Breadcrumbs
By: Anne Ursu
Reviewer: Christopher Schiemann
Grade Level: 3-6
Reading Level: 5.5
This is a good fantasy book for readers who aren't normally fans of fantasy. Anne Ursu divides the book into two parts, and combines realistic fiction in the first section with the fantasy of the second section. You may relate to the two main characters, Hazel and Jack, as they go through the normal 5th grade changes of school. They were best friends, but drifted apart as they grew older this particular school year. Hazel is dealing with many changes in her life especially: her parents divorced, she had to change schools, and handling her identity as an adopted girl from India in a predominantly white school in Minnesota. One day, she threw a snowball that hit Jack. Except, this snowball had a magical piece of glass in it that injured his eye and caused him to change. When Jack disappears from school and the neighborhood, Hazel heads into the enchanted woods to find her best friend. Along the way, she meets strange people and creatures, she must determine if they are good or evil, and she must find the Snow Queen in order to find Jack. Hazel learns a lot about herself during this journey.
Empty
By: Suzanne Weyn
Grade Level: 5-8
Reading Level: 5.1
From the Publisher: A dystopic look at what happens to one American town when all the fossil fuels run out... It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be. Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.
Ghostopolis
By: Doug TenNaple
Grade Level: 5-8
Reading Level: 4.1
From the Publisher: A page-turning adventure of a boy's journey to the land of ghosts and back. Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
Mistress of the Storm
By: M.L. Welsh
Grade Level: 3-6
Reading Level: 5.8
From the Publisher: Verity Gallant is a lonely little girl who doesn't quite fit in. But when a mysterious stranger hands her an ancient book, everything changes. Suddenly it's up to her to solve the riddle of an ancient pledge and protect her family from the evil Mistress of the Storm. What hope does she have against a witch so powerful she can control the wind and create storms at will? Luckily, Verity does not have to face her enemy alone. As events begin to spiral out of control, she finds two loyal and steadfast friends to stand by her side. The Storm is coming. And it will change Verity's life forever. From the Hardcover edition.