“Mascot to the Rescue,” by Peter David

“Mascot to the Rescue,” by Peter David is a unique story about a boy whose real life appears to be linked to the escapades and adventures of a comic book character.

Josh Miller is an ordinary looking sixth grader who attends Demarest Elementary School.  Little do his schoolmates realize, but Josh has an important secret.  Not only is Josh a fan of the Captain Major comic books, but there is a strangely disturbing correlation between Josh’s life and the adventures of Mascot, Captain Major’s superhero sidekick. Read the rest »

“Zorgamazoo,” by Robert Paul Weston

“Zorgamazoo,” by Robert Paul Weston is a fantasy novel written in smooth, flawless verse.

The book begins with a delightful invitation:

Here is a story that’s stranger than strange.
Before we begin you may want to arrange:
A blanket, a cushion, a comfortable seat,
And maybe some cocoa and something to eat.

The main character in this poetical adventure is Katrina Katrell, a young girl with a strong sense of perception and the ability to see things that other people ignore. Read the rest »

“Seekers - Great Bear Lake” by Erin Hunter

“Seekers - Great Bear Lake” by Erin Hunter is the second book in a fascinating series about a group of bears who must face the results of climate change and human abuse of the environment.

In book one, “Seekers - The Quest Begins” readers were introduced to three young bear cubs, a polar bear named Kallik, a grizzly bear cub named Toklo, and a black bear cub named Lusa.

In a world under the control of humans the wild lands are shrinking as humans build more cities and roads where wilderness used to be. Read the rest »

“Starcross,” by Philip Reeve

“Starcross,” by Philip Reeve is a fantastic adventure story set in an alternate reality Victorian world in which airships sail the “aether,” taking passengers to the most distant parts of the solar system.

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live a rather exciting and unusual life. Indeed that is to be expected when your mother is a “five thousand million year old entity from another star” and creator of your solar system. Art and Myrtle discovered their mother’s secret past in “Larklight,” book one of the Larklight series. When their mother stepped in to save the universe from an invasion of giant spiders, she did it with her usual grace and careful calmness. Read the rest »

“Starclimber,” by Kenneth Oppel

“Starclimber,” by Kenneth Oppel is a phenomenal science fiction novel that is third in a series that began with “Airborn” and “Skybreaker.”

The “Airborn” series is set in a unique alternate reality world with a distinct Victorian feel. In some ways it is very similar to our world in the 1800’s to early 1900’s. However, in the “Airborn” world lighter than air transportation has reached a much higher degree of development. A special gas called hydrium makes huge airliners and heavy duty airtugs possible. These airships share the skies with heavier-than-air Leonardo da Vinci style ornithopters, and strange high altitude creatures that are usually dangerous to the brave human aeronauts. Read the rest »