12 and up

I, Claudia
Mary McCoy
Disaffected teen historian Claudia McCarthy never expected to be in charge of Imperial Day Academy, but by accident, design, or scheme, she is pulled into the tumultuous and high-profile world of the Senate and Honor Council. Suddenly, Claudia is wielding power over her fellow students that she never expected to have and isn't sure she wants.Claudia vows to use her power to help the school. But there are forces aligned against her: shocking scandals, tyrants waiting in the wings, and political dilemmas with no easy answers. As Claudia struggles to be a force for good in the universe, she wrestles with the question: does power inevitably corrupt?
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Girls on the Line
Jennie Liu
"An affecting and original thrill ride." — Kirkus Reviews A powerful, dual-narrative coming-of-age story set in 2009 China.
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The Secret Key of Pythagorum
Savaric is devastated. His grandmother, the only good person in his life, was dallying with something she had no right to on the day he was born… Magic. Savaric doesn’t know what to think. Is he a warlock? Is he cursed? Everyone already looks at him strangely everywhere he goes. But all that changes when Savaric discovers that, under the right circumstances, he can become invisible! However, what starts out as a fun talent quickly goes downhill when things start to go missing and he’s always to blame. Even his own mother thinks he’s responsible for every cooling pie missing from a window ledge (Well, maybe one or two!). That is, until the day when his gift leads him to a mysterious map written in a language he’s never seen, and a beautiful golden key. In the whirlwind that follows, Savaric leaves the only home he’s ever known, and sets off alone to solve the mystery behind the map and key. He soon makes friends and enemies alike, plans a prison escape, digs for treasure more than once, and meets Kings, Queens, and fairies. Savaric may even help stop destabilizing battles for the throne and save the English kingdom! …but only if he can survive.
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Praise for War World“*****FIVE-PLUS STARS to War World - deliciously unpredictable fiction from an expert storyteller - it's a well-written winner.” —Publishers Daily Review“Killer gnomes, wizards, prehistoric monsters— War World grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go – the action is high-octane, pulling teens and adult readers alike - about as far from H.G. Wells as you can get.”—Midwest Book Review“Spence has created an exciting world, one that sinks its claws into you - this is definitely one Sci-Fi series that I can get behind.”—AbooktropolisOne planet - 6 teenagers - a million light years of terror. School field trips shouldn't be this dangerous.Jeremy Austin never asked to save a planet--it's bad enough being a "B"average student as the son of a world-famous geneticist for crying out loud! He didn't ask to be attacked by Gnome assassins, didn't choose to become food for a prehistoric monster, would never have thought consorting with wizards a wise concept, and he definitely would never, ever sign up to do sword combat against the bloodthirsty Gnome King. Note to self: say NO to portals and wormholes. His father's expedition to a planet 2.4 million light years from Earth has gone missing. Jeremy and five high school friends embark on a rescue mission. Surrounded by an army of mercenaries, they travel through a high-tech portal and discover a nightmare planet on the other side--a violent world of alien races and man-eating monsters--a world in despair; anxiously awaiting the arrival of a savior who will defeat the evil Shadow Lord. For Jeremy, the search for his father becomes lost in a struggle for survival... and escape from those who would put the mantel of planet savior on his shoulders.A doomed expedition. Surrounded by aliens. Running out of time. Note to readers: This young adult, sci fi, fantasy contains a lot of action and adventure (think Jurassic Park meets Lord of the Rings), high school teens with issues (murder, bullying and juvenile pranks gone awry), genetic engineering (the world must have a new super soldier) and survival skills put to the test (monsters, aliens and mercenaries... oh my). So if you like a fast pace, some comic banter and a mysterious, deadly world to explore, this book series is for you! Includes preview of Book 2 of War World: Paladin. Q & A with the Author Q - How would you describe the War World series? A - Survival... in the vein of Crichton's Jurassic Park. Life on planet Genesis was supposed to be controlled, safe. It's anything but... The planet's humanoid races are violent killers. War World sends a group of high school students on a field trip to hell. There is lots of action, adventure, fantasy settings, and magic. There are even nefarious government agents and an army of mercenaries who think they can go through a portal and tame the dangers of the alien planet. Right... Q - Where did the idea for War World come from? What was the inspiration? A - My first big novel to read as a teenager was The Sword of Shannara- that led to reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings novels while recuperating from having four wisdom teeth removed one Christmas. So fantasy became a favorite of mine. Additionally, I've always been a fan of Michael Crichton's novels and his technothriller movies: Westworld, Jurassic Park, Sphere- the idea of technology running amok. War World grew out of a 'what if.'- What if modern weapons interacted with Middle Earth?- What would normal teenage American high school students do if suddenly thrust into a world dominated by Gnomes, Trolls, Elves, Dwarves, knights and wizards?- What if this world was a lot like the television series, Lost? Hidden bunkers, new and old technology and a mysterious expedition gone missing.
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Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018In 1815, a 5-year-old girl searches for Utopia in a post-Napoleonic Europe.The girl, an abandoned love child, finds and then loses her beloved father. Will they ever find each other again? A touching tale of heartache told through a child's eyes with truth, love and a bit of magic.Sofia-Elisabete is "[a] sparkling, robust young hero with a distinctive voice--a real winner" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).Sofia-Elisabete, the illegitimate child of Colonel Fitzwilliam, is a five-year-old firecracker with a true heart, an irrepressible spirit and a passion to be the best drummer girl. An inquisitive child, she senses the dark secrets surrounding her mysterious beginnings as a foundling in Portugal and the strange goings on in the tangled-up world of her troubled father, who adores her while harboring a great affection for someone called Mr. O.P. Umm.Who is the enchanting Doña Marisa, who lures Sofia-Elisabete away in a search of the perfect world in the moon? Heartsick at being separated from her father, Sofia-Elisabete embarks on an odyssey in a post-Napoleonic continent in the company of Doña Marisa and her ragtag retinue, determined to find the utopia on the moon--a magical place where no one is ever sick or sad--and which she fervently believes will cure her father's bouts with melancholy. Will Sofia-Elisabete's childish innocence survive this emotional journey to find the perfect moon world?I, Sofia-Elisabete, in part, reimagines the life and destiny of Colonel Fitzwilliam, the curiously evasive and opaque character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
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Ciarrah's Light (The Sun Child Chronicles Book 3)
Sequel to Wraith Queen's VeilThe Sun Child Chronicles: Book ThreeLuccan, future Suth Chiell of the Ethran Sunlands, also known as Lucky, has reached the end of a months-long adventure and gained much. Now he wants nothing more than to relax and recover at home. His mother’s apparition has other ideas, and dark dreams drag Lucky further and further into unconsciousness until he’s nearly dead. With help from Lucky’s sentient obsidian blade, Ciarrah, he makes it back to the light, only to find his country is in deep distress, and it’s getting deeper.The wizard Thurlock, Lucky’s dragon-kin uncle Han, and other friends help him muddle through as he becomes the channel for prophecy. War erupts in the Sunlands, and in a battle against wraiths created by the advanced science of a dying world, Lucky plays a key role. Physical weapons can’t stop the enemy, but Ciarrah’s light can, and only Lucky can wield it. With the help of his winged horse, his boyfriend, and Thurlock, Lucky sets out to prevent his mother’s shade from wreaking any more havoc. But will stopping her end the horrors facing his world?
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Bewitching Hannah
Sixteen-year-old Hannah Fitzgerald has always known she is descended from a royal legacy of dark magic. Although a stranger to her coven in Annapolis, she is no stranger to grief and denial. However, when an ancient prophecy reveals the rise of a young, powerful witch and the impending death of another, she realizes she can no longer afford to suppress the magic that has taken away so much. She seeks out the frighteningly scarred, yet mysterious W who is destined to change her life, but even he cannot prepare her for the danger that lies ahead.Engaged in a deadly game and not knowing whom her true rival is, Hannah isn't certain she will survive, and if she loses, she may lose everything, including the ones she loves.
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Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery
Mary Amato
When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression—a punishment worse than death.Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.
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The Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
The Graphic Novelization of a Classic Tale!Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked to the magical land of Oz where they meet the Tin Woodsman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Mike Cavallaro transforms L. Frank Baum’s world of Oz into a manga-influenced graphic novel.
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Black Beauty
Anna Sewell
A handsome horse with a glossy black coat and a pretty white star on his forehead, Black Beauty seems to lead a charmed life. Although his mother warns him that there are 'bad, cruel men' in the world, he begins his life in a happy home, with a friendly groom to look after him and plenty to eat. However, when a change of circumstances means that he is sold, he soon discovers the truth of his mother's words. Anna Sewell's moving story is one of the best-loved animal adventures ever written.