msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

This prequel to The Maze Runner takes place 13 years before Thomas gets to the Glade. Mark and Trina are in the underground when The Flares hit the city, wiping out most of humankind and life as we know it. The two make it out alive, but harsher scenes await them when a man-created plague begins to wipe out earth's remaining survivors. Although it was my least favorite in the series, it delivers what fans of Dashner have come to expect: fast-paced, violent, ruthless action that doesn't stop. Click here for a full review. Grade 7+

At the tender age of ten, Colton Harris-Moore was already committing his first light crimes, breaking into homes in his island community and foraging for food. Born into rural poverty to an alcoholic and abusive mother, Colt's escapades quickly escalated in severity, and by the time he was caught for the last time, he had led the FBI, local law enforcement, and a host of militia men on a wild goose chase across North America that ended in the Bahamas. Friel's local insight (he resides on Orcas Island, the scene for a multitude of Colt's crimes) and dedication to telling Colt's story without judging make for a stunningly intimate portrait of a survivor. I cried when I read about the 'keepsakes' Colt kept in a ziplock bag and carried with him until his final arrest. A meticulously researched biography that will astound and surprise you - whether you are familiar with Colton Harris-Moore's story or not. If you are a native of the Pacific Northwest like mysel...

At last! A superbly written, craftily woven, incredibly wonderful fantasy-adventure-techno tale that I can recommend to fans of Ready Player One (which sadly left me in the lurch back around December: I had no hope of finding anything quite like it and begrudgingly moved on to other genres), brought to you by award-winning graphic novelist G. Willow Wilson . Alif (his handle - the first letter in the Arabic alphabet) is a young hacker living in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. He spends most of his time providing his clients with secure connections and invisible digital footprints with enviable skill, diligently protecting them from state surveillance, run by the terrifying head of state, or, The Hand of God, as Alif and his gweek friends have nicknamed him. Alif is also in love with Intisar, a high-born girl who is out of his reach in the real world due to his mixed Indian-Arab background. The two sign a "stock marriage contract," but when Intisar becomes engaged to som...

Fifteen year-olds June and Day are from different worlds. Day, the country's most wanted and elusive criminal, lives in the slums under the radar, fighting for justice against the Republic, the elite government who periodically poisons its own people in the name of science. June, born into a high-ranking military family, lives in an exclusive neighborhood and is training to be the next big thing in the Republic's ongoing fight against the Colonies (North America is divided in half). Day becomes the prime suspect when June's beloved older brother Matias is killed, and their paths intertwine in a confusing mix of suspicion, lies, friendship, and illicit feelings. The action-packed story is told in alternating chapters in the completely credible voices of June and Day. The incredible Ms. Lu has an undeniable talent for writing prose that is easy to understand yet complex and poetic enough to entice even the most reluctant reader. Legend is a fantastic, fast-paced, fun, and...

Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone is following in her mother's footsteps: training as a midwife and providing the Enclave (a walled community unlike her own, with running water, electricity, and resources) with three infants each month, when her parents are kidnapped for harboring secrets and her world is turned upside down. Gaia decides to smuggle herself into the Enclave to save her family and finds out the ugly truth swimming just underneath the Enclave's pristine surface. An action-packed adventure with a strong, impulsive, and spirited heroine that fans of fantasy will fall in love with. Don't miss the sequel, Prized , and look for the final installment, Promised , in October. Check out Ms. O'Brien's wonderful wiki for teachers, , full of ancillary materials, here . Give it to fans of The Giver and Graceling. Grade 7+

You. Are. Indestructible. Don't miss this entertaining, action-packed, adventure-fantasy-superhero-romance set in a private high school in the Pacific Northwest. Perfect for fans of Cherub, Blood Ties, and Darren Shan, who are looking for something a bit deeper. Check out the extras-packed website. Grade 7+

Gus (can I call him Sweet Tooth?), Jeppard, and company set out for Alaska in search of answers about Gus's past and the disease that wiped out the majority of the world's population. Along the way, Lucy and Becky see their first snow, Gus begins to understand Jeppard's past, and the gang meets up with Walter, an eccentric living in a fortified paradise under a waterfall. Lemire's art is at its melancholy best in this volume, and guest artists Nate Powell, Emi Lenox, and Matt Kindt only add to the fun. If you're not reading Sweet Tooth yet, start NOW. If you're already an addict, this volume answers many of the questions set forth in volume three and blends in plenty of foreshadowing paired with the who's-really-the-bad-guy elements that Lemire has admirably employed throughout the series. Sweet Tooth is the perfect gateway comic - give it to anyone who is foolish enough to think comics aren't serious lit. Grade 8+

This story has it all: a smart princess, a cute-coming-of-age prince, a good-natured giant, humor, romance, and a plot that keeps the pages flying without becoming unrealistic (in a fantastical kind of way)! Taoshira (Tashi), the Fourth Crown Princess of the Blue Crescent Islands, is less than thrilled when she finds out that a marriage to Prince Ramil ac Burinholt of Gerfal has been arranged for political reasons. Ram isn't excited about becoming a groom either. Tashi travels to the Gerfalian capitol to meet her betrothed, the two of them are kidnapped by neighboring warmonger Fergox during an unsuccessful riding lesson, and the flame is lit. Julia Golding captures the wondrous transition from irritation to adoration that so often happens in first love. Dragonfly would be an excellent catalyst to a discussion on tolerance and justice.Give this to fans of The Princess Bride, Graceling, or The Hunger Games, and they will eat it up. Grade 6+