Barron, T. A. 1996. The lost years of Merlin. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group.

When 12-year old Emrys washes up on a beach in Wales, he cannot remember his name, his parents or anything about his past. As he explores his surroundings, he finds and helps rescue Branwyn, a witch who takes him in and claims to be his mother, although her secretiveness and refusal to tell Emrys about her past and his own makes him disbelieve her claim. As Emrys grows, he begins to discover the immense powers that he has. When he uses his powers to defend Branwyn and then runs into the resulting inferno to rescue his enemy, not only his appearance, but also his life are forever changed. Emrys, blinded by the same fire that damaged his face, begins to discover and use his second sight and leaves the only home he remembers to go to the land of Fincayra. In Fincayra, Emrys meets new friends, explores his deepening powers, is challenged to save the land, and comes to discover his true name, the one that is recorded in history—Merlin. Barron’s creation of the land of Fincayra is so beautifully depicted that readers will find themselves using their own second sight in order to join the young Merlin on his quest. The journey is filled with adventure, magic, and Merlin’s strength of will which makes him determined never to use his powers again. The fictitious land of Fincayra will draw readers in and keep them coming back to continue the adventure and discover new worlds and new powers.

Smith, Jeff. 2005. Bone: out from boneville. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

In this first volume in a nine-volume graphic novel set, Fone Bone, Smiley Bone, and Phoney Bone are run out of Boneville for cheating the citizens. Along the way, the three cousins are separated, as they fall into a mysterious valley where all sorts of strange and exotic creatures live. Fone Bone, the cousin with whom we spend the most time in this installment, finds friends and acceptance with his winning personality. Smith uses clever witticisms and almost slapstick humor as the Bone cousins attempt to begin a new life outside their home. The bold lines and detailed backgrounds will delight older readers, but the plot of the story may prove to be too mature for younger readers. These older readers will enjoy the humor and plot of the story, and will anxiously await the next installment, where they can be reunited with an appealing cast of characters who work together to tell an entertaining story full of greed, friendship, and struggle.

Colfer, Eoin. 2001. Artemis Fowl. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Artemis Fowl is twelve years old. He is also the heir to a multi-million dollar empire, made by his father through nefarious means. The Fowl family fortune is rapidly dwindling due to the disappearance of Artemis’ father and the questionable sanity of his mother since the disappearance. Determined to add to the family’s dwindling fortune through fair means or fowl, Artemis discovers proof of the existence of the People—fairies, leprechauns, and trolls, along with other unbelievable creatures. Artemis uses his extreme intelligence, to trick a drunken fairy into showing him “the Book” which details all the laws, strengths, and weaknesses of the People. After decoding the symbols and language in “the Book”, Artemis uses his new knowledge to kidnap Captain Holly Short, an undercover agent for the LEPrecon division of the Lower Elements Police. Holly’s kidnapping sets in motion a series of events that will delight readers of all ages. Readers will admire Fowl’s ability to stay one-step-ahead of the fairies throughout their rescue attempts, and will cheer when Fowl is finally discomfited by incidents, including a dwarf who unhinges his jaw in order to eat earth (and expel it rather forcefully from the other end), and fairies who are unafraid to use whatever means are at their disposal in order to gain their freedom. Although Artemis Fowl is not a sympathetic character, readers will find themselves identifying with his worry over his absent father and his attempts to understand and support his ailing mother. Artemis Fowl provides readers with fantastical creatures, scientific gadgets, and most of all, active imaginations that will encourage them to continue, along with Artemis Fowl through all of his adventures.

Sage, Angie. Illustrated by Mark Zug. 2005. Magyk. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books.

When the seventh son of a seventh son is born, events are set in motion that begin a saga that will thrill readers of all ages. Septimus Heap, on the evening of his birth is carried away by the midwife and presumed dead by his family and their wizard friends. When Silas Heap, Septimus’ father finds a young baby girl while walking in the forest, he takes her home and baby Jenna becomes part of the Heap family. Ten years later, others discover the secret that Silas and Sarah Heap have known from the beginning—Jenna is the daughter of the assassinated queen and those that killed her mother are determined to do the same to Jenna. The family separates and flees from their home. Jenna, along with others in her family, the ExtraOrdinary Wizard, and an army guard known as Boy 412 hide in the Marrow Marshes, where they meet fantastic creatures, some who want to help and others who don’t. Throughout Sage’s first story in this fantasy series, characters face danger and self-doubt as they discover who they thought they were and who they plan to become. Readers will thrill at both the expected and unexpected plot twists as they enjoy Zug’s clever pen and ink drawings that bring a new fantastical world to life.

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1998. Among the hidden. New York: Simon & Shuster.

Luke has never disobeyed his parents’ command to come inside the house. Nor has Luke ever seen or been seen by anyone outside his family. Luke is a third child in a time where third children are not allowed. The year is 3903, and the government has passed the Population Law—a law that forbids families to have more than two children. Supposedly, the law was passed to ensure that there would be enough food for everyone. Luke had always been allowed to play in the woods behind his house, until the day that the government destroys the forest in order to build mansions for the barons, the elite class of the world. Since that day, Luke is forced to stay inside, away from windows and doors, and is even unable to eat at the table with his family. If his family is discovered, the punishment is five-million dollars or execution, depending on the mood of the judge. When Luke spies a face in the window of one of the baron mansions—a mansion owned by a family who already has two children, he realizes that he is not alone. In fact, there is an entire network of Shadow Children—children who are not supposed to exist, but do. Through his developing friendship with Jen, the girl he saw in the window, Luke is pushed to determine his own reality and to do something to end his life of hiding and be allowed to live life as a normal child. Haddix’s chilling and emotional beginning to a series of books about a future that is incomprehensible will thrill readers and will leave them anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next installment in the Shadow Children series.

Pullman, Philip. 2001. The golden compass. New York: Random House Children’s Books.

Pullman has created a world that mirrors our own with one significant difference. Every person is paired with a daemon, an animalistic alter-ego that is able to communicate with their human and changes shape until their human reaches adulthood. Lyra Belacqua considers herself lucky to live in this world where she resides at Jordon College in the care of her often absent uncle, Lord Asriel. Tutored by the many scholars who also reside at the college, Lyra finds herself bored with lessons, yet entertained by her avid curiosity which leads her and her best friend, Roger through many adventures, which are all steps along the road to Lyra’s ultimate destiny—one which she does not and cannot know about. Lyra becomes very concerned about the disappearance of her friend Roger, whose disappearance like that of other children is blamed on a group of people known only as “the Gobblers”. These Gobblers take children as subjects for unknown experiments, and the children are never seen again. When Lyra’s uncle also disappears, she is given an artifact by the master of Jordon College, and is put into the care of Mrs. Coulter, a fascinating and beautiful woman who wants Lyra to act as her assistant. When Lyra discovers that Mrs. Coulter is part of the Gobblers, she runs away and goes North with the nomadic gyptians to rescue her friend, her uncle, and other children who have been taken. Lyra’s journey brings her into contact with witch clans, an armored bear, a Texan who flies a hot air balloon, and Dust, a material that reacts with certain humans, and is also suspected to transport people to alternate universes. Lyra’s journey is fraught with discovery of self, family, and her past. Her growing ability to read the alethiometer, the artifact that will answer any question truthfully if only she can learn to read it makes her a heroine for readers of all ages and genders. Pullman has written the first in a series that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next book before they have even finished the first.