VCL Young Adult Reading Suggestions: Katrina's Picks for Grade 7 & 8 Summer 2019

This is one of my all-time favorite fantasy novels. 13-year-old Daine has a magical gift; she can speak to animals. The powerful mage Numair discovers her skill and helps her to train. Daine starts her training just in time, because the bloodthirsty Immortals are on their way. This is a great story full of magic and adventure, and there are three more books in “The Immortals” series.

This novel in verse is based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, a German student who participated in a non-violent Nazi resistance group called the White Rose. The novel follows her through the Nazi occupation, her protests, and eventually her arrest. A gripping story told through wonderful verse, this is a great pick if you enjoy historical fiction or poetry.

Fairfold is a normal town, except for all the faeries. Hazel and her brother Ben have grown up alongside the mischievous fae, the creepy woods, and the mysterious horned boy sleeping in an unbreakable glass coffin. But when the boy wakens everything Hazel and Ben thought they knew about their hometown and themselves begins to change.

Lan’s family has a big problem. The aliens on the planet that they were supposed to land on decided they don’t want humans on Choom after all, so now it is up to Lan’s family to show the aliens how great humans can be. The future of humans depends on it! But how are they going to pull it off? This is a very funny book that will make you think.

Caledonia Styx has lost almost everything to the warlord Aric Athair and his army of Bullets. Now, she captains her own ship along with a crew of girls and women in a similar predicament, with the goal of destroying Athair and his army. When a Bullet ends up saving one of her crew and offers information about Caledonia’s lost family, she’s put in a tight spot. This is an action-packed story with a strong message of female empowerment.

After a family tragedy, Emily, Navin, and their mother move to an ancestral home to start a new life. On the family’s very first night in the mysterious house, Em and Navin’s mom is kidnapped by a tentacle creature. Now it’s up to Em and Navin to figure out how to set things right and save their mother’s life. This is an exciting graphic novel and series.

This graphic novel has explosions, dragons, science, and symbolism! Nimona is a shape-shifting orphan, and her greatest desire is to be a sidekick to an evil villain. When she teams up with the notorious villain Lord Blackheart the two of them begin to realize that the designated “heroes” might not be so heroic after all.

Seifer Tombchewer is a Darkling with a dream; he wants to leave his tiny mountain town and explore the world. He gets his wish in an unexpected way when the royal advisor has him kidnapped and taken to the palace. Prince Talon has gone missing and Seifer is coerced into taking his place because they look so similar. But being the Prince is not exactly a safe option right now. This is an exciting story with action, intrigue, mystery, and a giant cat.