Fantasy novels often have unicorns, fairies, and dragons, and these days werewolves and vampires are very popular. Not many books though have griffins as the main characters. Rachel Neumeier’s new adventure, Lord of the Changing Winds, features amazingly original griffins.

These griffins (part eagle, part lion) are purely creatures of fire, bringing a stark red desert with them wherever they roost. Having recently been driven out of their home lands, the griffins have shifted to the green, fertile lands of Feierband without seeking either permission or forgiveness for the encroachment of their desert.

The griffins were displaced after losing battles to earth mages who can damp their fires. They were in desperate need of a fire mage who can heal. The sole remaining griffin mage finds just such a person in a young girl, Kes. She has talent that  would have made her into an earth mage, except that the griffins changed her nature to fire. Many people become outraged on Kes’ behalf, although she seems to accept her changing fate with relative equanimity.

By the time I had figured out the griffin characters (who have unwieldy names) and pieced together the basics of the story, I still wasn’t entirely invested in the story. It takes a little while to become fully absorbed. However, once the introductions and scene are established, the second half of the book provides a fast, furious story full of battles — both of might and of will.

Given the stressed political backdrop, the author has her characters ponder some fairly weighty questions. Among them: What is the appropriate use of military force to maintain a country’s integrity? What constitutes open and informed consent for making decisions? The griffins are so totally alien that basic human assumptions for interaction do not hold true. If the two aggressors have so little common ground, how can negotiations begin? Neumeier gives them a common enemy to combine forces to fight. It will be interesting to see in the next volume whether a common enemy will continue to unite such different races.

Kristen Blount – Administrative Office

Adult/child bedtime reading can be a comforting, entertaining, and memory-making experience. While the child still appreciates a good “nighty-night” picture book, the options are many and varied. When the child is beyond the easy reader stage, selecting mutually-acceptable books can be challenging. If you and your reading companion (remember, sometimes the child prefers to be the reader) have read all of the Little House books (if you haven’t yet read them, be sure to start with Little House in the Big Woods and not Little House on the Prairie, and it’s fine to skip Farmer Boy or save it for later), and if Harry Potter is not yet, or ever, for you, I recommend Kathryn Lasky’s Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.

Beginning with The Capture, Ga’Hoole features a variety of vividly described owls (get it – Ga’Hoole?!) engaging in thrilling adventures. There are some scary bits and deaths; I recommend for children age 8 and older. Some of the owls are evil and wish to dominate and abuse their fellow creatures, while others are good guys whooo (sorry, couldn’t help myself) promote freedom, independence, and kindness. Perhaps these exciting tales will inspire you to take a trip to the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore to see living examples of these fictional characters. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, a movie based on this series, is scheduled for release in September 2010. Recently, I’ve had teen customers request Ga’Hoole books because they enjoyed the books as children and “can’t wait” for the movie.

Beth Haynes – Central Library

Howard County teens are still busy reading and writing reviews this summer. Here are some more top picks:

Schooled by Gordon Korman
Schooled is the tale of a hippie kid who is sent to a REAL school and has to learn how to survive middle school on his own. Not long after, he is stuck with the position of class president and the title of total dork. The story follows his journey from hippie outcast to almost fitting in. Schooled is a very inspiring and amazing novel! Although it may be an easy read, this book has so much to offer, from life lessons to tips and advice, teaching you how people feel in middle school, and just having another great, happy, comforting, and inspiring story. I could have read 300 more pages of Cap’s adventures and discoveries. The ending feels as if a sequel is coming, so if there is, I will be SURE to read it! As Cap would say, "All you need is love" and that is all I have for this book.

- Eiryn G.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great book by Jules Verne. There is a creature underwater terrorizing sea travelers and Professor Aronnax, a famous Professor, thinks that it might be a narwhal. He goes on an expedition to find this “creature” when he is captured by the people on the submarine, which he finds out is the mystery creature. Captain Nemo, the sub’s captain, is holding them against their will on his sub. Then they try to escape. As they are getting away, a Maelstrom, which is a huge storm, hits their ship as they are leaving the sub on the dingy. Do they escape or not? You have to read the book to find out what happens.

- Kenny S.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a great novel about three kids who are kidnapped. Kuda, Rita, and Tendai are all children of General Matsika living in the 22nd century. These three children live in a house with security, robots, and a Mellower. A Mellower is someone who gives praise to people and families. Rita, Kuda, and Tendai all take karate, and Rita and Tendai are in boy/girl scouts, with Kuda joining the following year. For Tendai to become an Eagle Scout he must go on an adventure. Unfortunately, their parents are strict and will not even let them leave the house. But because the Mellower is very kind to them, they arranged a plan to trick their parents into letting them go. Since the Mellower’s praises calm them so much, they don’t remember exactly what he says to them and so that’s how the Mellower got them to give permission for the kids all to go. As they leave the house, their parents remember what happened and the kids are kidnapped. I liked the book because of its action and excitement.

- Trevor A.

Teen summer readers highly recommend these titles:

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang
This book is a graphic novel, in which there are many different stories going on in one book. There are humans, monkey, monsters and much more. Read the book to find out. I really liked this book, because it was a comic, which made it easy and fun to read. This book is great!

- Irma M.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
In the country of Westfalin, the twelve princesses are supposedly cursed. All the princes who attempt to find out why the princesses’ slippers are all worn out after every third night are killed in unfortunate accidents or duels. The princes cannot find the solution even though the king has offered the hand of one of his daughters if the mystery is solved. Unfortunately, the girls are not talking. Galen is a young soldier returning from the war, his parents dead. He seeks work with his aunt and uncle, the king’s gardeners. He begins work as an under-gardener. He asks the king for permission to try and solve the mystery. Quietly, he follows the princesses through a secret passageway to King Under Stone’s realm, where they attend the “Midnight Ball” every night. Galen watches them dance until dawn, working out a plan to free the princesses (especially Rose). On the third day, King Under Stone finds out that some stranger is in his realm, finding some nightshade on the floor. The princesses are taken and do not return to the palace above, and the palace turns frantic. Still underground, Galen kills King Under Stone by stabbing him with a branch of one of the silver trees in the forest behind the gates. King Under Stone is killed, and his oldest son, Illikin, becomes the new King Under Stone. Illikin is killed in the same manner as the first King Under Stone, and the next brother is the King. Galen uses a black wool chain and a silver crucifix to lock the realm of King Under Stone from the regular world. They all return to the palace happily. This book was exciting, action-packed, and great! The events have you on the edge of your seat, and you can’t put the book down.

- Suzie B.

You can read more reviews by our teens here!

To earn book bucks for the Readers Raffle, teen summer readers have been submitting reviews in branches and online. Here’s a selection of books that have received high praise:

The Sherlock Files: The 100-year-old Secret by Tracy Barrett

This book was about these two kids who are related to Sherlock Holmes. There was a letter that was given to them. That letter was written in vanishing ink. Xena and Xander read the letter as fast as they could and tried to figure out what it meant. They found out what it meant and did what it said. They got to this place and found the Brown family, who had Sherlock’s notebook. It had clues in his cases that he did. Then the two kids found out about the picture that was missing for 100 years. Those two kids start to look for the painting. They find it and put it in Nigel Batheson’s exhibit. I like this book because the two kids have to take some risks that might make them go to jail. Also, I liked this book because the two kids are related to Sherlock Holmes.      

- Anshul B.

The Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein

This was a very exciting book about two teenagers who win a youth writing contest and get to go to the Final Four basketball tournament. While there, they hear that the star player from one of the teams is being blackmailed into losing the championship game. I really enjoyed this book because it was very adventurous, interesting. This book also makes readers think ahead and then takes unexpected turns.

- Aaron J.

Seth Baumgarner’s Love Manifesto by Eric Luper

Seth Baumgertner has "the worst day of his life." His girlfriend dumps him, he gets fired from his fourth summer job, and he sees his dad on a date with another woman. In order to find the answers to all these questions Seth starts a podcast anonymously called the "Love Manifesto." Seth gets a job working at a golf club with his best friend Dimitri and Dimitri’s sister Audrey. He discovers you can’t dissect love and that sometimes love may mean eating the worst chicken salad sandwich ever. I found this book funny, charming, and so true. By the end of the book Seth and his manifesto will have your heart. Over all — a great read!

- Sarah F.

Imagine you’ve reached the top of your field. You have the respect of your peers, and the devotion of your followers. Then the game changes: your old skills are not the right ones for the new job, and you have different people to work with — some of whom don’t really trust you. 

In Oath of Fealty, Elizabeth Moon puts three older characters (i.e., they are from a previous series and are middle-aged) into that situation. I was pleasantly surprised by these competent adults. So many fantasy novels concentrate on coming of age stories, which necessarily include "on the job" trials and tribulations. Not that this book lacks in trials, and they are thornier than average.

More than 20 years after writing about woman warrior Paksenarrion, Moon returns to other characters from that story. Kieri Phelan has gone from a mercenary captain and rural duke to being king, but he rules a country divided between elves and humans. His court is used to the quieter pace of an older ruler. Captain Dorrin Verrakai, one of Phelan’s captains and now a duke, must confront her family and its evil. She ran away for good reasons, and now returns to clean up a literal and magical mess. Last but not least, Captain Arcolin becomes the commander of Phelan’s mercenary company, after being a captain for many years. He has to learn to accept his new level of authority.

There are almost three novellas in this one book, following each of these characters through their separate adventures. It works as a single story though, as all three grow into new roles that they never sought or expected to fill. In this excellent high fantasy novel, we read about honor, adventure, strange and mystical creatures, true evil, and (hopefully) the triumph of good. Oath of Fealty introduces a promising new series, and is an excellent book in its own right.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Simple, sheer delight. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones provides the almost perfect fairy tale for readers of all ages. Wynne Jones’ graceful prose provides an easy transition into a world of magic of all sorts from mundane to the frighteningly bizarre.

Sophie is a young girl who works as a milliner in her stepmother’s shop. She seems content with her ordinary life — until she meets the handsome young wizard Howl, after which her life is never the same. She has a nasty encounter with the Witch of the Wastes that leaves her a young woman in an old woman’s body, flees town, becomes Howl’s housekeeper in his mobile castle, meets a strange scarecrow, corrals Howl’s apprentice, befriends the talking fire Calcifer, and her escapades have only just begun. At the end of her courageous quest, she discovers her true self and helps others do the same.

Howl apparently has two goals in life: 1) To be admired by as many people as possible, and 2) To stop a war. One is obviously a more worthy goal, but it’s amusing to see how the two intertwine. Howl is frightfully self-absorbed, and one of the most interesting characters in decades. He’s a vain and extremely talented wizard who wants to save the world. The book revolves around the mystery of Howl’s heart, and whether Sophie can save it.

Too often adapted screenplays don’t respect their literary origins. How often do you just know that the book is going to be better than the movie? Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature not only respects the novel, but celebrates its playfulness and serious underlying themes. This is a beautiful and faithful rendition of the novel (even if the book is still better). It also relies on some great voice talent, including Lauren Bacall and Billy Crystal. So read the book, then watch the movie. This is a story I love in any format.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Gilda Joyce is my kind of girl. Some might describe her as "quirky," but that’s too easy. I like to think that Gilda is more of a combination of Olivia and Harriet the Spy. Gilda loves her typewriter, which was given to her by her late father. She also loves dressing up in outrageous outfits, and trying to communicate with "the spirits" — an activity she took up after her father died. Gilda somehow manages to talk her way into (and sometimes out of) the strangest situations. She invites herself into the home of a distant relative in San Francisco, simply because she told people she would be going to San Francisco over the summer. It turns out this relative has a mystery he needs solving! Well, Gilda thinks it needs to be solved. This can’t be a coincidence! (Or maybe it could.)

Something I love about Gilda is the way she thinks. She’s a dramatic optimist, something the world needs more of. This book is light, but not fluffy; funny, not absurd; and sweet, not saccharine. Gilda also appears in several fantastic sequels by author Jennifer Allison, including Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake, Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata, and the latest in the series, Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop, which features Gilda traveling to D.C.’s own International Spy Museum. Pick these books up when you want a fun series to get you through the lull of your favorite author taking three years to come out with a new book.

Jennifer Smith – Glenwood Branch

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.

You may have heard of me.

Yeah, right, I can hear you thinking, no book can live up to an intro like that. Normally, I’d agree with you. I was skeptical, but The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss delivered in spades. It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer, you should read this book for its excellent story with polished and artful prose. Technically high fantasy, it also contains elements of mystery, romance, and the picaresque.

Meet Kvothe (pronounced almost like "Quothe"), who makes the outrageous claims listed above. Though he’s settled into the quiet life of an innkeeper in an obscure village, he’s managed to cram a lot of living into a relatively short time. Raised among traveling performers, the young genius survives the complete destruction of his family and subsequent years of begging and stealing. He eventually resolves to discover as much as he can about his family’s mythical, magical killers, which leads him to the University.

Most of the novel recounts Kvothe’s time as a student and a local performer. Whip-smart and gifted student as he is, Kvothe is an equally good musician. He has a certain wry perspective on the world, which helps him remain a believable hero. Also, Kvothe’s tendency to leap without looking (or thinking) leads to many messy situations, which kept me reading voraciously, always needing to know how he extricated himself.

I’m waiting for the next book, Wise Man’s Fear, to hit the shelves in May. You can enjoy this outstanding debut as a traditionally published book or as downloadable audio.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

You’ve heard it before: the devil is in the details. Megan Whalen Turner makes good use of those little details in her Newbery Honor book The Thief. The astute reader will be rewarded for paying close attention when the story gets upended in the last few chapters.

Meet Gen, self-proclaimed best thief in the world.

The only problem with this assertion stems from the fact that Gen is in prison while he’s boasting. Presumably, good thieves, let alone great ones, don’t spend a lot of time in jail. Nor do they boast about their skills.  Perhaps Gen’s bragging does him some good, though, when the king’s advisor offers him a deal. If Gen agrees to accompany a small group on a quest to steal an ancient artifact, then all charges against him will be forgiven.

What choice does a young thief have?

Gen proves to be one of the most disagreeable traveling companions ever, with little to no manners and no respect for other people’s belongings. In fact, the author has quite a bit of fun detailing all the ways Gen needles his captors. Turner’s writing is spare but lovely throughout. She gives just enough description that you can picture Gen’s world — a close relative to ancient Greece — in a way that completely engages your imagination.

Although technically for children, readers of all ages should enjoy this mythological tale. It would make a great read-aloud, as it’s not too long and has a great voice. Or, you can listen to it on audiobook. Gen’s adventures continue in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. 

Kristen Blount – Administration Office