Life on the railsea is not easy: bad tracks, traps laid by pirates, and attacks from below claim many lives.  But Sham is grateful for his job aboard the Medes.  He is finally seeing the world outside his home town.  Hunting giant moles can be exciting and people say that he should be proud to serve under a captain with her own Philosophy--an ivory colored creature she pursues with a passion and who has already taken her arm.  But while the captain's nemesis is certainly deadly, Sham soon discovers that secrets are the most dangerous quarry of all.

The world-building in this novel is wonderfully creative. Industries have cropped up around salvaging technology from the more prosperous past and pollution has seeped into the ground and created mutant creatures that thrive in the empty wastelands between cities.  In this world there are many captains like Ahab from Moby Dick and it's become a trend to have a 'philosophy,' a specific creature that has wronged a captain and which the captain has sworn to hunt until one or both of them dies. Mieville uses slang and dialect to help set the atmosphere and it’s fun to puzzle it out and unravel how it relates to the world.  I'd give this to science fiction fans looking for something with intricate world-building or those looking for a new take on Moby Dick.

Railsea by China Mieville

Erica's Picks
7th - 8th grade
Tags: Adventure, Dystopian, Retellings, Science Fiction

Ash should have known better. Perhaps she would have if her mother had lived long enough to teach her the old ways. But her mother did not live and Ash did not hear her warnings,  so she spent nights by her mother’s graveside, attracting the attention of fairies. Fairies may be beautiful, but they can also be deadly. Ash doesn’t care though. When her father died soon after her mother, she was sent to live as a servant to her stepmother and stepsisters. When life is barely worth living, you don't mind a little danger. Then, Ash meets someone who makes her glad to be alive. She risks it all for one night of happiness, for a ball.

Reading Ash was like discovering the Cinderella story all over again. The world was similar to the classic fairy tale setting, but far richer. I'd give this to fans of fairy tales retold.

Ash by Malinda Lo

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, LGBTQ, People of Color, Retellings, Romance

Perseus lives a quiet life on a small island with his mother, then one day he meets a beautiful princess on the run. Before long, Perseus's father Zeus shows up to set him on a quest to kill Medusa, whose looks can literally kill. The old gods of the islands are on the decline as the new Olympian gods rise, but where do humans stand? Are they ever anything more than the play things of the gods? Is it possible for a mortal to defy divine intervention? Perseus doesn't know if he can, but he knows that he must try.

In addition to retelling the myths of Perseus and Andromeda there is  a lot of interesting information about ancient Greek society.  I'd recommend this book to teens who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series.

Snakehead by Ann Halam

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th grade
Tags: Adventure, Mythology, Retellings

Ragnarök has come and gone and new gods are rising to replace the old. Which means they must stamp out any remaining traces of the old religion. This is  unfortunate for anyone so unlucky as to be born with a runemark of the old religion on her skin. Bad luck seems to follow Maddy wherever she goes, until one day when she finds out that it's harder to kill a god than people thought, the old religion isn't entirely gone, and her rune mark could be lucky after all. 

The book is post-Ragnarök, which means post-apocalyptic Norse mythology fiction. Loki fans will be glad to know that he plays a big part in this novel.  Maddy is the lead though and she carries the plot nicely with a lot of action and no romance.  I'd recommend this to fans of fantasy adventure and mythology, especially Norse.

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Ercia's Pick
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings

It all started with a trip to the Quikmart for sandwiches. Will sees a beautiful girl with a snake tattoo behind the counter and starts to flirt with her. But it's Ryan who gets a rose from her as they leave. From that moment on, Ryan can hardly think of anything else. Will is usually the one to bend the rules, but soon straight-laced Cadet Captain Ryan is the one sneaking into clubs to see Carmen play and showing up for inspection with bags under his eyes.  Carmen can read her fortune in the cards: romance, fortune, and treachery.

The story is told from four different viewpoints: Carmen, Ryan, and their best friends Will and Maggie. There are quotes from the original novella interspersed throughout the story. I'd give it to anyone looking for a tragic romance or a study on the creation of a villain.

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jennifer Fisher Bryant


Erica's Picks
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Retellings, Romance

Of the two Reckless brothers, Jacob was always the one who lived up to the family name. Ever since he discovered the world behind the mirror he's made Reckless into his job description as he travels the fairy-tale world hunting for treasures. A comb that turns you into a crow will fetch a high price, if you can escape the witch who owns it and live to collect your reward. Will never knew about the world his brother disappeared to, he only knew that he was often left alone. Then one day Will discovers his secret and follows him in, only to fall victim to a fairy's curse that is slowly turning him to stone. Now the clock is ticking and Jacob will have to use everything he's learned if he wants to save Will. He never imagined that his brother's life would be the most dangerous treasure he's ever sought.

There's enough of the familiar fairy tales in this world to please readers with recognition and enough new elements to intrigue them. The book is fast-paced and the tone is dark.  Be warned: this isn't a Disney fairy tale of happily ever after, this is a world where sleeping beauty never woke up and her castle is covered in the bodies of those who tried, and failed, to save her.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Erica's Picks
7th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fast-Paced, Retellings

During the first World War, one soldier escapes the battlefields of Europe only to enter the fray in the Archipelago of Dreams. Three Oxford Scholars: John, Jack, and Charles struggle to survive in a world beyond Avalon where there are elves, dwarves, trolls, and goblins, not to mention Nemo and his Nautilus. Even though they are strangers to the land, they are entrusted with the protection of its most important book: the Imaginarium Geographica. 

Owen weaves a charming fantasy tale in this novel that takes beloved stories and weaves them together. The legend of King Arthur is blended with Dickens characters and Greek Mythology. I've seen re-tellings of Greek myths and Arthurian legends before, but it is rare to find a book that involves re-tellings of stories drawn from so many sources.   Even the three main characters are famous authors.  Whether or not you’ve read the various stories it is based on, you’ll enjoy this fast-paced fantasy adventure.

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen


Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship, Mythology, Retellings

What with King John demanding higher and higher taxes every day and the Sheriff finding more and more awful ways of gettin' people to pay 'em, times haven't been good. Families are starvin' and innocent people are gettin' themselves thrown in jail or worse. That's where we come in. I reckon there's not a soul in Nottingham whose heart doesn't give a little flutter of hope when it hears the name Robin, excepting the Sheriff's men of course. Everyone 'round here knows about Robin, Little John, Much, and me--Will Scarlet. What they don't know is that I aint really a Will at all. I'm a woman. If they knew the one fightin' with guards and stealin' food and wearing trousers was a woman I doubt they'd be so fond of me. But in dark times like these we all do what we got to do and we all have secrets to hide. Things are changing though. The Sheriff has ordered a special thief-taker in from London, Sir Guy of Gisborne, and if he finds out about me, I'll be done for. I should really run, but how can I turn my back on people who need me? How can I turn my back on Robin? I can feel it in my bones: these are dark times--and they're about to get even darker. 

Scarlet is a wonderful protagonist. The way she narrates the story with slang and sass was entertaining. The basic archetypes from the legends are re-imagined and fleshed out with new, gritty back-stories. There's plenty of adventuring and outwitting of sheriffs to keep the reader turning pages.  Readers looking for a romantic story won't be disappointed either.  It has a little something for everyone.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Erica's Picks
7th - 8th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Romance

Cinder can't believe her luck--the crowned prince at her stall seeking her mechanical expertise! It's the kind of encounter every girl in New Beijing dreams of. And he chose to come on the day she was missing a foot! Not that a prince would ever date a cyborg. Still, the way he looked at her with those gorgeous eyes has helped her to understand her sisters' obsession. They have bigger problems to occupy their minds, though. The city is ravaged by a mysterious plague that the King has contracted and cyborgs are being drafted for fatal testing to find a cure. In the midst of the outbreak, the mysterious Lunar Queen is threatening war unless her demands are met. Cinder is poised to lose everyone she has ever trusted--including herself.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales retold and this is a particularly good one. It has familiar elements to serve as friendly signposts, but it didn't follow the story too closely. I love the theme of cyborg rights and what it means to be human. Cinder is a strong heroine and a skilled mechanic. Prince Kai goes beyond the bland prince charmings completely lacking personality so common in fairy tales. I'd recommend this to fans of fairy-tales retold or science fiction.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Grades 6th - 8th
Tags: Dystopian, Fairy Tales, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction

After their parents disappearance, Sabrina and Daphne go to live with their grandmother.  She tells them the truth about their family's history: that the girls are the great, great (etc.) grandchildren of the Brothers Grimm and the fairy tale characters (or ‘everafters’) that they wrote about are alive and well and living in Ferryport landing.  It has long been their family's job to keep peace in the town and solve any mysteries that crop up.  Now it's Sabrina and Daphne's turn to take over as the Fairy Tale Detectives.

It is fun to see well-known characters re-imagined in a modern setting. My favorite one is the trickster Puck who plays a big role in the series.  These books are fast-paced, funny, and enjoyable.  They’re great for students just graduating to regular chapter books. 

The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

Erica's Picks
2nd - 4th Grade
Tags: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fast-Paced, Humor, Mystery, Retellings