Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen

 

An airship crash lands on an unknown island. A teenage smuggler brings a dragoness aboard the ship, and when it escapes on the island it sets its sights on killing all the passengers. A teenage boy suspected of murder is a prisoner on the airship, unable to use the magic that could save the survivors. In the aftermath of the crash, Pearl, the smuggler, and Marken, the prisoner, forge an alliance but neither shares their deepest secrets. It's a dark story with treachery, killings, and secrets galore, and the world building is creative, intense, and original. I loved the characters and the magical secrets they shared little by little with each other. This fantasy is not for the faint of heart or for younger readers, but it's great for young teens who are ready to step up their reading. Highly recommended for readers ages 13-up. 

Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Roentgen

 

Lunar Jones was born on Mars. But life outside of planet Earth is no picnic. Mars, which was cursed by its own dying dragon, is running out of resources, and Martian-born children scavenge for anything they can sell for food or sustenance. In one harrowing scavenging expedition, Lunar discovers a life-changing secret. An underground bunker hides an unbelievable treasure--a dragon that could be the key to reviving the dead planet. And that dragon seems to have chosen Lunar to be its rider. If the thought of young teens on a life-or-death mission riding dragons through space sounds exciting, it is. Scott Reintgen knows how to write compelling action books with great characters (if you haven't read the Nyxia series, read it now!). The Last Dragon on Mars belongs in every middle school library and is a great example of #youngteenlit

A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff

Books build empathy, and this genre-bender goes deep into the experiences of transgender teens as they face off against actual demons bent on destroying them. The main character, who goes by the name A, is 14 years old and is forced to go to a therapy group called SOSAD (Saving Our Sons and Daughters) by parents who have no desire to understand or learn about A's identity. Students from SOSAD occasionally disappear, and A ends up running away from home with the help of a monster made of trash to try to save one of those friends. A is helped by a Rabbi and her husband, who explain elements of Jewish mythology, including how golems have intervened to help people throughout history. It's an action-dystopian-horror-fantasy that's steeped in Jewish mythology, so there is a lot of plot to keep readers going, but at it's heart it's about acceptance of trans kids in a world bent on destroying them. This book, written about and for kids who are 14-16 years old, is a fine example of #youngteenlit

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

Chattana is a city in Thailand where one man controls all the light. The all-powerful governor is worshipped almost like a god and the rich enjoy light and privilege while the poor work in darkness. Pong, a boy born in prison, finds an opportunity to escape, and finds safety with a kind monk. But he soon discovers that he can never have real freedom as long as his prison tattoo marks him as an escapee. Nok, the prison warden's daughter, pursues him, sure in her knowledge that Pong should be brought to justice. But what is justice in a world of inequality? Shouldn't light be available to everyone? This adventurous fantasy has plenty of action and also provides fodder for discussions about justice and equality and how to protest effectively. This gem of a book, which is actually a new take on Les Miserables, is a delight. Recommended for grades 4-6, but older readers may also enjoy it.  

As You Wish by Nashae Jones

 

This young teen romance with a touch of magic can be summed up with the adage "Be careful what you wish for." Birdie is an 8th grader who longs for a "normal 8th grade experience" which for her means having her first boyfriend. Her best friend Deve would like to be more than friends, but Birdie doesn't see him as boyfriend material. She thinks that Deve should get a girlfriend and she should get a boyfriend and everything will be perfect. When a fight over this issue threatens to end their friendship, and an African trickster god shows up in disguise at their school, Birdie makes a wish that backfires. If you've ever dreamed of having 3 wishes, this book will make you think hard about how exactly to word your wish to get what you want. A fun romance that's perfect for middle school libraries.  

Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

 

This graphic novel is the story of an ordinary looking girl having extraordinary adventures. Young Jane is kicked out of her own home after her parents' death because there is no male heir. She quickly proposes to handsome Peter, but her hopes are dashed when he is kidnapped by a mermaid. Jane goes on a wild quest to save Peter (and her own future) in a dangerous underwater adventure. Behind this fairy tale is a lot of truth about how society views girls and youth and beauty and marriage. As Jane says in the end, "Someone somewhere makes up all these stupid rules and we're just all going along with them! Even if it makes us miserable!" Vera Brosgol is absolutely BRILLIANT (see Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared) and this magnificent graphic novel is going to have huge appeal to kids of all ages. 

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

 

Middle schoolers are loving this fantasy book about a girl in search of her missing brother. Quentin has disappeared, but leaves little sister Amari with a mysterious invitation to a summer program at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari eagerly joins the summer program, but discovers that she possesses extreme magical powers that make her an outcast at the summer program. With the help of her roommate Elsie and another magical student who reaches out to her, Amari trains and studies to be a Junior Agent. In the meantime she is investigating her brother's disappearance at every opportunity. There are talking elevators, eccentric teachers, and lots of twists and turns. It's a fun fantasy that's accessible to a wide range of readers and Amari is a relatable character who overcomes adversity due to her race as well as her magical status. Highly recommended to readers of all ages. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Sophisticated middle school readers have been telling me I should read this book for years and I finally read it for an 8th grade book club. I admit that fantasy books with maps in them are not my top reading preference, but I appreciate outstanding books in all genres, so I knew I would probably like it based on the kids who recommended it. I had to think hard and force myself to get through the first few chapters of the book (who are these people and what in the world is jurda parem?). As with many elaborate fantasies, it has its own vocabulary and geography and you have to get accustomed to the world that is being built. All this to say, once I was engaged with the characters (six young people, all part of an elaborate criminal endeavor), I could not stop thinking about this book. The world-building and the intricacies of the heist are amazing, but what makes me attached to a book is always the characters. Bardugo gives us complex teens dealing with heavy issues in a world of magic and brothels and dark criminals and the suppression and manipulation of whole groups of people. Recommended for 8th grade-up. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 

Alina Starkov is an orphan who is about to find out she is someone special. All that she cares about in life is her best friend, Mal, who is a soldier in a realm ruled by a King. The land they live in has a dangerous, dark gash in it called the Shadow Fold. In trying to cross it, Alina unleashes magic that makes her an instant celebrity and sends her to study with the Darkling, a powerful man who is training her to ultimately defeat the Shadow Fold. Alina is in training and longing for her friend, Mal. As you might guess, all isn't what it seems to be, and Alina will be caught up in a battle between good and evil. The plot is straightforward--as a middle school librarian I have found this to be a good intro to fantasy for 6th and 7th graders. Bardugo's later masterpiece, Six of Crows, expands on this universe, is much more sophisticated and appropriate for older readers, and has fleshed-out characters with sparkling chemistry. Shadow and Bone lacks the spark and charm of Bardugo's later books, but is recommended as a solid entry point into a formidable fantasy world. 

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

 

This follow-up to The One and Only Ivan is about Ivan's scrappy canine friend, Bob. In the recent film, Bob is voiced by Danny DeVito, and it is also his voice on the audiobook that I listened to. Bob is sarcastic, jaded, and kind of soft-hearted at the same time. This story takes place in a short period of time after a hurricane hits the wildlife center where Ivan and Ruby (the young elephant) are living. The One and Only Ivan had bigger themes of animal rights, taking initiative, and the purpose of art. This story can be taken more at face value--a scrappy dog tries to save himself and his friends and learns some family secrets in the process. Bob's voice is fantastic--Applegate knows how to "show not tell" and we see the world through Bob's humorous viewpoint. Recommended for young readers, but I think this is less likely to be popular with middle school readers than the first book in the series. 

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Nan Sparrow sweeps out chimneys in London. The year is 1875, and ever since her caretaker, Sweep, disappeared, she has been an indentured servant for a cruel man who puts children to work with no regard for their safety. In a terrifying and mystical turn of events, a lump of char from her pocket comes to life and saves Nan from death in a chimney. From that point on, Charlie, who is actually a golem, and Nan, become an inseparable pair, even though Nan learns that for a golem there will be no good end. Like many classic children's books, this is a story of deep love and friendship, sacrifice, and saying goodbye. The historical facts about chimney sweeps, child labor, and Judaism, are seamlessly woven in, and readers will empathize with the sweeps and be horrified that middle and upper class people so easily watched the children suffer and even die to keep their houses from catching fire. I loved the history and the mysteries that are woven in, but mostly I loved the bond between Nan and Charlie, which you find out in a touching author's note was inspired by E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. I was entranced by this book and recommend it to readers of all ages--not just young people. It is a gem.

The Lovely War by Julie Berry

Aphrodite is in a fancy New York City hotel room having an argument with some of the other Greek Gods. Using her wealth of experience, she tells two love stories, both set during World War I, to prove a point about the power of human love. One is the story of a young British couple, a pianist and an architect, who fall in love just before both head to France, one as a soldier and the other as a volunteer. The other story is of an African American musician/soldier and the traumatized Belgian woman that he falls in love with. Both relationships face major struggles and life-threatening situations. Readers who enjoy romance and historical fiction will absolutely love these stories and will be drawn into scenes of World War I France. I recommend this book for middle school students willing to take on a challenging book (probably best for grade 8-up) all the way up through adults who love historical fiction and romance. 

Caraval by Stephane Garber

Caraval is a mysterious fantasy game played once a year, open only to those with special invitations. Scarlett and her sister Tella grew up hearing stories about Caraval and dreaming of taking part. Scarlett writes letters to Legend, the mastermind behind Caraval, for many years, but gives up hope of attending when she is forced into an arranged marriage by her abusive father. However, before the wedding can take place, Scarlett and her sister are whisked away to Caraval by a handsome rogue named Julian. Once there, Tella disappears and becomes the object of the game--the one who finds Tella will be the winner. Scarlett finds romance and deception with Julian as she desperately searches for her sister before losing her forever. This story felt flat to me--I didn't like Tella or Julian, and the mythology of Caraval didn't pique my interest or hold together very well. Middle school readers of romance and fantasy may enjoy it, but there are better books out there for them. 

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

This year's Newbery Medal winner is a fantasy about a witch, an abandoned child, and a village under the power of an evil influence. Each year a baby is left in the forest. The people of the Protectorate think that they must sacrifice a child to a witch. The witch, Xan, wonders why the people heartlessly abandon their children. You, the reader, aren't quite sure why the people are forced to sacrifice a baby each year. In this particular year, Xan falls in love with the abandoned baby girl and accidentally/on purpose feeds her moonlight, which fills the baby with magic. This is the story of how that girl, Luna, grows up in the forest with Xan and a couple of other magical creatures as her family. There is much going on in the Protectorate and in the forest, and it all comes together in the end of this charming yet complex story. Fantasy readers from 4th-7th grades will enjoy this book.

My Diary from the Edge of the World by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Gracie's world is a lot like ours, except for the sasquatches, mermaids, giants, and other creatures that pose a constant danger to humans. Because of all the creatures, society hasn't quite developed like it has in our world. No railroads or highways connect the country, and airplanes don't fly. Grace's family lives in Maine, but when a small Dark Cloud hovers over their house they decide to flee to the Extraordinary World, which no one really thinks exists. Thus begins a family road trip in a Winnabago to save Gracie's sickly little brother from being taken by the Dark Cloud. This book has an equal balance of fantasy and adventure and complicated family dynamics between the siblings and parents. Gracie's imperfect family is believable and readers will hope that there is an Extraordinary World and that they can make it there. This book would be great for fantasy readers from grades 3-6.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Reneé Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn is a historical fantasy set in an an Arabic world in the distant past. The main characters are Shahrzad, a 16-year-old girl who is seeking revenge, and Khalid, the 18-year-old Caliph of Khorasan (a sort of regional king). Khalid has been marrying young girls and murdering them systematically, and Shazi decides to marry him and kill him before he can kill her. She keeps herself alive for a few days by telling him stories (a la the famous Arabian Nights story) but that only lasts a few days. Khalid falls for her and she loses her interest in killing him and instead tries to find out why he has killed so many young women all the while succumbing to her growing feelings for him. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I struggled to finish it. The writing was frequently overly flowery and the strong female character overcoming a male-dominated society didn't ring true to me. In spite of all the good reviews this book got, I just didn't buy into the characters or the romance or the fantasy elements included. I think this book will find an audience with fans of romance books, probably younger high school readers would be the right age to read it.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Lia is a princess who is not happy about her upcoming arranged marriage that will cement relations between two contentious kingdoms. She runs away on her wedding day, and along with her ladies maid, hides herself in a small town where she works as a serving girl at a tavern. When two young men show up at the tavern she has no idea that one is the jilted prince and the other is an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, as none of the three know who the others are, and both men become attracted to the down-to-earth princess in disguise. Lia never had "the gift" that first daughters are said to possess, but when one man kidnaps her and the other gives chase, her gift begins to surface. This is an intriguing start to a new series (The Remnant Chronicles) and the best part of the story is how the author deceives the readers. Fans of fantasy series (and love triangles) will enjoy this book. Recommended for 8th grade-up.

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Sage is one of four orphan boys plucked from orphanages by a nobleman named Conner. Their kingdom of Carthya is in chaos since the death of the royal family, and Conner plans to present one of the ophans as the long-lost Prince Jaron, the rightful heir to the throne. Sage looks like Jaron, but his defiant attitude and rough ways make it hard to believe anyone could turn him into an acceptable prince. This is the story of those boys and the web of lies surrounding them. You will definitely root for Sage to be selected, even though he doesn't seem to want to be chosen. This was adventurous and fun, and will definitely appeal to fantasy fans. Recommended especially for 4th-7th graders who like fantasy and action books.

The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

This animal fantasy book contains all the elements of a traditional fantasy—it begins when a young protagonist who feels ill-equipped for greatness is chosen for a seemingly impossible task. Aldwyn the alley cat is selected by a young wizard-in-training to be his familiar. Aldwyn is assumed to be telekinetic and will be the boy's companion and protector. He meets two other familiars, a frog and a bird, and they soon must rescue their "loyals" from almost certain death at the hands of an evil queen. The band of three familiars sets off on a pretty predictable quest to save their loyals and along the way they run from spies and fend off an eight-headed dragon. This is a good introduction to fantasy for readers who may not yet have read widely. While is loved by third and fourth graders at my school, the middle school readers mainly thought it just didn't break any new ground for them. I had trouble getting through it also, but I am admittedly not a fan of animal fantasy.

Every Day by David Levithan

Imagine being a person with no body of your own. The main character in this story, who calls himself A, finds himself in a new body each and every day. He takes over the person't life for one day, then at midnight (usually when A is asleep) he enters a new person's body for the next 24 hours. He is always careful not to mess up the lives of the people he inhabits. He goes to school and sports practices and family dinners so that no one is the wiser. A really has no gender—some days he is male and some days female. He has been blind and a drug addict and a victim of abuse. He can wake up as a person of any race or ethnicity, but he always returns somewhere within a few hundred miles of his previous body. One day A wakes up in the body of a tough guy with a girlfriend named Rhiannon. She is special and she and A spend a magical day together skipping school and going to the beach. Of course, Rhiannon just thinks her boyfriend has suddenly become a nice guy, but the truth is she is connecting with A. From that day on, A starts breaking the rules and trying to connect with Rhiannon. But how can love survive with a person who has no physical body? It's a great premise that's well executed. The author sticks to the rules he has set up for A's life and it's fun to read about each new day in A's life. Recommended for high school readers.