Ages 9 and up	The Seven Keys of Balabad by Paul Haven, 271 pages "Welcome to Balabad. Land of sweeet green tea, exotic spices, and cunningly made carpets. Birthplace of the international secret society known as the Brotherhood of Arachosia. And rumored hiding place of the grandes riches the world has ever known-the treasures of King Agamon. Balabad is also the place Oliver  Finch, a born-and-bred New Yorker, Hhas called home ever since his father was reassigned to this dull dust bowl of a country. Each day runs inot the next for Oliver, until a five-hundred-year-old sacred carpet is stolen. Then one of the few friends he has diappears. Oliver is determined to figure out what exactly is goin on. But to do that, he'll have to consult with a one-eyd warrior, track down the far-flung members of the Brotherhood, and find the key that will unlock a centuries-old secrett! Suddenly life in Balabad for Loiver has become a whole lot more interesting...and dangerous." Jacket cover excerpt, Random House Children's Books, 2009
Ages 9 and up	The Youngest Templar by Michael P. Spradlin “Raised by monks, the orphan Tristan never dreamed that he might see the world or discover the truth about his past. But that changes the day that the Knights Templar ride through the abbey on their way to fight in the Holy Land for Richard the Lionheart’s Crusade. Overnight Tristan becomes a squire to Sir Thomas, one of the Templar’s most courageous and respected knights. But he also finds himself thrust into the middle of political intrigue deeper than a simple boy would ever expect to be a part of-caught between rival knights desperate for power and entrusted with the most sacred relic in all of Christendom, the Holy Grail. With the chaos of war surrounding him, Tristan teams up with a young archer from Sherwood Forest and a deadly Al Hashshashin warrior (who also happens to be a girl). But even with their help, can he safely bring the Holy Grail back to England and escape the evil men who follow in its wake?” Jacket cover Excerpt: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Young Readers Group, 2008 Author’s website: michaelspradlin.com
Ages 9 and up	Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs, 185 pages "A meteorite is hurtling toward the Black Hills of South Dakota…Brady Steele watches in awe as a fireball cames crashing through the roof of his house…Fred, as Brady names his space rock, turns out to be one of the rarest meteorites ever found. Professor Rip Ripley from the museum in Hill city wants to study a sliver of it in search of extraterrestrial bacteria. He’s hoping to discover the first proof of life beyond Earth, a momentous breakthrough for the new science of astrobiology. During a wild week of extreme bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady and Quinn{his cousin} battle their rivals, the notorious Carver boys, for possession of the meteorite. With each new day, Brady is discovering he’s able to do strange and wonderful feats that shouldn’t be possible. At the same time, he’s developing some frightening symptoms. Could he be infected with long-dormant microbes from space? Is Fred a prize or a menace?" Jacket cover excerpt, Harper Collins, 2008 Author website: WillHobbsAuthor.com
Ages 9 and up	Rebel Force (Star Wars) Target by Alex Wheeler, (Book 1 of the Rebel Force Series), 186 pages “The Death Star has been destroyed. But back at the Rebel base, the celebration is over. The Alliance has intercepted a coded transmission, indicating that the Empire is determined to discover which pilot was responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. New security protocol is in effect: The details of the Death Star mission are now top secret, and no one is to know that Luke fired the decisive shot. But that’s hardly the Alliance’s only problem. Almost all their finances were lost with the destruction of Alderaan-and they are out of money. Their last hope is to access the secret accounts on Muuilinst, the former home of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the financial heart of the galazy. So Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids head for Muuilinst. The Empire’s top assassin will be waiting for them.” Back cover excerpt, Scholastic, 2008  *If you haven’t seen the early Star Wars movies or read the books based on them, they are a good place to start before immersing yourself in the Star Wars fiction universe.
Ages 9 and up	I, Q by Roland Smith, (book 1 of a series), 302 pages “Step-siblings Q (Quest) and Angela are thrust into the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Israeli Mossad when Angela realizes she’s being followed, and Q learns the secret about Angela’s real mother-a former Secret Service agent who was supposedly killed by a terrorist group. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?” Back cover excerpt, Sleeping Bear Press, 2008 Book website: http//www.iqtheseries.com