Other worlds are just an attic away ...

Wilson, N.D. (2007). 100 Cupboards (Gr. 5-7).

12-year-old Henry York has led a strange, if uneventful, life.  He has never played baseball, drunk soda, or had parents who paid much attention to him.  When his parents are kidnapped on a bicycling trip in South America, Henry travels to Kansas to stay with his aunt, uncle, and cousins.  A thump on the wall of his attic bedroom throws Henry into a whirlwind, sometimes creepy, adventure of mysterious cupboard doors that lead to other worlds.  Henry and one of his cousins begin to explore, finding notes from their grandfather and meeting a few people from these other worlds. Some of the people want to help, some want to be left alone, and others want something much more sinister than Henry can even imagine.

100 Cupboards combines the best of fantasy and mystery--readers might even find it a little bit scary.  Fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline should check this one out!  The books move quickly, so be sure to request the two sequels at the same time.

Fans of Rick Riordans' Percy Jackson series

While you're waiting to read the The Last Olympian, the final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, why not read some other books about gods, godesses, and other mythological characters.

Here are a few suggestions:

Abouzeid, Chris. Anatopsis.
In the realm from which the Greek gods ruled the universe thousands of years ago, the immortal witch Anatopsis uncovers the true objectives of her demi-god tutor Mr. Pound and attempts to prevent him from carrying out his evil plans.













Deming, Sarah. Iris, Messenger.
After discovering that the immortals of Greek mythology reside in her hometown of Middleville, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Iris listens to their life stories, gaining wisdom, beauty, and startling revelations about her past.

Henessy, Carolyn. Pandora Gets Jealous.
Thirteen-year-old Pandy is hauled before Zeus and given six months to gather all of the evils that were released when the box she brought to school as her annual project was accidentally opened.













Jones, Diana Wynne. The Game.
Sent to a boisterous family gathering in Ireland by her overly strict grandmother, orphaned Hayley feels out of place until her unruly cousins include her in a special game involving travel through the mythosphere, the place where all the world's stories can be found, and where some secrets of her past are revealed.

Mebus, Scott. Gods of Manhattan.
Thirteen-year-old Rory discovers a spirit world that thrives alongside his contemporary New York City, filled with fantastical creatures and people from the city's colorful past who have become gods and goddesses and who have chosen Rory to perform a dangerous mission.

Ursu, Anne. The Shadow Thieves. (The Cronus Chronicles, bk.1)
After her cousin Zee arrives from England, thirteen-year-old Charlotte and he must set out to save humankind from denizens of the underworld, Nightmares, Death, Pain, and a really nasty guy named Phil.

Fans of Funke's Inkheart

Have you read Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy? Get ready for the film, which is to be released on January 23. Click here to read about the cast and other goodies.

If you haven't read Inkheart, here's a brief summary.

Twelve-year-old Meggie has lived with her father, a book binder, for many years without knowing that he has kept a secret from her. He can "read" fictional characters to life. One night when Meggie was little, he brought several characters from a book, called Inkheart, into his living room. At the same time as the characters appeared, Meggie's mother disappeared. This is why Mo has never told Meggie about his talent. Unfortunately, his secret won't be kept in the dark for long, soon Dustfinger, one of the characters brought into this world by Mo, pays them a visit. He also brings with him a warning, which can have dire consequences. Capricorn, a powerful and evil villain, is on Mo's trail and he will stop at nothing until he has forced Mo to "read" several more characters out of Inkheart; characters which will bring death and dread to everyone around. The only chance of survival is to find the author of Inkheart and have him pen a new ending, but will Meggie and Mo find him in time?

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

Wilson, N.D. (2007). 100 Cupboards. 289 pages. Grades 4-6.

Henry's life changes dramatically after his parents are kidnapped. He leaves Boston, where he lived a sheltered life, and moves in with his Aunt, Uncle and their children in Kansas, where he can roam freely and even ride in the open cab of his Uncle's truck. Henry is given a cozy room in the attic, which has a secret waiting for him to discover. When pieces of plaster begin to fall from the wall, Henry finds hidden cabinet doors in all shapes, colors, and sizes. With his cousin, Henrietta, they discover that each door leads to a different world.

The story begins on the slow side, but the excitement picks up once Henry and Henrietta begin wandering through the different worlds. You can find the list and a drawing of the cabinets at the beginning of the book.

Fans of Funke's Inkheart Series

If you've finished reading Inkdeath or are waiting for your copy, you might enjoy these books:

Collins, Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander. (Underland Chronicles, bk.1)

11-year old Gregor and his 2-year old sister enter into a mysterious underground world where they embark on a quest to find their missing father.

Durst, Sarah Beth. Into the Wild.

Julie's mother, Rapunzel, escaped her fairy tale, but when "the wild" takes over the entire town, Julie must prevent everyone from being trapped in a fairy tale forever.

Gordon, Roderick. Tunnels.

Will Burrows and his friend Chester must venture into an underground world with cruel and evil inhabitants in order to rescue his father.

Kladstrup, Kristin. The Book of Story Beginnings.

After moving to Iowa with her family, Lucy finds a notebook that brings stories to life. When Lucy writes in the notebook, her story adventures lead her to her great uncle, who disappeared as a boy.

A new adventure from Erin Hunter

Hunter, Erin (2008). The Quest Begins. (The Seekers, bk.1) 293 pages. (Grades 5-7).

The story follows the journey of three bears: Kallik, a polar bear, Toklo, a grizzly bear, and Lusa, a black bear. Each bear must overcome hardships in order to continue their quest to the Northern Lights. Kallik becomes separated from her family and must continue on her own. Toklo is abandoned by his mother and meets a shape-shifting cub. Lusa meets Oka, Toklo's mother in the zoo, and promises to find him and bring him a message. It seems that destiny will bring these three bears together on a dangerous journey that will continue throughout this new series. Includes an excerpt from Great Bear Lake (The Seekers, bk. 2).

Calling all Harry Potter fans!

Neff, Henry H. (2007). The Hound of Rowan. (The Tapestry, bk. 1), 414 pages. Grades 5 -7.


When twelve year old Max stumbles upon a mysterious room at the Art Institute of Chicago, he finds a Celtic tapestry and has a confusing vision. Suddenly, he is the focus of a group of people at Rowan Academy, a secret school for people with magical capabilities. Max chooses to attend this school as an Apprentice (first year) where he learns how to use his magical skills and super-human powers. In addition, he learns that evil continues to lurk around the world and that children like him are being kidnapped by the enemy. After Max is captured by the enemy, he is brought to a crypt in Ireland where the other children are being kept. It is up to him to rescue these children and escape back to Rowan. The second book, The Second Siege, is due out in September.

Three Fantasy Books in One!

Stewart, Paul (2003). Muddle Earth. 450 pages. Grades 4-6.

Joe Jefferson can't think of what to write for his English assignment, which needs to be about an adventure. When he goes outside for a walk with his dog, he suddenly becomes part of another world, Muddle Earth, where he must play the role of warrior-hero. It is now up to Joe and his new friends to stop Dr. Cuddles from imprisoning the wizards and ruling Muddle Earth.

Adventure, Heroism, and More!

Pierce, Tamora (1999). First Test (Protector of the Small, bk.1). 216 pages. Grades 5-8.

Ten years ago, it was decided that girls would be accepted to train as knights, but no one has come forward until Keladry of Mindalen. When she arrives at the school, Keladry is treated unjustly by the male students, as well as the male staff. In order to meet the first year requirements, Keladry must work harder than her colleagues in order to prove to them that she has what it takes to be a knight. When she stands up for the underdog, she earns respect from several students. Through the different tasks and battles, Keladry demonstrates her strength and heroism. This is a great adventure story with a strong female protagonist! If you liked the first book, continue with the sequel, Page.

Fairy tales come alive in this fantastical adventure!

Durst, Sarah Beth (2007). Into the Wild. Grades 5-7.

Twelve year old Julie lives with her single mom, Zel (a.k.a. Rapunzel) who had once upon a time fled from the enchanted forest, known as "the wild", in order to live a somewhat normal life. There are others just like Zel -- Mary from "Mary had a little lamb," the Three Bears, Puss in Boots (he's now Julie's brother) and more. But, when someone makes a wish to release "the wild", it captures characters into their original roles. Julie must rescue her mother and the others before it is too late. Can she manage to escape the fairy tale endings or will she end up in a story of her own? A neat twist is that the setting is right here in Massachusetts!



If you like books with fractured fairy tales, try these titles:

• Buckley, Michael. The Fairy-Tale Detectives . (Sisters Grimm, bk.1)


• Gardner, Lynn. Into the Woods.

Animal Fantasy Fans!

Fan, Nancy Yi (2007). Swordbird. 219 pages. Grades 4-6.

If you enjoy Animal Fantasy books, don't miss Swordbird, which was written by 11 year-old Fan! Deep in Stone-Run Forest, the once peaceful blue jays and cardinals have become enemies over stolen food and eggs. But who really stole these items? In addition to the warring birds, a terrible hawk, Turnatt, is planning to enslave all of the forest birds and force them to build his fortress. Only Swordbird, a bird of peace, can rescue the birds, but will he arrive in time?

Looking for a new adventure book?

Flanagan, John. The Ruins of Gorlan. (Ranger's Apprentice, bk. 1) 249 pages. (Grades 4-8)

Will has always wanted to be a knight, but when the time comes for him to be chosen as an apprentice, he is chosen by the Ranger instead of the Battleschool. At first Will is upset with this position, but overtime he realizes that this may be his true calling. Being a Ranger's apprentice is no easy task and when the kingdom is attacked by horrible beasts, Will and the Ranger work together to defeat them.

Reviews by Kids!

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief.
Percy Jackson finds out that he is a god's son! Percy goes on a quest with his friends Grover and Annabeth to find Zeus's lightning bolt. A modern day greek mythology.

Submitted by Emily, 11

Funke, Cornelia (2007). Igraine the Brave. 212 pages. Grades 3-6.



Igraine, who has always wanted to be a knight, is turning twelve tomorrow! But, before the celebrations begin, a horrible knight from the neighboring kingdom attempts to steal her family's singing books and attack their castle. To make things worse, her parents have accidently turned themselves into pigs while using magic to create a present for Igraine. The only way that Igraine can help protect the castle is to turn her parents back to their human form, which means bringing back a giant's hair for the spell. Now Igraine will have to prove herself as a knight, help her parents, and save the castle! Find out if she can return in time to defend her home and celebrate her birthday.

Take a Trip to Never-Never Land

Barry, Dave (2006). Escape from the Carnivale. (A Never Land Book). 134 pages. Grades 3-5.



This is the first book of a new series from the author of Peter and the Starcatchers. Little Scallop is a princess of the Mollusk tribe, lives on Mollusk Island and has two mermaids, Aqua and Surf, as friends. Little Scallop doesn’t have many opportunities to have exciting adventures like her warrior brothers, but when Aqua and Surf invite her on a pearl-diving trip, she can’t wait to go! The only problem is that her parents would never let her go, so she sneaks off late in the night with Aqua and Surf. As soon as they leave, the problems begin. They run into a storm and a ship with sailors who want to catch a mermaid. Little Scallop always wanted an adventure, but will she and her friends make it back home?



Levine, Gail Carson (2007). Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand. 191 pages. Grades 2-4.

In this thrilling sequel to Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg, the three fairies: Rani, Tinker Bell, and Ree must bring the mermaid Soop her wand, as promised, or else their home and all the Never fairies will be swept away in the flood sent by Soop. Beautiful watercolor illustrations accompany the story. This would also make a great read aloud for children who love the world of fairies and magic.

Donaldson, Julia (2005). The Giants and the Joneses. 215 p. Gr. 3-5.

Jumbeelia is an eight-year-old giant who grows her own beanstalk and collects some "iggly plops" otherwise known as humans. She thinks that they are her toys and plays with them in her doll house, but her brother is jealous of Jumbeelia's new friends. He tries to take them away and plays dangerous games with them. The "iggly plops" try to escape, but will they be able to get away from the giants and the strange creatures of Groil?

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, bk. 1) 377 pages. Grades 5 - 8.

Percy Jackson always thought that he was just a normal kid with a few issues, like dyslexia. But when his class takes a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York he realizes that something is more than a little bit weird. Mrs. Dodds, his math teacher, has always been mean to him, but at the museum she actually tries to kill him! After his escape he realizes that no one else, including his best friend Grover, knows who she is. Why was he the only one who saw her? To make things worse, his boarding school has kicked him out, just like every other school in the past. When Percy returns home to his mom, she decides to take him on a trip and that is when everything changes. They are attacked and chased by a minotaur and Percy's mother is killed, or is she? Only Percy and Grover make it to Half-Blood Hill, a summer camp for children of the Greek gods, where once he is claimed by a god he will be able to undertake a quest that will change his life forever. If you love this book read the second in this series, The Sea of Monsters.

Diana Wynne Jones' "The Game"

Hayley has been homeschooled and raised in London by her grandparents due to her parents’ disappearance when she was a baby. She has never met her extended family, except for Uncle Jolyon, who is not very friendly. When Hayley gets into trouble, her grandmother decides to send her to her aunts in Ireland. She meets her cousins who involve her in “the game,” which involves going to a place called “the mythosphere.” In the mythosphere, Hayley discovers characters from mythology and legends. After playing “the game” several times, Hayley runs into her father and mother whom she hopes to reunite and bring back to her regular world. Ultimately, she discovers her unique role in the world. Jones introduces readers to Greek mythology and includes an appendix in which she provides background on the characters used in her book. 179 pp. Grades 5-8.

If you enjoy reading about magic and adventure then try Jenny Nimmo's first book in the Charlie Bone Series Midnight for Charlie Bone.
In the first book the reader will become familiar with Charlie Bone who lives with his mother and two grandmothers, Grandma Jones and Grandma Bone. Charlie leads an ordinary life until one day he discovers that he can hear voices in photographs. Grandma Bone, a descendent of the ancient Yewbeam family has been waiting for the day that Charlie discovers that he is“endowed.” Each member of the Yewbeam family is“endowed,” which means that they have a specific magical power. After Charlie’s realization, Grandma Bone contacts her sisters and they agree that Charlie does have a special power and therefore should attend Bloor’s Academy for gifted children. Unhappily, Charlie agrees to attend Bloor’s Academy and discovers that there are other children who also have mysterious powers. Soon Charlie becomes involved in uncovering the mysterious past of a girl who disappeared ten years ago.

This is a great fantasy full of adventure and mysterious occurrences, similar to the Harry Potter series, but not as complex. A great book for children in grades 4-6, but also as a read aloud for younger children who may not be ready for Harry Potter. 401 pp.