DAS |
Maze Runner Series (age 10+) by James Dashner survival ... adventure ... action ... fantasy ... science fiction Publisher comments: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. title: The Maze Runner title: The Scorch Trials title: The Death Cure |
PEA |
The Kingdom Keepers Series (age 10+) by Ridley Pearson science fiction ... fantasy ... adventure ... action Publisher comments: Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI — which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging — Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park. The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming? Finn's confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney's beloved realm, and maybe more. title: Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark title: Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn title: Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow title: Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play |
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. |
PFE |
Life As We Knew It
(age 10+) by Susan Beth Pfeffer letters/journal ... science fiction ... adventure ... nature ... survival Publisher comments: Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. In her journal, Miranda records the events of each desperate day, while she and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource--hope. |
HUL |
The Seems Series (age 10+) by John Hulme humor ... fantasy ... science fiction Publisher comments: Twelve-year-old Becker Drane has definitely got the coolest job of any seventh grader in Highland Park, New Jersey. He works as a Fixer for The Seems. From the Department of Weather to the Department of Sleep, The Seems is a secret organization that makes sure our world keeps running--and more importantly, sticks to The Plan that's been made for it. But The Plan, and The Seems for that matter, would be nothing without the people in it, and that's where Becker Drane comes in. When a Glitch is reported in the Department of Sleep, Becker is dispatched to Fix it, but he's not so sure this is a routine mission. Could the Bed Bugs, who are behind our Worst Nightmares, be responsible for the problems? Or maybe it's The Tide, an underground organization bent on destroying The Seems? No matter what, Becker's in for quite an adventure, and it'll take all his training, a little luck, and the coolest Tools(TM) known in (or out of) the Seems to Fix the problem. title: The Glitch in Sleep title: The Split Second |
REE |
The Larklight Series (age 10+) by Philip Reeve science fiction ... action ... adventure Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight...that just happens to be traveling through outer space. When a visitor called Mr. Webster arrives for a visit, it is far from an innocent social call. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the furthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other, and the universe. A fantastically original Victorian tale set in an outer space world that has a unique gravitational pull all its own. title: Larklight: Or the Revenge of the White Spiders! Or to Saturns Rings and Back! a Rousing Tale of Dauntless Pluck in the Farthest Reaches of Space title: Starcross: Or, the Coming of the Moobs, or, Our Adventures in the Fourth Dimension! a Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats title: Mothstorm: Or the Horror From Beyond Georgium Sidus! or a Tale of Two Shapers |
WIL |
Danger Boy Series (age 10+) by Mark London Williams action ... adventure ... science fiction Hitch a ride through time on the Danger Boy adventures These rich, action-filled fantasies about a reluctant time-traveler and his unusual sidekicks will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The year is 2019, and a secret government agency is forcing Eli's dad to continue with his time-travel experiments, even though Eli's mom has just disappeared in one. Now Eli has a ridiculous new code name, and a gravely important mission. In DANGER BOY: ANCIENT FIRE, a lab accident sends Eli sprawling through the Fifth Dimension, where he hooks up with the amiable Clyne, an evolved dinosaur from an alternate Earth who just wants to finish his homework. Clyne's timeship lands them in ancient Alexandria, Egypt, just as a great fire rages through the city and the girl scientist Thea is fleeing an angry mob who thinks she's a witch. As if that's not enough, in the present-day world, a deadly pox is on the loose, and bizarre things are starting to happen to the fabric of time itself. title: Ancient Fire title: Dragon Sword title: Trail of Bones title: City of Ruins |
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. |
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 |
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 |
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 |
LOW |
Gathering Blue
(age 10+) by Lois Lowry fantasy ... identity ... science fiction Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can do. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes she is surrounded by many mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world and see what places exist beyond. Companion to The Giver. |
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. |
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: The White Mountains title: The City of Gold and Lead title: The Pool of Fire title: When the Tripods Came |
CAR |
The Atherton Series (age 10+) by Patrick Carman action ... science fiction ... adventure From the creator of the Land of Elyon comes a riveting adventure set in an extraordinary satellite world, created as a refuge from a dying Earth, that begins to collapse and forever change the lives of its inhabitants. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove; a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets; and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book which contains the history of Atherton's origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world, quite literally, begins to turn inside out. title: Atherton: The House of Power title: Rivers of Fire title: The Dark Planet |
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. |
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. |
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 |
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 |