Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour and #2: Touching Darkness, by Scott Westerfeld (Eos, 2004/2005)

In the town of Bixby, Oklahoma, the laws of nature have been warped and transformed by ancient nightmarish forces. At the stroke of midnight, the world freezes, raindrops hanging in midair like watery jewels, and people becoming as stiff and … Continue reading

The Magickers and The Magickers #2: The Curse of Arkady, by Emily Drake (DAW, 2001/2002)

Eleven-year-old Jason Adrian’s world is thrown into disarray when a chance injury renders him incapable of attending soccer camp like he’d planned. Looks like it’s Grandmother McIntyre’s home for him, this summer! Anything’s better than spending time with the family … Continue reading

Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan (Hyperion, 2005)

Perseus “Percy” Jackson is about to discover his destiny. The good thing is that he may very well be the son of a god, one of the many offspring produced by the various deities and supernatural creatures of the immortal … Continue reading

Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace, by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi (Berkley Jam Books, 2005)

When Jennifer’s parents gave her the usual “birds and bees” speech, they managed to leave out the part where the otherwise normal teenager would someday start growing scales, claws, fangs, and a tail, and be able to perform superhuman feats … Continue reading

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J. K. Rowling, (Scholastic Books, 2003)

Harry Potter is back for the fifth installment in the best-selling phenomenon that’s swept the world, and this is his biggest, most dangerous adventure yet. Not only are all the old characters – Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Draco, … Continue reading

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, 2005)

As Harry’s 6th year at Hogwarts approaches, a secret war amongst the wizards and witches of the world continues to rage on, with the reborn Lord Voldemort’s Death-Eaters inflicting a slow, ghastly toll upon those who would stop them. The … Continue reading