F Cashore, Kristin. Graceling, 471 pgs. Harcourt, 2008.
With the Grace of killing, people fear and despise Katsa. She hates it too, and dreads having to do the king’s bidding who uses her to bully people. But she’s found a way to live with herself. With the aid of Giddon, the king’s underlord and spy, and Oll, the king’s captain, she forms the Council, a secret organization devoted to righting injustices with as little harm to others as possible. It’s intriguing to enter this world of seven kingdoms where Graces are used as weapons, and to watch Katsa learn more about herself, her Grace, and how Graces affect relationships and kingdoms. Though I disagree with Katsa’s conclusions about marriage, I found Cashore’s world and Katsa’s adventure completely engrossing.
Language – G. Sexual Content – PG13 (brief depiction of first sexual encounter). Violence – PG13 (brief descriptions of torture and hand-to-hand combat).
MS, HS - ESSENTIAL.
Label : Worldbuilding.


F Carroll, Michael. The Awakening (Quantum Prophecy, bk. 1), 264 pgs. Philomel Books, 2006.
Colin can’t believe how fast Danny moved to saved Brian’s little sister from that school bus. Could he be a superhero, even though everyone says they all disappeared 10 years ago? It would be so cool, he thinks, to be a superhero. But when he starts developing his own superpowers, he realizes that superpowers don’t mean you make good choices or that you know who to trust. This adventure story has some great characters, great action, and great twists.
Language – G. Sexual Content – G. Violence – PG.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL.
Label : SciFi-Computers & Governments


808.83 Tan, Shaun. Tales from Outer Suburbia, 96 pgs. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2008.
This collection of 15 short stories – some very short, only a paragraph or two long – are combined with illustrations that relate stories about events and characters in a most unusual suburb. There is a water buffalo that offers directions, stick figures whose presence confuses the other residents, an amnesia machine, and a missile in every back yard. Brothers travel to the point where the map ends; a family takes in a foreign exchange student; grandpa relates the events of his wedding day. From curious to thought-provoking, these stories offer interesting reads. Could be used to discuss relationship between text and images, or to practice predictions.
Language – PG. Sexual Content – G. Violence – G.
EL, MS - ADVISABLE.
Labels : Flights of Fantasy.