Alexander, Lloyd

The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio

Henry Holt, 2006

306 pages

4.6 MG

In the setting of The Arabian Nights, Carlo goes on a quest to find a treasure which he believes to be on "The Golden Road" because he has found a map hidden in a book given to him by a mysterious bookseller.  Along the way he meets some friendly and not-so-friendly people, finds his true love, and learns that the real treasure is not the treasure at all, but the journey.

 

Barry, Dave 

Peter and the Starcatchers 

Hyperion, 2004 

452 pages 

The prequel to Peter Pan, this is the story of how Peter, who is from an orphanage, boards a ship, meets Molly who is guarding a magical treasure chest on the ship.  There is a shipwreck right after pirates gain control of the ship and the magical treasure falls into the wrong hands.  They wash up onto a not-so-deserted deserted island with the treasure.

 

Barry, Dave

Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Hyperion, 2006

556 pages

This is the sequel to peter and the Starcatchers.  Peter leaves the relatives safety of Mollusk Island--along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell--for the dark and dangerous streets of London.  On a difficult journey across the sea, he and Tink discover the mysterious and deadly Lord Ombra, who is intent on recovering the missing starstuff--celestial dust that contains unimagined powers.  In London, Peter attempts to track down the indomitable Molly, hoping that together they can combat Ombra's determined forces.  (Book Jacket Description)

 

Beck, Ian

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart 

Greenwillow, 2007

352 pages

Tom must go rescue his older brothers from the Land of Stories where they have set out on adventures familiar to us, but have lost their way due to an evil influence. 

 

Bruchac, Joseph

Wabi

Dial, 2006

208 pages

Wabi is an owl who falls in love with a human girl, Dojihla. He is transformed into a boy, learns to work his human body, and finds ways to help protect Dojihla's people and the environment.

 

Buckley, Michael

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Amulet, 2005

284 pages

5.2, MG

Sabrina and Daphne's parents disappeared suddenly a year and a half before.  Now, after being shuffled from orphanages to foster homes, they are taken to the home of their grandmother, whom they though was dead.  She lives on the edge of a dark forest with strange happenings all around.

 

Byng, Georgia

Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism

HarperCollins, 2003

384 pages

5.5, MG

Molly and friend Rocky, who are living in a bleak orphanage, find a book on how to hypnotize which helps them solve their problems and takes them on a great adventure.

 

Byng, Georgia

Molly Moon Stops the World

HarperCollins, 2003

375 pages

5.3, MG

Molly and Rocky go to Los Angeles to stop the evil hypnotist Primo Cell who is trying to control the world by hypnotizing famous stars and having them sell his products.  Then he wants to becom president of the U.S.  

 

Carey, Janet Lee

Dragon's Keep

Harcourt, 2007

302 pages

5.2 MG

The queen and princess of Wilde Island have a secret.  The princess has a dragon's claw for her ring finger.  This might preclude her marriage to the prince of England which was foretold by Merlin.  Does dragon's blood run in her veins?  Will the prophecy be fulfilled?  The queen will do anything to see that her daughter takes her rightful place on the throne of England. 

 

Carey, Janet Lee

The Beast of Noor

Atheneum, 2007

494 pages

4.9 MG

Miles and Hanna are brother and sister who feel it is their quest to cross to the magical world of Attenlore and destroy the Shriker, a beast who has been attacking their village for years and ruining their family name. 

 

Colfer, Eoin

The Wish List

Mirimax, 2003

256 pages

St. Peter and the devil are fighting over Meg's soul. She is knocking at the door after a gas tank explosion sends her through the tunnel in the middle of a robbery of an elderly neighbor. She's had a rough life, with her mom dying and her stepdad kicking her out, so she's really not a bad kid, but not a very good one either. St. Peter and Beelzebub decide to send her back to try to patch things up with the neighbor.

 

Constable, Kate

Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy

(Singer of All Songs, The Waterless Sea, The Tenth Power)

Arthur A. Levine, 2004, 2005, 2006

304 pages, 320 pages, 320 pages

The story of Calwyn, a priestess from Antaris, Darrow from Tremaris, and Samis, his arch-enemy. They all fight for the Nine Powers of Chantment which would entitle the holder to rule the known world. In the third of the trilogy we find there is a Tenth Power, the power of darkness to be unleased upon the world. This is a well-written fantasy of good vs. evil with many twists and turns with a strong female protagonist.

 

Crossley-Holland, Kevin

Seeing Stone (Arthur trilogy, Book 1)

Arthur A. Levine, 2001

340 pages

The diary of a boy named Arthur in the 12th century. One day Merlin gave him a magic stone which shows him that his life will parallel that of another Arthur, one who lived centuries past, a king from Ulster. What was life like for the boy who would be king? First in a trilogy.

 

DiCamillo, Kate

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Candlewick, 2006

200 pages

Edward is the three-foot china rabbit owned by ten year old Abilene Tulane.  She adores him, but he cannot seem to return this emotion.  As they are on a ship with Abilene's parents, Edward is pitched overboard and begins a series of adventures which lead him to a softening of his heart. 

 

Dickinson, Peter

Ropemaker

Delacorte, 2001

376 pages

The Valley has been protected by magic for generations, but now the magic is breaking down for some reason. So Tilja and her grandmother and Tahl and his grandfather set out on a journey to find a man who has the secret they must have to repair the damage. Along the way they have many adventures and must evade the clutches of the evil leaders of the Empire who use magic to control.

 

Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee

The Mirror of Fire and Dreaming

Roaring Brook, 2005

329 pages

6.1 MG

Anand leaves the Silver Valley where he is an apprentice studying magic with the Masters to try to rescue his old friend and mentor Abhaydatta.  Sequel to The Conch Bearer. 

 

Farmer, Nancy

Sea of Trolls

Atheneum, 2004

480 pages

Young Jack and his sister Lucy are captured by Ivar the Boneless and his evil half-troll wife. Jack casts a spell to make her hair fall out. In order to save his sister from sacrifice, Jack must go on a quest to find a well with a magic spell to replace the queen's hair. During the quest he matures and discovers that the life-force is in everything.

 

Flanagan, John 

Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) 

Philomel, 2005 

256 pages

7.0, MG

15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice. What he doesn’t yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will learns, there is a large battle brewing. (Amazon Book Description)

 

Funke, Cornelia

Inkheart

The Chicken House/Scholastic, 2003

534 pages

5.4 MG

Meggie's father Mo has the ability to "read" characters out of books.  One night he brought some evil characters out of a book named Inkheart and her mother disappeared.  Now Meggie and her father must contend with these evil characters in this world. 

 

Funke, Cornelia

Thief Lord

Chicken House, 2002

352 pages

Prosper and Bo flee from Hamburg to Venice because they don't want to be separated and an aunt wants to adopt only Bo. They live with a group of homeless boys led by Thief Lord who robs rich homes. A rich man hires Thief Lord to steal a part of an old merry-go-round which has magical qualities.

 

Gruber, Michael

The Witch's Boy 

HarperTeen, 2005 

384 pages 

A witch finds an ugly baby in the woods, takes him home to raise him with a talking cat, a nursemaid bear, and a genie spirit, but he grows up to break her heart and be ridiculed by the world.  He seeks revenge against the people who ridiculed him, putting his mother in jeopardy.

 

Hale, Shannon

Goose Girl

Bloomsbury, 2003

300 pages

Princess Ani should be queen some day.  But her mother decides to marry her off to the prince of a neighboring kingdom.  On the way there, her lady in waiting carries out a diabolical plan to take her place and become the intended bride of the prince of Bavara.  Ani must run to avoid being killed.  She ends up as a tender of geese in the new kingdom where she was to become princess.

 

Hale, Shannon

Princess Academy

Bloomsbury, 2005

314 pages

6.0, MG

Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel attend the princess Academy where the bride of the Prince of the Lowlanders will be chosen.  There she not only learns to read and broaden her perspective, she learns about her value system and priorities and gains a true sense of herself. 

 

Horowitz, Anthony

Nightrise

Scholastic, 2007

365 pages

4.7MG

Twins Scott and Jamie can communicate by reading each other's minds.  They learn of a company called Nightrise which is trying to take over the world and threatens to open the "gate of evil."  The Nightrise people are backing a candidate for U.S. president who is under their control, and have kidnapped Scott in order to force him to help them carry out their dastardly plans.  This is a fantasy book which takes place half in the present world and half in a world ten thousand years ago.  It has many things to say about "the past learning from the future and the future learning from the past."  The action is non-stop and the twists and turns keep the reader engaged until the very end.  Nightrise is the third in the series of books called The Gatekeepers; the reader will be happy to know there are more to follow.

 

Horowitz, Anthony

Raven's Gate

Scholastic, 2005

256 pages

Matt is serving a sentence near Raven's Gate, the portal to evil. After being present at a theft and assault, he chose Mrs. Deverill and Lesser Malling in the countryside rather than go to jail, but he is sorry. Strange things happen there. The dark forces are gathering and Matt is going to be the blood sacrifice.

Hunter, Erin

 

Hunter, Erin

Warriors: Book One: Into the Wild

HarperCollins, 2003

288 pages

Rusty is a housecat who becomes a feral cat and is renamed Firepaw. Four clans of feral cats inhabit the forest which is now threatened by "two legs" and his increased hunting. These clans fight over control of the forest and its hunting rights. It is into this climate that Firepaw emerges. This is the first in a long series which is very popular with animal fantasy fans.

 

Jacques, Brian

High Rhulain (Redwall)

Philomel, 2005

352 pages

Tira is an Ottermaid who because of a dream sets off to save some otters enslaved by vicious cats and take her place as High Rhulain. Along the way she is helped by a goose, an osprey, and the hares. Though this book is part of the Redwall series, it can be read on its own.

 

Levine, Gail Carson

Fairest

By Gail Carsen Levine

HarperCollins, 2006

336 pages

Aza wants more than anything to be beautiful.  She becomes lady in waiting for Queen Ivi who is exquisitely beautiful but very selfish and vain.  Ivi has a magic mirror and is very jealous of anyone who is as beautiful as she.  The prince, nephew to the king, falls in love with Aza just as she is, large and plain.  Then Aza finds a spell which makes her more lovely than Ivi.  Will all her dreams come true? 

 

Lowry, Lois

Gathering Blue

Houghton Mifflin, 2000

215 pages

In the future after "the ruin" civilization has been reduced to a primitive, non-technological state. Kira, whose father has disappeared, has recently lost her mother. Since she is lame, she is afraid she will be cast out of her village, but instead is installed as a caregiver of the Singer's robe.

 

Lowry, Lois

The Giver

Houghton Mifflin, 1993

192 pages

In a seemingly perfect, pain-free futuristic society, Jonas is given the career assignment of Receiver of Memory. He begins slowly to see the hypocrisy in his society as he becomes aware of the memories of his world through his career. Lowry uses this story as an allegory for us to take a look at our own society and what might happen to us if we are not careful of the roads we take.

 

Lowry, Lois

Gossamer

Lowry, Lois

Houghton Mifflin, 2006

144 pages

4.4, MG

Dream benefactors, led by Littlest and Thin Elder, are concerned about a very angry boy who comes to live with the older woman in the house for which they are responsible. The angry boy is having nightmares and they feel responsible for his recovery

 

Lowry, Lois

Messenger

Houghton Mifflin, 2004

176 pages

4.9, UG

Matty hopes his new name will be Messenger when he receives it, but the village he lives in is undergoing strange and disturbing changes. Matty must go and get Kira, Seer's daughter. On the way back through the forest, he must decide whether to use his healing powers to save the village and its people even though it may destroy him to use this power.

 

Nimmo, Jenny

Midnight for Charlie Bone (Book 1: Children of the Red King)

Orchard, 2003

416 pages

Charlie Bone's life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. (Card Catalog Description) 

Book 2: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

Book 3: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

 

Nix, Garth

Keyes to the Kingdom: Book One: Mister Monday

Scholastic, 2003

368 pages

Book one of a series of seven. Arthur has an asthma attack while running cross country and has a dream. But when he comes to, he still has a key which appeared in his dream. Then strange things start to happen. Mister Monday shows up, ready to do anything to get the key back. A house which only he can see appears on his street. When he ventures inside, he meets many strange characters.

 

Oppel, Kenneth

Airborn

Eos, 2004 

368 pages 

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. It is only after Matt meets the balloonist's granddaughter that he realizes that the man's ravings may, in fact, have been true, and that the creatures are completely real and utterly mysterious. (Amazon Description)

 

Oppel, Kenneth

Skybreaker

Eos, 2004

368 pages

A fantasy set in the era of dirigibles (1890's-turn of century) about Matt, a young cabinboy who meets another teen, wealthy passenger Kate. She wants to investigate her grandfather's diary which claims he saw huge, furry beasts flying in the air the year before in that area. A storm forces the dirigible down on a deserted island where they attempt to photograph the species, but they are captured by pirates.  

 

Paolini, Christopher

Eragon, Eldest

Knopf, 2004, 2005

544 pages, 704 pages

A complex fantasy not for the faint of heart. Eragon, a farm boy, finds a blue stone in the mountains above his uncle's farm and brings it home. It hatches into a blue (sapphire) dragon which he names Saphira. He learns that he is one of Dragonriders who were thought to be lost. They set out to avenge Eragon's uncle's death but are soon pursued by evil King Galbatorix and his men. The relationship between Eragon and the dragon is heartwarming, but there graphic is violence in this book. In book two, the adventure continues with the elves, dwarves and Galbatorix still pursuring. Eragon lives with the Elves while he is in training for battle and becomes an elf.

 

Pattou, Edith 

East

Harcourt, 2003 

400 pages 

Rose leaves on the back of the White Bear, hoping that his promise to bring health and wealth to her poor family will come to fruition.  He takes her to a castle in the East.  Is he really a bear or a prince who had a spell cast upon him by the trolls?

 

Paver, Michelle

Wolf Brother (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Book 1)

HarperCollins, 2005 

304 pages 

In the time of the clans (6,000 years ago) twelve year old Torak goes on a vision quest to the Mountain to save the world from the Demon-Bear.  Along the way he teams up with a wolf cub and Renn, a girl from a neighboring clan.  The first in a planned series of six books.

 

Paver, Michelle 

Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Book2) 

HarperCollins, 2006 

356 pages 

Young Torak is has his second challenge in book two of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.  A terrible sickness is sweeping the clans and Torak must go to the sea to find the cure.  He is kidnapped by the Seal Clan, betrayed by friends, and discovers amazing things about his own amazing power.

 

Paver, Michelle

Soul Eater (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Book 3)

Katherine Tegen

323 pages

4.8 MG

Wolf is taken by the evil ones.  Renn and Torak must go in search of him far into the frozen north beyond the safe forest lands of the clans.  There Torak comes face to face with dark spirits which threatens the entire world of the clans as he tries to rescue Wolf.

 

Riordan, Rick

Percy Jackson and the Olympians , The Lightening Thief

Mirimax, 2005

384 pages

Riordan brings the Greek gods to modern day adolescent fiction. Percy Jackson has led a somewhat difficult life and ended up in a boarding school for troubled youth. He is quite surprised when his mother explains to him, after he has accidentally vaporized his algebra teacher that his father is Posiedon; he is a demi-god. Yes, the gods are still alive and well in the 21st century. Mt. Olympus is many floors above Manhatten and the entrance to Hades is in L.A. Setting out on a quest to retrieve the lost thunderbolt for the gods, Percy instead ends up on a quest for his own identity.

 

Rowling, J. K

Harry Potter, Books 1-6

Levine (Scholastic), 1998-2005

500-700 pages

Harry Potter spent the first 10 years of his life living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, who hate him. His parents died when he was a baby. Then he suddenly gets the chance to go to Hogwarts School of Wizardry. Harry is a wizard, as were his parents. His aunt and uncle are muggles, non-magical people. So begins the famous saga with Harry, Hermoine, Ron Weasley, Professor Dubmledore, Hagrid, and a host of others not easily forgotten.

 

Rowling, J.K.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Levine (Scholastic), 2007

759 pages

Harry has been entrusted by the late Dumbledore with the task of vanquishing Voldemort through the destruction of his horcruxes or pieces of his soul which he has torn out and hidden.  But Harry thinks he might have another way to destroy He Who Must Not Be Named.

 

Sage, Angie

Flyte

Katherine Tegen, 2006 

532 pages 

This is the second book in the story of Septimus Heap, a boy who is the seventh son of a seventh son, thought to be dead at birth but secreted away and made to be in the army of the wizard of dark magic who controls the kingdom at the time.  He is only known as boy 412 until he finds his true identity.  In book two, Jenna, his step-sister who is the true princess, is kidnapped by his brother Simon, who has gone over to the side of darkness.  The chase is on as Septimus and his brother Nicko try to find Jenna and return her to the palace.

 

Sage, Angie

Magyk

Kathryn Tegen, 2005

576 pages

On the eve of Septimus Heap's birth, his father Silas goes out of the village to run an errand. Near the gates on the way back he spies a bundle and hears a noise. It is an abandoned baby girl which he takes home to his wife Sarah. The midwife tells Silas that his own seventh son, Septimus, has died while he was gone, and she takes him away in a bundle. Sarah and Silas raise the girl and their six sons. When Jenna, the girl is 12, strange things begin to happen. Who is Jenna? Did Septimus really die?

 

Shinn, Sharon

Safe-Keeper's Secret

Viking,  2004

276 pages

Fiona and Reed were always raised together as brother and sister with Damiana as their mother. Fiona was born on the night when Reed was delivered secretly by a man from the king's court. The two babies were always considered Damiana's own. As they grew, Damiana, whose vocation was a safe-keeper (secret-keeper) loved them both the same, but the reader is uncertain of their parentage. When their mother dies, she whispers a secret to Fiona. This is a well-written fantasy with a feeling of medieval England and well-drawn characters.

 

Shinn, Sharon

The Truth-Teller's Tale

Viking, 2005

276 pages 

The second of the series about the kingdom of Wodenberry is about twins Adele and Eleda who are identical opposites of each other.  Adele is a safe-keeper who keeps secrets for people of the village and Eleda who is telling the story is a truth-teller who must always tell the truth to people even when she wishes she wouldn't have to.  They become involved in their own romance and the romances of the royalty of the kingdom.  This book should delight young teen girls with a bit of Cinderella and a bit of fantasy.

 

Shusterman, Neal

Everlost

Simon & Schuster, 2006

320 pages

Allie and Nick are in their parents' car when they die in a head-on collision.  They bump into each other in the tunnel while heading toward the light, are thrown off-course, and end up together in an in between place called "everlost."

 

Stroud, Jonathan

Bartimaeus Trilogy: Book One: The Amulet of Samarkand  

Mirimax, 2003

464 pages

Bartimaeus is a 5,000 year old Djinni. Nathanial is an 11 year old boy who is an apprentice magician to Arthur Underwood, one of the master magicians of the court. Underwood has been cruel and cold to Nathanial during his stay and now Nathanial has crammed enough magic into his head to summon up Bartimaeus and seek revenge against him. But can Bartimaeus be controlled? The story takes the voice of Nathanial and Bartimaeus alternately and contains much humor in the voice of Bartimaeus.

Wooding, Chris

Poison

Orchard, 2005

273 pages

6.3, UG

Poison leaves the marsh to look for her sister, stolen by the phaeries.  She must travel through strange worlds, deal with horrifying creatures, and face her deepest fears to find out what has happened to little Azalea.  She also find out about her own story as she travels.

 

Wilson, N.D.

100 Cupboards

Random House, 2007

289 pages

In the first of a new fantasy series, young Henry, whose home is in New York, is staying with his aunt and uncle and his three cousins in Kansas because his parents are missing in South America.  His room is in the attic, and he soon finds that one whole wall is full of mysterious cupboards behind the plaster, cupboards which are portals to other worlds.  Though it seems an implausible plot, it is no more implausible than going between two platforms in a train station and hopping the Hogwarts Express.  N.D. Wilson, whose Leepike Ridge was delightful, now brings us the beginning of Henry's strange adventures, and readers will be clamoring for the next installment.

 

Yolen, Jane

Sword of the Rightful King

Harcourt Children's, 2003

368 pages

Yolen puts a new twist on the Arthur legend. Arthur is a young king but the people do not trust him yet. So Merlin (Merlinnus) devises a plan to overcome this lack of trust. Through the use of his magic, he thrusts a sword into a stone and announces that whoever can pull it out is the rightful king. Merlin, of course, plans to help Arthur to pull it out. However, someone else pulls it out first. The characters are wonderfully developed in this fantasy.