Artemis Fowl

by Eoin Colfer

With his father missing and his mother ill, twelve-year-old Artemis continues the family's criminal pursuits. In the series' opening novel, Artemis searches for the fairy's book, eventually hoping it will guide him to fairy gold. Although well thought out, Artemis' plans must change as he encounters trolls and elves.

Personal Thoughts: What a wonderful novel! I listened to the audiobook of Artemis Fowl and enjoyed every minute of it.

Eon Dragoneye Reborn

by Alison Goodman

An ancient kingdom centers on twelve dragons, and each dragon rules one year within a twelve year cycle. Each dragon works through a DragonEye, a human man chosen by the dragon to harness the dragon’s energy.

Although Eon is crippled, he hopes to be chosen as the Rat Dragon’s apprentice. He has trained for years and has the unusual power to see all eleven dragons in the kingdom. Eon is only able to see eleven dragons because the Mirror Dragon has been missing for several hundred years.

Despite the physical disability of being crippled, Eon has even a larger problem. Eon is not a boy, but a girl – Eona. The secret of Eon’s gender is only known by Eona herself and her master. If the political leaders discover a girl was trying to become a DragonEye apprentice, Eona would be killed. Despite her secret, Eon performs at the Rat Dragon’s ceremony, hoping to be chosen by the Rat Dragon. Eon is not chosen, yet as Eon starts to leave the stadium, the long-missing Mirror Dragon returns and chooses her as DragonEye apprentice.

Eon now holds a place of power in the kingdom and must keep her gender secret. Will Eon be able to keep her secret from other DragonEyes? Why did the Mirror Dragon appear and claim Eon?

Personal Thoughts: Fantastic! I cannot wait to read Eona The Last Dragoneye!

Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke

While reading a book one night, Meggie notices an odd-looking individual outside of her window. Her discovery of Dustfinger takes Meggie on an adventure through books and imagination. Mo, Meggie's father, has the ability to "read" characters to life, and as they become part of today's world, the characters bring their world into Meggie's world.

Personal Thoughts: Cornelia Funke's book captured my interest from the start. While it would be exciting to have storybook characters enter our world, what if the characters brought evil?

Remember to check out Inkspell and Inkdeath.

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

In a land of seven kingdoms, certain people hold special talents. These "Gracelings" are identified by their eyes, which are two different colors. Katsa, a Graceling working for King Randa, does not enjoy her gift and yearns to escape the rule of the heartless king. Po, another Graceling, faces problems of his own. Together, Katsa and Po form a powerful friendship. However, will their alliance help them resolve their problems?

Personal Thoughts: I love this book! Katsa is a strong female character and remains true to herself and her goals. Po also proves to be a young man who possesses integrity and honor.

I can't wait to read Fire, the prequel to Graceling. Cashore's second novel is set to be released in early October 2009.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, the first book in a scheduled series of ten, follows the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill. These two youngsters are members of the powerful Cahill family and must uncover thirty-nine clues left behind by Grace Cahill. The clues will help them discover the secrets of their heritage.

Personal Thoughts: From the opening sentence, Riordan's book immediately caught my interest. Not only did the novel keep me on the edge of my seat, it seamlessly incorporated history into the storyline.