The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp is by Rick Yancey. The first book in the Alfred Kropp series. Alfred never knew his dad, his mother has died of cancer, and he is living with his uncle in Tennessee. When Uncle Farrell decides to help a stranger steal a mysterious sword from his employer Alfred finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime. He is on the run from killers with a man who claims to be descended from a knight of the Round Table. Oh brother! A whiz-bang adventure from the get go. Boys will love this tale of adventure & growing up.

Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence).

All Wounds

All Wounds is by Dina James. Rebecca thinks she is just a normal teenage girl trying to get through high school while taking care of her grandmother who has Alzheimer's. Then one night a wounded vampire shows up at her door and she discovers she is a Healer. A descendant of Panacea whose destiny is to care for injured otherworldly creatures. She is about to turn seventeen, the age when her powers fully manifest, and her grandmother became ill before she even began her training. If that's not bad enough there is an otherworldly war brewing and there are those who wish to kidnap her and use her powers for their own purposes. A very original concept. A story girls and boys will enjoy.

Ratings: 8th grade - 9 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity) - V (violence).

Dead is Not an Option

Dead is Not an Option is by Marlene Perez. The fifth book in the Dead is... series. Daisy is preparing for graduation, worrying abut which college to attend, trying to reverse the curse on Lilly and Bam, and keep up with her gorgeous were boyfriend Ryan. As usual, the conflicts raging in Nightshade aren't helping. A war is brewing between the weres and the vampires, but is the Scourge really behind it all? Another charming installment in a series girls will love.

Ratings: 7th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence).

The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena is by Rick Riordan. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and the other four demigods head off on their quest to stop Gaea from rising. This quest takes them across the country and over the ocean to Rome where they must rescue Nico, who alone can tell them the location of the Doors of Death, and find the lost statue of Athena stolen millennia ago by the Romans. The cliffhanger ending to this book will ignite interest in the next volume for sure.

Ratings: 7th grade - 7 out of 10 - V (Violence).

Demons and Druids

Demons and Druids is by James Patterson. The third book in the Daniel X series. Daniel heads to England to hunt Phosphorius Beta, evil alien number three, an explosive demon of fire. His quest takes him back in time to the Middle Ages where he meets Merlin and King Arthur. Daniel must really step up his skills for this hot number. Boys, especially, will enjoy this series.

Ratings: 7th grade - 9 out of 10.

Taurus Eyes

Taurus Eyes is by Bonnie Hearn Hill. The second book in the Star Crossed series. Logan has won a spot in a summer writer's camp headed by one of her heroes, journalist Henry Jaffa. Jaffa throws everyone an unexpected curve ball when he has everyone switch topics. Can Logan use her astrology skills to defeat her competition and track down information about her new topic, dead blues singer Sean Baylor? Fans of this charming series will not be disappointed.

Ratings: 8th grade - 9 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity)

The Inside Story

The Inside Story is by Michael Buckley. The eighth book in the Sisters Grimm series. The evil Mirror has kidnapped the Grimm's baby brother and taken him into the Book of Everafter. Puck, Daphne, and Sabrina head into the book themselves to rescue him, along the way re-writing various fairy tales and running from the Editor who is trying to fix the errors they are creating. Fans of this series will not be disappointed in this book and will await the final installment anxiously.

Ratings: 6th grade - 8 out of 10.