Fantasy,+Science+Fiction,+Utopias+and+Dystopias

Lowry, L. (1993). //The giver.// New York: Bantam Doubleday.


 * Genre:** Science Fiction


 * Audience:** Ages 14 and above

On his twelfth birthday, Jonas receives his assignment for adult hood from the Elders. He has been chosen to be the Receiver of Memories. As Jonas learns from the previous receiver, known to Jonas as the Giver, he realizes the community has chosen to be perfect. They have chosen for everyone to be the same, they assign jobs for the community based on observations, and they eventually decide when a member is to be released, or killed. The community does not realize these choices are made for them because life has always been this way. In this perfect community, there are no colors, there are no mistakes, and there are no feelings. Jonas receives the memories from the receiver of years long ago when there was war, family, and love. Jonas begins to realize his whole life had been planned out for him, as well as the lives in the community. The Giver and Jonas plan a way to help the community realize that a life without choices and mistakes is not a life at all.
 * Personal Reaction:** Jonas, a twelve year old boy, lives in a perfect community with his mom, dad, and little sister, Lily. He has food to eat at every meal, and shares his dreams every night with his family. The community he lives treats everyone as equals. If anyone makes a mistake, they apologize, and are immediately forgiven. Jonas is happy, or at least he thinks he is happy.

Lowry’s writing gives the reader the choice to decide if they would rather live in a perfect world, or one with choices. I think young adults would be extremely interested in this novel because it shows a perfect world isn’t so perfect.


 * Author Facts:** Lois Lowry is the daughter of a military dentist, so she moved around a lot as a child. Her first was was //A Summer to Die//, which was loosely based on the death of her sister. Lois Lowry lives in an old farmhouse that was built in 1768.


 * Websites:** [|http://www.loislowry.com/index.html]

Marr, M. (2007). //Wicked lovely.// New York: Harper Teen.

Intended Audience: Ages 15 and above
 * Genre: Fantasy

Personal Reaction to the book: This book is an extremely well written book about a teenage girl Aislinn, who can see fairies. Her knowledge of fairies has been passed down through her grandmother, who always told her to not let the fairies know she can see them. If they know, it will cause trouble.

This is easy advice to follow until the Summer King named Keenan realizes that Aislinn is the one who can break the Winter Queen's, also Keenan's mother, spell of eternal winter. The Winter Queen placed a spell upon the fairy world that could only be broken by a special girl. Throughout the story, Aislinn tries to avoid Keenan because she does not want to be part of the fairy world. However, his looks and charming behavior lead to a night of fairy wine and celebrating. After this celebration, Aislinn reaizes she is starting to have fairy attributes. Aislinn is falling in love with her friend Seth, and does not want to rule the fairy world or become the Summer Queen. Together, Seth and Aislinn find a way for her to help break the spell, but also keep what she wants. Her true love.

This was a very enjoyable book to read, and there are several books in this series as well. Marr's writing keeps the reader engaged at all times, and makes you feel the pain in Donia's heart when she can not have the Summer King.

Author Facts: Melissa Marr grew up believing in ghosts, fairies, and other mythical beings. In high school, she was voted to "most likely to be in jail." //Wicked Lovely// was her first novel.

Related Websites: @http://www.harperteen.com/contests/wickedlovely/

**

Riordan, R. (2005). //The lightening thief: Percy jackson and the olympians book 1.// New York: Scholastic, Inc.


 * Genre:** Fantasy


 * Audience:** Ages 12 – 16

As summer arrives, Percy and his mom head to the beach for a few days of vacation. However, when they arrive, they are again attacked by mythical beings. Percy’s mom, along with Grover, a friend from Yancy, get Percy to Half-Blood Hill Camp. It is at this camp, Percy realizes he is the son of the sea god Poseidon.
 * Personal Reaction:** Percy Jackson has been getting in trouble his whole life. He has been to different private school and has gotten expelled from each one. His current school, Yancy, is where weird things begin to happen. He is on a school field trip, when his math teacher Mrs. Dodds turns into a mythical being and Percy defeats Mrs. Dodds with a sword, but no one seems to believe Percy.

During his stay, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth are sent on a quest to get Zeus’ thunderbolt and return it to Zeus. The three fighters face many different monsters, trials, and even traitorous gods. Despite the odds stacked against the godlings and satyr, the three friends are able to solve the mystery of the lightening thief.

This book was an enjoyable book to read. Having a little knowledge of the mythological gods, it was an interesting way to weaver adventure and Greek mythology. For readers who are not familiar with the Greek myths, Riordan fills in the gaps with snippets of stories, which will help keep the reader involved.


 * Author Facts:** Rick Riordan taught English and history for 15 years. The //Lord of the Rings// was the first book Riordan read for fun. He first submitted his writing to be published at the age of 13, but it wasn’t published.


 * Websites:** http://www.rickriordan.com/

Meyer, S. (2005). //Twilight.// New York: Little Brown and Company.


 * Genre:** Fantasy


 * Ages:** Ages 15 and above


 * Personal Reaction:** //Twilight// is a story about Bella, a teenage girl who moves to Forks, the rainiest place on earth, because she wanted to give her mother time with her new husband. While Bella isn’t exactly thrilled about this move, this decision changes the rest of her life. Bella meets handsome Edward Cullen, who at first can’t stand the sight/smell of her. Soon Bella finds out that Edward, along with the rest of his family, are vampires. Not the vampires that feast on human blood, but rather on animals. Bella is accepting of Edward and his family, and soon falls in love with him. The two become inseparable, but when danger strikes, her life is at risk. Bella becomes hunted by a dangerous vampire James, who wants to kill her. Thankfully, Bella is saved by Edward and his family.

I first read //Twilight// because my fifth grade girls wanted to know if we had it on our elementary school library. I was recommended not to put them in the library, but to tell the students the public library has it available. I was immediately curious about the series. Even though I went in thinking the series would be shallow and stupid, I was actually immediately hooked. Meyer’s writing kept me engaged the whole story, and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened in the next book.


 * Author Facts:** Meyer also wrote a book for adults called //The Host.// She has been showcased in many different magazines, such as //People// and //Newsweek.// Before //Twilight,// she didn’t consider herself a writer, just a mom.


 * Websites:** http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

Meyer, S. (2006). //New moon.// New York: Little, Brown, and Company.


 * Genre:** Fantasy


 * Ages:** Ages 15 and above

For the next four months, Bella lives in the state of shock. In fact, Meyer effectively shows nothing happens in Bella’s world by leaving the pages blank with just the name of the month on it. However, things start to change when Bella realizes she can hear Edward’s voice when she does reckless things, like riding motorcycles. Bella starts hanging out with Jacob, who adores Bella, and her life starts to become normal again. Bella soon relies on Jacob just as much as she did on Edward. Towards the end of the novel, there is a misunderstanding and Edward thinks Bella has died. Edward goes off to anger the Volturi, the royal Vampire family, so he does not have to live without Bella. Bella and Alice try to save Edward from an early death.
 * Personal Reaction:** //New Moon// is the sequel to the extremely popular book //Twilight.// In the second book of Meyer’s series, Bella and Edward are reunited only for a short time. When celebrating Bella’s birthday, Bella is almost attacked by Jasper. At this point, Edward realizes that he can not be with Bella because he puts her in danger, so he breaks up with Bella. He tells Bella he never loved her.

Overall, I felt the second book in the series was just as eventful as the first. The character development, along with the teen crushes, will attract young adult, as well as adult readers.


 * Author Facts:** Stephanie Meyer //Twilight// was based on a dream she had. Meyer lives in Arizona with her family. Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University.


 * Websites:** http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

Rowling, J. K. (2007). //Harry potter and the deathly hallows.// New York: Scholastic Inc.


 * Genre:** Fantasy


 * Ages:** Ages 14 and above

While Harry has always felt closest to Dumbledore, after Dumbledore’s death, Harry finds outs things he didn’t know. Harry is forced to put aside his feelings of betrayal to defeat You – Know – Who. Harry also has access to Professor Snape’s memories, in which he learns that Snape was protecting him all through the years at Hogwarts.
 * Personal Reaction:** Rowling’s final book in the Harry Potter series shows Harry, Ron, and Hermoine on a search to destroy the hortcruxes created by Voldemort, who has now taken over the Ministry of Magic. The trio is forced to travel from place to place to stay alive, as well as escape from Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself.

The final installment of this series summed up a lot of unanswered questions. While the book wasn’t quite the same without Albus Dumbledore alive and well, and many favorite characters end up dying defending themselves, Lord Voldemort is finally defeated.


 * Author Facts:** J. K. stands for Joanne Kathleen. JK Rowling earned her degree in French and Classics. Rowlings Harry Potter series has been translated into 67 different languages.


 * Websites:** http://www.jkrowling.com/

DuPrau, J. (2003). //City of ember.// New York: Random House.


 * Genre:** Science Fiction


 * Ages:** Ages 12 and above

Lina finds a secret message, and with Doon’s help, she realizes this is her way out of Ember. Lina tells the Mayor, only to find out that he is hoarding certain foods for himself, instead of sharing with the community. At the end of the book Lina and Doon leave Ember, a city of darkness, for the land beyond where there are colors and stars.
 * Personal Reaction:** Lina and Doon have lived in Ember all their lives, so they are used to the assigned jobs, rationed items, and the blackouts. At the end of fifth grade, all the students of Ember randomly pick jobs from the Mayor’s hat. Lina ends up being a Pipeworker, while Doon is a messenger. Doon fears something bad is happening to Ember, so he offers to switch with Lina. Doon wants to fix the generator so Ember won’t have any more blackouts.

//City of Ember// reminded me of //The Giver.// Ember is an attempt to be a perfect society. Food is rationed, jobs are assigned, and there is a curfew for everyone. My only concern about this book is the ending. The reader is left wondering why this city was started in the first place, and what happened after Lina and Doon left.


 * Author Facts:** Jeanne has written six books and five novels. She enjoys working in her garden. Jeanne also enjoys spending time with her Norfolk Terrier, Jockey.


 * Websites:** http://www.jeanneduprau.com/index.shtml

Jacques, B. (2007). //Redwall: The graphic novel.// New York: Philomel Books.


 * Genre**: ** Fantasy

Ages:** 12 - 15


 * Personal Reaction:** //Redwall// is a graphic novel about a mouse, Mathias, who desires to be a hero. Little does he know that he will soon have his chance. Cluny, an evil rat, has come to take control over Redwall Abbey, where Mathias and the other monks (mice) live. Cluny threatens the mice to surrender or they will die. Cluny also has the tapestry of Martin the Warrior Mouse, Mathias' hero, stolen to use as their own flag. While Father Abbot only wants peace, he knows they must defend their home.

Mathias goes on a quest to find Martin's sword, which will help him defeat Cluny. At the same time, Cluny sends his evil followers to attack Redwall Abbey. Despite his many attempts, Cluny is finally defeated at the hand of Mathias and a bell.

Overall, I did not enjoy this graphic novel. I found the illustrations to be well drawn and interesting, but the story line was not as enjoyable as I had hoped. Parts of the story were very slow, while other parts seemed to lack depth.


 * Author Facts: Brian went to school where the playground was on the roof. Brian's English teacher also taught English to Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Brian currently lives in Liverpool, England.

Websites:** http://www.redwall.org/

De La Cruz, M. (2006). //Blue bloods.// New York: Hyperion Paperbacks.


 * Genre:** Fantasy


 * Ages:** 14 - 16


 * Personal Reaction: Schuyler Van Alen goes to school at a classy high school, but isn't one of the rich kids. She would rather dress in baggy clothes and hang out with her friends, than try to be popular. However, things change when one of the girls at her school is killed. Schuyler is sad, but doesn't realize her life will change forever. With this new death, Schuyler finds out she is a Blue Blood, or a vampire. She learns that she can live forever, and the mother who has been in a coma for many years, is also a vampire. Shockingly, Schuyler finds out that her best friend Oliver is her guardian sent to protect her.

With all these new developments, an even scarier one becomes evident. A Silver Blood, a powerful, evil vampire, is trying to destroy the Blue Bloods. It is up to Schuyler and Oliver will find a way to stop the Silver Bloods.

Author Facts: Melissa has several books on the New York Times best seller list. She majored in art history and English at Columbia. She lives in Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

Websites:** http://www.melissa-delacruz.com**/**

Anderson, M.T. (2002). //Feed.// Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.
 * Genre:** Science Fiction/Fantasy


 * Ages:** Ages 16 -18


 * Personal Reaction:** //Feed// is a story about Titus, a teenage boy who lives in the future. He seems like the teenage boys today, except for one major difference. He has a feed. A feed is a chip that was implanted in his brain, which allows him to communicate with his friends without talking. The feed also allow stores to communicate with him about what he would like to purchase. Basically, a feed is the ability to have an internet connection directly attached to a person’s brain. For Titus, this is a normal life until he meets Violet on the Moon.

Violet is a teenage girl who also has a feed, but did not get hers until later in life. She sees the feed as a way for everyone to be thinking the same thing. She tries to trick the feed by showing interest in items, but then resisting the urge to buy them. As Titus and Violet become more serious, Titus realizes that having the feed isn’t all it’s cut out to be. Yes, it’s convenient and cool, but there is more to his life than that.

Overall, I felt the plot of this book was relative to young adults. Young adults would love to have the internet connected to their brains. However, parts of the book were extremely slow and hard to stay interested in, and the language was a bit extreme.

**Author Facts:** M.T. Anderson has written children’s books. He currently lives in Massachusetts. He feels teens should have the same books as adults.


 * Websites:** http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR2008112802766.html


 * http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/m-t-anderson/

** Collins, S. (2008). //The hunger games.// New York: Scholastic Press.


 * Genre:** Science Fiction


 * Ages:** Ages 15 and above

This year, Katniss along with Peeta, the baker’s son, are picked to represent District 12. They are coached by a previous winner of the Hunger Games, Haymitch, who is almost always drunk. Katniss and Peeta are trying to figure out who to trust, when Peeta declares his life long love for Katniss. They use this strategy to entertain the viewers. The more in love they seem, the more help from the sponsors they will get. Katniss and Peeta choose to help each other because this year there are allowed to be two winners if the winners are from the same district. However, when they are the only two left, the new rule is revoked forcing Katniss and Peeta to pretend to kill themselves at the same time. While the Hunger Games are over, the fear in Katniss and Peeta’s lives will be there until they figure out if they are truly safe for challenging the Capitol.
 * Personal Reaction:** Katniss Everdeen lives with her mother and his younger sister Prim. She provides food for her family by hunting, which is considered illegal in the community. Every year, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games to remind the districts of the time a revolt was crushed by the Capitol. In these games, a boy and a girl are chose from each of the twelve districts to compete. However, the only way to win is if the competitors kill each other. The last one alive is crowned the victor.

This is perhaps one of my favorite books I’ve read this semester. The suspense kept me turning the pages, long past the time I should have been in bed. Collins’ writes with a skill that entrances the reader and keeps them on their toes for the entire book.


 * Author Facts:** Suzanne had worked on several shows for //Nickelodeon// . She lives in Connecticut with her family. She is working on completing the //Hunger Games// Series.


 * Websites:** http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/