If I could get just one book of this list that I don't already have it would be Island's End, by Padma Venkatraman. I think...but it's a hard list to choose from!
As usual, my info comes from Teens Read Too, and the blurbs from Amazon and Goodreads (sorry I don't have time for quotation marks, but all the blurbs are quotes). These are the ones I'm assuming are sci fi/fantasy--but I could be wrong--and I'm not sure some of them are in the right age bracket.
Middle Grade (ages 9-12)
APHRODITE THE DIVA: GODDESS GIRLS by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams In book 6, after a teeny misunderstanding in class, Aphrodite is failing Hero-ology. To raise her grade, she concocts a brilliant plan--an extra-credit project for matchmaking mortals. This brings her face-to-face with fierce competition--an Egyptian goddessgirl named Isis. Now the race is on to see which of them can matchmake Pygmalion--the most annoying boy ever! Will Aphrodite wind up making a passing grade after all? Or will she end up proving she's a diva with more beauty than brains?
BAD ISLAND by Doug TenNapel Something on this island is up to no good . . .
When Reese is forced to go on a boating trip with his family, the last thing he expects is to be shipwrecked on an island-especially one teeming with weird plants and animals. But what starts out as simply a bad vacation turns into a terrible one, as the castaways must find a way to escape while dodging the island's dangerous inhabitants. With few resources and a mysterious entity on the hunt, each secret unlocked could save them . . . or spell their doom. One thing Reese knows for sure: This is one Bad Island.
THE BRIDGE TO NEVER LAND by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson Aidan and Sarah cooper have no idea what they’re getting into one afternoon when they discover a mysterious coded document in a secret compartment of an antique English desk their father recently bought at an auction. Something about the document seems familiar to Sarah, and that night she realizes what it is: the document seems to be referring to some books she has read—the Starcatchers series, about the origin of Peter Pan. But how could that be? The document seems far older than the books. And of course, the books are just stories.Curious, Sarah and Aidan begin to decipher the mysterious document. At first it’s a game—unraveling the mystery piece by piece, each piece leading them to a new, deeper puzzle. But soon the game turns strange—and scary. Pursued by a being that can take any form and will stop at nothing to get what it wants from them, Aidan and Sarah embark on a desperate, thrilling quest for help—a quest that leads them to some unforgettable people in some unlikely places, including one that’s not supposed to exist at all.
CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT by Sierra Harimann Hannah isn't thrilled to be moving in with her dad and his new family, who live right next to a spooky cemetery. Luckily, Hannah doesn't believe all the "ghost cat" stories she's heard about the graveyard.
Not so luckily, the cemetery is the least of Hannah's troubles. Her stepsister, Madison, is the meanest girl in Hannah's grade. Her cat, Icky, has been missing since the move. And worst of all, Hannah can't sleep at night: Something keeps scratching at her door, but when she looks for it, nothing is ever there! Hannah's starting to wonder -- could those scary stories be true after all?
DOGS IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT: MAGIC TREE HOUSE by Mary Pope Osborne Beware of avalanches!
When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie back in time to the highest pass in the Swiss Alps, they discover an ancient monastery filled with monks and Saint Bernard dogs. Annie can’t resist offering to train a wild young dog named Barry. Will Barry lead Jack and Annie to the mysterious flower they need to save a friend’s life? Or will he only lead them into danger? Before the night is over, Jack and Annie will be forced to use some crazy magic! Join everyone’s favorite brother and sister duo on an adventure that is scary and magical, and more fun than they’ve ever had!
ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT: THE UNDERWORLD CHRONICLES by Jennifer Nielsen Elliot, King of the Brownies, isn't usually a stubborn kid, but he didn't see a lot of room to bargain on the issue of Goblins eating his subjects. Which is how he wound up alone in the Underworld, with no map either home or ahead to Demon Territory. Between trying to steal a hair for the Pixie Princess and a sock for the Fairies from a demon, being King of the Brownies is no easy job!
THE GIRL BEHIND THE GLASS by Jane Kelley The house on Hemlock Road used to be someone's home. Until something happened. Something that even after 80 years, can never be forgotten or forgiven . . . .
Eleven-year-old twins Hannah and Anna agree about everything—especially that they don't want to move to the creepy old house on Hemlock Road. But as soon as they move into the house, the twins start disagreeing for the first time in their lives. In fact, it's almost as though something or someone is trying to drive them apart. While Anna settles in, Hannah can't ignore the strange things that keep happening on Hemlock Road. Why does she sense things that no one else in the family does? Like when the hemlock branch outside waves shush, shush. Or at night, if she listens hard enough, it's almost as though someone is trying to talk to her. Someone no one else can hear. Someone angry enough to want revenge. Hannah, are you listening? Is the house haunted? Is Hannah crazy? Or does something in the house want her as a best friend—forever?
THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO FAIRIES: EVERYTHING IRRESISTIBLE ABOUT THE FAIR FOLK
by Jen Jones Are fairies cute and dainty or mischievous and scary? Heres your chance to read all about fairy history, real life sprites, and the spirited sidekicks from pop culture. Then you can decide for yourself.
THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO MERMAIDS: EVERYTHING ALLURING ABOUT THESE MYTHICAL BEAUTIES by Jen Jones Are mermaids sweet sea creatures or scary sirens? Heres your chance to read all about mermaid history, real life mermaids, and the mythical merpeople from pop culture. Then you can decide for yourself.
GHOST HUNTER: LITTLE ELSE by Julie Hunt When Little Else leads her gang of bushrangers through the Back-of-Beyond in search of the mysterious Lost Herd, they cross a river into strange country where their hoofprints disappear. The long-lost cattle are said to be worth their weight in gold, but no one has ever come back from beyond the Broken River. What is the mystery of the Lost Lagoon, and will Little Else be able to break the ghostly curse?
THE HO HO HO MYSTERY: THE THIRD PIG DETECTIVE AGENCY by Bob Burke
The porcine Philip Marlowe (or is he the swine Sam Spade?) is back, in the festive follow-up to The Third Pig Detective Agency
When Father Christmas goes missing on Christmas Eve eve, Mrs. Christmas calls on our intrepid hero Harry Pigg to track him down. What follows is another hardboiled caper featuring fairy tale villains, plenty of red herrings, a few close shaves, a couple of punch ups, and a very clever twist. Aided and abetted by his sidekicks Jack Horner and the genie from the lamp, Harry tries to save Christmas before time runs out. If only he didn't have to deal with those annoying elves.
JACK FLINT AND THE DARK WAYS by Joe Donnell Continuing Jack's quest to find his father, Jack, Kerry, and Corrie have passed through the gate into the peaceful summerland of Uaine. Hoping for a period of respite after all their adventures, they quickly discover that they have work to do. The power-hungry spellbinder, Bodrun, has stolen the copperplates—protective magical talismans—and released the terrifying nightshades into the world. These creatures stalk the night, searching for a way to break through to other worlds and wreak havoc. They will do anything to get their claws into the heartstone. With the Book of Ways to guide them, Jack and his friends must travel deep into Bodrun's lair, facing gargoyles, giant spiders, walls of fire, and shrieking all-consuming nightshades, before a final confrontation with the evil spellbinder himself. As Jack finds himself in the midst of this nightmare, he is forced to face what really happened to his father so long ago.
MEET ME IN HORRORWOOD: CREEPELLA VON CACKLEFUR by Geronimo Stilton
This NEW Geronimo Stilton series spinoff stars spooky, silly Creepella von Cacklefur!
Gorgo, the monster in Cacklefur Castle's moat, is in love with the famouse monster movie star Blobbina. When Creepella helps Gorgo write Blobbina a love letter, they discover that Blobbina has disappeared! Creepella heads to Horrorwood to search for the missing monster, but will she be able to find her?
MEETING: MAGIC NEXT DOOR by Nina Kiriki Hoffman When Maya Andersen and her family moved to Spores Ferry, Oregon, they didn't know there'd be magic right next door. Their new neighbors in the Janus House Apartments all have unusual powers, and the basement is a Grand Central Station to other worlds. Maya and her alien companion, Rimi, are learning how to live together and how to keep their secret-which becomes a lot harder as they help the Janus Housers track down the Krithi, the race who snatched Rimi from her home planet in an attempt to rule the universe.
THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF JACK by Kelly Barnhill When Jack is sent to Hazelwood, Iowa, to live with his crazy aunt and uncle, he expects a summer of boredom. Little does he know that the people of Hazelwood have been waiting for him for a long time. . . .
When he arrives, three astonishing things happen: First, he makes friends-not imaginary friends but actual friends. Second, he is beaten up by the town bully; the bullies at home always ignored him. Third, the richest man in town begins to plot Jack's imminent, and hopefully painful, demise. It's up to Jack to figure out why suddenly everyone cares so much about him. Back home he was practically, well, invisible.
PETER NIMBLE AND HIS FANTASTIC EYES by Jonathan Auxier Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.
RAVENWOOD by Andrew Fusek Peters Who holds the seeds to save a sky-high world? Arborium is at risk, the sharpened blades of rival Maw poised to saw off its bark and branches. What can a poor plumber's apprentice armed with little more than a monkey wrench do to stop the chopping?
Carved into a massive, mile-high canopy, the forest kingdom of Arborium stands upon the tallest of trees. Within them, 14-year-old Ark holds the lowest of jobs: unclogging toilets. He's already up to his elbows in gunk when he REALLY steps in it. He overhears a plot echoing through the pipes: Maw, a ruthless glass-and-steel superpower, is scheming to wield its axes of evil to strip Arborium of its wood -- a natural resource now more precious than gold.
The fate of a kingdom in the filthy hands of a plumber boy?
Plunged into danger, Ark must make the treacherous climb down to the darkest roots of RAVENWOOD if there's any hope of rescuing his threatened tree home!
RIP TIDE: DARK LIFE by Kat Falls
Ty has always known that the ocean is a dangerous place. Every time he swims beyond the borders of his family's subsea farm, he's prepared to face all manner of aquatic predators-sharks, squid, killer whales . . .
What Ty isn't prepared to find in the deep is an entire township chained to a sunken submarine, its inhabitants condemned to an icy underwater grave. It's only the first clue to a mystery that has claimed hundreds of lives and stands to claim two more -- lives very precious to Ty and his Topsider ally, Gemma.
Now in a desperate race against the clock, Ty and Gemma find themselves in conflict with outlaws, Seaguard officers, and the savage, trident-wielding surfs -- plus a menagerie of the most deadly creatures the ocean has to offer.
Kat Falls brings to life the mysteries, marvels, and monsters of the deep in this fast-paced and inventive action-adventure.
THE SECRET OF THE LONELY ISLES by Joanne van Os Jem's world has been turned upside down—and it’s about to get a lot worse. His great-aunt Ella, who's also a solo, round-the-world sailor, is moving in and decides to take Jem, his sister Maddy and his brother Tyler, with her on an adventure across the great blue sea. Plagued by seasickness and left wondering what mystery Ella seems to be chasing across the water, Jem begins having strange and troubling dreams. Could they be linked to the stranger stalking them as they continue on their quest?THE SECRET WAR: A JACK BLANK ADVENTURE by Matt Myklusch Picking up a year after the events of Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation, Jack and his fellow students are now well into their School of Thought training and are "sidekicking" for official, card-carrying super heroes. But, even though Jack feels more at home in the Imagine Nation, he’s still hiding secrets from his friends Skerren and Allegra, both about his shocking connection to their enemy Revile and about his “Top Secret” school assignment, which involves investigating the RÜstov computer virus that affects the Mechas. Jack is busy trying to find out how far the RÜstov sleeper virus has spread, working to find a cure, and striving to avoid the dire future that Revile warned him about. Meanwhile, Jonas Smart is working just as hard to discover what Jack is hiding from everyone. When a rogue Secreteer--the protectors of secrets of inhabitants of the Imagine Nation--starts selling secrets to the highest bidder, Smart is ready and waiting. Jack knows that if Smart finds out the truth about him and Revile, he’s as good as dead. When Jack discovers that the Secreteer causing all this trouble also has information about his father, the distractions really start piling up. If Jack is going to help prevent a second RÜstov invasion, keep Smart from discovering his secrets, and find out what a shadowy, half-mad Secreteer knows about his long-lost father, he'll need to learn to trust his friends, and to find the true path toward becoming a hero himself.
SHAOLIN TIGER: SAMURAI KIDS by Sandy Fussell The White Tiger Temple is under threat. To help the Shaolin monks, Sensei KiYaga and the whole gang of samurai kids— from Niya Moto, the boy with one leg to Taji, the boy who is blind— embark on a perilous journey across the Sea of Japan to China. But soon they discover that getting there is only half the battle. A great danger awaits them: a former student of Sensei named Qing-Shen, China’s Warrior, now the most skilled soldier in the Middle Kingdom. But Qing-Shen is also a man with a vendetta against his onetime teacher. Could there be anyone more dangerous? The samurai kids must train in the ways of the Shaolin monks before facing him. But will they be able to protect the temple and their beloved Sensei?
SINISTER SCENES: THE JOY OF SPOOKING by P.J. Bracegirdle Joy Wells is thrilled when Spooking—the terrible town on the hideous hill—is chosen as the location for a horror movie. She’s convinced the attention will finally prove that legendary author E.A. Peugeot set his creepy tales in her beloved hometown. And when a temperamental young starlet goes missing, Joy steps in to co-star alongside rock icon Teddy Danger. But Danger is delivering a terrifying performance that is entirely unscripted: Having rented a sinister old mansion in town, the aging musician has been possessed by a slumbering evil. In order to survive, Joy must turn once again to her old nemesis, Mr. Phipps. Old grudges and ancient curses collide as the true history of the terrible town is finally revealed.
THE THIRTEEN GHOSTS: CREEPELLA VON CACKLEFUR by Geronimo Stilton
Creepella von Cacklefur and her niece, Shivereen, visit scary Squeakspeare Mansion. There they meet Bobby Squeakspeare, a descendent of the famouse writer, William Squeakspeare. Will the spooky rooms and ghosts they find inside the mansion be friendly--or frightening?
THE UNKNOWN SPY: THE RING OF FIVE by Eoin McNamee
THE WARRIOR SHEEP GO WEST by Christopher & Christine Russell In this follow-up book to the successful The Quest of the Warrior Sheep, the herd hoofs it to Las Vegas in another epic adventure. Last time they saved the Sheep God. This time they have to save all of sheepdom. A strange monster called Red Tongue has threatened all Rams, Ewes, and Lambs, and the Warrior Sheep know it's up to them to stop him. But they have a crazy scientist following them, and Tod and Gran have been thrown in jail by an over-zealous sheriff. Can the Warriors stop the mysterious monster?
WEREWOLVES: GRAPHIC MYTHICAL CREATURES by Gary Jeffrey This title will hypnotise readers with its dramatic illustrations and straightforward narrative that explains the details about these mysterious creatures. Does the presence of a full moon bespeak the reality of a transformation from human to beast? Is there a reason why a wolf's howl makes us feel like something more sinister lurks in the forest? Graphic Dark Side is an exciting new series about tales of the supernatural, in a graphic-novel format, ideal for reluctant readers. Dramatic, graphic illustrations are supported by short, accessible blocks of text and speech bubbles. Each title features three gripping tales and includes an introduction and a glossary. Short summaries of more stories will prompt further research and discussion.
YOUNG ADULT
ACROSS THE GREAT BARRIER by Patricia C. Wrede Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.
There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities--and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.
With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.ALL YOU DESIRE by Kirsten Miller Haven Moore and Iain Morrow have been living a blissful life in Rome, an ocean way from the Ouroboros Society and its diabolical leader. But paradise is not to last. The mysterious disappearance of Haven's best friend, Beau, sends the pair running back to New York, where they encounter the Horae, an underground group of women who have spent centuries scheming to destroy Adam Rosier. Only they can help Haven uncover the secret to Beau's whereabouts in one of her past lives. But their help comes at a price: Haven must infiltrate the Ouroboros Society, charm Adam Rosier, and lure him into a trap. It's a plan the Horae believe will save the world-but Haven and Iain fear that it may destroy the happiness they've been chasing for two thousand years.
ALWAYS A WITCH by Carolyn MacCullough Since the gripping conclusion of Once a Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother’s prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady’s maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.
BETWEEN by Jessica Warman Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.
THE BLACKHOPE ENIGMA by Teresa Flavin An ancient painting, a magical labyrinth, and skeletons found in a locked room.
For centuries, Blackhope Tower has been shrouded in intrigue, centering on a labyrinth and painting in the Mariner’s Chamber. When fourteen-year-old Sunni Forrest visits the tower and sees her stepbrother, Dean, disappear, seemingly into the painting itself, she must find him and risk being drawn into the heart of the Blackhope enigma. This action-packed debut follows Dean, Sunni, and her friend Blaise on a journey to the heart of an age-old mystery.
BLOOD TIES: A BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRE NOVEL by Mari Mancusi Officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. When darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny must make a choice: stay true to her love, or defy him in a desperate attempt to save Jayden's soul.
Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up its toughest fight yet. They are going head-to-head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc. that's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan--still determined to take over the world.
In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be vampires versus slayers in a showdown that could not only cost Sunny her heart...but also her life.
CIRCLE OF FIRE: PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help--or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister--and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.
There are some secrets sisters aren't meant to share. Because when they do, it destroys them. This stunning conclusion to Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy will make saying good-bye bittersweet for readers.
THE CUPID WAR by Timothy Carter Ricky Fallon had decided against killing himself — just before slipping off a bridge to his death. Now he's a Cupid in the afterlife, helping people fall in love. The job would be cool if it weren't for the dorky pink bodysuits, his jerky boss, and attacks from joy-sucking shadowy entities called Suicides.
When Fallon discovers a dangerous new breed of Suicide, a terrific battle erupts. To save the girl he's falling for — oh, and prevent total world domination — Fallon uses a secret weapon to kick some serious Suicide butt.
THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND by Guy Adams The Curse of the Werewolf investigatates the fascinating world of lycanthropy. Told through the compelling fictional story of journalist Glendon Pierce, who believes he is becoming a werewolf, it features all of the key werewolf myths throughout history, including Native American Skinwalkers, French legends, and the Louisiana Rougarou. Presented as a beautifully illustrated scrapbook of Pierce's investigations, this volume also contains 15 removable documents covering all aspects of werewolf lore.
DARK PARTIES by Sara Grant Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...
Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.
DARK SOULS by Paula Morris Welcome to York, England. Mist lingers in the streets. Narrow buildings cast long shadows. This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .
Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .
Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy -- one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls?
Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous -- and deadly -- is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery -- and find redemption.
DEATH SENTENCE: ESCAPE FROM FURNACE by Alexander Gordon Smith
ETERNAL: IMMORTAL by Gillian Shields I am not like Evie. I don’t belong in some great romance. I’m just the best friend in the background. Always there, always reliable, down-to-earth. Good old Sarah. That’s how it’s always been. Until now.
At Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, Sarah is the faithful friend to Evie and Helen, her sisters in the Mystic Way. But this term Sarah finds that their friendship is tested. Evie is turning her back on the Mystic Way after laying her beloved Sebastian’s soul to rest; Helen is distracted by her tormented relationship with her mother. Sarah struggles to keep the sisterhood together as the threat of attack looms from the dark coven and the Unconquered lords.
All that keeps Sarah going is her connection with her earth powers and a promise she cannot break. When she must step out of the shadows and fight the eternal darkness, will her sisters join her, or will help come from unexpected sources, like her Romany ancestors and a love she’d only just dared hope for?
EYES IN THE MIRROR by Julia Mayer Every teen girl fantasizes about having a double and best friend rolled into one-an alter ego with whom she can trade places, allowing her to disappear. Samara is a troubled and lonely adolescent, prone to cutting, who desperately craves both intimacy and escape from her unfulfilled life...until she meets her reflection, Dee, the seeming answer to all her problems.With dual and dueling points of view, Eyes in the Mirror provides a perspective on one girl's life never before seen in YA fiction: her own and from her freer, wilder reflection.
THE GAME OF TRIUMPHS by Laura Powell At an exclusive Soho party one rainy night, Cat stumbles into an ancient and dangerous game of fortune. A mysterious quartet of game masters deal out challenges—moves that unfold in the Arcanum, a dream-scape version of our world. Success can earn players fame, fortune, inspiration. Failure can be deadly.
At first Cat is skeptical, but undeniably curious. And when a journey into the Arcanum reveals a shocking glimpse of her family's past, Cat begins to understand what drives people to play. Sometimes it's greed or longing—other times desperation. She must know more.
Right now, the game masters hold all the cards. But Cat finds others like herself on the fringes of the game. And together an unlikely group of chancers hope to change the rules in their favor.
In the Game of Triumphs, the risks are high, but the rewards may just be worth dying for. . . .
I'LL BE WATCHING by Pamela Porter In a small prairie town like Argue, Saskatchewan, everyone knows everybody else’s business. Everyone knows that the Loney family has been barely hanging on — the father, George, reduced to drink and despair since the loss of his farm and the death of his wife, Margaret. And that the four Loney children do not get along with George’s second wife, the pious, bitter Effie. When George dies in a drunken stupor and Effie takes off with a traveling Bible salesman, it looks as though the children are done for. Who’s to save them when everyone in town is coping with the lingering Depression and the loss of their young men to the war? But by drawing good people to them and by rising to the occasion themselves, sixteen-year-old Ran, fourteen-year-old Nora, twelve-year-old Jim and little Addie find a way to make ends meet under the watchful eye of their ghostly parents.
ISLAND'S END, by Padma Venkatraman From the acclaimed author of Climbing the Stairs comes a fascinating story set on a remote island untouched by time. Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that has defined them.
Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatraman was inspired to write this story after meeting natives who survived the 2004 tsunami and have been able to preserve their unique way of life. Uido's transformation from a young girl to tribal leader will touch both your heart and mind.
Just when they embrace a reconnection, she'll learn that her greatest threat is not necessarily something that might happen in the future, but something that's happening...right now. And this time, Sophie and Wes will need the help of more than one person to fix it -even if it means giving up his secret.
With time forever moving, and the dark cloud at its lowest, the third book in the Pace Series stays true to its signature grace and determination as Sophie and Weston take the biggest detour so far.
Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.
A LONG, LONG SLEEP by Anna Sheehan Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss.
Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat.
Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existance, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all.
THE LUNATIC'S CURSE by F.E. Higgins The town of Opum Oppidulum is home to the freezing Lake Beluarum and its rumored monster. On an island at the center of the lake is an asylum; no one has ever escaped it. So how will Rex, whose father, Ambrose Grammaticus, has been imprisoned there under false pretenses, prove that Ambrose is not insane? And if Rex can free his father, will his evil stepmother drive them both to madness? Higgins’ fans will devour this deliciously scary tale, a “polyquel” to her previous books, all of which can be read singly or together. But not in the dark . . .
THE MARGRAVE: RELIC MASTER by Catherine Fisher The fourth installment in the Relic Master quartet!
Galen and Raffi's quest has brought them to the Pits of Maar. There, below the surface of the world, in the deepest darkness, a most evil thing is waiting for them to come.
MISFIT by Jon Skovron Thompson has never really fit in. She's changed schools too many times to count. The only family she's ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother--well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn't exactly help.
But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much.
Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.
THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true. The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.
PICKING UP THE GHOST by Tone Milazzo Living in St. Jude, a 110-year-old dying city on the edge of the Mississippi, is tough. But when a letter informs fourteen-year-old Cinque Williams of the passing of the father he never met, he is faced with an incomplete past and an uncertain future. A curse meant for his father condemns Cinque to a slow death even as it opens his eyes to the strange otherworld around him. With help from the ghost Willy T, an enigmatic White Woman named Iku, an African Loa, and a devious shape-shifter, Cinque gathers the tools to confront the ghost of his dead father. But he will learn that sometimes too much knowledge can be dangerous - and the people he trusts most are those poised to betray him.
THE POISONED HOUSE: A GHOST STORY by Michael Ford Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs.Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself---a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.
THE PRISONER OF CELL 25: MICHAEL VEY by Richard Paul Evans My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.
To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.
Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.
SISTER LIGHT, SISTER DARK by Jane Yolen Raised on a mountainside, Jenna learned the arts of the warrior, and from the mountain women the magic of the ancient lore. But the greatest magic of all was her ability to call forth her dark sister from the depths of the mirror of the land of light and shadow.
Skada was the dark one, able to exist only when the moonlight cast a shadow or lamplight flickered in a darkened room.
This is the story of Jenna and Skada. Sister Light and Sister Dark.
STICKMAN ODYSSEY: AN EPIC DOODLE by Christopher Ford When Zozimos is banished by an evil witch (his stepmother!) from the kingdom of Sticatha-the kingdom he was next in line to rule-he trains at battle (if you call chasing after butterflies training), travels across stormy seas (thanks for that, Poseidon), slays golems and monsters (with a lot of help), charms beautiful women (not really), and somehow (despite his own ineptitude) survives quest after quest. By the love of Zeus, though, none of it brings him any closer to home!
It does, however, make for one quirky, original, giggle-provoking graphic novel sure to appeal to any kid interested in Greek mythology, or merely looking for an entertaining read.
SURVIVOR: ALONE by James Phelan Jesse is alone. His friends are gone. His supplies are gone. And the chasers, the zombies, are getting bolder. So when he starts to see signs of life, of other humans, he can't believe his luck. But in post-incident New York, the only thing more dangerous than the chasers, are the survivors.
THIRST NO. 4 by Christopher Pike The conclusion to the phenomenally successful Thirst series follows five-thousand-year-old vampire Alisa Perne as she battles a new race of immortals: the Telar. The Telar are a challenging threat. But Alisa is hungry for blood—and thirsty for revenge.
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