Book Review: Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan Series
Here’s an action-packed, steampunk-inspired YA series for teens that is great for kids who love historical fiction or books about World War II. Suzanne explains why Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series is summer binge reading material.
It’s got adventure, flying whale-beasts, and a brave and resourceful heroine. What more could you want?
In an alternate steampunk Europe on the brink of World War I, a young woman disguises herself as a boy so she can join the British Air Service and serve on their fleet of giant genetically-modified air beasts. Meanwhile, the Central Powers (or Clankers) are building up their army of steam-powered many-legged machines as the inevitable conflict approaches. You want to read these books already, don’t you? But wait, there’s more! All three books (pick up the hardback editions, if you can) have wonderful full-page illustrations by Keith Thompson, including some of the most gorgeous endpapers I’ve ever seen.
Many people are familiar with Scott Westerfeld’s YA science fiction series beginning with Uglies, but it seems that fewer have heard of this steampunk/biopunk alternate history. Marketed as YA, I’ve been recommending it for middle schoolers and up (including adults) ever since it first came out. It’s got adventure, flying whale-beasts, and a brave and resourceful heroine. The series also makes a great side-read for anyone studying World War I, since Westerfeld uses actual history as his jumping-off point and includes historical figures ranging from Archduke Franz Ferdinand to Nikola Tesla. As a bonus, after you’ve read the trilogy (including an extra final chapter and illustration on Westerfeld’s website) you can check out The Manual of Aeronautics, an illustrated guide (by the fabulous Keith Thompson) to the world and technology of Leviathan. What are you waiting for?
Leviathan
Young Scotswoman Deryn Sharp rejects the dresses that a “proper lady” should wear to disguise herself as a boy and study to be a midshipman on one of the great British air-beasts. Meanwhile, Prince Aleksander, son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, must go on the run after his parents are killed. Will their paths cross when the ship Leviathan crash-lands in Switzerland? (SPOILER: Yes.)
Behemoth
War has broken out, though Alek (an Austrian Clanker) and Deryn (a British Darwinist) still want to work together for peace. After their mission goes awry, however, the friends are separated and their friendship will be tested as they end up on opposite sides of the conflict.
Goliath
Together again, Alek and Deryn are still in the thick of things as their adventures take them to Siberia (where they rescue Nikola Tesla), California (and William Randolph Hearst’s estate), and Mexico (where they get help from Pancho Villa). And don’t forget the bonus chapter!
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Summer Reading: Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland Series
If Suzanne had to pick one book series for a desert island, the Fairyland series is the one she’d choose. Here’s why.
If I had to pick one series to keep me company on a desert island, one series to pass along to my kids, I think I’d pick Catherynne Valente’s Fairyland books.
I’ve written before about the glorious summers of my childhood, when I could devote long uninterrupted hours to burning through enormous Lord of the Ring-type sagas. I’ve also shared the cautionary tale of a dear friend whose parents made her put down her book and play outside, but I’m sure none of our readers could behave in so dastardly a fashion. (NOTE: I am not entirely against the outdoors and exercise and whatnot, but they made her put down her book. Things like that take years of therapy to get over.) With all that in mind, when Amy asked me to do some Summer Reading posts, I decided I wanted to focus on some of my favorite series for children and young people — but only series that have already come to a satisfactory end, as there’s nothing worse than being stuck with a cliffhanger while you wait for an author to hurry up and write, all the while worrying that before they finish they might die in some sort of freak word-processing accident.
I thought I’d start with my very favorite fantasy series. For decades, if you’d asked me what my favorite series was — the books I’d read over and over, the books I’d have to make sure my own kids read, my desert island books — I would have said the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I was (and still am) a hardcore Narnia-head. As a child, I reread the series every summer. I wrote Narnia fanfiction (before ‘fanfiction’ was even a word). I love these books. (NOTE: I know that not everyone loves Narnia because of the Christian allegorical aspects. I completely understand that, but it’s not hampered my own love of the series because I was raised ‘unchurched’ and didn’t even notice that it was a Christian allegory until I was in my late teens or 20s. I was <ahem> perhaps not the most observant of readers.) But now, if I had to pick one series to keep me company on a desert island, one series to pass along to my kids, I think I’d pick Catherynne Valente’s Fairyland books.
The Fairyland books, with one exception, are about September, a 12-year-old girl living in WWII-era Nebraska, with a mechanic mother who works in the aircraft factory and a father missing overseas, until — in the tradition of children who get lost in wardrobes and swept up by passing tornadoes — she catches a ride with the Green Wind and his Leopard. They drop her off in Fairyland, ruled by the evil Marquess, where September soon finds herself on a quest to defeat the Marquess and free her friends. These books are for all ages, beautifully written, with a heroine who relies on her bravery, her intelligence, and her friends to save the day. There is little that is black and white in Fairyland: even the villains have complicated histories of good intentions gone bad, and even the heroes can make poor choices under difficult circumstances. I’ve read these books both for my own enjoyment and as readalouds (which is particularly wonderful, as Valente has a gift with language and original phrasing) and I think they belong on every family’s bookshelf.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
“You seem an ill-tempered and irascible enough child,” said the Green Wind. “How would you like to come away with me and ride upon the Leopard of Little Breezes and be delivered to the great sea which borders Fairyland?”
In book one, September visits Fairyland for the first time and meets her soon-to-be-best friends: A-Through-L, a Wyverary, and Saturday, a Marid. (A marid is a type of ifrit or djinn, and a “Wyverary” is the offspring of a wyvern and a library. And honestly, if that isn’t enough to send you out to find this book immediately, I don’t even know what you’re doing hanging around these parts.) Both of her friends are held captive (one way or another) by the evil Marquess, ruler of Fairyland, and September must defeat her to save them.
FIND MORE SUMMER HOMESCHOOL INSPIRATION
The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
In book two, September returns to Fairyland to find that its magic is being sucked away by Fairyland Below, ruled by Halloween, the Hollow Queen. September soon discovers that Halloween is her own shadow, left in Fairyland after her previous adventure, and when she reunites with her friends, A-Through-L and Saturday, she finds that they have shadows also.
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
In book three, September returns to Fairyland with her new sidekick, a 1925 Model A Ford, and discovers that she’s been named a criminal, specifically a “royal scofflaw, professional revolutionary, and criminal of the realm.” On a mission to the Fairyland’s Moon, she must defeat a mysterious moon-Yeti and figure out what actually happened to all of Fairyland’s missing fairies. Unlike the first two books, this one ends with something of a cliffhanger, but that’s okay because you can go straight to book four...
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland
...which begins not with September, but with Hawthorn, a changeling who was born a troll in Fairyland before being spirited away to the human world. I was all set to be annoyed with Valente for swapping out September for another protagonist, but I immediately fell for Hawthorn, who, in an effort to act like a Normal child starts writing a rulebook of Normal behavior (e.g., “Knives and scissors are sharp, but different than swords, and you can only use them to fight cucumbers and onions and packages from the postman, not Ancient Enemies from Beyond Time,” followed by “There are no such things as Ancient Enemies from Beyond Time”). Plus he hangs out with the best wombat ever in the history of wombats. We catch up with September eventually and another cliffhanger leads us straight into the fifth and final book...
The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home
...where different teams, including September and her best friends (and Hawthorn with his friends) must compete in a Royal Race for the throne of Fairyland. And really, I don’t want to tell you anything more because you should go out and read these fabulous books for yourself.
Happy Reading!
Find your next favorite book!
Visit our summer reading guide for more summer reading inspiration.
If You Want to Read Something Profound
These powerful stories pack an emotional punch.
These powerful stories pack an emotional punch.
Speak Up by Miranda Paul and Ebony Glenn
A diverse class of students learn that when something really matters, one voice can make a big difference. Early grades
Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne et al
Poetry is a great medium for social change, and these inspiring poems by poets including Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Olivia Gatwood, will make kids want to express their ideas about justice and injustice through poems and art, too. Early grades
Small Matters by Heather Ferranti Kinser
Powerful images from an electron scanning microscope show how tiny details can make a big difference in this eye-opening picture book. Early grades
Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl
Cricket believes she can bring her vanishing mama back if she finds the secret room that featured in so many of her childhood stories — so takes her only clue (a coin from a Mississippi ghost town) and sets off into the woods to find the truth about her family. Middle grades
Sylvia and Aki by Winifred Conkling
Sylvia and Aki faced different kinds of prejudice: Sylvia’s family had to start a legal battle to get her into school, and Aki’s family was relocated to an internment camp during World War Two. By coincidence, Sylvia’s family rents the house that Aki’s family was forced to leave behind. Middle grades
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Like all of Acevedo’s work, the language in this verse narrative is the star. When their father’s plane crashes, two sisters — one in New York City and one in the Dominican Republic — discover each other’s existence and their father’s double life. High school
Parachutes by Kelly Yang
Class conflict, the Asian diaspora, and rape culture come together in this story about a wealthy international student from Shanghai who rents a room from a Filipino-American family. High school
Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings
In this eerie fairy tale, a rural Australian girl investigates the disappearance of her two older brothers. High school
Lose Your Mother: A Journey along the Atlantic Slave Route by Saidiya Hartman
You may well want to add this chronicle of the author’s journey along a slave route in Ghana to your high school history reading list — it’s a fascinating (and sad) look at a side of history we often gloss over. High school
This was originally published in the summer 2020 HSL reading guide.
If You Want to Read Something with Memorable Characters...
It’s the brilliantly realized characters and relationships that make these books sing.
It’s the brilliantly realized characters and relationships that make these books sing.
The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
The One and Only Ivan’s best friend, Chihuahua mutt Bob, tells his own story in this sequel to the Newbery classic. Middle grades
The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss
12-year-old orphan Bicycle is supposed to go to sleep-away camp at the Friendship Factory; instead, she decides that she’s going to ride her bike to California so she can meet her hero, Polish cycling racer Zbig. Middle grades
Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
Ryan Hart has a lot on her mind: all the things she wants to invent, her family’s new (old) house, financial problems, an infuriating brother, and recipes that don’t always go right. But she’s determined to see the best in everything that happens. Middle grades
The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Bea keeps a list to remind her of the constants in her life since her parents’ divorce: No matter what, her mom and dad will love her and each other. Still, she’s excited and nervous about the big change when her dad tells her he’s going to marry his boyfriend Jesse, who has a daughter of his own. Middle grades
We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly
This family story about the destructive and healing potential of words follows three siblings in the weeks leading up the Challenger’s 1986 launch. Middle grades
Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
Illustrator/memoirist extraordinaire Knisley charms in her first middle grades graphic novel about a girl who unwillingly moves to the country with her mom after her parents get divorced. Middle grades
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
The author of American Born Chinese delights readers again with this story of a comic book-loving boy who discovers an unexpected interest in the superhero-esque arc of his high school’s basketball team. High school
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
This twisty whodunnit is a standout for its diverse cast and lovable protagonist: a Black trans artist who must learn what it really means to love who he is when an anonymous fellow student harasses him with transphobic messages. High school
Camp by L.C. Rosen
Camp Outland is Randy’s happy place: a camp for LGBTQ+ kids and the place where he met his Super Crush Hudson Aaronson-Lim. But Hudson doesn’t like boys who don’t act straight, so Randy reinvents himself as Del, a manly man who doesn’t wear nail polish or put unicorn sheets on his bed. Of course, you can only pretend to be someone you aren’t for so long before you start wondering whether it’s worth it to give up your identity for love. High school
August Folly by Angela Thirkell
Think of this 1936 novel as classic Brit lit charmer, in which a bunch of rural English folk put on fetes and amateur theatricals, pour tea, fall in love, and otherwise wander through their bucolic lives where nothing really terrible ever happens. High school
This list was originally published in our summer 2020 reading guide.
If You Want to Read Something Exciting...
Looking for something exciting to read this summer? These action-packed books will keep you turning pages.
These action-packed books will keep you turning pages.
The Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson
The world’s greatest 4th grade detective is missing her crime solving partner since her best friend moved away, and now she’s on her toughest case yet: the case of the kidnapped school mascot. She can’t solve this one alone — but will she be able to find a new partner? Early grades
Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
Akata Witch author Okorafor is back with her trademark blend of Nigerian magic and realism in this story about a boy with super powers on a mission to avenge the murder of his police chief father. Middle grades
Sal & Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
A Gabi from a parallel universe arrives to warn the titular duo that their efforts to close all the wormholes might actually — oops — destroy the universe. Middle grades
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Meets World by Shannon Hale
Everybody’s new favorite super hero, Squirrel Girl has all the powers of a squirrel and all the challenges of life as a 14-year-old in a new town. Middle grades
Again Again by E. Lockhart
The We Were Liars author ups the plot twist ante with an iterative multiverse: In the summer between her junior and senior year, Adelaide deals with romantic, family, and academic problems. High school
Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
Power follows up her weird but compelling Wilder Girls with a creepy thriller about a girl who returns to her mother’s hometown to find the truth about her family history — and gets more than she bargained for. High school
A Peculiar Peril by Jeff VanderMeer
The prophet of Weird brings his distinctive voice to YA fiction with this fantasy about an orphaned teen who inherits the family manor — and its portals in the basement that lead to an alternate Earth where a maniacal Aleister Crowley is in charge. High school
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
This is the classic everyone is riffing these days, but the original story about a falsely accused young man who brilliantly plots his revenge against his betrayers is still worth reading. High school
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Acceptance at the elite Catherine House ensures students a successful future — but to attend, students must shut themselves off from the outside world for their three-year tenure. Rebellious Ines finds Gothic mysteries lurking beneath the shiny, raucous surface of her new life. High school
Books that Inspire You to Make the World a Better Place
Sometimes, you just want to read a book that makes you feel empowered to make the change you want to see in the world.
Sometimes, you just want to read a book that makes you feel empowered to make the change you want to see in the world.
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
Let the teenage Nobel Prize winner share her story in her own words: Malala advocated for education for girls and was targeted — and shot — by the Taliban as a result. She survived to continue her work and inspire another generation of young people.
Just Mercy
In this stark look at the criminal justice system in the United States, Stevenson recounts his experience defending a Black man wrongly convicted of murdering a white woman. You’ll want to reform the entire U.S. judicial system by the time you’re done.
You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen
Sometimes it feel like there’s no way for one person to make a difference, but this inspiring book gives lots of real-life examples of people who have managed to do just that. This is the book to pull out when you feel a little hopeless and overwhelmed by the problems of the world.
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives
It would be easy to tell this story of an agender teen and the young Black man who attacks her on a Los Angeles bus as a tale of good and evil, but Slater avoids oversimplification, creating a nuanced picture of two young people whose lives were changed forever by a bus ride.
This list was excerpted from our 2020 HSL Reading Challenge recommendations.
Summer Reading: Magic and Enchantment
If you’re craving a reading list full of magic and fantastic creatures, these books deliver.
Magic and enchantment abound—and a few fantastic creatures—in these tales.
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
You may like this book if: You liked The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Guardians of Ga’Hoole
You may not like this book if: You already love the Harry Potter books
Charlie Bone discovers he has a knack for magic and gets shipped off to Bloor Academy, a school for the magically gifted, where he finds a connection to the mythical Red King.
(Early grades)
The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron
You may like this book if: You liked The Once and Future King, The Castle in the Attic, The Arkadians
You may not like this book if: Memory loss as a plot device really annoys you
Spoiler: Emrys is Merlin, Yes, that Merlin, the one serves the legendary King Arthur. But right now, Emrys can’t remember anything about who he is. Half-blinded and stranded on the island of Fincayra, Emrys will have to save the island if he ever wants to remember who he really is.
(Middle grades)
The Magic Hill by A.A. Milne
You may like this book if: You liked Catwings, The Night Fairy, The Fairy Rebel
You may not like this book if: You don’t like fairy tales
Poor Princess Daffodil is cursed: Wherever she walks, flowers bloom. Confined to her rooms to keep the castle grounds and village tidy, Daffodil longs to play outside.
(Elementary)
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
You may like this book if: You liked the Chronicles of Narnia, Inkheart, Dealing with Dragons
You may not like this book if: You’re not that interested in magical creatures
What would you do if you found out your grandparents were running a secret preserve for magical creatures? Kendra and Seth aren’t supposed to know, but an accidental discovery plunges them into the battle of good versus evil.
(Middle grades)
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
You may like this book if: You liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Name of the Wind, The Dark Is Rising series
You may not like this book if: You prefer lots of action to lots of introspection
Young Sparrowhawk has a natural talent for magic, but his sense of responsibility isn’t as great. When he tampers with long-hidden magic, he must battle dragons, wizards, and ultimately himself to restore balance to the world.
(High school)
Outside, Over There by Maurice Sendak
You may like this book if: You liked Where the Wild Things Are, Labyrinth
You may not like this book if: You’re spooked by things like goblins and kidnapping
Ida’s father is away at sea and her mother is pining for him, so when goblins kidnap her little sister, Ida is the only one who can save her.
(Early grades)
The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones
You may like this book if: You liked Howl’s Moving Castle, The Golden Compass, The Wee Free Men
You may not like this book if: You like to have everything that happens spelled out for you
Tonino Montana’s and Angelica Petrocchio’s families have been sworn enemies in an alternate, un-united Italy for as long as anyone can remember. But when the two children are kidnapped by a villain with nefarious intent, Tonino and Angelica will have to work together to save themselves and the rest of the world.
(Middle grades)
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
You may like this book if: You liked the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit, the Chronicles of Narnia
You may not like this book if: You don’t like it when you have to keep reading the series to get all the answers
Assistant Pig Keeper Taran is an unlikely hero, but with the help of an enchantress-in-training, a clumsy king-turned-bard, a dwarf who can’t make himself invisible, and a furry creature named Gurgi, he’ll have to save the mythical land of Prydain from the Death-Lord Arawn.
(Middle grades)
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree by Bill Brittain
You may like this book if: You liked Figgs and Phantoms, The Thief of Always, The Halloween Tree
You may not like this book if: You like the bad guy to get his comeuppance in the end
Thaddeus Blinn sells wishes — but when you press your thumb on his magical cards, you’d better be darn careful what you wish for.
(Middle grades)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
You may like this book if: You liked The Princess Bride, Enchanted
You may not like this book if: You’re not ready for violence and adult situations
Tristran impulsively promises to catch a falling star for the woman he loves, but when he follows the star’s path, he finds plotting lords, flying ships, dark curses, and a flesh-and-blood star who holds the key to his heart’s desire.
(High school)
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
You may like this book if: You liked The Beggar Queen, the Green Knowe books, the Dalemark Quartet
You may not like this book if: You don’t like fantasy that’s as think-y as it is action-y
For some children, turning 11 means getting a new bicycle. For Will Stanton, it means discovering that he’s one of the Old Ones, a warrior on the side of the Light in its ongoing battle against the forces of the Dark.
(Middle grades)
The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart
You may like this book if: You liked Time Cat, The Dragon’s Boy, My Father’s Dragon
You may not like this book if: You’re looking for an epic read
A little broomstick, an enigmatic cat, and a wildflower called a fly-by-night take Mary on a grand adventure to a spooky school for witches. Luckily, Mary discovers that she’s smart and brave enough to take them on.
(Elementary)
Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
You may like this book if: You liked Wizard’s Hall, The Spiderwick Chronicles
You may not like this book if: You’re looking for a hero with magic powers
Magic is an everyday thing in Abby’s world — so she’s crushed when she discovers that she’s an Ord, a non-magical person. In a world where Ords are shunned or sold off to adventurers looking for quest assistants who are impervious to magic, Abby lucks into a spot at a special school for non-magic kids.
(Middle grades)
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Summer Reading: If You Liked The Fault in Our Stars
Love and life get complicated in these young adult novels. Bring your own tissues.
Love and life get complicated in these young adult novels. Bring your own tissues.
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Misfits Park and Eleanor fall in love in high school, but both of them are smart enough to know that first love never lasts forever.
Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts
Stoic Zac meets fiery Mia in the hospital, where they’re both undergoing treatment for leukemia.
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
A suicide attempts lands anxiety-ridden Craig in an institution, where he meets a motley crew of residents who help him face his fears.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
Ponyboy isn’t sure where he fits into the sharply divided social castes of his 1960s Oklahoma town, but when trouble strikes, he’s forced to choose sides.
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
It doesn’t pay to be different in Standish Treadwell’s world, where a Nazi-like government keeps everyone living in fear and hope is hard to find.
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
One bad decision changes Lucy’s life forever. Now she—and her friends and family—must deal with the fallout.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Social outcasts Sarah and Eric forge a deep friendship, but when Eric’s life takes a different turn and Sarah ends up in a mental hospital, refusing to speak, everything they think they know about each other will be challenged.
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Grieving the loss of her universally beloved older sister, Lennie finds herself in an unexpected love triangle: drawn to one boy who shares her grief and one boy who pulls her toward joy.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
When the world’s population is decimated by a global pandemic, a small troupe of Shakespearean actors travels between far-flung communities, bringing art and music with them.
YA Bookalikes for Summer Reading
Not sure what to recommend next for your teen? These in-the-adult-section novels are great follow-ups to classic kid favorites and great YA books to read this summer.
Not sure what to recommend next for your teen? These in-the-adult-section novels are great follow-ups to classic kid favorites and great YA books to read this summer.
IF YOU LOVED: The Giver
CHECK OUT: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
There’s a reason utopia means “nowhere.” The perfect world always comes at a cost. Lowry’s starkly beautiful dystopia reads like a little sister to Ishiguro’s lyrical science-fiction novel about an idyllic English boarding school where special children are groomed for a bleak future. The same questions resonate through both books: Who decides how the truth is revealed? What does it mean to have free will? What makes a person alive? And in both books, the answers are complicated.
IF YOU LOVED: The Harry Potter series
CHECK OUT: The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Just like the indomitable Mr. Potter, Brooklyn teen Quentin Coldwater finds himself enrolled in a school for magicians. But he quickly discovers Brakebills Academy is quite unlike Hogwarts and that being a magician isn’t a cure-all for dissatisfaction with everyday life. Quentin doesn't share Harry's likable heroism, which makes him a more complicated protagonist.
IF YOU LOVED: Sideways Stories from Wayside School
CHECK OUT: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Heller takes a darker view of human nonsense in his World War II classic, but there’s plenty of similarity between characters like the major who never sees anyone in his office when he’s in his office and the teacher who sends herself home on the kindergarten bus for (temporarily) turning evil.
IF YOU LOVED: The Hunger Games
CHECK OUT: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Panem is an equal opportunity dystopia—young men and women are equally at risk in the country’s annual battle-to-the-death games. But in the republic of Gilead, a totalitarian Christian theocracy, women like Offred must play an even more dangerous game. Atwood’s dark imagined future is ripe for rebellion, but rising up against an entrenched government in The Handmaid’s Tale is not as easy — or dramatic — as taking on Panem’s President Snow.
We’re reprinting some of Amy’s summer reading series favorites from home/school/life magazine. This list appeared in our 2014 summer reading guide.
SUZANNE REZELMAN is home | school | life magazine’s Book Nerd. Subscribe to home/school/life to read her brilliant book recommendations and literary musings every issue. Your library list will thank you.