Ghost Writer by Michael Dahl
62 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 9-13
Rating: Wizard


Some books are dangerous, some books are deadly and then there are books that are mysteriously blank. On a quest to find the latest Simon Skull novel, young Josh finds a book with no content wrapped in plain brown paper with a return address for Simon Skull. While Josh eagerly rushes off to meet his idol, people are vanishing all over the city, people who touch one of Skull's blank books. Simon Skull is a little miffed at being so criticized for bad writing and is taking revenge on his less than adoring public. But the Librarian from the Library of Doom is on the case. It's his job to prevent these perilous tomes from falling into the wrong hands. Josh is rescued from becoming a phantom like Simon just in the nick of time. Special fonts, bolding, italics and text enhancements highlight certain vocabulary like a soundtrack does for a movie. The color illustrations are vibrant and add to the mystery. There is a complete glossary and biographical spotlights for the Librarians of Doom. This is a great first chapter book for kids who love a good mystery and a bit of fun spookiness.
(This book provided for review by children's lit www.childrenslit.com)

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Invasion of the Appleheads by Annette and Gina Cascone
188 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 8-12
Rating: Wizard

When Katie's family moves to the sleepy town of Appleton, Katie and her brother Andy imagine endless days of boredom. They were very wrong. On the night before Halloween their parents take them to a haunted hayride at the local apple orchard where things get interesting but not in a good way. According to legend the orchard was once owned by a witch who used a potion to poison the apples and turned all the children into zombies. The ghouls and witches running the orchard are eerily realistic. Their parents, thinking they'd finally hit pay dirt with something cool for the kids, don't see what's really happening until it's too late. The kids discover that the witches are using the apple cider to turn the adults into appleheads and the kids into zombies. Katie and Andy must team together, use their wits and find a way to stop the invasion and save their parents and the town. Cascone offers up a roller coaster ride of spooky fun. There is no need for illustrations with such creepy and grotesquely detailed descriptions of the evil taking over the town. Though the parents are a bit clueless, this approach does allow for the children to solve the mystery unimpeded. The story ends abruptly with the hint of the next disaster looming allowing readers to imagine one their own what comes next. This book is part of the Deadtime Stories series, but each installment stands alone with unique characters.
(This book was provided for review by children's lit - www.childrenslit.com )

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The Haunting of Nathaniel Wolfe by Brian Keaney
233 pgs.
Target audience: Age 9-12
Rating: Wizard

Are ghosts real or just a figment of our imagination? Hidden in the foggy depths of the East End neighborhood of Victorian London is Cicero Wolfe, a medium whose seances attract the poor, vulnerable masses desperate for closure. But his son Nathaniel who greets the guests knows the truth. His dad is an imposter, a gambler, a con artist, a man who squanders every penny he earns on gin. Young Lily Campion is a kitchen-maid for the wealthy Chesterfield family. Her mistress, Sophie, has taken ill suddenly just like her mother before her. Lily and Nathaniel's worlds collide when Nathaniel recovers Lily's stolen purse from a well known thief, Maggot Harris. The last thing Nathaniel expects to see during his father's latest performances is an actual ghost but the woman in white keeps appearing to him attempting to tell him something. Unexplained phenomena are occuring in Lily's workplace as well. They discover that the woman in white is Lily's late mistress, that Maggot Harris has been found murdered with a receipt for arsenic in his pocket and that Mr. Chesterfield is up to something most unsavory. Kids will love following clues as Lily and Nathaniel solve the ghostly mystery. Keaney creates a brilliantly detailed portrayal of Victorian London from the winding streets and shops, to the authentic dialogue and vocabulary to the well drawn characters. This is not a scary story, but rather a supernatural puzzle. There is plenty to like about this first volume of a promising new series.
(This book was provided for review by children's lit - www.childrenslit.com )

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Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke
330 pgs.
Target Audience: Ages 9-12
Rating: Wizard

Jon Whitcroft is an eleven year old with a big hairy problem - his mom's new boyfriend, dubbed The Beard due to his overabundance of facial hair. Jon tries everything he can think of to scare him off, but The Beard shows no signs of leaving. In fact Jon's exploits earn him banishment to a boarding school. He is certain that his time at this new school will be a fate worse than death. However the appearance of a posse of three ghostly riders drained of color and full of bloodlust jolts him out of his doldrums. Why are they after him and why can no one else see them? Jon joins forces with Ella, a plucky schoolmate to solve the mystery behind these deadly pursuers. Ella lives with her grandmother, Zelda,  who just so happens to give ghost tours for a living. Together the children summon the ghost of the late knight, Longspee, for help and protection. The plot clips along at a nice pace. Readers will enjoy the ghostly adventure and mystery. The illustrations, often paired with text to enhance the story, are lovely. It is easy to relate to Jon's character as he slowly grows to appreciate all the people in his life and that what looks most dire can often turn out to be pretty awesome indeed. Funke produces yet another winner, a book chock full of delightful characters and her trademark charm and wit.

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A True Princess  by Diane Zahler
182 pgs.
Target audience: Age 8-12
Rating: Wizard

Lilia is on a quest to the North to find her true family. She is joined by her best friend, Kai, his sister Karina and their dog Ove. On the way they get lost in the perilous Bitra forest, the land of the Elf-King where Kai is placed under an enchantment. Lilia must find a precious jeweled clasp hidden somewhere in the North Kingdom in return for her friend's freedom. But finding the jewel places her in the middle of a contest for Prince Tycho's hand in marriage. Based on The Princess and the Pea, Zahler's graceful storytelling brings this time honored tale to life. Each chapter heading denotes a rule from the prince's handbook on how to be a true princess. Lilia possesses strength, tenacity and resourcefulness, qualities which incidentally are not valued in the true princess handbook. This is a delightfully light and entertaining story blending romance and adventure. It is bound to be a hit with readers of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale.

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Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
249 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

Nicola is a demon and immortal as long as she gets the souls she needs, but her immortality is at risk. She must find another appropriate human vessel for her son, Edward, whom she murdered centuries before, thereby ensuring the continuity of her line. Thomas is the son of a New York banker with a very precise life plan, he's going to be a Manhattan lawyer. His well ordered existence spirals into depression after Belle Faust, his gorgeous girlfriend, dumps him and then promptly disappears. Things get stranger still when out of the blue his dad marries the Faust family's French governess, Nicola Vileroy. One night at a club, Thomas tries a designer drug and suddenly his life spins utterly out of control. He starts having blackouts and hearing a strange voice in his head. Thomas realizes in horror that his blackouts coincide with a series of hate crimes at his school, that his new stepmom is even more sinister than he thought and that he as Edward attacked the kids. Loosely based on the Jekyll and Hyde story, it primarily focuses on Thomas and his struggle. The preludes to each chapter catch the reader up on Nicola's past and current motivations. The fast pace and suspense will keep readers interested until the twist at the end. There is a confusing attempt to include a bit of backstory but the story stands better on it's own. Readers may want to go back and read the previous titles in this series. Deliciously gothic and hard to put down, this book is a truly satisfying read.

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Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
447 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon


The author weaves together a very different tale of Cinderella, one which is richly textured with layers of emotion and set in a fairytale-like Japan. Suzume is not your typical damsel in distress. She is in fact strong and very brave. She barely escapes with her life after witnessing the brutal murder of her father and cousin by soldiers. Her mother soon marries Terrayama,  an old family friend from one of the prestigious noble families. Our young protagonist also happens to be a Shadow Weaver, she can create illusions and be whoever she wants to be. When she discovers Terrayama is in fact the man responsible for the attack on her father, she uses her skill to transform into one persona after the next almost losing her true self in the process. Her thirst for revenge becomes an obsession so dark and encompassing that she turns away from the one who truly loves her. Grief, guilt, self-loathing, revenge, passion, friendship and love are the emotions evoked by this brilliantly written story. The characters are strong and the plot compelling. The author deftly touches on the delicate topics of self-mutilation and sexual identity in this astonishingly unique take on a classic love story. Readers will fall in love with this mesmerizing romance.

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Scorch Trials by James Dashner
384 pgs
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

Intense does not even come close to describing this gripping, heart-pounding sequel to Maze Runner. Thomas and his companions manage to escape the horrifying maze only to have the briefest of normal moments before they're catapulted into the desolate and blistering wasteland of the Scorch. Desperate to receive the promised cure to a deadly virus called the flare, they are forced to navigate their way through mobs of zombie-like flare victims, unnaturally huge storms and monsters in order to reach the safe haven by the two week deadline. The enormous physical and emotional stress transforms trust into fear and betrayal.The high energy plot moves at a frenetic pace, twisting and turning and placing the kids in hair-raising and often visually painful scenarios. It is not a story for the weak at heart. Although the author does provide a few answers to the burning questions posed in the series, whether W.I.C.K.E.D, World in Catastrophe Kill-Zone Experiment Department, is good or evil continues to remain a mystery. Scorch Trials firmly places this thrilling, brilliant, and terrifyingly realistic series on the forefront of teen dystopian fiction.

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Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
539 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

Synopsis from inside front cover
"In a world where a small percentage of people have an extreme skill called a Grace, King Leck's Grace allowed him to tell lies that everyone believed.
     When Bitterblue became queen at ten years old, she thought her father's murder meant the end of his violent, sociopathic influence.
     She was wrong.
     The intensely anticipated companion to the New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire is even more 'rageful, exhilarating, wistful,' and romantic. Now eighteen and believing her advisers are overprotecting her, Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle at night to walk the streets of her own city, disguised and alone -- risking her life as well as her heart."

Review

Epic and high fantasy fans will love this book, they will curl up and sink into this spellbinding and delectably thick fantasy like a big comfy armchair. Even though Bitterblue is a sequel, it can be enjoyed as a standalone. But rest assured, once readers are pulled into this world, they won't want to leave until they've consumed them all. Bitterblue is a strong entry in this magnificent saga with inspiring characters and a powerful plotline. The inner battles the young Queen faces in order to heal her kingdom from the horrifying abuses of her father, King Leck, will have readers completely transfixed and wanting to help. Fans of Graceling will be happy to find that Katsa and Po and other familiar characters play an integral role and will be enchanted by the host of new characters including a sexy and charmingly reckless love interest for Bitterblue. There's plenty going on within the castle walls, on the streets of Bitterblue City and the neighboring kingdoms to keep readers captivated and to leave them wanting more from this gifted fantasy writer.  The who's who guide and beautifully rendered maps are just icing on the cake. Recommended for fans of other epic sagas such as the Pellinor quartet by Alison Croggon and the Seven Realms books by Cinda Williams Chima.

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