The new releases of fantasy and science fiction, for kids and teens, from the middle of September, 2010

Here are the sci fi/fantasy books for kids and teens that have just been released. As ever, I get my information from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs come from the publishers via Amazon and Goodreads. Here's what I want--The Curse of the Were-Wiener. Dragonbreath rules!

FOR KIDS (aka Middle Grade)

ALDWYN'S ACADEMY by Nathan Meyer. Enter a school for magic where even the first day can be (un)deadly...On the very first day of school at the world-famous Aldwyns Academy for Wizardry, fledgling wizard Dorian Ravensmith finds himself immersed in a mystery. White wolves have been attacking incoming students. Ghosts are haunting the Snapping Dragon Gardens. And the professors lurk in the halls, whispering about a shadowy wizard who seems to be behind it all.That night, Dorian spies a figure creeping into the Snapping Dragon Gardens and and he follows, certain that with the help of a few magic items and simple po9ions, he can catch the culprit by daybreak and return a hero. But as hobgoblins, banshees, and a terrifying dragon try to stop him at every turn, Dorian discovers that he's stepped into an (un)deadly trap that could not only destroy his future as a wizard but also the beloved wizardry school.

CURSE OF THE WERE-WIENER: DRAGONBREATH by Ursula Vernon. Danny Dragonbreath and his best friend Wendell thought the hot dog from the school cafeteria looked a little . . . off. Then things got weird when the hot dog bit Wendell, and weirder still when Wendell started to sprout back hair. Could Wendell be morphing into a . . . (cue ominous music) were-wiener? All evidence points to yes. And unless he and Danny can get past the lunch ladies and slay the alpha-wurst, the whole school could be infected.

HOW TO TRAP A ZOMBIE, TRACK A VAMPIRE, AND OTHER HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES FOR MONSTER HUNTERS by A.R. Rotruck. Ever wonder how to: Improvise a wand? Capture a werewolf? Make a monster-catching net? Why wait to be accepted into wizardry school to learn the answers? Packed with easy projects using everyday materials, this fact-filled activity book shows wannabe wizards how to craft unique creations such as their own wizard robes, play games such as vampire tag, master adventuring skills like mapping a monster-filled dungeon, and follow step-by-step instructions on how to "survive" almost any monster attack.

THE IMMORTALS: THE EDGE CHRONICLES by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell. Nate Quarter is a lowly lamplighter in the phraxmines of the Eastern Woods, until treachery forces him to flee for his life to the mighty city of Great Glade.But these are turbulent times. In far-off Hive, the spectacular city founded by the goblin tribes, the clan leaders are preparing for war. And out beyond the dread Nightwoods, in the fabled gardens of Riverrise, a one-eyed waif jealously guards the life-giving waters of the mystical Riverrise spring. . . .Swept up in the maelstrom that follows, Nate and a small band of intrepid friends must set off on an epic journey that is to lead them into terrible peril. All the while, from over the Edge cliff itself, a storm unlike any ever seen before, is building. A storm that is to roll across the land, bringing both echoes of the past and promises of a new beginning. . . .

THE LAST PHOENIX by Linda Chapman & Steve Cole. For stepsiblings Milly, Michael, Jason, and Jess, life has never been trickier. Milly's worried about her singing audition, Michael's losing his friends, Jason's never going to get picked for any sports teams, and as Jess's exams loom closer, she can't seem to remember anything. But then Fenella, the only living phoenix in the world, swoops into their lives looking for help—and their problems really begin!
Fenella has laid a magical egg, but if she wants it to hatch she needs four very special ingredients, scattered throughout time to the far corners of the world. So the children embark on a hair-raising hunt across the world, through the past, present, and future. And with a crazed phoenix-worshipping cult on their tail, a grumpy gryphon to soothe, and time paradoxes to avoid, Milly, Michael, Jason, and Jess will need all their wits and bravery if they hope to succeed.

MODERN FAERIES, DWARVES, GOBLINS, AND OTHER NASTIES: A PRACTICAL GUIDE BY MISS EDYTHE MCFATE by Lesley M. M. Blume. Perhaps you think fairies are figments of the imagination, or even relics of an ancient past. You may even think all fairies are lovely winged creatures, who dance in bluebell fields, granting wishes to anyone who should encounter them.
You would be wrong on all counts.
Fairies are very much alive today, and they are everywhere—in our cities, our backyards, and even our kitchen cupboards. Some of them are indeed the sweet-tempered, winged creatures of folklore, but the fairy family also includes goblins, trolls, brownies, and other strange creatures, some of which are revealed to humans in this book for the very first time. While many fairy breeds are harmless, others can be quite nasty or even dangerous.
In this luxuriously illustrated guidebook, preeminent fairy expert Miss Edythe McFate shares her knowledge of the modern fairy world and includes practical advice on matters such as how to tell a good fairy from a bad one, how to spot a “fairy ring,” how to tell the difference between dwarves and trolls (one species is far deadlier than the other), and how to defend against fairies who would do you harm. Also included are eight true cautionary tales about children who have encountered fairies in ultramodern New York City.

NANCY DREW, VAMPIRE SLAYER: THE NEW CASE FILES by Stefan Petrucha & Sarah Kinney. Vampire-mania has gripped River Heights, with teenage girls going wild over the new "DieLite" novels and movies. But what happens when a supposedly "real" handsome young vampire arrives on the scene? Will Nancy expose him as a fraud -- or fall under his dark spell? As if that wasn't enough-- there's something dark and sinister happening while everyone's distracted by the vampire madness. Could this possibly be linked to what's happening in Bayport, home of the Hardy Boys? Spoiler warning: there are no vampires, blood or gore in this graphic novel.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DRAGON MAGIC by Susan Morris. Do you wish you could fly on wings of your own? Breathe fire? Cast spells in the blink of an eye? These are the secrets only dragon magic can teach you. In this next edition in the Practical Guide family of fantasy essentials, dragon expert Sindri Suncatcher opens up his notebooks one last time to give readers an insider's look into the Darastrix Academy, a place where young wizards and dragon hatchlings live side-by-side mastering the powerful magic that makes dragons so special. For every fantasy fan who loves dragons and wants to know everything about these enigmatic creatures, this book reveals the greatest dragon secrets of all.

RECKLESS by Cornelia Funke. Beyond the mirror, the darkest fairy tales come alive. . . For years, Jacob Reckless has enjoyed the Mirrorworld's secrets and treasures. Not anymore.His younger brother has followed him.Now dark magic will turn the boy to beast, break the heart of the girl he loves, and destroy everything Jacob holds most dear. . . .Unless he can find a way to stop it.If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place.

THE SECRET OF KA by Christopher Pike. One minute Sara's bored on vacation in Istanbul. The next, she's unearthed a flying carpet that cleverly drags her to the mysterious Island of the Djinn—or genies. By her side is Amesh, a cute guy she has a crush on but doesn't yet trust. When Amesh learns the secret of invoking djinn, he loses control. He swears he'll call upon only one djinn and make one wish. The plan sounds safe enough. But neither Sara nor Amesh are any match for the monster that that swells before them. It hypnotizes Amesh, compelling him to steal Sara’s flying carpet and leave her stranded on the island.
Discovering the carpet has sparked a new path for Sara, one that will lead her to battle creatures even deadlier than djinn. In this fight, Sara can save mankind, herself, or the boy she cares for. Who will she be forced to sacrifice?

YOUNG ADULT

ALONG THE RIVER: A CHINESE CINDERELLA NOVEL by Adeline Yen Mah. Bestselling Chinese American author Adeline Yen Mah weaves her authentic accounts of life in China into an absorbing novel about a Chinese girl and her vision of a previous life. After a fall, CC is whisked away to a hospital. As she drifts in and out of consciousness, she is haunted by vivid dreams that seem strange—yet somehow familiar. Thus begins CC’s emotional journey back to a privileged life lived eight hundred years ago during the Song dynasty.CC is the daughter of a wealthy and influential man, but she finds herself drawn to a poor orphan boy with a startling ability to capture the beauty of the natural world. As the relationship between these two young people deepens, the transforming power of art and romantic love comes into conflict with the immovable rules of Chinese society.

THE DARK DEEPS: THE HUNCHBACK ASSIGNMENTS by Arthur Slade. Transforming his appearance and stealing secret documents from the French is all in a day’s work for fourteen-year-old Modo, a British secret agent. But his latest mission—to uncover the underwater mystery of something called the Ictíneo—seems impossible. There are rumors of a sea monster and a fish as big as a ship. French spies are after it, and Mr. Socrates, Modo’s master, wants to find it first. Modo and his fellow secret agent, Octavia, begin their mission in New York City, then take a steamship across the North Atlantic. During the voyage, Modo uncovers an astounding secret.

DAY OF DELIVERANCE: A JACK CHRISTIE NOVEL by Johnny O'Brien. Jack and Angus’s time travels are heating up again, and this time the boys must save Queen Elizabeth I from an early death. Meeting the playwright Marlowe and a young actor named William Shakespeare along the way, Jack and Angus will have to use all their bravery and skill to thwart their archenemy, Pendleshape, and his misguided notions of changing history.

THE GATHERING: TRISKELLION by Will Peterson. After escaping the Australian Outback — and the nefarious agents of the ill-named Hope Organization — Rachel and Adam have fled to the United States in hopes of locating their father. Luck is evading them, however, until they follow the clues in the note their Granny Root left them, leading straight to a military base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Meanwhile, their mother is facing charges of murder in Oklahoma, even as Dr. Laura Sullivan speeds to New Mexico to snatch the kids from the clutches of the Hope Organization. Will Rachel and Adam discover the third and final triskellion before it’s too late?

GRACE by Elizabeth Scott. Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.


THE HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS by Clare B. Dunkle. Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy. He is a savage little creature, but the Yorkshire moors harbor far worse, as Tabby soon discovers. Why do scores of dead maids and masters haunt Seldom House with a jealous devotion that extends beyond the grave?
As Tabby struggles to escape the evil forces rising out of the land, she watches her young charge choose a different path. Long before he reaches the old farmhouse of Wuthering Heights, the boy who will become Heathcliff has doomed himself and any who try to befriend him.

HOW TO LOVE A WEREWOLF by Sophie Collins. Whether he's been your best friend for years or you've suddenly sprung a crazily close bond with the new kid on the block, a werewolf is a girl's best friend. But what if he wants more? Don't let confusing feelings mess up your friendships, or crazy crushes stand in the way of true love. Whether you've got a vampire love to die for, or fancy running with wolves for a change, we show you how to track down your werewolf, get in with his pack and untangle even the trickiest of love triangles. Packed with charts, quizzes, and the savviest advice around, this little guide can sort a supernaturally complicated love life, and help you figure out your feelings once and for all (without leaving him in the doghouse).

JUMP by Ginger Rue. High school junior Brinkley Harper is beautiful, wealthy, admired, and powerful—until the day she wakes up in the body of a classmate she wouldn’t be caught dead hanging out with.

Goth girl Miranda is everything Brinkley isn’t: she won't leave the house in anything but black, her family life is in tatters, she’s practically invisible at school, and she’s hiding a dark secret. As Brinkley experiences Miranda’s life from the inside out, she’s forced to consider the world from a very different point-of-view. But this won’t be Brinkley's last “jump,” and each time she lives a day in another classmate’s body, Brinkley not only begins to feel empathy for others, she also begins to glimpse the fears, vulnerabilities, and disappointments behind her own perfect façade. By experiencing the world as somebody else, Brinkley may finally learn to understand herself.

KING OF ITHAKA by Tracy Barrett. Telemachos has a comfortable life on his small island of Ithaka, where his mother Penelopeia keeps the peace even though the land has been without its king, his father Odysseus, since the Trojan War began many years ago.

But now the people are demanding a new king, unless Telemachos can find Odysseus and bring him home. With only a mysterious prophecy to guide him, Telemachos sets off over sea and desert in search of the father he has never known.

THE LEGEND OF THE KING: THE SQUIRE'S TALES by Gerald Morris. In this final installment of the Squire's Tale series, Terence and his fellow Knights of the Round Table must come together in a last stand to save Camelot. The characters Gerald Morris has brought to life throughout his series—“Terence and Gawain, Lynet and Gaheris, Luneta and Rhience, Dinadan and Palomides"—each have an important role to play in this climactic final conflict. Maintaining their faith, selflessness, and honor, Arthur's court bands together to try to defeat Morgause and Mordred and banish the dark magic from England forever.

LOW RED MOON by Ivy Devlin. The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans.

PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers. If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?Are you sure about that...?Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance. Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul. But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

THE SECRET SOCIETY OF THE PINK CRYSTAL BALL by Risa Green.

In a world where nothing is certain, a little magic couldn't hurt...right?

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of weird instructions. Granted, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin and her two best friends are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to their future-or at least the key to getting dates...

Consider Your Fate to Be Sealed . ..

WIRED: SKINNED by Robin Wasserman One year ago, Lia Kahn died. A few days later, she woke up. She had a new body: Mechanical, unfeeling, inhuman. She had a new family: Mechs like her, who didn’t judge her for what she could no longer be. She had a new life, one that would last forever. At least, it was supposed to. But now everything Lia thought she knew has turned out to be a lie; everyone she thought she loved has been stolen away. And someone is trying to get rid of the mechs, once and for all. Lia will risk everything to save herself and the people she can’t live without. But not before facing one final truth: She can’t save everyone.