New releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teens--the middle of September, 2011 edition

Here are the new releases of science fiction and fantasy for kids and teens from the middle of Sepbember. As I mentioned in my last post of new releases, I've been finding these posts are taking up too much time, and I had decided to no longer include the young adult books. But since I can't help but notice them as I go through the list, finding the mg sff, I've decided to at least list them....

My information comes from Teens Read Too; the blurbs are taken from Amazon.

The Middle Grade Books (for ages 9-12)

THE AVIARY by Kathleen O'Dell Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the Glendoveer mansion, where her mother is a servant to the kind and elderly matron of the house. Clara has never known another home. In fact, she's confined to the grand estate due to a mysterious heart condition. But it's a comfortable life, and if it weren't for the creepy squawking birds in the aviary out back, a completely peaceful one too.

But once old Mrs. Glendoveer passes away, Clara comes to learn many dark secrets about the family. The Glendoveers suffered a horrific tragedy: their children were kidnapped, then drowned. And their father George Glendoveer, a famous magician and illusionist, stood accused until his death. As Clara digs deeper and deeper into the terrifying events, the five birds in the aviary seem to be trying to tell her something. And Clara comes to wonder: what is their true identity? Clara sets out to solve a decades-old murder mystery—and in doing so, unlocks a secret in her own life, too. Kathleen O'Dell deftly weaves magic, secret identities, evil villians, unlikely heroes, and the wonder of friendship into a mystery adventure with all the charm of an old fashioned classic.


CHANTEL'S QUEST FOR THE SILVER LEAF by Oliver Neubert The Forest People are the key to finding the Silver Leaf, but they vanished many moon crossings ago without a trace. The Forest in the East seems impenetrable and Pizzaro, the wicked leader of the Shadow Walkers, is determined to prevent the powerful relic of the East from falling into the hands of Chantel, the Princess of Freedom. As Chantel’s companions are faced with family problems from their pasts, Chantel struggles to navigate the shadowy realm below the forest canopy in search of the Forest People and the mysterious Silver Leaf.

DANIEL X: GAME OVER by James Patterson & Ned Rust When Daniel X discovers that a duo of evil extraterrestrials is plotting to control kids around the world through videogames, he's determined to take them both out of commission. This pair of wicked game masters wants to destroy the human race by turning brainwashed videogamers into an unstoppable army of doom! They're also running an endangered species hunting club on the side, and their next target is none other than Daniel. He'll have no choice but to turn to the aliens' rebellious son who needs help to stand up to his malicious parents. But can Daniel trust the progeny of this treacherous twosome? Or will it be "Game Over" for the alien hunter?

DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER by Bill Willingham Down the Mysterly River is the children’s book debut of Bill Willingham, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel series Fables. Complete with illustrations by Fables artist Mark Buckingham, it is a spirited, highly original tale of adventure, suspense, and everlasting friendship.

Max “the Wolf” is a top notch Boy Scout, an expert at orienteering and a master of being prepared. So it is a little odd that he suddenly finds himself, with no recollection of his immediate past, lost in an unfamiliar wood. Even odder still, he encounters a badger named Banderbrock, a black bear named Walden, and McTavish the Monster (who might also be an old barn cat)—all of whom talk—and who are as clueless as Max.

Before long, Max and his friends are on the run from a relentless group of hunters and their deadly hounds. Armed with powerful blue swords and known as the Blue Cutters, these hunters capture and change the very essence of their prey. For what purpose, Max can’t guess. But unless he can solve the mystery of the strange forested world he’s landed in, Max may find himself and his friends changed beyond recognition, lost in a lost world…

DREAMLAND: A RILEY BLOOM BOOK by Alyson Noel Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it’s her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who’s been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

THE IRON GIANT by Ted Hughes When a towering giant made of iron appears out of nowhere, young Hogarth sees him not as a monster, but a friend. The townspeople are terrified of the giant and devise a plan to bring him down. But Hogarth believes in his friend, and rescues him when no one else will. Together, they teach the people of the village and beyond to conquer their fears, for beneath the giant's rough armor there beats a mighty heart.

The late Ted Hughes, former poet laureate of England, wrote this modern fairy tale in 1968 (which went on to inspire the popular 1999 Warner Brothers animated feature). This illustrated edition, featuring the complete text, special effects such as foldouts and die-cuts, and striking full-color artwork on every page, offers the perfect family read-aloud.

MONSTROUS BOOK OF MONSTERS by Libby Hamilton Do you dare to delve into the freakishly funny Monstrous Book of Monsters, where nothing is as it seems?

Written by Dr. Thomas Jelly and packed with nauseating novelties and foul facts, this book will teach you how to avoid monsters, show you how to spot them in the news or on the street, and give you a peek inside their dangerous (and smelly) world. At the end, we learn that Dr. Jelly has fallen foul of the infamous book monster, and the readers themselves will be lucky to escape the same fate!

MERLIN - THE BOOK OF MAGIC: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE MERLIN SAGA by T. A. Barron In this extraordinary guide to T. A. Barron's award-winning and New York Times bestselling Merlin saga, readers will discover the mysteries of Merlin's worlds as never before. The guide includes full-color art, seven maps, and information about the creatures, places, and magic in Merlin's worlds.

Glowing with beautiful art and surprising details, this is a treasure trove of adventure and delight - as well as a collector's item for Merlin fans of all ages.

THE ONLY ONES by Aaron Starmer "Call it coincidence, call it fate. This is the place you come. There's nowhere else. There's no one else. This is the entire world."

These words welcome Martin Maple to the village of Xibalba. Like the other children who've journeyed there, he faces an awful truth. He was forgotten.

When families and friends all disappeared one afternoon, these were the only ones left behind. There's Darla, who drives a monster truck, Felix, who uses string and wood to rebuild the Internet, Lane, who crafts elaborate contraptions, and nearly forty others, each equally brilliant and peculiar.

Inspired by the prophesies of a mysterious boy who talks to animals, Martin believes he can reunite them with their loved ones. But believing and knowing are two different things, as he soon discovers with the push of a button, flip of a switch, turn of a dial . . .

ROLAND WRIGHT: AT THE JOUST by Tony Davis Roland Wright has been a page at Twofold Castle for just a month and already he has impressed the King's bravest knights. Now Roland is off to his first tournament, where knights from near and far take part in a full day of jousting. He's only meant to be watching. But when the fearsome Little Douglas, a young page from another castle, throws down a challenge, things get serious. All too quickly, Roland is thrust into the action. It's all he can do to just stay on his feet. . . .

THE TANGLEWOOD TERROR by Kurtis Scaletta When 13-year-old Eric Parrish comes across glowing mushrooms in the woods behind his house, he's sure there's a scientific explanation. But when they start encroaching on the town—covering the football field and popping up from beneath the floorboards—Eric knows something's seriously wrong. Not that much else is going right: his parents are fighting, his little brother Brian is a little pill, and he's had a falling-out with his football team—over a pig.

Then a runaway girl from a nearby boarding school warns Eric that the fungus could portend the town's doom and leave it in rubble—just like the village that inexplicably disappeared in the exact same spot over 200 years ago. Eric, Brian, and Mandy set out to solve a very old mystery and save the town of Tanglewood.

THE TIME TUNNEL: A STORY FOR ALL AGES by Donald Walters While exploring in Rumania, two boys discover a ruined laboratory with a mysterious tunnel. Entering, their bodies shrink. They emerge into a beautiful countryside and meet Hansel, whose father invented the time-tunnel. Hansel shows the boys how to encase themselves in time-light spheres. The trio journeys through time, visiting the Middle Ages, ancient Greece and Egypt, and forward into a surprising future. Along the way the boys gain valuable lessons about history and human behavior.

The Young Adult Books

AFTER OBSESSION by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel
AWAY: THE LINE by Teri Hall
DARK PASSAGE by M.J. Putney
DRINK, SLAY, LOVE by Sarah Beth Durst
EMPIRE OF RUINS: THE HUNCHBACK ASSIGNMENTS by Arthur Slade
FATEFUL by Claudia Gray
FIRST DESCENT by Pam Withers
FROST by Marianna Baer
GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan
HALF-BLOOD: A COVENANT NOVEL by Jennifer L. Armentrout
HUNTED: THE SHADOWING by Adam Slater
THE ISLE OF BLOOD: THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST by Rick Yancey
MODELLAND by Tyra Banks
SEARCH FOR THE DOMINION GLASS: GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE by Justin Heimberg
SO SILVER BRIGHT: THEATRE ILLUMINATA by Lisa Mantchev
SPELLBOUND by Blake Charlton
TANKBORN by Karen Sandler
WISDOM'S KISS by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
WOLF MARK by Joseph Bruchac