THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner

Dystopian; Science Fiction; Horror

Kirkus Reviews (September 15, 2009)

Boys come to the Glade via an empty freight elevator with no memory of how they got there or of their prior lives. This disorientation is made more frightening when they realize that to survive they must lock themselves in every night to avoid the horrors of the Grievers, beings that are part machine, part animal--and altogether deadly. The boys in the Glade send out Runners each day to find a way out through the Maze that surrounds their one patch of safety, with no success. Life goes on until one day the elevator delivers a girl. She brings a message: She is the last child to be sent, and there will be no more deliveries of food or supplies. Now the Glade is cut off, and as the Grievers gather for an all-out attack it's clear that it's now or never--the Maze must be solved. Dashner knows how to spin a tale and make the unbelievable realistic. Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

Great recommendation for those who like the Hunger Games and Divergent. Not for the timid - a scenario similar to Lord of the Flies with lots of gore and creepy 'grievers'! A page turner.

Okay, just finished  book 2 and 3: The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. Now I see that there is a prequel - The Kill Order! Full disclosure: I am a chicken with horror; cannot read Stephen King or watch horror films. I would definitely classify this as horror, but I couldn't stop reading and made it to the end. This has been such a big hit with my middle school students for years and I knew I had to read it. I am exhausted (kept wanting a quick happy ending!) but it was well worth it. Great series! Just make sure your reader likes a little horror! Thanks James Dashner. Twitter: jamesdashner and #dashnerarmy

Check out the movie! "Based upon the best-selling novel by James Dashner. The Maze Runner, coming to theaters September 19, 2014. #MazeRunner"

HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams

Science Fiction; Humor; Satire

"One Thursday lunchtime, the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only just had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun, and the galaxy is a very strange and startling place."

http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/hhgg.html

ALA Notable Books 1995; multiple starred reviews; a classic - Yes!

How could I have waited so long to read this book? My kids, my husband, and other family members loved it and quoted it for years. This goes down as a favorite. I listened to part of it and read the rest. The audio version is fantastic and brings out the Monty Python-isc humor slant; the text version is as good. I am hooked on Douglas Adams and will recommend this book with great enthusiasm to both middle and high school readers.

Douglas Adams Quotes

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/douglas_adams.html

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be."

"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity."

For more information on Douglas Adams and his books, go to http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/hhgg.html