Lexile: 590 | Slice into thirty-three tales filled with ninjas, vampires, aliens, bed bugs, giant rats, gargoyles, gorgonzola cheese, and other horrors. You'll find stories about everything from video games to ant-frying bullies. Learn the disadvantages of a brilliant smile, the advantages of frozen hair, and the dangers of blood-thirsty catfish. "Stranded aliens seek out Earth's most intelligent species. (Hint: it's not us.) A bully discovers the meaning of "spatial displacement." Two girls find out why you should never annoy a witch. When a swarm of sneaking, slashing, scurrying ninja weenies invades their neighborhood, a boy and his best friend find a way to fight back." |
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Cassia Reyes lives in a "perfect" world. The Society chooses whom people will marry, their jobs, where they live, and even when they die. It is Cassia's 17th birthday, the day when she will be matched with the person she will marry. But there is a glitch in the computer and two matches appear, Xander and Ky. Cassia begins to question whether the Society knows what's best for people. She is faced with choosing between Xander and Ky, and choosing between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. Author's Website Lexile: 680 Author Website "A civil war rages between the Glorious Path--a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier--and what's left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path's dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on." -From Amazon.com Author's Website Lexile: 630 "Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—taken by the Society to his sure death—only to find that he has escaped into the majestic but treacherous canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again." -Author Deuce is getting used to village life. Well, as much as a warrior can get used to cooking, sewing and school. Her host family makes it easier to live in Salvation, but the other citizens still criticize and blame her and her crew for the increasing Freak attacks. With Fade ignoring her and Stalker’s ever increasing attention, Deuce wishes she could avoid the snickers behind her back at lunch and the constant stares in town. So when the opportunity to guard the spring planting comes up, Deuce jumps at the prospect, leaving behind the warm bed and roof over her head for the open skies and danger lurking at every corner. Of course this is supposed to be a simple guard shift. But the Freaks are getting smarter (if that’s possible), and they have their eyes set on the village. But Deuce will lay down her life for her new home, yet will that be enough to save everyone inside?" ook 1), Horde (Book 3) In the aftermath of a World War III, America’s landscape has been ravaged and left two thirds of the population dead. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived , roaming the country as isolated scavengers. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies, Stephen must take charge of what family remains. Soon he finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There Stephen meets strong, defiant, Jenny Tan, who refuses to accept things as they are. When they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever." Lexile: 790 "In an America devastated by war and plague, the only way to survive is to keep moving. Imagine living in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone lives below ground in abandoned subway tunnels called the Enclave. You never see daylight. You aren't even given a name until your naming ceremony. Before your naming ceremony, you choose one of three professions; you can choose to be a hunter, a builder, or a breeder. This is the world in which Deuce lives. Deuce chooses to be a huntress. Her job is to set traps for meat and to fight the Freaks, zombie-like humans that attack and eat the living. Deuce is partnered with Fade, another hunter born topside. Deuce and Fade are banished from the Enclave to the topside for breaking a very serious rule. Deuce and Fade must learn to survive topside. Along the way, Deuce and Fade discover hints at secrets the leaders of the Enclave were hiding from their people. This is a dark dystopian novel full of action and mystery.
Author Website Series: Outpost, Horde I think you'll be very pleased indeed when you see the building. Multiple high towers, my friends, with winding staircases. Narrow, dark hallways that sometimes lead where you mean to go and sometimes don't at all, at all. Cubbyholes filled with sharp yellow teeth, moaning and squeaking menageries, room up room of objects and creatures caught behind glass--even a grand ballroom, which of course we won't use for balls but I think for all the unicorn skeletons, don't you? One of these days we'll take one alive! (If we haven't accidentally killed the last one--fingers crossed.)
I am especially delighted with the room dedicated to Unsettling Qualities of Light--also the one room that seems to be entirely empty, but which in fact contains... A collection of forty eerie, mysterious, intriguing, and very short stories presented by the cabinet’s curators, otherwise known as authors Stefan Bachmann, Katherine Catmull, Claire LeGrand, and Emma Trevayne, with illustrations and decorations throughout by Alexander Jansson Author Website Excerpt: "If you read fairy tales, and who doesn’t, you might believe there are witches all over the place—witches baking children into gingerbread, making princesses sleep hundreds of years, even turning normal teenage boys into hideous beasts to teach them a lesson. But, actually, there are only a few of us. The reason it doesn’t seem like that is because we’re pretty long-lived. We live hundreds of years, as long as we don’t find ourselves fueling a bonfire. Which leads us to another quality of witches: We move around a lot. It’s easy for us to get into trouble, and sometimes, we need to beat a hasty retreat (in the dead of night or on the business end of a pitchfork) to another town or another country. So that explains the existence of many tales from different times and places, many of which involve the same witch. In quite a few cases, that witch was me. My name is Kendra, and I’m a witch. Here’s my story—well, some of it. It involves romance, drama, even death. Author's Website Lexile 620 Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin, SC his entire life. He cannot wait until he graduates high school and can escape the small, southern town. Everything changes when a new girl arrives at school, Lena Duchannes. Ethan and Lena discover they can share dreams and communicate telepathically (Kelting). Lena comes from a long line of Casters and has inherited a curse which began with her family during the Civil War. On her sixteenth birthday, Lena will be claimed as either a Light Caster or a Dark Caster. While trying to unravel the riddles that surround the curse, and his role, Ethan learns that Gatlin, is not the small, simple town he thought it was. Gatlin is full of mysteries, secrets, dangers and magic that threatens the lives of the people he loves. Lexile 670 Series Website From Book Talks - Quick and Simple by Nancy Keane Ravka, a land constantly at war with its neighbors, is divided in two by the “Unsea,” an almost impenetrable swath of darkness infested with flesh-eating monsters called volcra. Alina Starkov, an orphan of the Border Wars, has spent most of her life in an orphanage along with her best friend and secret crush, Mal. In Ravka, Grisha Examiners test every child for magical abilities. When neither Alina nor Mal shows any talent for magic, they are assigned to the less glamorous tasks of map-making and tracking. But on their first crossing through the Unsea, they are attacked by volcra. Mal is nearly killed and Alina’s magic finally reveals itself: she is a Sun-Summoner, the only one who can bring light into the Unsea and reunite all of Ravka. She’s quickly whisked away into the glamorous world of the Grisha elite and their mysterious leader, the Darkling. As Alina struggles to adapt to a world of rigorous training and royal gossip, she falls under the Darkling’s seductive spell even though Mal is never far from her mind. But when a dark secret is revealed, she realizes that she might be even more important to Ravka than she ever could have imagined – and in more danger. This intense, action-packed, romantic high fantasy is the first in a trilogy, and a movie is already in development. Read it ASAP! (Amy V. Pickett, Ridley High School) Author Website Lexile: 800 In the first book of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder, we left Cinder as it was revealed to Prince Kai and the world that she is a cyborg. Now Cinder is on the most wanted list as she escapes from prison with the help of a cocky pilot named "Captain." Meanwhile, Scarlet is a girl who lives on a farm with her grandmother. Her grandmother is kidnapped and Scarlet fears for her life. Scarlet begins to unravel mysteries and secrets that suggests her grandmother is somehow involved in the situation with the infamous Cinder and the lost Lunar princess conspiracy. Cinder gradually begins to discover her origins, what happened to her real family, and the role she plays in the future of Earth and Lunar. Lexile: 810 Author's Website Series: Scarlet, Cinder, Cress " Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm." Lexile: 730 Author Website Darkness never dies. "Cinder is a cyborg but she has no recollection of her life before the surgery. Now she works as a mechanic and brings in money for her stepmother. Meanwhile, there is a plague threatening the people of earth and the prince is being pressured to marry the Queen of Luna. Cinder soon finds that not only is she immune to the plague but she is also a Lunar. How did she get to earth in the first place? Who is she really? This retelling of Cinderella features cyborgs, plagues, and androids but still maintains stepmothers, a ball, and a missing shoe. This time though the missing shoe is attached to a robotic foot." -from Librarian in a Candy Shop Author Website: Marissa Meyer Lexile: 790 Series: Cinder, Scarlett, Cress, Fairest (January 2015), Winter (November 2015) Author Website Since their mother’s death, Sadie and Carter have become near-strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, Carter has traveled the world with their father, the famed Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane.
One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings to the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that all the gods of Egypt are waking, and that Set now has his sights on them. To stop him, the duo embarks on a dangerous journey across the globe, one that brings Carter and Sadie ever closer to the truth about their family and its connection to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. Lexile: 530 Lexile: 680 If you enjoy stories with a strong female heroine able to solve her own problems, then you should read Graceling. Katsa is from a kingdom where people are born with a "grace" such as cooking, archery or even swimming. Katsa is born with the grace to kill. Her uncle, the king, forces Katsa to become his assassin. Katsa hates her job and secretly begins to help those her uncle wants to kill. Author's Website: Kristin Cashore Series: Fire, Bitterblue Lexile 730 "The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had just turned thirteen. The Reverend Feye simply climbed on the roof to fix a shingle, let out a scream, and vanished — only to walk up the driveway an hour later, looking older and worn, with a strange girl named Lahlia in tow. In the months that followed, Tucker watched his father grow distant and his once loving mother slide into madness. But then both of his parents disappear. Now in the care of his wild Uncle Kosh, Tucker begins to suspect that the disks of shimmering air he keeps seeing — one right on top of the roof — hold the answer to restoring his family. And when he dares to step into one, he’s launched on a time-twisting journey — from a small Midwestern town to a futuristic hospital run by digitally augmented healers, from the death of an ancient prophet to a forest at the end of time. Inevitably, Tucker’s actions alter the past and future, changing his world forever." -From the publisher Author's Website "A conscientious, undersized middle schooler decides he wants sports success even if it means lying about the secret league he joins.
Wyatt Parker has decided he is tired of being bullied, and he also wants his best buddy, girl-next-door Evan, to see him as more than a friend. The fact that she seems smitten with a high school quarterback reinforces the idea that playing football is the answer. His parents are supportive of sports: His older brother, Aaron, plays football. Wyatt, though, is small for his age, and they think the sport too dangerous, so his dad enrolls him in golf camp. Then his older brother lets him in on a secret football league with no adult supervision, where the hitting is fierce and only the toughest are welcome, including his school’s biggest bully. In order to play, Wyatt will have to engage in the kind of deception that he hates. The more he becomes involved in the league, the more he changes, until his relationship with Evan is affected" (Kirkus Review) "The first book in this dystopian series follows America Singer, a teenage girl who is chosen to participate in a contest to pick the future queen and bride of the handsome Prince Maxon. There is a rigid caste system in her society, so if chosen, America, who is in Caste 5, would become a One. Despite the glamour, wealth, and power that such a position offers, America isn't happy about being chosen as a finalist. She hides a forbidden love for a boy named Aspen in Caste 6, the same person who urged her to enter the contest. Most of the 35 girls in the competition are thrilled to have the opportunity to escape life in a lower caste and live in the palace where they get to wear gorgeous gowns and priceless jewels as they compete for the heart of Prince Maxon. Just as America finds herself drawn to the prince and willing to become his bride, Aspen shows up as a new guard at the palace, which is under constant attack by rebels. As she continues to participate in the contest, America finds herself drawn to both boys. Sequel: The Elite (Next book in the series The One is due May 2014) (Book Talk Author: Sharon Nehls, Colorado Blue Spruce Award, 2015)" Author Website Lexile 680 Series: The Selection, The Elite, The One Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide. Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending. Author Website "Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment. Now she's free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Haunted by her past and terrified of her future, Juliette knows that whe will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may involve choosing between her heart and Adam's life."
Author's Website Ty's older brother, Thane is a college football star headed for the NFL. Ty wants to follow in his brother's footsteps and is ecstatic when he his recruited to play football for his middle school team. But Ty's uncle has other plans for Ty. Claiming Ty has no time for football, his uncle uses Ty to work for his cleaning service. Ty's uncle gets involved in a dangerous gambling ring with the mob and uses Ty to gain insider information. Both Ty's life and his brother's football career is on the line. Author's Website: Tim Green Lexile 840 Elisa has gone through a major transformation since she became a hero and led her people to victory. She's no longer the timid, pudgy girl, unsure of herself and the decisions she must make for her country. Her destiny as The Chosen One has yet to fulfilled. While under constant threat of assassination, Elisa must journey to follow a trail of ancient forbidden and forgotten clues in order to complete her destiny and conquer the power she bears.
Author Website Lexile: 730 Series: Girl of Fire and Thorns (Book 1), Bitter Kingdom (Book 3) "Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do." -From the Book Lexile: 730 Author Website Series: Crown of Embers, The Bitter Kingdom |