Middle Grade (Ages 8-12) – Page 4

Choke by Obert Skye

Title: Choke (#2)

Author: Obert Skye

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: June 4, 2010

ISBN: 978-1606416532

Size: 352 pages, 5×7, hardback

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Pillage (#1)

Pillage was the first of three books in the fantasy adventure that Obert Skye calls a Pillogy. Choke, the second, continues the eccentric adventures of Beck Phillips, who seems to have a knack for causing mischief in the secluded village of Kingsplot. In book one, Beck used his unique gift to unexpectedly hatch several dragon eggs. Thankfully, the dragons were destroyed . . . or were they?

In Choke, a stranger has discovered that Beck Phillips is the key to finding and hatching a lost dragon s egg a task that will bring the riches and fortune that Beck s family was destined to have. Beck learns that outward appearances can be deceiving and that grown-ups really do have valuable lessons to offer. Readers will laugh out loud at Beck s antics and sit on the edge of their seats while Beck and his friends confront Liz, the largest, most ferocious dragon Beck has ever seen!

The Pirate Bride by Ryan and Anna McKinley

Title: The Pirate Bride

Author: Ryan & Anna McKinley

Illustrator: Jerry Bennett

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Release Date: May 19, 2010

ISBN: 978-1432755454

Size: 95 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

This book is not eligible for a Whitney Award.

There is no escape from responsibility…even on vacation.

That doesn’t stop 13 year-old Rachel from trying. A day of surfing, away from all five of her younger brothers, is meant to reward Rachel for all of her hard work at home. Instead, it turns into the greatest adventure of her life.

A wipeout catapults Rachel and her surfboard to a strange part of the ocean, far away from land and her family. Rescue arrives, or so Rachel thinks, in the form of an old sailing vessel. She quickly realizes that her heroes are lost pirates, some of which regard her as a threat, others which believe her to be their own rescuer-The Pirate Bride.

Voyage with Rachel as she applies her experiences with her rowdy brothers to the task of earning the pirates’ trust, at the same realizing that even her unruly siblings aren’t as bad as a ship full of lost pirates.

“The Pirate Bride” is an original story from the imagination of ten year-old Anna McKinley and brought to the page with help from her father, Ryan. Adding to the magic and wonder of the story are beautiful, pencil sketch illustrations by the artist Jerry Bennett.

Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams

Title: Palace Beautiful

Author: Sarah DeFord Williams

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: April 15, 2010

ISBN: 978-0399252983

Size: 232 pages, 6×8″, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Read excerpt.

When sisters Sadie and Zuzu Brooks move to Salt Lake City, they discover a secret room in the attic of their new house, with a sign that reads “Palace Beautiful” and containing an old journal. Along with their neighbor, dramatic Belladonna Desolation (real name: Kristin Smith), they take turns reading the story of a girl named Helen living during the flu epidemic of 1918. The journal ends with a tragedy that has a scary parallel to Sadie and Zuzu’s lives, and the girls become obsessed with finding out what happened to Helen after the journal ends. Did she survive the flu? Is she still alive somewhere? Or could her ghost be lurking in the nearby graveyard?

The Blade of Shattered Hope by James Dashner

Title: The 13th Reality: The Blade of Shattered Hope

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: April 7, 2010

ISBN: 978-1606412398

Size: 432 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: The Journal of Curious Letters (v1); The Hunt for Dark Infinity (v2)

Link to 13th Reality site

Things have changed for Atticus Higginbottom.

After the near catastrophe in the Fourth Reality, Tick’s being homeschooled in the fields of science, trying to master the mysterious Chi’karda. But just as he begins to make progress, Mistress Jane reappears, now hideously scarred and much more powerful. She has tapped into the universe’s darkest secret to create the Blade of Shattered Hope, and in her quest to attain a Utopian Reality for the future of mankind, she’s ready to risk billions of lives—including those of Tick’s parents and sisters—to set her plan in motion. Her vengeance knows no bounds.

When rumors begin to circulate about the secret scientific experiments taking place at the Factory, Tick and his friends Sato, Sofia, and Paul are faced with their most dangerous task yet. And they must not fail; the entire universe could cease to exist.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Kingdom (v5)

Title: Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Kingdom (bk 5)

Author: Brandon Mull

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: March 23, 2010

ISBN: 978-1606412381

Size: 544 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Fablehaven (v1), Rise of the Evening Star (v2), Grip of the Shadow Plague (v3), Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (v4)

Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison.

Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another.

In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison.

Missing In Action by Dean Hughes

Title: Missing In Action

Author: Dean Hughes

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 9, 2010

ISBN: 978-1416915027

Size: 240 pages, 6×9, hardcover

Genre: Middle-Grade Historical

Dirty. Lazy. Good-for-nothing. Jay Thacker is used to hearing himself called names because his dad is half-Navajo. But he’s hoping, now that he and his mom have moved to stay with his grandparents because of WWII, that things could be different. Delta is a tiny town in Utah, nothing like Salt Lake, where they used to live. And Jay’s grandfather is an elder in the church, a beloved and well-respected man. Jay begins to make friends and even to make some money as he works the fields for his grandfather. There’s just one problem: he works alongside a young man named Ken, who’s from the camps in nearby Topaz. Which means Ken is a Jap. And Jay’s dad, who’s been fighting for the navy out in the Pacific, was recently declared Missing in Action.

An understated and moving story about an unlikely friendship from the author of the acclaimed SOLDIER BOYS, this is one of Dean Hughes’s best novels to date.

Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness by Frank Cole

Title: Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness

Author: Frank L. Cole

Publisher: Bonneville (CFI)

Release Date: January 8, 2010

ISBN: 978-1599553788

Size: 128 pages, 5.5×8, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Series: The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters (v1)

All Hashbrown Winters ever wanted was a simple life: a treehouse full of buddies, enough marbles to keep him occupied at recess, and a Brody the Ape-Slayer action figure with authentic ninja throwing stars. But everything changes when Hi Mashimoto starts a rival club and threatens to take Hashbrown’s place as the kid with the coolest treehouse at Pordunce Elementary.

This hilarious follow-up to The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters reunites all your favorite zany characters and introduces plenty of new ones. You’ll never believe the trouble Hashbrown gets into this time.

Frank L. Cole’s Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness will have your whole family laughing out loud—it’s a perfect read for pranksters of all ages.

Farworld: Land Keep by J Scott Savage

Title: Farworld: Land Keep

Author: J Scott Savage

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: September 30, 2009

ISBN: 978-1606411643

Size: 374 pages, 6×9″, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Farworld: Water Keep (v1)

Four mythical Elementals—Water, Land, Air, and Fire—have the power to save two worlds, Earth and Farworld, from a common enemy: the Dark Circle.

In book one, Water Keep, a portal has been opened between the two worlds, allowing Marcus, from Earth, and Kyja, from Farworld, to combine their unique gifts and begin their epic quest to find the Elementals.

In book two, Land Keep, Marcus and Kyja travel with Cascade, a Water Elemental, toward Land Keep, the home of the powerful and wise Land Elementals. However, their journey may end before it even begins.

Land Keep is empty, deserted for at least a thousand years, and the rumor is that the creatures who once controlled all land magic are extinct. Marcus and Kyja’s only hope seems to lie in finding the Augur Well, a legendary Oracle protected by subtle traps and mind-bending trials. To succeed in their quest, Marcus and Kyja must also avoid the Keepers of the Balance, an order dedicated to redistributing magic to the rich and powerful. And they must travel far underground, where Cascade is unable to follow and where they will be unable to leap to the safety of Earth.

As the Dark Circle closes around them, Marcus and Kyja are faced with the temptation of what they desire most. Sacrifices must be made, and not everyone will survive unscathed.

Alcatraz vs The Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Alcatraz versus The Knights of Crystallia

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: October 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0439925556

Size: 336 pages, 6×8″, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians (v1), Alcatraz vs The Scrivener’s Bones (v2)

When Alcatraz and Grandpa Smedry make a pilgrimage to the Free Kingdom city of Crystallia, the Smedry home base, Alcatraz is shocked to see that he is, in fact, a legend. When he was a baby he was stolen by the Evil Librarians, and his mother, a Librarian herself, was behind the whole scheme. Now, with his estranged father, who is acting indeed strange, Bastille, who has been stripped of her armor, and Grandpa Smedry, who is, as always, late to everything (that’s his Talent), Alcatraz tries to save a city under siege. From who? Why, the Librarians of course!

Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder by Obert Skye

Title: Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder

Author: Obert Skye

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: September 29, 2009

ISBN: 978-1606411469

Size: 363 pages, 6×9″, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (v1), Leven Thumps and the Whispered Secret (v2), Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want (v3), Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra (v4)

“Do you think he’ll be able to do it?” Clover asked, worried.

“I’m not sure,” Geth replied, amazed by his own doubt. “I’m not sure.”

In the fifth and final volume of the epic saga of Leven Thumps, all of Foo is rushing madly to exit the realm of dreams while Leven is headed in the opposite direction. Fate snatches him to the island of Alder, where he is poised to pass or fail the final test.

Meanwhile, in Reality, Ezra and Dennis are welcoming those flowing out of Foo but only so they can selfishly conquer them and gain control of both realms. Phoebe is loose, and it takes Geth getting ahold of her to begin to balance the emotions and passions of all that is crumbling.

And Winter? Well, Winter just might hold the answer to everything.

Ride with Leven and Clover as they travel through the ruins of Alder hoping he has what it takes to save all mankind and restore the power of dreams.

Ravenspell: Freaky Flyday by David Farland

Title: Ravenspell: Freaky Flyday

Author: David Farland

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: October 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59811-667-0

Size: 236 pages, 5.75” X 7.75”, hardcover

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Of Mice and Magic, The Wizard of Ooze

After saving Oregon from a nuclear crisis and revealing the plight of enslaved micedom to the human population, Amber, the valiant mouse wizard, and her partner Ben, the once-human mouse, head to Disneyland for a much-deserved vacation. But greater trouble lurks ahead.

Mouse mentor Lady Blackpool prophesies that the Ever Shade, an ancient evil force, will soon be returning to the earth. Then the mice receive word that Belle Z. Bug, a giant mutant fly associated with the Ever Shade, has hatched in a Los Angeles landfill. In the twitch of a whisker, Belle Z. Bug’s seductive multilevel marketing campaign enslaves a massive army of unsuspecting flies and throws the human race into chaos.

When the mice’s plane falls under attack, they join forces with the indomitable Harold Shortzenbeggar (governor-extraordinaire of California) to confront their common enemy. But their recent battle with evil wormlord Sebaceous Ooze sapped the heroes’ vital powers. Will the victories won in Of Mice and Magic and The Wizard of Ooze come to naught as they face the sinister Lord of the Flies?

Green Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham (aka Clint Johnson)

Title: Green Dragon Codex

Author: R.D. Henham (aka Clint Johnson)*

Publisher: Mirrorstone

Release Date: June 9, 2009

ISBN: 978-0786951451

Size: 256 pages, small hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Fall in love with an evil baby dragon in the next dragon codex!

When ten-year-old Scamp Weaver finds a locked chest in a forest clearing, he feels like his life is finally about to change for the better. But he doesn’t bargain for just how much change the chest will bring. Inside he finds a dragon egg and a mysterious ancient scroll, which set Scamp and his best friend Dannika off on a harrowing adventure, chased by dragon hunters who want the contents of the chest for themselves. Life gets ever more complicated when the baby green dragon hatches. Will this cute, mischievous hatchling really grow up to be an evil green dragon?

*R.D. Henham is a pen name shared by several authors. While there are several Dragon Codexes (Codii?), only the ones by LDS authors are posted on this site.

The Adventures of Hash Brown Winters by Frank Cole

Title: The Adventures of Hash Brown Winters

Author: Frank Cole

Publisher: Bonneville Books

Release Date: June 5, 2009

ISBN: 978-1599553030

Size: 98 pages, 5.5×8.5, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

There I stood, hiding next to the vending machines, disguised as a potted plant. I brushed the plastic leaves from my face and stared down the hallway toward the front double doors. Snow Cone always said one day this ridiculous costume would come in handy.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the last student left for the buses, but I wasn t about to take any chances. Not with my life hanging in the balance. Leaning forward, I peered around the corner just as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Was this it? Could this be him? Was I about to be pulverized by Hambone while wearing an emergency disguise I had just pulled from my locker?

Hashbrown Winters and his treehouse club of buddies are well known around Pordunce Elementary, especially after Hashbrown s seminar last year on how to give the best show and tell performances er, presentations. But when Hashbrown accidentally crosses Hambone Oxcart, the death dealer of Pordunce, he ll need more than just the support of his friends to survive Hambone s wrath.

Join Hashbrown, Snow Cone, Whiz, and the rest of the gang in Frank Cole s hilarious debut novel of the trials and tragedies of fifth grade life. The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters will keep kids and parents alike laughing out loud, groaning in sympathy, and turning pages until well past bedtime.

Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival

Title: Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone: The Entomological Tales of Augustus T. Percival

Author: Dene Low

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Release Date: June 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0547152509

Size: 208 pages, jardcover

Genre: Middle Grade

You would think Petronella’s sixteenth birthday would be cause for celebration. After all, fashionable friends are arriving at her country estate near London, teas are being served, and her coming out party promises to be a resplendent affair. Everything is falling nicely into place, until, suddenly—it isn’t. For Petronella discovers that her guardian, Uncle Augustus T. Percival, has developed a most unVictorian compulsion: He must eat bugs. Worse still, because he is her guardian, Uncle Augustus is to attend her soiree and his current state will most definitely be an embarrassment.
During the festivities, when Petronella would much rather be sharing pleasantries with handsome Lord James Sinclair (swoon), important guests are disappearing, kidnapping notes are appearing, many of the clues are insects, and Uncle Augustus is surreptitiously devouring evidence. It’s more than one sixteen-year-old girl should have to deal with. But, truth be told, there is far more yet to come . . .

Alvor by Laura Bingham

Title: Alvor

Author: Laura Bingham

Publisher: Sweetwater Books

Release Date: May 15, 2009

ISBN: 978-1599552729

Size: 288 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Erin and her twin brother, Bain, never expected to find that the cabin in the woods near their home is actually a secret entrance to a magical world. Surrounded by pegasi, dragons, and fairies, they discover new powers within themselves and a secret they have unknowingly been preparing for: they are training to become elves. Now they are faced with the decision to stay in this dream world or return home to the life they knew. A spellbinding tale of fantasy and fairy tale, Ã„lvor draws you into an enchanting world of all things magical.

Pocket of Guilt by Dora Lee Thompson

Title: Pocket of Guilt

Author: Dora Lee Thompson

Publisher: American Book Publishing

Release Date: May 2, 2009

ISBN: 978-1589824904

Size: 332 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Middle-Grade Historical

The Schulz family, all members of the Mormon church, is trying to survive in Germany, during and after WWII. When Hitler invades Poland and the war officially begins, the family is quickly feeling its strain, as they have less and less food to eat. Anna Schulz often stands in line for hours, only to find the market shelves empty. This becomes the least of her worries though, when, one by one, the men of the Schulz family head off to defend their country. The story follows Dieter, the middle son, just 10 years old when the war begins, as he learns to cope with the war around him. Read about his stubborn streak and spontaneity, and how it gets him into trouble, how he defies Hitler’s law by giving aid to a Jew and subsequently finds himself in the biggest trouble of his life, and what happens when he has to decide between loyalty and love. Will Dieter ever be able to forgive himself for all of the things he has had to do to survive the war, or will he have to live with his guilt forever?

My Fairy Grandmother by Aubrey Mace

Title: My Fairy Grandmother

Author: Aubrey Mace

Publisher: Cedar Fort/Bonneville Books

Release Date: March 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1599552170

Size: 270 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Descended from fairies?

At first, it sounds unbelievable to 9-year-old Kaitlin, but according to her grandmother Viola, it’s true. Soon, Viola begins telling Kaitlin stories of her family’s fairy past, and in spite of Kaitlin’s initial reluctance to visit her grandmother, she finds herself being drawn into the stories. But as Kaitlin learns more about her family, Kaitlin’s mother becomes increasingly concerned about Viola’s mental health. Good thing Kaitlin knows better! She believes her fairy grandmother isn’t crazy, and that her stories of elegant castles, evil counts, and exciting escapades are all true!

From the author of Spare Change, this enchanting tale will delight children, teens, and parents alike. Read My Fairy Grandmother and learn for yourself how a good story can bring a whole family together.

Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Title: Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (vol. 4)

Author: Brandon Mull

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: March 24, 2008

ISBN: 978-1606410424

Size: 528 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Fablehaven (v1), Rise of the Evening Star (v2), Grip of the Shadow Plague (v3)

The magical preserve Fablehaven provides refuge to numerous mystical species: centaurs, trolls, satyrs, ogres, fairies, minotaurs, brownies, imps, nymphs, and many others. But some beings are too large and powerful to be confined to regular enchanted refuges. These mightiest of creatures dwell inside the dragon sanctuaries.

With their leader revealed, the Society of the Evening Star is now racing to acquire the five keys to the great demon prison. To stop them, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn must journey to the dragon sanctuary Wyrmroost, located high in the Canadian Rockies. Fierce griffins, cunning giants, scheming wizards, and ferocious dragons stand between the Knights and their goal. As allies fall and the danger mounts, Kendra and Seth must rely on each other as never before if they hope to unlock the terrible secrets of the dragon sanctuary.

Everything Is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis

Title: Everything Is Fine

Author: Ann Dee Ellis

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

Release Date: March 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0316013642

Size: 160 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade

READ THE REVIEW

Stuck at home caring for her severely depressed mother and abandoned by her father, Mazzy has only the day-to-day dramas of her neighborhood to keep her busy. But between flirting with the boy next door and worrying about the fact that she’s flat-chested, Mazzy has to face the fact that her mom is emotionally paralyzed by a family tragedy. As readers delve into the story, they’ll eventually discover what it was that tore Mazzy’s family apart, and they’ll see what it takes to put it back together.

Despite its serious subject matter, Mazzy brings humor to the trying age of adolescence and gives readers just the kind of awkward, troubled, and endearing character they will gladly embrace.

Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

Title: Amaranth Enchantment

Author: Julie Berry

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books

Release Date: March 3, 2009

ISBN: 978-1599903347

Size: 320 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

When Lucinda Chapdelaine was a small child, her parents left for the royal ball and never returned. Ever since, Lucinda has been stuck in perpetual servitude at her evil aunt’s jewelry store. Then, on the very same day, a mysterious visitor and an even more bizarre piece of jewelry both enter the shop, setting in motion a string of twists and turns that will forever alter Lucinda’s path. In this magical story filled with delightful surprises, Lucinda will dance at the royal ball, fall under the Amaranth Witch’s spell, avenge her parents’ death, and maybe—just maybe—capture the heart of a prince.

The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner

Title: The Hunt for Dark Infinity (The 13th Reality, vol 2)

Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Release Date: March 4, 2009

ISBN: 978-1606410349

Size: 464 pages, hardback

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: The Journal of Curious Letters

It’s been a quiet summer for Tick, Paul, and Sofia, but the latest message from Master George changes everything. The Realities are in danger and from something more terrible than Mistress Jane and the mutated Chi karda of the Thirteenth Reality. People from all Realities are unexplainably going insane. Worse, some Realities are fragmenting, disintegrating into nothingness. Master George has learned that Mr. Chu from the Fourth Reality is working on a mysterious new weapon called Dark Infinity. But no one has any idea how to stop the weapon or even if it can be stopped. To make matters worse, Tick and his friends have been kidnapped, forced to wink from Reality to Reality, solving impossible riddles in order to survive the deadly traps surrounding them. Mistress Jane and Tick find themselves in a race to reach the weapon first but who will destroy it and who will become its master?

Brass Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham

Title: Brass Dragon Codex

Author: R.D. Henham (Rebecca Shelley)

Publisher: Mirrorstone

Release Date: February 10, 2008

ISBN: 978-0786951086

Size: 256 pages; Trade hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Speculative

Never start a conversation with a brass dragon–it might never end!In another volume of the companion series to A Practical Guide to Dragons, orphaned baby brass dragon Kyani ventures out into the desert to find something to eat, and finds a gnome named Hector instead. Hector is not so sure he wants a chatty, hungry brass dragon following his every move. But several groups ready to go to blows over the marvelous invention Hector guards with his life, he may need the help that only a fun-loving brass dragon can provide.

The Secret Mission by C.B. Andersen

Title: The Secret Mission (Book of Mormon Sleuth #5)

Author: C.B. Andersen

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: April 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389065

Size: 304 pages, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Series: Book of Mormon Sleuth, The Lost Tribe, The Hidden Path, The Forgotten Treasure

Why did a first- edition Book of Mormon wind up in an old Catholic mission in San Diego? What clues does it contain to a mysterious past? And why is Dr. Anthony interested?

Brandon Andrews is having nightmares. Okay, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Brandon Andrews is having a nightmare, over and over and over again. A chance encounter in a grocery store with a crotchety old man has been taking over Brandon’s nighttime musings. In this dream, the man from the grocery store consistently morphs into Mr. Omni, a man whom Brandon sees as a nemesis from his past.

As Brandon strives to overcome his fears and the sleep deprivation that they are causing, Mr. Andrews calmly announces to the family that the time has come to take their next family vacation. In most families this would be a cause of great excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, as Brandon says, “My dad is awesome. That said, I know of two areas where he is totally lacking. The first is his ability to show compassion when I am in distress (which is why I hadn’t yet bothered to tell him about my nightmares). The second is that he has absolutely no idea how to do a normal family vacation.”

As most of his children watch him in dread-filled silence, Mr. Andrews explains that he has received a phone call from Mr. Omni. He has requested that the entire family come to stay with him at his cottage for a week in Southern California. As the family will later learn, Mr. Omni has been excavating some ruins and has found an old copy of the Book of Mormon and an old journal that belonged to the catholic priest who lived there in the 1800’s. The priest had received the Book of Mormon as a gift from a member of the Mormon Battalion. These things become the opening clues in a story that will carry the Andrews family in general, Brandon and his brother, Jeff, in particular, through yet another vacation filled with mystery and mayhem.

As the Andrews family seeks out information on the Mormon Battalion, Brandon and Jeff spot the evil Dr. Anthony. They give chase and, for their efforts, are locked in a small filing room at the Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center. It doesn’t take long for Brandon to connect Dr. Anthony with Mr. Omni, a fact that only increases his horror at being on this vacation.

Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient by JoAnn Arnold

Title: Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient

Author: JoAnn Arnold

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: November, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-88290-956-1

Size: 320 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

The day Granna Fela died changed the life of young Etcheon in ways that he never expected.

First, Etcheon finds out that he is a prince, a son of a king and queen whom he has never met, and is destined to rule a land he has never lived in. Then, he discovers that his life is in constant danger from a greedy ruler and wicked wizard, both seeking power that does not belong to them. Last, he learns that his parents and people are doomed to die, and he is the only one with the power to save them. With the help of a mysterious girl, a tree with magical powers, and several amazing animals, Etcheon undertakes a journey that will stretch his abilities and his belief about who he is and who he needs to become.

Armed with extraordinary weapons, armor, and skills, Etcheon is prepared to face his fears and save his parents and his people. Join Prince Etcheon as he discovers the meaning of friendship and love, loyalty and bravery, and strength and determination on his adventure of self-discovery.