The Seven Professors of the Far North/The Flight of the Silver Turtle (Sequel)--John Fardell
*RA Genre: Adventure/Sci-fi Summary: Sam is thrilled when he gets to spend his vacation with his parents' old friend Professor Ampersand and his niece and nephew Zara and Ben. Sam, a budding inventor himself, is fascinated by the Professor's odd assortment of crazy inventions. His vacation is cut short, however, when the professor and several of his friends are kidnapped, and it's up to three kids to get them back. Other: These are fun, quirky books, with unique characters and crazy adventures. My family enjoyed them. (Ages 9+) ~Amy
A Wrinkle in Time--Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi Summary: Meg feels at odds with the world. She thinks she's ugly and doesn't get along with the people at school, especially when she feels they are rudely thinking about her absentee father. She's a math whiz but hates other subjects and vehemently discourages people from picking on her talented younger brother Charles Wallace, often with her fists. Then one day a stranger comes to her house at night; little does she know that an adventure like no other is soon to begin. It will pit her, Charles Wallace, and her new found friend Calvin against strange creatures, different planets and dimensions, darkness, and an otherwordly city. It will take all of their talents and then some to overcome evil and get them out alive. Other: This book was very interesting and enjoyable despite its tendency toward weirdness. The city controlled by the evil "It" creature reflect a view of a "perfect," controlled society. Meg, Charles, and Calvin are very well-drawn characters, and the story is exciting enough to keep one's constant attention. It won the 1963 Newbery Award. (Ages 9+) ~Amy
Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper--Michael Reisman
Genre: Sci-fi Summary: Simon Bloom is an average 11 year old, nothing special, ignored by teachers and bullies alike. The only thing extraordinary about him is his hyperactive imagination, in which he sees himself defying gravity and flying around in space, but of course, it's all in his mind. What if it isn't though? What if the laws of science are all held in several Books? When an uprising causes enough disturbance in the ranks of the Union to have one fall directly onto Simon's head one day (along with the vacuum cleaner smell of time/space ripping open), he suddenly finds himself in possession of a very powerful old relic. Now he has all the properties of physics in his hands, a couple friends to share his new powers with, and enraged, superpowered bad guys who'll stop at nothing to get the Book of Physics back. Saving the universe from chaos is not going to be easy. Other: This is a fast-paced book with a mixture of wizard-ish, superhero-ish, and science-ish feeling integrated into a very much science fiction story. The characters are fun, and it's good for a quick, light-hearted read. (Ages 10+) ~Amy
Double Identity--Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Sci-fi Summary: Bethany's parents are acting strangely, and she doesn't know why. They've always been unique; for one thing, they are older than all the parents of the kids at school. Then all of a sudden, they pick up, leave her at an unknown aunt's house, and drive away. In her aunt's town, everybody gives her strange looks, and she puzzles about the mysterious "Elizabeth" that she overheard her parents talking about. The truth is shocking, and the intensity of its impact on Bethany's state of mind will depend on her acceptance of the fact that she must learn to face. Other: I was a little wary of this book at first because of the slight sci-fi-ish content (I don't want to spoil the story by saying exactly what), but my friend said it was good. Consequently, I tried it, and I'm glad I did. Although it's a little sad, I think it's definitely worth a read. Interesting and fairly thought-provoking. (Ages 11+) ~Amy
Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25--(Series) Richard Paul Evans
Genre: Sci-fi Action Summary: Michael Vey is a fourteen-about-to-turn-fifteen year old with a secret. He can release electricity, much like an electric eel. Unfortunately, he's not allowed to show anyone that he has powers, resulting in constant, brutal bullying. He puts up with it though, usually. But when he finds out he's not alone with his powers, things start to get dangerous. People are out to get him, and when they take his mom it'll take all his and his team's skills, smarts, and courage to get out of the mess they've become embroiled in. Other: The first in the Michael Vey series (the rest are eagerly awaited), this was a great book, with action, superpowers, good characters, and humor. It kept my attention well, and was pretty clean. I liked the little twist that the superpowers all had to do with electricity. Highly recommended. (Ages 11+) ~Amy
The Missing-- (Series) Margeret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure Summary: Jonah has lived a pretty normal life; he has an annoying little sister, plays basketball, goes to church, listens to his parents, and so on. Sure, he's adopted, but that isn't such a big deal. But when a letter comes in the mail with six fatal words that change everything: You are one of the Missing. No signature, no return address. His friend, Chip, got one too. So starts and adventure filled with the past, present, future, and a whole lot of complications. Will Jonah and Katherine be able to save time once and for all? Or will time cave in on itself? Other: I really liked this series. It had action, adventure, humor, character development, the works. The story line was good, and though it is about time traveling, it was surprisingly not that weird. It's pretty clean, and there's even Christian content in a couple of the books. I anxiously await the next book. (Ages 11+)~Faith
The Giver--Lois Lowry
Genre: Sci-fi/Allegory Summary: In a village completely cut off from the outside world, there is no color, love, music, pain, or choice. One group of people decide who dies, who marries whom, and what jobs are best suited to each person. All knowledge of the outside world is held by one person, the Giver. When Jonas is picked to be apprenticed to the Giver, he learns things, both bitter and joyful, about the outside world, and he must make a decision. Do the risks of hurting oneself, others, or society that can come with freedom of choice outweigh its benefits, or vice-versa? Other: This is a great, thought-provoking book about a utopian society. It won the 1994 Newbery Award. (Ages 12+) ~Nathan
The Jason Experiment: Replication--Jill Williamson
Genre: Sci-fi Summary: Martyr is one of 55 clones in an underground facility, where doctors do medicinal tests on all the "Jasons." The healthiest of his batch, he is scheduled to expire on his upcoming 18th birthday, and before he does, he wants to see the sky, just once. Abby is the smart, headstrong daughter of a molecular biologist. A strong Christian, she always tries to do the right thing and frequently tries to talk to her dad about her faith. Will Martyr be able to escape the life he has been living and the people who want him dead? Or will he submit to the premade, manmade, plan set before him? With Abby's help, maybe he can live, but it won't be easy. Other: I sincerely enjoyed this book. I liked the Christian themes and the characters, and there was enough action and danger to keep the story going. It's very much a fish out of the water story and has the goofy humor to match. There is romance to be aware of, but other than that, it's well worth the read. (Ages 12+) ~Amy
Echoes From the Edge (Trilogy)--Bryan Davis
This is the first book.
Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure Summary: Nathan's life is turned upside down when his parents appear to have been brutally murdered during a violin concert. One moment his mom was beside him working her magic on her violin, the next, she was found dead next to his dad backstage. His caretaker Clara takes him to his dad's best friend's house, where he meets Kelly, his daughter. Later, they find that the world is falling apart, evil forces are rising, and saving their planet involves traveling to two parallel worlds, walking in a sort of dream world, and meeting otherworldly creatures. It's an almost impossible task, and it'll take all they have to accomplish it. Other: This was a very fast-paced, multi-faceted book, with a lot of action. There is killing, and Kelly has made some mistakes in her life (which aren't detailed, just suggested). Through it all though, there are amazing morals and Biblical truths, and the story has some beautiful parts in it. I owe Bryan Davis my love of "Be Thou My Vision." Complicated and fast-paced, this series will be great for sci-fi action fans. (Ages 13+) ~Amy
The Hunger Games (Trilogy)--Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games is the first book.
Genre: Action/Sci-fi/Romance Summary: In a future world, North America is separated into 12 districts, each with a particular purpose in providing the government with supplies--fish, bread, electronics, etc. 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen is an illegal hunter in the coal mining District 12. She lives in the poorest part of the district, hunting with her best friend Gale to provide for her family of three: mom, little sister Primrose, and herself. The reaping day marks the choosing of one boy and one girl tribute from each district to play in the Hunger Games, the twisted game the Capitol uses to assert its complete power over the people. When Primrose is picked, Katniss desperately volunteers, even though it means almost certain death. She and her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark, are shipped to the Capitol to partake in a 24 tribute fight-to-the-death entertainment for the wealthy, and the odds are definitely not in their favor. Death is imminent, and Katniss is not at all sure that she will be able to get out of the arena alive. Is it possible that the country of Panem will ever shake off the chains of the brutal government who cheers while watching children die in an arena?
Will Katniss be able to stand and fight when the tides of rebellion against the cruel government come crashing down? The games have begun. Other: This very popular trilogy can be seen everywhere in bookstores, particularly now because the movie is out. The pros and cons to this series are as follows. A few facets must be considered before reading it. 1) There is violence and some gore. The games are essentially high-tech gladiator battles for teens. 2) Nudity is mentioned; although Katniss herself is very uncomfortable about it and prefers modesty, others aren't as principled. Nothing is described, however. 3) There is romance, so go in expecting it. A few good things about this series: 1) The allusions to a corrupt, communistic government and the selfish tendencies of the human race are interesting. The startlingly evil tendencies of some people make a backdrop in which the nobility and goodness acted out by others shines as a small beacon of hope for the future. 2) The story is fast-paced and action-packed for those who like that, and the strategies needed to survive the games are interesting to read. 3) Most of the characters are well done. One heads up--I won't spoil the ending, but it is realistic and melancholy. However, after a few more readings of the ending and some thought, I felt it was right. Overall, I don't regret reading it. It was a wild and intriguing ride, facing a few tough questions about the government and people in general, as well as showing that people's lives are important and danger looms when the troubles of others can be looked at with a hardened heart. (Ages 13+) ~Amy
Animal Farm--George Orwell
Genre: Sci-fi/Allegory Summary: A farmer and his wife are ousted from their farm by their farm animals. The animals take and maintain control of the farm. However, the smartest animals, the pigs, have discovered the pleasures of living like the farmer and his wife and begin to slowly establish themselves as the rulers of the farm in order for them and their offspring to enjoy these pleasures while the other animals do not. Other: In this book, George Orwell creatively reveals the conditions that foster the rise of a dictator and the methods that a dictator uses to rise to power through the use of an allegory of farm animals. This was an interesting and a thought provoking book. It is an easy book for a junior high kid to read and understand. However, the symbolism and metaphors in the book may be more easily noticed by those entering high school. (Ages 14+) ~Nathan