Fantasy ~ Grades 6 - 8

"Realistic" Fantasy or Magical Realism?

Inkspell
A year has passed since Meggie and Mo were reunited with Resa. It has been a joyful year of catching up for Meggie, but a miserable one for Dustfinger, who still desires to be read back into Inkheart. When a man named Orpheus shows up and is willing to read him back into Inkheart, in exchange for the book, Dustfinger jumps at the chance and leaves Farid and Gwin behind. However, Orpheus obtained the book for Mortola and Basta who intend on reading Mo into the book and taking their revenge on him. Farid is desperate to be read into the book in order to warn Dustfinger that Basta will be after him. He and Meggie figure out a way for both of them to be transported into the story because Meggie has always wanted to see the places in Inkheart for herself.

This sequel is as good or better than the original and the ending promises a third as Farid promises Meggie a happy ending to the story.

Rose and Laura are now of age to Try. A ritual where fifteen-year-olds attempt to enter The Place. Just before their try, Laura's father, Hame, is whisked away by the governing body and never seen again. In fact, he is reported dead - but there was no body returned to the family for burial. it is up to Laura to penetrate the secrets.

The Time Hackers
Seventh grader Dorso Clayman has grown used to finding "surprises" in his locker; but this time, the practical joker has gone too far. Dorso opens his locker to get his gym clothes and finds a "runny" dead body inside. He slams the door shut before anyone else sees it. When he opens it to check again, the body is gone, but not the smell. The pranks are no longer funny and when they escalate to the point where he, himself is being transported into the past and shot by arrows during Custer's Last Stand and nearly pummeled by Beethoven, Dorso and his best friend, Frank have to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This exciting novel is a short, quick, action-packed read.

Downsiders
This is the third book of Shusterman's that I have read and I am becoming a real fan of this diverse and entertaining writer. Each book is wildly different and imaginative. Downsiders tells us the story of an unknown civilization living beneath New York City. These are not the homeless who find out of the way, unused subway tunnels to sleep in, although some of these homeless become "fallers" and take up residence in the Downside. The Downsiders live far below New York in what was a sunken theater and the very first subway system that New York had.

Talon, a fourteen-year-old on "catching" duty, becomes intrigued by the Upside and when his baby sister becomes seriously ill. He breaks a cardinal rule of the Downside and goes up to obtain life-saving antibiotics for her. While there, he meets Lindsay, who is unhappy to be in New York after her mother dumps her on her long-divorced father who happens to be developing an aqueduct project that would bring water to the city.

The two are drawn to one another and Talon commits treason by bringing Lindsay down and showing her his world. He is betrayed and "executed" but manages to survive and learn about life on the Upside. At turns suspenseful and funny, this fantasy is quite realistic and believable.

The book is a fairly readable whodunit set in one of the more famous libraries of the world.

 Tales of Fairies

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
I read the second Artemis Fowl book in less than 24 hours! I literally could not put this book down. I liked but did not love the first book; I loved the second. It was engaging, believable, funny, and suspenseful.

Artemis receives video email from the Russian Mafiya who is holding his thought to be dead father for ransom. At the same time there has been a security breach down below and he is captured by his nemesis, Holly Short, who thinks he has masterminded this plot. He has not and Short believes him but needs his help to figure out who did, so they work together, first to solve the fairies' dilemma, then to try and rescue Artemis' father.

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
Artemis is back for a fourth adventure with his pals Holly, Mulch and Foaly, only Artemis doesn't remember them as he was mind-wiped at the end of The Eternity Code. All the goodness Artemis was acquiring was apparently wiped out as well as he is up to his criminal mastermind ways. His goal is to be the youngest thief to steal "The Fairy Thief." Unbeknownst to Artemis and his faithful bodyguard, Butler, this heist has been set up by Opal Koboii as an act of revenge against the fairies and humans who foiled her plot to take over the fairy world.

This gripping roller coaster of a novel is filled with surprises and fresh as ever. Most students who have read it report reading it in one sitting.

Although James dreams of an island he names Neverland, the book ends before he figures out a way of getting there but after he acquires the last name of - Hook.

Wendy, her brother John (Michael Darling was lost in The Great War) , and the lost boysare all grown up, with children of their own, when they become troubled by dreams of Neverland and wake up each day with a real-live token from the dream. They devise a way of becoming children again and fly off to Neverland courtesy of the fairy dust of Fireflyer, a newborn fairy they conspire to capture when a baby has his first laugh. Once in Neverland however, they get caught up in Peter's game and quickly forget the reason why they felt they needed to return-something is happening.

Neverland is no longer green but swathed in the red of autumn. The lagoon has been poisoned, the mermaids are all dead and then the children come across Ravello and his circus. He is both frightening and calming and quite mysterious. After the Jolly Roger presents itself to Peter and he tries on Jas. Hook's second best scarlet coat, he decides to go in search of Hook's treasure.

This 400+ page novel does not feel long at all. The story and the characters are fresh and interesting. The Irish setting is charming and there is a helpful glossary of all the Gaelic words used at the back of the book.

 Humorous Fantasy

 Time Travel

This is a fast-paced and satisfying read.

Bestiary (Animals who Talk)

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
This series just gets better with each book. Just as with Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, I read this one in a day because Collins hits the ground running and doesn't let go until the end.

Gregor and his sister, Boots are summoned back to the Underland to fulfill the Prophecy of Blood and help rid the Underland of a plague called The Curse of the Warmbloods. Gregor's mother refuses to allow them return to the Underland but changes her mind when the city rats make the family an offer they can't refuse in a nightmarishly chilling scene. Ripred also promises Gregor's mom that they will be needed for just a meeting and nothing more.

Once back in the Underland, an infected bat exposes most of Regalia to the plague when the carrier fleas start biting the residents including Gregor's mother, who comes down with the plague and can't leave the Underland.

A Coyote's in the House
This is Leonard's first children's book. He is a very accomplished author of books for adults. Many of his books have been made into movies.

This book is set in the Hollywood Hills and tells the story of Antwan, a wild and wily coyote who just loves the taste of cats and movie star garbage, and Buddy, a retired movie star dog, whose earnings allow his family to live the life of luxury and Betty, the beauty queen show dog who lives with Buddy. This book is often laugh-out-loud funny. Each dog, remember coyotes are canines, has his or her own prejudices and stereotypes of the other. Antwan, straight from the 'hood, is wild, spontaneous, and his English grammar can use some correcting. Buddy and Betty are proper and pampered but Buddy, in particular is growing discontent with life as a retiree and longs for a walk on the wild side. When Antwan accidentally lands in Buddy's yard chasing a mouse, Antwan expects to face off in a fight. Buddy wants to switch places and become part of Antwan's pack, but first Antwan needs to learn to pass, as a dog and not the wild coyote he is.

Dragons and other unreal beings

The Edge Chronicles: Stormchaser
This is book 2 of a British series called The Edge Chronicles. I bought both books 1 and 2 and accidentally started reading book 2 first. Twig is the hero of the Chronicles and is sixteen-years-old in book 2. He now lives with his father sailing the skies above Sanctaphrax as a member of his father's crew on board The Stormchaser, his father's pirate ship. Sanctaphrax is a floating city. It is moored to the Undertown with a series of gigantic cables which keep snapping and falling on unsuspecting Undertowners. The alliance between Undertowners and the academics who inhabit Sanctaphrax is an uneasy one and there is plenty of murder, betrayals and intrigue. Sanctaphrax is in danger of floating away because its leader, Vilnix Pompolnius is squandering the treasury of Stormphrax, an ingredient vital to the survival of all.

This is a large book, 384 pages but once I got the odd names and relationships (which may have been easier had I read book 1), I very eagerly finished the book. There is plenty of action and surprise twists. The magnificent pen and ink illustrations by Chris Riddell really help enormously because Stewart has imagined all sorts of races from banderbears to oakelves. Book 3: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax is due out on September 14, so I'd better read Book 1 quickly!

Dealing with Dragons (The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Book 1)
Princess Cimorene is the seventh daughter of a king and clearly not into this princess thing at all. Her exasperated father is kept constantly on his toes making sure that she is attending princess classes and not fencing or cooking lessons. When he devises a way of getting her engaged, she slips out of the palace and makes her way to the Enchanted Forest to become a dragon's princess. Usually dragon's princesses are unwilling captives and there is the constant problem of knights coming to the rescue and occasionally, the dragon decides he or she would rather eat the princess than put up with the trouble. But kindly Kazul decides she would like a princess to cook for her and organize her library.

Gently poking fun at the fairy tale tradition of damsels in distress and constantly alluding to various stories and characters, Wrede spins a lighthearted, engaging tale of dragons and wizards.

Witchcraft and Wizardry, Sorcerers and Sorcery and Oracles

The Book without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic
Excellent and suspenseful. The book without words is an ancient text which appears blank to all but green-eyed readers who are desperate. Many years ago, Thorston stole the book from Wilfrid, a monk assigned to protect it. Now an eighty plus year old man and about to die, Thorston, is about to kill a thirteen year old girl, Sybil, in order to return to age thirteen and begin living forever.

Sybil doesn't know of Thorston's plans for her. He leaves her with instructions to find a person with green eyes to read the book for her and apparently dies. Odo, the talking Raven, knows tells Sybil that the master, who was an alchemist, knows how to create gold and that instructions are in the book. Her attempts to find a green-eyed person yields two young men. Not only is the monk hot on the trail, but the reeve and the apothecary owner wish to learn how to make gold.

Ben recommended this book to me some time ago and while it took me awhile to get to, I now can't wait to read book two, Curse of the Bane.

Engaging story, suspenseful til the end. Tom is quite a likable young hero.

Mirany is the newly appointed Bearer, one of "the nine" who serve the Oracle and the Archon. The Archon is the ruler of Two Lands, but the Speaker, who is the Oracle's voice has been conspiring with the general of the army and ignoring the Oracle. When the Archon begins to question her decisions, she has him killed. She intends to place her own ten-year-old candidate in the position instead of one whom the god speaks through. Mirany pieces together this plan with the help of a drunken musician and an ambitious scribe, Seth. But how to uncover the plot without being murdered herself? I can't wait to read the sequel.

While the Archon did bring rain to Two Lands, the drought persists. After hearing rumors of silver and gold in the mountains, Archon recalls the existence of a well and the need for him to atone for his theft of three golden apples a few generations before his. Unfortunately, no one has ever returned alive from visiting the mountains and the wells. Argelon plans to take advantage of this fact and has blackmailed a member of the expedition to make sure the Archon doesn't return.

Raven's Gate (Gatekeepers #1)
I am a huge fan of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider Adventures. This is the beginning of another series call The Gatekeepers and is just as suspenseful as Alex Rider books. I read this in one excruciating sitting as I couldn't stand to read what came next and couldn't wait to, at once.

Fourteen-year-old Matt Freeman is a bit adrift since the death of his parents in an automobile accident when he was eight. He as been cared for indifferently by an aunt who was his mother's half-sister and has been getting into more and more trouble at school and with the law. When a burglary goes badly and he is wrongly accused of assault with a deadly weapon, he finds himself in serious trouble. He is given the opportunity of bypassing a juvenile home if he agrees to work for a woman in Yorkshire under a new program called LEAF, Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering. Once he is there, however, he begins to wish that he had chosen jail.

Matt has always felt a bit different, beginning with the day his parents died. He knew that it would happen and over the years he began to associate a burnt toast smell with some sort of premonition or odd burst of power totally beyond his control. He learns in Yorkshire that he is the first of five gatekeepers and some very evil and sinister people want him dead.

Midnight for Charlie Bone
Charlie Bone is a ten-year-old boy who lives with his mother, and two grandmothers since his father died eight years earlier. He has a best friend named Benjamin who lives next door with his mostly absent parents and his dog, Runner Bean. Charlie is planning to create a birthday card for his best friend using a picture he took of Runner Bean but the envelop his mother picks up contains a photo of a man holding a baby. Charlie discovers that he can hear the voices of the people inside the picture. He is "endowed." Once his gift becomes evident, his hostile grandma Bone sends him off to Bloor's Academy, a private boarding school, which also contains "normally" gifted students.

This book will invite comparison to the Harry Potter series. Students who enjoy Harry Potter will definitely enjoy this book. Students who don't enjoy Harry Potter, but like fantasy will probably enjoy this book. Students who do not like fantasy necessarily, but enjoy a good mystery will probably like this book. There are at least two sequels that I am looking forward to reading very much.

This is an engaging read and though slim, the story is complex. The first chapter of the next book, Emlyn's Moon, due out in January of 2007, is included at the end.

Orphaned at age one, Harry Potter has been living with the Dursley's, his only relatives for ten years. He is treated very poorly by them and wonders why strange things keep happening to him. Just before his eleventh birthday, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts, but Mr. Dursley will not allow him to open the letter. Letter keep coming, however, despite Mr. Dursley's increasingly frantic attempts to stop them and Harry discovers that he is a wizard and his parents did not die in a car accident as his aunt and uncle have claimed, but were killed by Lord Voldemort and Harry was "the boy who lived."

Harry, Ron and Hermione decide against returning to Hogwarts in favor of searching down and destroying the remaining horcruxes per Dumbledore's request. In the meanwhile, Voldemort's minions are busy taking over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry is named "Undesirable #1" and all mudbloods must register with the Ministry of Magic. The Weasleys are under suspicion and surveillance. Things don't look too good for the Order of the Phoenix.

To learn more about all the Septimus Heap books visit the website by clicking on Sep's name.

The book is filled with action, humor and delightful surprises as small details from Magyk are explained in Flyte.

When fifteen-year-old Josh Newman, Nick's summer help, stumbles upon the robbery, he attempts to help, but Dee manages to escape with the book and with Perry as hostage. When Flamel realizes that Josh managed to tear several pages of the Book, he knows that an ancient prophecy is about to come true and Josh and his twin sister, Sophie's lives are about to be changed forever. This book is the first of a planned six and is absolutely wonderful. The ending is a total cliffhanger. Students who like fantasy will love this book. Students who like mythology will love this book. Students who will be going through Harry Potter withdrawal after the release of the seventh HP book will find a more than suitable substitute in this book.

Magicians, Djinnis, Imps, etc.

The Amulet of Samarkand (Book One of The Bartimaeus Trilogy)
I loved this book and can't wait until Book Two. I had a hard time choosing which subcategory of fantasy to place this annotation, though. It is set in modern day London, so I was tempted to put it up top in realistic fantasy. When I looked at the other books in the category; this book just didn't fit. I have heard this book mentioned in comparison to Harry Potter books. Aside from having a young protagonist and classic struggles, i.e. good v. evil, class struggle, power struggles, truth, justice, betrayal; the two books are very different and I don't believe it fair to compare.

Bartimaeus is an ages-old djinni (pronounce jinn-ee) summoned by eleven-year-old Nathanial, an apprentice magician and instructed to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, an ambitious and powerful magician who publicly humiliated Nathanial. The story is told in alternating first person and third person voices. Bartimaeus narrates his own chapters with amusing footnotes (remember them?) on the bottom of most pages. Nathanial's side of the story in told in the third person. It is often unexpectedly funny as well as unexpectedly violent, suspenseful til the very end and leaves the reader eagerly anticipating book two.

Three years after the conclusion of book two, John Mandrake, now seventeen, is Information Minister, in charge of keeping up interest and enthusiasm for the war with America among the commoners, many of whom are fighting and dying in what appears to be a lost cause. Kitty is presumed dead and has gone underground with two false identities. When she delivers an old manuscript to an aging, disabled, eccentric magician, she stumbles upon the unlikely job of being his assistant and uses her time with him to learn about magicians, magical powers and most importantly, Bartimaeus, the djinni who has been on her mind since he helped her overthrow the golem, save John and prevent the government's search for her by claiming she was killed by the golem.

Bartimaeus is fiesty and testy as ever, but has been in almost constant service to John Mandrake, is weakening alarmingly and needs to travel to "the other place" to heal and re-charge. He is not allowed to and is sent to uncover yet another plot to overthrow the government, this time by plotting magicians.

  The Lord of the Rings

Knights and Knighthood

Lady Knight
Now eighteen and a knight, Kel hopes to be posted to the front to prepare for battle with the Scanran's who are positioning themselves to overrun Tortall with united tribes and a killing machine. She has been instructed by the Chamber of Ordeal to find the "Nothing Man" who is responsible for the creation of these horrible machines. When she finds herself in charge of a refugee camp, she is torn between her duty to her king and her duty to fulfill the mission that the Chamber has given her.

The conclusion of this fast-paced quartet is breathless.   

Wild Magic (Book 1 of The Immortals Quartet)
Thirteen-year-old Daine was orphaned when raiders killed her mother and grandfather. She has a "way with animals" and a secret when she meets Onua, horse-mistress to the Queen. Onua is impressed with Daine's skill with horses and hires her to help bring a string of ponies back to the Tortall. Along the way, Daine senses "wrong animals" and manages to save a wounded hawk from the ravages of Stormwings, immortal vulture-like creatures who are supposed to be confined to the Realm of the Gods. The hawk doesn't respond to Daine's ministrations. She can't figure out why until she discovers that the hawk was the palace mage, Numair, who has the ability to shape shift. Numair senses wild magic in Daine and encourages her to explore it.

Characters from The Song of the Lioness quartet, such as Alanna, King Jonathan, Queen Thayet, and Buri make appearances in this book, but it is Daine's story, secrets and adventures that are center stage in a very satisfying read. 

Emperor Mage  (Book 3 of The Immortals Quartet)
Daine, now fifteen, is part of a diplomatic visit to Carthak to attempt to forge a peace treaty. The Emperor managed to escape culpability for his part in the previous attack on Tortall. King Jonathan decides to send Daine along because he has heard that the Emperor's beloved birds have fallen sick and feels she might be able to help. It also doesn't hurt that she has now adopted Skysong, aka "Kitten," the dragon left orphaned at the end of Book 2. She adds to her menagerie when she jumps off the royal barge to rescue a drowning monkey, whom she names "Zek."

There's plenty of palace intrigue as the Emperor plays cat and mouse with the diplomatic team. Daine discovers an unwelcome addition to her wild magical powers, the ability to awaken dead animals.