New releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teens, June 9th edition

Here are today's new releases of science fiction and fantasy for children and teenagers, taken from the list at Teen's Read Too, with help from Amazon, Booklist, and Powells.

9-12 year olds:

Warriors: Code of the Clans, by Erin Hunter. This seems to be a guide to the the secrets behind the warrior code. Things explained include:
"An ominous sign from StarClan that signaled the need to patrol borders
The unexpected help from a warrior ancestor that cemented the importance of elders
A secret coup that led to a deputy's new role
A medicine cat's pleas that stopped a spree of interClan bloodshed."

There are new stories, five full-color interior tip-ins, and black-and-white art.


Green Dragon Codex (The Dragon Codices), by R.D. Henham. "When ten-year-old Scamp Weaver finds a locked chest in a forest clearing, he feels like his life is finally about to change for the better. But he doesn't bargain for just how much change the chest will bring. Inside he finds a dragon egg and a mysterious ancient scroll, which set Scamp and his best friend Dannika off on a harrowing adventure, chased by dragon hunters who want the contents of the chest for themselves. Life gets ever more complicated when the baby green dragon hatches. Will this cute, mischievous hatchling really grow up to be an evil green dragon?"

The Immortal Fire (Cronus Chronicles), by Anne Ursu. "After surviving the perilous Underworld and barely escaping a murderous Poseidon, cousins Charlotte and Zee know better than to expect their lives to return to normal. After all, vengeful gods do not like to be foiled by mere mortals...especially when those mortals are thirteen.So when a fire-breathing Chimera descends on their middle school, Charlotte and Zee are determined to fight -- not only for their lives, but for humankind. With nothing but a mysterious map and hints of a powerful weapon to guide them, the cousins journey to Mount Olympus, home of Zeus himself. But they're not alone. Their arch-nemesis Philonecron dreams of taking Zeus's place at the throne of the universe -- and now he has Poseidon's trident to help him do it. The only thing he needs now is a little help from Charlotte and Zee..."

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes, by Kelly Easton. "Liberty Aimes has spent all of her ten years captive in her parents' crooked house on Gooch Street. Her spry father, Mal Aimes, is a crook who sells insurance, while her overweight mother sits at home in front of the TV, demanding that Liberty cook nonstop. Liberty’s only knowledge of the outside world comes from the secret stash of children’s books and fairy tales she discovers beneath the floorboards. One day, Liberty enters her father’s forbidden basement laboratory. There she discovers a world of talking animals and magic potions. With the aid of one such potion, Liberty escapes into the world in search of her destiny."


Phoenix Rising #3: World's End (Phoenix Rising Trilogy), by Erica Verrillo. "Elissa used to daydream about being a princess. Now the reality of what it brings is clear: stiff, courtly manners, dresses like cages, tortuously high shoes, and betrothal to an aging duke to secure her father’s kingdom! Elissa wants no part of it and makes her escape to be with her devoted friends, who the King has no use for. But the unseen hand of the Ancient One once again guides Elissa toward a fate she does not wish to acknowledge—the culmination of the prophecy of the Phoenix!"

Sisters of the Sword 3: Journey Through Fire, by Maya Snow. "Sometimes a samurai's most dangerous opponent is herself. Ever since their father's murder, Kimi and Hana have honed their fighting skills and prepared for vengeance against their vicious uncle Hidehira. They have become true warriors with the hearts of samurai. Now their fight has become more than just a personal vendetta. As Hidehira's quest for power continues, he is destroying the province and is poised to invade the rest of the kingdom. After both girls are nearly killed in a fire while fighting their uncle's soldiers, their mother insists on attempting to enlist the support of the Shogun. But at the Shogun's court, the sisters are torn apart by their differences, especially when they rediscover an old friend with a shrouded past. Danger lurks in the most elegant circumstances—behind the smiling face of an aristocrat as well as behind the mask of a ninja—and true peril awaits the sisters where they least expect it. . . "

Young Adult:

Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker Part I, by S R Vaught & J B Redmond. "A murderer shoves a prince to his “death.” An assassin legally kidnaps a terrified boy. A ruling lord orders an atrocity so devastating it will change the course of history. So begins this highly original and engaging epic fantasy, a story of love, family trust, sworn promises and hard-earned friendships, in which two boys must put aside their childhood understanding of the world and accept their own incredible power to do right. "

Gifted: Better Late Than Never, by Marilyn Kaye. "Goth girl Jenna Kelley has the ultimate tool to stage a teenage rebellion: she can read people’s minds without even trying. When her alcoholic mother is hospitalized, a stranger shows up who says he’s her long-lost dad and promises a better future. Too good to be true? Her gifted classmates think so, but Jenna is so determined to have a real parent around and a somewhat normal life that she might have lost her ability to listen."




The Frost Child (Navigator Trilogy), by Eoin McNamee. From Booklist: "This concluding volume of the Navigator series begins 10 months after Owen killed the Harsh king, and the villainous Harsh are preparing their revenge. Mounting a mighty invasion, they plan to turn Earth into an icy wasteland, and once more, the Resistors must be awakened to defend the world."

Guinevere's Gamble (The Chrysalis Queen Quartet), by Nancy McKenzie. The second book in the Chrysalis Queen Quartet. "Much has changed over the last few months in Gwynedd, but Guinevere is still uncertain where her future lies. She recently made the unsettling discovery that she has been guarded all her life by a pagan tribe who believes she is destined to save them—they believe she and the great king will one day wed. But this prophecy is so at odds with her inferior position in the castle as Queen Alyse and King Pellinore’s lowly ward, she can’t believe it’s true. Now more complications arise as Guinevere and her cousin accompany Alyse and Pellinore to a meeting between Welsh kings, presided over by one of the High King Arthur’s knights. While there, Guinevere discovers she has a powerful enemy: King Arthur’s sister, Princess Morgaine. But why would Morgaine hate her?"

Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, by Marilyn Kaye. "Queen of Mean Amanda Beeson, 13, gets the shock of her life when she wakes up one morning to find herself in the body of one of her victims, Tracey Devon. Amanda discovers that Tracey, ignored at home and school, has the ability to become invisible. When Amanda finds herself in a special class that Tracey usually attends, it becomes clear that at Meadowbrook Middle School the definition of “gifted” has a whole other meaning. Can Amanda rescue her one-time target from obscurity and get her own life back on track? In order to do so, she will have to reveal her own startling gift and take her rightful place among Meadowbrook’s very secret clique."

Here's one originally scheduled for today, that snuck out early:

Cirque Du Freak: The Manga, Vol. 1, by Darren Shan. I am rather curious about this one.








And here's another contender in the most beautiful dress of 2009 category (here's the gallery at Jacket Whys:

A Sweet Disorder, by Jacqueline Kolosov. It's not science fiction or fantasy, being a historical romance set in the court of Elizabeth I, but it is a pretty dress!






Finally, here's a book that's not science fiction or fantasy, but it's written by a blogging friend, and I like WW II books very much, so I'm looking forward to it:

Mare's War, by Tanita S. Davis. "Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II." Congratulations, Tanita!