Must Read Books

The Red Pyramid
Rick Riordan

Carter and Sadie Kane were split up at a young age when their mother passed away in an accident. Carter went to live with their Egyptologist father and traveled arond the world. Sadie lives in London, England with her maternal grandparents, who blame their daughter's death on Mr. Kane.

On Christmas Eve, the children are together with their father when he inadvertantly blows up the Rosetta Stone and is taken prisoner by an evil Egyptian god. Now, the world is in danger, and Carter and Sadie, siblings who barely know each other, must work together to save their father.

Aug 22, 2011
Anonymous
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs

Growing up, Jacob Portman was captivated by stories of his grandfather's childhood at the Home for Peculiar Children. Grandpa Portman would tell tales of levitating girls, girls who could make fire, invisible boys, and children with mouths on the backs of their heads. And he would back-up his stories with haunting old images of these same children.

When Grandpa Portman is murdered, Jacob travels to Cairnholm with his ornothologist father to investigate Grandpa Portman's bizarre childhood. Together, the pair seek to calm Jacob's nightmares about his grandfather's death. Were Grandpa Portman's stories true, or is everything in Jacob's disturbed mind? And who, or what, is responsible for Abe Portman's death?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a coming-of-age story with an eeriness that is amplified by old-fashioned photographs of these peculiar children with their unique "talents." The photographs are actually from Ransom Riggs' own collection that he has gathered over several years at flea markets.

Aug 22, 2011
Anonymous
Divergent
Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, 16 year-olds make the biggest decisions of their lives -which faction they will belong to for the rest of their lives.  Beatrice is a member of the Abnegation (selfless) faction which is also the ruling party.  When it's time to choose her future what will she pick?  Her family?  A different faction?  New friends, new enemies and a very interesting mentor come into her life.  Can she also stop a brewing conflict that threatens to kill her family and friends?  A sure hit for anyone who loved The Hunger Games.  First book in a to be-published trilogy.

Aug 5, 2011
Susan
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
A.S. King

Vera and Charlie have been best friends forever.  That is, until Charlie betrays Vera by telling a family secret after being misled that Vera has betrayed him.  Charlie is now dead and Vera has a tough time forgiving him before she can clear his name of a final act.  Also, the story tells of the relationship between Vera and her father.  A Printz honor award winner for excellence in young adult literature.

Jul 25, 2011
Susan
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Patrick Ness

Todd grew up in Prentisstown, a town without women, where everyone hears everyone else's thoughts in the "Noise." Todd has always been told that the town's women died from the Noise disease that the indigenous Spackle used as germ warfare during the Spackle War, and that Prentisstown is the only settlement on New World. When Todd comes across a mysterious silence in the swamp, his caretakers Ben and Cillian make him run away, and his life changes forever. As Todd and his dog Manchee flee Prentisstown, Todd learns to question everything he has been taught and everyone he always trusted.

This is the first book in Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy, and is followed by The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men.

Jul 22, 2011
Tara
Loch
Paul Zindel

Luke and Zaidee travel to Loch Ness in Scotland with their marine biologist father to investigate killings at the lake. What they discover is that not only does the Loch Ness Monster exist, but the creatures need protection from the leader of their father's expedition, Cavenger. Luke and Zaidee befriend one young Pleisiosaur and fight to protect him and his clan.   

Paul Zindel also authored The Pigman and My Darling, My Hamburger.

Jul 20, 2011
Anonymous
The True Meaning of Smekday
The True Meaning of Smekday
Adam Rex

This brilliant book tells the story of Gratuity Tucci who's mom gets abducted by aliens called the Boov.  The Boov then invade the Earth and rename it "Smekland" and make everyone move to Florida.  Gratuity however wants to find her mom and manages to sneak away in her mom's hatchback with a cat named "Pig."  She begins a pretty amazing adventure, befriending a rogue Boov, named "J.Lo" who helps her fix up the car and we learn more about the humerous Boov civilization.  Then another group of aliens comes to invade and the real fun begins.

Jul 19, 2011
Kristy
Deadly
Julie Chibbaro

Sixteen-year-old Prudence has lost her brother to a tragic accident, her father is missing from the Spanish Civil War and her best friend has moved away.  What interests her the most is finding out why people die and if it can be prevented.  She leaves school to work as an assistant for the New York Department of Health.  The case she has been assigned is to find what has caused numerous families to suffer from typhoid fever.  Prudence helps not only to find the source but her true passion.

Jul 7, 2011
Susan
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
Unwind
Neal Shusterman

15 year old Connor finds out that he has been sentenced by his parents to be unwound.  It is a future where after a war over abortion was fought, a gruesome compromise was made.   No one is allowed to get an abortion, however all births can be retroactively "undone" through a process called unwinding between the ages of 13 to 17.  An unwind does not technically die, because they have found a way to recycle every human tissue and organ into another human being.  Unwinds are then said to live on, but in a "divided state."  Connor soon meets up with other runaway Unwinds and they must work together to escape and fight the tyrannous unwinding system.  If they can make it to age 18 they will be safe.

Jun 12, 2011
Kristy
Reckless
Corneilia Funke

Genre: Fantasy. Jacob Reckless has been visiting Mirrorworld just like his father did before him. Will, Jacob's brother, follows him into the dimension and is enchanted by the Dark Fairy, who slowly turns Will to stone. In order to save his brother from the Dark Fairy's spell, Jacob must team up with a shapeshifter named Fox and Will's girlfriend, Clara. Together with Will, the group travels Mirrorworld in search for a cure.

Jun 9, 2011
Anonymous