Magical, Menacing, Mysterious Books

J/F/AVI
Avi - The Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic
The Book Without Words seems to be made of blank pages, but to green-eyed readers it can reveal the magical art of making gold. 203 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/DITERLIZZI
DiTerlizzi, Tony - The Field Guide
The Grace children move into their Great Aunt Lucinda’s worn-out Victorian house and discover a guide to the fairies, gnomes and other dangerous creatures that live on the property. 107 p., Grades 3 – 5

J/F/DUANE
Duane, Diane - So You Want to Be a Wizard
Nita checks out a library book that invites her to follow its directions to become a wizard. 323 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/FUNKE
Funke, Cornelia Caroline - Inkheart
Meggie learns that her father can “read” fictional characters out of the pages of books and into real life. The sinister Capricorn abducts Meggie to force her father to read an evil character to life from the pages of Inkheart. 534 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/HIGGINS
Higgins, F.E. - The Black Book of Secrets
Ludlow Fitch meets a mysterious man who claims to be a secrets pawnbroker and becomes his apprentice, recording the dark secrets they buy from the local villagers. 273 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/KLADSTRUP
Kladstrup, Kristin - The Book of Story Beginnings
Lucy discovers an old book of story beginnings that once belonged to her great uncle who disappeared years ago. When she starts a new story in the book, her own father mysteriously disappears, as well. 360 p., Grades 4 – 7

J/F/MOLONEY
Moloney, James - The Book of Lies
When Robert wakes up in a strange orphanage, he is sure that his name is not Robert. For some unknown reason, his memories have been erased and replaced with new ones from the powerful and dangerous Book of Lies. 360 p., Grades 4 – 7

J/F/PREVOST
Prevost, Guillaume- The Book of Time
Ten days ago Sam’s dad disappeared. Ten minutes ago Sam found a secret room. Five minutes ago he found a book about Dracula’s Castle. Two minutes ago Sam found a way to travel through time… to save his dad. 213 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/REISMAN
Reisman, Michael - Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper
Nerdy sixth-grader Simon Bloom finds a powerful book that explains how to control the laws of gravity, but several dangerous characters who control other laws of science are desperate to claim the book and control its power. 298 p., Grades 5 – 8

J/F/SCOTT
Scott, Michael Dylan - The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Twins Sophie and Josh become involved in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between two powerful alchemists over an ancient book that holds the secret formula for everlasting life. 375 p., Grades 6 – 9

J/F/STRICKLAND

Strickland, Brad - Grimoire: The Curse of the Midions
While visiting London, Jarvey Midion is introduced to a powerful book of spells called the Grimoire that pulls him inside its pages into an alternative world of good and dark magic. 233 p., Grades 4 – 7

J/F/TOWNLEY
Townley, Rod - The Great Good Thing
Every time a Reader opens her book, Princess Sylvie and her friends act out their story. But it’s been so long since anyone has opened their book, and Sylvie dreams of escaping its pages. 216 p., Grades 4 – 7

Prepared by S. Pemberton, December 2008