New Releases of Science Fiction and Fantasy for Children and Teenagers--the beginning of July edition

Here are the new releases of fantasy and science fiction for kids and teenagers; my information comes from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs come from the publishers, via Amazon. The Grimm Legacy is up next on my reading list...Which one would you pick?

Middle Grade:

FREQUENCY FREAK-OUT!: IGNATIUS MACFARLAND by Paul Feig When Iggy's transporter makes a crash landing in an even weirder frequency than before, he's sure of one thing: There's no place like home. Putting up with middle-school bullies was nothing compared to battling larger-than-life-sized trees and ferocious plant creatures!Luckily, Iggy's partner-in-crime, Karen, boasts kung fu skills that are impressive even to the extraterrestrials. But when frequency feuding goes from bad to worse, the two begin to wonder if kung fu kicks and sweet talk will be enough to fuel their escape. There's only one way to find out...

GHOSTOPOLIS by Doug TenNapel. "Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake."

THE GRIMM LEGACY by Polly Shulman. "Elizabeth has a new job at an unusual library— a lending library of objects, not books. In a secret room in the basement lies the Grimm Collection. That’s where the librarians lock away powerful items straight out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales: seven-league boots, a table that produces a feast at the blink of an eye, Snow White’s stepmother’s sinister mirror that talks in riddles. When the magical objects start to disappear, Elizabeth embarks on a dangerous quest to catch the thief before she can be accused of the crime—or captured by the thief."

HOW TO RIDE A DRAGON'S STORM: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON by Cressida Cowell. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, everyone's favorite reluctant Viking hero, has three months, five days and six hours to discover America, get back to Berk, save his father, battle Polarserpents and win the annual Inter-Tribal Friendly Swimming Race. Can he do it?"


KAYMON THE GORGON HOUND: BEAST QUEST, THE DARK REALM by Adam Blade The Good Beasts of Avantia have been taken hostage by the Evil Wizard Malvel. Each is being guarded by a new evil Beast in the Dark Realm. In order to rescue Tartok, Tom must go against Kaymon the Gorgon Hound, a Beast unlike any he has faced so far on his Quest. Kaymon prowls the ruins of a forgotten castle. Will Tom be able to defeat this menace and come one step closer to stopping Malvel forever?

SILENCE AND STONE: THE FAERIES' PROMISE by Kathleen Duey. "A continuation of National Book Award finalist Kathleen Duey's chapter book series, The Faeries' Promise, a companion to her popular Unicorn's Secret."

SUB-ZERO SURVIVAL: RIPLEY'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION by Robert Ripley Join the Ripley's Bureau of Investigation - a group of teen agents with special gifts - as they embark on a series of action-packed adventures, travelling the world in pursuit of extraordinary events and tales. These wonderful new stories are perfect for adventurously minded children between the ages of 7 and 11. In "Sub-Zero Survival", the culmination of the first "RBI" series, the team begin to link together the hidden clues that they have found on their last few missions and the results point them toward Antarctica and an ancient ice station. However, terrible blizzards, floating pack ice, and a creature that swims with the seals make their hunt for a lost artefact anything but easy!

WINGS OF FEAR: RIPLEY'S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION by Robert Ripley Join the Ripley's Bureau of Investigation - a group of teen agents with special gifts - as they embark on a series of action-packed adventures, travelling the world in pursuit of extraordinary events and tales. These wonderful new stories are perfect for adventurously minded children between the ages of 7 and 11. In "Wings of Fear", sightings of something strange soaring through the skies over London send the RBI on a mission to the capital city. Soon the team find themselves caught up in high-speed car chases, gliding high above the river Thames, and tackling a gang of jewel thieves as they try to track down the mysterious flying creature.

Young Adult:

BITES: SCARY STORIES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO edited by Lois Metzger. "Are you ready for spine-tingling tales by some of today's best writers? Just keep in mind a few simple warnings:
-Some vampires don't want just your blood . . . they want something even more valuable.
-Werewolves, once dead, don't always stay that way.
-Some dogs and coyotes may look normal--but don't get too close.
Remember...what you don't know can bite you."

FORBIDDEN SEA by Sheila A. Nielson. "When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song. Yet, when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid she is scorned, for this small and superstitious community believes the mermaid will bring devastation to the island if Adrianne does not give herself to the sea."

LEGACIES: SHADOW GRAIL by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill. "Who—or what—is stalking the students at Oakhurst Academy? In the wake of the accident that killed her family, Spirit White is spirited away to Oakhurst Academy, a combination school and orphanage in the middle of Montana. There she learns she is a legacy—not only to the school, which her parents also attended, but to magic. All the students at Oakhurst have magical powers, and although Spirit’s hasn’t manifested itself yet, the administrators insist she has one. Spirit isn’t sure she cares. Devastated by the loss of her family, she finds comfort with a group of friends: Burke Hallows, Lachlann Spears, Muirin Shae, and Adelaide Lake. But something strange is going on at Oakhurst. Students start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and the school seems to be trying to cover it up. Spirit and her friends must find out what’s happening—before one of them becomes the next victim…"

MAJIX: NOTES FROM A SERIOUS TEEN WITCH by Douglas Rees. "My name is Kestrel.
Kestrel Murphy. Never call me Susan. Who ever heard of a witch named Susan?
A year ago, I was on the white-magic side. Lately, I've been leaning toward the black. I blame the universe. What's the point in being a nice little white witch in the universe I've got? If I could choose my own universe, I'd be a white witch in it. But black makes a lot more sense in this universe. Not that I'm complaining. A witch never complains. But if I did, I'd have a lot to complain about. For instance: Richard Milhous Nixon High. What's a teen witch to do when she's stuck in the most unmagical high school in the universe? Create her own "majix." Take notes. And above all, avoid nasty classmates, heartless grown-ups and boys who may prove a little too distracting for a serious teen witch to handle…."

THE MOONSTONE LEGACY by Diana de Gunzburg & Tony Wild. "In a sacred cave high in the mountains of northern India, a white-haired hermit sits cross-legged, and signs his final testament: "George Abercrombie, 1874 . . . ." In present-day England, 14 year old Lizzy Abercrombie’s mother dies in a tragic accident on the full moon. But was it really an accident? Lizzy discovers that her death may be linked to a mysterious family curse. Determined to solve the mystery, her quest takes her from a doomed Anglo-Indian mansion on the Yorkshire moors to India where she uncovers the terrible truth about her ancestor and a stolen inheritance—but her discoveries put her in mortal danger from a ruthless enemy."

OTHER by Karen Kincy. "Gwen Williams is like any other modern teenager with one exception: she's a shapeshifter. Never having known her Pooka-spirit father, Gwen must struggle with the wild, wonderful magic inside of her alone—and in secret. While society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in Klikamuks, Washington, who don't care for her kind. Now there's a new werewolf pack in town, and Others are getting killed, including Gwen's dryad friend. The police are doing zilch. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen meets a cute Japanese fox spirit who's refreshingly comfortable with his Otherness. Can Gwen find the courage to embrace her true self and find the killer-before she becomes the next victim?"

VAMPIRE BEACH 1: BLOODLUST/INITIATION by Alex Duval. "Jason Freeman is the new kid in DeVere Heights, Malibu. Everyone at his posh new high school is surprisingly friendly, and pretty soon Jason's part of the in-crowd. Not to mention that he's also already fallen for the hot-but-unattainable Sienna. But not all is right in DeVere Heights. When a girl washes up on the beach with strange bite marks on her neck, Jason learns that his peers are not what they seem--vampires are real and Sienna is one of them."

WITCH BREED: HELL'S UNDERGROUND by Alan Gibbons. "When Paul arrives in 17th century London, he expects to be thrown into a life or death struggle for the three gates that imprison the ancient King Lud. But the battle doesn't come. Instead, Paul roams alone, learning how to survive in a city where all the talk is of the savage civil war that rages beyond its ramparts. Somewhere underground, Lud is waiting in his crypt, preparing to rise again. War, fear and want are his tools. But Paul too has his own weapons and is gaining strength and losing inhibitions about using it. Meanwhile, beyond the city, innocent women are being killed for it is so easy to claim that they are witches. One woman - whether innocent or guilty - possesses the only power available that can help Paul in his quest."