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Kirin Rise: The Cast of Shadows
Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Kirin Rise doesn't look like a hero. Short and scrawny, she's not the type to strike fear into anyone, much less the brutes that make up the United Federation of Mixed Fighting. Despite her size, she spent her youth secretly training with her Sifu in the art of Wing Chun Gung Fu. What's more, Kirin has something that many people in 2032 seem to have lost-a conscience. Enraged by government corruption and corporate greed, Kirin sets out to do something about it in the most unlikely place: the weekly bloodbath known as Chum Night. With the guidance of her Sifu and the help of those who love her, she just might survive. Kirin Rise: The Cast of Shadows is the story of a young woman struggling against the apathy of a nation in her drive to make the world a better place.
Publication Date: 08/15/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Birds Like Us, The Pi Phillecroix Story
Synopsis: It all started one day when a NYC pigeon hopped onto a subway car, took the train one stop and then walked off Pi Phillecroix, daughter and only offspring of Piette and Paul Phillecroix V attempts to survive a world that preys on the weak and vulnerable when she leaves the protection of her Paris home and journeys to the shores of England to find a cure for her dying father. Flightless, she bears the expectations of seventeen centuries of France’s most heroic and decorated flying families. Can one little bird bear the expectations of seventeen centuries? The Phillecroix’ have long been respected the world over for their daring and flying excellence. Each and every member of their lineage has devoted their lives to flock and country. The tragedy is that Pi, the last and only progeny of these decorated heroes, cannot fly. Intelligent, loving, virtuous, enormously devoted and reverential to mother and father, Pi bears the weight of her parents’ disappointment when they learn that the family’s tradition of flying excellence has ended. At a time when most young birds frolic and play in and around the fountains of the Tuileries, Pi relegates herself to a small corner of the family nest atop the l'Arc de Triomphe in order to hide her handicap and escape endless torment from the arrondissement’s teenage birds. When her war-decorated and beloved father becomes seriously ill, Pi steals away in the middle of the night to walk from Paris to England in an attempt to find Dr. Allbewell, the only one who may have the powers to save his life. Flightless, Pi makes her way on two scrawny pink feet, north to Normandy. During her journey she uncovers a host of characters that sometimes halt and other times hasten her journey with a blend of cruelness and helpfulness. Gervaise, an angelic force of wisdom rescues Pi from the throes of two sadistic Starlings; Etienne, a Giant Sea Fish helps Pi navigate the river Seine; Quick Jac Carlson a short-tempered, red-bellied woodpecker strangles her in an attempt to prevent her from seeking a night’s refuge; and Big Fella, a humble stallion who befriends and carries Pi to Cherbourg are just a few of the multifarious characters that drive this colorful and eclectic narrative. Readers from ages twelve and older will identify with Pi’s journey and feelings of inadequacy, the ridicule she has to endure for being ‘different,’ and ultimately the courage she exhibits in facing her fears one step at a time. Readers from ages twelve and older will identify with Pi’s journey and feelings of inadequacy, the ridicule she has to endure for being ‘different,’ and ultimately the courage she exhibits in facing her fears one step at a time.
Publication Date: 08/13/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Shadows
E. C. Blake
Synopsis: Second novel in EC Blake's dystopian fantasy Masks of Aygrima series

In Masks, Mara Holdfast's life changed forever. As the daughter of the Autarch’s Master Maskmaker, she had a clearly defined future: a quiet, ordered life in the capital, making Masks with her father and doing work important to the ruling Autarch.

But when her Mask, specially made by her own father, cracked and fell to pieces during her Masking ceremony, Mara was exiled from everything she once knew.

Now she has become part of an underground rebellion, rejecting the unjust rules of a Masked society. She must try to understand her unprecedented ability to use all types of magic—and to tear magic from the living bodies of those around her. But Mara has yet to discover just how horrifying her power can be….
Publication Date: 08/05/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Thrones & Bones: Frostborn
Synopsis: Fantasy fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series will embrace this first novel in an adventure-filled, Viking-inspired series by a debut author.
 
Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones.
 
Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant.
 
When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants.
 
Readers will embark on a sweeping epic fantasy as they join Karn and Thianna on a voyage of discovery. Antics and hair-raising escapades abound in this fantasy adventure as the two forge a friendship and journey to unknown territory. Their plan: to save their families from harm.
 
Debut novelist Lou Anders has created a rich world of over twenty-five countries inhabited by Karn, Thianna, and an array of fantastical creatures, as well as the Thrones and Bones board game.


Praise for Frostborn:
"Future fans of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin can happily cut their serial-fantasy teeth on this first book of an eventual series." -Kirkus Reviews

"A fun, fast-paced, and highly enjoyable tale." -Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Abhorsen trilogy

*"...a powerful, fast-paced tale... The setting is rich, the characters well-defined, and the danger ever-paramount." -Publishers Weekly, starred

"...an excellent choice for readers new to the genre. The themes of staying true to oneself, teamwork, and individuality will resonate with readers." -School Library Journal

"...this accessible fantasy brings together two very different children bound by common goals." -Booklist

"The most delightful fantasy I have read in ages. . . . Put me on the waiting list for book 2!" -Amy Plum, international bestselling author of the Die For Me series
Publication Date: 08/05/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Jericho River
David W. Tollen
Synopsis: Winner at The Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the London Book Festival -- and Bronze Medalist in the Readers' Favorite Book Reviews & Awards Contest!

History isn't names and dates -- it's an adventure story.

And so is The Jericho River. It's a young adult fantasy about history: a wild ride for all and a treasure trove of knowledge for teachers and students.

The Jericho River flows through a magical world shaped by myth and history. Young Jason Gallo sails the river on a dangerous quest to rescue his estranged father. He battles minotaurs and pirates, flees barbarians, stumbles into mummies' tombs, and outwits fairies, philosophers, and scientists.

But Jason's tale is more than an adventure story. The river flows like a timeline, carrying the young man through historic lands -- Sumer, the pharaoh's Egypt, ancient Greece, Medieval Europe, and many others -- all in chronological order, tracing the history of Western Civilization, from its Middle Eastern origins to modern times. Professor Gallo, Jason's father, is a historian, and his notes outline the journey, revealing the truth about Cleopatra, King Arthur, and the fall of the Roman Empire. He explains how Snow White began as a goddess and how a French lawyer's son became king of Sweden, as well as the origins of coffee, the cat, chivalry, the Internet, Atlantis, and much more.
 
You've never read a story like this ...
Publication Date: 08/04/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Jack and the Wild Life
Lisa Doan, Ivica Stevanovic
Synopsis: After a wild plan by his parents left Jack stranded in the Caribbean, the Berenson family decided to lay out some rules. Jack's mom and dad agreed they wouldn't take so many risks. Jack agreed he'd try to live life without worrying quite so much. Then Jack's parents thought up another get-rich-quick scheme.



Now the family's driving around Kenya. An animal attack is about to send Jack up a tree—alone, with limited supplies. As Jack attempts to outsmart a ferocious honey badger and keep away from an angry elephant, he'll have plenty of time to wonder if the Berenson Family Decision-Making Rules did enough to keep him out of trouble.
Publication Date: 08/01/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
My Wizard Buddy: Wizard Planet (Book Two)
Scott Spotson, PhD, Brian W Wu MD
Synopsis: Prepare yourself to go in a fun and adventurous travel to Adgiligda, the wizard planet! 
Dirk, Tyler's wizard buddy, has often driven him to distraction even as he amicably conjured feats of incredible magic to help Tyler out of tight spots. Now, both boys are 12 years old, and Dirk has invited Tyler to visit Adgiligda, his own planet. This interplanetary travel guarantees one giant adventure after the other when Tyler joins in amazing games of wizardry and tangles with fearsome magical beasts!


This is the second book of My Wizard Buddy Series, a magic and exciting trilogy that blends eye-popping fantasy along with valuable coming-of-age lessons. 
Publication Date: 07/30/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Through the Zombie Glass
Synopsis: Zombies stalk the night.  

Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls. 

Sadly, they've got mine… 

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.  

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.  

She's never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her…from everyone. Now, with her best friend, Kat, at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole's secret and learn to fight the darkness. 

But the clock is ticking…and if she fails at a single task, they're all doomed.

Don't miss FIRSTLIFE, book 1 of Gena Showalter's action-packed, romantic and exhilarating new series, the Everlife novels!
Publication Date: 07/29/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
The Eye of Minds
James Dashner
Synopsis: From James Dashner, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, comes the first book in the bestselling Mortality Doctrine series, an edge-of-your-seat cyber-adventure trilogy that includes The Rule of Thoughts and The Game of Lives. 

Includes a sneak peek of The Fever Code, the highly anticipated conclusion to the Maze Runner series—the novel that finally reveals how the Maze was built!
 
    The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun it is. Why bother following the rules when it’s so easy to break them? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And one gamer has been doing exactly that, with murderous results.
     The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid, to the back alleys and corners of the system human eyes have never seen—and it’s possible that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.
 
Praise for the Mortality Doctrine Series:

“Dashner takes full advantage of the Matrix-esque potential for asking ‘what is real.’” —io9.com
 
“Set in a world taken over by virtual reality gaming, the series perfectly capture[s] Dashner’s hallmarks for inventiveness, teen dialogue and an ability to add twists and turns like no other author.” —MTV.com
 
“A brilliant, visceral, gamified mash-up of The Matrix and Inception, guaranteed to thrill even the non-gaming crowd.” —Christian Science Monitor
Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Oliver and the Seawigs
Sarah McIntyre, Philip Reeve
Synopsis: Get ready for moving islands! Mischievous monkeys! And a splashy adventure with illustrations on almost every page.
 
When Oliver’s explorer parents go missing, he sets sail to find them with some new friends. There’s a grumpy albatross, a nearsighted mermaid . . . even a living island! But the high seas are more exciting and strange than Oliver could have imagined. Can he and his crew spar with sarcastic seaweed, outrun an army of sea monkeys, win a fabulous maritime fashion contest, and defeat a wicked sea captain in time to save Mom and Dad?
 
For early chapter book readers who are ready for something longer, the Not-So-Impossible Tales are packed with silly humor, action, and larger-than-life fun.
 
“[A] sly and dashing tale. . . Readers’ ribs aren’t the only ones that get a vigorous tickle.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“A delightfully told, beautiful tale of nautical hairdressing, saltwater primates and sarcastic seaweed—this is my kind of book!” —Chris Riddell, award-winning co-creator of the Edge Chronicles
Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
The Fire Wish
Amber Lough
Synopsis: A jinni. A princess. And the wish that changes everything. . . . Beautifully written and accessible fantasy for fans of Tamora Pierce, Rachel Hartman, and Laini Taylor.
 
In this romantic and evocative fantasy, Najwa is a jinni, training to be a spy in the war against the humans. Zayele is a human on her way to marry a prince of Baghdad—which she’ll do anything to avoid. So she captures Najwa and makes a wish. With a rush of smoke and fire, they fall apart and re-form—as each other. A jinni and a human, trading lives. Both girls must play their parts among enemies who would kill them if the deception were ever discovered—enemies including the young men Najwa and Zayele are just discovering they might love.
Publication Date: 07/22/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
My Wizard Buddy (Book One)
PhD, Brian W Wu MD, Scott Spotson
Synopsis: One day, lonely 11-year-old Tyler Dunsmore wishes out loud for a best friend. Not only does his wish come true, but his new best buddy is Dirk, a 11-year-old wizard--a magical being who is from another world and is unfamiliar with Earth. Dirk often is too eager to help Tyler out with tough dilemmas in his day-to-day life, but his antics often backfire, leaving Tyler to wonder: is having a wizard for a buddy worth it? Enjoy the bonding between two very different boys in My Wizard Buddy.
Publication Date: 07/15/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur
Synopsis: Adventure, mystery, and monsters converge in this fast-paced middle-grade series perfect for fans of Goosebumps, Cirque du Freak, the Cooper Kids, and the Hardy Boys.

If you enjoyed Journey to the Center of the Earth and Jurassic World, you'll love Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur!

* DELUXE EDITION, with 19 illustrations! *

They're alive!

When the floor of a cave collapses, taking 12-year-old Alec Kerley and his friends with it, the outside world thinks they are as good as dead. But what those on the surface don't know is that they are alive and exploring a fantastical underground world never before seen.

Following a subterranean river through a series of caverns in their search for a way back home, Alec and his friends discover a gigantic cave filled with prehistoric life -- dinosaurs! In their desperate struggle for survival, can they find their way out before becoming the meal for a Tyrannosaurus rex? And what other malevolence lurks deep underground, watching, waiting?

Join Alec Kerley and the Monster Hunters as they enter a land filled with the Roar of the Dinosaur!

****

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is a middle grade inspirational monster novel filled with adventure. It is a legitimately scary story, and a great read for all ages -- middle graders, teens, and adults. Parental guidance is suggested. 27 chapters, 60,000 words.

Alec Kerley and the Roar of the Dinosaur is the third book in a series. The other titles are Alec Kerley and the Terror of Bigfoot (Book One) and Alec Kerley and the Wrath of the Vampire (Book Two).
Publication Date: 07/12/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure
Fearless Joe Dearborne
Lisa Whitney Mitchell
Synopsis:

Some might say he’s courageous, while others would say he’s daring, maybe even a little crazy. But when Joe Dearborne risked his life and ran into a burning building to save a puppy, the local newspaper referred to him as “fearless”—and that’s a pretty big title for a sixth-grader to live up to.

Plus, Joe already has plenty else to worry about. After other daring feats in the past, Joe promised his father he wouldn’t do anything dangerous again, and, alas, he’s just broken that promise.

But whatever trouble he expects to get into with his father, and despite the dangers he’s triumphed over in the past, nothing could prepare Joe for what he’s about to encounter when a cold, bitterness creeps into his home.

A mysterious and peculiar woman named Mrs. Chill has just been hired to care for Joe while his father is away on business. In no time, however, Joe discovers that she’s up to more than cooking and cleaning, and she has plans to destroy his family. Joe’s effort to save them results in perilous, sometimes humorous, encounters, and leads him on a journey through the threatening wilderness where he faces his greatest challenge yet.

Publication Date: 07/11/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher
Synopsis: Becky Thatcher has her side of the story to tell—and it’s a whopper—in this creative spin on Mark Twain’s beloved The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, complete with illustrations.

Tom Sawyer’s and Huckleberry Finn’s adventures are legendary, but what about the story you haven’t heard? In 1860, eleven-year-old Becky Thatcher is the new girl in town, determined to have adventures like she promised her brother Jon before he died. With her Mama frozen in grief and her Daddy busy as town judge, Becky spends much of her time on her own, getting into mischief. Before long, she joins the boys at school in a bet to steal from the Widow Douglas, and Becky convinces her new best friend, Amy Lawrence, to join her.

But the theft doesn’t go as planned, and Widow Douglas ends up being unfairly accused of grave robbing as a result. So Becky concocts a plan to clear the Widow’s name. If she pulls it off, she might just get her Mama to notice her again, as well as fulfill her promise to Jon in a most unexpected way. That is, if that tattletale Tom Sawyer will quit following her around.
Publication Date: 07/01/14
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Adventure
Rain
Amanda Sun
Synopsis: A STORM IS COMING 

When she first moved to Japan, American Katie Greene had no idea she would get caught in a battle between the Japanese Mafia and the supernatural forces that have governed Japan for most of its history. Despite the danger, Katie is determined to stay put. Tomohiro, the guy's she fallen in love with, is struggling—his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control. 

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.
Publication Date: 06/24/14
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Adventure

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