House of Many Ways

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
published by Greenwillow Books, 2008
416 pages
approximate age range: 10+

Charmain Baker has led a very proper -- and very dull -- life doing only very proper things with very proper people. Well, up until now, that is. When her imposing great aunt Sempronia asks Charmain to house sit for her Great Uncle William, the royal wizard of High Norland, Charmain realized this is finally her chance to get out from under her mother's thumb and experience a bit more out of life. But Charmain, whose extracurricular activities to date have only involved reading books, has no idea how much her life will change from the moment she walks in the door of Great Uncle William's magical maze of a house, a strange place where one single doorway leads to a vast number of rooms and other places throughout High Norland. From her first day on the job Charmain immediately finds herself doing things she has never done before -- caring for a loveable, but peculiar, stray dog named Waif, attempting to do magic herself, squaring off against an evil beast called a lubbock, preventing an apprentice wizard, Peter, from making a giant mess wit another bad spell, and even -- Charmain can hardly believe it -- washing dishes and doing laundry. Charmain's life gets even more exciting when she is offered an additional position as a library assistant to the king and she is thrown into a nefarious royal intrigue involving a great deal of missing gold and a mysterious elf gift. With the help of Sophie Pendgragon, Wizard Howl, and fire demon Calcifer, who are already on the case, Charmain must discover how the secrets of Great Uncle William's house connect to the mystery at the castle before all of High Norland falls into the hands of something truly evil.

If you've read Howl's Moving Castle or watched the Miyazaki anime of the same name, then you have already met Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer and discovered what sorts of hilarious and exciting adventures they often find themselves in. Yet, even if you haven't a clue what a fire demon even is, Charmain's story works so perfectly as a standalone tale that you won't even realize you're reading a sequel. Wynne Jones really creates a world that you won't want to leave -- one that is both believable and magical, a quirky place where you will alternate from pausing in peals of laughter, to frantically turning pages to see what happens next. Teens will love spunky Charmain and appreciate House's fast pace and short, kookily-titled chapters. The anime tie-in can be a real plus for recruiting hesitant readers, especially if they are manga fans. In addition, audiobook listeners are in for a real treat as reader Jenny Sterlin is so skilled at creating different voices for each character you'll feel like you're listening to a full cast.


Read-alike suggestions:

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

Alice in Zombieland

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook and Lewis Carroll
published by Sourcebooks, 2011
256 pages
approximate age range: 12+

You know this story, of course: once upon a time Alice was dreadfully bored and so followed a talking black rat down an empty grave and ended up in a horrific world where almost everyone was dead, or undead, or on their way to being one or the other. Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? In this tongue in cheek parody of the well-known classic, Nickolas Cook lets his dark imagination run wild while sticking to most of the events of the original, but with a few twists of course -- Lewis Carroll probably never imagined his sweet heroine as a zombie herself with a strong craving for the flesh of Wonderland's inhabitants.

"'... How are you getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.

'Hungry -- I mean as wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone: 'it doesn't seem to dry me at all.'
The Dodo looked her over humorlessly, his little eyes staring at her wilting hair and pale skin.
Alice's brow furrowed in aggravation and she was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth to speak, one of her teeth tumbled from her mouth, and she was so disturbed to see it fall to the ground, she kept her mouth close-lipped from that moment on. Her hair was falling out, and now her teeth, too? Alice felt a chill wash over her that could not be blamed solely on being soaking wet."

Despite having been written over 150 years ago, Alice in Wonderland is still a popular work today, having spawned movies, miniseries, comics, and various re-workings, such as Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars series. Teens will enjoy seeing a story they've grown up with mutated into a gross-out zombie parody that still maintains the basic structure of Carroll's tale. The original illustrations by John Tenniel are also slightly, but skillfully, redone, now containing extra gore, insanity, and un-death, making them quite amusing for readers with strong stomachs. While not startling unique, Alice in Zombieland is a fun romp and a quick read that will swing delighted readers from amusement to horror to disgust and back again.

Read-alike suggestions:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
published by Henry Holt and Co., 2010
352 pages
approximate age range: 13+
Morris Award Finalist

Samhain Corvus LeCroix, Sam for short, is having a hard time getting his life together since he dropped out of college and took a job in a fast food joint called Plumpy's. He's barely making ends meet and has no personal life to speak of, but at least he's got the company of his friends Ramon, Brooke, and Kevin to help him get through his cringe-worthy shifts. Then, Sam's boring world changes in a flash when a terrifying man, Douglas Montgomery, comes into the restaurant and instantly recognizes something important about Sam he never even knew about himself -- that, like Douglas, Sam's a necromancer and, with the right training, he can talk to, and even raise, the dead. From there, Sam's life only gets creepier. To send Sam a message that he's in charge and doesn't like competition, Douglas has a werewolf beat Sam to a pulp and then cuts off Brooke's head and has it delivered to Sam in a box -- still talking. Now with Ramon, Kevin, and Brooke, who may only be a head, but is still her smart and sassy self, Sam has one week to discover what he can about the powers he never knew he had and face Douglas or lose everyone he loves, as well as his life.

Sherman Alexie sums up Hold Me Closer, Necromancer best with his quote from the cover: "This is a SCARY funny book OR a FUNNY scary book. In any case, it is a GREAT book. I LOVE IT." While it might seem hard for one book to straddle the line between laugh-out-loud funny and chills-up-your-spine-scary, Necromancer does so with ease and neither the funny nor scary moments seemed forced or out of place. The urban fantasy world McBride creates is creative and unique, and as readers slowly discover its secrets with Sam, we become more and more intrigued. Sam himself is a likeable, well-rounded character, as are his friends, though McBride also skillfully shifts the perspective throughout the novel, at times telling the story from a handful of different characters, such as Brid, a shapeshifter girl and fellow victim of Douglas, Sam's mom Tia, and even evil Douglas himself. Each character's voice is distinct and easily recognizable, and these different view points flesh out the story and show past events and current motivations in a way that wouldn't be possible with a single perspective. In addition, there's plenty of action -- some comedic, some creepy -- to keep even the most reluctant reader entertained. However, Necromancer does contain some violence and brief sexuality, so cautiously recommend to younger readers. Though the book winds up in a way that's satisfying, McBride leaves plenty of room for a sequel, which most enamored readers will feel can't come quickly enough.

There are two official book trailers:






Read-alike suggestions:

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

The Gates by John Connolly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

published by Margaret K. McElderry, 2010

432 pages

approximate age range: 13+

Ah, the age old question -- which does the esteemed reader prefer: staggering, brain devouring zombies, or magical, majestic unicorns? Been there, done that? Okay, what about pitiful, pining zombies longing for love or ferocious, man-eating unicorns menacing society? In this collection of short stories gathered by well-known YA authors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, readers may find that it's hard to choose sides in the zombie vs. unicorn debate as stereotypes of each are shattered and both are reinvented in very innovative and, at times, rather humorous ways. Garth Nix, Libba Bray, Scott Westefeld, Carrie Ryan, Meg Cabot, and many more popular teen authors toss their hats into the ring, forming teams that dream up tall tales about their favorite creature and face off for the reader's affection. Each story is thoughtfully labeled with a picture of either a zombie or a unicorn so any readers that are adamant about not reading stories from the competition can easily avoid them. In addition, excerpts of an ongoing snippy, tongue-in-cheek conversation between Black (team unicorn) and Larbalestier (team zombie) on the positives and negatives of each prefaces every story and sets the quirky, off-the-wall tone of the collection.

Zombies vs. Unicorns is an easy sell to teens as it's a short story collection with a little bit of everything that will appeal to a wide range of readers and fans of different genres and authors. There are hilarious stories, gory stories, thoughtful stories, romantic stories, post-apocalyptic stories, and so on -- all of which give a fresh, worthwhile look at what one may feel like are two over-examined genres. Every writer is on top of his or her game and it's clear that they had fun with these short fictions that are some of the most creative and clever readers will come across. Narrative voices vary wildly from a runway girl living on the streets, to a princess, to a teenage cop, to a zombie himself. In addition, a couple of stories have gay and lesbian protagonists whose sexual orientation is portrayed in a positive way and deftly interwoven with the supernatural plots. Even so, though Zombies vs. Unicorns is a fun collection with a lot to love, beware when recommending it to younger or more sensitive readers as many of the stories contain mature content such as profanity, teenage sexuality, violent imagery, and, in one instance, alluded-to bestiality.

The official book trailer is appropriately hilarious:

Read-alike suggestions:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

White Cat by Holly Black

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maburry

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

The Zombie Chasers

The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
published by HarperCollins, 2010
224 pages
approximate age level: 9-12

On the way home one Friday Zack Clarke is a bit puzzled that his neighborhood seems dead quiet, but he has more important things to worry about – like his older sister Zoe and her awful friend Madison forcing him into a “makeover” and plastering his lipsticked shame all over the internet. Then Madison eats the last slice of his super delicious birthday cake that he had been craving all day and Zack thinks his day can't possibly get any worse. But it does -- Zack soon finds out that everyone in his neighborhood has become a brain-eating zombie when they descend upon his house and turn his sister into the walking dead. Now, on the run for his life with snotty Madison and his dorky friend Rice, Zack must evade the zombies, make it to a safe zone, and possibly un-zombify Zoe, preferably before his parents find out.

The Zombie Chasers is a silly romp with slap stick action, snappy dialogue, and cartoon illustrations of scenes from the story cropping up every couple of pages. Boys will love all the zombie vs. kids confrontations, especially the multiple gross-out scenes, and the illustrations will appeal to reluctant readers. It's not going to win any awards for exemplary literature, but The Zombie Chasers is a lot of fun and a quick and easy read that kids will find appealing enough to pick up – and finish. Try to stay alive for the sequel Undead Ahead coming out March 29, 2011.

The Zombie Chasers also has a nifty official website with games and a zombie survival guide.

Read-alike suggestions:

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey

My Weird School Daze series by Dan Gutman

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

Anansi Boys

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
published by HarperTouch, 2005
416 pages
approximate age level: 14+
Alex Award recipient

Charlie Nancy is a rather banal young man. He has a mundane job, a passionless relationship with his fiance, and has no desire or ambition to improve his circumstances. Then his crazy, flamboyant father suddenly dies, with his hands on a buxom blonde while singing karaoke, and Charlie discovers his life isn't quite what he thought. First, his father was not just a strange eccentric, but was Anansi, the African trickster god. Second, he has a brother, Spider, who is everything Charlie is not – outgoing, lucky, charismatic, and in possession of god-like powers. When Spider decides to meet Charlie, and, unasked, takes over the spare room in his apartment, as well as a few other things, Charlie finds that his uninteresting life is over and he must come to terms with everything wild and mysterious he has been trying so hard to avoid, or face devastating consequences.

Companion novel to American Gods, Anansi Boys is a fun and original adventure that never takes itself too seriously. In this tall tale that expertly weaves African folklore into a modern plot, Gaiman is at the top of his game creating likeable, well-rounded characters, crazy scenes, and propelling the story forward with a fast moving, page-turning plot. This is an adult novel, but doesn't contain any content that should dissuade you from recommending it to teens. Gaiman is a big name in both adult and YA/children's lit (known by many as the "rockstar writer") and I think it would be easy to get teens interested in his works if they aren't already. Anansi Boys is also a recipient of the 2006 Alex Award.

Read-alike suggestions:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connelly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)

The Gates

The Gates by John Connolly
published by Washington Square Press, 2009
304 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Three days before Halloween, 11 year old Samuel Johnson and his faithful sidekick, a dachshund named Boswell, decide to show some initiative and start trick-or-treating early. However, instead of ending up with a bag full of sweets, Samuel instead witnesses his neighbors, the Abernathys, performing a strange ritual that opens a portal to hell and releases a group of demons with one goal – to bring the ultimate evil, The Great Malevolence, onto earth. Helped by a rag-tag team including his two best friends, a confused CERN scientist, and a surprisingly sweet, but incompetent, demon named Nurd, Samuel must, against all odds, save the world.

The Gates is full of quirky characters, hilarious asides, and a bunch of fast-paced, slapstick action that makes for an amusing and engaging read. Though this book is cataloged as Adult Fiction in my library, neither the content nor the language make it inappropriate for recommending to teens and it would be great for booktalking to school classes and reluctant readers as it's a fun roller coaster ride that's easy to sell. John Connolly is also the author of The Book of Lost Things, recipient of the 2007 Alex Award.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (Alex Award recipient)

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Newbery Award winner)

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman