“Books of Ember” series by Jeanne DuPrau

1. The City of Ember
2. The People of Sparks
3. The Prophet of Yonwood
4. The Diamond of Darkhold

Interesting stories about people who grew up underground.   Prophet is not recommended.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14; 14 – 16

Lina and Doon have grown up in the city of Ember where the only light is from electricity supplied by their generator.   However, the generator is dying.   But Lina and Doon wonder if there is, perhaps, a way out of the city and into someplace where they don’t need to live in fear of the generator dying and the city running out of light and food.    Then one day, Lina finds an ancient document that might lead them out.   In Sparks, they have managed to get out and they found a town.   But the town is poor, and the townspeople are afraid that they will not have enough to feed them and the people from Ember.  Some people with bad attitudes fan the anger, and soon there is a crowd ready to fight.   But Doon and Lina have other ideas.  In Prophet, a girl named Nicky finds herself in a small town where a woman who is in an almost-coma mutters in her sleep and is called a prophet.   Her friend “interprets” the muttering and passes the “rules” onto the people in the town, resulting in a sort of reign of fear.   At the end, you find out that there is a strained relationship to the city of Ember.   In Diamond, Doon finds something that was left for the people of Ember.   He and Lina set off on a trip back to Ember to find out more about this mysterious present.   But in Ember, they find unanticipated danger.

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“The Applewhites” by Stephanie S. Tolan

1. Surviving the Applewhites
2. The Applewhites at Wit’s End

An entertaining story of creativity and mishap.

Recommended age: 12 – 14; 14 – 16; 16 – 18.

Jake is a juvenile delinquent that none of the local schools will dare to take — except the Creative Academy, the homeschool created by the eccentric and creative family, the Applewhites. Jake is at first reluctant, but in the end he is drawn into their wild world.

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“The Copernicus Legacy” series by Tony Abbott

1. The Forbidden Stone
2. The Serpent’s Curse

Companion Series Title: “The Copernicus Archives”

Book Titles:

1. Wade and the Scorpion’s Claw

An exciting and intriguing round-the-world race against dangerous bad guys.

Recommended age: 12 – 14; 14 – 16.

The great scientist Copernicus had possibly developed a time machine.   Due to some threatened danger from the Knights Templar Order, he took the twelve main components and entrusted them to Guardians who hid them in a variety of places, possibly around the world.   In modern times, the Knights Templar have risen again and are pressing to find the twelve components, apparently to create a time machine.   Unknown to himself, Wade’s father is a Guardian.   Wade’s “uncle” Henry sends Wade’s father a mysterious clue that sends them on a race against time, seeking to rescue the components from the very deadly Knights Templar.   The second book builds on the first, only with more excitement and action.  Note: there is a gap between the first and second books, and Book 1 of the “Copernicus Archives” Companion Series fills in that gap.

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“Larklight” Series by Philip Reeve

1. Larklight.
2. Starcross.
3. Mothstorm.

Fun and humorous adventure.  We laughed a lot.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14.

There are Shapers (sort of Angel figures) who organize each solar system after it is created.  In the each book, someone or something tries to take over our Solar System: evil spiders from the past, moobs from the future, or a Shaper from another Solar System.

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The Adventures of Ook and Gluk – Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by George Beard

A Graphic Novel

A fun and somewhat goofy caveman story.

Recommended age: 6 – 8; 8 – 10; 10 – 12

Summary of Plot: Ook and Gluk are driving the evil cave chief Grasshopper — I mean, Goppernopper — crazy.  However, one day Gophersniffer — I mean Goppernopper — discovers his descendant, an evil business man from the future who has come back into Goppernopper’s time.   The cave chief goes into the future with his descendant and comes back with a mechanical dinosaur to punish Ook and Gluk, enslave his people, and ruin the world.   However, Ook and Gluk escape into the future where they learn Kung-Fu and come back to defeat the Goppernoppers and save their people and the world.