The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan YP FIC SHAN

Jebel Rum’s family is famous and respected because his father is the royal executioner. Jebel, however, is a thin runt that is dishonored when his father forgets to even consider him as a possible replacement in front of the entire village. Jebel decides on an insane and foolhardy quest: to go to the legendary cave of the fire god and sacrifice a slave named Tel Hesani in exchange for inhuman powers. However, the quest is so dangerous that almost none have returned alive and there are only legends of those that have returned having completed the quest. Jebel will face death from all sides if he is to complete his quest, but his greatest challenge will be if he can bring himself to sacrifice Tel Hesani, who had become Jebel’s first and only friend.

This is a really fun and exciting dark fantasy in the vein of the old Conan books. The world is a violent, cruel warzone and only the strongest survive. Which is why making the main character a weak runt is so fresh and fun. The characters aren’t super deep, but they are interesting and move the story forward well. You may know Darren Shan from his super successful series The Demonata and Cirque Du Freak. If not then The Thin Executioner is the perfect book to check out Shan’s style, because it is a standalone novel that highlights his strengths. He builds believable and dark fantasy worlds with short thrilling chapters, so even though this a long book you will find yourself tearing through it saying “just one more chapter” again and again. His horror worlds are dark and violent without ever geeting overly gross or depressing. Shan’s work is more aimed at guys than girls because his main characters are male and the focus is often on action and violence, but really any reader that likes dark fantasy that isn’t too dismal will enjoy Shan’s books.

The Sons of Liberty by Alexander and Joseph Lagos Illustrated by Steve Walker YP FIC LAGOS

Graham and Brody are two runaway slaves looking for freedom in pre-revolution America.
Fate steps in after they are kidnapped and used in scientific experiments by Benjamin Franklin’s demented son. They survive and are now gifted with strange new powers. They learn the ancient African martial art of Dambe from a mysterious abolitionist and decide to use their powers for the freedom of all men.

This is an unusual story. It mixes super heroes and history in a pretty bold way. The main villain thus far is the nefarious Daniel Franklin, who was a real person. So it’s a little odd to see him turned into a comic book super villain that tries to murder children and kills his superior officers. But he sided with King George during the revolution, so who cares if we make up stuff about him. The art is really fun and vibrant with great color work. It definitely has a unique look, so it may not be for everyone. This is the origin story, so while there is some really good action there is a lot of set up too. If you like comics and enjoy historical fiction, then this is a short fun read.

Riot by Walter Dean Myers

Riot is a historical fiction novel by Walter Dean Myers, who is a prolific young adult writer. Historical fiction are stories set during real life past events, but the characters have been made up my the author. In this case, Myers' story takes place in New York City in July 1863. The Civil War still wages on and the Battle of Gettysburg has recently taken place. The real life event Myers focuses on is a riot that took place in New York City on July 11, 1863. This event would later be known at the New York City Draft Riots of 1863.

During the war there was an escalation of tension, especially after a draft was federally instituted. All male citizens between ages 20-35, as well as unmarried men ages 35-45 could be enlisted into the army by way of a lottery draw. Men who could afford to pay $300 could buy there way out of the draft, which alienated lower class immigrants, including the Irish. Black men were also not required to serve in the military because they did not have citizen status. Riots broke out in New York City after the July lottery. Frustrated by their forced participation in the Civil War, many of the rioters were Irish Americans. Stores and buildings were looted and set afire. Many black Americans, whom the Irish blamed, were attacked and in some cases murdered.

Myers' story focused on Clair, a 15-yr-old daughter of an Irish mother and black father. Claire is torn between the conflict because of her mix background and is forced to address race issues and her own identity.

Riot addresses race, bigotry, and social class. Myers delivers this story as a screenplay, as he did with Monster, which may appear and read oddly to the traditional book reader. However, this style does move the story along quickly and gives the reader an idea of just how tense people were due to their frustration, exhaustion, and emotional turmoil evoked during the Civil War. Myers allows young adults to better understand the reasons that brought on the riots through his unique way of storytelling.

The Young Adult collection at Moore Memorial Public Library contains several books written by Walter Dean Myers, including Sunrise over Fallujah, Monster, and Street Love.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

"If an entire nation can seek freedom, why not a girl?"

Chains tell the story of thirteen-year-old Isabel, who is a slave living when the Revolutionary war begins. Isabel and her sister, Ruth, were promised freedom upon the death of their owner, but somehow ended up the property of a pro-British couple living in New York City. Isabel meets Curzon, who is also a slave, but has ties to the Patriots. Curzon urges Isabel to spy on her owners, who are privy to the invasion plans of the British, but is conflicted because of the potential danger. However, certain unfortunate events force Isabel to place her loyalty with those who can offer her what she and the Patriots wants most: freedom.

Laurie Halse Anderson was recently won the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award from the Young Adult Library services Association for her works Catalyst, Fever 1793, and Speak. These books, among others, are available at your library.