Fantasy/Mystery: Terrier

Well known fantasy author Tamora Pierce has written an unusual series. The Beka Cooper series focuses on the eponymous heroine. Beka is a lowborn gutter rat who was rescued from poverty by a lord as a child. She lives with her siblings in his manor as a servant, where she is well treated.

But Beka wants something more. She joins the City Guard at 16, and begins her training as a "puppy", or novice guard. Born into the slums, Beka has a driving need to see justice done. Paired with two of the city's best Dogs (guards), Beka uses her natural wit and her innate magic to bring down the city's most wanted criminals, thus earning her nickname of "terrier".

The book is set in a vaguely mediaeval world, where lords and ladies live a very different life than Beka. Tamora Pierce has broken the mold by making her heroine a debilitatingly shy gutter rat, with no great beauty or intelligence. Instead, Beka is doggedly persistent, with a keen sense of justice. The book is written in diary format, which brings readers right into Beka's rich and colourful life. A wonderful read, with a strong mystery element. Also recommended is the sequel, "Bloodhound".

Fantasy/Mystery

Grades 9-12

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Graphic Novel: Rapunzel's Revenge

The Rapunzel in this story is quite a different girl than the one you might find in traditional fairy tales. The story of the girl who waits for a prince to rescue her from a tower is turned on its head in this snappy graphic novel.

This Rapunzel is a redhead who defies her adoptive mother when she realizes that she was stolen away as a child. The witch Mother Gothel has been using growth magic to drain the land of life, and keep its peoples under her green thumb.

Locked up in a treetop prison for four years, Rapunzel has plenty of time to nurse her anger, and to practice using her growing braids as deadly weapons! The early lasso training she received from her bodyguard allows her to develop into a braid-snapping crack shot.

When she finally breaks out of prison, Rapunzel is determined to get revenge, and to rescue her real mother from the witch's mines. Told with an untraditional Western twist, this full colour graphic novel has appealing illustrations that draw the reader into an old tale made new. Nominated for a YALSA quick pick award, this book is sure to please those who love fantasy and strong heroines. Funny and smart!

Graphic Novel

Grades 9-12

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Fantasy: City of Glass

This book is the third in Cassandra Clare's "The Mortal Instruments" series. It's a darkly convoluted trilogy that follows Clary as she learns that there is a world the rest of us can't see...one that she belongs to by right of birth.

In previous books, Clary discovers that she and her mother are anything but ordinary. They are part of a race called Shadowhunters, fierce beings who can call down magic using drawn runes. Almost immediately, Clary's mother is attacked by demons, and Clary joins forces with a group of New York Shadowhunters to fight against them.

Slowly, Clary finds herself falling in love with Jace, a fellow Shadowhunter. Jace is the quintessential bad boy, as he is the son of the ultimately evil Valentine. Despite Jace's suspect past, he and Clary are well on the way towards romance when the two discover that they are, in fact, siblings.

I won't give any more details away, but the books are filled with battles against evil, and more than a little romance. This series is sure to be popular with those who loved Twilight, or books by authors Holly Black and Melissa Marr.

Fantasy

Grades 10 and up

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Supernatural Fatasy: Need

Fans of Twilight will want to pick up Carrie Jones's new book, Need. It tells the story of Zara White, new girl in town. She's living with her grandmother now, because her mom sent her away to recover from the shock of her dad's sudden death. But Maine isn't exactly the relaxing vacation she thought it would be.

Instead, Zara finds she's being stalked by a pale man who leaves a trail of gold dust in his wake. Sound weird? That's not all. On top of that, her new friends can turn furry on the full moon, and the high school cliques are fierce enough to draw blood; literally. Throw in a hot guy and a budding romance, and you have a recipe for a supernatural thriller.

This book isn't as gripping as the Twilight series, but for fans who are looking for titles that are similar, it's a quick read.

Supernatural Fantasy

Grades 9-12

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Science Fiction: Genesis

This book is classic science fiction, in the tradition of Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury. Nothing is what it seems; the whole book is designed to upend your view of what humanity is, and how it relates to others.

This thoughtful book feels more like a short story than a full novel, but it's worth the trip through its brief, 185 pages. Student Anax is taking her final examination for entrance to the Academy, and her topic is the life of Adam Forde, long dead hero of the Republic. As she explains the history of her specialization, we begin to see a picture of a ruined world, with only one tiny bastion of civilization remaining. Anax delves deep into the concepts of ethics and morality, wrestling with ideas that will rock the foundations of her world... and ours. This is a book that will unsettle and grip readers. Highly recommended.

Science Fiction

Grades 10 and up

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Horror: Skeleton Creek

Skeleton Creek is hybrid book, and it's one of the best examples of it's kind. Author Patrick Carman has delivered unparalleled creepiness by mixing a traditional book format with online video clips that are reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project. The diary-style writing is simple and direct, and the scary videos build the suspense and mystery as the book progresses.

Teenage Ryan and his best friend Sarah have found something horrible in the woods. They were messing around, exploring an old piece of machinery at night when Ryan saw something moving. After he woke up in hospital, he couldn't remember what happened...but Sarah had recorded the whole thing on video. At this point, you pause to watch a scary clip on the book's website, and then you resume following Ryan as he and Sarah explore the secret that haunts Skeleton Creek.

In case you hadn't caught on, this book is definitely not for the faint of heart! Despite the distinct lack of gore, the suspense is heavy. I certiainly didn't want to watch those videos at night, and had to wait to read the book in the daytime! Highly recommended for reluctant readers, and teens who love suspense/horror.

Horror

Grades 5-10

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