Atherton: Rivers of Fire

Title
Atherton: Rivers of Fire

Library Link
Rivers of fire

Carman, Patrick.New York : Little, Brown, 2008.Year: 2008Format: BOOK

10 Second ReviewThe strange adventures of Atherton continue as secrets are revealed and more mysterious and baffling elements are discovered.

This second book is a satisfying addition and will keep readers intrigued to the very end. While the story will continue in the next book, this book concludes the adventures from Atherton: Place of Power.

Notes
The newest book, Dark Planet, will be available May 2009.

Learning CurveLow: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Atherton: The House of Power
Atherton: Rivers of Fire
Atherton: Dark Planet

Maximum Ride: Graphic Novel

Title
Maximum Ride

Library Link
Maximum Ride.

Title from last page: Maximum Ride: the manga 1Patterson, James, 1947-New York :
Yen Press, c2009.Year: c2009Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Manga form of the popular book.

Young escapees from an experimental genetics lab form a makeshift family while evading werewolf super soldiers and trying to survive on their own.

Terrific book that will have wide appeal
Also recommended for reluctant readers.

Notes
This book translates well into the manga format.
Visual elements make a fun story even better.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

City of Ember

Title
City of Ember

Library Link

The
city of Ember
DuPrau, Jeanne.New York : Random House, c2003.Year:
c2003Format: BOOK

10 Second ReviewTwo young citizens struggle to decipher an ancient puzzle before time runs out for a town full of people who are unwilling to accept change.

Unusual and gripping story.

Notes
Most will agree the book is more enjoyable then the movie.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
The City of Ember
The People of Sparks
The Prophet of Yonwood
The Diamond of Darkhold

X-Men Secret Invasion

Title
X-Men Secret Invasion

Library Link
Secret invasion,

Carey, Mike.[New York] : Marvel Enterprises; London : Diamond [distributor],
2009.Year: 2009Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Aliens have invaded Earth and things look grim. The X-men work together to develop a plan to oust these unwelcome visitors.

While a standard story still worth getting for the usual 'painting' style art.

Notes
Includes Fantastic Four issue 250 from 1982.

Learning Curve
High: Readers new to the invasion series might find this confusing.

Reading Order
Read Infiltration books first.

Atherton: The House of Power

Title
Atherton: The House of Power

Library LinkAtherton : the house of power

Carman, Patrick.New York : Little, Brown and Co., c2007.Year: c2007Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Mad scientist, fig farmers and nobility collide in this strange and compelling story. One boy and his two young friends struggle to understand unbelievable changes in their town.

The more the reader learns of this unusual place, the harder it will be to walk away. Very unique and creative.

Notes
Should appeal to those looking for something different.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Atherton: The House of Power
Atherton: Rivers of Fire
Atherton: Dark Planet

Ultimate Annuals

Title
Ultimate Annuals

Library Link
Ultimate annuals.

Ultimate fantastic fourNew York : Marvel ; London : Diamond [distributor],
c2006-Year: c2006-Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
The Marvel Ultimate series restarts their most popular titles with a more modern perspective. This book includes the annual issue of four titles: Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Spiderman, Ultimate Xmen and The Ultimates.

Four separate stories are told with excellent art.

Notes
Nick Fury shows why he's the boss.

Learning Curve
Moderate: Some new to comics might be confused.

Reading Order
N/a

Lightning Thief

Title
Lightning Thief

Library LinkThe lightning thief

Riordan, Rick.New York : Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, c2005.Year:
c2005Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
A middle school boy discovers his missing father is more mysterious then he imagined. His father has also made some powerful enemies, which are now targeting the son.

A fun, exciting adventure that borrows heavily from Greek mythology. Good for those that enjoyed the Harry Potter series.

Notes
Some surprising and clever elements.

Learning CurveLow but some readers might be turned off by the mythological references.

Reading OrderPercy Jackson & the Olympians. Book 1:The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Book 2: The Sea of Monsters
Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Book 3: The Titans Curse
Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Elephantmen: Wounded Animals

Title
Elephantmen: Wounded Animals

Library Link
Wounded animals

Starkings, Richard.Berkeley, Calif. : Image ; London : Diamond [distributor],
2007.Year: 2007Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Set in a future where the genes of endangered animals are altered to create massive soldiers who now find it difficult to integrate into peaceful society. This is a loose collection of independent stories that do not tell a cohesive story.

Visually reminiscent of Heavy Metal magazine. While there is little story to speak of this book is worth viewing for the stunning and unusual illustrations.

Notes
Good for someone seeking an alternative to traditional comics.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for those new to comics

Reading Order
N/a

The Penderwicks : a summer tale...

Title
The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy

Library LinkThe Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy

Birdsall, Jeanne.New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, c2005.Year:
c2005Format: BOOK

10 Second ReviewFour young sisters and their widowed father spend the summer at a country cottage. The sisters find lots of trouble and plot against an unfriendly neighbor.

Good reading and excellent characters make this a fun book.

Notes
Includes a diverse group of characters that will have wide appeal.

Learning CurveN/a

Reading Order
The Penderwicks : a summer tale…
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Probability Moon

Title
Probability Moon

Library Link
Probability moon

Kress, Nancy.New York : TOR, 2000.Year: 2000Format: BOOK

10 Second ReviewHumans start to spread across outer space only to discover that there is another powerful species determined to destroy humanity. A remote planet may hold the secret for success.

Good 'hard' sci-fi novel that should especially appeal to those with either a science and/or social science interest. While many trilogy's lose steam as they progress, this one stays strong.

Notes
Lots of surprises and clever twists.

Learning CurveModerate: Some techno-jargon might confuse those new to sci-fi

Reading OrderProbability Moon
Probability Sun
Probability Space

The Amazing Spiderman: Brand New Day

Title
The Amazing Spiderman: Brand New Day

Library Link
The amazing Spider-man. : Brand new day

New York : Marvel, 2008-Year: 2008-Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
With so many heroes registered with the government, Spiderman doesn't have much to do…for a few minutes. Spidey fights to protect bad guys from badder guys and gets to know the new kid in town.

Some exceptional artwork and interesting adversaries but with a weak storyline.

Notes
Jackpot makes an appearance

Learning Curve
Moderate: New readers might be confused.

Reading Order
None but occurs after Spiderman's 'deal with the devil' and resets many of the changes that occurred during Civil War.

Drawing Words and Writing Pictures

Title
Drawing Words and Writing Pictures

Library Link
Drawing words & writing pictures : making comics : manga, graphic novels, and beyond

Drawing words and writing picturesAbel, Jessica.New York : First Second,
2008.Year: 2008Format: BOOK

10 Second ReviewThis book provides lessons for turning an idea into an actual comic strip and/or comic book. Basically a classroom in book and includes lessons and assignments.

This is a good resource for those looking to learn comics and includes important elements that are missing in many how-to-draw books.

Minor drawbacks to this book include small font and annoying orange color scheme.

Notes
Covers many technical aspects to drawing and has additional info on the web. Bonus!

Learning CurveLow: Good for beginners

Reading OrderN/a

Thunderbowl

Title
Thunderbowl

Library LinkThunderbowl
Choyce, Lesley, 1951-Victoria, BC : Orca Book Publishers, c2004.Year: c2004Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Jeremy might have the talent and the right friends to make it in music but a secret could ruin his plans.

Simple story and easy read. Might appeal to reluctant readers.

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Title
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Library Link
Saving the world and other extreme sports

Maximum Ride : the angel experimentPatterson, James, 1947-New York ; Boston :
Little, Brown and Company, c2007.Year: c2007Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
The flock continues to struggle while trying to survive new threats, a traitor in their ranks and losing members. Max gets some answers, which only leads to more questions.

Just as the story line starts to get stale, the author throws in some curves but at the price of believability. Still worth reading and should satisfy the target audience.

Notes
While the story continues in the next volume, this book wraps up the current adventure.

Learning Curve
Low, if read in order.

Reading Order
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel

Title
Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel

Library Link
Superman : the ultimate guide to the Man of Steel

Beatty, Scott.London ; New York : DK, 2006.Year: 2006Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
A big, fun book full of color pictures and stories that walk the reader through the history of Superman.

Heavy on images but light on information.

Notes
Good reference material for old and new readers.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
N/a

Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight

Title
Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight

Library Link
Batman : the ultimate guide to the dark knight

Beatty, Scott, 1969-New York : DK Pub., c2005.Year: c2005Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
A big, fun book full of color pictures and stories that walk the reader through the history of Batman.

Heavy on images but light on information.

Notes
Good reference material for old and new readers.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
N/a

Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever

Title
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever

Library Link
School's out-- forever

Patterson, James, 1947-New York : Little, Brown, 2006.Year: 2006Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
The flock continues their quest for family, safety and answers while attending a real school and hitting some tourist spots. They discover more about themselves and learn the more things change, the more they stay the same.

A sequel as strong as the original with characters that will stay with the reader for a long time.

Notes
There is talk of a movie for 2010

Learning Curve
Low if read in order

Reading Order
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

X men Endangered Species

Title
X men Endangered Species

Library Link
X-Men.

Endangered speciesCarey, Mike.New York : Marvel ; London : Diamond
[distributor], 2008.Year: 2008Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
The mutant population is magically reduced from millions to about two hundred. The X-men struggle to find answers while watching their species slowly slide toward extinction.

Dramatic story line with interesting consequences.
Sure to be controversial among fans.
Some will miss the large, diverse mutant population while others will be thankful for the literary cleanup.

Notes
Henry McCoy seeks help from some surprising sources.

Learning Curve
Moderate: New readers might be confused

Reading Order
N/a

Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives

Title
Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives

Library LinkVampire kisses : blood relatives

Charkalis, Diana McKeon.Hamburg ; Los Angeles : Tokyopop ; New York : Katherine
Tegen Books, c2007-Year: c2007-Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Goth teen meets her fantasy Romanian vampire prince who has some unpleasant visitors from the Old Country.

Black and white manga form of the popular novel.

NotesIncludes the artist's character sketchbook.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

TitleMaximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Library Link
Maximum Ride : the angel experiment

Patterson, James, 1947-Waterville, Me. : Thorndike Press, 2005.Year: 2005Format:
BOOK

10 Second ReviewYoung escapees from an experimental genetics lab form a makeshift family while evading werewolf super soldiers and trying to survive on their own.

Terrific, gripping story full of suspense and humor.
Should have wide appeal.

Notes
Similar storyline to the TV show Dark Angel.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Monster Attack Network

Title
Monster Attack Network

Library Link
Monster Attack Network

M.A.N.Bernardin, Marc.San Francisco, CA : AIT Planet Lar, c2007.Year:
c2007Format: BOOK

10 Second Review
Yearn for the days when the word 'monster' meant something the size of a building? Monster Attack Network might be for you. An elite team battles island monsters.

Standard story with black and white art.
Some clever elements but art feels sloppy at times.

Notes
Promo for upcoming Disney film

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Batman: False Faces

Title
Batman: False Faces

Library Link
Batman.

False facesVaughan, Brian K.New York, NY : DC Comics, c2008.Year: c2008Format:
BOOK

10 Second Review
Three stories in this book with one Wonder Woman story and two from Batman. First, Batman must solve the murder of his own alias and then Batman fights dragons from wonderland. Wonder Woman faces a beast trying to steal her ancient clay.

Good art with stories going from excellent, to good to fair.

Notes
Nightwing lends a hand.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.

Reading Order
N/a