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Rook

5/21/2018

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 “The heavy blade hung high above the prisoners, glinting against the stars, and then the Razor came down, a wedge of falling darkness cutting through the torchlight. One solid thump, and four more heads had been shaved from their bodies.” In a post-technological age where the past is all but forgotten, a rebellion is stirring. The nobility are being captured and executed. Their only hope is the mysterious red rook who keeps sneaking into prisons and freeing people, leaving a red-tipped feather behind. 

I adored this re-imagining of The Scarlet Pimpernel! The dystopian setting provides a perfect background and gender-swapping the main character creates a more modern feeling. There's the perfect mix of action, world-building, and romance. 

Rook by Sharon Cameron

Erica's Picks
8th & up
Tags: adventure, crime caper. dystopian, fast-paced, retellings, romance, science fiction

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Geekerella

11/8/2017

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Elle's life is controlled by her wicked step-mother. One of the only bright spots is Starfield, a show her parents loved when they were alive. When it's announced that the latest teen heart-throb is cast as the lead in the new reboot, she's crushed. But when a costume contest for the show at the local comic con is announced, she sees its cash prize as her ticket to freedom. In her quest to alter her dad's costume and make it to the masquerade ball she'll find an unexpected fairy godmother and an even more surprising prince charming.

This is a great retelling of the Cinderella story. The magic pumpkin is replaced with a vegan food truck, the fairy godmother is a surly coworker, and the evil step-mother is...well...an evil step-mother. Some things don't change. I like that the story alternates between Elle's perspective and the actor playing the lead. Even better it turns out that he's more than some brainless heart-throb and is actually a huge fan of the show.

​Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Erica's Picks
6th - 8th Grade
Tags: 
​contemporary fiction, fairy tales, people of color, retellings, romance

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Shutter

9/20/2017

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Fighting vampires is in Micheline's blood. It's been the family business ever since Van Helsing fought Dracula, and her bloodline gives her a distinct advantage: the ability to see the aura of the undead. For her, exorcising ghosts and shooting vampires is just another day in the office. Micheline and her crew respond to emergency calls armed to the teeth with weapons both mundane and specialized, including a modified camera that can capture the spiritual energy of ghosts. But for Micheline a bad day at the office doesn't mean a paper jam. It results in her and her crew getting infected with a soulchain that will kill them in a week or less, unless they can exorcise the ghost that cursed them. With new purpose and higher stakes than ever before, Micheline does what her family has been doing for centuries: she hunts.

This is a fantastic horror story. It pays homage to Dracula while creating its own world. The explanations of the science behind the supernatural elements is satisfyingly detailed.  The horror elements are truly terrifying and the plot fast-paced, except for a few passages of backstory. I particularly enjoyed that it's set in the SF Bay Area.

Shutter by Courtney Alameda

Erica's Picks
8th grade
Tags: fast-paced, horror, retellings, supernatural

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The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

5/15/2017

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You may think you know the stories of Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel but don't believe everything a bard tells you. And what about those nameless Princes Charming? Read this book to get the low-down: the pampered, sheltered life was not enough for Cinderella. Rapunzel saved herself and her prince never lived it down. Sleeping Beauty is a spoiled brat. Snow White's prince can't be left unsupervised. Somehow this unlikely band finds themselves thrown together on a quest to save each other, defeat an evil witch, and show the world that they're more than their stories.

This book is a hilarious take on classic fairy tales. Having the various Princes Charming meet and lament over their plight at being looked over for their princesses adds a fun twist. Each have very distinct personalities and watching them interact and learn to get along is both entertaining and touching. It contains a lot of great lessons ranging from how to be a good friend to how to be true to your self. I particularly appreciate that there's male characters who are hopeless with swords and fierce female fighters and vice versa. The illustrations throughout only add to the already ample humor.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Erica's Picks
​Tags: Adventure, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Friendship, Humor, People of Color, Retellings

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Hook's Revenge

5/16/2016

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Jocelyn Hook knows that one day she will follow in the footsteps of her famous father Captain Hook: scourge of the seven seas! The only problem is that she's never actually met him, or set foot on a pirate ship. That, and her mother and grandfather who are determined to cinch her into corsets and stuff her with teacakes until she finally succumbs and turns into the meek lady of good breeding that they hope to marry off one day. But while suffering through the tortures of finishing school she finally hears from her father. The note promises danger, encounters with terrible beasts, and a wardrobe entirely free of corsets. Jocelyn doesn't have to think twice before accepting her father's request and jumping headlong into adventure!

Jocelyn is a firey, witty, young girl who is full of bravado but still has doubts. This book is full of adventure and heart and did I mention the humor? The book had me laughing out loud. Plus there's the appeal of Peter Pan, Smee, and all those other familiar never-land faces.

Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th 
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Retellings

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Cruel Beauty

5/21/2015

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Before Nyx was born, her father made a deal with the ruler of their cursed kingdom.  Some call him the Gentle Lord others the Sweet Faced Calamity, but despite his handsome face he is centuries old and rules the kingdom through terror and tricks. Only the desperate or the foolish bargain with him and it always ends in tragedy.  Nyx knows this all too well.  The price of her father's deal was that one day Nyx would marry the Gentle Lord.  While Nyx's sister grew up coddled and loved Nyx was raised as a weapon crafted to destroy the Gentle Lord when her wedding day finally came.  So Nyx steeled her heart to her purpose and prepared to marry a monster.  But when she finally comes to live in his enchanted castle, killing him proves harder than she expected. The Gentle Lord is not the monster she anticipated. 

This is a Beauty and the Beast story mixed with Greek Mythology. The twists of both the enchanted castle and the plot provide an interesting puzzle to solve while the characters struggle to overcome their pasts and see the world complexly. The banter between Nyx and the Gentle Lord provides humor along the way. I'd give this to fans of fantasy, romance, greek mythology, and fairy tales retold.  Fans of Beauty and the Beast will particularly enjoy the dynamic between Ignifex and Nyx.


Erica's Picks
8th grade
Tags: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings, Romance

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Dodger by Terry Pratchett

10/24/2014

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Dodger earned his nickname for his ability to dodge out of danger and he's stayed true to his name. He makes a living by finding coins, jewels, and other debris in the sewers of London. One night as he's coming out of a drain he sees a lady in distress and rushes to her aid. This sets off a chain of events that leads him to meeting Charles Dickens, getting a close shave from Sweeney Todd, and even attending a posh dinner party. But when an international assassin is hired to kill him, will he be able to dodge him too?

This book is chock full of interesting facts about Victorian London from Dickens and Disraeli to toshers and cockney rhyming slang. Dodger somehow finds himself rubbing elbows with a variety of famous and infamous people from the era as he woos a damsel in distress and finds his way out of the gutter.

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Erica's Picks

7th - 8th
Tags: Adventure, Fast Paced, Historical Fiction, Humor, Retellings

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The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris

10/23/2014

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Have you ever imagined dressing up in a suit of armor, slaying dragons, and battling giants?  If so, you'll love this story about Sir Gawain.  The Green Knight shows up at the round table one night and offers anyone the chance to hit him with an axe if he will allow the Green Knight to do the same in one year and one day.  Sir Gawain volunteers and beheads the Green Knight, but the Green Knight just picks his own head up and reminds Gawain to meet him again in a year.  Should Sir Gawain keep his promise or should he use the year to run as far away as he can?  What would you do?

Fans of King Arthur will enjoy this new version of the story told with a lot of humor and heart.  There’s a lot of action as Sir Gawain battles his foes, but it also talks about why vows were so important in Sir Gawain's time and why Arthur valued manners in knights as much as their fighting skills.  The pictures show the action and provide additional humor.  A great book to read aloud or for students looking for an early chapter book to read themselves.

The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris



Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Humor, Retellings

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Snarked by Roger Langridge

10/23/2014

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The king has been missing for three months.  Trouble is brewing and the king's trusted advisers are scheming villains.  When Princess Scarlett discovers their evil plot, she decides to lead a rescue party to find her father.  But the only men she can find to help are the infamous tricksters the Walrus and the Carpenter.  Will the young queen, two con artists, and her baby brother Rusty be able to survive mad pirates, evil assassins, and a dreaded snark to save the king?

These comics are just plain fun.  The nonsense world of Lewis Carroll is expanded in a most delightful way by Langridge.   He clearly had as much fun writing and illustrating the comics as I did reading them and it shows in the humorous details and creative panel layouts.  You'll get more of the jokes if you have a knowledge of Lewis Carroll, but even if you don't there's still plenty to entertain here. I'd give it to fans of nonsense and humor.

Snarked by Roger Langridge



Erica's Picks
2nd - 8th Grade
Tags: Animals, Comics, Fantasy, Humor, Retellings

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The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

10/22/2014

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Juliet is a maid in King's College.  She works at night, cleaning off the blood stains in the operating theatre when the halls are as dark and silent as a grave.  It would bother many ladies and many men, but she is her father's daughter and she is made of stronger stuff.  She grew up falling asleep to screams from his laboratory where he performed the experiments that disgraced him and led to Juliet's dreary circumstances.  After believing herself an orphan for many years, she is shocked to discover that her father is alive and well--performing his experiments on an island far from the prying eyes of society.  She is warned that it's no place for a lady, but when things turn from bad to worse she is forced to flee London and travel to the island of her father, Doctor Moreau.

This book was deliciously atmospheric.   I could feel the gloomy London fog and the oppressive tropical heat.  The hints about the full extent of her father's experiments keep the tension high and his secretive nature casts a shadow of doubt over everything. Juliet finds herself caught in a love triangle with high stakes as who she trusts may decide whether she lives or dies.  Juliet is a wonderful heroine bold enough to do what needs to be done even when the men around her quail at the task.  The Madman's Daughter is a thrilling gothic romance based on a classic Victorian science fiction story.

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Erica's Picks

7th - 8th Grade
Tags: Historical Fiction, Horror, Retellings, Romance, Science Fiction, 

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