Classics of Teen Fantasy

 This week, I'm sharing some of the classics in teen fantasy.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved with fighting against some disreputable wizards who want to steal away the dragons' kingdom.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip

Raised on Eld mountain with only her father's magical menagerie for company, a young wizard is drawn irrevocably into the human world with all its sorrows and delights when a baby comes into her care.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynne Jones

Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl .

More Classics of Teen Fantasy --

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Girl of Fire and Thorn by Rae Carson

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 13, 2021.

I'll Read Anything . . . Except Romance

Sometimes you want a story with action.  Sometimes you want a story with magic.  And sometimes you will read anything . . . as long as it doesn't have romance in it.  Here are some of my favorite teen books that don't have any romance in them . . . .

Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Plain Kate's odd appearance and expertise as a woodcarver cause some to think her a witch, but friendship with a talking cat and, later, with humans help her to survive and even thrive in a world of magic, charms, and fear.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos."

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.


More Teen Books Without Romance --
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinger
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
Jackaby by William Ritter
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Terrier by Tamora Pierce


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through May 28, 2021.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Gen can steal anything -- at least that's the boast he's made in every winehouse in the capital city.  It's this bragging that has landed him in the king's prison.  He even bragged at his trial that he could steal his freedom.

So when the king's Magus comes with a proposition that he will be released if he steals an item of legend, Gen can't refuse. 

What he doesn't know is that this won't just change his life, but will change the course of several countries.



This is the first book in the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.  This is a wonderful fantasy quest story with lots of intrigue.  It is a great introduction to the world of Eugenides that just gets more detailed with each book in the series.  I would recommend this to those who like fantasy or political intrigue.

Go On One Last Summer Adventure . . . With a Book

School will soon be starting.  There's still time to take one last adventure by reading a book.  Here are a few of my favorite adventure chapter books . . . .

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
When the princess is kidnapped by a dragon queen, Thomas, a new--and very small--squire-in-training boldly sets out on a quest to rescue her.

Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen
Twelve-year-old Henry's grand adventures spell disaster for best chums Riley and Reed, who always seems to land in a pile of "smelly goo."

Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
Bee is an orphan in the poor kingdom of Aradyn, and when she is caught stealing a bun from a bakery, the lonely baker offers to take her on as an apprentice--but when she meets Princess Anika, and the evil mage Joris who is her "guardian" she embarks on a journey to save Anika, and restore the kingdom its rightful ruler.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.


More Adventure Stories --
The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes by Wade Albert White
The Adventurers Guild by Zack Loren Clark
The Adventures of Henry Whiskers by Gigi Priebe
Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr
The Big Book of Adventure by Alissa Heyman
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
My Near-Death Adventures: 99% True by Alison DeCamp
Raven Quest by Sharon Stewart
The Several Lives of Orphan Jack by Sarah Ellis
Trundle's Quest by Allan Jones
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt
Where the Mountain  Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
The Wrinkled Crown by Anne Nesbet

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through August 23, 2019.

You Can Trust Me! Don't Believe a Word I Say!

This week I am sharing teen fiction with unreliable narrators.  Can you trust what they are telling you?  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

The Thief by  Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
Sent to counseling for hitting his girlfriend, Caitlin, and ordered to keep a journal, sixteen-year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father.


More Books --
After by Amy Efaw
Belzhar: A Novel by Meg Wolitzer
Chasing Shadows by Swati Avasthi
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Crazy by Han Nolan
Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory
Schizo by Nic Sheff
The Sin-Eater's Confession by Ilsa J. Bick
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through April 6, 2018.

Go on an Adventure . . . with a Book

This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite adventure chapter books with you . . . .

Jack the Castaway by Lisa Doan
Upon the death of his Aunt Julia, twelve-year-old Jack is whisked by his scheming and dreaming parents from Pennsylvania to a small Caribbean island, Compano, and soon finds himself alone on a deserted island.

Thomas and the Dragon Queen by Shutta Crum
When the princess is kidnapped by a dragon queen, thirteen-year-old Thomas, a new--and very small--squire-in-training boldly sets out on a quest to rescue her.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elisa Primavera
At Great Rapscott School for Girls of Busy Parents, Ms. Rapscott teaches her students How to Get Lost on Purpose, resulting in a series of fantastical adventures that makes each learn a little something about courage, strength, bravery, and teamwork.


More Adventure Tales --
The Adventures of Henry Whiskers by Gigi Priebe
Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks
Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy by Gareth Wronski
The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwith
The Jolly Regina by Kara LqaReau
The Magic Mirror by Susan Hill
The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle by Deva Fagan
My Near-Death Adventures (99% True) by Alison DeCamp
Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins
Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Etsby Dagg
The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts by Avi
The Voyage to Magical North by Claire Fayers
Walking with the Dead by L.M. Falcone

Check these books out of display at the Arnold Branch through October 6, 2017.

Stop! Thief!

Stories of thievery are very exciting.  Whether a character who has to steal an object for survival or kids trying to stop a theft from taking place, these stories are thrilling.  Here are some great chapter books featuring thieves . . .

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
Raised to be a thief, blind orphan Peter Nimble, age ten, steals from a mysterious stranger three pairs of magical eyes, that lead him to a hidden island where he must decide to become a hero or resume his life of crime.

Clueless McGee by Jeff Mack
Through a series of letters to his father, a private investigator, fifth-grader PJ "Clueless" McGee tells of his efforts to discover who stole macaroni and cheese from the school cafeteria.

More Books About Thievery --

Atlantis Rising by T.A. Barron

Code of Silence by Tim Shoemaker

Framed by Gordon Korman

Highway Robbery by Kate Thompson

Madhattan Mystery by John J. Bonk

The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan

Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Tracking Daddy Down by Marbeth Kelsey

The Vengekeep Prophecies by Brian Farrey

Miss Amy's Go-To Chapter Books

When asked for a good book to read, I have a few go-to books that I like to recommend.  Here are some of my favorite chapter books . . .

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Magyk by Angie Sage
After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Let's Go On an Adventure

Open any book and you can find yourself on the adventure of a lifetime.  Check out one of these great adventure stories for kids . . .

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Nine-year-old Fergus Crane's life is filled with classes on the school ship Betty Jeanne, interesting neighbors, and helping with his mother's work until a mysterious box flies into his window and leads him toward adventure.

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River.

We Are Not Eaten by Yaks by C. Alexander London
As the children of two world-famous explorers, eleven-year-old twins Celia and Oliver prefer television-watching to adventure-seeking until their father takes them to Tibet to help search for their long-lost mother.