Hunt for Jade Dragon by Richard Paul Evans

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 23, 2015 | 0 comments

Hunt for Jade Dragon

by Richard Paul Evans

Michael and his friends must rescue a child prodigy as the thrilling action continues in this electrifying fourth installment of the #1 New York Times bestselling series!

Michael, Taylor, Ostin and the rest of the Electroclan head to China in search of a girl who may have discovered why Michael and his friends became electric. Her name is Lin Julung, or Jade Dragon, and she’s a child prodigy with an IQ higher than Einstein’s—and Ostin’s.

But Hatch gets to her first, and the Elgen are holding her prisoner in their Taiwan Starxource plant. Now the Voice wants Michael and the Electroclan to go to Taiwan and free her before Hatch can realize his dreams of an army of electric children.

The hunt for Jade Dragon is on, and it’s a race against time!

book 4 in the Michael Vey series

#4 in MLD Teen Choice Awards 2015

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fantasy YA fiction

Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

Thursdays with the Crown

by Jessica Day George

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Castle Glower has been acting weird, so it’s no surprise when two towers transport Celie and her siblings to an unknown land. When they realize that no one from home is coming to get them, the kids – along with Celie’s pet griffin Rufus – set out through the forest to figure out where they are and what’s happened to their beloved Castle. Instead, they discover two wizards and an entire lost people, the oldest inhabitants of Castle Glower. And it seems they may know more of the Castle’s secrets than Celie. But do they know how to get her back home?

This bestselling series continues with the story of the origin of Castle Glower. Readers who’ve been enchanted by the Castle’s moving walls will be delighted by the Castle’s rich and magical history.

book 3 in the Castle Glower series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley.com and the publisher for access to this title. This is a great follow up to Wednesdays and the horribly frustrating cliffhanger ending we were left with. This wraps it all together and brings the story to a great stopping point. I’m hoping for a book 4 and a great new adventure for the sisters. There has to be some use for those griffins.”

Bekka rated it ★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children’s USA publishing for early access to this title. 3 1/2 stars—This was a great follow up to the previous installment in this series. However, I would have liked to have some reference back to that previous book, just to remind me of the pertinent points. These two books read together pretty much make up one whole book – its almost as if the author wrote a long book, and then broke it in half, publishing each as its own book. That being said, this is still a fun story that would appeal to a lot of kids, and grown-ups too! The griffons are great, the castle is great and I liked the problems that were solved. I hope there will be more in this series!”

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fantasy tween fiction

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

Dangerous

by Shannon Hale

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Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There’s no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation.

From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?

#7 in MLD Teen Choice Awards 2015

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley.com and Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books for early access to this title. I really enjoyed this read! It was suspenseful and interesting pretty much throughout. I think the characters were quite well done, and I love Maisie Danger Brown (her actual name)! The parents were good, and the villains were appropriately evil. The romance was great, and I liked the triangle which had me guessing for a while. This was a great, fast moving plot, and I would Recommend this to pretty much anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi adventure story with a great, strong female lead. A nice departure for Hale, who is so great with the re-told fairy tales! This is a new area for her to excel in.”

Miranda rated it ★★★★★ and said, “Thanks to Netgalley.com and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for allowing me access to this. 4.5 stars. I went into this completely blind. I had no idea what to expect. This is NOTHING like her other books, and yet the writing and story are still just as amazing. I thought the little jokes the father told were pretty funny and helped show the positive relationship she had with her parents. I could have done with a little less of the teenager-y angst, “he loves me, he hates me” stuff, but it mostly came together for me and worked in the end. And it was nice to have a love triangle appear and get squashed just as quickly. It gets really old when they drag out, and sometimes friends are just never more than friends. Overall, I think fans of Hale’s other works will enjoy this one. I would also recommend it for fans of Pittacus Lore as it has a similar feel.”

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The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

The Unfairest of Them All

by Shannon Hale

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It’s the aftermath of Legacy Day, the day when the students at Ever After High are supposed to pledge to follow in their fairytale parents’ footsteps, and everyone is in a huff and a puff! Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen, has refused to sign the Storybook of Legends, rejecting her story–and putting everyone else’s in jeopardy.

The Royal Apple White doesn’t want to think Raven is being a rebellious pain, but Raven’s choice means Apple might never get the poisoned apple, Prince Charming, and a kingdom to rule. Behind Apple stands the Royals, those who want to play by the book and embrace their stories. The Rebels, supporters of Raven, believe in breaking free from destiny and writing their own stories.

But when the chaos and rivalry land wonderlandiful Madeline Hatter in trouble, Raven and Apple must bring the Royals and the Rebels together to shut the book on their feud before it threatens to end all of their Happily Ever Afters once and for all.

book 2 in the Ever After High series

#8 in MLD Teen Choice Awards 2015

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “4.5 stars. I must have been in a different frame of mind with this one than the first because instead of being annoyed at the funny quirks and twists of fairy tales, I found them hilarious and clever. Favorite line: ‘It’s about to get all nonfiction in here.’ I love where this is going and can’t wait to deal with the Jabberwocky in the next book. He’s always been deliciously chilling for me ever since the made-for-TV Alice in the 80’s.”

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fairy tales fantasy tween fiction

The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

The Long Haul

by Jeff Kinney

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Greg Heffley and his family hit the road in author-illustrator Jeff Kinney’s latest installment of the phenomenally bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

book 9 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

#2 in MLD Teen Choice Awards 2015

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tween fiction

The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

The Revenge of Seven

by Pittacus Lore

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The Garde have suffered an unbearable loss. Number Five has betrayed them. Eight is gone forever. Ella has been kidnapped. The others are now scattered.

In Chicago, John makes the unlikeliest of allies: Adam, a Mogadorian who turned his back on his people. He has invaluable information about Mog technology, battle strategies, and weaknesses. Most important, he knows where to hit them: their command base near Washington, DC. During the assault, however, John and Adam learn the unimaginable truth: it is too late. The Mogadorians have commenced their ultimate invasion plans.

With a front-row seat to the impending invasion, Ella finds herself in the hands of the enemy. For some reason she’s more valuable to them alive, and they’ll stop at nothing to turn her.

Meanwhile, Six, Nine, and Marina make their way through the Florida Everglades, hot on the trail of the traitorous Five. With the development of a new Legacy, Marina finally has the power to fight back—if her thirst for revenge doesn’t consume her first.

book 5 in the Lorien Legacies series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Miranda rated it ★★★ and said, “While the writing is still decent, I didn’t feel like the storyline progresses much for how long the book is. An OK addition to the series but not one of the best.”

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Cress by Marissa Meyer

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

Cress

by Marissa Meyer

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In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who’s only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

book 3 in the Lunar Chronicles series

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “Great addition to the series! I am LOVING this series! I think these books are just getting better and better as they go along. The characters are rich and unique, and the plot has tons of adventure and suspense. I like how nothing is easy for the group, but you have the feeling they’ll win in the end, which I also really like. I can’t wait for the next one!”

Miranda rated it ★★★★★ and said, “It is always super exciting for a series to continue with its awesomeness after book one, but this one keeps doing it. I think this book is the best so far, and I can’t wait for book 4. I highly recommend this for everyone! Romance, action, sci-fi, government rebellion. It has a little of everything. And the best part is that you don’t just get one romance, you get (with the addition of book 4) 4 solid romances all tied together in a cohesive unit. Love it!”

Lorna rated it ★★★.

Rebekah rated it ★★★★★.

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fairy tales fantasy YA fiction

Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

Sky Raiders

by Brandon Mull

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Adventure awaits in the Five Kingdoms; come and claim it in this start to a new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.

Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level.

After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them and ends up in The Outskirts. The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. It’s an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds.

And once you come to the Outskirts, it’s very hard to leave.

With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it’s up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home; before his existence is forgotten.

book 1 in the Five Kingdoms series

#5 in MLD Teen Choice Awards 2015

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fantasy tween fiction

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

by Rebekah Layton | Jul 22, 2015 | 0 comments

The Shadow Throne

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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One war.

Too many deadly battles.

Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.

His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya’s throne?

Rousing and affecting, Jaron’s adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

book 3 in the Ascendance Trilogy

#1 in YALSA’s Teens’ Top Ten 2015

Ratings and Reviews from the Librarians

Bekka rated it ★★★★ and said, “This was a great ending to the series! I like the characters and how they’ve grown over the three books. I liked how the author was able to tie up all the loose ends, and connect all the hints given over the series into a nice resolution. I hate to see this one end!”

Miranda rated it ★★★★ and said, “4.5 Stars. Thanks to Netgalley.com and Scholastic for access to this title. What a great ending! I loved that she gave a little extra information about what the characters did after the war ended and how they all had a happy ending. And the newly discovered ties between characters that had been hinted at but were finally revealed added a lot to the personalities and relationships of the characters. I’ve been recommending this series as much as possible and everyone I’ve given it to has loved it. A great sign of a lasting series. Now we just have to wait to see what she comes up with as a new story.”

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fantasy YA fiction