Life As We Knew It (
$1.99 Kindle), the first Teen/YA novel in the
Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer[HMH Books for Young Readers]
Book Description
I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open.
High school sophomore Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, like "one marble hits another." The result is catastrophic. How can her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis are wiping out the coasts, earthquakes are rocking the continents, and volcanic ash is blocking out the sun? As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.
Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, this heart-pounding story chronicles Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. An extraordinary series debut!
Age Level: 13 and up
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (
$2.49 Kindle), by Catherynne M. Valente and Ana Juan (Illustrator) [Macmillan], with the
companion audiobook for $2.99; this is a
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Fiction title for 2011.
Book Description
Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn't . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.
With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when author Catherynne M. Valente first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.
Age Level: 10 and up
The Moon Dwellers (
$2.51 Kindle), the first novel in YA
The Dwellers Saga by David Estes [indie]. The next titles in the series are also under $4:
The Star Dwellers and
The Sun Dwellers
Book Description
In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms.
17-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison deep underground.
When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Adele must escape from prison and seek to uncover her parents' true past, armed with only a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.
In her world someone must die.
