Juvenile Fiction
Selected by Janet Kreason, Head of Youth Services.
Scheduled to be published in the Times Union on 8/2006.
| Title: The Star of Kazan Author: Ibottson, Eva Publisher: Dutton 2004 Ages 10-13 Historic Vienna is the richly realized setting for much of the story of Annika. When a woman who claims to be her long-lost mother sweeps the girl off to the family estate and sends her to a boarding school for nobility, all is not as it seems. Annika, her friends, and her adopted Viennese family must use all their resourcefulness, courage, and love to untangle the true story and stage a daring rescue. |
| Title: Skybreaker Author: Oppel, Kenneth Publisher: HarperCollins 2005 Ages 11-16 This riveting sequel to Airborn is a memorable adventure in the great tradition of Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson. Teenager Matt Cruse is a student at the Airship Academy when he spots the fabled ghost airship Hyperion at a dangerously high altitude. Matt, his girlfriend, a mysterious gypsy, and a young airship captain form an uneasy alliance and set out to claim the treasure rumored to be on board, with sky pirates hot on their heels. |
| Title: Down the Yukon Author: Hobbs, Will Publisher: HarperCollins 2001 Ages 11-14 It’s 1899, and another gold rush is on. Jason and Jamie join a grueling two thousand-mile canoe race from Dawson City to Nome, determined to win the $20,000 prize so Jason can buy back the mill out of which he and his brothers were cheated. They face danger from nature as well as from their biggest competitor, the man who took the mill. Many of their experiences on the suspenseful voyage are based on actual events. Hobbs brings the colorful characters of the era and the wilderness setting to vivid life in this suspenseful stand-alone sequel to Jason’s Gold. |
| Title: The Pearls of Lutra Author: Jacques, Brian Publisher: Philomel 1996 Ages 10-14 One of Redwall Abbey’s inhabitants discovers an old manuscript containing cryptic, intriguing references to a treasure called the Tears of All Oceans which is concealed in the Abbey. The evil Emperor Ublaz Mad Eyes is searching for the Tears to complete his crown, and sends a bloodthirsty crew to retrieve them. Fans of the Redwall series as well as those encountering it for the first time will be quickly caught up in this epic adventure, which is filled with action, populated with colorful characters, and leavened with humor. |
| Title: The Lost Treasure of Captain Kidd Author: Lourie, Peter Publisher: Boyds Mills Press 2000 Ages 10-13 Killian Maguire, son of a Hudson River fisherman, has grown up hearing tales of the treasure the famous pirate is said to have buried when his ship went down during a storm on the river. When Alex moves to town, Killian shares the pirate lore he already knows and the friends dig for further clues and the treasure. A half-crazed adult who also seeks the treasure warns them off with ghost stories. However, their competitor and the dramatic landscape in which the boys search for the treasure are not the only dangers. |