New Additions to Alien Star Books!
I was thinking about this the other day and decided that I needed to add a page where I could feature new additions for a few months. Some of these are new authors, while others are classics, but they're all new to this website. Now you can easily find the latest and greatest books that I've selected for this adventure in reading!
Please note that throughout the website, titles marked in bright green are Accelerated Reading (AR) books. AR books are assigned to your children for their Language Arts (aka English) classes. While your child is either given a list of books or referred to a list on the school's website, I've been trying to make it easier for parents and teens to find books in my favorite genres -- Science Fiction and Fantasy. There aren't any brand new authors with debut novels on the AR list (that I know of). There are, however, a few books in Spanish and a couple in French.
In any case, I keep adding new books, from debut novels to the classics of sci-fi and fantasy, to this website. The target age range is from 10 to 25, so each book is labeled with a grade and/or age range and parental warnings about content. I've also labeled the Kindle, Nook and Smashwords editions. If there's no tag, it's a paperback or hardback edition of the book.
I hope this helps you find new books to interest your teen in the glorious world of speculative fiction -- Science Fiction and Fantasy -- in Color!
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Click on the title or image to order your book online!
Eden Royce
Root Magic (Ages 8-12+ / Grades 3-7)
“A poignant, necessary entry into the children’s literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!”—Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
Debut author Eden Royce arrives with a wondrous story of love, bravery, friendship, and family, filled to the brim with magic great and small.
It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven— and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.
Author Eden Royce is from Charleston, South Carolina. She is a member of the Gullah Geechee nation. According to her bio: She now lives in the Garden of England with her husband and cat. When she's not writing or reading, she's probably roller-skating, watching quiz shows, or perfecting her signature dish for Masterchef. Sometimes all at once.
Root Magic (Ages 8-12+ / Grades 3-7)
“A poignant, necessary entry into the children’s literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!”—Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation
Debut author Eden Royce arrives with a wondrous story of love, bravery, friendship, and family, filled to the brim with magic great and small.
It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven— and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork.
Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.
Author Eden Royce is from Charleston, South Carolina. She is a member of the Gullah Geechee nation. According to her bio: She now lives in the Garden of England with her husband and cat. When she's not writing or reading, she's probably roller-skating, watching quiz shows, or perfecting her signature dish for Masterchef. Sometimes all at once.
Angie Thomas
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy (Ages 9-12 / Grades 3-7)
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
Internationally bestselling superstar author Angie Thomas makes her middle grade debut with the launch of an inventive, hilarious, and suspenseful new contemporary fantasy trilogy inspired by African American history and folklore.
It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool—like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much—like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbor.
All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she’s never heard of...to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed.
Angie Thomas is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novels Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy, The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose, and On the Come Up, as well as Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth. She is also a coauthor of the bestselling collaborative novels Blackout and Whiteout. Angie divides her time between her native Jackson, Mississippi, and Atlanta, Georgia. You can find her online at www.angiethomas.com.
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy (Ages 9-12 / Grades 3-7)
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller!
Internationally bestselling superstar author Angie Thomas makes her middle grade debut with the launch of an inventive, hilarious, and suspenseful new contemporary fantasy trilogy inspired by African American history and folklore.
It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool—like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much—like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbor.
All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she’s never heard of...to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed.
Angie Thomas is the author of the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novels Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy, The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose, and On the Come Up, as well as Find Your Voice: A Guided Journal for Writing Your Truth. She is also a coauthor of the bestselling collaborative novels Blackout and Whiteout. Angie divides her time between her native Jackson, Mississippi, and Atlanta, Georgia. You can find her online at www.angiethomas.com.
Wolf Golan
Chandera (The Wilkes Chronicles - 5 books) (Ages 13+)
Lost on an unknown planet, the Riven 5 survivors find themselves in the midst of a battle of good against evil!
In the year 2342, most of the Milky Way Galaxy has been charted and colonized. Maxwell Wilkes, a young Native American man, is traveling from a distant mining planet on the Eastern Rim, where he's been living with his girlfriend, Alexandra Parks.
On the way to Earth, their shuttle is attacked and the warp unit disrupted. The ship jumps into a planetary system within an unknown galaxy. The Riven 5 crash lands, with devastating results. The survivors find themselves in the medieval Kingdom of Densmere. Seen as Strangers from the Stars, the peoples of this fairytale world welcome Max, Alex, and their companions.
While examining the wreckage, the crew discovers that there is no fuel to power the warp jump to make the trip home. But, the answer may lie with a magic rock, whose pieces are scattered and protected by a Dark Lord whose armies are at war with Densmere. Finding the rock may be the crew's only hope of returning home and tipping the balance in the war that can save this world called Chandera.
The author rates his books as PG-13, with very few swear words and no explicit scenes. The Chandera trilogy, plus two more books that make up full story of the The Wilkes Chronicles, is complete.
Wolf Golan is a pen name. The author is a member of the Gwich'in Athabascan tribe in Alaska.
Chandera (The Wilkes Chronicles - 5 books) (Ages 13+)
Lost on an unknown planet, the Riven 5 survivors find themselves in the midst of a battle of good against evil!
In the year 2342, most of the Milky Way Galaxy has been charted and colonized. Maxwell Wilkes, a young Native American man, is traveling from a distant mining planet on the Eastern Rim, where he's been living with his girlfriend, Alexandra Parks.
On the way to Earth, their shuttle is attacked and the warp unit disrupted. The ship jumps into a planetary system within an unknown galaxy. The Riven 5 crash lands, with devastating results. The survivors find themselves in the medieval Kingdom of Densmere. Seen as Strangers from the Stars, the peoples of this fairytale world welcome Max, Alex, and their companions.
While examining the wreckage, the crew discovers that there is no fuel to power the warp jump to make the trip home. But, the answer may lie with a magic rock, whose pieces are scattered and protected by a Dark Lord whose armies are at war with Densmere. Finding the rock may be the crew's only hope of returning home and tipping the balance in the war that can save this world called Chandera.
The author rates his books as PG-13, with very few swear words and no explicit scenes. The Chandera trilogy, plus two more books that make up full story of the The Wilkes Chronicles, is complete.
Wolf Golan is a pen name. The author is a member of the Gwich'in Athabascan tribe in Alaska.
Rajani LaRocca
Midsummer's Mayhem (Ages 8-12+ / Grades 3-7+)
Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson comes from a big Indian American family: Dad's a renowned food writer, Mom's a successful businesswoman, and her three older siblings all have their own respective accomplishments. It's easy to feel invisible in such an impressive family, but Mimi's dream of proving she's not the least-talented member of her family seems possible when she discovers a contest at the new bakery in town. Plus, it'll start her on the path to becoming a celebrity chef like her culinary idol, Puffy Fay.
But when Mimi's dad returns from a business trip, he's mysteriously lost his highly honed sense of taste. Without his help, Mimi will never be able to bake something impressive enough to propel her to gastronomic fame.
Drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she's never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats.
But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings' romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what's happened. In the process, she learns that in life, as in baking, not everything is sweet. . .
India-born Rajani LaRocca was raised in Kentucky. A doctor, children's author and baker of sweet treats, she, her family, and their adorable dog currently live in the Boston area.
Midsummer's Mayhem (Ages 8-12+ / Grades 3-7+)
Eleven-year-old Mimi Mackson comes from a big Indian American family: Dad's a renowned food writer, Mom's a successful businesswoman, and her three older siblings all have their own respective accomplishments. It's easy to feel invisible in such an impressive family, but Mimi's dream of proving she's not the least-talented member of her family seems possible when she discovers a contest at the new bakery in town. Plus, it'll start her on the path to becoming a celebrity chef like her culinary idol, Puffy Fay.
But when Mimi's dad returns from a business trip, he's mysteriously lost his highly honed sense of taste. Without his help, Mimi will never be able to bake something impressive enough to propel her to gastronomic fame.
Drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she's never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats.
But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings' romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what's happened. In the process, she learns that in life, as in baking, not everything is sweet. . .
India-born Rajani LaRocca was raised in Kentucky. A doctor, children's author and baker of sweet treats, she, her family, and their adorable dog currently live in the Boston area.
J. Scott Coatsworth
The Tharassas Cycle (Four Book Series) (Ages 15 - Adult)
Set in the world of The Last Run and The Emp Test, the Tharassas Cycle mixes fantasy and science fiction in an alien world where cultures clash and everyone’s lives are about to change … for better or worse.
The Dragon Eater (The Tharassas Cycle)
Raven's a thief who just swallowed a dragon.
A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.
Raven's best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik's ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.
This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don't figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything.
Things are about to get messy.
J. Scott Coatsworth inhabits the space between the "here and now" and the "what could be." Scott's fiction subverts expectations and transforms traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary life into something fresh and unexpected. He manages both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their worldview, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA). Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
The Tharassas Cycle (Four Book Series) (Ages 15 - Adult)
Set in the world of The Last Run and The Emp Test, the Tharassas Cycle mixes fantasy and science fiction in an alien world where cultures clash and everyone’s lives are about to change … for better or worse.
The Dragon Eater (The Tharassas Cycle)
Raven's a thief who just swallowed a dragon.
A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.
Raven's best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik's ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.
This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don't figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything.
Things are about to get messy.
J. Scott Coatsworth inhabits the space between the "here and now" and the "what could be." Scott's fiction subverts expectations and transforms traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary life into something fresh and unexpected. He manages both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their worldview, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA). Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
Matt de la Peña
Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons Series) (Grades 7-9 / Ages 12-17)
When the dawn breaks, a hero rises.
Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger, better than everyone around him. He knows drawing attention to himself could be dangerous, but lately it’s difficult to stay in the shadows. And he’s not the only one with something to hide. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and learns that people have been disappearing. With his best friend, Lana Lang, at his side, Clark is determined to discover what evil lies below the surface of their town. Before he can save the world, the future Man of Steel must save Smallville.
"In his brilliant take on Superman, de la Peña shows us that there's a chance we'll all need to step up like Clark Kent--with or without a cape." --Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Long Way Down
"Everything we love about the Man of Steel: courageous, compassionate, and full of hope." --Gene Luen Yang, author of New Super-Man and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
"A wonderful, bold interpretation of a DC icon that aspires to embrace all readers, new and old." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Continue with the rest of the DC Icons series! Read the books in any order you choose:
* Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
* Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
* Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
* Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir
* Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen
Superman: Dawnbreaker (DC Icons Series) (Grades 7-9 / Ages 12-17)
When the dawn breaks, a hero rises.
Clark Kent has always been faster, stronger, better than everyone around him. He knows drawing attention to himself could be dangerous, but lately it’s difficult to stay in the shadows. And he’s not the only one with something to hide. When Clark follows the sound of a girl crying, he comes across Gloria Alvarez and learns that people have been disappearing. With his best friend, Lana Lang, at his side, Clark is determined to discover what evil lies below the surface of their town. Before he can save the world, the future Man of Steel must save Smallville.
"In his brilliant take on Superman, de la Peña shows us that there's a chance we'll all need to step up like Clark Kent--with or without a cape." --Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Long Way Down
"Everything we love about the Man of Steel: courageous, compassionate, and full of hope." --Gene Luen Yang, author of New Super-Man and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature
"A wonderful, bold interpretation of a DC icon that aspires to embrace all readers, new and old." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Continue with the rest of the DC Icons series! Read the books in any order you choose:
* Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
* Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
* Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
* Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir
* Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen
William J Manning
Lilith Cohen - Merchants of Death (New Adult 18+)
For twenty-six years, Lilith Cohen has lived in the darkest corners of society, killing whoever her clients paid her to. Her new husband thinks he married a simple fashion designer.
Agent Cohen travels to Golan Heights, Israel, for what she thinks is just another run of the mill assassination, but to her surprise, there’s something off about the bloody Civil War that rages throughout Syria.
What starts as a routine kill order turns out to be anything but. This terrorist leader and his men are armed with advanced weapons, which leads her to one conclusion, there’s a Merchant of Death profiting from the bloodshed. Lilith’s hunt for this shadowy profiteer will send her on a road she wished she never went down.
Parents: This dystopian spy thriller is NEW ADULT 18+. Sex (some graphic), language, violence, all you'd expect in a New Adult novel. The three books of this series are cross-posted in the Middle Eastern and LGBTQI+ pages.
Lilith Cohen - Merchants of Death (New Adult 18+)
For twenty-six years, Lilith Cohen has lived in the darkest corners of society, killing whoever her clients paid her to. Her new husband thinks he married a simple fashion designer.
Agent Cohen travels to Golan Heights, Israel, for what she thinks is just another run of the mill assassination, but to her surprise, there’s something off about the bloody Civil War that rages throughout Syria.
What starts as a routine kill order turns out to be anything but. This terrorist leader and his men are armed with advanced weapons, which leads her to one conclusion, there’s a Merchant of Death profiting from the bloodshed. Lilith’s hunt for this shadowy profiteer will send her on a road she wished she never went down.
Parents: This dystopian spy thriller is NEW ADULT 18+. Sex (some graphic), language, violence, all you'd expect in a New Adult novel. The three books of this series are cross-posted in the Middle Eastern and LGBTQI+ pages.
Jamar J. Perry
Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms (Ages 8-11+ / Grades 3-7+)
Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.
As the true Descendant, I command to open
The door to Chidani; it shall be broken
Magic awaits those who seek the queen's peace
And all the suffering you feel will cease
Those who open the histories will hear a sound
What was lost has finally been found.
Cameron Battle grew up reading The Book of Chidani, cherishing stories about the fabled kingdom that cut itself off from the world to save the Igbo people from danger. Passed down over generations, the Book is Cameron's only connection to his parents who disappeared one fateful night, two years ago.
Ever since, his grandmother has kept the Book locked away, but it calls to Cameron. When he and his best friends Zion and Aliyah decide to open it again, they are magically transported to Chidani. Instead of a land of beauty and wonder, they find a kingdom in extreme danger, as the Queen's sister seeks to destroy the barrier between worlds. The people of Chidani have been waiting for the last Descendant to return and save them . . . is Cameron ready to be the hero they need?
Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.
African-American author, educator and sensitivity reader Dr. Jamar J. Perry, PhD, writes stories for "the type of reader he always wanted to engage: reluctant readers, Black boys who needed to understand that they were magic, that they could also have joy, that they could be vulnerable and emotional, that they could be the hero in their own stories."
Dr. Perry received his PhD in Literacy Education, Language, Culture, and Social Inquiry from the University of Maryland, College Park. His education background includes teaching middle school Language Arts in Washington, D. C. and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. Find more about Dr. Perry at his website https://www.jamarjperry.com.
Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms (Ages 8-11+ / Grades 3-7+)
Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.
As the true Descendant, I command to open
The door to Chidani; it shall be broken
Magic awaits those who seek the queen's peace
And all the suffering you feel will cease
Those who open the histories will hear a sound
What was lost has finally been found.
Cameron Battle grew up reading The Book of Chidani, cherishing stories about the fabled kingdom that cut itself off from the world to save the Igbo people from danger. Passed down over generations, the Book is Cameron's only connection to his parents who disappeared one fateful night, two years ago.
Ever since, his grandmother has kept the Book locked away, but it calls to Cameron. When he and his best friends Zion and Aliyah decide to open it again, they are magically transported to Chidani. Instead of a land of beauty and wonder, they find a kingdom in extreme danger, as the Queen's sister seeks to destroy the barrier between worlds. The people of Chidani have been waiting for the last Descendant to return and save them . . . is Cameron ready to be the hero they need?
Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.
African-American author, educator and sensitivity reader Dr. Jamar J. Perry, PhD, writes stories for "the type of reader he always wanted to engage: reluctant readers, Black boys who needed to understand that they were magic, that they could also have joy, that they could be vulnerable and emotional, that they could be the hero in their own stories."
Dr. Perry received his PhD in Literacy Education, Language, Culture, and Social Inquiry from the University of Maryland, College Park. His education background includes teaching middle school Language Arts in Washington, D. C. and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. Find more about Dr. Perry at his website https://www.jamarjperry.com.
Mo O'Hara (Author), Marek Jagucki (Illustrator)
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish (Ages 7-10 / Grades 2-5)
Zapping Frankie the goldfish back to life with a battery was the best thing Tom's ever done. A BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH with incredible hypnotic powers is a great pet to have on your side when your big brother is an evil scientist whose plans regularly need to be thwarted. Join Tom and Frankie as they go on incredible adventures involving revenge plots, evil scientist older brothers, a Super Electric Zombie Eel and other paranormal pets!
The 3-book boxed set includes My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, The SeaQuel, and Fins of Fury. There are seven books in the series (so far), all included in the 7-book boxed set.
Placed on the Everybody Else and Mixed (cast of characters) pages.
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish (Ages 7-10 / Grades 2-5)
Zapping Frankie the goldfish back to life with a battery was the best thing Tom's ever done. A BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH with incredible hypnotic powers is a great pet to have on your side when your big brother is an evil scientist whose plans regularly need to be thwarted. Join Tom and Frankie as they go on incredible adventures involving revenge plots, evil scientist older brothers, a Super Electric Zombie Eel and other paranormal pets!
The 3-book boxed set includes My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, The SeaQuel, and Fins of Fury. There are seven books in the series (so far), all included in the 7-book boxed set.
Placed on the Everybody Else and Mixed (cast of characters) pages.
K. R. S. McEntire
Saving Eden: A YA Dystopian / Post-Apocalyptic Adventure (3 book series) (Ages 13-18+ / Grades 7-12)
A jaded resistance fighter. A magical mutant girl. A quest to save the last beacon of hope in a deadly, dystopian world.
Sixteen-year-old Angela thinks she and her father are the last survivors on Earth. She dreams of adventure and romance but only finds it in books. In the confines of her garden paradise, she’s untouched by contaminants that caused the rest of humanity to mutate into murderous beasts or die. But the lure of the outside world is irresistible.
When a seventeen-year-old boy stumbles upon Angela’s home with news about a thriving community, she dares to leave her garden for the first time. The dystopian society that she finds is deadlier than she expected, and the wardens tasked with protecting the settlement have murderous secrets. Does she have what it takes to stay alive and save humanity in the process?
The Hunger Games meets The Darkest Minds in a thrilling coming-of-age adventure.
Posted under Black - see that page for more books by K. R. S. McEntire
Reader Review:
"KRS spins a fantastic tale of a country that dabbled in intentional genetic alterations and mutations, which ended up killing many and causing the world to protest. In the aftermath, Angela's father hid her away from the world to protect her and succeeded in raising the most naive, kindhearted girl one could imagine. It's a great setup for what promises to be a fantastic new series.” - Amazon Review
Black author K. R. S. McEntire lives in Indianapolis with her husband. She also started and admins the Facebook page Diverse Fantasy and Sci-Finds, where she shares book recommendations with other bibliophiles.
Saving Eden: A YA Dystopian / Post-Apocalyptic Adventure (3 book series) (Ages 13-18+ / Grades 7-12)
A jaded resistance fighter. A magical mutant girl. A quest to save the last beacon of hope in a deadly, dystopian world.
Sixteen-year-old Angela thinks she and her father are the last survivors on Earth. She dreams of adventure and romance but only finds it in books. In the confines of her garden paradise, she’s untouched by contaminants that caused the rest of humanity to mutate into murderous beasts or die. But the lure of the outside world is irresistible.
When a seventeen-year-old boy stumbles upon Angela’s home with news about a thriving community, she dares to leave her garden for the first time. The dystopian society that she finds is deadlier than she expected, and the wardens tasked with protecting the settlement have murderous secrets. Does she have what it takes to stay alive and save humanity in the process?
The Hunger Games meets The Darkest Minds in a thrilling coming-of-age adventure.
Posted under Black - see that page for more books by K. R. S. McEntire
Reader Review:
"KRS spins a fantastic tale of a country that dabbled in intentional genetic alterations and mutations, which ended up killing many and causing the world to protest. In the aftermath, Angela's father hid her away from the world to protect her and succeeded in raising the most naive, kindhearted girl one could imagine. It's a great setup for what promises to be a fantastic new series.” - Amazon Review
Black author K. R. S. McEntire lives in Indianapolis with her husband. She also started and admins the Facebook page Diverse Fantasy and Sci-Finds, where she shares book recommendations with other bibliophiles.
Sumiko Saulson
Legend of the Luna (#1 of The Moon Cried Blood novellas) (Ages 13+)
Book One of the serialized tale of "The Moon Cried Blood," the Legend of the Luna introduces us to the Lunae, and to the character Leticia Gordon.Series Overview: It is said that the Wolf may howl at the Moon, but the Moon never howls at the Wolf.
In the gritty urban streets of Los Angeles in 1975, Leticia Gordon is forced to come to terms with many things: the tragic death of her stepmother and baby sister in a car accident, fear she’ll wind up in foster care, and the sudden revelation she belongs to a long line of powerful witches known as Lunae – who exhibit first power at menarche (first menstruation).
Running from foes natural and supernatural, will her new found powers be the turning point that elevates her position of honor, or will it destroy her like the dark forces that consumed her father? In a world turned upside down where time itself seems in flux, in whom can she trust?
Leticia “]'Tisha' Gordon, a thirteen year old girl living in Los Angeles in 1975. Tisha has been beleaguered by tragedy all of her young life. She has lost her father, her mother is in a mental hospital, and her stepmother has been raising her along with her three year old half sister. At the beginning of the story, a third tragedy strikes as she loses her stepmother and sister in a car accident and is threatened with the possibility of ending up in foster care. Under these devastating circumstances, she learns that she is endowed with powers, to look into the hearts of men and see their underlying motivations, as well as the potential to travel through time in the dreams of her ancestors because she comes from a long line of witches called the Lunae who are imbued with their power by the moon.
The Lunae do not begin to exhibit power until they enter puberty and experience the onset of menstruation, known as menarche.
Parents: The series includes mental illness, child neglect, adultery, bigamy, psychological abuse, death, murder, drug use and a drug overdose. Also talks about the protag starting her period.
Author Sumiko Saulson (zhe/they/their) is a Black and Jewish, Oakland, California-based poet, writer, author and artist whose primary focus is on horror and science fiction. Zhe was the 2016 recipient of the Horror Writer Association's Scholarship from Hell, and 2018 winner of the Afrosurrealist Writers Workshop Short Story Award.
My Amazon review:
This series of novellas (also available as a bind up "The Moon Cried Blood" in Kindle and paperback) opens with a powerful story of the legend of the Luna and the wolf and how Leticia Gordon navigates her transformation from a child to a woman. Complex and multilayered, this novella can be read again and again to pull out the nuances of Leticia's life and personal changes as she becomes one of the witches of the Lunae. Continues in the next novella, "Bloodlines."
Legend of the Luna (#1 of The Moon Cried Blood novellas) (Ages 13+)
Book One of the serialized tale of "The Moon Cried Blood," the Legend of the Luna introduces us to the Lunae, and to the character Leticia Gordon.Series Overview: It is said that the Wolf may howl at the Moon, but the Moon never howls at the Wolf.
In the gritty urban streets of Los Angeles in 1975, Leticia Gordon is forced to come to terms with many things: the tragic death of her stepmother and baby sister in a car accident, fear she’ll wind up in foster care, and the sudden revelation she belongs to a long line of powerful witches known as Lunae – who exhibit first power at menarche (first menstruation).
Running from foes natural and supernatural, will her new found powers be the turning point that elevates her position of honor, or will it destroy her like the dark forces that consumed her father? In a world turned upside down where time itself seems in flux, in whom can she trust?
Leticia “]'Tisha' Gordon, a thirteen year old girl living in Los Angeles in 1975. Tisha has been beleaguered by tragedy all of her young life. She has lost her father, her mother is in a mental hospital, and her stepmother has been raising her along with her three year old half sister. At the beginning of the story, a third tragedy strikes as she loses her stepmother and sister in a car accident and is threatened with the possibility of ending up in foster care. Under these devastating circumstances, she learns that she is endowed with powers, to look into the hearts of men and see their underlying motivations, as well as the potential to travel through time in the dreams of her ancestors because she comes from a long line of witches called the Lunae who are imbued with their power by the moon.
The Lunae do not begin to exhibit power until they enter puberty and experience the onset of menstruation, known as menarche.
Parents: The series includes mental illness, child neglect, adultery, bigamy, psychological abuse, death, murder, drug use and a drug overdose. Also talks about the protag starting her period.
Author Sumiko Saulson (zhe/they/their) is a Black and Jewish, Oakland, California-based poet, writer, author and artist whose primary focus is on horror and science fiction. Zhe was the 2016 recipient of the Horror Writer Association's Scholarship from Hell, and 2018 winner of the Afrosurrealist Writers Workshop Short Story Award.
My Amazon review:
This series of novellas (also available as a bind up "The Moon Cried Blood" in Kindle and paperback) opens with a powerful story of the legend of the Luna and the wolf and how Leticia Gordon navigates her transformation from a child to a woman. Complex and multilayered, this novella can be read again and again to pull out the nuances of Leticia's life and personal changes as she becomes one of the witches of the Lunae. Continues in the next novella, "Bloodlines."
Namina Forna
The Gilded Ones (3-Book Series) (Ages 12-17+ / Grades 7-12+)
“Namina Forna Could Be The Toni Morrison Of YA Fantasy.” –Refinery 29
“Fans of Children of Blood and Bone, Mulan, and the Dora Milaje from Black Panther are going to adore this one.” –BuzzFeed
"A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Must read!" –Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.
Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, Namina Forna moved to the US when she was nine, Currently based in Los Angeles, she travels between the two countries regularly.
The Gilded Ones (3-Book Series) (Ages 12-17+ / Grades 7-12+)
“Namina Forna Could Be The Toni Morrison Of YA Fantasy.” –Refinery 29
“Fans of Children of Blood and Bone, Mulan, and the Dora Milaje from Black Panther are going to adore this one.” –BuzzFeed
"A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Must read!" –Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.
Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, Namina Forna moved to the US when she was nine, Currently based in Los Angeles, she travels between the two countries regularly.
A.I. Newton (Author) / Anjan Sarkar (Illustrator)
The Alien Next Door (11 Book Series) (Grades 2 - 4+ / Ages 6 - 8+)
Zeke's just trying to fit in, but classmate Harris is onto him! Will Harris discover that Zeke is truly out of this world?-Read Book 1 in the bestselling Alien Next Door series.
Zeke the alien is on his way to his first day of school, feeling down because he has to start over again on a new planet, as his scientist parents constantly move to wherever their research takes them. When he gets to school, no one seems to notice anything strange or different about him except Harris, a kid obsessed with science fiction and aliens. Harris sees Zeke doing extraordinary things but can't convince anyone, least of all his best friend, Roxy, that Zeke might be an alien. Roxy just thinks Harris is jealous that she's becoming friends with Zeke. But when Roxy invites Zeke over to Harris's house, will Harris find a way to prove that he's right?
Parents: Great little book series -- eleven so far. A quick read for an adult. Fun! Protagonists are Black (Harris), the alien (Zeke), and their Latina friend Roxy.
Posted under Black, Mixed (cast of characters) and Non-Human & Alien
The Alien Next Door (11 Book Series) (Grades 2 - 4+ / Ages 6 - 8+)
Zeke's just trying to fit in, but classmate Harris is onto him! Will Harris discover that Zeke is truly out of this world?-Read Book 1 in the bestselling Alien Next Door series.
Zeke the alien is on his way to his first day of school, feeling down because he has to start over again on a new planet, as his scientist parents constantly move to wherever their research takes them. When he gets to school, no one seems to notice anything strange or different about him except Harris, a kid obsessed with science fiction and aliens. Harris sees Zeke doing extraordinary things but can't convince anyone, least of all his best friend, Roxy, that Zeke might be an alien. Roxy just thinks Harris is jealous that she's becoming friends with Zeke. But when Roxy invites Zeke over to Harris's house, will Harris find a way to prove that he's right?
Parents: Great little book series -- eleven so far. A quick read for an adult. Fun! Protagonists are Black (Harris), the alien (Zeke), and their Latina friend Roxy.
Posted under Black, Mixed (cast of characters) and Non-Human & Alien
Melissa Bashardoust
Girl, Serpent, Thorn (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9+)
Melissa Bashardoust's Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus Reviews) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.
“Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a deliciously lush fairy tale of a novel. I was swept away by Bashardoust’s prose and found myself losing track of time as I read, turning every page, sinking into her magnificent world, wishing it would never end. At its heart, it’s a book about a girl who may be monstrous claiming her own power, filled with twists and a fascinating queer romance that stole my own heart.” ―Patrice Caldwell, editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn: 16 Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope
Parents: Persian demons, fairy tale tropes turned on their heads, LGTBQI+ and difficult coming-of-age choices.
Author Melissa Bashardoust draws from her Persian heritage to write her fantasies and reimagined fairy tales. She received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She shares her Southern California home with her cat, Alice, and a large Jane Eyre collection.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9+)
Melissa Bashardoust's Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus Reviews) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.
“Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a deliciously lush fairy tale of a novel. I was swept away by Bashardoust’s prose and found myself losing track of time as I read, turning every page, sinking into her magnificent world, wishing it would never end. At its heart, it’s a book about a girl who may be monstrous claiming her own power, filled with twists and a fascinating queer romance that stole my own heart.” ―Patrice Caldwell, editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn: 16 Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope
Parents: Persian demons, fairy tale tropes turned on their heads, LGTBQI+ and difficult coming-of-age choices.
Author Melissa Bashardoust draws from her Persian heritage to write her fantasies and reimagined fairy tales. She received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She shares her Southern California home with her cat, Alice, and a large Jane Eyre collection.
Antoine Bandele
TJ Young & The Orishas (3 Book Series) (Ages 13+)
TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it… until now.
Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ’s world.
Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa—a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans.
But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the Orishas.
Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.
Parents: Per the author, minor language. Death. Grief. Recommended for upper middle school and lower high school levels.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Black author Antoine Bandele is a best-selling author in action adventure fantasy, dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, African American fantasy, and African literature on Amazon. Originally a Multimedia major at California State University Northridge, Bandele has his own YouTube channel. He, his girlfriend, and the cat still reside in L.A.
TJ Young & The Orishas (3 Book Series) (Ages 13+)
TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it… until now.
Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJ’s world.
Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosa—a remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans.
But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the Orishas.
Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas.
Parents: Per the author, minor language. Death. Grief. Recommended for upper middle school and lower high school levels.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Black author Antoine Bandele is a best-selling author in action adventure fantasy, dark fantasy, sword & sorcery, African American fantasy, and African literature on Amazon. Originally a Multimedia major at California State University Northridge, Bandele has his own YouTube channel. He, his girlfriend, and the cat still reside in L.A.
KG Blaettler
Georgina and the Ba'Asa Affair (Ages 13 to Adult)
Georgina finds herself sucked into the world of multidimensional corporate espionage when the Ba’Asa invite her to visit - by trying to kill her. As the bodies pile up, Georgina races through the surface and subsurface worlds of San Diego State University to discover the dark secrets of the Ba’Asa before the murderer, or the Interdimensional Protectors of All Species Officers, catch her.
Accompanied by her ever-annoying reality-impaired bodyguard George, Georgina searches for answers in this science-based urban fantasy.
Parents, there's some ewww factor (slime, bugs, other icky things) and a little PG-13 language, but nothing I wouldn't forbid my teen to read in this GREAT romp through San Diego and San Diego State University as Georgina works to solve the mysterious happenings that are upsetting the resident intergalactic/multidimensional community -- and a few humans too.
Cross-posted under Mixed (cast of characters) and Everybody Else
Georgina and the Ba'Asa Affair (Ages 13 to Adult)
Georgina finds herself sucked into the world of multidimensional corporate espionage when the Ba’Asa invite her to visit - by trying to kill her. As the bodies pile up, Georgina races through the surface and subsurface worlds of San Diego State University to discover the dark secrets of the Ba’Asa before the murderer, or the Interdimensional Protectors of All Species Officers, catch her.
Accompanied by her ever-annoying reality-impaired bodyguard George, Georgina searches for answers in this science-based urban fantasy.
Parents, there's some ewww factor (slime, bugs, other icky things) and a little PG-13 language, but nothing I wouldn't forbid my teen to read in this GREAT romp through San Diego and San Diego State University as Georgina works to solve the mysterious happenings that are upsetting the resident intergalactic/multidimensional community -- and a few humans too.
Cross-posted under Mixed (cast of characters) and Everybody Else
Alice Ivinya
Silent Melody: A Pied Piper Retelling (Songs of the Piper Book 1 of 2) (Ages 15+)
When the Pied Piper came, only three children remained. One was deaf and one was blind.
Being deaf meant life was hard for Adelaide in thirteenth century Germany. However, it also saved her from the Pied Piper's music. When the children were stolen, she was left behind.
Now she and her blind friend must risk everything to free the children trapped in an eternal dance. But to rescue them she must face the Heartless Queen, who will do anything to keep them, and survive her twisted games.
Adelaide finds she has no choice but to trust the man she should hate and hope he is not playing games of his own.
If she fails, the children will be lost forever.
Explore the fairytale world of Avia in this fast paced novel where deadly competitions meet glittering ball gowns, and you're never quite sure who to trust...
Written by the UK-based Christian fiction author Alice Ivinya, this retelling of the Pied Piper tale is promoted as a "clean read" so parents should have no worries about language or sex scenes. The protagonist is deaf.
Silent Melody: A Pied Piper Retelling (Songs of the Piper Book 1 of 2) (Ages 15+)
When the Pied Piper came, only three children remained. One was deaf and one was blind.
Being deaf meant life was hard for Adelaide in thirteenth century Germany. However, it also saved her from the Pied Piper's music. When the children were stolen, she was left behind.
Now she and her blind friend must risk everything to free the children trapped in an eternal dance. But to rescue them she must face the Heartless Queen, who will do anything to keep them, and survive her twisted games.
Adelaide finds she has no choice but to trust the man she should hate and hope he is not playing games of his own.
If she fails, the children will be lost forever.
Explore the fairytale world of Avia in this fast paced novel where deadly competitions meet glittering ball gowns, and you're never quite sure who to trust...
Written by the UK-based Christian fiction author Alice Ivinya, this retelling of the Pied Piper tale is promoted as a "clean read" so parents should have no worries about language or sex scenes. The protagonist is deaf.
B. B. Alston
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations - 3 Book Series) (Ages 9-13+ / Grades 3-7)
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Author B. B. Alston lives in Lexington, SC. He was inspired to write his middle grade fantasy because he was unable to find fantasy stories featuring Black kids that looked like him when he was growing up. His bio reveals that he entertained his middle school classmates with horror stories. Not all of the class (in the story) survived.
Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations - 3 Book Series) (Ages 9-13+ / Grades 3-7)
Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Author B. B. Alston lives in Lexington, SC. He was inspired to write his middle grade fantasy because he was unable to find fantasy stories featuring Black kids that looked like him when he was growing up. His bio reveals that he entertained his middle school classmates with horror stories. Not all of the class (in the story) survived.
Darcie Little Badger
Elatsoe (Grades 7+ / Ages 13+)
Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.
There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.
Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.
"Darcie Little Badger is an extraordinary debut talent in the world of speculative fiction. We have paired her with her artistic match, illustrator Rovina Cai. This is a book singular in feeling and beauty."
Sheine Lende: A Prequel to Elatsoe
Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can't afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood - and the loss of Shane's father and her grandparents. They don't think they'll ever get their home back.
Then Shane's mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent - who isn't to be trusted - set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world - or this place in time.
Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.
Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe launched her career and in the years since has become a beloved favorite. This prequel to Elatsoe, centered on Ellie's grandmother, deepens and expands Darcie's one-of-a-kind world and introduces us to another cast of characters that will wend their way around readers' hearts.
Parents: North American spirituality/mythology mixed with European fantasy/mythology, some strong language.
Darcie Little Badger is an Earth scientist, writer, and fan of the weird, beautiful, and haunting. She is an enrolled member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.
(Note: The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas is a state-recognized tribe and incorporated as a 501(c)3 corporation. While the website states that they have applied for federal recognition, the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas sent a letter of intent to file a petition for federal recognition on February 22, 2011. They have not yet filed a petition for federal recognition as a Native American tribe.)
Elatsoe (Grades 7+ / Ages 13+)
Imagine an America very similar to our own. It's got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream.
There are some differences. This America been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day.
Elatsoe lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect facade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.
"Darcie Little Badger is an extraordinary debut talent in the world of speculative fiction. We have paired her with her artistic match, illustrator Rovina Cai. This is a book singular in feeling and beauty."
Sheine Lende: A Prequel to Elatsoe
Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can't afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood - and the loss of Shane's father and her grandparents. They don't think they'll ever get their home back.
Then Shane's mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent - who isn't to be trusted - set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world - or this place in time.
Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.
Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe launched her career and in the years since has become a beloved favorite. This prequel to Elatsoe, centered on Ellie's grandmother, deepens and expands Darcie's one-of-a-kind world and introduces us to another cast of characters that will wend their way around readers' hearts.
Parents: North American spirituality/mythology mixed with European fantasy/mythology, some strong language.
Darcie Little Badger is an Earth scientist, writer, and fan of the weird, beautiful, and haunting. She is an enrolled member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.
(Note: The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas is a state-recognized tribe and incorporated as a 501(c)3 corporation. While the website states that they have applied for federal recognition, the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas sent a letter of intent to file a petition for federal recognition on February 22, 2011. They have not yet filed a petition for federal recognition as a Native American tribe.)
Tim Tingle
How I Became A Ghost — A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story (Book 1 in How I Became A Ghost) (Ages 9-12+ / Grades 4-7+)
Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, HOW I BECAME A GHOST is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy.
From the book's opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and Isaac s talking dog, Jumper.
The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.
How I Became A Ghost — A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story (Book 1 in How I Became A Ghost) (Ages 9-12+ / Grades 4-7+)
Told in the words of Isaac, a Choctaw boy who does not survive the Trail of Tears, HOW I BECAME A GHOST is a tale of innocence and resilience in the face of tragedy.
From the book's opening line, "Maybe you have never read a book written by a ghost before," the reader is put on notice that this is no normal book. Isaac leads a remarkable foursome of Choctaw comrades: a tough-minded teenage girl, a shape-shifting panther boy, a lovable five-year-old ghost who only wants her mom and dad to be happy, and Isaac s talking dog, Jumper.
The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.
When a Ghost Talks, Listen (How I Became a Ghost) (Ages 9-12+ / Grades 4-7+)
Ten-year-old Isaac, now a ghost, continues with his people as they walk the Choctaw Trail of Tears headed to Indian Territory in what will one day become Oklahoma. There have been surprises aplenty on their trek, but now Isaac and his three Choctaw comrades learn they can time travel--making for an unexpected adventure. The foursome heads back in time to Washington, D.C., to bear witness for Choctaw Chief Pushmataha who has come to the nation's capital at the invitation of his dear friend Andrew Jackson.
You cannot blame the people before you for mistakes their ancestors made, Chief Pushmataha tells the little band. In doing so, the general makes a powerful and timeless lesson, one made more so as the reader travels from graveyards to boarding schools, from 1824 to 2018, experiencing firsthand the joy of never leaving.
Tim Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His great-great-grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835 and in the 1900s, his paternal grandmother attended the infamous Indian boarding schools. Tingle began collecting tribal stories in the early 90s.
Ten-year-old Isaac, now a ghost, continues with his people as they walk the Choctaw Trail of Tears headed to Indian Territory in what will one day become Oklahoma. There have been surprises aplenty on their trek, but now Isaac and his three Choctaw comrades learn they can time travel--making for an unexpected adventure. The foursome heads back in time to Washington, D.C., to bear witness for Choctaw Chief Pushmataha who has come to the nation's capital at the invitation of his dear friend Andrew Jackson.
You cannot blame the people before you for mistakes their ancestors made, Chief Pushmataha tells the little band. In doing so, the general makes a powerful and timeless lesson, one made more so as the reader travels from graveyards to boarding schools, from 1824 to 2018, experiencing firsthand the joy of never leaving.
Tim Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. His great-great-grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835 and in the 1900s, his paternal grandmother attended the infamous Indian boarding schools. Tingle began collecting tribal stories in the early 90s.
Romina Garber
Lobizona: A Novel (Wolves of No World (1)) (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
"Garber’s gorgeous novel combines the wonder of a Hogwarts-style magic school with the Twilight-esque dynamics of a hidden magical species that has strict rules about interacting with the human world." - BOOKLIST (Starred Review)
Some people ARE illegal.
Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past―a mysterious "Z" emblem―which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
Parents: There's some violence, language, sexual content (consensual and otherwise), bullying, social commentary and Argentine folklore.
Author Romina Garber is originally from Argentina. A graduate of Harvard College, she is a Virgo to the core. You can visit Garber at her website: www.rominagarber.com.
Lobizona: A Novel (Wolves of No World (1)) (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
"Garber’s gorgeous novel combines the wonder of a Hogwarts-style magic school with the Twilight-esque dynamics of a hidden magical species that has strict rules about interacting with the human world." - BOOKLIST (Starred Review)
Some people ARE illegal.
Lobizonas do NOT exist.
Both of these statements are false.
Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.
Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.
Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past―a mysterious "Z" emblem―which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.
As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.
Parents: There's some violence, language, sexual content (consensual and otherwise), bullying, social commentary and Argentine folklore.
Author Romina Garber is originally from Argentina. A graduate of Harvard College, she is a Virgo to the core. You can visit Garber at her website: www.rominagarber.com.
Eden Robinson
Son of a Trickster (Ages 16+)
Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize: With striking originality and precision, Eden Robinson, the author of the classic Monkey Beach and winner of the Writers’ Trust of Canada Fellowship, blends humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel. Everyday teen existence meets indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics, and cannibalistic river otters . . . The exciting first novel in her trickster trilogy.
"Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead.
"Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat...and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned.
"You think you know Jared, but you don't."
Find the rest of the trilogy and more books by Robinson on the Native American page.
Eden Robinson is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations of British Columbia.
Parents, this book came highly recommended by a Canadian friend and author. Still, it has difficult situations, drug use, dysfunctional families, strong language and the dog dies (humanely).
Son of a Trickster (Ages 16+)
Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize: With striking originality and precision, Eden Robinson, the author of the classic Monkey Beach and winner of the Writers’ Trust of Canada Fellowship, blends humour with heartbreak in this compelling coming-of-age novel. Everyday teen existence meets indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics, and cannibalistic river otters . . . The exciting first novel in her trickster trilogy.
"Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby)--and now she's dead.
"Jared can't count on his mom to stay sober and stick around to take care of him. He can't rely on his dad to pay the bills and support his new wife and step-daughter. Jared is only sixteen but feels like he is the one who must stabilize his family's life, even look out for his elderly neighbours. But he struggles to keep everything afloat...and sometimes he blacks out. And he puzzles over why his maternal grandmother has never liked him, why she says he's the son of a trickster, that he isn't human. Mind you, ravens speak to him--even when he's not stoned.
"You think you know Jared, but you don't."
Find the rest of the trilogy and more books by Robinson on the Native American page.
Eden Robinson is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations of British Columbia.
Parents, this book came highly recommended by a Canadian friend and author. Still, it has difficult situations, drug use, dysfunctional families, strong language and the dog dies (humanely).
Alisa Krasnostein (Editor) & Julia Rios (Editor)
Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories (Ages 13+)
What do a disabled superhero, a time-traveling Chinese-American figure skater, and a transgender animal shifter have in common? They're all stars of Kaleidoscope stories! Kaleidoscope collects fun, edgy, meditative, and hopeful YA science fiction and fantasy with diverse leads. These twenty original stories tell of scary futures, magical adventures, and the joys and heartbreaks of teenage life.
Featuring New York Times bestselling and award winning authors along with newer voices: Garth Nix, Sofia Samatar, William Alexander, Karen Healey, E.C. Myers, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Ken Liu, Vylar Kaftan, Sean Williams, Amal El-Mohtar, Jim C. Hines, Faith Mudge, John Chu, Alena McNamara, Tim Susman, Gabriela Lee, Dirk Flinthart, Holly Kench, Sean Eads, and Shveta Thakrar
Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories (Ages 13+)
What do a disabled superhero, a time-traveling Chinese-American figure skater, and a transgender animal shifter have in common? They're all stars of Kaleidoscope stories! Kaleidoscope collects fun, edgy, meditative, and hopeful YA science fiction and fantasy with diverse leads. These twenty original stories tell of scary futures, magical adventures, and the joys and heartbreaks of teenage life.
Featuring New York Times bestselling and award winning authors along with newer voices: Garth Nix, Sofia Samatar, William Alexander, Karen Healey, E.C. Myers, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Ken Liu, Vylar Kaftan, Sean Williams, Amal El-Mohtar, Jim C. Hines, Faith Mudge, John Chu, Alena McNamara, Tim Susman, Gabriela Lee, Dirk Flinthart, Holly Kench, Sean Eads, and Shveta Thakrar
Anna-Marie Mclemore
When the Moon Was Ours (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
From the author of The Weight of Feathers comes a young adult novel about a girl hiding the truth, a boy with secrets from his past, and four sisters who could ruin them both.
Recipient of a Stonewall Honor and longlisted for the National Book Award, McLemore delivers a second stunning and utterly romantic novel, again tinged with magic.
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
Atmospheric, dynamic, and packed with gorgeous prose, When the Moon Was Ours is another winner from this talented author.
Cross posted in LGBTQI, Asian & Pacific Islander and Latinx/Hispanic
Parents: Contains transgender characters, gender identities, and scenes of transphobia, possible self harm and child abuse
When the Moon Was Ours (Ages 12-18+ / Grades 7-9)
From the author of The Weight of Feathers comes a young adult novel about a girl hiding the truth, a boy with secrets from his past, and four sisters who could ruin them both.
Recipient of a Stonewall Honor and longlisted for the National Book Award, McLemore delivers a second stunning and utterly romantic novel, again tinged with magic.
To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
Atmospheric, dynamic, and packed with gorgeous prose, When the Moon Was Ours is another winner from this talented author.
Cross posted in LGBTQI, Asian & Pacific Islander and Latinx/Hispanic
Parents: Contains transgender characters, gender identities, and scenes of transphobia, possible self harm and child abuse
Adam Gidwitz (Author) / Hatem Aly (Illustrator)
The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society) (Ages 7-10 / Grades 2-5)
Unicorns are real. (At least we think they are.)
Are you ready to protect the creatures of myth and legend? Then you belong in The Unicorn Rescue Society. HURRY–THE CREATURES NEED YOU!
Elliot Eisner isn't exactly thrilled with the first day at his new school. His class is going on a field trip to a creepy forest called the Pine Barrens. The trip is being led by Professor Fauna, the weirdest teacher
Elliot has ever met. And the only kid who will talk to Elliot, Uchenna Devereaux, isn’t afraid of danger. She likes danger.
Elliot and Uchenna are about to become part of a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world’s mythical creatures. Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers.
Join Elliot and Uchenna on their very first quest as members of the Unicorn Rescue Society in this fantasy-adventure series from Adam Gidwitz, the beloved bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitors Tale and A Tale Dark & Grimm.
Illustrated throughout, this is the perfect fit for newly independent readers looking for a story full of adventure, fun, and friendship.
The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society) (Ages 7-10 / Grades 2-5)
Unicorns are real. (At least we think they are.)
Are you ready to protect the creatures of myth and legend? Then you belong in The Unicorn Rescue Society. HURRY–THE CREATURES NEED YOU!
Elliot Eisner isn't exactly thrilled with the first day at his new school. His class is going on a field trip to a creepy forest called the Pine Barrens. The trip is being led by Professor Fauna, the weirdest teacher
Elliot has ever met. And the only kid who will talk to Elliot, Uchenna Devereaux, isn’t afraid of danger. She likes danger.
Elliot and Uchenna are about to become part of a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world’s mythical creatures. Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers.
Join Elliot and Uchenna on their very first quest as members of the Unicorn Rescue Society in this fantasy-adventure series from Adam Gidwitz, the beloved bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitors Tale and A Tale Dark & Grimm.
Illustrated throughout, this is the perfect fit for newly independent readers looking for a story full of adventure, fun, and friendship.
Natasha Ngan
Girls of Paper and Fire (Ages 16+)
Uncover a riveting story of palace intrigue set in a sumptuous Asian-inspired fantasy world in the breakout YA novel that Publisher's Weekly calls 'elegant and adrenaline-soaked.'
In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.
Find more of the series on the Asian/Pacific Islander and LGBTQ pages.
Parents: Language, violence, caste system, trigger warnings of abuse and rape. Features a female-to-female romance. This series is cross-posted on the Asian & Pacific Islander and LGBTQ pages.
Natasha Ngan grew up between Malaysia and the UK. She is Chinese and white.
Girls of Paper and Fire (Ages 16+)
Uncover a riveting story of palace intrigue set in a sumptuous Asian-inspired fantasy world in the breakout YA novel that Publisher's Weekly calls 'elegant and adrenaline-soaked.'
In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest.
Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.
Find more of the series on the Asian/Pacific Islander and LGBTQ pages.
Parents: Language, violence, caste system, trigger warnings of abuse and rape. Features a female-to-female romance. This series is cross-posted on the Asian & Pacific Islander and LGBTQ pages.
Natasha Ngan grew up between Malaysia and the UK. She is Chinese and white.
Victoria Lee
The Fever King (Feverwake) (Ages 16+)
"In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.
"The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.
"Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good." Parents, the book is set in a post-nuclear dystopian world and features an undocumented bisexual Latiné-Jewish protagonist.
The Fever King (Feverwake) (Ages 16+)
"In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia.
"The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.
"Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good." Parents, the book is set in a post-nuclear dystopian world and features an undocumented bisexual Latiné-Jewish protagonist.
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Jeannie Lin
Gunpowder Alchemy (The Gunpowder Chronicles) (Volume 1) (Ages 16+) "In 1842, the gunpowder might of China's Qing Dynasty fell to Britain's steam engines. Furious, the Emperor ordered the death of his engineers, eliminating China's best chance of fighting back. "Since her father's execution eight years ago, Jin Soling has kept her family from falling apart. With her mother addicted to opium and her younger brother in danger of being sent off to the factories, Soling has no choice but to sell off the last of her father's possessions. Unwittingly, her actions bring her to the attention of the imperial court--the same court that betrayed her father. "The Crown Prince has launched a secret mission to bring together the remnants of the former Ministry of Science. To restore her family's name, Soling must track down the rebel alchemist who holds the key to powering the imperial fleet. Her only ally is a man she's just met--the engineer with a mysterious past who was once meant to be her husband..." Amazon Link Barnes and Noble Link See more of the series on the "Asian" page |
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Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality, Translated from the Original Maya Text by Allen J. Christenson (Translator) (Grades 9+ / Ages 16+)
"The Popol Vuh is the most important example of Maya literature to have survived the Spanish conquest. It is also one of the world’s great creation accounts, comparable to the beauty and power of Genesis.
"Most previous translations have relied on Spanish versions rather than the original K’iche’-Maya text. Based on ten years of research by a leading scholar of Maya literature, this translation with extensive notes is uniquely faithful to the original language. Retaining the poetic style of the original text, the translation is also remarkably accessible to English readers.
"Illustrated with more than eighty drawings, photographs, and maps, Allen J. Christenson’s authoritative version brings out the richness and elegance of this sublime work of literature, comparable to such epic masterpieces as the Ramayana and Mahabharata of India or the Iliad and Odyssey of Greece."
Not a science fiction or fantasy story per se, but an important translation of the K’iche’-Maya creation story. In my opinion, if your child is old enough to read the Bible, then he/she is old enough to read this wonderful translation of Mayan literature. RDJ
"The Popol Vuh is the most important example of Maya literature to have survived the Spanish conquest. It is also one of the world’s great creation accounts, comparable to the beauty and power of Genesis.
"Most previous translations have relied on Spanish versions rather than the original K’iche’-Maya text. Based on ten years of research by a leading scholar of Maya literature, this translation with extensive notes is uniquely faithful to the original language. Retaining the poetic style of the original text, the translation is also remarkably accessible to English readers.
"Illustrated with more than eighty drawings, photographs, and maps, Allen J. Christenson’s authoritative version brings out the richness and elegance of this sublime work of literature, comparable to such epic masterpieces as the Ramayana and Mahabharata of India or the Iliad and Odyssey of Greece."
Not a science fiction or fantasy story per se, but an important translation of the K’iche’-Maya creation story. In my opinion, if your child is old enough to read the Bible, then he/she is old enough to read this wonderful translation of Mayan literature. RDJ
Anna Meriano / Mirelle Ortega (Illustrator)
Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"'A charming and delectably sweet debut. Mischief, friendship, and a whole lot of heart—Love Sugar Magic has it all.' —Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series
"Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.
"Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake.
"Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet.
"And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong?
"Debut author Anna Meriano brings us the first book in a delightful new series filled to the brim with amor, azúcar, y magia."
Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"'A charming and delectably sweet debut. Mischief, friendship, and a whole lot of heart—Love Sugar Magic has it all.' —Zoraida Córdova, award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series
"Leonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.
"Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young. Sneaking out of school and down to the bakery, she discovers that her mother, aunt, and four older sisters have in fact been keeping a big secret: they’re brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry—who pour a little bit of sweet magic into everything that they bake.
"Leo knows that she has magical ability as well and is more determined than ever to join the family business—even if she can’t let her mama and hermanas know about it yet.
"And when her best friend, Caroline, has a problem that needs solving, Leo has the perfect opportunity to try out her craft. It’s just one little spell, after all…what could possibly go wrong?
"Debut author Anna Meriano brings us the first book in a delightful new series filled to the brim with amor, azúcar, y magia."
Karuna Riazi
The Gauntlet (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.
"Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet…
"It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fashioned board game, she thought it looked…elegant.
"It is made of wood, etched with exquisite images—a palace with domes and turrets, lattice-work windows that cast eerie shadows, a large spider—and at the very center of its cover, in broad letters, is written: The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand.
"The Gauntlet is more than a game, though. It is the most ancient, the most dangerous kind of magic. It holds worlds inside worlds. And it takes players as prisoners."
The Gauntlet (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.
"Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet…
"It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fashioned board game, she thought it looked…elegant.
"It is made of wood, etched with exquisite images—a palace with domes and turrets, lattice-work windows that cast eerie shadows, a large spider—and at the very center of its cover, in broad letters, is written: The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand.
"The Gauntlet is more than a game, though. It is the most ancient, the most dangerous kind of magic. It holds worlds inside worlds. And it takes players as prisoners."
Ellen Oh
Spirit Hunters (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh returns with Spirit Hunters, a high-stakes middle grade mystery series about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother.
"A riveting ghost story and captivating adventure, this tale will have you guessing at every turn!
"Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely.
"The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?"
Parents, this is a middle grade mystery/horror story, so expect some creepiness appropriate for tweens. The main character is Korean and there's a mixed cast of characters.
Spirit Hunters (Grades 3-7 / Ages 8-12)
"We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh returns with Spirit Hunters, a high-stakes middle grade mystery series about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother.
"A riveting ghost story and captivating adventure, this tale will have you guessing at every turn!
"Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely.
"The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?"
Parents, this is a middle grade mystery/horror story, so expect some creepiness appropriate for tweens. The main character is Korean and there's a mixed cast of characters.
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Sloane Leong
Prism Stalker (Volume 1) (Ages 13+) "Far from the border of colonized space, a newly discovered planet teems violently with strange psychic life and puzzling telekinetic ecology. "Vep, a refugee raised away from her devastated home planet as an indentured citizen in a foreign colony, is taken by a private military firm to assist in settling the new planet. What awaits her will test the limits of her will as she grapples with the strange power the planet exerts over her... "Collects PRISM STALKER #1-5 COMPARISON TITLES If you like Sailor Moon and Cronenberg-esque sci-fi, you’ll love PRISM STALKER!" To purchase Prism Stalker, visit your local comic book store or purchase online HERE. |
Click HERE to purchase
Prism Stalker |
RE de Jauregui
Bitter (Ages 16+)
NOTE: Shameless plug here for my own book.
Shadows slink through the night in Alkali Flat as homicide detective Juanita Bitter investigates murders most foul. But when a Dispatcher's body is found in the stairwell of the police department, Bitter is forced into a case where everyone is a suspect—especially her fellow officers. Worse, that same Dispatcher had managed to put Bitter in the hospital a few days earlier…
When the sun goes down, the strange, exotic, and magical emerges in Bitter's Sacramento. And if something hisses at her from a dark alley, it may not be a stray cat.
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The short story, Bitter Blood, introduces Bitter and her world―down the street, around the corner, and one dimension over from the "real" Sacramento.
Bitter Nights picks up the continuing story of Bitter a few months later. Murder, monsters, and mayhem―crime meets urban fantasy and Bitter must solve the case before someone else dies.
Bitter (Ages 16+)
NOTE: Shameless plug here for my own book.
Shadows slink through the night in Alkali Flat as homicide detective Juanita Bitter investigates murders most foul. But when a Dispatcher's body is found in the stairwell of the police department, Bitter is forced into a case where everyone is a suspect—especially her fellow officers. Worse, that same Dispatcher had managed to put Bitter in the hospital a few days earlier…
When the sun goes down, the strange, exotic, and magical emerges in Bitter's Sacramento. And if something hisses at her from a dark alley, it may not be a stray cat.
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The short story, Bitter Blood, introduces Bitter and her world―down the street, around the corner, and one dimension over from the "real" Sacramento.
Bitter Nights picks up the continuing story of Bitter a few months later. Murder, monsters, and mayhem―crime meets urban fantasy and Bitter must solve the case before someone else dies.
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