Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George is based on a folktale from Norway. It tells the story of woodcutter, Jarl Oskarson's youngest daughter. When she was born her mother was very unhappy about having another girl and refused to give her a name. Thus, she was known only as 'pika', meaning 'girl'. Being youngest, most of her siblings had moved out and on to lead their own lives. Her older brother, Hans Peter, however, came back after years aboard a merchant ship, injured and broken. He and Pika became very close. Hans Peter was dismayed when a giant polar bear came seeking Pika, asking her to live with him in an ice castle in the north for one year, in exchange for wealth and riches for her family. Pika agrees, at the encouragement of her greedy mother. Pika could never have realized that Hans Peter knew much more about this situation than her let on. During her year stay with the polar bear, many strange things happened to Pika, including a nightly visit from a strange man who wouldn't speak to her. When her curiosity got the best of her, Pika lit a candle to get a good look at her visitor. Unknowingly, this act ruined the deal the man had made with the evil Troll Princess. Now, despite Pika and the stranger having fallen in love over the course of their time together, he was forced to marry the troll! So, Pika calls upon all of her strength to travel into the trolls' realm and challenge the princess, risking her life and limb to save her true love.
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver is about Liesl, a little girl that lives a tough life. After her father dies, Liesl's step-mother locks her in the attic. She's been there for over a year! But, one evening a strange little ghost named Po appears and they become instant friends. This book is also about Will, an alchemist's apprentice who has secretly admired Liesl through her attic window for as long as she's been imprisoned there. Will makes a terrible mistake one evening, unknowingly exchanging the box of powerful magic he was supposed to be delivering with a box full of Liesl's father's ashes. Thus begins an adventure for Liesl, Po and Will that changes everything for them all!
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is about Finn, a prisoner in a unique prison, and Claudia, the prison warden's daughter. In this future, the government has forced changelessness on the society, forcing them to live as people lived hundreds of years earlier. One hundred years ago, Incarceron was conceived. It was meant to be an experimental prison that most people in regular society thought was somewhat of a paradise for the prisoners. This couldn't be further from reality. Finn awoke in the prison when he was about 12 with only snippets of memories. He immediately fell in with a band of thieving, murdering, partying gang and became oathbrothers with Keiro, a strong but somewhat untrustworthy boy. When one of their raids produces a strange key, the boys set out to find escape with a healer/teacher, a Sapient, named Gildas. Tagging along is a small slave girl who owes her life to Finn. They are following the old stories of Sapphique, the only person (a Sapient) who has ever escaped the prison.
Illegal by Bettina Restrepo is about Nora, a 14 year old growing up on her family orchard in Cedula, Mexico. Three years ago, Nora's father left for Texas, hoping to earn money to keep the orchard going, leaving Nora with her mother and grandmother. Every day since then, Nora has longed for her father's return. Her weekly trip to the bank to receive her fathers' telegrams and money turns sour one day when nothing arrives. After a fight about what to do, Nora and her mother use their savings (meant to pay their taxes) to purchase bus tickets to the border and to pay a coyote, someone who helps people get across the U.S. border illegally. Their 10 hour trip aboard a mango truck was miserable, but they made it alive. Once in Houston, Nora takes charge. She finds them both an apartment and jobs, all the while asking around about her father. As Nora's 15th birthday approaches, she begins to suspect that her special quinceanera may not be as special as she always hoped it would be, especially since in seems less and less likely that they'll ever find her father.
Cloaked by Alex Flinn is about Johnny, a seventeen year old boy who lives with his mother and runs his family's shoe business in a South Beach, Florida hotel. Things have been tough for Johnny and his mother since his father mysteriously disappeared when Johnny was only two years old. During the summer of his 17th year, Johnny spends almost all of his time working at the shoe shop - partly to earn money for his family, but partly to escape his apartment where the electricity has been shut off due to lack of payment. One summer day, Victoriana, the Princess of Aloria checks into the hotel. It is the talk of the staff and Johnny desperately wants to see her. Not only does he see her, she offers him a secret mission! Victoriana plans a secret meeting with Johnny and offers him an unbelievable quest: to find her brother, who has been turned into a frog and is somewhere in the Florida Keys. In exchange, she'll marry Johnny! Thinking about the money this marriage will bring to him and his family, Johnny accepts, convinced Victoriana has gone crazy. That is, until she gives him a magic hearing device that allows Johnny to hear the speech of animals who were once men, and a cloak which will transport him anywhere he wishes. Armed with these devices and with the help of his best friend, Meg, Johnny sets out on his journey. Along the way to saving the prince, Johnny encounters witches, giants, deadly scorpions, talking geese and rats and fox, a golden bird, and... the love of his life - who isn't who he thought it might be!
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner is the sequel to The Maze Runner. This book begins right where The Maze Runner ends, with Thomas and the other Gladers having been rescued and taken to a building where they are fed, clothed, and allowed to sleep. Their elation at being out of the Glade and Maze quickly turns to panic as they are nearly attacked by people possessed by the debilitating disease called the Flare, trying to get into the windows of the dormitory they're in. Things turn even worse when Thomas goes to check on Teresa and finds that not only can he not communicate telepathically with her anymore, she's been taken away and in her place is a new boy, Aris. They find out that there was another experiment, exactly the same as their own Glade/Maze, but with a group of all girls and one boy (Aris) rather than what the Gladers had - all boys with Teresa as the only girl. While they're trying to work out exactly what is happening, they notice new tattoos on each other's necks. Minho's tattoo proclaims him the leader of the group, while Thomas's says he will be killed. The sign that had been on Teresa's door labeled her as the betrayer. Eventually, they boys are told by a mysterious figure in white who literally appears out of thin air that in order to be free of WICKED and receive treatment for the Flare (they've all been infected), they must survive for two weeks in the Scorch, traveling 100 miles to the Safe Haven. On this journey the boys will be attacked by foes both familiar and unfamiliar. They will be plagued by the Flare and those infected who are slowly losing their minds. And, they will constantly be asking themselves if any of this is worth it.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo is about a self-centered china rabbit named Edward Tulane and the unexpected adventures that teach him to love people other than himself. Edward is first owned by Adilene, a young girl who's family can afford to dress Edward in the finest clothing. He sits in a special chair during the day, waiting for Adilene to return from school, he sits at the table during meal times, and he has his own special bed. Adilene loves Edward with all her heart, but Edward only loves himself. That all begins to change, however, the day Edward is lost at sea during a vacation Adilene's family takes. After being on the bottom of the ocean floor for years, Edward is caught in a fisherman's net and dragged to the surface. He is cleaned up and given new clothes, and even a new name (Susanna) by the fisherman's wife. Edward is still treated like a member of the family here, but in a much different way. This begins his miraculous journey. From here, he ends up with a homeless man and his dog, used as a scarecrow in an old lady's garden, loved by a dying girl and her brother, and eventually makes it full circle back into the arms of an adult Adilene and her daughter.
The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi is about Eva, a 12 year old girl who has been raised in her underground Sanctuary by her robot Muthr since she was born. Every day, Muthr puts Eva through a variety of lessons and tests, all in preparation for the day Eva will be able to leave Sanctuary and explore the Earth above. Eva's was a peaceful life until one day someone attacked her Sanctuary, destroying it. Muthr forced Eva to leave, giving her directions to get as far away as possible and call the nearest settlement for help using her Omnipod. Terrified, Eva tried to follow Muthr's directions, but nothing on the surface was what Eva was expecting. Eventually, Eva found a strange looking alien, Rovender Kitt, who was willing to help her get back to her own Sanctuary to find Muthr. As she feared, everything was ruined, but they were able to find Muthr and repair her. Because nothing was as they thought, Rovender agreed to help Muthr and Eva on their search for other humans. The only thing guiding them was a torn piece of cardboard that Eva found in her Sanctuary. She taped it back together to show a human girl holding hands with a robot and another human adult. Most of the words were missing, except for Wond and La, thus Eva dubbed it the "WondLa". Rovender thought he'd seen some artifacts similar to those in the Sanctuary in a museum in one of the large settlements, so they set off to find it. Eva made friends with an alien animal, similar to a great water bear, who also traveled with them. Plagued along the way by the evil Besteel, the alien who destroyed Sanctuary and who is trying to capture Eva, and a whole host of other dangerous aliens, the three continue their search for WondLa until they reach a very surprising conclusion to their journey!
Shapeshifter's Quest by Dena Landon is about Scyanthe, an 18 year old shapeshifter who lives in Carlbine Forest, the place where all shapeshifters were relegated by the King after the big rebellion. Scyanthe is different from everyone in her world, however, because she escaped having the priests mark her with the poison tattoo that binds the other shapeshifters to their part of the forest. While others of her kind would die an excruciating death upon leaving the boundary, Scyanthe is free to leave, though she never has. That is until the day her mother becomes ill with the wasting illness that seems to be taking over her land - not just the people, but the trees of the forest as well. Scyanthe is the only one who can save her mother, by leaving the forest and seeking out the medicine in the capitol. Along the way, Scyanthe must solve the mystery of what's killing the trees in her forest and poisoning the land. Eventually, she is taken in by a caravan of human traders who also possess magical capabilities. Scyanthe finally understands how the evil King and his priests have been gaining power and living beyond any normal human lifespan when she is forced to witness a ceremony. There, the priests sacrifice innocent animals, to which Scyanthe and all shapeshifters are tied, to preserve the lives of the wicked men who rule the land. When their caravan makes it to the capitol, Scyanthe desperately wants to find the medicine and leave, but she is held back by Jerel, the leader of the caravan. It turns out that none of them are what they seem and the "traders" have a special plan of their own to stop the King once and for all. Will Scyanthe make it back to the forest with the medicine in time to save her mother? Will Jerel and his crew accomplish their goal? Will they be captured by the priests who seek them out? Read Shapeshifter's Quest by Dena Landon.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman is about Tristran Thorn of the village of Wall. Wall is adjacent to the land of faerie, separated by a wall with only one opening. The opening is always guarded by villagers who prevent people from traveling through, except on Market Day every nine years when all of the magical vendors from the land of faerie set up their wares just outside the wall. One night, Tristran and the girl he loves, Victoria, see a falling star. Victoria makes a promise to Tristran that she will "give him what he desires" (marriage), if he finds the fallen star and brings it back to her. The very next day Tristran sets out on his journey. He has some help along the way and eventually stumbles upon the star - who turns out to be a young and beautiful woman! She doesn't want to travel with Tristran, but she broke her leg in the fall and needs help. Things take a turn for the worse as several other magical (and evil) beings are closing in on the star, wanting her for themselves. An evil witch wants the star's heart so she and her sisters can use it to regain their youth, a monsterous family of brothers wants her because she holds the key to their kingdom and each will do anything to anyone to claim it. Tristran's only goal is to make it back to Wall, to Victoria with his prize. Will he make it alive and with the Star?
La Linea by Ann Jaramillo is about fifteen-year-old Miguel and his thirteen-year-old sister, Elena. Seven years ago their parents left for La Linea, the line separating Mexico and the United States, promising to send for them as soon as possible. That time has finally arrived for Miguel - his father sent word and made arrangements for him to travel across the border illegally, and into the United States. Little does Miguel know that Elena has been spying on his preparations for his trip, and has decided to come along. This story travels with Miguel and Elena, and eventually with their traveling partner, Javier, as they attempt to make it across La Linea to meet their parents on the other side.
Seekers by Erin Hunter is about three bears, Kallik, a young polar bear, Lusa, a young brown bear, and Toklo, a young grizzly bear. Each of these three bears is trying to learn about the world and how to survive in it. They all go on a long journey, and their stories intertwine in the end.
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is about twins Sophie and Josh. Josh has been working for Nick Fleming, aka Nicholas Flamel, in his book shop. Nicholas's true identity is revealed when Dr. John Dee comes into the shop and tries to steal the Codex, an ancient and mysterious book that Nicholas has been guarding for the last 600 years. Josh and Sophie accidentally get involved in the fight and end up fleeing with Nicholas. In the mean time, Dee kidnaps Nicholas's wife, Perenelle and enlists the help of some of the Dark Elders, Egypt's Bastet (the cat goddess) and the Morrigan (the crow goddess). Nicholas and the twins pick up Scatty, an ancient warrior in a teenaged body, and head to Hekates Shadowrealm. Nicholas knows a secret about an omen within the Codex and believes that the twins will eventually save the world. He also knows that in order to do this, they need to have their powers awoken. Hekate is one of the Elders who has this power. Unfortunately, she is only able to awaken Sophie's powers before Dee, the Morrigan, and Bastet show up with an army of enchanted cats and crows!
Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo is about six year old Arthur, a boy sent from England to live in Australia after he is orphaned during WWII. He is separated from his sister, Kitty, and only has a key to remember her by. As he grows older, Arthur eventually forgets what the key goes to, and begins to believe that he may have even made up his sister in his mind. He is sent to live and work under the harshest of conditions with numerous other orphans on a farm in Australia. Eventually, he and his friend Marty are able to escape and live through young adulthood with a women in the Australian bush, helping her save and release hurt and orphaned animals. Through twists and turns, Arthur ends up working at a boat company in New Zealand and discovers a love for the sea. He transfers this love to his daughter, and they hatch a plan to sail their own boat to England to find his long lost sister, Kitty and finally discover the true meaning behind the key that Arthur still wears around his neck.
The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer is the sequel to The Sea of Trolls. This book follows Jack on another adventure as he attempts to save his sister, Lucy, and return the water to Bebba's Town. Jack has many hardships and meets many interesting creatures, including hobgobblins, yarthkins, elves, picts and an evil half-kelpie who has named himself king. Accompanied by a whiny slave from Bebba's Town and a recently freed slave named Pega, Jack encounters his old friend Thorgil, and they all continue the adventure together.
