The Alchemyst

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Scott, Michael. The Alchemyst. New York: Random House, 2007. Print. ISBN: 9780385736008. $8.99. 400 pages.

 

Awards & Honors:

 

Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers 2007

Rhode Island Teen Book 2009

 

Annotation:

Nicholas Flamel is alive, and the elixir of life that has been keeping him mortal since the 14th century is about to be stolen and used to destroy the world, unless Josh and Sophie Newman can fulfill a prophecy and save the world.  The Alchemyst is an adventure worth investing in and readers will love all of the historical and mythological characters that grace its pages.
 

Booktalk Technique: The Open End

What is the elixir of life? Nicholas Flamel has been using the exilir for centuries to keep him and his wife alive, but now Dr. John Dee has discovered them and plans to steal the exilir and destroy humankind.  Josh and Sophie Newman have no idea what is happening to them when they wind up fighting off mythological creatures with Flamel and learn their is a prophecy that has information about their future. Can Josh and Sophie find a way to save their new friend, The Alcheymst?

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

 

The Alchemyst is the first book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series.  There are five other books that you can read about on Michael Scott's website.

 

 Watch the book trailer

 

Sabriel

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Nix, Garth. Sabriel. New York: HarperCollins, 1996. Print. ISBN: 9780061474354. $9.99. 336 pages.

 

Awards & Honors:

 

Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel 1995

Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel 1995

Ditmar Award for Best Long Fiction, shortlisted 1996
ALA Best Books for Young Adults 1997
ALA Notable Children's Book 1997

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee 1997
ISFDB Top 100 Books-Critical List
ALA Popular Books for Young Adults 2003, 2009

Annotation:

Sabriel thought she knew what she wanted to do after her schooling ended, until she learned from the other side that her father, Abhorsen the necromancer, is trapped in death and needs her to come over to the other side and save him. Sabriel is a fantasy adventure that will keep readers biting their nails and cheering for a brilliant heroin.

 

Review:

 

Sabriel tells the story of a young girl, who must set out on a quest to save her father, Abhorsen, from the trappings of death. Sabriel, daughter to Abhorsen, is not a normal girl and neither is her father, who is a necromancer, binder of the dead to death. How can Sabriel find her father and free him from an enemy that she has never seen in a world in that she has never visited?

The first part of the book focuses on introducing readers to Sabriel and the Old Kingdom, where she must travel to find her father.  As the book progresses on, we meet incredible characters like Mogget and Touchstone, who help Sabriel on her quest.  Nix has created a world filled with fear, death, humor, and love, and Sabriel is an admirable heroin.

 

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

 

Sabriel is the first book in the Abhorsen Trilogy.  Lireal is the second installment and Abhorsen concludes the trilogy.

 

 

Watch this great book trailer

 

I love learning about new creatures.

Shandi W.  Age 17

 

I love learning about new creatures and cultures in fantasy books.  I would say that my favorite books are either the Harry Potter series or  the Fablehaven series.  I use Facebook, but no other social media sites.  I love to read and then talk about the books with friends.  Fantasy series are my first choice when picking new books to read.  

Divergent

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Roth, Veronica. Divergent. New York: HarperCollins, 2011. Print. ISBN: 97800620240394. $9.99. 576 pages.

Awards & Honors:

Goodreads Choice Awards Favorite Book 2011

Wyoming Soaring Eagle Nominee 2013

Annotation:

Tris is not your typical girl in trouble, as she is strong, smart, something else that no one is supposed to know about, Divergent, so when she is forced to choose a faction and leave her family behind, she choses Dauntless, because she knows that courage might be the only thing that keeps her alive.

Book Talk Technique: The Wrap Back to the Title

The world has changed, and people are not free to possess whatever personality they like. They can be only one of the five chosen factions in society, which are-

Dauntless - The brave

Abnegation- The selfless

Erudite- The intelligent

Amenity- The peaceful

Candour- The honest

When 16 year old, Beatrice (Tris) Prior learns that does not fit into one of the factions like everyone else and that she is divergent, she must hide the truth and find a way to pretend she is normal. But, when the factions begin a war with one another, Tris quickly realizes that this new world is a dangerous place for the Divergent.

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Divergent is the first book in the Divergent Series. The second book, Insurgent, is available now, and the third book is due out in 2013.

Read about the series on Veronica Roth's blog.

Watch the book trailer

Endymion Spring

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Skelton, Matthew. Endymion Spring. New York: Random House, 2006. Print. ISBN: 9780385734561. $9.99. 416 pages.

Awards & Honors:

Red Maple Award 2008

Wyoming Soaring Eagle Nominee 2008

Rhode Island Teen Book Award

Annotation: 

 

Endymion Spring tells the intertwining stories of Blake, who lives in the present day, and Endymion, who lives in 15th century Germany, as they struggle to protect the book that contains the secret to eternal wisdom. This enchanting story about the power and magic of books will beg you to share it with friends, who will in turn, share it again.

Review:

Blake’s parents are divorced, and his mom made him and his sister move to Oxford, where he now spends his time searching for books in the university library.  One day, he discovers a book with no words.  The strange thing is that the book somehow belongs to him, like it chose him.

Endymion Spring is a young printer's devil, who works for the Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press.  Endymion must protect a magic book and hide it in Oxford to keep it out of the hands of Johann Faust, who is seeking the secret to eternal wisdom.

Matthew Skelton’s debut novel is incredibly magical and endearing.  Those who love books and appreciate their history will definitely find a home for Endymion Spring on their shelves.  

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

 

Goodreads is so Awesome!

Kendra L. Age 14

I use Goodreads to track all of the books I read and write reviews.  I love it, because I am friends with a ton of my favorite authors and can see what they read and recommend.  I think it is awesome that my updates on Goodreads go right to my Facebook page, so all of my friends can see what I am reading.  My favorite book is Perks of Being a Wallflower.  It is an amazing book!  I read everything I can and don't really have a favorite genre.

Stardust

 

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Gaiman, Neil. Stardust. New York: HarperCollins, 1999. Print. ISBN: 9780061689246. $6.99. 288 pages.

Awards & Honors:

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award 1999
SF Site Editor's Choice 1999
Locus Nominee Best Fantasy Fiction 1999
Geffen Award Best Translated Fantasy Book 2000
ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2000
Alex Award 2000
South Carolina Young Adult Book Award 2001-2002
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults 2003

Annotation: Tristan Thorn lives in Wall and loves the most beautiful girl on earth.  When he sets off to find a fallen star for the woman he loves, he discovers a whole new world and learns that maybe love is something very different from what lies in Wall.  Stardust is an unforgettable adventure and splendid  tribute to traditional fairy tales.

Review:  Stardust is a wondrous tale about Tristan Thorn, who lives in the town of Wall. The town is just a normal town, but just past the surrounding wall is a magical world. The wall is guarded, but one day Tristan breaks through the wall in search of a fallen star that he desperately needs to prove his fialty to his one true love. What lies ahead for Tristan is a world of magic, true love, sky pirates, witches, and stars.  Gaiman's charming story is akin to the fairy tales of the Brother's Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson and will remain in the hearts of readers of years to come.

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Read an interview with Neil Gaiman here.
 

The film version of Stardust, featuring Claire Daines, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro was released in 2007.

 

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I love to Tweet about books!

Camron L. Age 16

All I do in my spare time is read.  I love to finish a book and instantly Tweet about in on Twitter.  I use Facebook sometimes, but mostly I just Tweet, because it is fast and easier for people to follow.  I don't have a favorite book, but my favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Holly Black, and J.K. Rowling.  Who doesn't love Harry Potter?

White Cat

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Black, Holly. White Cat. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2010.

ISBN:  9781416963974. 336 pages. $8.99

Awards & Honors:

Locus Recommended Reading for Young Adults 2010
Andre Norton Award Finalist 2010
ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
 

Annotation:

Cassel is a normal kid in a family of curse workers, but he begins to question his normalcy when he starts sleepwalking and dreaming about a white cat that wants to talk to him. White Cat is a completely original tale of a society where people can't even show their hands due to curse workers and their power, and Black tells it is an exquisite and humorous style.

Book Talk Technique:  The Index Card Trick

• Curses
• Crime
• The Mob
• Murder
• Dreams
• Nightmares
• Cats
• Family
• Brothers
• Jail
• Fear
• Love
• School
• Secrets

White Cat is the first book in the Curse Worker's Series.  If you like it, you should also read Red Glove and Black Heart.

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Read Holly Black's journal or visit her website.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

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Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2011. Print.

ISBN: 9780316134026. $18.99. 432 pages.

Awards & Honors:

Andre Norton Award Finalist 2011
ALA Reading List Fantasy Shortlist 2012

Annotation:

Everyone thinks that Karou is creative, smart, and talented, but what they fail to realize is that the creatures she loves to draw are real and she's not even certain that she really knows who she is.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an amazing story that Laini Taylor tells through a twising narrative of chaos, war, love, and fantasy.

Book Review

Karou lives in Prague.  She has blue hair that grows that way on its own.  She speaks a ton of languages, some of which may be otherworldly.  She disappears for periods of time and drawing is her passion.  People don't understand her, but they would really be surprised if they learned that her drawings are of real creatures, and in the world she comes from monsters will do anything to have their wishes fulfilled.  When black handprints start showing up on doors all over Prague, and Karou is faced with a terrifying angel in a dark alley, she realizes it may be time to learn more about her world of origin. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is the best fantasy book I have read in a long time.  Laini Taylor is incredibly gifted with words and has the abilty to make common themes, such as good versus evil and star-crossed love seem utterly original.  The second installment cannot come out soon enough.

 

Find the Kindle version here.

Find the NOOK version here.

Join the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Facebook page.

Laini Taylor's blog is really fun, because she shares tons of pictures of her house and family plus talks all about her books.

Watch this interview with author Laini Taylor.

Watch this short clip about the book.

I am obsessed with Facebook!

Sydney W. age 15. 

I read fantasy because that is all that exists for me.  I love anything to do with other worlds and dreams.  My favorite book is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and I am totally in love with Edward.  I am so obsessed with Facebook and update my status like every 15 minutes.  I have a Twitter, but don't use it that much yet. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty

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Bray, Libba.  A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2003.  Print. ISBN: 9780385732314. $16.99. 432 pages.

Awards & Honors:

Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee 2007
ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2004
New York Times Bestseller 2004

Annotation:

Gemma Doyle is sixteen, grew up in India, and watched her mom die, so now that she has moved to a boarding school in England, she is hoping for a calmer life, but soon she starts having visions and is led into a world of secrets.  A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book by author Libba Bray and should find a place in every library.

Book Talk Technique:  The Index Card Trick

• Victorian
• Murder
• Forbidden Love
• Boarding School
• Gypsies
• Fairies
• Paranormal
• Friendship
• Magic
• New Worlds
• India
• Visions
• Beauty
• Mystery

Find the Kindle version here.

Find the NOOK version here.

Read Libba Bray's hilarous blog here.

A Great and Terrible Beauty is the first book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  If you like it, you should also read Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing.

Why I read fantasy.

Briley O. Age 13.

"I read fantasy because I love to escape to new worlds.  I love dragons and am writing my own book about a dragon family right now.  I like to read historical fiction, too.  My favorite book is Here, there be Dragons by James A. Owen. My parents don't let me use social media yet, but when they do I am going to get a Facebook account."

A Wrinkle in Time

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L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Square Fish, 2007. Print.

9780312367541. $7.00. 245 pages

Awards:

John Newbery Medal (1963)

Runner-Up, Hans Christian Andersen Award (1964)

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1965)

Sequoyah Children’s Book Award (1965)

Annotation:

Meg Murry just doesn't fit in. Her dad has been missing for over a year, she can communicate with her five-year-old brother without words, and now she is traveling through time with three celestial beings to save her family. A Wrinkle in Time is an fantasy adventure perfect for readers of all ages and interests and should hold a place on shelves in every library.

Booktalk: Open-Ended

Could Meg Murry's life get any stranger? Her dad works for the government and went missing over a year ago. Her five-year-old brother is a genius and maybe more, who has eccentric and mysterious friends. Now Meg must travel through time with her best friend, her brother, and his friends Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which to save her father from the evil force, The Dark Thing. Can she save her father and survive traveling through A Wrinkle in Time?

Find the Kindle version here

Fina the NOOK version here

Join A Wrinkle in Time on Facebook

The Curious Incident

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Haddon, Mark.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.  New York: Random House, 2003. Print.  ISBN: 1-4000-3271-7. $12.95. 226 pages.

Awards:

2003 - Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize

2003 - Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year

2004 - Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best First Book

Annotation:

Christopher is clever, in fact he might even be a genius, but he hates being touched and doesn’t understand people and their emotions, so how can he uncover the mystery of the dead dog next door? This is one of the most unique and powerful books I have ever read and it should be in every library, because it is an incredible story about a boy with autism and how he makes his way through life.

Book Talk Technique: The Book Whisper

 

Christopher is amazing at math and he can list off the names of all the countries in the world, but he cannot understand why his mother’s death doesn’t make him cry or why someone would stab the dog next door with a fork.  Through drawings and his analytical skills, Christopher sets out to uncover The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.  

 Book Talk Technique: The Index Card Trick

• Mathematics
• Prime Numbers
• Autism
• Asperger’s Disease
• Murder
• Animals
• Death
• Mothers
• Fathers
• Mystery
• Discovery
• Genius

Find the Kindle version of the book here.

Find the NOOK version here.

Mark Haddon talks about the book here.

Like the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Facebook page.

Rapunzel's Revenge

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Hale, Shannon & Dean.  Rapunzel’s Revenge.  New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.  Print. ISBN: 9781599902883. $15.99. 144 pages.

Awards:

ALA Notable Children's Book (ALA)
Amelia Bloomer Project Selection (ALA)
An Al Roker Today Show Book Club Pick
An IndieBound Next Pick
Cybils Award (Graphic Novels)
Great Graphic Novels for Teens (YALSA)
Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (YALSA)
Texas Maverick Graphic Novel List
Utah Book Award
Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee

Annotation:

 

Rapunzel has it all, a beautiful home and a loving mother, but she is tormented by a dream that there is something much greater outside of the wall that keeps her trapped. This non-traditional tale of Rapunzel is both fun and empowering as she proves that anyone can be the heroin of her own adventure. 

 

Book Talk Technique: Open End

 

How can it be that Rapunzel lives in such grand villa, and others live in a wasteland? Rapunzel lives a great life.  She is waited on by servants and has everything she needs.  There are only two things in her life that bother her.  One is her recurring dream about a family she has never met, but loves her so, and the other is the giant wall that surrounds her home and prevents her from chasing her dream.  One day, Rapunzel discovers that her hair can help pull her over the wall, but she is quickly found and forced back to her mother, Gothel, who imprisons Rapunzel in a magical tree.  Can Rapunzel use her hair and her wit to escape Gothel and find her dream family ultimately Rapunzel’s Revenge?

 

Find the NOOK version here.

Find Shannon Hale on Facebook here.

Read Shannon's Hale's Blog here.

 

Pants on Fire

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Cabot, Meg.  Pants on Fire. New York: HarperTeen, 2007. Print. ISBN: 0060880155. $16.99.

272 pages.  

Awards:

New York Times Children's Chapter Books Best Sellers List

A BookSense Pick

New York Public Library "Book for the Teen Age" 2008

Annotation:

Katie is a liar and a big one at that, but when her deepest secret resurfaces, she must face her lies and make things right.  Pants on Fire is fun and speaks to a lot of issues faced by teen girls today.

Book Talk Technique: The Wrap Around

Have you ever lied?  Maybe just a small white lie? 0r perhaps a giant elaborate one? Katie Ellison has.  In fact, she is becoming quite good at it.  Between running for Quahog Princess on a platform that she doesn’t believe in and hiding her two boyfriends from one another, Katie is into it pretty deep.  But when her former best friend moves back to town, she knows that she must either come clean or risk being exposed as a liar, liar Pants on Fire.

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

The Coldest Winter Ever

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Le Souljah, Sister. The Coldest Winter Ever. New York: Pocket Books, 2006. Print.
ISBN: 9781416521693. $7.99. 545 pages.

Annotation-

Winter Santiago is gorgeous, smart, and privileged. Her father is a drug lord, her mom was shot in the face, and money drives everything Winter does. When her father goes to prison and her family is torn apart, Winter must learn to survive without money and material things.

The Index Card Trick

• Inner Cities
• Brooklyn, New York
• Drug Lords
• Sex
• Violence
• Materialism
• Guns
• Murder
• Anger
• Prison
• Wealth
• Family
• African American Women

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Twilight

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Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005. Print. ISBN: 9780316015844. $10.99. 513 pages.

Awards:

One of Publishers Weekly’s “Best Children’s Books of 2005″One of School Library Journal’s “Best Books of 2005″

Annotation: Bella Swan knows there is something dangerous about Edward, but she can't stop herself from loving him, even if it means he won't be able to keep himself from drinking her blood.  Twilight is a perfect teen romance novel, with just the right amount of fantasy and fear mixed in. 

Booktalk Technique: "Wrap Back to the Title"

"There are three things that Bella knows.

1. Edward is a vampire

2. There's a part of him—how big a part, she isn't sure—that truly thirsts for her blood

3. She is unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

Bella is clumsy and awkward.  Edward is perfect, but dangerous.  Together they are magnetic and cannot be torn apart. Bella knows that being in love with a vampire is dangerous. She worries that she could die and wonders if she even wants to (at least mortally). She fears that she is putting everyone she knows at risk, but what Isabella doesn't realize is that Edward and his family aren't the only vampires in town and nothing will ever be the same after Twilight?

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Like the Twilight page on Facebook.

 

 

Watch the film version of the book.

 

If you like Twilight, read the rest of the series.  New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn are available in paperback at bookstores. 

The Hunger Games

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Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games.  New York: Scholastic, 2008.  Print.  ISBN: 0439023483.  $17.99. 387 pages.

Awards:

Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year 2008

California Young Reader Medal 2011

ALA Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults

New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2008

Kirkus Best Young Adult Book 2008

2008 Cybil Award – Fantasy and Science Fiction

School Library Journal Best Books of 2008

 

Annotation:  In Panem, every year twenty-four tributes are chosen to fight to death in an arena made by the dominating capitol and this year Katniss Everdeen will learn just how strong she really is by going into the arena with a mission of coming back out alive.  The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books this year and readers will love Katniss and her fighting personality.

Booktalk Technique: Wrap Back to the Title

What would it feel like to have your life determined by random drawing? War and famine have led the people of Panem to be divided into 12 districts.  Each year, one boy and one girl from each district are chosen at random from a drawing to take part in the Hunger Games. Imagine being forced to watch boys and girls battle to the death, leaving only one survivor. This year, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen is the female champion from District 12 and must compete for her life.  Can she survive The Hunger Games?

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy about Katniss and Panem.  The other books in the series are Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Read more about the series on Suzanne Collins website. 

Watch the book trailer

 

The film version of The Hunger Games was released in 2012 to great success. 

 Watch the film preview.

 

Boy Meets Boy

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Leviathan, David.  Boy Meets Boy.  New York: Albert Knopf. 2003. Print. ISBN: 9780375824005. $17.99. 194 pages.

Annotation: 

Paul is lucky, because he lives in a town where it is acceptable to be gay, but when he finds that acceptance isn't the only path to happiness, he must overcome a broken heart and rediscover himself.  Boy Meets Boy deserves a place in libraries everywhere and more books like this should be available for teens.

Booktalk Style: The Index Card Trick

• Gay is normal
• Acceptance
• Heartbreak
• Boyfriends
• Popularity
• Friendships end
• Falling in love
• Left alone
• Loss of everything

Booktalk Style: Cut to the Cut

Being gay in town where everyone accepts you is easy. Right? Paul lives a charmed life.  He is popular and knows exactly who he is.  Then, the world falls apart.  His heart is broken and all of his friends find companionship elsewhere.  Is this what happens when a Boy meets Boy?

Find the NOOK version here.

Find the Kindle version here.

Listen to these book reviews

 

 

 

Read what David Levithan says about the book on his website.