St. Patrick Catholic School

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Sophie and Josh Newman are fraternal twins who are enjoying their summer jobs in San Francisco: Sophie works at a coffee shop across the street from the independent bookstore where Josh works. When golems attack the bookstore and steal Flamel’s most prized possession, it becomes clear very quickly that Nick and Perry Fleming are more than a nice couple that own the bookstore. In fact, they are the immortal Nicholas and Perry Flamel. Nicholas is the famous 14th century alchemist who has discovered a potion that makes him immortal. He is the keeper of the Codex, the ancient magical text that Flamel’s enemy John Dee, has now stolen. Sophie and Josh are powerful magicians, but their powers haven’t been awakened. Now Dee is on their trail as well, so the twins flee San Francisco with Nick and Perry. They head north of San Francisco to visit the goddess Hekate who awakens Sophie’s powers, but Dee and his demons attack before Josh can have his powers awakened. On the run, the twins meet a dazzling array of creatures and demigods from Celtic and Egyptian mythology (the crow goddess Morrigan and the cat goddess Bastet are particularly terrifying). A lightning fast pace, realistic teen dialogue and a cornucopia of magical mysteries make this an excellent first entry in what is sure to be a popular series

The series includes (in order):

The Magician
The Sorceress

The Necromancer

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a 12-year old boy in current-day New York. He’s been kicked out of 6 schools in 6 years, he’s dyslexic and has ADHD, and his dad left when he Percy was little. And he just doesn’t know why such strange things seem to keep happening to him–at least, not until he vaporizes one of his teachers during a field trip. Turns out that Percy Jackson is the demigod son of Poseidon (yes, THE Poseidon, Greek god of the sea) and a mortal woman. Also turns out that demigods are prime targets for the Titans because of their special abilities–and because of a prophecy that basically says that a half-blood will decide the fate of the world. Now, if it sounds like I’ve given too much away, never fear. What I’ve told you is just the tip of the iceberg.

Hidden Talents and True Talents by David Lubar

When it comes to adult authority. junior high school student Martin Anderson cannot keep his mouth shut as he rejects the constant advice with smart answers and insults. He has been expelled from six schools, the boy scouts, and the little league. He rides the bus to his final destination the prison-like Edgeview Alternative School, an institution used to lock up the violent and other losers (where is Pink Floyd when you need them?)

It’s been some time (1999) since Hidden Talents introduced Lubar’s characters–the friends Martin, Trash, Cheater, Torchie, Flinch and Lucky–all of whom have super powers that mostly have gotten them into trouble. The adventure in True Talents begins with Trash, who has the power to move objects with his mind, escaping from a laboratory where he has been held in a zombie-like state. We don’t know until the story progresses who was experimenting with his mind and for what purpose. It’s a sinister purpose, of course. Trash and his friends slowly gather together and use their combined talents to free Trash from this evil man who is trying to harness Trash’s power

Uglies, Pretties and Specials by Scott Westerfiled

Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society that acculturates its citizens to believe that they are ugly until age 16 when they’ll undergo an operation that will change them into pleasure-seeking “pretties.” Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society and urges Tally to defect with her to the Smoke, a distant settlement of simple-living conscientious objectors. Tally declines, yet when Shay is found missing by the authorities, Tally is coerced by the cruel Dr. Cable to find her and her compatriots�or remain forever “ugly.” Tally’s adventuresome spirit helps her locate Shay and the Smoke. It also attracts the eye of David, the aptly named youthful rebel leader to whose attentions Tally warms. However, she knows she is living a lie, for she is a spy who wears an eye-activated locator pendant that threatens to blow the rebels’ cover. Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia.

Arthur Penhaligon’s school year is not off to a good start. On his first day, he suffers an asthma attack while running cross country and dreams that a mysterious figure hands him a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. However, when he wakes up, he still has the key. That’s when strange things begin to happen. Mister Monday dispatches terrifying, dog-faced Fetchers to retrieve it, a bizarre sleeping illness sweeps the city, and only Arthur can see the weird new house that appears in his neighborhood. The seventh grader knows it all has something to do with the key, one of seven elusive fragments of the Will to which he has become heir apparent, and a mysterious atlas. When he ventures inside the house, he meets more strange characters than he could have imagined, none of whom are what they seem. And, of course, he must battle Monday, who will do anything to get the key back. With the help of the key, Arthur must fight his way out. The first in a seven part series for middle graders is every bit as exciting and suspenseful as the author’s previous young adult novels. Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequels

The Missing: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he’s never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who’s also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, “You are one of the missing.” The second one says, “Beware! They’re coming back to get you.”

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah’s sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere — and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip’s lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?

With Found, Margaret Peterson Haddix begins a new series that promises to be every bit as suspenseful as her Shadow Children series — which has sold more than 41/2 million copies — and proves her, once again, to be a master of the page-turner.

Sent (coming out in August, 2009)