Here are the middle grade and young adult sci fi/fantasy books that are appearing this first half of November, according to my source,
Teens Read Too. The blurbs are the publishers, lifted mostly from Amazon.
Middle Grade (aka 9-12 year olds)THE FIVE FAKIRS OF FAIZABAD: CHILDREN OF THE LAMP by P.B. Kerr. "John and Philippa Gaunt are all ready for their lives to return to normal now that their mother has given up her djinn powers. But the siblings are quickly drawn into yet another mystery when the world's luck tips wildly out of balance (to the world's detriment). The key to the world's fate lies with five fakirs who were buried alive, each of whom guards a secret that can answer a great question of the universe. But there's an evil djinn desperate to dig up the secrets. Without their mother's powerful magic, John and Philippa must face this djinn alone.
Traveling around the globe, from London, to Morocco, to Yellowstone National Park, to snowy Himalayan peaks of Shangri-La, can the twins harness their own powers to defeat a new evil?"
FOLLOWING MAGIC: 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."
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SPY: A TIME TRAVEL ADVENTURE by Elvira Woodruff "When Katie and her twin cousins step into a mysterious rowboat, Matt and his three buddies run to their rescue. But they are too late--and soon the seven are swept back in time--to Boston in 1775. The British have occupied the city, and George Washington and his troops are planning an attack. While the boys are trying to find their way to the girls after being separated, the boys become entangled with patriot spies.
Meanwhile, the girls have been taken in by the wealthy Hewson family, whom they soon discover are "redcoats"! Now, on opposite sides of the war, they are confronted firsthand with realities that tore friends and families apart during the American Revolution."
HOW MIRKA GOT HER SWORD: HEREVILLE by Barry Deutsch. "Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn’t interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There’s only one thing she does want: to fight dragons!
Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn’t stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart’s desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find—and outwit—the giant troll who’s got it!"
HERO by Mike Lupica. "Fourteen-year-old Zach Harriman can feel the changes. The sharpening of his senses. The incredible strength. The speed, as though he can text message himself across miles. The confidence and the strange need to patrol Central Park at night. His dad had been a hero, a savior to America and a confidante of the president. Then he died, and the changes began in Zach. What Zach never knew was that his father was no ordinary man--he was a superhero, battling the world's evil. This is a battle that has been waged for generations and that knows no boundaries. And now it's Zach's turn to take on the fight. It's Zach's turn to become a hero."
THE HOLE IN THE WALL by Lisa Rowe Fraustino. "Eleven-year-old Sebby has found the perfect escape from his crummy house and bickering family: The Hole in the Wall. It’s a pristine, beautiful glen in the midst of a devastated mining area behind Sebby’s home. But not long after he finds it his world starts falling apart: his family’s chickens disappear, colors start jumping off the wall and coming to life, and after sneaking a taste of raw cookie dough he finds himself with the mother of all stomachaches. When Sebby sets out to solve these mysteries, he and his twin sister, Barbie, get caught in a wild chase through the tunnels and caverns around The Hole in the Wall — all leading them to the mining activities of one Stanley Odum, the hometown astrophysicist who’s buying up all the land behind Sebby’s home. Exactly what is Mr. Odum mining in his secret facility, and does it have anything to do with the mystery of the lost chickens and Sebby’s stomachache? The answers to these questions go much further than the twins expect."
MAKE IT FAIR!: CANADIAN FLYER ADVENTURES by Frieda Wishinsk. "Friends Emily Bing and Matt Martinez have discovered that the Canadian Flyer, an antique red sled they found in the attic of Emily’s new house, holds amazing powers. So far, their adventures to the past have brought them face to face with pirates, Vikings, and even Alexander Graham Bell. In Make It Fair!, Emily and Matt land in Premier Rodmond Roblin's office in Winnipeg in 1914 and discover Nellie McClung confronting the Manitoban politician on the issue of women's rights. Women want the right to vote and this time stuffy politicians like Premier Roblin will not stop them. Can Emily and Matt help Nellie stand up to all the people who want to stop her fight for equal rights?"
LUCY AND THE GREEN MAN by Linda Newbery. "Lucy knew Lob was there, from the way she felt inside. There was a sparking of mischief in her head, a tingle of energy in her arms and legs. She wanted to run, jump, climb, be everywhere at once. You have to be a special person to see Lob, that’s what Lucy’s Grandpa Will says. Lucy’s parents don’t believe in him. But Lucy does. And then she finally catches sight of the Green Man in Grandpa’s garden. And then she knows. Lob is here, and he is real—now and forever and ever!"
NOW YOU SEE ME... by Jane B. Mason & Sarah Hines Stephens. "Best friends Lena and Abby love searching through thrift stores for lost treasures. When they find an old Polaroid camera, they can't wait to try it out. But the photos that develop are troubling -- things that weren't really there appear in the pictures.
Creepiest of all is the image of a boy, dark and angry looking. He shows up, over and over, clearer each time. Can the girls discover what the ghost boy wants -- before it's too late?"
PRIME EVIL: CYBERIA by Chris Lynch. "Zane and his animal comrades have foiled Dr. Gristle's terrible plots twice--he can't talk to animals, and he can't get at the heart of what makes them wild. Zane can talk to them. He can understand them. He almost is one. Almost. Zane keeps getting in Dr. Gristle's way though - and he's being sent as far out of the way as Gristle can get him. In fact, he's being sent right into the middle of a new plot of the bad doctor's--and in his new, utterly foreign surroundings, he's entirely too human. Just what has Gristle done to make these new animals so angry? Can't they see that Zane is their Friend? In order to get home, Zane must figure out a way to stop Gristle's new plan and make some new friends before he becomes animal feed--or worse. It's time to defeat the evil Dr. Gristle once and for all! In the not-too-distant future, a boy must be all animals' best friend, in a final laugh-out-loud adventure sure to please middle-grade readers with all types of pets."
SARASWATI'S WAY by Monika Schroder. "If the gods wanted Akash to have an education, he is told, they would give him one. But Akash has spent his entire twelve years poor and hungry. So he decides to take control of his own life and try for a scholarship to the city school where he can pursue his beloved math. But will challenging destiny prove to be more than he has bargained for? In this raw and powerful novel, fate and self-determination come together in unexpected ways, offering an unsentimental look at the realities of India."
THE SENTINELS: STONE OF TYMORA by R.A. & Geno Salvatore. "After dueling with a dragon and a demon, Maimun knows he must destroy the stone that has kept him on the run for most of his life. The question now is how. With Joen by his side, Maimun journeys to the Tower of Twilight to beg famed wizard Malchor Harpell for answers. But Harpell's help comes at a steep price. Friends become enemies. Lost secrets come to light. And deep in the shadows, the sentinels are watching, scheming to save the stone--even if it means someone must die."
THE SOCIETY OF DREAD: CANDLE MAN by Glenn Dakin. "Dr. Saint is no more, Lord Dove has disappeared, and the Dodo has slipped back into seclusion. But for Theo Wickland, descendent of the Victorian crime fighter of legend, The Candle Man, the adventure is just beginning. Now head of the Society of Good Works, Theo is determined to turn the activities of the order toward the betterment of humanity, starting with bringing the Network, the fascinating, secret underground maze of tunnels, back to its former glory. But dark forces still lurk below the London streets - mysterious creatures, and enemies of the Candle Man, long thought dead - who continue to plot the downfall of the world. Old enemies become new allies as Theo cobbles together a group to stop the sinister plans of these evil beings before they prove deadly. It is up to the new Candle Man and his Society of Dread to snuff out these nefarious plans, before it's too late."
WORLD'S END: DORMIA by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski. "Ever since returning from Dormia, Alfonso has enjoyed sleeping in a bed like a normal person. No more waking up at the top of a tree or the edge of a cliff. In fact, no sleepwalking at all. But then, while visiting France on a class trip, Alfonso feels that strange and familiar pull of sleep. Upon waking, he finds himself in the belly of a ship headed to Egypt. In his backpack are a few old books and a vial of medicine he stole while asleep. Something is calling Alfonso back to Dormia. Perhaps it’s the Founding Tree? Or perhaps it's the man he sees in his dreams—the one who looks just like his deceased father? Whatever it is, Alfonso is powerless to resist."
Young AdultBLAZE OF GLORY: THE LAWS OF MAGIC by Michael Pryor. "Best friends Aubrey and George begin their magical high jinks in this first book of the Laws of Magic series. At a weekend shooting party at Prince Albert's country estate, Aubrey and George find themselves in a hotbed of intrigue and politics. Together they discover a golem, a magical creature built to perform one task—to kill Prince Albert. Aubrey and George are hailed as heroes for foiling the attempt on the prince's life—but who sent the golem, and why? Aubrey is far too curious to let the authorities handle this one, and he and George start an investigation of their own to get to the bottom of the royal assassination attempt."
THE BOY FROM ILYSIES: LIBYRINTH by Pearl North. "On a world light-years away, Earth is long forgotten, except for the knowledge protected in the vast libyrinth. But that knowledge was threatened by the Singers, who for generations beyond remembering have relied on oral storytelling. They sought to destroy the books in the libyrinth, which they thought would—if read—kill the words they sing, and the knowledge in their songs.
Now a Song has created peace between the Singers and the Libyrarians who work in the libyrinth. However, the libyrinth is quickly running out of food, and the survival of the ancient edifice and those who serve it may depend on Po, a young Ilysian who has had trouble adjusting to life at the libyrinth. Caught between his longings for acceptance and the Machiavellian tactics of his queen, Po is tricked into a crime that causes him to be cast out. He may return only if he retrieves a legendary artifact that may be the answer to all of the libyrinth’s problems…or could turn the world into a barren, lifeless ruin. For Po, life has finally become exciting…but the cost may be his life, and the lives of those he loves."
THE CASSINI CODE: A GALAHAD BOOK by Dom Testa. "Dom Testa's Galahad series has already claimed multiple awards, including a Writer's Digest Grand Prize, selected from over 1500 international titles. Now, in this thrilling third volume, the teenage explorers confront their biggest challenge yet, as they plunge through the edge of the solar system. The Council must face a hostile crew, a medical crisis, and a treacherous storm of space debris. Their only hope for survival might come from the most unlikely - and frightening - source."
THE DARK by Marianne Curley. "Isabel and Ethan are joined by Isabel's brother Matt, who is still getting accustomed to life in the Guard. This time, they must find Arkarian, their ageless mentor, who has been kidnapped and sent to the underworld. Although Isabel and Ethan have been forbidden to rescue him, an ever-increasing connection to Arkarian drives Isabel to convince Ethan and Matt that they must risk everything to find him despite the potential consequences."
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA by Nagaru Tanigawa. "It's one week before Christmas Eve, and Haruhi and the S.O.S. Brigade (a club for her high school's strangest and most extraordinary students) are gearing up for holiday festivities. But just before the fun kicks off, Kyon, the only "normal" member, wakes up in a weird alternate dimension, one where Haruhi attends another school entirely, Nagato the time traveling robot is just an ordinary human, and Mikuru (the cute girl of Kyon's dreams) doesn't even recognize him-in other words, S.O.S. Brigade never existed.
The only clue Kyon can find is a bookmark left by the robot version of Nagato, which leads him on a quest back in time, where he interacts with the storyline from "Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody", a short story from the previous Haruhi book, The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya."
FACTOTUM: THE FOUNDLING'S TALE by D. M. Cornish. "Rossamund Bookchild stands accused of not truly being a human at all, but of being a monster. Even the protection of Europe, the Branden Rose--the most feared and renowned monster-hunter in all the Half-Continent--might not be enough to save him. Powerful forces move against them both, intent on capturing Rossamund--whose existence some believe may hold the secret to perpetual youth."
HOUSE OF THE STAR by Caitlin Brennan. "Elen is a princess of the kingdom of Ymbria. Her greatest wish is to become a rider of worldrunners: the magical horses that are the only safe way to travel the roads through the worlds of Faerie. Now Elen has the chance to fulfill her dream at last, but the price is much too high.
To become a worldrider, Elen must journey to the House of the Star on Earth, the Arizona ranch where the worldrunners live and breed. There, she must try to forge a peace with her people’s worst enemy—a traitor from the world of Caledon—and end the war that has been tearing their worlds apart for centuries. If Elen doesn’t succeed, the Master of the House of the Star will close both Ymbria and Caledon off from the worldroads forever. Can the wisdom of a worldrunner named Blanca help Elen in her quest to save her world?"
KIND: THE GOOD NEIGHBORS by Holly Black. "The faerie world has been unleashed on Rue's city. The big question is: Will she stop it and save the world she's always known? Or will she take her place as the rightful faerie heir?
Another fantastic concoction of fantasy and suspense from Eisner-award nominees Holly Black and Ted Naifeh."
THE MARBURY LENS by Andrew Smith. "Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury. There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them. Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind. Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay. But it’s not."
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT LUNAR BOY by Stephen Tunney. "Two thousand years in the future, the Moon has become a run-down experiment in terraforming and colonization with a dusty patina and a bright red sky. To sixteen-year-old Hieronymus Rexaphin, it is the only world he has ever known until he meets a girl from Earth called Windows Falling on Sparrows, who is inexplicably drawn to him because of his special--some say dangerous--condition. Hieronymus is a One Hundred Percent Lunar Boy who can see the fourth primary color, which gives him the ability to see the future path of time and matter. To look into his eyes will cause madness or even death, authorities say, so he is forced to wear goggles at all times. The color of his eyes is against Lunar law, and some say against nature. After breaking the Moon s most serious law and exposing his eyes to the curious young Earth girl, Hieronymus embarks on a tremendous misadventure to protect his friends and save his family, and to escape exile and imprisonment on the far side of the moon."
THE PAINTED BOY by Charles de Lint. "Jay Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan--part human, part dragon, like his grandmother--he is on a quest even he does not understand. His journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart. He must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly--and very human--challenges to become the man, and dragon, he is meant to be."
PEGASUS by Robin McKinley. "Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.
But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations."
THE RING OF SOLOMON: A BARTIMAEUS NOVEL by Jonathan Stroud. "Bartimaeus, everyone’s favorite (wise-cracking) djinni, is back in book four of this best-selling series. As alluded to in the footnotes throughout the series, Bartimaeus has served hundreds of magicians during his 5,010 year career. Now, for the first time, fans will go back in time with the djinni, to Jerusalem and the court of King Solomon in 950s BC. Only in this adventure, it seems the great Bartimaeus has finally met his match. He’ll have to contend with an unpleasant master and his sinister servant, and runs into just a “spot” of trouble with King Solomon’s magic ring...."
THROUGH THE WARDROBE: YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS ON C.S. LEWIS' CHRONICLES OF NARNIAedited by Herbie Brennan. "Step through the wardrobe and into the imaginations of these friends of Aslan as they explore Narnia—from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Last Battle, from the heart of Caspian’s kingdom to the Eastern Seas. Find out:
• Why Edmund Pevensie is totally crush-worthy
• What tea and Turkish Delight have to do with World War II
• Why The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be the best movie of the series
• What Susan really did to get herself booted out of Narnia (it wasn’t the pantyhose or the lipstick)
The series’ roots in C.S. Lewis’ Christianity are important, but there’s more to Narnia than just the religious symbolism. Through the Wardrobe, edited by internationally bestselling British fantasy author Herbie Brennan, reveals new levels of richness and delight the other Narnia books overlook."
TYGER TYGER: A GOBLIN WARS BOOK by Kersten Hamilton. "Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming."
VIRALS by Kathy Reichs. "Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.
As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.
Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.
WHISPER OF VENOM: BROTHERHOOD OF THE GRIFFON by Richard Lee Byers. "The Mad King Returns! Aoth and the Brotherhood of the Griffon succeeded in rescuing Tchazzar, the lost king of Chessenta and a formidable red dragon. Upon his return Tchazzar rewards them greatly, sends them back to the frontlines--and names himself a god. Increasingly erratic in the war against the powerful dracolich, Tchazzar begins to move in ways that make Aoth suspicious that the Brotherhood may be just a pawn in a cutthroat draconic game that puts whole kingdoms at risk--a game played for a stakes of gold and blood."
Emily of Deep Valley is by far my favorite of all of Maud Hart Lovelace's books. Sure, I enjoy the Betsy-Tacy books for which she is best known, but Emily is a fictional girl after my own heart.
Reckless
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