Lights on Wonder Rock

 

Lights on Wonder Rock

by David Litchfield

On the evening little Heather ran away from home into the woods, she sat on a big, sturdy rock and watched the sky. Flickering her flashlight aimed toward the stars, she wanted to let whomever was out there, know she was there, too. When a mesmerizing UFO with purple and pink lights lands and she meets a friendly alien, Heather travels with them into space, only to return abruptly to be with her parents again.

What follows in the wordless panels of dark, rich forests and time passing, is a longing throughout Heather's life for all things extraterrestrial and to reconnect with her friend.

A satisfying story with a happy ending.

Bloom

Bloom

By Kenneth Oppel

Anaya, Petra and Seth are three teens who live on Salt Spring Island, and all of them are a bit “different”.  Anaya is allergic to many, many things and constantly battles the acne that is caused by her allergies.  Petra has an extremely rare condition that makes her allergic to water (!).  And Seth is a foster kid who’s living with one of the island families.

When strange black “grass” begins to grow all over the island, no one can seem to get rid of it; it’s like the strongest weed in the world!  As the grass spreads through crops and forests, island residents start to experience terrible reactions to the unusual plants.  But Anaya, Petra and Seth are the exceptions.  For some reason, the plants don’t affect them at all.

Soon these invasive plants are spreading all over the world with deadly consequences.  Anaya’s dad, a biologist, sets off to Cordova Island to do some experiments and promptly disappears.  Meanwhile, CSIS (Canada’s version of the CIA) sends Dr. Weber to do tests on Anaya, Petra and Seth.  When the three friends and Dr. Weber begin searching for Anaya’s dad, they end up battling for their lives!

Bloom is a very suspenseful novel that will have you on the edge of your seat!  This is the first in a trilogy.

Out Of This World

Out Of This World

By Chris Wooding

Jack is just an ordinary twelve-year-old kid.  His parents, however, are anything but ordinary.  Jack’s dad is always putting him through grueling assault courses where Jack must fend off hidden attackers.  His mom is always testing him on science and math concepts.  Neither of Jack’s parents ever seem to sleep and both of them always wear black tracksuits.

Jack has moved many times in his life so he doesn’t have any close friends.  When he starts attending yet another new school, Jack is befriended by Thomas, an out-of-shape nerdy kid who is forever sucking on his inhaler. 

One afternoon, Thomas drops by Jack’s house unannounced.  As he begins to explore, he discovers some rather strange machines hidden in the attic.  When Thomas presses a button, he releases a beam of light that changes both their lives forever.

Before Jack realizes what’s happening, some very aggressive aliens appear and they have one target: Jack.  As he runs from them he begins to understand why his parents have been testing him his whole life.  The aliens believe that Jack is someone called Gradius Clench – some want him dead, and others are willing to take him alive.  Soon Jack is caught up in an interstellar war complete with spies, mind-readers, flame-throwers and gates that transport ships between galaxies.  Jack and Thomas are whisked away with some very unlikely new friends.

But who is Jack really?  Jack himself longs to find out.  As he learns more about his parents, Gradius Clench, and the rest of the universe, Jack must make some important decisions about his life.  But can he also help save Earth from certain destruction?

Author Chris Wooding makes science fiction fun.  Those who like space aliens and superheroes will love Out Of This World!

Under Their Skin

Under Their Skin

By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Nick and Eryn are 12-year-old twins who lead a pretty normal life, spending half their time at their mom’s house and half the time with their dad.  When their mom announces that she is getting married to Michael, Nick and Eryn know that life will change.  But change comes faster than they expect when they learn that Michael, whom they have known for several years, has kids of his own. 

Having Ava and Jackson as stepsiblings will have a big impact on Nick and Eryn’s life.  But Nick and Eryn are profoundly disturbed when their mom announces that the stepsiblings will never have to meet each other.  To say that this is an unusual start to a blended family is an understatement.  Nick and Eryn are determined to know why Ava and Jackson are being kept hidden from them.

Nick and Eryn begin to do things they wouldn't normally do: they break into rooms and sneak out of the house, all in an effort to discover the secret behind Ava and Jackson.  When they show up at Ava and Jackson’s house unannounced, they get the surprise of their lives.  Nothing in their world is as it seems… Their parents have been keeping secrets from them.

Blending science fiction and mystery, Under Their Skin describes the shock and horror that arises when you realize that everything you believe in is wrong.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

By James Paterson

James Paterson has partnered up with Adam Sadler to bring us the Daniel X series. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X is the first in the series. This is a fast paced read with James Paterson’s traditional short chapters helping the story fly by. Daniel X is the son of Alien hunters from the planet Alpar Nok. They are living on earth and helping to protect the universe from the "Outer Ones." At the age of 3 Daniel X’s parents are killed by the Prayer and Daniel X narrowly avoids the same fate. Daniel X is now 15 years old and has taken on his parents mission to protect the human race from evil aliens. Critics have said that Daniel X would be a wonderful addition to the M.I.B. and I have to agree.

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