KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger

 

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Fantasy, Paranormal, Psychic Abilities, Elves

2012; 488 pages

Description

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She's skipped multiple grades and doesn't really connect with the older kids at school, but she's not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret--she's a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she's not alone. He's a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well...she isn't. Fitz opens Sophie's eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death--and time is running out.

My Comments

My students insisted that I start reading this series after I finished Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland. I see some of the similarities. I am loving reading it and will definitely put this on a list of recommendations!

LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Fantasy, Paranormal, Demons, African American
Grades 8 and up

501 pages

Description

School Library Journal starred (July 1, 2020)

Gr 8 Up-In Deonn's rich and explosive debut, readers are introduced to a meticulously-built world of magic with roots in Arthurian legend and traditions of the African American South. After her mother's death, Bree enters an Early College program, despite still processing her grief. It's not long before she's pulled into a secret society, and is pushed by circumstance into dangerous tournaments to go from Page to Squire all while watching her back for the demons who would kill her. This book discusses pertinent topics such as institutional racism, intergenerational trauma, and feminism with grace and a natural, unforced style. Readers will delight in a delicious love triangle that promises to get more delectable with a sequel. Though heavy at times with exposition, the novel provides plenty of scenes rife with action and emotion. Deonn pulls off a surprise ending that will urge readers to start from the beginning, to collect the clues laid along the way. VERDICT A promising series debut perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys. This book underscores the movement for more inclusive versions of traditional Western narratives, and will be a favorite of contemporary fantasy readers. Highly recommended.-Abby Hargreaves, DC P.L. © Copyright 2020. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

My Comments

Great story plot! I love the Arthurian Legend twist.

THE STRANGERS by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Adventure, Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery

405 pages

Description

Booklist (February 1, 2019 (Vol. 115, No. 11)) 

Grades 5-8. With this book, best-selling Haddix launches a new middle-grade series that blends adventure and sf elements into an engrossing mystery. Something strange is going on in the Greystone household. Chess (12), Emma (10), and Finn (8) come home from school one day to find their mother in despair over a news story about a bizarre kidnapping—bizarre because the three children who were taken share the names, ages, and birthdays of the Greystone kids. Then Mrs. Greystone is called suddenly out of town, leaving her kids in the care of a stranger, with nothing but questions and a coded letter. Convinced their mother’s in danger, the kids and Natalie (their new caretaker's daughter) set out to crack the code and save Mrs. Greystone. Third-person narratives switch among the Greystone kids, giving readers an intimate sense of their personalities and close sibling bond. The kidnapping alone could have made a compelling mystery, but Haddix throws in secret rooms, alternate realities, and a cliff-hanger ending to raise the stakes and delight fans new and old. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The buzz is high for this new series, which the publisher is betting will bring Haddix “to a new generation of reader.”

My Comments

This is another Haddix winner. She is a sure bet recommendation for middle school students. I love the suspense in this book, the relationship of the siblings with their different perspectives. The book ends with a cliffhanger. Can't wait to read book 2! Perfect upper elementary through 7th.