Down the Mysterly River

 by Bill Willingham

A story about a boy and three talking animals wandering through a strange land pursued by an unknown ruthless enemy.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14

Max wakes up in a wood not knowing where he is.   As he walks along he finds a talking badger.   Thinking he is in a dream, they travel together until the evening when Max builds a campfire.  Suddenly a wild cat runs through their clearing pursued by a man and two dogs.   The man and his two dogs then turn on Max with clear evil intent.  Fighting for their lives, Max, the badger and the cat set off on a trek toward a promised sanctuary dogged by their enemies the entire way.

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“Spy Mice” series by Heather Vogel Frederick

1. The Black Paw
2. For Your Paws Only
3. Goldwhiskers

Fun stories of Glory and the Spy Mice agency and Glory’s human friend Ozymandius.

Recommended age: 8 – 10; 10 – 12; 12 – 14

In Black Paw, Glory, a young mouse, is in trouble because she has messed up and lost the Kiss of Death to Dupont, the evil leader of the rats.   At the same time, Oz is having trouble with school bullies.   But when Glory and Oz team up, things start to happen.   In Paws, Oz and DB go to New York to compete in a contest, and Glory and Bunson go to New York to foil the plans of a gathering of the most evil rats in the world.  In Goldwhiskers, a large rat in London uses orphan mouslings, including one named “Twist” to steal jewels and other valuables.   Oz, D.B. and Glory are in London for a trip, and get involved when Oz and D.B. are implicated in one especially notorious theft by the rat and his helpers.

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The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell

An interesting story about a castle that has suffered for the sins of the occupants.

Recommended age: 12 – 14; 14 – 16

Sand wakes up in a Castle that is surrounded by an impenetrable thorny hedge.  He had already been told that the castle had been abandoned due to an earthquake — but as he walks around it, he discovers that the truth is much more complicated.   Then he finds a girl in the castle, and her story is even more unusual.  Together, they work to bring healing to themselves, the castle, and, perhaps, the land.

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The Doom Machine

by Mark Teague

A humorous story about aliens.

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

When Isadora Shumway and her mother arrive in the small town of Vern Hollow, they are surprised to find it almost completely deserted. They don’t have long to ponder the situation, however, as their car suddenly breaks down. They manage to get it to a repair shop, which is staffed by a teenage boy. His name is Jack Creedle, and as the Shumways talk to him they find out what happened to the rest of the town’s population. Apparently, the previous night Vern Hollow had been invaded by aliens. They’re led by the villainous Captain Xaafuun, who has been ordered to bring back a certain item to her home planet. The only problem is, she has no idea what the item is. As the aliens proceed to ransack the town, Jack and Isadora may be the only ones who can stop them.

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“The Land of Elyon” series

by Patrick Carman

1. The Dark Hills Divide
2. Beyond the Valley of Thorns
3. The Tenth City
4. Stargazer

Fun, easy to read fantasy/mystery stories.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14.

Fearing monsters in the land, Warvold built walls around and between the  four cities of the land of Elyon.   But, doing this caused hardship to the animals of the land, and there were dangers he did not anticipate.   In the first book, Alexa, who has always wanted to know what existed outside the walls, ventures out when the opportunity presents itself one day.   There she learns of a great danger to the people of the land of Elyon.  In the second book, Alexa is summoned by a letter from Warvold, written before he died, calling her to come and defeat a new threat — giant ogres oppressing a far-away town.   The third book carries on where the second leaves off.   The fourth book follows Alexa on a new adventure as she helps to rescue the people of the five pillars from an evil waiting for them in the Lonely Sea.

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“Shadow Children” series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

1. Among the Hidden
2. Among the Imposters
3. Among the Betrayed
4. Among the Barons
5. Among the Brave
6. Among the Enemy
7. Among the Free

Stories about children and adults courageously fighting against oppression.

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

A totalitarian government only allows people to have two children.   Luke is a hidden child — a third child who must live inside all the time and hide from everyone else.  One day, he sees a girl in the window of a neighboring house and realizes that she must be a third child too.  Through her, he learns of other third children and joins in the struggle against the government and the evil Population Police.  The stories chronicle the struggles of Luke and other hidden children as they seek to bring freedom to their world.

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