Rebel Angels, by Libba Bray (Delacorte Press, 2005)

Gemma Doyle continues to explore the limits of her magical powers and the depths of the mysterious Realms, all the while dodging the manipulations of two separate secret societies out to either kill or co-opt her and the control over … Continue reading

The Bartimaeus Trilogy Book 3: Ptolemy’s Gate, by Jonathan Stroud (Miramax Books, 2006)

Three years have passed since we last saw the demon Bartimaeus and his magician master Nathaniel (AKA John Mandrake, now Information Minister for the magician-run British government.) The British Empire is beset on all sides by enemies, both foreign and … Continue reading

Peter and the Shadow Thieves, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Hyperion, 2006)

When Peter learns that his friend Molly may be in danger from evil people seeking control of the fabled starstuff (a mysterious dust which grants amazing powers to the user), he leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island and returns … Continue reading

Now You See It, by Vivian Vande Velde (Harcourt, 2006)

The accidental discovery of a magical pair of sunglasses plunges Wendy into an adventure unlike any she’s ever imagined, culminating in surprise trips into another dimension, and into the past. Elves, witches, dragons, and other magical creatures abound as Wendy … Continue reading

No Place For Magic, by E.D. Baker (Bloomsbury, 2006)

Though princess/sorceress Emma has fought monsters, outwitted witches and even flew with dragons, she’s about to face her greatest challenge yet: winning the approval of her future in-laws. Emma and her fiancé Eadric return to his home country so his … Continue reading

Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2006)

A teenage girl chronicles the end of civilization as she knows it, after a meteor strike changes the moon’s orbit, causing massive destruction around the globe. She alternately copes with, and complains her way through the worst year in recorded … Continue reading

Leven Thumps and the Gateway To Foo, by Obert Skye (Simon and Schuster, 2006)

Raised by abusive guardians and possessing powers beyond his imagining, Leven Thumps discovers his true potential in the company of a strange girl, a mischievous furry sidekick, and a magical tree from another dimension. Now the unlikely group have to … Continue reading

Larklight, by Phillip Reeve (Bloomsbury, 2006)

In an alternate Victorian era, the English have conquered the solar system, but something old and nasty is about to challenge that dominance. Caught right in the middle of a mysterious plot to conquer the universe are Myrtle and Art … Continue reading

Journey Between Worlds, by Sylvia Louise Engdahl (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006)

In this reprint of a book originally published in 1970, a teenage girl is forced to leave behind everything she knows when her father takes her to Mars for an extended vacation which later turns into an indefinite stay. As … Continue reading

Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light, by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi (Berkeley Jam, 2006)

In the second book of the Jennifer Scales series, the titular heroine continues to cope with her dual legacies as weredragon and monsterslayer, and finds herself utterly entangled in several generations’ worth of mistrust, betrayal, and secrets. With enemies all … Continue reading