TOP PICKS FOR GRADE 7

WHAT IS THE PNLA?

http://www.pnla.org/yrca/FAQ05.htm

The Hunchback Assignments – Arthur SladeLeviathan – Scott WesterfeldThe Maze Runner – James DashnerPeace, Love and Baby Ducks – Lauren MyraclePrincess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica GeorgeThe Reformed Vampire Support Group – Catherine JinksSkeleton Creek – Patrick CarmanThirteenth Child – Patricia Wrede

2012 YRCA Nominees List

http://www.pnla.org/yrca/2012nominees.html

http://skeletoncreekfans.com/ 

http://www.skeletoncreekisreal.com/

http://www.scholastic.com/skeletoncreek/

http://sarahfincher.com/

Skeleton Creek is a series of four books. This makes it a tetralogy.

SKELETON CREEK by Patrick Carman

Maze Runner is the latest in action-packed thrillers, under the category of dystopian literature. The Maze Runner is a trilogy. Synopsis: Imagine you wake up in total darkness unsure of where you are or how you got there, all you know is your own name. Meet Thomas who enters this world with no escape. He enters a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies from below. It is a maze called “the glade”. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "the glade" for two years, trying to find a way to escape through a maze that surrounds their living space coming into contact wit the nightmarish Grievers who plague the boys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-9VMu0N3nQ&feature=related Author’s words:http://www.amazon.com/Maze-Runner-Trilogy-Book/dp/0385737947

Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

Growing up in a world of wealth and pastel-tinted entitlement, fifteen-year-old Carly has always relied on the constancy--and authenticity--of her sister, Anna. But when fourteen-year-old Anna turns plastic-perfect-pretty over the course of a single summer, everything starts to change. And there are boys involved, complicating things as boys always do. This is a book about Sisterhood and reveals that even very different sisters can learn to help each other stay afloat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMzhQQ3jCN0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIxHinDDDmo

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Summary: Twelve princesses (each named after a flower) cursed to dance until dawn + Galen (a young soldier returning from war) + an evil curse + an enchanted cloak = one very compelling retelling of the classic fairy-tale: The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Other good reads by Jessica Day George:

http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/

http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/03/book-review-princess-of-the-midnight-ball-by-jessica-day-george.html

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

WHAT IS A SUPPORT GROUP?WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE A VAMPIRE SUPPORT GROUP WOULD INVOLVE?

WHAT IS A REFORMED VAMPIRE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcoFiFuAEds(1:09 – 1:42)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBuCe5oIKBU&feature=related

Other books by Catherine Jinks:Living HellPAGAN’S DAUGHTEREVIL GENIUS

STEAM PUNK?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction.

EXAMPLES IN MOVIES:

TIM BURTON:

Edward Scissor-handsThe Nightmare before ChristmasBeetlejuiceCharlie and the Chocolate FactoryPlanet of the ApesJames and the Giant PeachAlice in Wonderland

Robot movies:

TransformersIron ManWall-ERobots

The Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede

WHAT NUMBER DO YOU CONSIDER LUCKY?WHAT NUMBER DO YOU CONSIDER UNLUCKY?

Eff and her twin brother Lan live in a magical, alternative version of the the western frontier.

Eff is born the thirteenth child, a position that is thought to bring bad luck to the family, while her brother is lucky 14 and the 7th son of the 7th son, a position that brings extraordinary magical power.

The family moves from the civilized and secure east to the western frontier where a magical border keeps dangerous creatures like the dreaded steam dragons away from the settlements. Despite her difficulties learning and controlling magic, Eff’s teacher Miss Ochiba teaches her not only Avrupan magic but also the Hijero-Cathayan and Aphrikan styles. An expedition to the settlements outside the Great Barrier Magic tests her magical skills.

SEQUEL: ACROSS THE GREAT BARRIER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFgv5c8ekqI

Genre: fantasy fiction

Leviathan Series by Scott Westerfeld

A trilogy Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath

One of the coolest things about this series is illustrator Keith Thompson. He made the books like they were published back in 1914, when almost all books (even adult) were illustrated. He developed a sort of “Victorian manga” style, part steam-punk and part old-fashioned biotech. You can listen to chapter one on-line:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected ways, taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/leviathan/

http://scottwesterfeld.com/about-the-author/

The Hunchbook Assignments by Arthur Slade

This book has been called “a rollicking steam-punk adventure”.

When Mr. Socrates, a member of the shadowy Permanent Association, hears of a hunchbacked infant with the ability to transform his appearance, he decides to take him in. Naming him Modo, he raises the boy in isolation, training him to become a secret agent.

http://www.hunchbackassignments.com/

This is a trilogy. Other booksBook 2: The Dark DeepsBook 3: Empire of Ruins