The Queen of Attolia

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner, 2000 Greenwillow Books

     In the sequel to The Thief, Gen has become not only a national hero, but also the Queen of Eddis's personal spymaster. Though he despises the job, he enjoys the hunt (and the power that comes from holding the king of Sounis at bay) and ventures repeatedly into Attolia's fortress. When Gen is captured, the Queen of Attolia decides to cut off one of his hands, a gruesome punishment, but one worthy of a thief.
     Gen is sent home, no longer a threat to either Sounis or Attolia. When he arrives he finds his home at war with her neighbors and his cousin, the queen, plotting to maintain the stability and strength of her people at the expense of the two nations.
     For a time, everyone worries about Gen's sanity. Eddis posts guards to prevent him from harming himself, and he is nearly imprisoned in his room. But part of it is an act: Gen continues his work as Eddis' spymaster and chief spy. He makes his debut in Sounis, sneaking into the megaron and stealing the king's Magus. Sounis is thrown into turmoil as the distraction Gen ordered destroys the navy and Gen himself rides away with the brains behind the operation.
     This small act turns the tide of the two-front war Eddis is engaged in, causing Attolia to look for help from some undesirable places. The Mede Empire hangs in the background, a shadow waiting to descend over the peninsular nations of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia. Through some tricky finagling the Ambassador to the Mede puts Attolia in the position where she must choose between an alliance with Eddis, and an alliance with the Mede in which she would become a figurehead and the foothold for the Mede invasion.
   The story shifts from being narrated by and centered around Eugenides to a third person point of view. It has moments of gruesome violence, but is is a story about nations at war and trying to prevent further bloodshed. An appropriate age group wold be 13-15 years old, at the youngest, but even older readers can find a personal connection.

Hourglass

Hourglass by Claudia Gray, 2010 Harper Collins

     Bianca has decided to escape Evernight with Lucas, but their life with the Black Cross (the vampire hunting community Lucas comes from) becomes more and more difficult. Bianca requires blood to stay alive, and her substitution of pigeon blood for human is not working. Lucas insists on feeding her his own blood even though Bianca is adamant about not wanting to suck the life force from her love.
     The couple plan their escape from Black Cross, but Lucas' stepfather keeps a tighter and tighter watch over the group. As Bianca becomes weaker and weaker the two fear that her secret will be found out. When they finally make a break for it, the Black Cross has come across Balthazar (a vampire from the academy) and the two run away when Lucas' parents' backs are turned during the battle. But Bianca hasn't had enough blood and is dying. Balthazar escapes and catches up with them, only to find he is about to lose his friend. The former enemies begin to bond as the situation becomes more and more dire.
     While Lucas and Bianca's relationship is still following the lines of Romeo and Juliet they have moved from the puppy-dog love to a kind of romance that allows for their strengths and weaknesses to be a part of the relationship. They develop as characters separate from one another and deal with the challenges they are presented with. The story is written for a younger high school audience, but has elements readers of all ages can identify with.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene, 1961 Grosset & Dunlap

     In her fourth adventure, Nancy visits her friend Emily and Emily's Aunt Hazel at an inn and resort owned by Emily and her fiance, Dick. The Lilac Inn is being haunted by a woman with dark hair and a flowing gown, driving away employees and causing strife throughout the resort.
     Nancy is called home to investigate a break-in at her home. She discovers that someone has been wearing her 'distinctive clothing' and using her identity to charge large purchases to her account. When she returns to the Lilac Inn, Nancy witnesses the theft of Emily's jewels and encounters her own apparition.
     With a twist involving Dick's friend John, Nancy displays a willingness to explore into new and different hobbies in the course of the case. After a close encounter with drowning and a cold war spy ring, Nancy captures her impostor, solves both cases and returns home safely.
     The elements that create Nancy Drew come together in this book: her disguises, uncommon skills, traditional values, and a system of deductive reasoning that carries her through to the end of each case. The writing is accessible and the ink and pen drawings allow an image of Nancy's era.

Dark is Rising

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, 1974 McElderry Books

     On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers he is an Old One--one of the ancient and immortal forces of the Light. He embarks on a journey between Midwinter's Night and the twelfth night of Christmas to find and join the six Signs of Light. Along the way Will must discover how to use his new found power and have the confidence to use them. He still tries to fit into his normal family life, but finds it more and more difficult as he changes and grows into his powers. Will's quest is only one step in the sequence to banish the Dark forever.
     The fantasy world Cooper created in her Dark is Rising Sequence blends into the contemporary world of the Stanton family. The Old Ones have the capability of living outside of time and are the only force able to truly drive away the Dark. While Cooper's forces of the Dark must abide by certain rules, they were able to manipulate both the Old Ones and mortal men to their nefarious purposes.
     Will is reminded over and over throughout the story that the only thing he had to fear (because of the limits placed on the Dark) was fear itself. The only thing to prevent the success of Will's quest was Will himself and his fear of the quest's success. The story helps to build confidence as Will realizes he can succeed and has no reason to be afraid.
     Dark is Rising is the second book in the Dark is Rising Sequence, following Over Sea, Under Stone and followed by The Grey King, Greenwitch, and Silver on the Tree.

The Bungalow Mystery

The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene, 1960 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy Drew and her friend Helen Corning find themselves needing to be rescued in the middle of a lake where they're rescued by Laura Pendleton, an orphan recently coming to the area to meet her new guardians Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Aborn. Helen and Nancy meet Laura's new guardians when the couple come crashing into the hotel in disarray, provoking Nancy's dislike. Nancy has to go home when the Drew family's housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, is injured.
     When her father asks her to investigate a list of suspects thought to be involved with insurance fraud, Nancy implements disguise for the first time.  Laura later contacts Nancy at home saying that the Aborns are cruel and expect her to hand over family heirlooms. Laura has escaped with the jewels and asks for Nancy's help.
     The plot lines come together in a conclusion that weaves the two mysteries together. For the first time, Nancy carries disguises with her to be used in investigation. Nancy's old-fashioned values and talent for investigation allow her to help both her new-found friend and her father. Her story is told in an easily understood format with attention to details that create the cases she solves.