School is Cool / Fun Fictional Schools

With the first month of school almost finished, I thought it would be fun to round up books that feature fictional schools - that at times seem like a lot more fun than our real schools!

Jedi Academy by Jeff Brown
The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chianani - this is the only book on the list I haven't read yet, but it's been on my to-read list since it was published!
The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale
Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
The Lunch Lady series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Ability by M.M. Vaughan

Check out my Goodreads shelf for a few more suggestions as well!

Book Review / The Falconer by Elizabeth May

This book was on my to-read shelf for a long while before I finally got to it, and I don't know what I was waiting for!

An exciting historical steam punk novel, The Falconer by Elizabeth May takes readers to 19th century Scotland where faeries are real and very dangerous.  With a kick-butt heroine, a strong dose of romance, and steam punk world building, this book has something for everyone.  May's writing creates a mysterious and dangerous world that readers will be clamoring to return to after finishing the last page.  This is a must-purchase for teen and young adult library collections!

The Falconer (first in a trilogy) is a great choice for readers who enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, or The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Book Review / Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Fair warning, if you start this reading series, you will not want to stop.  And the newest book, Heir of Fire, isn't being published until September 2nd.  However, there are supposedly three more books being written in this series!  So if you want to avoid some fictional withdrawl, wait until September and then read these really slowly. (ha! who am I kidding, that's impossible.)

Heir of Fire is the third installment of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.  I was completely hooked after finishing the first book, Throne of Glass.  Calaena Sardothien is a strong heroine readers will want to root for from the very beginning.  She's real and rough but with a courageous heart that is learning to stand and fight for those she loves.

This third book gives readers a deeper understanding of Celaena herself and the brewing conflict in her world.  The story picks up right where Crown of Midnight left off, with Celaena off on a mission for the Adarlanian king.  Dorian and Chaol must discover the secrets of the dangerous magic beginning to show itself in the court while Celaena is forced to come face to face with her darkest memories and personal demons.

Several new characters are introduced including a witch named Manon Blackbeak, a beautiful young healer named Sorscha, a Fae warrior Rowan Whitethorn, and a mysterious general named Aedion.  Each has their own distinct voice, fleshing out Celaena's troubled world.  The plot in this book is slower paced than the two previous books, but no less dramatic, with an ending that will leave readers clamoring for more.

Hand this series to readers age 15 and up, especially ones who enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Book Review / His Fair Assassin series

This little space has been neglected lately!  I finally got around to reading one of the galleys I was looking forward to the most, Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers which is the final book in the His Fair Assassin series:

I am sad to see this series end, but man, was it a satisfying ending! This series is without question at the top of my list of YA fantasy series. 

This final installment focuses on Annith, a character who we've met briefly in the previous two books, Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph. Annith is desperate to receive her first assignment from Mortian, the god of death, outside the abbey's walls. However, Annith's fate is more intertwined with the fate of the abbey and its abbess than she could have ever imagined. 

I love the way each title focuses on a particular young woman, but in this final book they all three come together once more to fight together for the people they love. The wrap-up isn't cheesy or over-done, but just enough tying up of loose ends. The plot was a perfect mix of intrigue, romance and action and had enough surprising twists and turns to keep readers engaged.

I highly, highly recommend this title for readers in grades 9 and up - especially ones who are fans of Rae Carson's Girl of Fire and Thorns series.   Mortal Heart will be available on November 4th, 2014; thank you to Edelweiss for the digital galley. 

Book Review / The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

I'm starting to think ghosts are the new "paranormal trend" in tween & YA lit...move over vampires and werewolves!  However, that's not necessarily a bad thing; between Shadow Breakers by Daniel Blythe and The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (set for publication September 17th) as well as this title on my to-read shelf, it's looking like there are some seriously good books coming out this fall!

A dark and dangerous Problem has occurred in London: ghosts, specters, and spirits are appearing all over the city and no one seems to know why. However, kids are the only ones who are able to see these unfriendly Visitors.  As a result, physic detective agencies employing young people as "ghost hunters" have sprung up all over city to help deal with the Problem.

Jonathan Stroud's new series follows the talented and ambitious Lucy Carlyle as she joins an up & coming young agency called Lockwood & Co. Run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood and his rather dumpy colleague George, Lockwood & Co is run without any adult supervision and as Lucy discovers, is trying desperately to create a legitimate reputation in the ghost hunting business.  After a disastrous and almost deadly job however, Lockwood & Co finds itself facing bankruptcy & closure. Fortunately, a mysterious benefactor offers them a job: survive one night in the most haunted estate in England and the future of their business is secure.  However, things, as usual, are not what they seem and the three intrepid ghost hunters will have to fight for justice, the future of their business, and their very lives before the night is out.

The Screaming Staircase is a wonderfully well-written paranormal fantasy for young adults.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of scary stories & movies but Stroud's novel was just creepy enough to keep me interested and was balanced out with a healthy dose of humor.  The main premise of the Problem that's pervading London is mysterious & intriguing rather than off-putting, giving readers a sense of a much bigger set of events driving the immediate plot lines.

The characters were probably my favorite part of this novel.  Lucy, Lockwood and George are all seem so different on the surface but as readers get to know each character throughout the book they'll discover the characters have more in common than they thought.  It's because of these hidden similarities that they all work so well as a team.  

I devoured The Screaming Staircase in about three days and I already can't wait for the next installment in the series.  This title is perfect for readers age 10 and up, especially those who are paranormal fans or who are looking for a darker and more challenging read after finishing Rick Riordan's series.

Reviewed from a digital review copy courtesy of NetGalley.

Book Review / Shadow Breakers by Daniel Blythe

I've got a huge "stack" of galleys waiting to be read on my Kindle and Shadow Breakers by Daniel Blythe was the first off of the pile over the weekend.  I'd been reading it in bits and pieces during my lunch breaks at work but couldn't wait to sit down with it for more than half and hour.  Once I did, I couldn't put it down!  It's a definite must-buy for middle/high school or YA collections!



Miranda May has just moved with her mom & baby brother from London to a tiny seaside town in England where nothing seems to happen - until the "Shadow" that has been haunting Miranda's dreams starts showing up around town.  Not only is Miranda desperately trying to ignore the mysterious Shadow", but she meets a group of secretive students who moonlight as paranormal detectives.  They seem to think Miranda has some kind of special skill or power to offer their group as they investigate unexplained occurrences around town.  Miranda isn't sure of herself or of these new friends, but as the world as she knows it begins unraveling faster and faster around her she must come to terms with who (and what) she is and decide where her loyalties truly lie.

Shadow Breakers by Daniel Blythe is a paranormal thriller perfect for tween & teen readers 12 and up. Blythe's writing has a descriptive, cinematic quality that will keep readers' rapt attention as well as send the occasional shiver down their spine!  The story wraps up well by the end of the book but leaves readers wanting to know more about each of the characters as well as a few open story lines for a sequel.  This is a great choice for fans who are ready to graduate from the Percy Jackson series or enjoy Mary Downing Hahn's ghost stories.

Reviewed from a digital ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

2013 ALA Chicago

On Sunday I got the chance to visit the exhibition hall at ALA Chicago with a group of coworkers.  It was a long but adventurous (and rewarding!) day!  We all came home with our bags packed full of books and I can't wait to dig in!  Here's the pile of books I came home with:

Some highlights included seeing Jon Klassen in person, signing books (I totally snuck a photo because the line was at least three miles long and I didn't have any cash on hand for a book!), having Kevin Henkes sign a copy of his new novel for me, & meeting Jarrett Krosoczka author of the Lunch Lady series!  I love the combination of new up & coming authors and literary "superstars" that you see at huge conferences like this - it makes for a really exciting day!  Gosh, I think I could sit down and do nothing but read for an entire week....

My goal is to be able to actually attend the conference for a few days the next time it's hosted in Chicago - the last time it was at ALA I was in my first year of library school and this time I've got almost 3 years of librarian experience under my belt!  It's crazy what a difference just a few years can make...

Book Review / Fire & Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson

The Fire & Thorns series by Rae Carson is one of the best YA fantasy series I've read a long time.  I wasn't sure I'd like the first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, at all when I first heard about the series.  The whole premise of Elisa's "godstone" seemed a bit too far-fetched and "sci-fi" for me, but once I started the novel I could hardly put it down.  I read through the next two books, The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom, the same way.

The final book in the series, The Bitter Kingdom, is wonderfully satisfying without being too cheesy or wrapping up all the plot lines too easily.  The story line picks up just after the second book leaves off, with Elisa and her small group of allies on the chase after the Inviernos who captured Hector.  There's enough drama and plot twists that the 400 pages of the novel feel more like 200.

One of the reasons I love this series so much is because of Elisa's character.  She is so believably written with all of the flaws and doubts that teenagers, especially girls, face in their daily lives.  Mix that together with the fact that this young teen marries the ruler of a foreign country who faces threats of war, throw in lots of fantasy, some romance and a whole lot of adventure and man, you've got a great story.  I loved the way Elisa's character progressed and matured throughout the entire series.  Even at the end of the series when she still feels some insecurity about her powers, Elisa finds strength and confidence in her own skills, magical or not, because of the relationships that have developed with the people closest to her.

I highly recommend this whole series for teens in grades 9 and up, especially girls who are fans of the fantasy genre.

Reviewed from a digital ARC provided by Edelweiss; available August 27, 2013 from Greenwillow Books.

Book Review / Poison by Bridget Zinn

Ok, so here's my first REAL post.  A book review of a YA book. Wait, aren't you a children's librarian?  Yes, yes, I am but I also read lots of young adult lit and want to share my warm fuzzies for books, that, in my humble opinion are worth putting in the hands of your patrons (or kids, students, or your own hands!) :) That said, here we go with a book that was just published earlier this month from Disney Hyperion.






























In Poison, debut author Bridget Zinn combines magic, humor, and mystery into a captivating read for middle grade and teen fantasy fans.  The novel features a strong female protagonist who is forced to question her judgement and decisions on a journey to save an entire kingdom.  Sixteen-year-old and master potioner Kyra is forced into apparently betraying her best friend, who happens to be the crown princess and heir to the throne.  After a failed assassination attempt, Kyra is forced to go on the run to avoid capture and meets some unlikely allies along the way.  In the end, it's with the help of a mysteriously handsome boy, his dog, and a loveable pig along with Kyra's own considerable potioner skills that she is able to attempt to save the kingdom.

This novel is a really fun read.  At first glance, I thought it was going to be much more serious but I ended up appreciating the humor and lightheartedness that balanced out the more serious elements of the story.   Kyra's character was especially fun to get to know.  She was real, had doubts about herself and her abilities, but persevered despite those doubts with her friends' help.  I'm very sad we won't be able to read any more of Bridget Zinn's published work, but thankful at least for this novel!  A great choice for 6th grade and up, especially girls who enjoy fantasy but who are starting to outgrown Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for something as heavy as maybe The Hunger Games.

Reviewed from a digital ARC from netGalley.