I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved adventure stories. And adventure stories that take place on an island? Or about finding treasure? Well, they’re even better! Here are five books about treasures, islands, and what happens when they come together in a book. No promise about the presence of pirates…but they may be lurking somewhere in some of these exciting stories as well.
Our “5 Books…” lists include five books (usually with a couple extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if the story sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (Can you guess which is which?)
There was something else out on the sea by the rocks – something dark that seemed to lurch out of the waves . . . What could it be?
Julian, Dick and Anne are spending the holidays with their tomboy cousin George and her dog, Timothy. One day, George takes them to explore nearby Kirrin Island, with its rocky little coast and old ruined castle on the top.
Over on the island, they make a thrilling discovery, which leads them deep into the dungeons of Kirrin Castle on a dangerous adventure. Who – and what – will they find there?
“Only boring people get bored…Interesting people can always find something to be interested in.”
That’s what Tom Trelawney’s father says, anyway. Tom shouldn’t have been interested in playing with matches but he was bored. Now the shed is in ashes. Not a good time, since his parents are going away on vacation and plan to leave him at home. Now strange Uncle Harvey is the only one willing to take Tom in for the time they will be away.
But Tom soon discovers Harvey is going to South America on a treasure hunt, and though nephews aren’t invited, he manages to tag along. The trip is more dangerous that Tom anticipates. Before it’s over he’ll drive a car, fire a gun and run for his life. Tom realizes that life may be about following the rules, but survival may be about breaking them.
Problim Children to the rescue! Sal and his siblings follow a trail of Toot’s toots as they sail through the barrier islands to rescue their baby brother from the evil Cheesebreath. He’s been holding Toot and Mama Problim hostage in the hopes that the Problims will lead him to their granddaddy’s treacherous treasure. But not all treasure is gold, and this one was buried long-ago for good reason.
Can the Problims find Mama, rescue their brother, and destroy the treasure before Cheesebreath and their nasty neighbor Desdemona capture them all? This may be their final adventure! (Make sure to read their previous books too.)
It’s the summer of 1914. Eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. One day Bernice wakes up to find a stranger named Tom Thomson sleeping in their living room. When she overhears him talk about gold on a nearby island, Bernice is determined to find it.
Inspired by her beloved Mémèr’s stories of their Métis family’s adventures and hardships, Bernice takes the treasure map the stranger left behind and sets out in a rowboat with nothing more than her two dogs for company and the dream of changing her family’s fortunes forever. Can she find the treasure and save her family?
Zane is itching for an adventure that will take him away from his family’s boarding house in Rockaway, Queens. So when he is entrusted with a real treasure map, leading to a spot somewhere in Manhattan, Zane wastes no time in riding the ferry over to the city to start the search with his friends Kiko and Jack and his dog, Hip-Hop.
Through strange coincidence, the kids (and dog) meet a man who is eager to help them find the treasure: John, a sailor who knows all about the buried history of Black New Yorkers of centuries past—and the gold that is hidden somewhere in those stories.
As a vicious rival skateboard crew follows them around the city, Zane and his friends begin to wonder who they can really trust. And soon it becomes clear that treasure hunting is a dangerous business…
Savannah Dare has always wanted to be a pirate. She grew up on legends of Blackbeard from her grandfather—her best friend and fellow treasure hunter.
But now he’s gone. Savannah and her sisters, Frances and Jolene are left to find Blackbeard’s lost loot on their own. It was their grandfather’s dream, and they can’t let him down.
No one else in their small town on Ocracoke Island believes Blackbeard’s treasure is truly still out there . . . no one except their grandfather’s mysterious old business partner, who’s determined to find it himself. And when their family home is endangered, the Dare sisters realize finding Blackbeard’s treasure is their only hope!
It’s tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody’s trying to kill you. Not that Egg’s life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.
But when Egg’s father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect. Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.
Suddenly, Egg’s running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he’s been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.
Ben and Jake are excited when they dig up a boat that has been filled with rocks and sunk in the sandy river bottom that runs behind their houses. But they’re even more excited when they discover a treasure map in an old jar under the seat in the bow. Marked with an “X”, the treasure is buried in the center of three trees on an island in Quicksand Swamp.
Eager to find the treasure, the boys set out for the swamp in their new boat. Little do they know that they will have to battle alligators, quicksand and, worst of all, a murderer as they go on the scariest journey of their lives.
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There you have it! Five books–well, eight, but who’s counting?–where kids go adventuring to find treasure. Which one do you think you’d most like to read? Maybe you should try them all!
As always, if you need help finding these or any other books, just ask one of our librarians. We love matching books and kids!
Our second movie feature! First Parent Trap read-alikes, now Groundhog Day!
What would you do if you were stuck in a time loop…re-living the same day over and over again, until you change something significant? Would you survive, or would you slowly lose your mind? The kids in these books are holding out hope for a happy ending….but will they get it?
Our “5 Books…” lists include five books (occasionally with a few extra!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
Zoe knows that the only thing harder than middle school is losing a best friend. She and Laura used to do everything together from taking silly selfies, to joining all the same clubs together and even throwing surprise birthday parties for one another.
But lately things have been weird between them. Now Laura will post a photo of her hanging out with other girls before responding to Zoe’s simple text. She doesn’t even want to sit with her at lunch anymore. Zoe is heartbroken–all she wants is for things to go back to normal.
But then a magical app downloads on her phone…and things get even weirder! Suddenly Zoe can travel back in time to moments where her and Laura started drifting apart. It is like a dream come true. A chance for Zoe to mend their friendship.
But as Zoe goes back to moments of middle school drama–sleepover games gone wrong, field trips with cliques and crushes, and school projects that bring on more-than-awkward encounters–she realizes that second chances don’t always go as planned and that sometimes you need to trust the magic of new beginnings.
A picture-perfect look at tween friendship, that also explores more serious themes of social media pressure, bullying and what it means to be yourself.
What if you could get a do-over–a chance to relive a day in your life over and over again until you got it right? Would you?
After finding a mysterious set of paints in her backpack, eleven-year-old Haleigh Adams paints a picture of her last day at the New Jersey shore. When she wakes up the next morning, Haleigh finds that her wish for an endless summer with her new friend Kevin has come true. At first, she’s thrilled, but Haliegh soon learns that staying in one place–and time–comes with a price.
And when Haleigh realizes her parents have been keeping a secret, she is faced with a choice: do nothing and miss out on the good things that come with growing up or find the secret of the time loop she’s trapped in and face the inevitable realities of moving on.
As she and Kevin set out to find the source of the magic paints, Haleigh worries it might be too late. Will she be able to restart time? Or will it be the biggest mistake of her life?
As far as McKinley O’Dair is concerned, the best thing about living in Gap Bend, Pennsylvania, is the Time Hop–the giant party the town throws every June to celebrate a single year in history. That one day is enough to make the few things that aren’t so fantastic about McKinley’s life–like her crabby homeroom teacher or her super-scheduled father–worth suffering through. And when McKinley learns that this year’s theme is 1993, she can’t wait to enter the Time Hop fashion show with a killer ’90s outfit she’s designed and sewn all on her own. But when the Time Hop rolls around, nothing goes as planned. In fact, it’s the biggest disaster of McKinley’s life.
Before she knows what’s hit her, McKinley somehow finds herself in the real 1993–and it’s not all kitschy parachute pants and Jurassic Park. All McKinley wants is to return to the present, but before she can, she’s going to have to make a big change–but which change is the right one?
This humorous and heartfelt novel about destiny and self-discovery shines a poignant light on the way life could play out–if a person is given a chance to rewind.
Mason and Ty were once the very best of friends, like two nerdy sides of the same coin . . . until seventh grade, when Ava Petrakis came along. Now Mason can trace everything bad in his life to that terrible fight they had over the new girl. The one thing he’d give anything for is a do-over. But that can’t happen in real life–can it?
As a science kid, Mason knows do-overs are impossible, so he can’t believe it when he wakes up from a freak accident and finds himself magically transported back to seventh grade. His parents aren’t yet divorced and his beloved sheepdog is still alive. Best of all, he and Ty haven’t had their falling-out yet.
It makes no logical sense, but Mason is determined to use this second chance to not only save his friendship (and his dog!) but do other things differently–like trying out for the football team and giving new friends a chance. There’s just one person he’ll be avoiding at all costs: Ava. But despite his best efforts, will he be able to stop the chain of events that made his previous life implode?
It’s Amanda’s 11th birthday and she is super excited — after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she’s shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven’t shared together.
After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately. It’s as horrible as she thought it would be.
But when Amanda turns in for the night, glad to have her birthday behind her, she wakes up happy for a new day. Or is it? Her birthday seems to be repeating itself. What is going on?! And how can she fix it? Only time, friendship, and a little luck will tell. . .
Vivian Lantz is cursed. Every year, terrible things happen on her first day of school. This year, Vivian has a plan to conquer eighth grade. But eighth grade Turns out to start with her worst first day yet.
Vivian can’t wait to put it all behind her. But instead of waking up to a brand-new day, Vivian somehow gets stuck reliving her catastrophic one. Curse: 9,000 – Vivian: 0. Then she sees her misfortune for what it is: the golden opportunity to get her perfect plan back on track. But when her second chance turns into a third, a fourth, and a fifth, Vivian might have to let go of the perfect day of her dreams… and make a few surprising choices along the way.
Middle school is the worst, especially for David Bravo. He doesn’t have a single class with his best (okay, only) friend, Antoine. He has to give a class presentation about his heritage, but he’s not sure how–or even if–he wants to explain to his new classmates that he’s adopted. After he injures Antoine in an accident at cross-country practice, he just wishes he could do it all over.
He doesn’t expect his wish to summon a talking, shapeshifting, annoying dog, Fea, who claims that a choice in David’s past actually did put him on the wrong timeline… and she can take him back to fix it.
But when their first try (and the second, and the third) is a total disaster, David and Fea are left scrambling through timeline after timeline–on a quest that may lead them to answers in the most unexpected places.
A laugh-out-loud, heartwarming middle grade novel that explores how our choices make us who we are.
“I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.”
When Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, she doesn’t know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter, a true story, and that she can’t share her mission with anyone–not even her (former) best friend, Sal.
It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them appears to have an uncanny ability to predict the future. And if that’s the case, Miranda has an even bigger problem–because the notes tell her that someone needs saving, and she might be too late to help.
Groundhog Day as if seen through the eyes of one of the other characters…the one not reliving the same day.
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So. What do you think? Would you be able to relive the same day over and over if it helped you to fix something? Do you think the characters in these books made things better? Would any of these books make as good a movie as Groundhog Day?
As always, if you need help finding these–or any other books–in the library, ask one of our librarians for help. We LOVE matching kids and books!
Do you love the movie The Parent Trap? It was one of my favorites growing up. (Of course, I saw the original Haley Mills version, not the Lindsay Lohan one. Hard to believe that each “pair” of twins was just one kid in both parts!) Anyway, one of my favorite books was Lisa and Lottie, which is the book that The Parent Trap was based on. It was written in 1949, but it’s definitely stood the test of time!
If you loved the idea of identical twins switching places, or kids plotting to get their parents back together–or even just together in the first place–you will love these books! Check them out and see what you think.
Our “Five Books…” lists include 5 books (or sometimes more!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
Allie is British and dreams of being a spy. Sage is an only child from sunny California. They meet when their families swap houses for the summer.
Although they’re polar opposites, Allie and Sage quickly realize that they’re both dealing with family issues–Sage’s parents may be on the brink of divorce, and Allie’s struggling to feel heard in her big family. It may take a trip around the world for them to find their place at home.
The Parent Trap meets The Holiday in this heartwarming and funny story of two girls, one American and one British, who become friends and confidantes when their families swap houses.
Autumn is looking forward to summer vacation. She and her best friend plan on going to all the most-excellent ice cream places their stomachs can handle-and in NYC, the possibilities can’t get any sweeter.
Linnea is still not over the fact that her dad has found love after her parents’ divorce. Luckily, she can take out all her feelings on the tennis courts for a winning summer.
But then Autumn and Linnea discover the news- their parents are getting married. Autumn will be moving to the suburbs to live with her soon-to-be stepdad and stepsister, which means kissing the fun summer with her best friend goodbye. For Linnea, she knows her dream of getting her parents back together is officially over.
Devastated, the two of them come up with an idea- if they can split up their parents, their lives can go back to normal. As Autumn and Linnea secretly try to sabotage everything from date nights to wedding planning, the two of them discover that having a sister is not the worst thing after all . . . but will they learn about love in a whole new way? A sort of anti-Parent Trap story!
Mattie Gomez feels directionless after being uprooted from her beloved Minnesota and forced to move in with her new stepfamily in California. So when she meets a girl at her new middle school who looks exactly like her, she’s not sure what to make of it.
But her doppelganger, the popular Mercedes Miller, doesn’t like it one bit.
Mercedes is used to getting what she wants, when she wants; Mattie would rather be invisible and blend into the background. Mercedes lives in a big empty house with her nanny; Mattie’s new home is packed-to-the-gills, twenty-four/seven chaos. Mercedes has a short fuse; Mattie is a planner. Though they may look alike, the two of them couldn’t be more different.
Soon enough, however, Mattie and Mercedes learn that they have at least one thing in common: a dad from Colombia that neither of them has ever met. Determined to meet the father they’ve never known, these polar opposites suddenly have to work together to fake sleepovers, evade their friends, and plot daring escapes from school field trips in an effort to track down him down.
If only they could stop bickering long enough to get the show on the road. Less Parent, more Trap…but definitely twins!
This is the story of Sunny Park, a seventh-grade student at Ranchito Mesa Middle who loves the K-pop band Supreme Beat, hanging out with her cool grandma, dancing when no one is watching, snacking on shrimp chips, and being there for Bailey, her best friend since third grade. When Bailey decides that she and Sunny should audition for the school dance team in a ploy to parent-trap Bailey’s divorced mom and dad, Sunny agrees even though the thought of performing in public makes her pits sweat. After all, she’d do anything for Bailey. In a twist of fate, Sunny makes the team and Bailey doesn’t, and when Sunny reluctantly joins, it’s the start of a painful and drawn-out parting of ways for the two girls. As Sunny takes her first steps out from behind her friend’s shadow, she’ll have to figure out who she wants to be when she’s in the spotlight–and who she wants dancing alongside her.
A funny and utterly charming novel about friends–how to make them, how to let go of them, and how to be your own BFF.
Lisa and Lottie by Erich Kastner
Lisa from Vienna–bold, with a head of curls–meets Munich’s buttoned-up Lottie at summer camp. It’s dislike at first sight–the girls are too much alike and too different to get along. But then a newspaper clipping tells the tale: they’re identical twins, Lisa living a colorful, big-city life with her father while Lottie keeps house with their gentle mother. Why have their parents separated? And how can they get to the bottom of the mystery? They decide to switch hairstyles, manners, and addresses–and that is where the adventure begins.
The book that spawned the beloved movie The Parent Trap…and all the books on this list!
Maya is the pragmatic twin, but her secret anxiety threatens to overwhelm her.
Chaya is the outgoing twin. When she sees her beloved sister suffering, she wants to tell their parents–which makes Maya feel completely betrayed. With Maya shutting her out, Chaya makes a dramatic change to give her twin the space she seems to need. But that’s the last thing Maya wants, and the girls just drift further apart.
The once-close sisters can’t seem to find their rhythm, so they make a bet: they’ll switch places at their summer camp, and whoever can keep the ruse going longer will get to decide where they both attend high school–the source of frequent arguments. But stepping into each other’s shoes comes with its own difficulties, and the girls don’t know how they’re going to make it.
An evocative novel in verse about identical twin sisters who do everything together–until external pressures threaten to break them apart.
Ashar is busy with the ice hockey team, studying to get into the best school, and hanging out with his friends.
Shaheer and his father are always moving, following his dad’s jobs. Shaheer has given up hope of finding a place where he can put down roots, a place that feels like home.
The two boys have nothing in common.
But when they meet on Shaheer’s first day at his new school, it’s like looking in a mirror.
They quickly figure out that they’re twins, separated as babies. And they are determined to do whatever it takes–including secretly switching identities–to get to know the parent they’ve been separated from.
This is the story of two long-lost brothers who, while they might not like each other, just might need each other. Bhai for Now is by turns heartwarming and hilarious, and with an unforgettable Muslim family and friendship story at its core.
Avery Bloom, who’s bookish, intense, and afraid of many things, particularly deep water, lives in New York City. Bett Devlin, who’s fearless, outgoing, and loves all animals as well as the ocean, lives in California. What they have in common is that they are both twelve years old, and are both being raised by single, gay dads.
When their dads fall in love, Bett and Avery are sent, against their will, to the same sleepaway camp. Their dads hope that they will find common ground and become friends–and possibly, one day, even sisters.
But things soon go off the rails for the girls (and for their dads too), and they find themselves on a summer adventure that neither of them could have predicted. Now that they can’t imagine life without each other, will Bett and Avery (who sometimes call themselves Night Owl and Dogfish) figure out a way to be a family? No twins, but some major parent-trapping!
One bride. Two boys. Three flower girls who won’t forever hold their peace. What could go wrong with this wedding? Everything!
The Brewster triplets, Dawn, Darby, and Delaney, would usually spend their summer eating ice cream, playing with their dog, and reading about the US Presidents. But this year they’re stuck planning their big sister Lily’s wedding. Lily used to date Alex, who was fun and nice and played trivia games with the triplets, and no one’s quite sure why they broke up. Burton, Lily’s groom-to-be, is not nice or fun, and he looks like an armadillo.
The triplets can’t stand to see Lily marry someone who’s completely wrong for her, so it’s up to them to stop the wedding before anyone says “I do!” The flower girls will stop at nothing to delay Lily’s big day, but will sprinklers, a photo slideshow, a muddy dog, and some unexpected allies be enough to prevent their big sister – and the whole Brewster family – from living unhappily ever after?
Did you know there was a 1980s Parent Trap 2 and a Parent Trap 3 featuring the original “twins” from the first movie and one of the twin’s triplets? They were made for Disney movies, and may still be found to watch.
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So…do any of these sound good to read? I want to read them all! Check one or two or three out, and let us know which one is your favorite!
Have you ever been in a play or musical? Were you confident, or did you have stage fright? Either way, being on stage is both amazing and scary! Some kids are natural hams, others are brave enough to put themselves right out there, and still others have to overcome stage fright. Read all about what it’s like to join a production in one of these fun books!
Our Five Books list include 5 books (or sometimes more!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
What starts as a diversion to stave off boredom during the holidays soon becomes much more for the seven young members of the Blue Door Theatre Company. The four girls–Lyn, Sandra, Vicky and Maddy–and three boys–Bulldong, Nigel and Jeremy–play every part in the theatre, not only on stage but off it too, producing everthing from the scripts and sets to the music and costumes. They also learn that the show must go on, even in the face of their arch-enemy, Mrs. Potter-Smith, local critic and leader of the Ladies’ Institute.
The classic story of seven children with a longing to be on stage: the inspiration for actors from Maggie Smith to Eileen Atkins.
Meg Kendrick and her sister Lulie expect the usual boring train ride to summer camp. But before the girls can say Camp Hockawattamesset, they’re up to their ears in excitement and intrigue! At the train station, the sisters bump into Pippa Phillips, a famous child movie star, who is running away from her aunt and uncle. She thinks they’re exploiting her talents for their own profit. Immediately sympathetic, Meg and Lulie concoct a brilliant strategy to help Pippa–stage one is to disguise the young actress as just another camper, and to sneak her into Hockawattamesset as their cousin.
Once they’re at camp, Pippa and Lulie have a great time…but Meg is having some doubts. Pippa isn’t used to NOT being in the spotlight, and some of her escapades are getting Meg into trouble. She also starts to have some doubts about hiding someone so famous…who has people looking all over for her. As the week goes on, the girls are facing all kinds of complications, including a riotous ballet performance in the camp Talent Show. How can Meg make Pippa and Lulie see that they need to bring some adults into their little conspiracy? Will this end well for Meg, Pippa, Lulie and all the adults in their lives?
Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.
A hilarious and heartwarming debut novel full of broken curfews, second chances, and the adventure of growing up–because sometimes you have to get four hundred miles from your backyard to finally feel at home. And read the rest of the trilogy too: Five, Six, Seven, Nate! and Nate Expectations.
Monica Garcia has arrived in NYC with her grandmother and a few suitcases to live her dream on Broadway. She’s been chosen as understudy to the star of Our Time, the famed Ethel Merman Theater’s last chance to produce a hit before it shutters its doors for good. Along with her fellow castmates–a.k.a. “the squad”–Monica has a big and very personal reason to want this show to succeed. But rumors of a long-running curse plague the theater. And when strange and terrible things start to threaten their hopes for a successful opening night, Monica and the rest of the squad must figure out how to reverse the curse before their big Broadway debuts. With the help of her new friends, her family, and a little magic, can Monica help save the show–and save their dreams?
From Broadway and television star Mandy Gonzalez comes a story about what it means to dream, be yourself, and be fearless. Read the sequel as well: Boulevard of Dreams.
Megan’s class is putting on their own original musical based on the book The Wizard of Oz, and Megan wants to be the star of the show and play Dorothy. Since she’s deaf, she will sign the songs for her audition. However, a problem develops when Lizzie, her best friend from camp, transfers from her all-deaf school to Megan’s class – and signs the same two songs that Megan was going to do! Luckily, Megan has some other ideas up her sleeve…
From the Best Actress (For Children of a Lesser God) Academy Award winner.
Shannon Carter never considered herself much of a theater person. Not like her two BFFs, Elise, an actress, and Fatima, a techie. Shannon’s always been content to stay backstage, helping wherever she can. But when the director of the summer musical hears Shannon singing, he encourages her to step out of the wings and into the spotlight. At first, Shannon is hesitant. As a twelve-year-old with obsessive-compulsive disorder, she depends on routine.
But when she braves the audition, she discovers that center stage is the one place where she doesn’t feel anxious. She lands a lead role, and everyone in her life is ecstatic . . . except Elise. To make matters worse, Shannon’s eccentric and opinionated grandmother moves in with her and her mom after a fluke house fire. As opening night approaches, Shannon feels pressure to save her friendship with Elise, to make Mom and Grandma Ruby act like grown-ups, and to follow the old theater adage The show must go on.
A contemporary middle-school novel about strained friendships, the positive power of theater, and the realities of being a tween with OCD
When orphans Sorrel, Mark, and Holly are sent to live with their grandmother, a famous English actress, she enrolls them in the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training, the same academy that made the orphans from Ballet Shoes famous so long ago. It’s the chance of a lifetime, but the academy won’t give the children the “proper” education their parents would have wanted. However, the children learn to love the academy when they discover that Sorrel has dramatic flair, Mark can sing, and Holly charms everyone with her adorable impish ways. Maybe talent does run in the family.
This classic children’s book is perfect for kids who dream of being onstage–dancing, singing, or acting. Don’t miss the other classic Noel Streatfeild books Ballet Shoes, Skating Shoes, and Dancing Shoes!
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I’m pretty sure everyone has already read Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel Drama, but if not, you should definitely read that one too! If you’ve been to a play (or maybe have a friend in one of the Weston Drama Workshop productions this summer) you may be picturing yourself up on stage as well. Would you rather be in a musical, or a dramatic play? Check out one of the books on this list and see what MIGHT be happening behind the scenes. We also have some great books on being backstage at a musical or Broadway production. Check them out in J 792.02.
If you can think of any titles we’ve missed, let us know! As always, if you need help finding these or any other books, ask one of our librarians. We love matching readers with books!
It’s time for a new 5 Books list! This time, it’s survival…or is it? In these books, kids are gamers…and they’re either trying to beat the game, or maybe they’re just trying survive it. In some of the books, they don’t even know they’re IN a game! So how are YOUR gaming skills? Good enough to get to the end of the game? What if you thought it was your world?
This was another 5 Books list that got away from me. Too many choices! But you can still look for the qualifications for our Five Books list: 5 books (or more!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
The books on this list all feature gamers, virtual reality, simulations, augmented realities and surviving the game.
Meet Bryan Biggins. Most of the time he’s a freckle-faced boy, small for his age, who attends a school known for its unwritten uniform of North Face jackets and Hollister jeans. The rest of the time he is Kieran Nightstalker, the level-fifty dark-elf hero of his favorite video game, Sovereign of Darkness. And then one day Bryan wakes up to find out his life has become a video game. Sort of. Except instead of fighting dragons or blasting bad guys, he’s still doing geometry and getting picked last for dodgeball. It’s still middle school. Only now there’s much more at stake.
Stealing the Twinkie from underneath the noses of those dieting teachers isn’t enough to earn him another life. And battling the creature that escaped from the science lab doesn’t seem to cut it either. And who knew Romeo and Juliet would turn into a zombie bloodbath?!
All the while he’s losing hit points and gaining levels, and facing the truth that GAME OVER might flash before his eyes at any minute. It all seems to be building to something…something that has been haunting Bryan since way before his life turned into an X-Box nightmare, a challenge that only he can face. Will Bryan find a way to beat the game before it’s too late?
Jesse Rigsby hates video games–and for good reason. You see, a video game character is trying to kill him…
After getting sucked in the new game Full Blast with his friend Eric, Jesse starts to see the appeal of vaporizing man-size praying mantis while cruising around by jet pack. But pretty soon, a mysterious figure begins following Eric and Jesse, and they discover they can’t leave the game. If they don’t figure out what’s going on fast, they’ll be trapped for good!
Read the entire series! And the Choose-Your-Own Adventures sequels, Escape from a Video Game as well!
Adam’s father is developing cutting-edge research on virtual electronic game-playing when suddenly he disappears—and Adam finds himself being hunted by men with guns, and worse—a savage, man-eating dinosaur. Is the dinosaur real, or just part of the game? Where is his father? And what happens when your video game turns into real life?
From Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Edinburgh, Scotland, thirteen-year-old Adam Adlar must elude police while being hunted by a dinosaur come-to-life from a virtual reality game invented by his father, who has gone missing.
Clip and Sadie Chu couldn’t be more different. Popular, athletic Clip wants to become his school’s first seventh-grade soccer captain, while brainy star student Sadie is determined to prove that she can do anything her boastful brother can. They have just one thing in common: they love laser tag. Like, really love it.
When the Blackwood Gaming Arena comes to town, bringing virtual reality headsets and state-of-the-art courses, they couldn’t be more excited–or competitive. But then a mysterious figure appears and claims to be a part of the game, forcing the Chus and their friends to save themselves from a sinister force lurking inside the simulation. Together, they must fight their way through epic battlegrounds that will test their speed, skills, and smarts . . . but will Clip and Sadie learn that they’re far better off working together than competing for the ultimate victory? The first in what looks to be a fun series!
Monsters Unleashed–where you catch virtual-reality monsters on your cellphone–is one of the hottest mobile games around, and Bex and Charlie just can’t stop playing. They even check out an old map in Charlie’s grandfather’s attic in hopes of discovering some forgotten places in town where the rarest monsters might hide.
But they find a strange machine up there too, and after Charlie switches it on, the WiFi goes down . . . and Bex’s entire catalog of monsters vanishes! And that’s not the worst of it: all the creatures she’s collected on her phone escape into the real world. Can the friends nab the beasts before they become monster lunch? What happens when your cool virtual-reality game . . . becomes REAL?
The Game is just the beginning… Unemployed after high school in the highly robotic society of 2154, where most jobs are done by machines, Lisse and seven friends resign themselves to a boring existence in their “Designated Area”–an abandoned warehouse in a bleak neighborhood where they must scavenge the disintegrating city for food and supplies, just to make ends meet.
But their dismal existence starts to look up when Lisse and her friends are invited to participate in The Game, an experience highly regarded in their society. The Game is a virtual reality experience where players are challenged to survive. Anxious to escape their dreary lives, the friends embrace The Game, which takes them to paradise. But as they spend more time in The Game, the line between reality and fantasy starts to blur. What started as a simple exercise quickly becomes a test of endurance, trust, and their will to live. But is this new world really only a computer simulation? Or could The Game be…real?
Welcome to Dragon Ops, the world’s first augmented-reality video-game theme park. Set on a once-deserted island, our three beta players–classic gamer geek Ian; his adventure-seeking sister, Lily; and their too-cool-for-gaming cousin, Derek–have been lucky enough to score an invite to play before the fully immersive experience opens to the public.
But once inside, they find themselves trapped in a game taken over by a rogue AI dragon called Atreus, and suddenly the stakes go beyond the virtual world. With no cheat codes, guidebooks, save points, or do-overs, they’ll need all their cunning and video-game hacks to beat the game . . . and survive in real life. One wrong move, and it’s game over.
Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime — a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not much to do. His worrywart Uncle Moti and bionic lioness Besa are his only family… and his only friends. Often in trouble for his thrill-seeking antics and smart mouth, those same qualities make Yared a star player of the underground augmented reality game, The Hunt for Kaleb’s Obelisk. But when a change in the game rules prompts Yared to log in with his real name, it triggers an attack that rocks the city. In the chaos, Uncle Moti disappears.
Suddenly, all the stories Yared’s uncle told him as a young boy are coming to life, of kingdoms in the sky and city-razing monsters. And somehow Yared is at the center of them. Together with Besa and the Ibis — a game rival turned reluctant ally — Yared must search for his uncle… and answers to his place in a forgotten, galaxy-spanning war. The first book of an exciting series!
Using personalized avatars, Bradley, Edelle and Hunter look for a fresh start in school when a virtual reality academy opens after a pandemic. The new classmates will be wearing virtual-reality headsets and attending a three-dimensional, simulated school while interacting as avatars.
Bradley is eager for a brand-new identity. A cool avatar will allow him to escape the bullies who have made fun of him for years and gives him a fresh start to make new friends on his own terms. Edelle is forced to attend the virtual school by her mom who says she’s too obsessed with popularity and how she looks. Even worse, Edelle’s mom insists she chooses a generic avatar. Edelle registers under a new name so no one can identify her. But will she lose her social status if no one can recognize her? Hunter is known for his popularity, charm, and his lustrous hair, except with his recent diagnosis of alopecia, his hair has begun to fall out. VR school allows him to maintain his popularity–and the illusion of a full head of hair–even if it means hiding behind an avatar. He wonders how being isolated will affect his relationships.
As Bradley, Edelle, and Hunter get to know each other in their virtual environment, they realize that the virtual school is not all fun and games and the simulated environment just brings different problems. As they look at their world through a new lens, will they learn about what true friendship means?
After Rogan Webber levels up yet again on his favorite video game, Laser Viper, the world-famous creator of the game invites him to join the five best players in the country for an exclusive tournament. The gamers are flown to the tech mogul’s headquarters, where they stay in luxury dorms and test out cutting edge virtual-reality gaming equipment, doing digital battle as powerful fighting robots. It’s the ultimate gaming experience.
But as the contest continues, the missions become harder, losing gamers are eliminated, and the remaining contestants face the growing suspicion that the game may not be what it seems. Why do the soldiers and robots they fight in Laser Viper act so weird? What’s behind the strange game glitches? And why does the game feel so…real? Rogan and his gamer rivals must come together, summoning the collective power of their Gamer Army to discover the truth and make things right…in a dangerous world where video games have invaded reality.
Andy and Mika are going to Tokyo! The Kudo Kids have never been to Japan before, so they can’t believe they get to attend the Summer Olympics there. The siblings plan to eat tons of delicious Japanese food, watch every event they can, and win a super-popular new game called OlympiFan.
Developed by a mysterious former medalist, OlympiFan brings players together from all over the world to search Tokyo for virtual medals and clues to the creator’s identity. Andy loves puzzles, and he’s determined to crack this one, especially since the winning team will get to be beta testers for the Masked Medalist’s future games!
Mika wants to find as many clues as she can, but she also has a secret goal of her own–one that could get her into big trouble. But when someone sabotages the game, the Kudo Kids have an even bigger mystery to solve than the Masked Medalist’s identity. If they want to capture the gold, Mika and Andy have to figure out who’s trying to stop their team before someone beats them to the grand prize! Try the second book in the series as well.
Natalie has a secret. She’s a gamer. By day, Natalie is an average eighth grade student. At night, she’s Gnat112! Living a double life is hard . . . and keeping a secret from your friends is even harder. When a new girl moves in next door, Natalie is shocked to find out that she’s a gamer, too. What happens when her two worlds collide? If only Natalie could battle middle school like video game aliens!
Adventure, danger, and a thrilling global mission await Cruz Coronado as he joins an elite school for explorers.
Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world’s leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there’s more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all- Who is out to get him, and why?
In Reyna Cheng’s world, gaming is everything. Professional esports teams are the mainstream celebrities. Kids begin training from a young age, aspiring for the big leagues.
Reyna is the up-and-coming junior amateur Dayhold gamer, competing in a VR battle royale against AI monsters and human players. But despite Reyna’s rising popularity and skills, no one knows who she is. Gaming is still a boys’ club and to protect herself against trolls and their harassment, she games the mysterious TheRuiNar.
When Reyna qualifies for the Dayhold Junior Tournament, she knows she’s got what it takes to win the championship title and the $10,000 prize. It’s a chance to make a step forward towards her professional esports dreams and to help her family with the costs of her mother’s hospital bills. But when she’s blackmailed and threatened to be doxed by an anonymous troll, Reyna has to confront the toxic gaming community head-on. With her dreams and the cash prize on the line, it’s game on!
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So…after reading these summaries, what do you think? Would you want to enter an actual Virtual Reality? Should video games be as realistic as “real life”? or is it better to give yourself some kind of escape plan..?
As always, if you need help finding these (or any other) books in the Library, just ask one of our librarians for help. We love matching kids with books! And…if you should happen to have any suggestions to add to this list, leave them in a comment. We’d love to know more titles that fit the list!
Have you ever thought about finding gold? Just picking up rocks from the ground and having them turn out to be treasure? It has happened…but mostly, it was a lot of hard work. The kids in these books are searching for gold…either panning for it in mining towns during a gold rush, or searching for a treasure hidden by someone who did all the hard work! These books take place in the Yukon, in California, in Australia and in the Southwest. I bet you never knew there were so many places to have adventures looking for hidden gold… (If you want books featuring the California Gold Rush, check out the San Francisco Booklist from earlier this year.) These are mostly historical fiction, with a couple adventures thrown in.
Our 5 Books feature is a booklist of five books (or more!) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
California, 1852. Sage, a golden, big-hearted mutt, is abandoned by her pack. She is about to give up hope when a silly bird squawks her out of her sadness and leads her to Sheng, a young gold prospector. Sheng renames her Bo-Bo, the Chinese word for treasure, and they soon become inseparable.
When Bo-Bo frees a caged bear, the bear’s owner–who is also a cruel tax collector–demands a huge price from Sheng for losing the bear. But where can Bo-Bo and Sheng find that much gold? Their only chance is a fabled cave rumored to be filled with treasure. But the cave is supposedly located across the foothills, on a path loaded with danger. Will Bo-Bo and Sheng find it in time?
Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States. For Gus, a bright 13-year-old with dreams of getting out and going to college, life there is made even worse by Bo Taylor, Nowhere’s biggest, baddest bully. When Bo tries to force Gus to eat a dangerously spiny cactus, Rossi Scott, one of the best racers in Nowhere, comes to his rescue–but in return she has to give Bo her prized dirt bike. Determined to buy it back, Gus agrees to go searching for gold in Dead Frenchman Mine, joined by his old friends Jessie Navarro and Matthew Dufort, and Rossi herself. As they hunt for treasure, narrowly surviving everything from cave-ins to mountain lions, they bond over shared stories of how hard life in Nowhere is–and they realize this adventure just may be their way out.
Even though Henry Barker and his two brothers learned firsthand that the urban legend about danger on nearby Superstition Mountain wasn’t just a myth, this doesn’t stop them from planning their return. Along with their friend Delilah, the Barker brothers soon find themselves entangled in more danger and mystery as they uncover a real treasure, but the discovery comes at a very big price–they barely survive an avalanche. The question remains–is someone after them, or is the mountain seeking revenge?
The middle book in an exciting trilogy. (Gold figures into the last book as well.)
Life in 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, isn’t easy. But it’s all that 12-year-old Sissy Carlson knows. She’s lived here her whole life, watching her father, the local doctor, tend to the town’s citizens. And while the mountain setting is gorgeous, Tenmile is a rough gold mining town. It often feels like there’s just a thin line between life and death. Mining is a hard job; men are hurt or even killed. Sissy sees the same thin line between the haves and the have-nots as she assists her father in his practice, seeing firsthand the personal and not-always-private struggles of his patients. Now that she’s older, Sissy is starting to think of the world beyond Tenmile and where she might fit in. What opportunities might she find if she could just get away? What kind of future does Tenmile offer, especially for a girl?
Newly orphaned, young Annyrose escapes from the villainous O.O. Mary and falls under the protection of a proud and fearless Mexican bandit, regarded as the Robin Hood of the California Gold Rush. Annyrose wants only to search for her older brother who had run off to the gold diggings, but she finds herself galloping beside the celebrated outlaw in his own quest. He is hunting down the last of a band of “Yankee” riffraff who wronged him, an event that turned the innocent young Mexican into an avenging terror of the roads. With his characteristic story twists and turns and surprises, Newbery Award winner Sid Fleischman lights up a dark corner in this Gold Rush drama set against a firestorm of bigotry ignited by the lust for riches. As for this legendary bandit, dashing about on his silken black horse and breathing fire, he actually lived.
It’s the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the small town and nearby native village.
Bo learns Eskimo along with English, helps in the cookshack, learns to polka, and rides along with Big Annie and her dog team. There’s always some kind of excitement: Bo sees her first airplane, makes doughnuts, and has a run-in with a bear. When a speechless boy shows up in the camp, Bo’s compassion helps him heal…and finds him a home.
An unforgettable story of a little girl growing up in the exhilarating time after the big Alaska gold rushes. Also read the follow-up; Bo at Iditarod Creek.
“Gold!” Jason shouted at the top of his lungs. “Read all about it! Gold discovered in Alaska!”
Within hours of hearing the thrilling news, fifteen-year-old Jason Hawthorn jumps a train for Seattle, stow away on a ship bound for the goldfields, and joins thousands of fellow prospectors attempting the difficult journey to the Klondike. The Dead Horse Trail, the infamous Chilkott Pass, and a five-hundred-mile trip by canoe down the Yukon River lie ahead. With help from a young writer named Jack London, Jason and his dog face moose, bears, and the terrors of a subartic winter in this bone-chilling survival story.
Grandfather and Roo, a remarkable dog with strong views and a short attention span, are off to Australia, on an expedition to find long-lost Uncle Vincent, who ran away to seek his fortune years ago. Roo is worried about Australia being upside down, but that turns out to be the least of their problems. After a tricky flight the intrepid explorers land in Sidney, Australia–not Sydney, as it turns out–and must advance up the Snakey River to Gold Town. Grandfather and Roo endure blistering heat, a rebellious camel, and disreputable kangaroos, as they head off on foot to find the Gold Field, last known home of Uncle Vincent.
The journal from Henry’s trip across the country with the Glass family, telling of the sights they saw and the strange things which resulted when Henry and Midge became involved in innocent and blameless goings-on. The oldest book on this list–written in 1963–it definitely has some issues reflecting the time it was written. But the panning for gold chapter (Saturday, June 19th–Yosemite Nation Park) is a fun read where Henry and Midge inadvertently start a gold rush.)
The small, run-down town of Eden is the only place Jenny Burns has ever called home. The roots of the trees are in her bones, the air of the mountains is in her breath, the lakes and rivers are in her blood. And that’s why, when her father loses his job and tells Jenny that they may have to move on from Eden, she knows she can’t let that happen.
The fever of New Zealand’s gold rush still runs in the veins of Eden, and everyone knows the legend of Doc Magee: how he found the largest gold nugget anyone had ever seen and hid it somewhere in the hills before he disappeared.
Jenny and her best friend, Pandora, know that if they can find the gold, it’ll solve all their problems. But the way is fraught with mysteries, riddles, and danger–and those are just the threats they know about. Before her quest is over, Jenny will have to face challenges from within as well as from without.
Archie is traveling with his uncle Harold, a member of an entertainment revue hired by the renovated Dawson City Theatre, to perform for the Yukon gold rushers. While there, Harold befriends an older gentleman, Montgomery Wycroft, who is in the area panning for gold. Archie and his uncle opt to stay behind in Dawson City, joining Monty on his dangerous quest for gold, battling with both greedy gold-seekers and the unforgiving Canadian terrain. Will Archie and his uncle strike gold, or will they find something more valuable?
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Don’t you just want to put on your Levi’s, grab a flat pan and head for the nearest stream? Probably nothing can be found around here, but it’s easy to picture all those prospectors hoping to strike it rich!
Can you think of any gold prospecting books that you read and loved? Some of the books that I read as a kid–The Extraordinary Adventures of Chee Chee McNerney by Evelyn Nevin, Mystery of the Haunted Mine by Gordon D. Shirreffs, and By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman–set me looking for gold rush books, something that I enjoy even now. The first two books are long out of print, but still hit book stumper lists fairly frequently, so I guess they made an impression on quite a few young readers. I wonder if any of the books on this list will still be remembered in 2053…
If you need help finding the books on this list, or any other books in the library, just ask one of our librarians. We love matching books with readers!
So I’ve been on a fantastical creatures kick lately. There are so many good books featuring dragons and unicorns, but not so many of the lesser known creatures, like phoenixes, or hippogryphs, or…gryphons! (I prefer the British spelling, it looks more…magical.) But since maybe not so many people know them, apart from the Harry Potter books, I thought it might be fun to do a 5 Books Feature! But when nine titles came up, it was too difficult to decide what to remove…
For some reason, quite a few of these titles are the second book in a series. The links to the first books have been included, so readers can check both out. Remember, our 5 Books Feature is a booklist of five books (or this time, nine books) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
After the events of The Royal Guide to Monster Slaying, Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother’s cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles; and he will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead. After the gryphon that Rowan captured gives birth but then dies, Rowan is left with a baby gryphon she knows she cannot keep. And it grows faster than anyone can imagine… In order to save face after an accident involving the troublesome young gryphon, Rowan and her friends Dain and Alianor (along with an entourage of monstrous companions), must journey to the mountains to release the gryphon back into the wild. What starts off as a simple enough task soon becomes a dangerous quest, as the group encounters numerous rare and deadly monsters along the way, including wyverns and ceffyl-dwrs. Nothing is easy when you’re a “monster magnet” like Rowan. (You should read the first book first, but the second one is the title with a gryphon on the cover! The whole series is excellent.)
With her thirteenth birthday just around the corner, Giada Bellantuono has to make a big decision: Will she join the family business and become a healer or follow her dreams? But even though she knows her calling is to heal vulnerable animals, using her powers to treat magical creatures is decidedly not allowed. When a group of witches kidnaps her beloved older brother, Rocco, and her parents are away, Giada is the only person left who can rescue him. Swept into the magical underground city of Malafi, Giada will need the help of her new companions to save her brother–or risk losing him forever. To save her family, she’ll have to make a dangerous bargain and tip the scales of balance. (Another series, but this time the gryphon is in the first book!)
Meet Gerald. Gerald is a griffin–a creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. According to the Code of the Griffins, that means he should be: 1. Brave and fierce in all situations! 2. A guardian of a great treasure! 3. Completely and totally hidden from the human realm! But what if a Griffin ISN’T brave or fierce? What if he’s NEVER found a great treasure (or ANY treasure for that matter)? What if he feels like such an embarrassment that the only thing left to do is run away? And what if the only place no one will look for him is . . . the human world? A laugh-out-loud adventure, full of humor and heart. (Also the second book in a series, but each title is about a different magical creature.)
It’s now been two years since Ben and Firedrake defeated Nettlebrand and rescued the silver dragons. Both boy and dragon have finally found homes, but they must live hundreds of miles apart and can only see each other every once in a while. During one such visit, news reaches Ben, the Greenblooms, and their friends that the last Pegasus in the world has been discovered. The legendary horse has three unhatched eggs with him, but the only way they’ll ever hatch — and continue the survival of this incredible magical species — is to place them under a griffin’s feather. But griffins are the most dangerous creatures in the world, and their mortal enemies are dragons… Ben has vowed not to tell Firedrake about his quest, to protect him. But as he and the Greenbloom team set off for a remote island where the terrible griffins are rumored to live, he may just need the help of his best friend and dragon… Make sure to read the first Dragon Rider book too!
Haunted by a dream of a mythical gryphon, Sam London uncovers an ancient secret that will change the way he sees the world forever. Recruited by Dr. Vance Vantana, an eccentric zoologist and park ranger sent by the government, Sam is whisked away on an adventure that takes him to the farthest reaches of the globe. Along this journey, Sam learns an incredible truth: mythical creatures are real and living among us in our national parks. A special department in the U.S. government ensures that their existence remains hidden. But Sam’s dream is an omen that the secret may now be in danger. Someone seeks the power to expose these creatures and overthrow humankind–and that power can only be found in a magical talisman known as the gryphon’s claw. (First in a trilogy!)
A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it… Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel. When her brother Rolf dares her to catch magical Castle Glower creating a new room, Princess Celie takes the challenge! No one knows the Castle better than she does. But as usual, the Castle has ideas of its own. Celie finds the new room first, and inside it is hidden a giant egg. It looks like The Castle wants Celie to care for the egg and whatever creature it hatches. Celie hadn’t bargained for a pet, and caring for this one will prove to be especially tricky, once Celie and her siblings realise what else the Castle is hiding… Make sure to read all the Castle Glower series, starting with Tuesdays at the Castle!
Mr. Chesney operates Pilgrim Parties, a tour group that takes paying participants into an outer realm where the inhabitants play frightening and foreboding roles. The time has come to end the staged madness . . . but can it really be stopped? Master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones serves up twists and turns, introduces Querida, Derk, Blade, and Shona and a remarkable cast of wizards, soldiers, kings, dragons, and griffins, and mixes in a lively dash of humor. With all the ingredients of high fantasy, this unforgettable novel will delight fans old and new. Make sure to read the sequel too: Year of the Griffin! (Don’t be alarmed by the covers…for some reason, this wonderful author’s books usually have rather frightening cover images. But they definitely fit the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”…because they are delightful.)
For Kate, ordinary life in Minnesota is just a memory, especially when she and her brothers discover a magical baby griffin while vacationing in a small Italian town. Suddenly, they find themselves in an extraordinary magical adventure of mystery and a whole world of trouble. Kate’s father’s work has brought the family overseas to a countryside estate in Tuscany. Kate spends much of her time with her younger brother, nine-year-old Michael, roaming the beautiful estate grounds. When they find a lost baby griffin–a strange, fantastical creature with colorful downy feathers and tufts of fur–they are swept into a journey of excitement and fear, marked by the sinister Prince Eduardo. Kate and Michael try to keep Grifonino safe and his existence a secret, but greedy paparazzi and eager scientists threaten the creature’s safety. With the help of their older brother Stephen, the siblings set out to return the magical creature to his mysterious home. Will they succeed? (The only one on this list that’s a single title.)
All her life Wren has hoped for an adventure. Now she has one-with a kidnapped princess, a handsome prince, and a magician. What does it matter if the princess is only Tess, her best friend from the orphanage; if the prince is a youngest son with no chance of becoming king; and the magician is an apprentice? Wren leads the other three over mountains and past killing spells, fighting battles along the way. But then she finds herself up against some shape-changing magic that may end her life as a human forever! (The first of a wonderful–but diffictult to find–series.)
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And there you have it…lots and lots of gryphons. (And even more, if you read all the series.) Would you want a pet gryphon? What would you do with it? Let us know if we’ve missed any of your favorites.
As always, if you need help finding these (or any other) books in the library, just ask one of our librarians. We love matching kids and readers!
This started off as another Five Books Feature. But there were so many good Robot Books, it got split into categories of types of robots–funny robots, adventurous robots, kid robots, pet robots… But there was no good way to post each segment separately without having it take forever! So here we are..a giant Robot Booklist!
Have you read any of these books? Are there any robots you would add to the list? (If your favorite robot didn’t make this list, it might have been on an earlier version or the list…check that out here.) And enjoy both the old list and the new one!
Lenora is having a very frustrating summer while her parents have adventures around the globe–until she discovers a strange doorway in her local library. It leads to The Library–the ultimate library, filled with all the knowledge of the universe. And Lenora steps right up to become its newest Apprentice Librarian. Lenora’s new job rockets her across the globe and into outer space, to a future filled with robots, and to a dark nothingness that wants to destroy the library. She quickly learns the only way to save it might be unlocking the knowledge inside its endless shelves… The Library of Ever is an adventure across time and space, but more importantly across human knowledge, as a young girl discovers what makes books truly magical.
In the future, robots have eliminated humans, and 12-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, no pollution, no crime. Every member of society has a purpose. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Until the day XR discovers something impossible: a human girl named Emma. Now, Emma must embark on a dangerous voyage with XR and two other robots in search of a mysterious point on a map. But how will they survive in a place where rules are never broken and humans aren’t supposed to exist? And what will they find at the end of their journey? Humorous, action-packed, and poignant, The Last Human tells a story about friendship, technology, and challenging the status quo no matter the consequences. It’s not just about what it means to be a robot–it’s about what it means to be a friend.
Jed is a regular kid with a normal, loving family . . . that is, if it’s normal for a loving family to drop their child off in the middle of nowhere and expect him home in time for Sunday dinner. Luckily, Jed excels at being a regular kid who-armed with wit and determination-can make his way out of any situation. At least until the morning of his twelfth birthday, when Jed wakes to discover his parents missing. Something is wrong. Really wrong. Jed just doesn’t realize HOW wrong. Yet. A cryptic list of instructions leads Jed into a mysterious world at war over . . . junk. Here, batteries and bottled water are currency, tremendously large things fall from the sky, and nothing is exactly what it seems. Resilient Jed, ready to escape, bargains his way onto a flying tugboat with a crew of misfit junkers. They set course to find Jed’s family, but a soul-crushing revelation sends Jed spiraling out of control … perhaps for good.
Can a robot survive in the wilderness? When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
Melanie Gate is a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable–any lock releases at the touch of her hand. One night, her orphanage is visited by Traveler, a gearling automaton there on behalf of his magical mistress, who needs an apprentice pronto. When Melanie is selected because of her gift, her life changes in a flash, and in more ways than she knows–because Traveler is not at all what he seems. But then, neither is Melanie Gate. So begins an epic adventure sparkling with magic, wit, secret identities, stinky cats, fierce orphan girls, impostor boys, and a foundling and gearling hotly pursued by the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land.
When Akiko comes home from school one day, she finds an envelope waiting for her with no stamp and no return address. The message inside reads Dear Akiko: We are coming to get you. Meet us outside your bedroom window tonight at 8:00. Don’t forget your toothbrush. How could anyone meet her outside her window? She lives on the 17th floor, for goodness sake. But that evening, as Akiko is preparing to study for tomorrow’s geography test, she finds a small spacecraft hovering outside her window with two odd little men and a robot inside. They have been sent to whisk Akiko off to the Planet Smoo where she will lead a team enlisted to find the King of Smoo’s kidnapped son, Prince Froptoppit. Akiko, the leader of a rescue mission? She’s too timid to be on the school’s safety patrol! So begins Akiko’s adventure across the land of Smoo to find a prince and become a leader.
Maya’s nervous about fifth grade. She tries to keep calm by reminding herself she knows what to expect. But then she learns that this year won’t be anything like the last. For the first time since kindergarten, her best friends Jada and MJ are placed in a different class without her, and introverted Maya has trouble making new friends. She tries to put on a brave face since they are in fifth grade now, but it’s too much! Just when everything seems to be changing, she finds a robot named Ralph in the back of Mr. Mac’s convenience store closet. Once she uses her science skills to get him up and running, a whole new world of connection opens up as Ralph becomes a member of her family and Maya begins to step into her power as she discovers she can always turn to her curiosity if she’s feeling lost.
Annalyn Reynolds Court is one of many children of the powerful, handsome president of Mars. Like her favorite half-brother, Evan, she must enroll at the elite military academy in the capital city of Olympia. There they will train to be presidential bodyguards and also will learn how to defend their fragile, crystal-domed environment from invasion. Although Annalyn performs brilliantly in school, she finds her teachers unwilling to answer certain questions… Who are these enemies that so jealously resent her father’s leadership? Is it true, that MTs–mind-transfer chips—allow some people to live forever as androids? Even before graduation, a deadly struggle between commoners and elites turns Marian society upside down. Now a commander, Annalyn can rely on only her super-intelligent protector robot, Hector, when she finds herself facing a monumental decision.
When a towering giant made of iron appears out of nowhere, young Hogarth sees him not as a monster, but a friend. The townspeople are terrified of the giant and devise a plan to bring him down. But Hogarth believes in his friend, and rescues him when no one else will. Together, they teach the people of the village and beyond to conquer their fears, for beneath the giant’s rough armor there beats a mighty heart. A story so gripping that when you begin to read it aloud, everyone stops to listen. And once you know it, you never forget it. Forty plus years after publication, it was made into a motion picture.
Strange things are happening at Hexwood Farm, not far from London. On another world entirely, a harassed Sector Controller gets a letter from a maintenance team apparently trapped in Hexwood. A small boy called Hume encounters a robot and a dragon there. Anne Stavely, lying in bed with a virus in her nearby home, watches person after person disappear into the old farmhouse and not come out again. When she feels better, Ann decides to investigate. She goes into the wood, where she meets a tormented sorcerer called Mordion who seems to have arisen from a sleep that has lasted centuries. Yet Ann KNOWS she had seen him enter the farmhouse that morning. Nothing seems to happen in the right order. Nothing quite makes sense. And things keep getting stranger and stranger until, long before the end, the strangeness has spread from Earth right out to the center of the galaxy.
On a winter’s day in a British town, Alex receives a package in the mail: an old tin robot from his grandfather. “This one is special,” says the enclosed note, and when strange events start occurring around him, Alex suspects this small toy is more than special; it might be deadly. Right as things get out of hand, Alex’s grandfather arrives, pulling him away from an attack–and his otherwise humdrum world of friends, bullies, and homework–and into the macabre magic of an ancient family feud. Together, the duo flees across snowy Europe, unraveling the riddle of the little robot while trying to outwit relentless assassins of the human and mechanical kind.
Frances Stenzel was just trying to prove her scientific worth to her parents so they would take her with them to their scientific symposiums for once–instead, she reawakened her great-grandfather’s secret and most terrible invention. Before it can destroy the town, she sets off after it, with her pet chimp and sarcastic robot tutor by her side. But monster-hunting isn’t easy, and she’ll have to face a persistent constable, angry locals, and an unexpected friendship ahead–all while the trail for the monster goes cold and time is running out before her science career, and the city itself, are doomed…forever.
Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name. Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop humanlike feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming…. Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named Fly. But Res quickly discovers that Mars is a dangerous place filled with dust storms and giant cliffs. As he navigates Mars’s difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration. As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage, and resilience to succeed… and survive?
Everyone in Peter Powers’ family has super awesome superpowers–except Peter. All he can do is make ice cubes and flash freeze little stuff. At least his brother and sister have finally stopped picking on him–mostly. But at school, an even more menacing bully has it out for Peter and his friends. As if that wasn’t enough, Boulder City is being raided by robots! When his parents are captured, will Peter and his siblings be able to work together and save the day? Or will the town–and possibly the world–be iced? Join Peter Powers and his fantastic family for their second action-packed and fun-filled adventure to find out!
Ken is an EngiNerd: one of a super-smart group of friends who have been close since kindergarten. They may be brainiacs, but they’re just like everyone else: they fight with one another, watch too much TV, eat Chinese food, and hate walking their dogs. Well, maybe not JUST like everyone because Ken’s best friend Dan has been building robots and secretly sending one to each of the EngiNerds. At first Ken is awed and delighted: what kid hasn’t dreamed of having a robot all their own? Someone who can clean their room, walk the dog, answer homework questions…how amazing is that? But be careful what you wish for: Dan’s robot, Greeeg, may look innocent, but his ravenous consumption of food–comestibles–turns him into a butt-blasting bot. And once the other robots ‘come alive’ it’s up to the motley crew of EngiNerds to not only save the day, but save the planet!
Finn is the first kid born in space and he spends his days aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station…looking for a new planet to call his own with his robot Foggy and his three best friends Abigail, Elias, and Vale of Explorers Troop. He’s used to wild, galaxy hopping adventures. But when Explorer Troop 301 gets stuck on a planet that’s about to explode, Finn and his friends will have to face giant aliens, a leader with mind control powers, and one evil, fluffy bunny rabbit in order to save the planet . . . and themselves. Join Finn and his friends in all their adventures as they take off to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe.
For monster sleuths Tank and Fizz, proving fourth-grade bully Rizzo Rawlins is planning to cheat in the upcoming Battle Bot Cup should be a piece of cake. But cake crumbles fast, and the case soon leads the detectives to a mysterious hacker known only as the Codex, who threatens all of Rockfall Mountain with a very dark fate. With the help of their wizard-in-training partner, Aleetha, Tank and Fizz leap into action, dodging deadly battle bots and sinister spellbooks in a race to stop the return of a very angry ancient demon.
Kid-genius and inventor Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. In the series opener, an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm, and a flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions – the robots Klink and Klank – to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his inventions…until Frank’s archnemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan!
Marty, Ralph, and Skyler might make the ultimate secret combo when battling alien-slime ninjas in their favorite video game, but in real life they’re just regular kids. That is, until the three best friends discover Awesome Dog 5000, a robotic dog with very real power-ups. Awesome Dog can “bark” a sonic boom, “walk” at speeds over three hundred miles per hour, and “fetch” with an atomic cannon. Life for Marty, Ralph, and Skyler just got a major turbo-boost! Attention, readers! AWESOME DOG 5000 is a wild action-comedy told through a mix of text and black-and-white illustrations, with a mystery to solve at the end. Can you handle the awesomeness?
In a future United States, civil war is devastating a country on its last legs. On one side- the Patriots. On the other- President Vex’s corrupt government. In the middle- everybody else, just trying to survive. The war is going from bad to worse, but out in the sparsely populated Worselands, twelve-year-old Klynt Tovis doesn’t see much of it. Instead, Klynt spends most of her long summer days bored, or restoring artifacts in her Museum of Fond Memories. Real pet dogs are a thing of the past- after they were found to be carriers of a sickness the government ordered them all killed. But one day an incredible antique shows up at the farm- a D-39 robodog, “Real as a dog can be!” Klynt is overjoyed, but the good luck doesn’t last. When the war makes its way into the empty Worselands, she and D-39 find themselves thrown into an epic journey for survival and hope.
Lacey Chu is a girl who codes. She has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the “baku”–a customizable “pet” with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she’s crushed. One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she’s ever seen…He seems real. As Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams for the future?
When Earth comes under attack by aliens, hilarious heroine Alice Dare and a select group of kids are sent to Mars. But things get very strange when the adults disappear into thin air, the kids face down an alien named Thsaaa, and Alice and her friends must save the galaxy! From her diary: The fact that someone had decided that I would be safer on Mars, where you could still only sort of breathe the air, and sort of not get sunburned to death, was a sign that the war with the aliens was not going fantastically well. I was worried that I was about to be told that my mother’s spacefighter had been shot down, so when I found out that I was being evacuated to Mars, I was pretty calm. And, despite everthing that happened to me and my friends afterward, I’d do it all again. Because until you have been chased by invisible aliens, befriended a robot goldfish, and tried to save the galaxy, I don’t think you can say that you’ve really lived. But if the same thing happens to you, here’s my advice: Always carry tape!
The Robot Federation and the Feline Empire have been at war for eons. And now that fight is coming to a tiny primitive planetoid…Earth. The mission for both cats and robots: retrieve the Singularity Chip. With it, cats can live past their nine lives, and robots are granted eternal battery life. Meanwhile, twin siblings Max and Min Wengrod are as different as can be. Min always gets good grades, and she loves to read and build robots. Max hates school, and prefers to play games and spend time online with friends. When Max rescues two kittens and is determined to keep them, Min is horrified that these furballs could ruin her chances at the Battle of the Bots competition. But with hidden forces at play in their own house, and the larger war between cats and robots fast approaching, will the twins be able to put aside their differences before they get caught in the crossfire?
When a new boy joins their class, everyone thinks he’s . . . odd. George doesn’t behave like other kids. He doesn’t think like other kids. But he’s great at football and snacking, and that’s what matters to Dan and Maxie and friends, who resolve to make George feel welcome. Over time, they learn that he’s just like them, in most ways, except one: George is a robot, part of an ambitious new experiment, with sinister people bent on destroying him. When his lab pulls him out of school, can George’s new friends recover him–and set him free?
It’s the first day at Vanguard One Middle School for a new student—Fuzzy, a state-of-the-art robot! When Fuzzy arrives at the school as part of the Robot Integration Program, seventh grader Max is thrilled. She loves robots. The two become fast friends, and Max teaches her new classmate everything he needs to know about surviving middle school – the good, the bad, and the really, really, ugly. Little do they know that surviving seventh grade is going to become a true matter of life and death! When they discover the super-secret purpose behind the Robot Integration Program, they realize they’ll have to combine Fuzzy’s super smarts with Max’s super savvy to outwit the adults…and an even trickier foe, Vanguard One’s sinister operating system, the all-seeing Vice Principal Barbara!
Who…or what…is Jimmy Coates? Eleven year old Jimmy is on the run. The good news is that he has some sweet new abilities that let him outrun, outjump and outkick anybody—even adults. The bad news is that the mysterious organization that kidnapped Jimmy’s parents is after him and he has no idea why. Except that it might have something to do with his new fighting capabilities. And the fact that he might not be entirely human…
No matter what anyone tells you, I’m real. That’s what the note says that Max finds under his keyboard. He knows that his best friend, Josie, wrote it. He’d know her handwriting anywhere. But why she wrote it–and what it means–remains a mystery. Ever since they met in kindergarten, Max and Josie have been inseparable. Until the summer after fifth grade, when Josie disappears, leaving only a note, and whispering something about “whatnot rules.” But why would Max ever think that Josie wasn’t real? And what are whatnots? As Max sets to uncover what happened to Josie–and what she is or isn’t–little does he know that she’s fighting to find him again, too. But there are forces trying to keep Max and Josie from ever seeing each other again. Because Josie wasn’t supposed to be real…
In an alternative England of the 1930s where the laws of mechanics govern even the most talented engineers, a mismatched group of mechanicals want nothing more than to feel human. Under the guardianship of the devious and unlicensed Gregory Absalom, an engineer who creates mechanical children, they have no choice but to help him in his unlawful practice. But through his unethical work, Absalom winds up creating a loyal and lively group of friends who will go to the ends of the Earth for one another. When the story’s protagonist, Christopher, discovers a devastating secret about himself and the friends are torn apart, it’s up to his friends to find him. What they’ll discover is the secret about the dark experiment that ended in disaster many years before…
Cog looks like a normal twelve-year-old boy. But his name is short for “cognitive development,” and he was built to learn. But after an accident leaves him damaged, Cog wakes up in an unknown lab–and Gina, the scientist who created and cared for him, is nowhere to be found. Surrounded by scientists who want to study him and remove his brain, Cog recruits four robot accomplices for a mission to find her. Cog, ADA, Proto, Trashbot, and Car’s journey will likely involve much cognitive development in the form of mistakes, but Cog is willing to risk everything to find his way back to Gina. Five robots. One unforgettable journey. Their programming will never be the same.
Danny’s a kid. Eric’s a kid, too. He’s also a robot, but he doesn’t know that. For Danny, it becomes hard to ignore Eric’s super strange tendencies. He has weekly “dentist” appointments and parents who never stop smiling. It’s almost impossible to wake him up and he’s always getting fancy gifts from his mysterious uncle. Danny always assumed that Eric was just a spoiled rich kid…until he discovers Eric’s hidden robot reality. As the two friends dig deeper into Eric’s origins and purpose, powerful forces swarm into town, and Danny and Eric are left with more questions than answers–and more danger than humanly possible.
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And there you have it. Robots from our world, robots from the future, robots from the past, robots from alternate realities. Read them all, and see what kind of robot you would make…if you could create such a feat of mechanical engineering. Maybe it could be a new goal!?!
As always, if you need help finding these or any other books in the library, ask one of our librarians. We love to help match kids with books!
Recently, I traveled to the West Coast, where I spent some time with friends in and around San Francisco. Before I went, I did a lot of reading up on the area. Ever since I read Phyllis Whitney’s The Mystery of the Green Cat, San Francisco was somewhere I always wanted to visit. And now I have!
I was going to do a “Five Books Featuring” post on the Bay Area, but there are just so MANY books out there…even when whittled down to just what’s in our middle grade collection! So here is a booklist—divided into three parts—of books based in and around San Francisco. Enjoy!
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Historical From Barbary Pirates to the Gold Rush to the earthquakes of 1906 and 1989…
Victoria Blaisdell longs for independence and adventure, and she yearns to accompany her father as he sails west in search of real gold! But it is 1848, and Tory isn’t even allowed to go to school, much less travel all the way from Rhode Island to California. Determined to take control of her own destiny, Tory stows away on the ship. Though San Francisco is frenzied and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory finds freedom and friendship there. When Tory’s father loses his job and decides to seek a share of the newly discovered gold in California, Tory stows away on the westbound ship carrying her father and younger brother, Jacob. Though San Francisco is mud-caked, frenzied, and full of wild and dangerous men, Tory quickly finds friends and independence – until her father leaves for the gold fields and the care of Jacob falls to her. Then Jacob vanishes, kidnapped, perhaps hidden among the hundreds of ships – called Rotten Row – that have been abandoned in the bay. If he is there, Tory must find him in a treacherous search. Tory comes close to losing everything in her quest for her own and her brother’s freedom.
Lily is the oldest of three children; a Chinese American girl living in San Francisco’s Chinatown. When the 1906 earthquake destroys her home and sets her neighborhood on fire. Her family survives the quake, but the as the city starts to burn, Lily is separated from her parents and Lily must help her younger brother and neighbor escape San Francisco. As the city burns, Lily struggles to keep her group close as they face peril and racism. Will Lily be reunited with her parents and make it across the bay to the safety of Oakland? Will the rest of the family and friends be there waiting for them? Between the fire and the anti-Chinese violence it is not certain that any of them will survive.
San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city–a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague. The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.
Murderers, mob bosses, and convicts…these guys are not your average neighbors. But it’s 1935, and Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to Alcatraz, the infamous island that’s home to criminals such as notorious escapee Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and, of course, Al Capone. Mosse doesn’t actually get to meet the cons; but he does meet Piper Williams, the warden’s daughter, who comes up with so many schemes that she might as well be a criminal! Now Moose has to try to fit in at his new school, keep his parents happy, avoid getting caught up in Piper’s countless plots, and keep an eye on his sister, Natalie, who’s not like other kids. All Moose wants to do is stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
With their parents attending the 1989 World Series, Fran stays home with her bratty brother, Sidney, and Jennie, a visiting friend. Their reunion is awkward until the earthquake shakes them into action: they lift a Volkswagen off a neighbor, turn off combustible propane tanks, and help at the school emergency shelter. The hours and days after the quake are a time in which the Fran and their neighbors fumble toward survival, showing themselves to be “the best kind of hero…an everyday sort.” With unsettling realism, Franny describes the aftershocks, the struggle to rebuild homes and lives, the triumphs of restoring basic services, and the steps she and her family take to re-establish their lives. Together, they become closer as they cope with the frightening events.
When Jack’s aunt is forced to sell her beloved mansion but is still unable to raise enough money to pay her debts, the twelve-year-old goes to California in search of gold to help her. Joined by his trusty butler, Praiseworthy, Jack finds adventure and trouble at every turn. Brimming with riveting adventure, the story is set during the Gold Rush. The fast-moving plot follows the high spirited young Jack and Praiseworthy set out to strike it rich in order to support the financially strapped and beloved Aunt Arabella. As Jack and the loyal butler travel by sea and land, the pair meet a series of memorable characters such as the daring, crusty sea Captain Swain and the diabolical Cut-Eye Higgins. Will Jack strike gold in San Francisco or come home empty-handed?
It’s April 18, 1906, and a powerful earthquake has just rocked San Francisco. Photographer Edith Irvine and her teenage assistant, Daisy Valentine, survive the tragedy. Armed with Edith’s camera, the two young women set out to document the devastation–even as buildings crumble around them and soldiers promise to shoot anyone trying to photograph the crippled city. Based on the real-life experience of photographer Edith Irvine, this harrowing tale of bravery and survival includes many of Irvine’s now-famous photographs.
Just off the coast of California, north of San Francisco, Jonathan Palmer is camping with his family on deserted Magpie Island. When his mother breaks her ankle, it is nearly a mile to get to the car; because Jonathan’s sister Abby uses a walker, her progress on the trail would be too slow for such an emergency. So Jonathan and Abby stay at the camp while their parents go to the hospital. But it’s October, 1989, and suddenly, without warning, an earthquake hits…the biggest since the 1906 quake. Jonathan and Abby are stranded, and Jonathan must find a way to keep himself, his partially paralyzed younger sister, and their dog alive until help arrives.
Ranger, the time-traveling golden retriever with search-and-rescue training, helps two new friends survive the Great San Francisco Earthquake! Ranger travels to San Francisco and meets Lily Chen. She was sent from China to America to work as a young servant, but she dreams of studying to be a doctor. When the Great Earthquake hits, Ranger arrives in time to rescue Lily from falling beams in the mission house where she lives. Together they flee to safety, stopping to help another girl, May Wong, save her little brother from the family’s collapsed market. Lily and May try to make their way through the ruined city with Ranger at their side. But can they escape crumbling buildings and raging fires, all while facing anti-Chinese discrimination? As they make their way through the ruined and burning city Ranger finds that he must also accomplish something else–finding Lily a new family who will care for her. Read all of Ranger’s time-traveling adventures.
Leo loves being a newsboy in San Francisco — not only does he get to make some money to help his family, he’s free to explore the amazing, hilly city as it changes and grows with the new century. Horse-drawn carriages share the streets with shiny new automobiles, new businesses and families move in every day from everywhere, and anything seems possible. But early one spring morning, everything changes. Leo’s world is shaken — literally — and he finds himself stranded in the middle of San Francisco as it crumbles and burns to the ground. Does Leo have what it takes to survive this devastating disaster?
At home on Sacramento Street, Henry Travis hears a low rumbling. It sounds like a train coming. But then windows rattle, doors thump. There’s a crash above him. Across town in Chinatown, Henry’s friend Chin waits for the trembling to stop. But it goes on and on and on… When the quake subsides, Chin and Henry and their families are lucky to be alive. But now they must escape the fires that have broken out and find their way to safety-before it’s too late. Will Henry and Chin survive to see each other again?
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Mysteries, Adventures and Realistic Fiction From mysterious mansions to treasure hunts to just hanging out in the city with friends…
Ever since her father died, kooky Gilda Joyce has been working hard to sharpen her psychic skills. She’s determined to communicate with spirits from the Other Side and become a crack investigator of spooky, twisted mysteries. After wrangling an invitation to visit San Francisco relatives, Gilda discovers just how much her dreary, tight-lipped uncle and his strange, delicate daughter need her help to uncover the terrible family secret that has a tortured ghost stalking their home. From poignant to hair-raising and hilarious, this is a behind-the-scenes, tell-all account of the very first case in the illustrious career of Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator. Read all the titles!
For Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it’s the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger–a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles. Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game. Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold’s new game–before those who attacked Griswold come after them too. Make sure to read the rest of the series–Alcatraz Escape and The Unbreakable Code—where Emily and James must solve other clues and solve puzzles around San Francisco!
Take a look at Casey and Lacey Nicefolk and you’ll see two regular, all-American kids. But these brother-and-sister twins have a secret. Hidden in the family barn is the most magical-and coolest-gadget unknown to man: a mystical box that can turn any small object into a life-size replica. When the twins’ parents go out of town, the two decide to put the box to use. Taking a model boat, they create a fully functioning powerboat and enter a race up the Sacramento River from San Francisco. But this is no ordinary boat, and this is no ordinary race. What follows is a nautical adventure where being the first to cross the finish line is not the only prize.
Amateur sleuth Hal Beck is excited to embark on an adventurous journey with his journalist Uncle Nat. This time, they’re set to ride the historic California Comet from Chicago to San Francisco. Hal mostly keeps to himself on the trip, feeling homesick and out of place in America. But he soon finds himself drawn into another mystery when the young daughter of a billionaire tech entrepreneur goes missing! Along with new friends–spunky Mason and his younger sister, Hadley–Hal races against the clock to find the missing girl before the California Comet reaches its final destination. Read Hal’s other Adventures on Trains as well.
Emmy is the only one in her family who can’t make music to save her life. And now that her dad’s symphony job has uprooted her to San Francisco and a new school, everything seems even more off-key than usual. Until a computer class changes her tune—Emmy discovers that her coding skills can really sing! Now life is starting to seem a little more upbeat, especially with computer whiz and possible best friend Abigail around to share tips and tricks with. But can Emmy hold on to her new-found confidence with bad news and big secrets just around the corner, or will her new life come to a screeching halt?
After thwarting a notorious villain at an eco-summit in Paris, the City Spies are gearing up for their next mission. Operating out of a base in Scotland, this secret team of young agents working for the British Secret Intelligence Service’s MI6 division have honed their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Sydney is a surfer and a rebel from Bondi Beach, Australia. She’s also a field ops specialist for the City Spies. Sydney is excited to learn that she’ll be going undercover on the marine research vessel the Sylvia Earle. But things don’t go exactly as planned, and while Sydney does find herself in the spotlight, it’s not in the way she was hoping. Meanwhile, there’s been some new intel regarding a potential mole within the organization, offering the spies a lead that takes them to San Francisco, California. But as they investigate a spy who died at the Botanical Gardens, they discover that they are also being investigated. And soon, they’re caught up in an exciting adventure filled with rogue missions and double agents! This mission is hot! The City Spies are a go! Read all the City Spies adventures as they globe-trot through famous locations.
When Julie discovers a mysterious note written in Chinese, she brings it to her friend Ivy to translate. The note speaks of a story from long ago, but doesn’t quite make sense. Julie suspects it may be written in a secret code. That same night, the girls’ beloved dolls are stolen. As Julie and Ivy search Chinatown, they decipher clues in the note that seem to link the stolen dolls to a long-lost friendship, and maybe a long-lost treasure. Then they realize that they aren’t the only ones trying to figure out the message’s puzzle…
When an oil spill threatens the sea birds of San Francisco, Julie is eager to lend a hand. So when she learns that her friend T.J. is helping with an auction to raise money for the clean-up efforts, she decides to get involved, and she’s thrilled to find out that a valuable silver guitar that belonged to a famous rock star will be sold as part of the auction! But then she finds out that T.J. is in trouble, and Julie just can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something from her. As Julie sets out to follow the clues and prove T.J. is innocent, the guitar begins to reveal it’s secrets…and Julie realizes that both she and T.J. may be in danger… Read all of the adventures of American Girl Julie and her best friend Ivy in San Francisco
Penny is excited to welcome her new sibling, so throughout her mom’s pregnancy she writes letters to it (not it, YOU!). She introduces herself (Penelope, but she prefers “Penny”) and their moms (Sammy and Becky). She brags about their home city, Oakland, California (the weather, the Bay, and the Golden State Warriors) and shares the trials and tribulations of being a fifth-grader (which, luckily, YOU won’t have to worry about for a long time). Penny asks little questions about her sibling’s development and starts to ask big questions about the world around her (like if and when her moms are ever going to get married “for real”). Honest, relatable, and full of heart, Love, Penelope explores heritage, forgiveness, love, and identity through the eyes (and pen) of one memorable 10-year-old in a special year when marriage equality and an NBA championship made California a place of celebration.
Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade. Cal is awkward, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her. Jeanne Ann wants Cal’s help just about as much as she wants to live in a van. As the two form a tentative friendship that grows deeper over alternating chapters, they’re buoyed by a cast of complex, oddball characters, who let them down, lift them up, and leave you cheering. A warm, funny and poignant story about the wonderful weirdness of friendship and family, and learning how to accept help enough to help yourself.
With the nation reeling from the recent terrorist attacks, Q and Angela leave Chicago and arrive in San Francisco. Their parents are determined to continue the Match tour but for safety’s sake, they have decided to send Q and Angela to boarding school. Not happy at the thought of being taken off the trail of the ghost cell, Q and Angela race against time with Boone and the SOS team to find Number One, the leader of the world’s most feared terrorist organization. It’s the final showdown of the I,Q series. This is the final book of the adventerous IQ series. In the books, Q and Angela travel all over the world. Starting with the last one probably won’t work very well, so you’ll just have to read the first five to have this one make sense!
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny are visiting San Francisco. They see the Golden Gate Bridge, ride the cable cars, and eat in Chinatown. On Fisherman’s Wharf, they meet Charlie, who takes the Alden kids and their grandfather for a ride on his fishing boat. But while they’re enjoying the trip, they discover that someone is giving Charlie trouble. Unexplainable things are happening–like the fresh fish he delivers mysteriously disappear, and his fishing nets are cut. This seems like something deliberate, not accidental. Does someone want Charlie out of the fishing business? Can the Boxcar Children solve this mystery? Book #57 in this beloved series! (And these you can read out of order…as long as you read the first one first!)
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Fantasy who knew so many fantasy books begin in San Francisco?
Siblings Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker once had everything they could ever want. But everything changed when Dr. Walker lost his job. Now the family must relocate to an old Victorian house, formerly the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff–a house that simultaneously feels creepy and too good to be true. By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbors has sinister plans for them, they’re banished to a primeval forest way off the grid. Bloodthirsty medieval warriors patrol the woods around them, supernatural pirates roam the neighboring seas, and a power-hungry queen rules the land. To survive, the siblings will have to be braver than they ever thought possible–and to fight against their darkest impulses. The key may lie in their own connection to the secret Kristoff legacy. But as they unravel that legacy, they’ll discover that it’s not just their family that’s in danger . . . it’s the entire world. Read the entire House of Secrets trilogy.
Sam London didn’t mean to uncover an ancient secret, but when he found out that mythical creatures are real and living in our national parks, he became the newest recruit to the Department of Mythical Wildlife. Ever since, the middle schooler has been anxiously awaiting the call for his next case . . . and it finally arrives with the brazen appearance of a selkie in San Francisco Bay. Along with Dr. Vance Vantana and the guardian Tashi, Sam pursues the selkie, who has taken a peculiar interest in fashion’s newest “it” girl and social media star, Pearl Eklund. But the closer he gets, the more questions emerge about Pearl’s mysterious connection to the mythical world. Is she the long-lost hope for an entire civilization or the harbinger of its doom? It’s up to Sam to find out the truth, and fast. . . . The fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Read all the Sam London Adventures.
Nicholas Flamel is the greatest Alchemyst to ever live. The records show that he died in 1418, but what if he’s actually been making the elixir of life for centures? The secrets to eternal life are hidden within a book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed, and in the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. There is only one hope… While working at pleasant but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, twins Sophie and Josh suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between the rival alchemists. Are they just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or are they the end of the prophecy that will save the world..? Read all the books in this exciting series–and look for the new graphic novel coming out next summer!
Sheltered within her high-society world, Isabel plays the part of a perfectly proper little girl–she’s quiet, well-behaved, and she keeps her dresses spotlessly clean. She’s certainly not the kind of girl who goes on adventures. But that all changes when Isabel breaches an invisible barrier and steps into another world. She discovers a city not unlike her own, but magical and dangerous. Here, war rages between the fairies of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Only Isabel, with the help of a magical necklace and a few new friends, stands a chance of ending the war before it destroys the fairy world, and maybe her own as well…
When her older sister dies trying to prevent the theft of one of her people’s great treasures, twelve-year-old Scirye sets out to avenge her and recover the precious item. Helping her are Bayang, a dragon disguised as a Pinkerton agent; Leech, a boy with powers he has not yet discovered; and Leech’s loyal companion Koko, who has a secret of his own. All have a grudge against the thieves who stole the treasure: the evil dragon Badik and the mysterious Mr. Roland. Scirye and her companions pursue the thieves from San Francisco to Houlani, a new Hawaiian island being created by magic. There, they befriend Pele, the volatile and mercurial goddess of volcanoes. But even with Pele on their side, they may not be able to stop Mr. Roland from gaining what he seeks: the Five Lost Treasures of Emperor Yu. Together, the treasures will give him the power to alter the very fabric of the universe. Be sure to read the entire trilogy!
Crusty dragon Miss Drake has a new pet human, precocious Winnie. Oddly enough, Winnie seems to think Miss Drake is her pet-a ridiculous notion! Unknown to most of its inhabitants, the City by the Bay is home to many mysterious and fantastic creatures, hidden beneath the parks, among the clouds, and even in plain sight. And Winnie wants to draw every new creature she encounters- the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Winnie’s sketchbook is not what it seems. Somehow, her sketchlings have been set loose on the city streets! It will take Winnie and Miss Drake’s combined efforts to put an end to the mayhem . . . before it’s too late. Read the trilogy.
Tom Lee’s life changes forever the day he meets a talking tiger named Mr. Hu and discovers that he has magical powers and great responsibilities that he never imagined. Despite his doubts and fears, Tom joins Mr. Hu’s ragtag band of creatures in their fight to keep an ancient talisman out of the hands of the worst possible enemy. This action-packed fantasy reveals a hidden world within our own where animals take human form, where friendship is the final weapon in the battle between good and evil, and where a young boy is responsible for saving the world he knows . . . and the one he is just discovering. Read the whole trilogy–and watch for a movie, based on the trilogy, when it comes out in the near future!
As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret. Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles into a battle with a demon–and helps defeat it. She just might be the fabled Heaven Breaker, a powerful warrior meant to work for the all-mighty deity, the Jade Emperor, by commanding an army of dragons to defeat the demons. That is, if she can prove her worth and find the island of the immortals before the Lunar New Year. With Alex and other unlikely allies at her side, Faryn sets off on a daring quest across Chinatowns. But becoming the Heaven Breaker will require more sacrifices than she first realized. . . What will Faryn be willing to give up to claim her destiny? A new series for fans of Percy Jackson!
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Some older titles our library no longer has, but are worth looking for if you’re a San Francisco fan:
Book covers were supposed to be in alphabetical order, but they had a mind of their own. The books are in alphabetical order by author below:
Hitch at the Fairmont by Jim Averbeck Someone is Hiding on Alcatraz Island by EveBunting Bridge of Time by Lewis Buzbee Into the Firestorm by Deborah Hopkinson Searching for Candlestick Park by Peg Kehret Quake! Disaster in San Francisco By Gail Langer Karwoski Newsgirl By Liza Ketchum Three Pennies by Melanie Krowder Earthquake! A story of old San Francisco By Kathleen Kudlinski I Am Lavina Cumming by Susan Lowell You’re Bacon Me Crazy by Suzanne Nelson Mystery at Thunderbolt House by Howard Pease Paperquake by Kathryn Reiss The Strange Case of Baby H by Kathryn Reiss Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace The Mystery of the Green Cat by Phyllis Whitney The Case of the Lion Dancer by Laurence Yep Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep
I’ve read all but two of the books above, and they are excellent books! Most are out of print or difficult to locate. However, some are still available at other Minuteman Libraries or through Interlibrary Loan.
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One of the best things to do if you’re planning to travel is to read a book set in the place you’re traveling to…or bring it with you and compare it to the location! It always makes it more fun if you can recognize places, or know a little of the history. So you should always do some reading before (or after, which can be fun too!) your travels. As always, if you need help finding these, or any other books, in our collection, just ask one of our librarians. We love matching kids and books!
It’s another magical fantasy list…featuring djinn…sometimes also called genies! Everyone knows the most famous genie…do you? (He helped Aladdin.) But there are other books featuring these mythical characters–and these djinn, or jin, or genies go from silly to helpful to downright scary! I know which type I’d prefer to meet! Do you?
Check out any of these books and see what you think.
(This was going to be a Five Books featuring…but there were just too many good books! It would have been difficult to decide on what to leave out. So…Booklist! But you can keep that in mind, because there’s still at least one old book, one new book, one award winner, one kids’ favorite, and one staff favorite!)
Here we go…grab your magic carpet and settle in to read!
On the day of a rare super blue blood moon eclipse, twelve-year-old Amira and her little brother, Hamza, can’t stop their bickering while attending a special exhibit on medieval Islamic astronomy. While stargazer Amira is wowed by the amazing gadgets, a bored Hamza wanders off, stumbling across the mesmerizing and forbidden Box of the Moon. Amira can only watch in horror as Hamza grabs the defunct box and it springs to life, setting off a series of events that could shatter their world–literally.
Suddenly, day turns to night, everyone around Amira and Hamza falls under a sleep spell, and a chunk of the moon breaks off, hurtling toward them at lightning speed, as they come face-to-face with two otherworldly creatures: jinn.
The jinn reveal that the siblings have a role to play in an ancient prophecy. Together, they must journey to the mystical land of Qaf, battle a great evil, and end a civil war to prevent the moon–the stopper between realms–from breaking apart and unleashing terrifying jinn, devs, and ghuls onto earth. Or they might have to say goodbye to their parents and life as they know it, forever…. Also read the second book: The Quest for the Ring of Power.
Sophie can’t wait to start middle school. She’s ready for positive thinking and cute clothes. So when an odd (okay, totally weird, orange and floating) Zac Efron look-alike appears and offers Sophie his fabulous rhinestone ring–well, why would she refuse?
But Sophie soon discovers that by wearing the ring she’s become a djinn–and things rapidly start to spin out of control. Who wouldn’t enjoy having the power to grant wishes? But when Sophie develops RWD (Random Wish Disorder) and can’t STOP granting wishes, things get more than a little mixed-up!Now she’ll have to learn to manage her new powers–and her new, not-always-entirely-helpful djinn guide–just to survive the first week! Read the other books in this fun trilogy.
Maeve Merritt chafes at the rigid rules at her London boarding school for “Upright Young Ladies.” When punishment forces her to sort through the trash, she finds a sardine tin that houses a foul-tempered djinni with no intention of submitting to a schoolgirl as his master.
Soon an orphan boy from the charitable home next door, a mysterious tall man in ginger whiskers, a disgruntled school worker, and a take-no-prisoners business tycoon are in hot pursuit of Maeve and her magical discovery. It’ll take all of her quick thinking and sass to set matters right. Maeve Merritt is one feisty heroine you won’t soon forget. The final book in this trilogy is coming out in March ’23!
All 12 years of Eden’s life have been spent in an antique oil lamp. She lives like a princess in her luxurious home, but to Eden, the lamp is nothing but a prison. She hates being a genie, all she wants is freedom. When Eden finds a gateway to Earth, she takes her chance. This time, she won’t be sent back after three wishes!
Posing as the new kid at a California school, Eden revels in all of Earth’s pleasures – but quickly learns that this world isn’t as perfect as she always thought it was. Eden soon finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between powerful immortals. A ruthless organization run by a former genie will do anything to acquire the lamp and it’s power. To save her new friends and protect the lamp’s magic, Eden must decide once and for all where she belongs. Read Eden’s Escape too!
Nothing ever happens in Filomena Jefferson-Cho’s sleepy little suburban town of North Pasadena. The sun shines every day, the grass is always a perfect green, and while her progressive school swears there’s no such thing as bullying, she still feels bummed out. But one day, when Filomena is walking home on her own, something strange happens.
Filomena is being followed by Jack Stalker, one of the heroes in the Thirteenth Fairy, a series of books she loves about a brave girl and her ragtag group of friends who save their world from an evil enchantress. She must be dreaming, or still reading a book. But Jack is insistent–he’s real, the stories are real, and Filomena must come with him at once!
Soon, Filomena is thrust into the world of evil fairies and beautiful princesses, sorcerers and slayers, where an evil queen drives her ruthless armies to destroy what is left of the Fairy tribes. To save herself and the kingdom of Westphalia, Filomena must find the truth behind the fairytales and set the world back to rights before the cycle of sleep and destruction begins once more.
Read the trilogy–the third book comes out this month!
One darknight, Emma finds a mysterious green bottle floating in the ocean. When she pulls out the stopper, she sets a blue genie free!
Most genies grant three wishes, but Karim can’t grant even one anymore. A yellow genie stole his magic nose ring, leaving him small, powerless, and trapped in that bottle. Emma and Tristan, her noodle-tailed dog have to help Karim get his nose ring–and his magic–back. And if it takes a magic carpet ride to the distant land of Barakash to help…well, that’s just what they’ll do!
Life is a blast when you have your very own genie. But when Parker Quarry is shipped from sunny Los Angeles to live with relatives in a quiet New Hampshire college town and releases a 2,000 year-old jinn from an ancient canister ‘borrowed’ from the university building where his uncle works, the biggest blasts comes from the millennia old power struggle he reignites.
Now it’s up to Parker, his mild-mannered cousin Theo, and their whiz-kid classmate Reese to stop a battalion of battle-ready jinn from restarting an all-out war–one with humanity in the crosshairs.
Nura longs for the simple pleasure of many things–to wear a beautiful red dupatta or to bite into a sweet gulab. But with her mom hard at work in a run-down sweatshop and three younger siblings to feed, Nura must spend her days earning money by mica mining. But it’s not just the extra rupees in her pocket Nura is after. Local rumor says there’s buried treasure in the mine, and Nura knows that finding it could change the course of her family’s life forever.
Her plan backfires when the mines collapse and four kids, including her best friend, Faisal, are claimed dead. Nura refuses to believe it and shovels her way through the dirt hoping to find him. Instead, she finds herself at the entrance to a strange world of purple skies and pink seas–a portal to the opulent realm of jinn, inhabited by the trickster creatures from her mother’s cautionary tales. Yet they aren’t nearly as treacherous as her mother made them out to be, because Nura is invited to a luxury jinn hotel, where she’s given everything she could ever imagine and more.
But there’s a dark truth lurking beneath all that glitter and gold, and when Nura crosses the owner’s son and is banished to the working quarters, she realizes she isn’t the only human who’s ended up in the hotel’s clutches. Faisal and the other missing children are there, too, and if Nura can’t find a way to help them all escape, they’ll be bound to work for the hotel forever.
A one-armed chauffer? Twin djinn? Three wishes? Qwertyuiop? What does it all add up to?
John and Philippa Gaunt, two not-very-identical twins, live a privileged life on the Upper East of Manhattan with their wealthy parents and two curiously-mannered Rottweilers named Alan and Neil. The twins realize there’s something amiss with their world when a string of strange things begin to happen after their wisdom teeth are extracted: for some strange reason, they dream the same dreams, they become stronger, their zits clear up, and wishes wished in their presence inexplicably come true!
When their estranged Uncle Nimrod asks them to come to England for the summer during one such shared dream, the discovery of their destiny is set in motion. John and Phillippa discover that they are descended from a long line of Djinn and have great inherent powers. They must call on these powers a lot sooner than they anticipated, though, because the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten is not as dead as history has so far declared and his legion of seventy magical djinn could tip the balance of power in the magical realm and affect the whole world order.
Read all eight books in this adventurous fantastical series!
When Abby and her brother Jonah travel through their mirror into the story of Aladdin, they’re excited. There is sure to be magic lamps and genies granting wishes, right?
Wrong.
The genie they meet isn’t quite as helpful as they expected. And if Aladdin’s wishes don’t come true, he won’t get to marry the princess and live happily ever after. Now they have to escape an enchanted cave, find forty buckets of jewels, plan a parade and learn to fly a magic carpet. Otherwise they’ll run out of wishes…and never get home! Read all the other Whatever After books, where Abby and Jonah visit other fairy tales.
Five and a half feet might seem pretty tall for a twelve-year-old, but it’s not when your parents are giants. Lena has kept the fact that she’s a tiny giant secret, using magic to grow when out in the giant village. But hiding who she is has always felt wrong, even though she knows the other giants might not accept her. Fortunately, Lena has friends down in the Cursed City who understand that looking different doesn’t make her less of a giant.
Someone who knows not to judge by appearances is Jin, a young genie currently serving one thousand and thirty-eight years of genie training that requires him to fulfill the wish of whoever holds his magical ring. In Jin’s case, it’s the power-hungry Golden King. At least the king only has two wishes left, one of which is for Jin to go to the Cursed City and capture its protector, the Last Knight–one of Lena’s closest friends.
What Lena and Jin don’t know is how close the Golden King’s plans are to coming together, between his dark magic and his horrible Faceless knights. If Jin does find the Last Knight and bring him to the Golden King, why, that could doom the entire fairy-tale world. Um…This sounds like it’ll end badly, doesn’t it?
This popular author’s series are great…and this is his most recent trilogy!
Nathaniel is a young magician’s apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. He believes he’s ready to take on more challenging spells than those just for beginners! But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who’s boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful Bartimaeus, a 5000-year-old djinni. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, rebellion and revolt.
Will he control Bartimaeus, or will Bartimaeus control him? Read the whole trilogy and find out! (This book has also been made into a graphic novel…which is also good!)
Meet Princess Cimorene–a princess who refustes to be proper. She is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomobyish smart… And bored.
So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon. And not just any dragon, but Kazul–one of the most powerful and dangerous dragons arounds. Of course, Cimorene has a way of hooking up with dangerous characters, and soon she’s coping with a witch,a a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird, a stone prince, and some very oily wizards.
If this princess ran away to find some excitement, it looks like she’s found plenty! Although the djinn only appears in the first book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, the rest are great reads too!
A genie that grants ALL your wishes–it’s a dream come true! Want to fly, turn invisible, or get a lifetime supply of sandwiches? Done, done and done! Ask and you shall recieve. But there are a FEW catches…which Ace is about to learn the hard way.
Ace’s life is about to change in the most unexpected and magical ways–all because of a peanut butter jar.
When he opens it, he inadvertently releases a genie named Ridge. Now a Wishmaker, Ace is given a week to complete a seemingly impossible quest, and if he fails the world will end in the most tragic (but cuddly) way imaginable.
Luckily, Ridge can help by granting Ace an unlimited number of wishes…as long as Ace is willing to accept the consequences. The bigger the wish, the greater the consequence. So, if Ace wants to avoid having pogo sticks for legs or his clothes turn invisible, he’ll have to be careful what he wishes for and get a little creative. But as consequences begin to pile up, Ace finds himself wondering if he’ll actually be able to save the world…or if he might be the one to doom it altogether!
So…there you have it; fifteen plus books about djinn. Or genies. Or jinn. Read them all and see what kind of things happen when you make wishes. And if you find a strange lamp on the beach, or in a storage chest, or up in your attic…would you rub it or not?
If you need any help finding these or any other books at the library, just ask one of our librarians for help. We love matching kids and books!
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