Serpentine (Cindy Pon)

Author Biography

Cindy Pon is the author of four YA fantasy novels and a member of the We Need Diverse Books advisory board. In 2011, she co-founded the Diversity in YA blog with Malinda Lo.

Published By: Month9Books

Year: 2015

ISBN-10: 1942664338

ISBN-13: 978-1942664338

Reading Level: Grades 8 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

Young handmaiden Skybright is more like a sister than a servant to her mistress Zhen Ni. But will their friendship survive if Zhen Ni learns Skybright’s dark secret – that she is actually half-human, half-serpent demon?

The Wings of Merlin/Merlin, Book 5: A Wizard's Wings (T.A. Barron)

Author Biography

T.A. Barron is a prolific author of books for children and young adults, particularly in the fantasy genre, as well as an active founder and supporter of conservation causes. He lives in Colorado.

Published By: Penguin Group USA

Year: 2000

ISBN: 0-399-23456

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

Three threats loom over Fincayra: its tyrannical king’s return, a mysterious warrior’s bloody rampage, and an invasion of monstrous spirits from the Otherworld. Can Merlin stop them all, or is this the end of the magical world he calls home?

Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)

Author Biography

Gail Carson Levine is the award-winning author of numerous books for children and young adults, mostly inspired by fairy-tales. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Published By: HarperCollins

Year: 1997

ISBN: 978-0-06-440705-2

Reading Level: Grades 6 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

In this inventive “Cinderella” variation, a fairy’s spell forces Ella to obey every command she hears. But her inner strength, sharp wits, and love for Prince Char just might prove stronger than magic.

The Mirror of Merlin/Merlin, Book 4: The Mirror of Fate (T.A. Barron)

Author Biography

T.A. Barron is a prolific author of books for children and young adults, particularly in the fantasy genre, as well as an active founder and supporter of conservation causes. He lives in Colorado.

Published By: Penguin Group USA

Year: 1999

ISBN: 0-399-23455

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

A spell gone awry sends Merlin and his beloved Hallia to the Haunted Marsh. There they face terrible dangers and discover wondrous magic… including a mirror that contains the mists of time.

The Two Pearls of Wisdom/Eon (Alison Goodman)

Author Biography

Alison Goodman is an award-winning author of YA fiction, including Singing the Dogstar Blues, the Eon/Eona duology, and The Dark Days Club. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Published By: HarperCollins

Year: 2008

ISBN: 987-0-7322-8800-6

Reading Level: Grades 10 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

No man in the Empire of the Celestial Dragons has more elemental power than a Dragoneye. Can the newest Dragoneye, the crippled, unassuming Eon, possibly fulfill all his duties – and do so without revealing that “he” is actually a girl?

Shadow Scale (Rachel Hartman)

Author Biography

Rachel Hartman is a Vancouver-based comic book artist and music lover. Seraphina and Shadow Scale are her first two novels.

Published By: Random House

Year: 2015

ISBN: 978-0-375-86657-9

Reading Level: Grades 10 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

As a dragon war rages, Seraphina sets out on a quest to find other half-dragons like herself. But can she elude a powerful villainess who aims to hijack her mission for her own sinister purpose?

Enna Burning (Shannon Hale)

Author Biography

Shannon Hale is the Newbery Honor-winning author of Princess Academy, as well as the four Books of Bayern. She lives in South Jordan, Utah.

Published By: Bloomsbury U.S.A.

Year: 2004

ISBN-13: 978-1-58234-889-6

ISBN-10: 1-58234-889-8

Reading Level: Grades 9 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

As war threatens the kingdom of Bayern, Enna discovers a magic that could lead to victory: the power to control fire. But can she use it without being consumed by the fire’s need to burn?