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This week was all about the fantasy books. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke and The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda each offer a great assortment of fantastical creatures–everything from dragons, brownies and humunculus’s to dots, talking pigs and terlamaines.

Dragon Rider is a fantastic adventure novel by one of today’s most popular young adult authors–Cornelia Funke, author of the Inkheart Trilogy. Dragon Rider follows a dragon named Firedrake, a brownie named Sorrell and a human boy named Ben on their quest to find a legendary Himalayan mountain range known as the Rim of Heaven. But trouble is hot on their trail. An evil, manmade dragon named Nettlebrand wants nothing more than to locate the Rim of Heaven and eat all the dragons who reside there. Somehow Firedrake must find the legendary mountain range without leading Nettlebrand to the world’s only dragon sancturary.

The Wizard of Rondo is the sequel to The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda. The first novel in the series was a little easier to follow and had a more magical feel. The Wizard of Rondo is more like a murder mystery. When cousins Leo and Mimi return to the world of Rondo, they find their friends have deemed themselves a Quest Team. They recieve a letter from a distraught resident in the Hobnob and set out on their first investigation. Wizard Bing has disappeared, and his apprentice, who has been transformed into a giant mushroom, is now in custody of Officer Begood. Someone his behind these mysterious events and it’s up to the Quest Team, along with Leo and Mimi, to uncover the culprit.

There’s nothing better than a good series. And this week I reviewed installments in two different wonderful series’: The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda and Catching Fire (book two of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins.

The Key to Rondo has that perfect blend of magic and reality. It was exciting and fast-paced with a wide variety of magical and relatable characters. The story follows Leo Langlander and his impulsive cousin Mimi as they discover the secret about a family heirloom–a music box depicting magic land. They soon discover that there’s a whole lot more to the music box than just nice paintings and a pretty tune. It’s actually a gateway into the world of Rondo. After an evil blue queen steals Mimi’s dog, Leo and Mimi follow her into the music box and discover the life and strife inside of Rondo.

What can I say about Catching Fire? Amazing. Intense. Gripping. I didn’t think Suzanne Collins could outdo her first novel, The Hunger Games, but she certainly did. After surviving the Hunger Games–a brutal televised fight-to-the-death–Katniss is just trying to live a normal life. But the stunt she pulled in the arena that kept both her and her District 12 partner Peeta alive is coming back to haunt her. Her survival instinct may have unintentionally sparked a rebellion against the Capital, and President Snow is furious. He’ll do anything to prove that he is in control, even if it means threatening the lives of Katniss and all her family and friends.

Both of these books are fantastic reads. The Key to Rondo appeals to a younger audience (9-12 year olds) and Catching Fire will suit a teenage audience. Happy reading!

The Hole in the Sky is the debut novel by Barbara A. Mahler. This young-adult fantasy story is the first in trilogy.

The novel follows Kaela and her cousin Shawn as they travel to a magical world by way of “the hole in the sky.” In Muratenland, Kaela learns about the royal family’s strife: their baby has been kidnapped by Gulig, an evil man who seeks control of the land. Kaela must break the family curse and rescue the baby before Gulig causes him any harm.

This week was all about the spooky, the terrifying and the ghostly. I’ve read tons of books about ghosts, and most aren’t worth remembering. It’s a typical topic, making it hard for authors to put a new spin on it. The Haunting of Derek Stone #4: The Ghost Road by Tony Abbott and Rebel Stone and the Ghost Whisperers by Walter Rouzer were just that–typical. The Ghost Road was decent, assuming you start by reading the other books in the series. It was high-action, but in my opinion it’s a story that is more interesting for boys than girls.

Rebel Stone and the Ghost Whisperers mixed ghosts and aliens, which I’ve never seen before. But the writing sounded amateur. The constant flaws and overuse of metaphors made it hard to read.

Malice, on the other hand, was fantastic. While it wasn’t about ghosts, it was definitely spooky. The story was about a comic book called Malice. Kids who perform a ritual and summon Tall Jake (like Bloody Mary), are stolen from their homes and brought to the dangerous world of Malice–the world inside the comic book. The writing is easy to follow, the characters are relatable and the concept of part-novel, part-comic book is very unique.

Wow, what a wonderful week of books! The two sequels to The Book of Time by Guillaume Prevost are even better than the first. In The Gate of Days, Sam finally rescues his father from his six month lockdown in the dungeons of dracula’s castle. But his trip through time left him in a coma. In The Circle of Gold, Sam knows that in order to wake his dad up from his coma, his must once again travel back in time and save his mother from dying. But evil forces are at work. Sam’s crush, Alicia, is kidnapped and trapped somewhere in history. Before Sam can even think of altering the past, he needs to deal with more pressing issues…like getting Alicia back!

Last but absolutely, 100% not least — The Hunger Games. Wow. That pretty much sums it up. Suzanne Collins is unbelievable. When I first learned the plot of this book — a sci-fi novel about mandatory competition forcing teenagers to fight to the death — I really wasn’t interested in reading it. But boy, am I glad I did. I was reassured by Stephenie Meyer’s quote on the cover calling the book “amazing.” And she was definitely right. The Hunger Games was risky, edgy, barbaric, and so gripping I just couldn’t put it down. Could this series become the next Twilight? Quite possibly.

As a book reviewer, I read over 100 books each year. I come across many decent novels and many good novels. But only once in a blue moon do I find a story that really blows me away. This year, The Legend of Vinny Whiskers by Gregory Kemp was that story.

It follows a set of characters you rarely see in young-adult fiction, or any fiction for that matter–black-tailed prairie dogs. Some people immediately dismiss a story that is writing solely about animals, unless of course it’s a children’s picture book. But The Legend of Vinny Whiskers isn’t silly or unrealistic. It’s mature, deep and adventureous–great for kids and adults alike. It’s the story of an underdog proving that he’s strong, courageous and capable.

It’s a fabulous accomplishment for a debut novel. The Legend of Vinny Whiskers is the kind of story you’ll remember forever, the kind you’ll want your kids to read one day.

Unfortunately the book isn’t sold in stores. But it is available at most online book retailers. Trust me when I say that this is the type of book you can purchase in blind faith. It won’t disappoint you.

Moxy Maxwell is everyone’s favorite preteen procrastinator. In Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano, Moxy is trying to avoid praciticing the piano, even though she has a recital that very evening and has yet to figure out where to end the song. She’s too busy assembling her costume, practicing her bow and preparing for her dress rehearsal. But when it comes time to step out on stage, Moxy freezes up. It’s your classic case of overcoming stage fright.

The Moxy Maxwell books are quick reads, filled with pictures, large font and short chapters. They’re perfect for the budding reader.

When Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight knocked Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince out of it’s November 2008 release slot, it was a devastating blow. But I must admit, the film was worth the wait. Harry Potter 6 was unlike all the other movies…in a very good way. It didn’t feel rushed, squeeze, condensed or compounded. It was pure perfection. The teenage-turned-20-something cast has evolved, especially the terrific trio. And best of all, love is in the air.

Bookworms are not boring people. They like adventure just as much as the next guy. But most of the time bookworms find adventure in the form of an action-packed novel instead of leaving the house and creating an adventure of their own. If you’re one of these bookworms, it’s not a bad thing. But you need to embrace the sun rather than the ink every once and a while. As soon as you experience the thrill of a real life adventure, you’ll realize that there’s a whole world of possibilities.

I was one of those seeking-an-adventure-in-a-book type of bookworms. That is, until I traveled to Australia and New Zealand. There, I tried things I swore I would never do. I went Skydiving, White Water Rafting, Jet Boating, Zorbing, and the scariest of all, Black Water Rafting. It wasn’t until I returned home that I realized what I was missing…real life adventure. Sure, books are a great escape. But it sure doesn’t beat jumping out of a plan at 14,000 feet.

So what’s my advice for kids and teens? Try new things. Experience new thrills. Travel new places. And hey, you can always bring a good book along with you.

Fans were disappointed when Stephenie Meyer put an indefinite hold on her plans to release her fifth book, Midnight Sun, in a book format. The book, if you managed to read the online draft, told the story of Twilight from Edward’s perspective.

But never fear. You don’t need to rely on Stephenie Meyer to combat your vampire withdrawal. There are tons (and I mean TONS!) of vampire books hitting the teen bookshelf every month. Of course, who has the time to sift through the masses at book stores, reading the back cover of every eerie-looking book? No one, that’s who! With school reaching its stress climax of the year, free time is few and far between. But that’s no problem because I’ve prepared a list of the latest and greatest vampire books for teens and tweens. Check it out!

New and Hot Vampire Books for Teens and Tweens

• The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinx
• Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
• Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Thirst Series by Christopher Pike

1. The Last Vampire, Black Blood, Red Dice (released August 2009)

Dark Guardian Series by Rachel Hawthorne

1. Moonlight
2. Full Moon (released June 2009)
3. Dark of the Moon (released August 2009)

Evernight Series by Claudia Gray

1. Evernight
2. Stargazer
3. Hourglass (not yet released)
4. Afterlife (not yet released)

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

1. Twilight
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn

The House of Night Series by Kristin and P.C. Cast

1. Marked
2. Betrayed
3. Chosen
4. Untamed
5. Hunted

The Morganville Vampires Series by Rachel Caine

1. Glass Houses
2. Dead Girls Dance
3. Midnight Alley
4. Feast of Fools
5. Lord of Misrule

Night World Series by L.J. Smith

1. Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, Spellbinder
2. Dark Angel, Chosen, Soulmate
3. Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight

Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

1. Vampire Academy
2. Frostbite
3. Shadow Kiss
4. Blood Promise (released August 2009)

Den of Shadows Series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

1. In the Forest of the Night
2. Demon in My View
3. Shattered Mirror
4. Midnight Predator

If you want to read some recent book reviews, check out the bookshelf at kidzworld.com. Kidzworld is a safe website for kids and teens that explores not just today’s top kids books and series’, but trading cards, new kids games and cheats, entertainment news and celebrities bios, advice for kids, free online contests and so much more!