Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult/Teen Book Picks US - March 2020

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• Author: Joe Simonds
• Book Title: The Chair: Daniel and the Twin Fountains of Alcazar
• Paperback: 203 Pages
• Age Range: 10+
• Publisher: Independently Published 
• Date: March 5, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1707404285

In this amazing new fantasy story, America is caught in a cyber-war with an evil underground civilization, which is attempting to shut down the United States power grid. Daniel Ruhlin, a teenager in a wheelchair, turns out to be the only one who can save the world... He has never walked or talked a day in his life. Daniel's severe cerebral palsy has left him confined to a wheelchair under the care of his widowed father. He has never had any real friends, played a sport or musical instrument, attended a party, or done anything that most teenagers would take for granted. He spends his days in the library learning how to hack into computers for fun. However, all of that is about to change when he discovers a magical fountain near an old, abandoned hotel. This fountain leads him into a mystical new world known as Alcazar. During his perilous journey through the underground, he develops friendships, discovers who he is, and uncovers a family secret, which has been hidden for decades. He learns of the fountain of youth, which gives him the ability to walk and talk again. Little does he know, he has been selected to thwart a plot to take over America by an evil, underground empire. Everyone from the citizens of Alcazar to the President of the United States is counting on him to save both worlds, but he will have to face his biggest fears in order to defeat these evil forces... 

Author: James Ponti
Book Title: City Spies (1)

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin
• Date: March 10, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1534414914
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Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

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• Author: Kenneth Oppel
• Book Title: Bloom (The Overthrow)
• Age Range: 10 and up 
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers 
• Date: March 10, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1524773007

The first book in a can't-put-it-down, can't-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that's part Hatchet, part Alien!
The invasion begins--but not as you'd expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout--overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom--and release toxic pollens. They bloom--and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom--everywhere, unstoppable. 

Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What's their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They'd better figure it out fast, because it's starting to rain again....

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• Author: Kaela Noel
• Book Title: Coo
• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Date: March 3, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-0062955975

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  In this exceptional debut, one young girl’s determination to save the flock she calls family creates a lasting impact on her community and in her heart. Gorgeous and literary, this is an unforgettable animal story about friendship, family, home, and belonging. For readers who love books by Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate.
  Ten years ago, an impossible thing happened: a flock of pigeons picked up a human baby who had been abandoned in an empty lot and carried her, bundled in blankets, to their roof. Coo has lived her entire life on the rooftop with the pigeons who saved her. It’s the only home she’s ever known. But then a hungry hawk nearly kills Burr, the pigeon she loves most, and leaves him gravely hurt.
  Coo must make a perilous trip to the ground for the first time to find Tully, a retired postal worker who occasionally feeds Coo’s flock, and who can heal injured birds. Tully mends Burr’s broken wing and coaxes Coo from her isolated life. Living with Tully, Coo experiences warmth, safety, and human relationships for the first time. But just as Coo is beginning to blossom, she learns the human world is infinitely more complex―and cruel―than she could have imagined. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult/Teens Book Picks US - February 2020

Kat Leyh - Snapdragon - Published by First Second (February 4, 2020) - SBN-13: 978-1250171115 - Paperback 

Kat Leyh's Snapdragon is a magical realist graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch and discovers the strange magic within herself.

Snap's town had a witch.

At least, that’s how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a crocks-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online―after doing a little ritual to put their spirits to rest. It’s creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it’s kind of cool, too.

They make a deal: Jacks will teach Snap how to take care of the baby opossums that Snap rescued, and Snap will help Jacks with her work. But as Snap starts to get to know Jacks, she realizes that Jacks may, in fact, have real magic―and a connection with Snap’s family’s past.

John August - Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows - Published by Roaring Brook Press (February 4, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1626728189 - Hardback 

Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows is a captivating fantasy-adventure story by master screenwriter John August.

After a harrowing summer camp, Arlo Finch is back in Pine Mountain, Colorado, preparing to face a new school, new threats, and two new Rangers in Blue Patrol. 

Arlo is about to undertake his most dangerous journey yet: all the way to China to try to bring his father home.

But when the mysterious Eldritch reveals their true agenda, Arlo must make an impossible choice: save his friends and family, or save the Long Woods. Both worlds will never be the same.

Nicki Pau Preto - Heart of Flames (Crown of Feathers) - Published by Simon Pulse (February 11, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1534424654 - Hardback 

 Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders in this fiery sequel to Crown of Feathers, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable!”

You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she’s supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka’s sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost—even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire—and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they’re willing to go—and what they’re willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

K. R. Alexander - The Undrowned - Published by Scholastic Paperbacks (February 4, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1338540529 - Paperback 

In too deadly.

In too deep.

Samantha and Rachel used to be friends. But then Rachel betrayed Samantha . . . and Samantha decided to make her life a living nightmare.

Then one day, Sam and Rachel found themselves in a fight

by a lake.

Samantha pushed Rachel . . . and watched as Rachel fell back.

And back.

Into the water. And gone.

No way to save her. No way she could be alive.

The next day, Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened.

And now she's the one who wants to make her former friend's life a living nightmare . . .

Struan Murray (Author), Manuel Šumberac (Illustrator) - Orphans of the Tide - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books (#OrphansoftheTide)

Walking into a book shop this February, you'll find yourself both delighted and entertained by some of the best children's books that have been published this month. One of my personal favourite reads is this debut book by Struan Murray. Published by Puffin Books on the 20th February, it has a fantastic cover and brilliant illustrations that have been produced by Manuel Šumberac. You only need to look at the brilliant front cover to know that you are in for a real treat. And believe you me, you really are! 

This book is a fantastic slice of dark, magical fiction. You'll find the pages turning by themselves whilst your head spins into a wondrous world. The destination is The City which has been built precariously on a mountain, in fact, it's half-submerged into the sea. This is a brilliant place for the imagination to thrive on. It's a great rooftop escape full of drama, fireworks and some rather bizarrely odd moments. 

This great fantasy is gripped with fear. A malevolent enemy takes over the human mind, hoping to cause mischief and total destruction. The Enemy can take possession of any human body, however, the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever. All except for one character, Ellie Lancaster, has another idea. She is a fantastic well-rounded and loveable character who is both heroically courageous and strong-minded. As a tinker and inventor, she lives in a workshop crammed with curiosities. 

This brilliant story is packed full of emotion and friendship. All the characters suffer from some kind of personal grief that most of us can relate to. A mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he's the Enemy that has come to cause untold chaos. This dark side of the story introduces some scary moments which dispense a little chill in the air and tug on the heartstrings. 

I loved the split narrative. As you read the layered diary entries from Claude Hestermeyer, the story connects together brilliantly and makes the reader stick (with fantasy superglue) to the ongoing events. This book is a creative and brilliantly imaginative story. 

This story is thoroughly enjoyable as there is so much in the plot to keep all readers entertained. The cauldron has been mixed with myths, chaos, and secrets that are all bubbling with intrigue, mystery and magic cinematic moments. This is a truly great book to escape into. You'll soon have the power to see and believe in the magic of reading when the story is this good - try it for yourself.