The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - Ghost Whispering in a Darker Setting for Teens

No vampires here (yet) but ghosts aplenty, as Kelley Armstrong presents the first in the 'Dark Powers' series, The Summoning. The tale opens with Chloe Sanders, who's struggling to hang onto her sanity as she attracts the spirits of the dead who long to be heard or noticed. Events send her to a group home where she discovers herself among other 'talented' teens who may or may not be safe company for her. Flavors of "Ghost Whisperer" are here, but the setting is darker and the encounters more sinister. Closing with a open-ended finale, YA and teen readers will be compelled to follow the story into the second book in the series, The Awakening. Recommended! (Harper Collins)

Witch Child by Celia Rees

Witch Child by Celia Rees

Having spent so many of my college years reading historical fiction (not the "romance" historicals - smile!), i was slow to pick up Celia Rees' teen fiction take of American colonial persecution of women perceived as witches. I am SO VERY glad that I overcame that reticence because Witch Child is an amazing foray into this time period with all the paranormal flavors that young adult readers are hungry for lately. In a nutshell, the book is essentially a collection journal entries and diaries of fourteen-year-old Mary who is spirited away from England in the wake of her grandmother's execution for witchcraft. The writings are being presented by an 'Alison Ellman' circa modern day. The story of Mary's efforts to leave her history behind as she strives to fit into a 17th century frontier community are met with both success and suspicion. Her inherent gifts rise to meet the wildness of the country and its native people, while superstitious and cult-like community elders work to paint her as a witch. The story and the writing are refreshingly original and addictive. And just when you think the tale is winding down, the last entries in the book set-up a wildly innovative twist that propels the story toward the second book in the series. Highly recommended! (Teen - Adult, Candlewick Press)

The Good Neighbors (Book One: Kin) by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh ....A Graphic Novel with Otherworldly Glamour (Graphix / Scholastic)

Co-author of the highly acclaimed "Spiderwick Chronicles", Holly Black, turns her powerful imaginative power down the urban fantasy path with the graphic novel, "The Good Neighbor: Kin". This title's darkly rendered setting leads the reader just beneath the skin of a college town to glimpse a sub-dura where fairies and their ilk move just beyond the perception of most humans - until they are noticed by Rue. Rue's mother has just disappeared and her father is soon implicated in her mother's absence as well as a student's murder. As she struggles with these developments, Rue begins to 'see' creatures both fair and frightening mixed among people everywhere she goes. Alone in her perception of the fairie folk, Rue follows her suspicion that her growing encounters with strange beings is connected to her missing mother and the death of her father's student, When Rue's maternal grandfather appears and confirms that Rue, like her mother, is fey, she is faced with choices that offer heartbreak at every turn. Filled with edgy imagery that blends sinister beauty with sharpening fear, the illustrations build an intense sense of revelation as the tale progresses. As a fan of graphic novels, I'm eager to pick up the next in this series! This one is definitely worth return reading and reviewed illustration - there's more than meets the eye. "The Good Neighbors: Kin" is a highly worthwhile title that will thrill both fans and newcomers to the graphic novel medium.

"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.

Listening to Audio Books IS Reading

I have so many parents scoff when I recommend audio books for their reluctant readers. They typically say things like "His teacher wants him to READ it himself" or "I don't think she will sit still long enough to listen". For the first, I firmly believe that LISTENING to literature qualifies as "reading" While the audio listener may not be deciphering the letters on the page as they resolve into words, they ARE getting an ideal exposure to the meaning and import of the book itself. And addressing second excuse: kids don't have to just sit still, concentrating as they listen to an audio book. Quiet play with Legos, modeling clay etc. can work for many to keep their hands busy while they listen to the story.

The best of audio book performers and casts breathe expressive life into a story that may otherwise be cast aside, or worse, never explored by a reluctant reader. Listeners hear the proper pronunciation of challenging words. Frequently just the voice actor's inflection can indicate the 'import' or 'intent' of the word - all without a dictionary or thesaurus.

If a student is described as a reluctant reader, the problem can often be traced to their early experience learning to read. Group schooling unfortunately necessitates that students and teachers use any means necessary to keep the general student population apace with each other as they develop their ability to read. But kids are still individuals and many are simply not 'wired' to read comfortably at the same age as their peers. Yes, they typically learn to puzzle out the words and put them together as they read - but these kids are artificially 'forced' into a groove that sometimes predates their natural window to develop an appreciation for reading. They tend to associate reading with a required task that may have been difficult to master and now reading a book seems inextricably associated with "work" rather than pleasure. These are the kids who will likely never read a book for pleasure on their own and they are unlikely to appreciate recreational reading in others.

One of the best ways to reintroduce books to these "turned off" kids is to support the 'no pressure' option of audio books. Especially important for elementary school age kids who are showing signs of reading reluctance, making audio books available can help keep their enthusiasm for the "story" alive. Great book series like "Hank the Cowdog" are perfect on audio for the seven to ten-year-old set. Chinaberry Books also has excellent audio tapes of stories from mythology and literature in a short format that can be listened to by elementary age kids.

Older kids in the middle school years can also be "saved" from reading reluctance if parents offer them books on audio and even commit to listening along in the car with their student during travel time throughout the week. Teens may not be entirely comfortable listening to audio books with their parents, but they may be receptive to trying out an audio book of something their peers are reading for fun. They may appreciate being 'in the loop' with their friends and classmates who are reading popular fiction.

It's been my experience that kids who listen to audio books have a VASTLY improved vocabulary as well. They are not afraid to try and use words that are far beyond the word toolbox of most of their peers. Smart kids. I'll be recommending some of favorite books on tape that may save your kid from a life without literature. Keep your ears on.