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In the not-to-distant future, civilization is divided into 4 realms: the privilidged classes in Realm One, living a life of comfort, safety and ease; the working classes living in an overly industrialized Realm Two that isn’t much different from today’s dirty industrial cities; social misfits, outcasts and dangerous elements in a harsh, prison-like Realm Three; and a foreboding, frightening Realm Four from which no one and no real information returns.  And all that divides these Realms and their citizens is a mysterious Test that all citizens take when they’re 14. It’s administered by the Great Processor and no one challenges the test or the results. 14 year oldRead More →

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12 year old Samuel Collier is a street urchin and orphan on the mean streets of London in 1607.  He’s learned to trust no one, fend for himself, and fight off any one who gets in his way. After attempting to steal back a locket pawned by his dead mother, he ends up in a orphanage. But soon Samuel finds himself, another boy, and the kindly Reverend who ran the orphanage, aboard a ship bound for the New World. Samuel becomes page to Captain John Smith and spends months at sea on the way to the new Virginia colony, James Town.  Everyone imagines that theRead More →

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Rooted firmed in the steampunk genre,  Scott Westerfeld’s new series opens with gusto in Leviathan, released last week from Simon Pulse. In this alternate reality where the Central Powers (Clankers) have invented amazing mechanikal war machines, 15 year old Prince Aleksander Ferdinand’s parents, the heir to the throne of the Austria-Hungarian Empire Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Chotek, have been assassinated and he is whisked away in the dead of night by just a few loyal men in a giant walking war machine, a Stormwalker.  Naive to the intricacies of politics and international intrigue, Alek slowly realizes this assassination has been the spark to set off the greatest warRead More →

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The Doom Machine is award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Mark Teague’s foray into children’s novels.  Set in 1950’s at the height of the Cold War and the beginning of the Space Race, The Doom Machine is full of action, adventure, and amazing creatures and places.  It all starts with an alien invasion:  Jack Creedle can’t keep himself out of trouble and he doesn’t mind breaking a rule or two.  One pre-dawn morning while delivering his newspapers, Jack sees a flying saucer land in the forest outside his small town of Vern Hollow.  Isadora Shumway is a smart, logical girl who loves science and followingRead More →

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Cecilia Galante’s Patron Saint of Butterflies  follows the story of two young girls, Agnes and Honey, as they realize that the religious commune that they’ve spent their entire lives on is not like the rest of the world–and when all is not as it seems on the commune with its charismatic leader, the changes are for the better. Told in alternating narratives between the two girls, Galante weaves the two (very different) perspectives into an inspirational tale about friendship, faith, healing, and family.  The book, while it contains some heavier themes, handles delicate situations and broaches some serious topics with grace. The two-perspective approach allowsRead More →

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The wait was long; the wait was painful; but today the mystery was solved!  In Ghost in the Machine, Patrick Carman concludes his highly suspenseful, fast-paced, and tech-savvy thriller duo that started in last year’s Skeleton Creek.  When we left high school best friends Ryan and Sarah at the nail-biting end of Skeleton Creek, they were trapped in the defunct,  surface-mining gold dredge outside their tiny, isolated home town.  Forbidden to have contact with each other, yet bent on solving the sinister mysteries surrounding the dredge’s death-laden past, Ryan and Sarah snuck into the dredge late at night to find a secret room when they wereRead More →

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Who: Liza Ketchum, Author.  12-year-old Amelia Forrester, spunky, smart and adventurous protagonist – a true newshound.  Amelia’s mother, Sophie, and her best friend, Estelle – enterprising women seeking new opportunities and freedoms.  A variety of authentic, interesting charaters all working to find their fortunes. Where & When: A richly detailed San Francisco (also known as Phoenix City), Spring & Summer 1851 What:  Newsgirl, a vivid, entertaining and enjoyable novel for middle grade readers that captures both the essence and the excitement of the California gold rush.  When they arrive in San Francisco after the months-long sea crossing through Panama from Boston, Amelia, her mother and Estelle areRead More →

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Dealing with the aftermath of an accidental shooting, Donny Bailey Seagraves’  Gone From These Woods is a meditation on grief, anger and loss.  11-year-old Daniel has a troubled relationship with his alcoholic father so he finds companionship and a father-figure in his fun-loving uncle Clay.  When Clay gives Daniel his grandfather’s .410 rifle and proposes rabbit hunting, Daniel has mixed feelings: he wants to spend time with Clay but he has a secret aversion to hunting and killing.  With a rabbit in his sights, Daniel is unable to take his shot; but in the moment after the rabbit runs, Daniel’s life is shattered when Uncle Clay goes down.Read More →