The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater

I will confess that I really didn't want to read this book and that it took me a long time to get into it. But after finishing it I have to admit it was extremely well-written and original, with a compelling (if slowly-paced) plot. The heart of this story is the island of Thisby, a rugged place where life is hard and children grow up and leave as soon as they can. What makes Thisby unique are the bloodthirsty water horses that rise up out of the water each year and are tamed and ridden by the men of the island. The fierce water horses (or  capaill uisce—pronounced cappel ishka—as they are called) eat human flesh and drown their riders. The islanders race the horses each November in a dangerous and deadly race that brings the island brief fame and an economic burst. That's the background, and the island and the horses are central to the story. But the book is really about two teenagers who enter the races as strangers but slowly come together in spite of their rivalry. The book alternates between the viewpoints of Sean Kenndrick (an orphaned young man who has won the Scorpio Races four times and loves his water horse Corr more than life itself) and Kate "Puck" Connelly (also orphaned and racing to earn money to save her family's home and to keep her oldest brother from leaving for the mainland). Steifvater makes Thisby, with it's foggy, cold beach and crusty inhabitants seem like a real place. She also brings Puck and Sean to life slowly and deliberately until by the last chapters you know your heart will break because there is no way they both can achieve what they wish for. This is definitely a notable book—the starred reviews show that. For a reader with the persistence and patience to stay with it and live in Thisby for a while it will be a rewarding read.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

This boy-meets-girl story was made to be turned into a movie. It takes place during 24 hours in the life of Hadley, who is reluctantly flying to London for her father's second wedding. She misses her flight and while waiting for the next one meets a young man named Oliver. They strike up a friendship during the long overnight flight then go their separate ways. Hadley to the wedding and Oliver to an unknown destination. Hadley is nursing a lot of resentment and sadness toward her father and Oliver is secretive about his reason for traveling. When Hadley pieces together some of Oliver's backstory she takes off through London to find him and continue their new and promising relationship. It's definitely a feel-good story, but with enough depth of character and complexity of relationships to save it from being too fluffy. It's an enjoyable read for romantic-minded readers in grades 8-up.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

It’s hard to feel sorry for Anna—she is spending her senior year of high school at a boarding school right in the middle of Paris where she quickly meets a new group of friends and begins to explore her new city and learns to enjoy the newfound freedom of living on her own. But Anna isn’t happy. Her father forced this new life on her and took her away from her hometown of Atlanta, her best friend Bridgette, and her almost-boyfriend, Toph. At first Anna spends time e-mailing Bridgette and planning her reunion with Toph (the last time she saw him they kissed but she’s not sure where they stand now). But when she meets handsome, charming Étienne St. Clair she can’t stop herself from falling for him. The only problem is that he already has a girlfriend. And even if he didn’t, her new friend Meredith clearly has a long-standing crush on him. But St. Clair seems to like Anna—at least he likes taking her around Paris, going to movies, and sitting by her at every meal. What’s a girl to do in the most romantic city on earth? How can she hide her feelings for him? And how can she be “best friends” with someone she loves so much? This is a predictable yet fun romance with a fine romantic setting and believable characters. Recommended for high school romantics and world travelers.  (FYI—except for some well, French kissing, and teenage drinking this book is pretty innocent. It would be fine for 8th graders on up.)

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

This unique story of spies, war, and friendship grabbed me and tricked me and kept me on the edge of my seat. Most of the book is the written confession of a British teenager who is captured by Nazis in France during World War II. The Germans torture her but give her six weeks to write out all she knows and she seems to be giving them all her secrets in order to stay alive. Her story tells of a remarkable friendship with another young woman who became a pilot during the war. Together the two girls ended up flying into France, but their mission went terribly wrong. This book has twists and turns and many secrets—so many that I don't want to tell any more about the plot for fear of giving them away. Suffice it to say, at one point in the book I had to go back and re-read previous chapters just to see what was truth and what was lies. Readers with an interest in aviation, spies, or World War II will love this. Other readers just might develop some new interests as they get pulled into the world of Verity and Kittyhawk. I would recommend this book to high school students and adults.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson

This prequel to Peter Pan is a delightful story that would interest a wide range of readers. Barry and Pearson have taken a familiar book and made an inventive backstory that both explains some nagging questions (Why doesn't Peter get older? How can he fly? How did Captain Hook lose his hand? Where did the mermaids come from? And more), but also has a compelling storyline that stands alone. The action takes place aboard three ships--two that are headed to Rundoon and carrying mysterious trunks, and one pirate ship that will stop at nothing to steal the treasure. Peter and his orphan friends are on the rickety ship called Never Land, which also carries a plucky girl named Molly Astor, who turns out to be a Starcatcher. This book is packed with just what you would expect—action, magic, and humor. I have heard that the audiobook of these stories (it's the start of a series) are narrated by Jim Dale and are outstanding. I also have seen Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway and it is fabulous. The writers and directors took a good book and made it better—it's even more clever, funny, and compelling than the book.