The Alchemyst

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

 

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

 

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

 

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

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

 

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

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.

 

Photo credit: www.wikipedia.com

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com

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

Photo Credit: www.barnesandnoble.com



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."