Artemis Fowl

Title: Artemis Fowl
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children
ISBN: 0-7868-0801-2

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction- Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Artemis Fowl needs money. And fast. What is a genius 12 year old to do? Steal fairy gold of course.

Plot Summary:
Artemis Fowl is the twelve year old genius son of an Irish crime lord. His father has been kidnapped and his mother has been driven insane. The only way Artemis can think of to save his parents is to use his brain power to steal leprechaun gold from the fairyfolk. With his bodyguard Butler at his side nothing can stop him.

Nothing, that is, but Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) Unit. While Artemis hopes to ransom her in exchange for the fairy gold, Holly and her magical comrades are confident that their magic and technology will easily defeat a twelve year old human. Little do they know that Artemis will be a more challenging opponent than they could ever have imagined. The battle between Artemis and the fairyfolk could tear the world apart.

Evaluation:
Artemis Fowl is a story about greed and the limits it can push people to. Though Artemis is the classic anti-hero, his cunning and intelligence makes him an appealing character for teens who are rebelling themselves.

Notes: There are 5 other titles in the series-
The Arctic Incident
The Eternity Code
The Opal Deception
The Lost Colony
The Time Paradox

The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales & 50 Enchanting Things to Make

Title: The Book of Wizard Craft: In Which the Apprentice Finds Spells, Potions, Fantastic Tales & 50 Enchanting Things to Make
Author: Janice Eaton Kilby, Deborah Morgenthal and Terry Taylor
Publisher: Lark Books
ISBN: 1579902065

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Non-Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
For anyone who has ever wanted to make magic in their own home, this is the book for them.

Plot Summary:
Jam packed with illustrations, information and fun, this is the perfect book for a young reader who has fallen in love with any one of the recent wizard-themed book series. The book takes classic at-home science experiments and gives them a wizard twist. There are also a number of crafts that they can use to decorate their rooms or throw a wizard-themed party. Along with the hands-on projects, there are interspersed sections of information about different mythological creatures and legends.

Evaluation:
The book is filled with humor that encourages both creativity and safety. Young adults will enjoy turning their home into their own school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Bridge to Terabithia

Title: Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0690013590

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer to be the fastest kid in the 5th grade. He never thought that his greatest competition would be a GIRL!

Plot Summary:
Jess Aarons has practiced for the big 5th grade race all summer. He knows that this year he is going to be the fastest kid in the class. But the new kid in town, Leslie Burke, doesn’t care that running is a boy’s sport and joins the race. No one is more surprised than Jess when Leslie wins.

Jess and Leslie, who discover they are next door neighbors, soon become best friends. Together they use their imagination to create the mystical land of Terabithia where they can escape from their families, school and bullies. When tragedy strikes, Jess must find the strength to carry on and remain the king of Terabithia without Leslie by his side.

Evaluation:
Paterson’s book is an honest and heartfelt look at the death of a child through the eyes of a child. This book can help teens deal with tragedies that they may face in their own lives.

Notes:
Katherine Paterson’s book is loosely based on the true story of her son and his best friend. The story of that tragedy can be read here: http://www.takoma.com/archives/copy/2005/06/features_takomaarchives0605.html

In 2007 Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media released a theatrical adaptation of the book.

Coraline

Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0380977788

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy-Horror

Reader’s Annotation:
Coraline loves to explore. On her first day in her new home she discovers a locked door, and the bricks behind it once it’s opened. One day the bricks are gone and a passage is open and Coraline goes exploring…

Plot Summary:
Coraline and her family have moved into a new house. Corlaine explores every inch of the house and the grounds. Except for one room. It is locked and when her mother opens it they discover a wall of bricks blocking the doorway. When Coraline opens the door herself the bricks are gone. Journeying down the mysterious passage, Coraline discovers another house almost exactly like her own. There is Other Mother and Other Father and her neighbors also, but there is one major difference. They all have black buttons for eyes. For Coraline to stay in this other world she must let Other Mother replace her eyes with buttons. When Coraline discovers the fate of the other children Other Mother had seduced into the Other World, she and her friend the cat must figure out how to escape, find the souls of the children that Other Mother has stolen and make it back to the real world.

Evaluation:
Coraline faces the temptation of the Other World, which on the surface appears to be perfect and everything that she wanted. She is willing to put herself and her chance of escaping at risk in order to help save others. Gaiman's book helps to teach the classic lesson of “be careful what you wish for.”

Notes:
In 2007 Focus Features released a 3D theatrical adaptation of Coraline.

Ella Enchanted

Title: Ella Enchanted
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060275103

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Ella has been given the gift of obedience by her fairy godmother. But the gift is more of a curse as Ella is forced to obey any command given to her. Ella must find her fairy godmother to remove the “gift” and set herself free.

Plot Summary:
When she is born, Ella’s fairy godmother gave her the “gift” of obedience. This gift turns into more of a curse when Ella’s evil stepsister, Hattie, figures out that Ella follows every order that she is given. Ella leaves home in order to find the fairy that cursed her and have the curse removed. Her life is complicated when she meets the handsome Prince Char. She refuses to be used as a weapon against Char by being ordered to assassinate him. And she refuses to be ordered to marry him. Ella needs to gather her inner strength in order to break her curse.

Evaluation:
This fun retelling of the Cinderella fairytale shows girls the power of finding your voice and following your heart.

Notes:
In 2004 Miramax films released a theatrical adaptation of the story.

Holes

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374332657

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
Stanley Yelnats IV has bad luck. Very bad luck. And it just got him arrested.

Plot Summary:
Stanley Yelnats IV and his family have been cursed with bad luck since his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing, great-great grandfather forgot to fulfill a promise he made to a gypsy. The curse catches up to Stanley when a pair of stolen sneakers fall out of the sky and he is arrested for their theft. He is shipped off to the juvenile correction camp, Camp Green Lake. Here he and the other boys must spend their day digging holes in the dried lake bed. The warden of the camp is looking for the treasure of Kissing Kate, an outlaw from the old west who buried her treasure there. When Stanley and his new friend, Zero, attempt to escape the camp, they unwittingly lift the Yelnats curse and change the lives of everyone involved.

Evaluation:
This novel is filled with humor but also serious topics like racism and imprisonment. Teens will enjoy the story while seeing the deeper message.

Notes:
There is a companion novel to Holes called Small Steps.

In 2003 Walt Disney Pictures released a theatrical adaptation of Holes.

Hoot

Title: Hoot
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0375821813

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
Someone has been sabotaging a construction site. But it is more than just pranks; there are lives at stake.

Plot Summary:
Roy has just moved to Florida from Montana. He has no friends and is made fun of for being a cowboy. When Roy meets Mullet Fingers he discovers that Mullet has been sabotaging the construction site of a new pancake house. There are endangered Burrowing Owls that have made their home in the ground at the site. Roy, Mullet Fingers and Mullet Fingers' step sister, Beatrice, join forces to save the owls.

Evaluation:
Roy and his friends stand up to and succeed against a large corporation to help the environment. They can inspire teens to do their own work for the environment.

Notes:
In 2004 a theatrical adaptation of Hoot was released by Walden Media and New Line Cinema.

Inkheart

Title: Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Scholastic Chicken House
ISBN: 0439852706

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Meggie and her father love books, but he never reads them aloud. He has the power to read a character right out of a book.

Plot Summary:
12 year-old Meggie Folchart lives with her father, Mo. They live in a house full of books, but Mo never reads aloud to her. When a man named Dustfinger one night shows up and calls Mo "Silvertounge." He warns them that a man named Capricorn is after them and the trio flees to Italy. Meggie learns that Capricorn and Dustfinger were once characters in a book. Mo has the power to read characters out of books, but also read people in. When he read out Capricorn and Dustfinger he accidentally read in Meggie's mother. Capricorn now wants to use Mo's power to read wealth out of books and to produce other villainous characters. When Mo is captured, it is up to Meggie, Dustfinger and some new friends out of books to save him.

Evaluation:
Inkheart captures the wonders that can come from reading. Teens will use their own imaginations to bring the characters to life for themselves.

Notes:
There are two other books in the Inkworld Trilogy:
Inkspell
Inkdeath

In 2009 New Line Cinemas released a film adaptation of Inkheart.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author: C.S. Lewis
Publisher: Collins
ISBN: 0006716776

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Through a wardrobe, behind the coats, is the magical land of Narnia. The Pevensie children find themselves fighting to defend the land in the wardrobe.

Plot Summary:
While playing hide and seek, Lucy Pevensie steps through a magical wardrobe into the land of Narnia. She spends the afternoon having tea with a centaur, but when she returns, it is gone, only minutes after she left. Soon she returns to Narnia with her two brothers, Peter and Edmond, and her sister Susan. They are told from a family of talking beavers that the four of them fulfill a prophecy where they become the rulers of Narnia and defeat the White Witch who rules tyrannically over Narnia. The children begin to travel to meet Aslan, a lion and the rightful ruler of Narnia. Edmond is tempted away by the White Witch and is held prisoner. In order to rescue their brother and save Narnia an epic battle ensues between the forces of good and evil.

Evaluation:
This story is filled with literary techniques, mainly allegory. This narrative can help teens understand how literary techniques are used to bring more layers to the story than what is simply on the surface.

Notes:
There are 6 other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series:
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle

In 2005, Walt Disney Pictures released a film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Title: Peter and the Starcatchers
Author: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher: Disney Editions
ISBN: 0786854456

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Before Peter Pan brought the Darling children to Neverland, he had to get there for the first time himself.

Plot Summary:
Peter and a group of orphans are being shipped off to a life of slavery aboard the ship Never Land. While trying to figure a way to escape their fate, Peter discover an old chest with a rat flying above it. To discover the secret of the chest Peter confronts Molly Aster, a young girl who he has seen around the chest. She reveals to him that the chest contains "starstuff" that falls from shooting stars, which grants people the ability to fly.

The Never Land is soon attacked by the pirate Black Stache during a storm and the ship is wrecked on the shore of a small island. Peter and Molly must face the dangers of the pirates, evil mermaids, the natives to the island, and a crocodile named Mr. Grin in order to save the starstuff.

Evaluation:
This book is a fun and interesting prequel to the classic story of Peter Pan. This is a must read for any fan of Peter Pan who ever wondered about Peter's origins.

Notes:
There are currently two other books in this series, Peter and the Shadow Thieves and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon.

Peter Pan

Title: Peter Pan
Author: J. M. Barrie
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 0805072454

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Peter Pan is a boy who refuses to grow-up. Together with his pixie Tinkerbell he introduces the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael, to Neverland and the joys of not growing up.

Plot Summary:
Wendy Darling loves living in the nursery with her two younger brothers, John and Michael, and telling them stories about Peter Pan. Peter listens at the window to her stories and enjoys them so much he decides to take her to Neverland to be a "mother" for him and his band of Lost Boys. He uses pixie-dust from his pixie companion Tinkerbell and the Darling's happy thoughts to teach the three children how to fly so they can get to Neverland. There they encounter Peter's arch-enemy, the evil pirate, Captain Hook, the dangerous mermaids of Mermaid Lagoon, and Princess Tiger Lily. The adventures in Neverland become increasingly dangerous as the children are captured by pirates as they try to return home to England. Peter must save them, but it might not be enough to convince them to stay with him and never grow up.


Evaluation:
The original story of Peter Pan is a far more graphic and violent tale than many of the movie portrayals. By reading the story as it was originally written, teens will see a very different story than the one the have known since they were kids.

Notes:
Numerous film adaptations of Peter Pan have been made over the years. A list can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_based_on_Peter_Pan#Film

Totally Joe

Title: Totally Joe
Author: James Howe
Publisher: Aladdin
ISBN: 0689839588

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
12 year old Joe has been given the assignment to write an autobiography. He has made a personal promise to be completely honest. Joe is ready to reveal everything.

Plot Summary:
12 year old Joe is given the year-long assignment to write an alpha-biography, an autobiography using the letters A to Z. Joe is aware that he is gay and has decided to be completely honest about everything in his life during this assignment. Throughout the year Joe must work to come to terms with his sexuality, deal with coming out to his friends and family, and face discrimination at school. Joe also begins a relationship with a classmate Collin, who is not yet comfortable with his sexuality. Joe faces challenges with an upbeat and optimistic attitude and is ready for what the next year will hold.

Evaluation:
Though many of the scenarios are handled with an overly optimistic attitude, Joe helps to show young adults coming to terms with their own sexuality the positives that can come from embracing their identity.

Tuck Everlasting

Title: Tuck Everlasting
Author: Natalie Babbitt
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374378487

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
When given the choice of living forever or living a normal life, many would choose immortality. Winnie has to make this choice, but doesn't know what she will choose.

Plot Summary:
Winnie is tired of her boring and strict life. She escapes her house and runs away to the woods. It is there that she meets Jesse Tuck and his family. Years ago his family found a spring that grants the drinker eternal youth and immortality. When Mae Tuck is sentenced to death for killing a man while defending Winnie, the Tuck family knows that their secret will be revealed. Mae will not die when she is executed. As the family breaks Mae out of jail and escapes, Jesse attempts to persuade Winnie to come with the Tucks. This would involve drinking from the spring and becoming immortal. Her decision will change Winnie's life forever.

Evaluation:
Tuck Everlasting puts the question to the readers of what they would choose: mortality or immortality. The book makes its readers think and consider their own choices.

Notes:
A film adaptation was released in 2002 by Walt Disney Pictures.

Warriors: Into the Wild

Title: Warriors: Into the Wild
Author: Erin Hunter
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060000023

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Rusty, a domestic cat, follows his dream to become a wild cat. It won't be as easy as he thinks, as he joins the ThunderClan and becomes Firepaw.

Plot Summary:
Domesticated cat Rusty, despite the warnings of his friend, leaves home to join the ranks of the wild cats who live in the forest. He soon joins the ThunderClan, a group of wild cats, and is given the name Firepaw. Under the tutelage of Graypaw and Ravenpaw, Firepaw learns to fight and hunt so he can continue to survive in the forest.

Life in the forest is not idyllic as Firepaw expected. When he learns of Tigerclaw, a warrior in the clan's plan to kill other members in order to ascend the clan's ranks, Firepaw must fight to save the life of Tigerclaw's next target. Problems grow as other clans begin to fight for more territory. Firepaw must fight, and face the loss of someone that he loves.

Evaluation:
Though the characters in the book are cats, human issues are dealt with in the series. Firepaw must deal with adapting to a new life, finding forbidden love, and dealing with bullies. Many teens can relate to these real life issues.

Notes:
There are many books in the Warriors series. Information on these books can be found at http://www.warriorcats.com/warriorshell.html

A Wrinkle in Time

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Publisher: Square Fish
ISBN: 0312367546

Recommended for Grades 6-10
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy/Science Fiction

Reader’s Annotation:
Meg Murray's father disappeared when his science experiment went awry. Now it is up to her, her brother Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin to travel through time and space to rescue him.

Plot Summary:
Meg Murray, her brother Charles Wallace and their mom Mrs. Murray are visited in the middle of a dark and stormy night by the eccentric Mrs. Whatsit who knows information about Mr. Murray, who disappeared while conducting experiments on tesseracts. Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe, with the help of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which set off to find Dr. Murray.

A tesseract, a wrinkle in time, allows them to fold the fabric of space and time and travel to a distant planet dominated by a "Black Thing" that has Dr. Murray prisoner. The three children must face the Black Thing, called It, in order to free the Murray's father. When Charles Wallace attempts to face It alone, Meg and Calvin may not have the strength to free him too.

Evaluation:
Meg Murray's rebellious and spunky attitude encapsulates the feeling of many teenagers. She does not think she is as pretty or as smart as others see she is. Her struggles with her self-confidence will help teenage girls with their own struggles.