The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

How unlikely a story! A magician striving to impress his audience conjures an elephant that comes crashing from the heights of the theatre to land in audience, the animal crippling a wealthy patron as it lands. A fortuneteller predicts that Peter, an orphaned boy, will find his lost sister when an elephant leads him to her. Working her own magic to suspend disbelief, DiCamillo weaving simple words into a rich fabric of beautiful, poignant interaction among strangers and friends who are all seeking the most unlikely of outcomes. Hauntingly illustrated by Yoko Tanaka, The Magician's Elephant is both a wonderful read-aloud for elementary age kids and a charm-filled title for independent middle-grade and teen readers. Just beautiful. (Candlewick)

"The Ranger's Apprentice Series" by John Flanagan ...Core Characters Deliver Strong YA Fantasy (Penguin Books for Young Readers / Puffin)

In publishing niche that is amply populated by fantasy-flavored fiction for kids and teens, keeping the different worlds, their creatures, their magic and their rules in order can be discouraging for new, as well as experienced, readers of the genre. How refreshing it was to try on John Flanagan's debut novels in "The Ranger's Apprentice" series. Without borrowing heavily from previous kids' fantasy outings, Flanagan crafts an engaging and captivating setting with a strong cast of characters, and a story that doesn't lean too hard on wizardry and impossibility. The first three books in the series, "The Ruins of Gorlan", "The Burning Bridge" and "The Icebound Land" follow the story of Will, who with his fellow orphans and wards of the local baron, are looking forward to being apprenticed at age fifteen. Though he craves to enter apprenticeship with the Battleschool, his small physical size prevents his selection for that trade. Will is offered instead the opportunity to train as a Ranger, learning the skills and responsibilites of that elite and elusive branch in service to the kingdom of Araluen. Under the tutelage of Galt, an experienced and taciturn member of the Rangers, Will's journey of self discovery and personal growth is cast against a quickly evolving backdrop of looming war, political intrigue and heart-stopping action amid a historic European-esque setting. "The Ranger's Apprentice" series thrives because the central characters are not overshadowed by gimmicks and are allowed to remain the strong core of the story, and rightly so, as they are well-crafted and evolving as well. Highly recommended for kids as well as adult fantasy fans who will not find the books childlike, but perhaps may be reminded with pleasure of their first journey to Shannara or Middle Earth.

"The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale... Flys to the Heart of the Tale (Full Cast Audio / Bloomsbury)

I never imagined that the fable of "The Goose Girl" could be re-imagined in a way that satisfies so completely. The traditional story gives you a princess whose identity is stolen by her handmaiden as she is en route to marry the prince of a distant kingdom - and well... the very idea often left me wondering "How'd she let THAT happen? I mean, Isn't she a princess with some experience being in charge?". In most versions of the original fable, the ruse relies on the notion that the betrothed have never met and that the princess declines to identify herself to the ruling family for unclear or unconvincing reasons. Shannon Hale's take on the traditional tale resolves the mystery of why the princess remains incognito while building a whole new mythos around the story. Placed in a setting with broader scope and richly developed characters, Hale's "The Goose Girl" is an exciting and dangerous twisting of the tale, a re-telling that leads to a cliffhanger finale that is both deeply satisfying and also leaves the reader (listener) craving more. Happily, "The Goose Girl" is part of Hale's 'Books of Bayern' series with additional books highlighting different characters from the shadows of fairy tales and the stellar imagination of the author. Full Cast Audio's version of "The Goose Girl" is my favorite medium for this story as, once again, the cast of voice actors and producers with FCA develop a deep and textured rendition that exceeds the printed text.

"Airborn" Series by Kenneth Oppel - Steampunk-flavored Odyssey on Audio

Set among Victorian manners, morals and mode, the adventure story Airborn takes flight in an 'almost Earth' world where airships (that's blimps and zeppelins for the dirigible-impaired) are the rulers of sky, trekking between continents. But the vast skies still hold many secrets, waiting to be revealed.

The short hand note on Airborn: As cabin boy on the airship Aurora, Matt Cruse has his sights set on a career in the sky and a life above the clouds. But the dangerous rescue of a mysterious balloonist leads to the discovery of a previously unknown predator in the higher altitudes and a fateful encounter with a famously ruthless sky pirate that endangers everyone aboard the Aurora. Each new development threatens to change Matt's life...or end it.

Full Cast Audio is the real corner-turner on this one. Oppel's story is fantastic, but FCA's unabridged treatment, score and perfectly cast voice actors lift this one right off the page and aloft to new heights for recorded books. I highly recommend this audio read for boys and young men whose reading choices are sometimes outnumbered in the teen section by more feminine pop reads. Absolutely, one of my all-time favorites, I've posted the cover of the Airborn first-edition rather than the audio cover simply because it best captures the spirit of the book. A thrilling non-stop tale that combines the very best elements of sky pirate adventure, Victorian mystery, steampunk-ish sci-fi, Airborn is an seriously compelling listen for teens and adults.