Fantasy
and Science Fiction
Picture Books | Younger Fiction
|
Intermediate Fiction | Young
Adult Fiction | Nonfiction
The books recommended below were published within the last two
years. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is
the real criterion.
Picture Books
Suggested grade level listed with each entry
Extra! Extra!: Fairy-Tale News from
Hidden Forest written by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Leslie
Tryon (Atheneum)
Three cleverly detailed issues of the Hidden Forest News relate
worrisome local happenings concerning a giant beanstalk, as well
as numerous small tongue-in-cheek fairytale headlines. Grade level:
K–3. 32 pages.
Polo: The Runaway Book illustrated
by Regis Faller (Porter/Roaring Brook)
In his second wordless adventure, the little dog sets out on a journey
to recover his new book from mischievous alien thieves. Grade level:
Preschool–3. 80 pages.
Un-Brella written and illustrated
by Scott E. Franson (Roaring Brook)
A little girl’s magical umbrella has the power to reverse
the weather under it in this wordless, crisply illustrated exercise
in whimsical wish-fulfillment. Grade level: Preschool. 40 pages.
Ghosts in the House! written
and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Brook)
A little girl moves into a haunted house, hops on her broom (luckily,
she’s also a witch), and starts ghost wrangling in this upbeat,
not-scary-at-all tale of resourcefulness. Grade level: Preschool.
32 pages.
The Hinky-Pink: An Old Tale written
by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Brian Floca (Jackson/Atheneum)
Anabel is summoned to sew a gorgeous ball gown for the princess,
but a pest she can’t seem to spot disrupts her sleep each
night, making it impossible for her to finish the dress. Grade level:
K–3. 48 pages.
Another Day in the Milky Way
written and illustrated by David Milgrim (Putnam)
The young narrator wakes up on the wrong side of the galaxy, and
spends a bizarre but lighthearted day trying to get back home. Grade
level: K–3. 32 pages.
Midsummer Knight illustrated
by Gregory Rogers (Porter/Roaring Brook)
In this wordless book, watercolor cartoons bring to life the fairyland
adventures of a knightly bear and his magical companions. Grade
level: 1–5. 32 pages.
 
Younger Fiction
Suggested grade level for each entry: K–3
Pish and Posh Wish for Fairy Wings
written by Barbara Bottner and Gerald Kruglik, illustrated by Barbara
Bottner (Tegen/HarperCollins)
Though they have many differences, best friends Pish and Posh learn
the age-old lesson — be careful what you wish for —
when trying to get their wings. 48 pages.
The Monster in the Backpack written
by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones (Candlewick)
An annoying, wisecracking monster in Annie’s backpack (who
eats her lunch and shreds her homework to make confetti) turns out
to be not so bad after all. 40 pages.
Intermediate Fiction
Suggested grade level for each entry: 4–6
The Last Night;
Rogue’s Home
By Hilari Bell (Eos/HarperCollins)
Youngest-son-cum-knight-errant Michael and squire Fisk (possessed
of a shady past) team up for a life of heroic deeds, then must redeem
themselves when their first damsel in distress turns out to be a
murderess.
Nick of Time by
Ted Bell (Griffin/St. Martin’s)
Nick stumbles on an ancient sea chest wanted by a nefarious pirate
from the past, then discovers his dad's a spy on the lookout for
German submarines in this cliffhanger-filled, WWII-era time-travel
adventure. 418 pages.
The Unnameables
by Ellen Booraem (Harcourt)
Spurred by the arrival of the mysterious Goatman, thirteen-year-old
Medford Runyuin rebels against a repressive society that only values
Usefulness by pursuing art and self-expression. 318 pages.
Happenstance Found: The
Books of Umber by P. W. Catanese (Aladdin/Simon)
In this first volume of a series, Happenstance attempts to discover
what, why, and who he is after he wakes feeling “as if he’d
emerged, fully conscious and wholly formed, out of nothing”
and is taken in by the mysterious explorer Lord Umber. 342 pages.
The Castle Corona
written by Sharon Creech, illustrated by David Diaz (Cotler/HarperCollins)
Discontented, a king and queen, three royal children, and two peasant
children find their lives intersecting following the appearance
of a mysterious rider in black in this lush fairy tale. 320 pages.
The Dark Ground;
The Black Room; The Nightmare Game (Dutton)
The Dark Ground Trilogy by Gillian Cross
Robert discovers an endangered community of miniscule people, and
he’s determined to help them even as he investigates the mystery
of their existence.
The Last Dragon
written by Silvana De Mari, translated from the Italian by Shaun
Whiteside (Miramax/Hyperion)
The last surviving elf and dragon and the child of the couple who
saved them fight for hope in a vividly evoked post-apocalyptic fantasy
world. 361 pages.
Poor Little Witch Girl
written by Marie Desplechin, translated from the French by Gillian
Rosner (Bloomsbury)
Verbena’s longing for a normal life, which is rather difficult
when you come from a long line of spell-brewing witches, excites
tensions with her mother and grandmother. 124 pages.
Murkmere;
Ambergate (Little)
By Patricia Elliott
In Murkmere, Agnes Cotter, companion to the unearthly ward of Murkmere
Hall, becomes embroiled in a politically driven gothic romance set
in an alternative land where birds are worshipped and feared. Ambergate
explores the hidden heritage of the kitchen drudge, a target of
totalitarian inquisitors. 344 pages.
The Land of the Silver
Apples written by Nancy Farmer, illustrated
by Rick Sardinha (Jackson/Atheneum)
In this sequel to The Sea of Trolls, Jack experiences challenges
and adventures in the underground realm of elves and hobgoblins.
496 pages.
The Girl Who Could Fly
by Victoria Forester (Feiwel)
After scandalizing her conservative parents with her contrary-to-nature
ability to fly, Piper is whisked off to a top-secret — and
increasingly suspect — facility for unusually talented children.
329 pages.
The Robe of Skulls
written by Vivian French, illustrated by Ross Collins (Candlewick)
An evil sorceress devises a frog prince ransom scheme to raise money
to fund the purchase of her dream gown: floor-length black velvet,
with little skulls across the hem, embroidered with spiders. 200
pages.
Into the Woods
written by Lyn Gardner, illustrated by Mini Grey (Fickling/Random)
Drawing on well-known fairy tales, Gardner creates a layered, relationship-driven
tale of three sisters pursued by a dangerous villain. 438 pages.
River Secrets by
Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury)
Undersized Forest-boy Razo is chosen for an important peace-keeping
mission but must discover what he can actually contribute. 291 pages.
Rapunzel’s Revenge
written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
(Bloomsbury)
In this graphic novel, Rapunzel escapes from her fabled tower by
becoming a gutsy, hair-whip-toting cowgirl, then joins with stolen-goose
rapscallion Jack to end her stepmother’s reign of terror.
144 pages.
Well Witched by
Frances Hardinge (HarperCollins)
Three children fall under the power of an elemental divinity after
stealing coins from a wishing well in this deliciously creepy tale.
390 pages.
Go Big or Go Home
by Will Hobbs (HarperCollins)
A meteorite crashing through the ceiling of his bedroom results
in Brady’s gaining superpowers. 185 pages.
House of Many Ways
by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow)
In this sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, Charmain
Baker, new guardian of her great-uncle's house, uses her library
assistant experience to face the magical house’s unique challenges.
404 pages.
Philippa Fisher’s
Fairy Godsister written by Liz Kessler, illustrated by Katie
May (Candlewick)
Daisy, a fairy with a bad attitude, is sent to help Philippa with
her friend and parent problems, and the two slowly grow to understand
each other despite their initial frustration and irritation. 276
pages.
Suddenly Supernatural:
School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (Little)
Like most seventh graders, Kat longs to fit in, but with a mom who’s
a medium and Kat’s own emerging “spirit sight,”
this proves to be a tall order — until a fellow misfit helps
her come to terms with her supernatural gifts. 316 pages.
Questors by Joan
Lennon (McElderry)
Three plucky children from three very different worlds are astonished
to learn that they are siblings born for a purpose: to reestablish
the balance of energy between their worlds. 359 pages.
The Ruby Key by
Holly Lisle (Orchard/Scholastic)
With her world under threat from the dangerous “nightlings”
and her own traitorous uncle, Genna strikes a perilous deal with
the lord of the nightlings: in exchange for her family's protection,
she will retrieve a child called Doyati. 361 pages.
Cyberia by Chris
Lynch (Scholastic)
In this oddball futuristic conspiracy-adventure story, Zane becomes
the Dr. Dolittle of the digital age when his father’s gift
of a prototypical communication device renders him suddenly able
to talk with his dog, who’s intent on grooming him into an
animal rights hero. 161 pages.
What-the-Dickens: The
Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy by Gregory Maguire (Candlewick)
Playing with notions of fact, imagination, and art, Maguire frames
his story of an orphaned fairy bent on promotion in a military society
as a tale told by stranded survivors in the midst of a catastrophic
hurricane. 295 pages.
Maddigan’s Fantasia
by Margaret Mahy (McElderry)
A traveling circus undertakes a quest to procure a converter for
the city of Solis, which is running out of power, in an ambitious,
picaresque fantasy set after civilization has self-destructed and
only partially recovered. 499 pages.
Peter Pan in Scarlet
written by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Scott Fischer (McElderry)
This authorized sequel to the J. M. Barrie classic finds the grown-up
Darling children returning to Neverland. 310 pages.
The Witches of Dredmoore
Hollow written by Riford McKenzie (Marshall Cavendish)
In this frenzied frolic, Eli discovers his magical heritage when
he goes to live with two eccentric aunts determined to hold him
captive until his first whisker appears. 264 pages.
The Wooden Mile;
The Icy Hand (Roaring Brook)
Something Wickedly Weird by Chris Mould
Eleven-year-old Stanley Buggles discovers strange things afoot at
his newly inherited island home of Crampton Rock — things
involving pirates, ghosts, treasure, and much more.
Darkwing by Kenneth
Oppel (Eos/HarperCollins)
Natural selection bumps up against established social hierarchies
in this bat prehistory (which anticipates Oppel’s Silverwing
and companions) when newborn Dusk, marked as different by weak hind
legs and an overdeveloped chest, reveals an ability to fly. 422
pages.
Terrier by Tamora
Pierce (Random)
Sword-and-sorcery meets police procedural in this latest series
from the wildly popular Pierce, which stars Beka Cooper, royal guard
trainee and ancestor the Lioness Quartet’s King of Thieves.
584 pages.
The Book of Time
written by Guillaume Prevost, translated from the French by William
Rodarmor (Levine/Scholastic)
Investigating the disappearance of his bookseller father, Sam discovers
a peculiar stone that sends him back in time, prompting an adventure-filled
cross-temporal search in this novel-length introduction to a longer
series. Grade level: 5–8. 213 pages.
The Magic Thief
written by Sarah Prineas, illustrated by Antonio Javier Caparo (HarperCollins)
Precocious Conn becomes a wizard’s apprentice when he pickpockets
a locus magicalicus stone and, to the astonishment of his intended
victim, isn’t killed. 421 pages.
Larklight; Starcross;
Mothstorm (Bloomsbury)
Written by Philip Reeve, illustrated by David Wyatt
Two siblings in an alternative nineteenth-century Great Britain
(in space!) join a teenage pirate and his motley band of extraterrestrials
after their home is attacked by giant spiders; investigate mysterious
and sinister happenings at an intergalactic vacation resort; and
save the universe from an invasion of giant moths.
The True Meaning of Smekday
written and illustrated by Adam Rex (Hyperion)
When aliens announce that all Americans must relocate to Florida,
Gratuity “Tip” Tucci decides to search for her abducted
mother instead in this highly entertaining sci-fi/road trip amalgam.
426 pages.
The Cabinet of Wonders:
The Kronos Chronicles, Book I by Marie Rutkowski (Farrar)
After her father is blinded for his magical ability to construct
creatures and devices, Petra gets a job in the palace in order to
steal back his eyes. 259 pages.
Alcatraz versus the Evil
Librarians; Alcatraz and the Scrivener’s
Bones by Brian Sanderson (Scholastic)
Newly thirteen-year-old Alcatraz discovers his secret birthright
and is charged with freeing our world, the Hushlands, from oppressive
Librarian rule in this series big on action and meta-sarcasm. 308
pages.
Hugo Pepper written
by Paul Stewart, illustrated by Chris Riddell (Fickling/Random)
A childless couple — reindeer herders from the Frozen North
— find a swaddled infant and raise it as their own in this
creative team’s third Far-Flung Adventure. 272 pages.
The Last of the High
Kings by Kate Thompson (Greenwillow)
Changeling Jenny, her guardian J.J.'s son, and an aged neighbor
work to protect the world from a púka (mythical goat and
trickster spirit) in this sequel to The New Policeman.
Grade level: 4–6. 323 pages.
The New Policeman
by Kate Thompson (Greenwillow)
Fifteen-year-old Angus discovers that time is leaking from the modern
world into the timeless Tir na n’Og of Irish legend —
and he’s only part of the complex puzzle of a plot. 206 pages.
The Shadow Thieves;
The Siren Song (Atheneum)
The Cronus Chronicles written by Anne Ursu
In this Greek-themed frolic, Charlotte is a typical teenager with
the not-so-typical duty of doing battle with half-demons, ancient
deities, and other oddities. Illustrated by Eric Fortune (Shadow
Thieves) and Rick Sardinha (Siren Song). Sequel(s)
to come.
Stolen by Vivian
Vande Velde (Marshall Cavendish)
Isabelle has no memories of her past, but locals suspect she's the
same girl who was abducted from their midst six years earlier, sister
to an infant recently stolen by a witch. 158 pages.
Zorgamazoo written
and illustrated by Robert Paul Weston (Razorbill/Penguin)
Human Katrina and zorgle Morty journey to the planet Graybalon-4
and back in search of the missing zorgles of Zorgamazoo in this
whimsical, well-constructed story told entirely in rhymed anapestic
tetrameter. 284 pages.
Flora’s Dare
by Ysabeau Wilce (Harcourt)
After learning that a giant squid is responsible for her city’s
earthquakes, Flora embarks on a quest for help that reveals shocking
truths about her family’s past. 511 pages.
100 Cupboards by
N. D. Wilson (Random)
When twelve-year-old Henry’s parents are kidnapped, he moves
in with his aunt and uncle and discovers in his wall one hundred
cupboard doors, each of which opens into a very different place.
289 pages.
Young Adult Fiction
Suggested grade level for each entry: 7 and
up
Cherry Heaven by L. J. Adlington
(Greenwillow)
The stories of three girls — brainy Kat, beautiful Tanka,
and tormented Luka — intersect in a distant-future, war-ravaged
planet where fascism and racism flourish under a veneer of environmentalism.
458 pages.
The Good Neighbors: Kin written
by Holly Black, illustrated by Ted Naifeh (Graphix/Scholastic)
Tapping into the fairy-tale traditions of the swan-human and the
fate of mortal and faerie lovers, this goth-fairie mystery/thriller
follows Rue Silver, who has just started seeing faerie beings where
there should be none when her mother disappears and her father is
accused of murder. 124 pages.
Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler (Philomel)
After a disturbing phone call, Dusty pursues a stranger with uncanny
knowledge of her missing brother, Josh. 328 pages.
Being by Kevin Brooks (Chicken
House/Scholastic)
After discovering he’s more machine than man, Robert flees
from sinister forces and allies himself with Edie, a charismatic
but secretive thief. 323 pages.
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth
C. Bunce (Levine/Scholastic)
In a slow-simmering but rewarding retelling of Rumplestiltskin,
newly orphaned sisters Charlotte and Rosie struggle to keep the
family mill solvent in the face of multiple disasters. 411 pages.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Harcourt)
Katsa’s hyper-developed talent, or Grace, makes her feared
throughout the Seven Kingdoms, but a wicked cute, super-sensitive
prince helps her harness it as they solve a mysterious kidnapping
together. 472 pages.
Angel Isle written by Peter Dickinson,
illustrated by Ian Andrew (Lamb/Random)
In this sequel to The Ropemaker, young Maja undertakes a quest to
find Ramdatta, the last magician with the power to disband the Watchers,
soulless rulers of her land. 500 pages.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
(Tor)
Following a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, Marcus (unjustly
apprehended by Homeland Security in the aftermath) applies his formidable
technological savvy to thwarting efforts to restrict personal liberty
after he is released from detainment and interrogation. 365 pages.
Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic,
Book One by Kathleen Duey (Atheneum)
Depicting the upheaval of a society over the resurgence
of magic, Duey entwines two alternating stories for a fast-paced,
promising start to a new series. 357 pages.
Ingo; The Tide Knot
(HarperCollins)
By Helen Dunmore
Dreamer Sapphire and her pragmatic older brother discover the undersea
realm of Ingo and are drawn away from their life (and family) on
land. Sequel(s) to come. 330 pages.
Corbenic by Catherine Fisher
(Greenwillow)
A troubled teen is drawn into a debatably real re-enactment of the
Arthurian Fisher-King tale in a depressingly industrial modern England.
281 pages.
The Graveyard Book written by
Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (HarperCollins)
After his family is killed by a sinister man named Jack, young Bod
is raised in a graveyard, with ghosts as his surrogate parents,
and taught otherwordly secrets. 309 pages.
InterWorld by Neil Gaiman and
Michael Reaves (Eos/HarperCollins)
Joey Harker discovers his ability to walk across alternate realities
and is recruited by an organization of his alternate selves to protect
the “Altiverse” from warring tyrannies. 239 pages.
Book of a Thousand Days written
by Shannon Hale, illustrated by James Noel Smith (Bloomsbury)
Lady Saren and her maid Dashti are imprisoned in a tower when Saren
refuses to marry the abusive Lord Khasar. 306 pages.
Night Road by A. M. Jenkins (HarperTeen)
In this vampire road novel, reticent Cole and Sandor leave their
colony to train new vampire Gordon, gradually revealing the dark
secrets of Cole's past and the intriguing details of vampire mythology.
361 pages.
Devilish by Maureen Johnson (Razorbill/Penguin)
In this shrewd, playful drama, cynical high school senior Jane discovers
that the ultra-cool popular girls at her school really are in league
with the devil. 264 pages.
Dreamhunter; Dreamquake
(Foster/Farrar)
The Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox
The daughter of a “dreamhunter” (one who collects dreams
from the mysterious “land with consciousness” and shares
them with the everyday world), fifteen-year-old Laura struggles
to uncover the web of exploitation that led to her father’s
disappearance. 367 pages.
Saga by Conor Kostick (Viking)
In Saga, a virtual-reality bureaucracy in the computer-game world
Epic, real-world gamer Erik offers his support to anarcho-punk Ghost,
a resident of Epic with special abilities and a past she can't remember.
367 pages.
Black Juice; White Time;
Red Spikes (Eos/HarperCollins)
By Margo Lanagan
Complementary collections of ten taut, original short stories in
otherworldly fantasy (Black Juice), science-fiction (White
Time), and horror (Red Spikes) settings. 216 pages.
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
(Knopf)
Fifteen-year-old Liga and her two daughters inhabit a magically
created parallel world, far removed from the abuses Liga suffered
in her past, until strangers breach their haven and lead them back
to a fuller life. 435 pages.
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine
Larbalestier (Bloomsbury)
Fourteen-year-old Charlotte, whose invisible fairy (everyone in
her world has one) gives her good parking spots, attempts to swap
her fairy out for a more useful one in this fresh take on the old
adage “be careful what you wish for.” 307 pages.
Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin (Harcourt)
Across Le Guin’s fantastical “Western Shore” landscape,
Gavir journeys from slavery to self-realization, questioning the
status quo of each society he passes through, in a story that explores
issues of liberty, loyalty, and power. 502 pages.
Cybele’s Secret by Juliet
Marillier (Knopf)
To help her merchant father acquire a valuable artifact, studious
Paula sails from Transylvania to Istanbul, where she discovers secrets
about the earth-goddess Cybele and attracts attention from both
an enigmatic pirate and her kindhearted bodyguard. 432 pages.
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
(Knopf)
A combination of “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” “The
Frog Prince,” and vampire mythology, the author’s YA
debut tells the tale of five sisters living on the cusp of the fairy
world in Transylvania. 407 pages.
Hero by Perry Moore (Hyperion)
Thom, a gay teen gifted with healing powers, joins a superhero society
in secret, where he bonds with his fellow trainees, learns about
his family’s past, and finally saves the world in this larger
than life coming-of-age tale. 428 pages.
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert
Murdock (Houghton)
Ben, a spoiled fifteen-year-old princess, learns conjuring and enchantment
following her parents’ death in this frothy yet substantial
(political intrigue and self-actualization are woven into the plot)
fairy tale. 344 pages.
The Knife of Never Letting Go: Chaos
Walking, Book One by Patrick Ness (Candlewick)
On a planet where a “Noise” germ makes all thoughts
audible, Todd escapes the regimented, brutal all-male village of
Prentisstown and, pursued by its leaders, joins forces with a mysterious
girl whose thoughts are inexplicably silent. Sequel(s) to come.
479 pages.
The Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories
of the Supernatural edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick)
Ten deliciously spooky tales of the undead run the gamut from a
Poe-inspired tale of a heart-transplant patient’s burdens
to an old-fashioned house haunting to a richly allegorical tale
of a Revolutionary War deserter, providing plenty of chills as well
as a strong current of real human emotion. 253 pages.
Airborn; Skybreaker
(Eos/HarperCollins)
By Kenneth Oppel
Killing altitudes, conflicting agendas, and ruthless goons power
these high-flying adventures set in an alternate Edwardian-styled
past. Sequel(s) to come.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by
Mary E. Pearson (Holt)
In a near-future with advanced biomedical technology, Jenna emerges
from a coma with no memory of her past and starts to uncover the
dark secret of her survival. 265 pages.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth
Pfeffer (Harcourt)
Sixteen-year-old Miranda’s journal entries document her family’s
struggle to survive after an asteroid knocks the moon closer to
earth, causing cataclysmic natural disasters. 337 pages.
Once upon a Time in the North
written by Philip Pullman, illustrated by John Lawrence (Fickling/Knopf)
Before the events of His Dark Materials, Lee Scoresby crash-lands
on the island of Novy Odense, is sucked into a political struggle,
and meets future friend (and armored bear) Iorek Byrnison. Grade
level: 7 and up. 104 pages.
Mortal Engines; Predator’s
Gold; Infernal Devices; A Darkling Plain
(Eos/HarperCollins)
The Hungry City Chronicles by Philip Reeve
Intense emotions and technological wizardry propel these post-apocalyptic
adventures, set in mobile “traction cities” that eat
others for raw materials.
The Lightning Thief; The
Sea of Monsters; The Titan's Curse; The Battle
of the Labyrinth (Miramax/Hyperion)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
An average kid living with ADHD discovers that he’s really
the half-blood offspring of Poseidon . . . and the
adventures begin!
Undine; Breathe (Greenwillow)
By Penni Russon
In a modern coming-of-age fairy tale that emphasizes the darker
aspects of the original myth, a young woman searches for the origins
of her disturbing dreams and emergent powers, then deals with the
aftermath. Sequel to come.
Everlost by Neal Shusterman (Simon)
Two teens wake from a car accident in a strange shadow-world in
between life and death, where they struggle to find meaning, purpose,
and escape. 315 pages.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Simon)
Three teens narrowly escape being “unwound” (having
all their organs harvested) in a near-future America that allows
for parents to make such a decision, and search for a safe haven
amid betrayal, politicking, and ideological conflict. 225 pages.
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich
Smith (Candlewick)
All is not what it seems as Quincie Morris and her guardian uncle
prepare to open a vampire-themed restaurant. 315 pages.
The Starry Rift: Tales of New Tomorrows
compiled by Jonathan Strahan (Viking)
Sixteen contributors, including Scott Westerfeld, Neil Gaiman, and
Ann Halam, present a variety of fully imagined science-fiction microcosms
ranging from bleak near-futures to careening spaceships. 525 pages.
The Fourth World; Only Human;
Origins (Bloomsbury)
The Missing Link Trilogy by Kate Thompson
Human-animal genetic manipulation is the motor that drives these
books of adventure, fractured identity, and a continual quest for
home.
Aurelie: A Faerie Tale by Heather
Tomlinson (Holt)
In a land beset by mischievous Fae, the friendship between three
children and a river drac, and its abrupt dissolution, sets a romantic
and political drama in motion. 184 pages.
Impossible by Nancy Werlin (Dial)
A generations-old family curse renders seventeen-year-old Lucy pregnant
and destined for insanity upon her daughter’s birth unless
she completes the three seemingly impossible tasks outlined in the
folk song “Scarborough Fair.” 373 pages.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Simon
Pulse)
The latest entry in the Uglies series introduces Aya, an all-but-anonymous
“extra” in a Japanese society that idolizes celebrity,
an aspiring reporter whose big lead soon becomes big trouble. 417
pages.
Nonfiction
Suggested grade level listed with each entry
Mythological Creatures: A Classical Bestiary written
and illustrated by Lynn Curlee (Atheneum)
Statuesque art depicts sixteen “Strange Beings, Fabulous Creatures,
Fearsome Beasts, & Hideous Monsters from Ancient Greek Mythology,”
accompanied by straightforward explanations of what these beings
were and their role in Greek lore. Grade level: 4–6. 40 pages.
The Science of Philip Pullman’s
His Dark Materials by Mary and John Gribbin (Knopf)
Scientific concepts are used to explain fantastical phenomena in
the acclaimed trilogy, reinforcing the idea that “science
is explainable magic.” Grade level: 7 and up. 204 pages.
Phenomena: Secrets of the Senses
by Donna M. Jackson (Little)
Jackson moves beyond the basics of sensory perception to explore
its alluring edges — the place where our fascination with
the unseen and the unexplained meets the limits of scientific explanation.
Grade level: 4–8. 175 pages.
The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps,
and Triumphs in the Life of L. Frank Baum written by Kathleen
Krull, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Knopf)
Krull follows Baum’s career changes — actor, salesman,
shopkeeper, journalist — before his bestselling novel in 1900,
allowing readers to see his inspirations for many of the characters
and elements of Oz. Grade level: K–3. 48 pages.
The Wand in the Word: Conversations
with Writers of Fantasy edited by Leonard S. Marcus (Candlewick)
Interviews with thirteen acclaimed fantasy writers born between
1918 and 1963 provide insight into the many ways imagination and
fantasy work. Grade level: 7 and up. 202 pages.
Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account
of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast by Meghan
McCarthy (Knopf)
A compact, dramatic account of the Halloween broadcast that caused
radio listeners to believe aliens had landed on Earth. Grade level:
K–3. 40 pages.
Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman
written by Marc Tyler Nobleman, illustrated by Ross MacDonald (Knopf)
Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster grow through challenging
childhoods to create the beloved comic book icon. Grade level: 4–6.
40 pages.
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