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COL
The Supernaturalist (age 10+)
by Eoin Colfer
spooky ... science fiction ... adventure ... action
Publisher comments: In futuristic Satellite City, fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from his abusive orphanage and teams up with three other people who share his unusual ability to see supernatural creatures. Together they determine the nature and purpose of the swarming blue Parasites that are invisible to most humans.
F
FAR
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm: a novel (age 10+)
by Nancy Farmer
growing up ... mystery ... adventure ... science fiction
General Matsika's children steal out of the house on a forbidden adventure--and disappear. In Zimbabwe, in the year 2194, the children's parents call in Africa's most unusual detectives--the Ear, the Eye and the Arm--who have powers far beyond those of other human beings. The children must avoid the evils of the past, the technology of the future, and a motley assortment of criminals in order to return home safely.
F
CLE
Things Not Seen (age 10+)
by Andrew Clements
science fiction ... the arts ... friendship
Fifteen-year-old Bobby thinks he knows what it's like to be invisible; he's used to being ignored by the popular kids at school (especially the girls). Even his parents hardly seem to notice whether he's home or not. Then one morning, Bobby wakes up to find that he IS invisible. For real. He can't stop wondering if he'll ever reappear, especially when his parents wreck their car and wind up in the hospital. Now Bobby is all alone. How can he survive in a world where he can't be seen? One thing's for sure: Bobby's not going to just wait around to see if his body will decide to show up again on its own. He's got to take action. Fast.
sequel: Things Hoped For
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STE
The Mysterious Benedict Society Series (age 10+)
by Trenton Lee Stewart
friendship ... science fiction ... brilliant protagonist ... adventure ... school
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?
title: The Mysterious Benedict Society
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SHE
Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus (age 10+)
by Mary Shelley
science fiction
A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator.
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SCH
Princess from Another Planet (age 10+)
by Mindy Schanback
princesses ... humor ... science fiction
Fourteen-year-old Gracie escapes her impoverished life by impersonating her rich cousin at an exclusive summer camp, until a series of weird events convinces her that her mother's delusions about being the deposed queen of a distant planet just might be true.
F
MAC
Pendragon Series (age 10+)
by D. J. MacHale
letters/journal ... action ... science fiction ... adventure ... fantasy
Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby. He is going to save the world. And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution. If Bobby wants to see his family again, he's going to have to accept his role as savior, and accept it wholeheartedly. Because, as he is about to discover, Denduron is only the beginning....
title: The Merchant of Death
title: The Lost City of Faar
title: The Never War
title: The Reality Bug
title: Black Water
title: The Rivers of Zadaa
title: The Quillan Games
title: The Pilgrims of Rayne
title: Raven Rise
title: The Soldiers of Halla
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LOW
Messenger (age 10+)
by Lois Lowry
fantasy ... identity ... science fiction
Strange changes are taking place in Village. Once a utopian community that prided itself on its welcome to new strangers, Village will soon be closed to all outsiders. As one of the few people able to travel through the dangerous Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village's closing and try to convince Seer's daughter to return with him before it's too late. But Forest has become hostile to Matty as well, and he must risk everything to fight his way through it, armed only with an emerging power he cannot yet explain or understand. The characters from Lowry's The Giver and Gathering Blue meet in this shocking novel of utopia gone wrong.
F
CHR
The Tripods Series (age 10+)
by John Christopher
adventure ... action ... science fiction
Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants.
title: When the Tripods Came
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WAU
Space Race (age 10+)
by Sylvia Waugh
friendship ... family ... science fiction
Every night before going to sleep, 11-year-old Thomas Derwent says to his father, "Nallytan, Vateelin mesht." It's the one thing he remembers from the language of The Other Place, and Thomas has never thought much about it. Until now. Now, because his father has told him that they're leaving. Not just the small town in England where they live, but Earth. They're returning to The Other Place, the planet of Ormingat, from which they came five years before. It was so long ago, though, that Thomas can't remember anything about his life there. All he knows is his life on Earth, and he can't imagine leaving the places and people he loves so much. But the only other option is to stay behind. Alone.
F
BEL
The Mansion in the Mist (age 10+)
by John Bellairs
science fiction ... fantasy ... mystery ... spooky
While spending the summer in an old house on a desolate Canadian island, Anthony Monday and Miss Eells discover a chest that can transport them to another world and a maniacal group who are plotting the destruction of people on Earth.
F
PAU
The Time Hackers (age 10+)
by Gary Paulsen
adventure ... science fiction ... math/science/technology
You ever open your locker and find that some joker has left something really weird inside? Seventh-grader Dorso Clayman opens his locker door to find a dead body. Thirty seconds later it disappears. It's not the first bizarre thing that has appeared in his locker and then vanished. Something's going on. Somebody has decided to make Dorso and his buddy Frank the target of some strange techno-practical jokes. The ultimate gamesters have hacked into the time line, and things from the past are appearing in the present. Soon, the jokes aren't funny anymore, they're dangerous. Dorso and Frank have got to beat the time hackers at their own game by breaking the code, before they get lost in the past themselves.
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LOW
The Giver (age 10+)
by Lois Lowry
science fiction ... fantasy ... identity
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
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L'E
A Wrinkle in Time / The Time Quintet (age 10+)
by Madeleine L'Engle
adventure ... fantasy ... science fiction
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret study of the fifth dimension of time travel.
title: A Wrinkle in Time / The Time Quintet
title: A Wind in the Door
title: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
title: Many Waters
F
DUP
The Book of Ember Series (age 10+)
by Jeanne Duprau
survival ... action ... adventure ... fantasy ... science fiction
Publisher comments: Built as an underground refuge for the human race, the city of Ember begins to deteriorate as its lights start to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever.
title: The City of Ember
title: The People of Sparks
title: The Prophet of Yonwood
title: The Diamond of Darkhold

El Carmelo Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:28 2012
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