The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Joel attends a prestigious academy but he is a charity case (his father was a lowly chalkmaker and his mother cleans for the school).  He admires the rithmatists who can make chalklings come to life but didn't pass the test to become one.  The battle against the chalklings out in Nebrask is frightening as the chalklings are almost winning the battle
but it's never impacted his life- until now.  Students begin disappearing and chalklings appear to be the culprits.  The targets are rithmatists, but that's changing too.  Nothing is as it appears.  Joel doesn't trust the new teacher, but no one else seems to share his concerns.  Joel and his friend Melody decide they have to tackle this mystery with the help of their professor.  But it's a dangerous path they undertake.

This fantasy is written by well known author Brandon Sanderson.  It is very reminiscent (okay- wildly similar to) Harry Potter.  However, it is engaging with vivid characters.  Will Joel be able to become a rithmatist somehow?  Can they stop the chalklings?  Who is the villain?  Are the students alive?  The combination of fantasy, mystery and steampunk actually works well together.

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Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor. Published by Penguin Group, 2011.

Sunny is almost used to being different. She lives in Nigeria but was born in New York. She looks West African but is an albino with blonde hair, white skin and hazel eyes. She is athletic but can’t go outside to play sports because of her skin. Her classmates and even her brothers make fun of her.

Now, Sunny is learning things about herself that explain some of these contradictions. She has magical abilities and is a “free agent”. Although she is powerful, she hasn’t been educated in the use of magic. She has to quickly learn (she is only twelve years old, but she is behind) shape-shifting, dimensional travel and spell casting.

The tricky thing is, she has to do all this while keeping it a secret from her family and classmates. She now has magical schoolwork to do in addition to her regular work. She has to practice her new skills and she goes with her friends on trips (some of which are pretty dangerous).

This is all very exciting until Sunny and her friends are asked to find a serial killer. A serial killer who has already passed the highest level tests which have increased his power. A serial killer the adult authorities haven’t been able to kill. A magical, powerful killer who may threaten all of their existence!

Recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit Nnedi Okorafor's website.

Legacy by Molly Cochran

Legacy by Molly Cochran. Published by Simon & Schuster, 2011.

Do you believe in witches? Katy doesn’t. But she is starting to after arriving at her new boarding school.

Things are kind of strange there. People call her by the wrong name. She has numerous enemies but having just arrived, she doesn’t understand how so many people could already dislike and shun her. Katy’s father and his girlfriend seem happy to get rid of Katy by shipping her 1500 miles away. However, her father won’t answer her questions when Katy learns her mother’s family live in town.

Katy settles in to her new school and discovers that there are all sorts of things she never knew. Her father changed his name. Twice! Her mother tried to kill a little boy named Eric and then set herself on fire. People in the town are afraid of Katy and think she is bringing an evil spirit called The Darkness to town.

Katy kind of likes Peter, Eric’s older brother. Sometimes he seems to like her. Other times, he’ll tell her to stay away from him and stay away from Eric. It’s very confusing.

Hattie, the owner of Hattie’s Kitchen hires Katy to work at the restaurant. Katy enjoys it and is learning a lot about herself- she is a witch. With the support of her mother’s family and Hattie, she learns about her abilities. She can move objects. She has visions. She can sense things about people. She can see the results of The Darkness.

Katy’s father’s new wife arrives in town and announces plans to build a new Wonderland. Unfortunately, it will be built on the site of Hattie’s restaurant and a magical meadow. This plan results in even more enmity directed at Katy.

Katy is arguing with her father, working on developing her magical powers and trying to fight The Darkness, all while struggling with her feelings for Peter. She definitely needs help.

This fantasy fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit Molly Cochran's website

Island's End

Island’s End by Padma Venkatraman. Published by Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011.

Living on a remote island off India, Uido has had visions several times. As a result of her abilities to enter the Otherworld, she is selected to be her tribe’s spiritual leader. This is a tremendous honor for her and she is excited but also nervous. Uido is disappointed by her older brother’s and her best friend’s reaction to the news. He is jealous and causes a rift in the family.

The visions are often intense and confusing. Strangers have visited the island and offer tempting and exotic gifts. Uido is trying to balance the needs of her tribe while keeping their values and lifestyle alive. She is even more conflicted when her younger brother becomes ill after visiting with the strangers. Uido needs the medicine of the strangers to help heal her brother. At the same time, she knows her brother will be drawn away from the tribe.

Uido must work with the strangers to heal her brother. When he awakens, he likes the technology he sees them using. Uido convinces him to return home with her. When they return to the island, she has a disturbing vision of a tsunami causing devastation of the island. She has to persuade her tribe to quickly evacuate to higher ground. At this critical time, her older brother again challenges her leadership ability.

The tribe’s safety and lifestyle all rest on Uido.  Recommended for grades 8 and up.

Visit Padma Venkatraman's website

The Pledge

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011.

Charlaina (Charlie) and her sister Angelina have secrets. Angelina can heal people. Charlie can understand any language, even if she has never heard it before. The two sisters are unique and have to hide their abilities. Life in Ludania is complicated because there are rigid societal class distinctions. Class determines everything- clothes worn, jobs, behavior and even language spoken. Charlie must hide her lingual abilities because it is against the law to speak anything other than the language of her class. Infractions are punishable by death.

Ludania is under attack. Rebels are determined to overthrow the queen and put an end to her brutal laws. She is getting old and won’t live much longer unless she can find a suitable (female) heir. Then she may be able to take over another body and continue ruling. But there aren’t any female heirs because earlier conflicts resulted in the death of the ruling class family.

Charlie goes to a club with her friend Brooklyn. They meet some interesting men at the club. Xander is associated with the club and he seems to be willing to help Charlie but he may be involved in illegal activities. Another new acquaintance named Max is speaking a language Charlie has never heard spoken before. Max seems to have a lot of freedom and he keeps turning up in unexpected places.

When Charlie’s city is attacked, her parents tell her she and her sister must flee the city and avoid any soldiers. Charlie can tell by their behavior they are hiding something from her but she has to protect herself and Angelina.

The stakes are too high for Charlie to get involved with whatever Alex and Xander are doing. But some things may be out of her control.

This dystopian novel has lots of interesting themes and action and will be popular with teens in grades 8 and up.   

Visit Kimberly Derting's website

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. Published by Greenwillow Books, 2011.

Elisa is the Godstone bearer, chosen by God for a life of service. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She is the second daughter of a King, but she has never enjoyed life at court. Elisa doesn’t know exactly why she has been selected by God or even what she is supposed to be doing. She feels inferior to her pretty, confident sister.

Elisa spends her 16^th birthday getting married to a man she has never even met. It is a practical match based on the political needs of her country. Within a few days, she and her new husband have departed for his home. Before Elisa even has time to be homesick, their group is suddenly attacked, resulting in some serious injuries and the death of one of Elisa’s closest confidantes.

Arriving at court, Elisa finds herself in a strange situation. Her engagement and marriage haven’t been announced. Her Godstone is a secret. Her new husband apparently has a girlfriend. The only good thing is she meets a scholarly priest with a wonderful collection of books. When she begins reading one of her favorite military strategy books she notices that the content is different. This inconsistency leads to a huge discovery- information has been systematically and deliberately withheld from her. Her family, tutors and friends have been lying to her for her entire life. This knowledge makes Elisa more determined to learn about the Godstone and the history of the other Godstone bearers.

Elisa’s life is about to go through another change. She is kidnapped and wakes up to find herself the center of a centuries old plot involving armies and secret wars.

This fantasy fiction is recommended for grades 9 and up. 

Visit author Rae Carson's website

A Web of Air

A Web of Air by Philip Reeve. Published by Scholastic Press, 2011.

Fever Crumb returns as her usual rational self. She is working as an engineer with a traveling theater company and caring for two orphans. The company arrives in the town of Mayda and as they settle in for the new performances, Fever begins to hear unusual rumors about a man who is building a flying machine. She doesn’t really believe the rumors- where would plans for a flying machine have come from and why would anyone be working on such a thing?

After meeting Arlo, Fever begins to believe that there may be something to the rumors. Arlo is secretive and distrustful of Fever. He seems to think she may be planning to steal his machine or be a spy. They definitely don’t trust one another.

Other people are interested in Arlo’s flying machine, including a scientist, a former love interest named Thirza and an evil cartel. Arlo even communicates with a bird. Fever doesn't know why her Scriven mother is suddenly involved either.

Fever realizes that she can’t trust anyone when Arlo disappears. She wants to keep their dream of flying alive, but she is conflicted about her growing irrational feelings for Arlo.

This dystopian literature is recommended for grades 8 and up. 

Visit author Philip Reeve's website.