approval, the reader is forced to confront the question:
What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity?
(1st in a projected trilogy) |
|
 Catching
Fire
by Suzanne Collins
Ages 12–up
Katniss Everdeen and won the
annual Hunger Games against all odds and should be
enjoying the new prosperity their win brought to their
district. But President Snow is angry about being outsmarted
and rumblings of uprisings inspired by Katniss’s defiance
of the rules are heard across the land. And the upcoming
Hunger games will be the 75th anniversary so there
are sure to be some extra-special challenges for the
next round of Hunger Game contestants. (sequel to The
Hunger Games) |
|
 A
Banquet for Hungry Ghosts:
A
Collection of Deliciously Frightening Tales
by Ying Chang Compestine, Coleman Polhemus
Ages 12–up
This collection of eight gruesomely
delightful tales feature hungry ghosts—the spirits of those
who died hungry or unjustly and have returned to seek vengeance.
The chilling tales are illustrated with lurid images of the
ghosts and their victims. |
|
 The
Gates
by John Connolly
Ages 12–up
While doing some early trick-or-treating
with his dog Boswell in Biddlecombe, England, 11-year-old
Samuel Johnson witnesses a strange happening at 666 Crowley
Road. Experimenting with one of the spells in a
old book, Mrs. Abernathy inadvertently opens
the Gates of Hell and allows a powerful demon through.
Horrified, Samuel tries to convince various adults of
the mounting danger, but finds they don’t believe him.
Billed as an “adult
book for children,” this
whimsical fantasy features a quirky and imaginative hero,
an amusingly incompetent subdemon named Nurd, and accessible
explanations of quantum mechanics, wormholes, and black
holes. |
|
 Little
Brother
by Cory Doctorow
Ages 13–up
Set in near-future San Francisco
after a terrorist attack, 17-year-old Marcus and his
friends (guilty only of cutting school) are arrested
and interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Released, techno-geek Marcus and his crew fight against
the oppressive police state. |
|
 Jessica’s
Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
by Beth Fantaskey
Ages 14–up
Jessica Packward, 17-year-old
mathlete, is flabbergasted when a Romanian named Lucius
Vladescu appears and informs her that they are vampire
royalty and pledged to be wed since infancy. When her
adoptive parents confirm that her real parents claimed
to be vampires, Jessica is stunned. But Lucius is attractive,
and armed with Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s
Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica
begins to transform herself into a Vampire Princess.
Funny, satirical, and suspenseful, this vampire novel
is a cut above the competition. |
|
 The
Sea of Trolls
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack (11) is a scrawny medieval Saxon
boy who has never been much good at anything until the Bard
of his village makes him an apprentice. Jack is slowly learning
to call on magical powers when the Bard realizes that Viking
berserkers are about to attack the village. They raise a fog
to hide the village, but Jack and his sister Lucy (5) are kidnapped
by by Ivan One-Brow and his crew. Jack impresses Ivan with
his ability to control the weather and things aren’t nearly
as bad as they could be until Lucy is given to King Ivan the
Boneless and Frith, his evil half-troll wife. By mistake, Jack
detaches Frith’s hair and is sent on a quest with Ivan and
Thorgil to the Troll kingdom to find Mimir’s Well and the secret
to restore Frith’s hair. This skillful amalgam of history,
myth, and humor will appeal to fantasy lovers of all ages. |
|
 The
Land of Silver Apples
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack (13) and his sister Lucy (7) are
safely back home with their parents, and Lucy is even more
spoiled than ever. When her behavior grows too bad to ignore,
the family takes her to a monastery for an exorcism. Jack’s
father admits that their real baby was stolen at birth, and
Lucy left in her place. Lucy is stolen by the Lady of the Lake
and Jack’s mother insists that her real daughter be found,
and Jack is off on another quest. Assisted by Pega, a slave
girl, and Thorgil, the ex-berserker, Jack journeys through
the lands of hobgoblins, kelpies, yarthkins, and elves in this
thoroughly satisfying sequel to The
Sea of Trolls. |
|
 The
Island of the Blessed
by Nancy Farmer
Ages 9–up
Jack, 14-year old apprentice
bard, is now living with Thorgil, shield maiden, and
the Bard. A draugr, the undead spirit of a wronged
mermaid, is roused by the village priest’s mystical
bell, sending Jack and his friends to the kingdom of
the fin folk seeking a way to bring the draugr peace.
(conclusion to The
Sea of Trolls and The
Land of Silver Apples) |
|
 Once
Upon a Marigold
by Jean Ferris
Ages 9–12
Chris runs away from home when
he is six and is raised in the forest by trolls. After
spotting Marigold in her castle through his telescope,
he sends a p-mail (pigeon mail) and they become friends.
When he learns her life may be in danger, he heads off
to save her. This fast-paced fantasy, romance, comedy,
and coming-of-age novel is a lot of fun. |
|
 Twice
Upon a Marigold
by Jean Ferris
Ages 9–12
This hilarious warping of fairy-tail
conventions continues the story of Marigold, her new
husband, her father the king, and her evil step-mother
who is not as dead as they hoped. |
|
 Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Ages 12–up
In this complex and inventive fantasy,
civilization was frozen in late-medieval development to save
the world from dangerous technology. All of the madmen and
malcontents were sealed into a huge and sentient prison named
Incarceron. Claudia, the brilliant daughter of the prison warden,
is doomed to a loveless marriage with the simpleminded heir
to the throne. But when Finn, a prisoner without a past, finds
a crystal key that lets him communicate with Claudia, each
decides to escape their own prison with unexpected consequences. |
|
 The
Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Ages 10–up
When a murderer kills the rest of his
family, the toddler escapes to the graveyard next door where
the ghosts take him in and raise him as their own. The boy,
called Bod (short for Nobody) grows up fairly normal despite
his ghoulish guardians and the fact that the killer is still
stalking him. This gothic fantasy is downright terrifying at
times. |
|
 The
Museum of Mary Child
by Cassandra Golds
Ages 11–up
Heloise is kept secluded by
her stern god mother. When the lonely girl discovers
a beautiful doll, Maria, hidden under the floorboards,
she hides the doll from her godmother who prohibits
play, beautiful things, and talk of love. When Maria
is discovered, Heloise learns the dreadful truth about
the museum adjoining her godmother’s cottage. This
mysterious and creepy novel is enthralling. |
|
 Eon:
Dragoneye Reborn
by Alison Goodman
Ages 12–up
In a world where women are
forbidden to study Dragon magic, Eona (16) disguises
herself as a 12-year-old boy (Eon) to enter a competition
to become an apprentice Dragoneye. Against all odds,
the crippled Eon is selected and is soon fighting against
the corrupt Lord Ido in this compelling fantasy. |
|
 The
Other Side of the Island
by Allegra Goodman
Ages 12–up
Honor (10) and her parents are
brought to Island 365 by the Corporation led by Earth
Mother. Using memory-altering substances and misinformation,
the Corporation lulls its citizens into believing that
the rest of the world is uninhabitable. Honor’s parents
rebel and are captured and Honor and a friend must rescue
them. |
|
 The
Lost Conspiracy
by Frances Hardinge
Ages 10–up
On the enchanted island of
Gullstrick, Arilou is proclaimed to be a mystic, the
next Lady Lost of the Lace people. Her younger sister
Hathin acts as her translator and guardian. But neither
sister is exactly what she seems, and when a Lost Inspector
arrives to authenticate Arilou’s claim, the sisters
and the Lace people are in danger. This complex tale
is an entrancing story. |
|
 Well
Witched
by Frances Hardinge
Ages 8–12
Stranded in a forbidden place, three
friends steal coins from a wishing well for bus fare. To their
horror, they find themselves possessed by powers they cannot
control: Chelle voices the thoughts of others, Josh conducts
electrical currents, Ryan grows warts with eyes. Told from
Ryan’s point of view, this chilling supernatural thriller is
distinguished by the vivid imagery of its language. |
|
 13
Treasures
by Michelle Harrison
Ages 8–12
Tanya (13) is tormented by
evil fairies that no one else can see. Tanya’s mother
blames Tanya for the fairies’ pranks, and sends Tanya
off to visit her unloving grandmother at the isolated
Elvesden Manor on the edge of a mysterious wilderness.
In partnership with Fabian, the son of the groundskeeper,
and Red, a girl wanted by the police for kidnapping
a changeling, Tanya becomes involved in the decades
old mystery of the disappearance of children from the
nearby town. This appealing modern-day fairy tale will
keep readers enthralled. |
|
 The
Ghost’s Child
by Sonya Hartnett
Ages 12–up
One day 75-year-old Maddy comes
home to find a peculiar young boy waiting for her.
The boy is eager for stories so she tells him of her
past, her imaginary best friend, and her lost love—a
feral man of the sea. Beautiful prose supports this
tale of magical realism. |
|
 The
Black Book of Secrets
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Ludlow Fitch, fleeing a
terrible past, arrives in a peaceful village. Ludlow
becomes the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who
trades cash for people’s deepest, darkest secrets. It’s
Ludlow’s job to record the secrets in the leather bound Black
Book of Secrets. The vaguely Dickensian late 1800s
atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for this historical
fantasy. |
|
 The
Bone Magician
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Pin Carpue is left to survive
on his own in the crime-ridden city of Urbs Umida when
his father, a suspected murderer, disappears. Pin gets
a job as a corpse watcher, standing guard in the morgue
for three days to ensure that the deceased really are
dead and not just sleeping. There he meets the Bone Magician
who claims to be able to reanimate the dead to answer
last questions from the living. This dark and funny fantasy
is a companion volume to The
Black Book of Secrets. |
|
 The
Eyeball Collector
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Hector finds himself
alone, homeless, and penniless when his father dies
after being blackmailed and disgraced. Hector sets
out to find revenge against the man he thinks is responsible
for the blackmail—Gulliver Truepin, a one-eyed
con artist who steals jewels to make a different jeweled
eyeball for each day of the week. The two end up at
Withypitts Hall, home of the cruel Lady Mandible and
all plots come together on the night of an extravagant
feast. (Companion volume to The
Black Book of Secrets and The
Bone Magician) |
|
 Green
Witch
by Alice Hoffman
Ages 12–up
A year after losing her family
in the destruction of the city, Green (16) finds that
tending her garden and collecting the stories of other
survivors helps the healing process. But she can’t
stop thinking of her beloved Diamond, a mute boy who
stole her heart, and her former schoolmate Heather.
Green consults a series of women believed to be witches
whose advice leads her to the island of prisoners where
she finds old acquaintances and strangers who share
her grief and suffering. Together they to try to change
the future. This poetic and haunting novel is the sequel
to Green
Angel. |
|
 ghostgirl
by Tonya Hurley
Ages 12–up
Charlotte Usher is determined to join
the ranks of the popular when she enters Hawthorn High, but
she chokes to death on a gummi bear the first day of school
and is sent to Deadiquette School instead. This witty satire
of a teen who refuses to stay dead will appeal to teens and
adults alike. |
|
 Genius
Squad
by Catherine Jinks
Ages 12–up
Cadel Piggot and his disabled
friend Sonja Pirovic join the Genius Squad, hoping that
the superhuman Brainiacs and their technology will be
powerful enough to protect them from Prosper English.
[sequel to Evil
Genius] |
|
 House
of Many Ways
by Diana Wynne Jones
Ages 12–up
When bookish, self-centered Charmain
leaves home to care for her great-uncle’s magical house,
she surprises herself by discovering her own hidden talents.
The flamboyant Wizard Howl (from Howl’s
Moving Castle) appears mid-way through the book,
yet Charmain manages to hold her own. |
|
 Stuck
on Earth
by David Klass
Ages 11–14
Ketchvarr III, an alien snail,
is sent to Earth to inhabit the body of an average
teenager and decide if the human race should be annihilated.
Ketchvarr chooses Tom Filber, an average 14-year old,
and at first believes that humans should be wiped out
before they destroy themselves and the environment.
But Ketchvarr begins to sympathize with Tom, who is
ostracized by his peers, and wonders if humans might
be worth saving after all. This wry and funny look
at teen life and human flaws is surprisingly thoughtful
and affecting. |
| |
|
 Ever
by Gail Carson Levine
Ages 10–up
In this mythological tale, Kezi is
the only daughter of a wealthy and devout family in an ancient
vaguely Middle Eastern city. When her mother falls deathly
ill, her father promises to sacrifice the first person who
congratulates him if the god Admat will let her live. Another
god tries to help Keri, who is the first to congratulate her
father. |
|
 The
Giver
by Lois Lowry
Newbery Medal 1994
Ages 12–up
Jonas lives in an ideal world with no
pain, poverty, unemployment, or unhappiness. The Elders arrange
marriages, assign careers, control sexual and aggressive impulses
with drugs, and manage the “release” of the old and
the weak. At age 12, Jonas is chosen to be the Receiver of Memories
and is trained by an old man known as the Giver to finally understand
that their utopian world is maintained by the loss of free will
and humanity. This thought-provoking is both powerful and disturbing. |
|
 Finnikin
of the Rock
by Melina Marchetta
Ages 14–up
Years ago, the royal family
of Lumatere was brutally murdered, and an imposter
seized the throne. a curse locks the inhabitants of
Lumatere inside the walls, while those outside live
as exile. Finnikin, who was only a child at the time
of the murders, has spent the last decade gathering
stories from the exiles. Evanjalin, a strange young
woman, claims to know the location of the missing heir
who can lift the curse and bring the exiles home. This
dark and believable fantasy is full of complex characters,
adventure, romance, and intrigue. |
|
 Ink
Exchange
by Melissa Marr
Ages 12–up
This suspenseful fantasy takes
place in a fully realized world that conveys the details
and the politics of faery life. Seventeen-year-old Leslie
is attracted to an eerie tattoo of eyes and wings that
binds her to Irial, the dark king of the faery world.
(Leslie made a cameo appearance in Wicked
Lovely.) |
|
 The
Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Ages 10–up
Jack Perdu is a 9th grade classics
prodigy. One evening Jack goes to New York City, a place
he has not visited since his mother died there eight
years ago. In Grand Central Station he meets Euri, a
mysterious girl who offers to show him the train station’s
secret places. Eight flights below, Jack realizes he
is in New York’s ghostly underworld and hopes to meet
his mother. The ghosts are suspicious of Jack, who becomes
increasingly uncertain if he himself is dead or alive.
This intricate adventure is a magical combination of
modern characters, New York history, and classical mythology. |
|
 The
Twilight Prisoner
by Katherine Marsh
Ages 10–up
Jack Perdu takes his friend
Carla to visit the New York City underworld, but once
inside they realize that their escape route has been
blocked. A beguiling mix of mystery, humor, historical
ghosts, and Greek myths, this book continues the story
begun in The
Night Tourist. |
|
 Chalice
by Robin McKinley
Ages 12–up
Mirasol, a humble beekeeper, has been
chosen to take the role of Chalice, communicator with the sentient
land. While trying to heal the trouble caused by the former
Master, Mirasol is drawn to the new master in this lavish magical
fantasy. |
|
 The
Hero and the Crown
by Robin McKinley
Newbery Medal 1985
Ages 12–up
Aerin is the only child of the king of
Damar, but since she is the daughter of a witchwoman the Damarians
do not trust her. Outcast by her own people, Aerin slowly begins
to trust in her own developing strengths. With the guidance of
the wizard Luthe and the help of the blue sword she battles Maur,
the Black Dragon to win her birthright. |
|
 Suck
It Up
by Brian Meehl
Ages 12–up
Morning McCobb, recent graduate
of Vampire International, is charged with telling the
world about vampires. Morning is not the usual vampire—he’s
a vegan, subsisting on a soy-based product called Blood
Lite. This very funny book with an appealing misfit protagonist
is a welcome change from the usual brooding vampire romance. |
|
 Winter’s
End
by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Ages 14–up
Milena, Bartolomeo, Helen, and
Milos, the orphan children of resistors who died in the
revolution, live in prison-like boarding schools. They
are only allowed to leave a few hours a year to meet
with their consolers, parent figures assigned by their
counselors. When the four teenagers escape, they endanger
themselves as well as their classmates and the consolers
who helped them flee. This suspenseful book is riveting. |
|
 The
Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
Ages 14–up
The youngest in Prentisstown,
Todd Hewitt (12) lives in a world without women, a world
where the thoughts of men and animals are audible as
Noise, an oppressive chaos of words and images. When
Todd and his dog Manchee notice a silence in the Noise,
Todd know he must keep this secret from the others and
flees, chased by Aaron, a zealot preacher, and his supporters.
Viola, the source of the silence, joins Todd and Manchee
in a desperate flight from the men of Prentisstown. (Book
One in the Chaos Walking series) |
|
 The
Ask and the Answer
by Patrick Ness
Ages 14–up
Todd and Viola have fled to
Haven, only to discover that Mayor Prentiss has arrived
first and is now intent on controlling the entire planet.
Todd is sent to prison, and Viola to the House of Healing
to recover from her wounds. Viola is recruited by the
Answer, a group aimed at overthrowing the government,
while Todd is forced to join the mayor’s new regime.
This powerful science fiction novel is Book Two in
the Chaos Walking series, following The
Knife of Never Letting Go. |
|
 Evermore
by Alyson Noël
Ages 12–up
Ever (17) survived the car crash that
killed the rest of her family, and can now hear the thoughts
of everyone around her. She retreats into a shell, keeping
her hoodie up and her iPod loud to isolate herself. Damen,
the cute new boy who can produce tulips from thin air, coaxes
her back into human contact and to the discovery of her own
immortality. |
|
 Blue
Moon
by Alyson Noël
Ages 12–up
Still learning to control her
powers as an immortal, 17-year-old Ever is crushed
when her boyfriend, and fellow Immortal, Damen breaks
up with her, and can't seem to remember their time
together. When Damon begins growing weaker, Ever is
determined to save him and is confronted by a hard
decision: should she change the past or not? (sequel
to Evermore) |
|
 Before
I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
Ages 14–up
Samantha has it all. She is
beautiful and popular and has three best friends and
an enviable boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should
be another wonderful day in her wonderful life, but
instead it is her last. Samantha gets a second chance
at re-living her last day, seven chances in all. Each
day she faces the consequences of even her smallest
actions and tries to get things right, and maybe even
redeem herself. |
|
 This
World We Live In
The
Last Survivors, Book 3
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Ages 12–up
A year after the moon was thrown
off course by a meteor, natural disasters and climate
change are making life on Earth a challenge. Miranda
(17) and her mother are barely surviving on food rations
in rural Pennsylvania when her father arrives with
his new family and three other refugees, including
Alex Morales from New York City. Miranda and Alex are
drawn to each other as they spend hours together scavenging
for food and supplies. This moving novel continues
the story of the struggle to keep hope alive in the
face of grim reality. (sequel to In
Life as We Knew It and In
The Dead and the Gone) |
|
 Nation
by Terry Pratchett
Ages 12–up
Mau is the only one left when a giant
wave destroys his island village. Daphne is the only survivor
of a ship sunk in the storm. Together they re-establish Mau’s
nation with the other survivors who gradually wash up on shore.
The clever balance between serious issues and wildly funny
events make this tale of discovery special. |
|
 The
Magic Thief
by Sarah Prineas
Ages 10–up
Connwaer, a preteen pickpocket, steals
a magical stone from Nevery, the most powerful wizard in Wellmet.
Surprised that the boy was not killed by the strong magic,
the wizard takes Conn on as an apprentice and enrolls him in
magic school. Nevery’s journal entries offer an intriguing
counterpoint to Conn’s candid perspective in this first of
a trilogy. |
|
 Fever
Crumb
by Philip Reeve
Ages 12–up
Fever Crumb is a 14-year old
orphan in the far future who has been adopted and raised
by Dr. Crumb, a member of the Order of Engineers, in
the huge head of an unfinished statue. Fever is the
only girl ever accepted as an apprentice by the logic
obsessed Order of Engineers. Sent into Hungry City
for the first time in her life to assist Auric Godshawk,
an eccentric archeologist, Fever is shunned by the
city dwellers who believe she is part Scriven, the
non-humans, who ruled the city but were hunted down
and killed in a victorious uprising by the people.
This beautifully written and creative fantasy is a
prequel to the Hungry City Chronicles: Mortal
Engines, Predator’s
Gold, Infernal
Devices, A
Darkling Plain. |
|
 Here
Lies Arthur
by Philip Reeve
Ages 12–up
Gwynna escapes down the river when
her village is burned by the warlord Arthur and is rescued
by Myrddin who offers to protect her in exchange for her service.
Myrddin disguises Gwynna as various people in order to transform
the warlord into the hero King Arthur. Reeve’s cynical take
on Arthurian legends will enchant teens. |
|
 The
Cabinet of Wonders:
The
Kronos Chronicles: Book I
by Marie Rutkoski
Ages 10–up
In 16th century Bohemia Prince
Rodolfo commissions Kronos, a gifted metalworker, to
build a magical clock. When the clock is finished, the
evil prince steals the metalworker’s eyes and wears them
himself. When the blinded Kronos returns home, his 12-yearoild
daughter Petra sneaks off to Prague to recover her father’s
eyes with her pet tin spider Astrophil. An astonishing
mix of history and enchantment will entrance readers. |
|
 The
Celestial Globe
The
Kronos Chronicles: Book II
by Marie Rutkoski
Ages 10–up
When Prince Rudolfo’s monsters
attack her, 13-year-old Petra escapes from 16th century
Bohemia to London through a “Loophole” permitting
instant time-space travel. Meanwhile, Petra’s magician
friend Tomik is captured by pirates seeking the second
of two magical globes which offer Loophole control when
combined. Supported by British spy John Dee, Petra builds
her own strengths before rejoining the fight against the
evil Prince Rudolfo. This fascinating mix of history and
fantasy is the sequel to The
Cabinet of Wonders. |
|
 The
Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan
Ages 14–up
Mary’s village is trapped by
the Unconsecrated, flesh-eating zombies that lurk near
the village fence. Inside, the Sisterhood, a convent-like
order of religious women, control village life. When
the Unconsecrated make it through the fence, Mary and
several others escape to the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
This riveting tale of survival highlights the capacity
of humanity to persevere. |
|
 Usagi
Yojimbo: Yokai
by Stan Sakai
Ages 9–12
Usagi, a heroic but kind samurai
rabbit, is walking through the forest one dark night
when a mother begs him to find her daughter who has been
stolen by the Yokai, evil supernatural spirits who can
change their shapes at will. Luckily he is joined by
Sasuke the Demon Queller, but the two have a fight on
their hands against the Demon Queen and her forces. This
fully painted hardcover book is a celebration of the
25th anniversary of Usagi’s first appearance, bringing
Sakai’s beautifully drawn, and often scary, graphic illustrations
to a new audience. |
|
 Gateway
by Sharon Shinn
Ages 12–up
Daiyu was adopted from China by a white
couple in St. Louis. Now a teenager, she often feels out of
place. At a street fair, an old Asian jewelry seller tells
her that her name means “black jade” and sells
her a ring bearing that stone. Transported through a gateway
into an alternate reality where America was colonized by the
Chinese in the 19th century, Daiyu is recruited as a spy and
falls for Kalen, who is in on the plot. Unfortunately, if Daiyu
is successful, she must leave this reality and Kalen to return
to her own time. |
|
 Shade
by Jeri Smith-Ready
Ages 14–up
Aura (16) was the first child born
after the Shift, when ghosts became visible to the new generation,
but not the old. How and why the Shift occurred is still a
mystery, and those born before and after are still struggling
through the change in perceptions. When Aura’s boyfriend Logan
dies of an accidental overdose, his ghost can still talk to
her, but can’t touch her or fully be part of her world like
Zachary, a Scottish transfer student more than willing to comfort
her. As Aura tries to come to terms with her grief, her relationships
with the dead and the living grow ever more complicated. |
|
 When
You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Newbery
Medal 2010
Ages 9–14
Miranda (12) is the latchkey kid
of a single mother law school dropout in late 1970s Manhattan.
After reading A
Wrinkle in Time, Miranda is obsessed with time travel,
and receives mysterious notes which accurately predict
the future. Over the course of her 6th grade year, Miranda
describes the three important themes in her life: her mother’s
upcoming appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid, the
sudden end of her lifelong friendship with her neighbor
Sal, and the appearance of a deranged homeless man. This
thought-provoking and realistic science fiction is enthralling. |
|
 Lament:
The Faerie Queen’s Deception
by Maggie Stiefvater
Ages 12–up
Sixteen-year-old gifted harpist
Deirdre Monaghan is painfully shy and a bit bored with
her dull suburban life. When a mysterious boy enters her
life, Deirdre discovers that she is a cloverhand, one who
can see faeries. Soon she is in the midst of a magical
faerie war that brings a bit more excitement than she wished
for. Fantasy fans will love this dark tale. |
|
 Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater
Ages 13–up
For years Grace has been fascinated
by the yellow-eyed wolf that saved her from its pack when she
was a child. Then she meets Sam, the yellow-eyed boy who was
bitten by a wolf when he was a child. In winter Sam lives as
a wolf, in summer he is human. As he grows older, Sam realizes
that one day he may lose the ability to become human. When
Grace and Sam fall in love one summer, Sam knows this is his
last chance to stay human. |
|
 Heartsinger
by Karlijn Stoffels
Ages 12–up
Two musicians are born at the same
hour on the same day. Mee, a singer of funeral dirges, can
see inside a person’s soul and his song can ease the pain of
loss. The music Mitou plays on her accordion brings happiness.
Together the two musicians are asked to travel to a faraway
land to free the Princess Esperanza from a spell that forces
her to spend her life gazing into a mirror. |
|
 Lips
Touch
by Laini Taylor
Ages 12–up
These three different stories
all hinge on the consequences of a kiss. Contemporary
Kizzy longs to be a normal, popular teenager and forgets
the rules she learned as a child and is seduced by
a goblin in disguise. Anamique lives in British colonial
India, silenced by a spell cast upon her at birth.
Just before Esmé’s 14th birthday, one eye changes from
brown to blue, and she discovers that she is hosting
a non-human being. |
|
 Doom
Machine
by Mark Teague
Ages 9–12
It’s 1956 and young Jack Creedle
and his disreputable Uncle Bud are trying to fix a
dead car which stranded scientist Dr. Shumway and her
daughter, Isadora, in the small town of Vern Hollow.
When the aliens land, Bud knows they are there to steal
one of his inventions, but everyone else is amazed
when the aliens kidnap seven people and take them off
to the planet Skreepia. This lively illustrated interstellar
adventure will captivate middle school readers. |
|
 The
Last of the High Kings
by Kate Thompson
Ages 12–up
In this sequel to The
New Policeman, J.J. Liddy is now married with four
children, including 11-year old Jenny whose mysterious
destiny is interwoven with the mythic fairy kingdom of
their native Ireland. |
|
 A
Conspiracy of Kings
by Megan Whalen Turner
Ages 10–up
Sophos, the reluctant heir
to the Sounis throne who is more interested in poetry
than power, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. This
absorbing political adventure is the fourth in the
Queen’s Thief series: The
Thief, The
Queen of Attolia, The
King of Attolia. The books should be read in order
for full appreciation of the complex plots. |
|
 Moribito:
Guardian of the Spirit
by Nahoko Uehashi
Ages 10–up
Balsa was a wandering warrior
for hire until the day she rescued a boy, Chagum, from
the river. She is then hired by the boy’s mother to protect
him since Chagum is host to a mythical creature that
threatens the rulers. An engaging combination of martial
arts, magic, heroic quest, and a totally unique heroine,
this quick-paced book will appeal to both boys and girls. |
|
 Drizzle
by Kathleen Van Cleve
Ages 8–12
Polly (11) knows that her family’s
rhubarb farm is magical: the plants taste like chocolate, it
rains every day at exactly 1:00 PM, and her best friend is
a rhubarb plant named Harry. But one day a mysterious mist
appears and everything changes: it stops raining, her brother
Harry becomes deathly ill, and Aunt Edith threatens to sell
the farm. Polly knows it is up to her alone to overcome her
numerous fears (of giant insects and slimy sand), discover
her own unique gift, and save the farm. This debut fantasy
with an environmental slant will appeal to young readers of
both sexes. |
|
 Numbers
by Rachel Ward
Ages 14–up
Jem (15) has a unique and terrifying
ability, when she looks someone in the eye, she sees the date
of their death. Jem avoids eye contact and relationships. Then
she meets Spider, another outsider in her special-education
class, and decides to take a change on friendship. The two
take a trip to the London Eye ferris wheel and Jem is horrified
to find that all the tourists in line are flashing the same
date, today’s date. Terrorists have planted a bomb, and when
Jem and Spider escape moments before the blast, they become
suspects. This stark novel is a gripping story of the lives
of teens living on the edge. |
|
 Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
Ages 12–up
In this alternate version of life in
1914, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians are armed with Clankers,
steam driven iron machines, while the British Darwinists have
fabricated animals. Prince Aleksandar of Austria-Hungary is
hidden away by his trusted advisors after his parents are killed
by the Germans. Meanwhile, Deryn Sharp successfully passes
as a young man in order to join the British Air Service. Her
bravery during a catastrophic flight aboard an enhance jellyfish
earns her a berth on the living airship Leviathan. The two
meet in the Swiss Alps and soon realize they must either cooperate
or be destroyed by the Germans. (1st in a planned quartet) |
| |
|
