Railsea by China Miéville

Sham is a young man working as a doctor’s apprentice on the Medes, a train that travels the Railsea hunting for the giant white moldywarpe that took the captain’s arm many years ago. When the Medes comes across an old train wreckage, Sham discovers pictures that hint at a world that cannot possibly exist. Mercilessly hunted by pirates, scavengers, and monsters, Sham and his crew risk their lives to find the truth behind the pictures that will change their lives, and the Railsea, forever.

“’There she blows!’

    An instant frantic readiness.  Mops were abandoned, spanners dropped, letters half-written & carvings half-whittled were thrust into pockets, never mind their wet ink, their sawdusty unfinishedness.  To windows, to guardrails!  Everyone leaned into the whipping air…

    Way off where perspective made the line of old rails meet, soil seethed.  Rocks jostled. The ground violently rearranged.  From beneath came a dust-muffled howl…

    Soaring from its burrow in a clod-cloud & explosion it came.  A monster.  It roared, it soared, into the air.  It hung a crazy moment at the apex of its leap.  As if surveying.  As if to draw attention to its very size.  Crashed at last back down through the topsoil & disappeared into the below.

    The moldywarpe had breached.”

--China Miéville, Railsea

Set in a dystopian world where the endless, twisting lines of the Railsea cover an earth that is full of giant man-eating monsters and provide the only connection between the remote islands of civilization, this story is a new take on the classic tale of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.  Sham and his crew search for the truth behind this endless world of the Railsea, and the impossibility of what lies beyond it.  Combining fantasy and steampunk in a highly entertaining adventure, this book is recommended for all young adults in a public or school library setting.

Learn More

Learn more about China Miéville (pronounced "mee-AY-vill") and his other books on his author page at Macmillan or Random House. You can also read his blog, Rejectamentalist Manifesto.

Watch an interview with Miéville below where he discusses all things Railsea:

If you liked Railsea, you might like Miéville's other books, such as the award-winning young adult novel, Un Lun Dun.  Watch a book trailer for Un Lun Dun below:

Miéville, China. Railsea. New York: Del Rey/Ballantine Books, 2012. Print.
9780345524522; Hardback; $12.00; 448 pages

Also available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Hugo Cabret is a twelve-year-old orphan and clock winder living in the walls of a Paris train station. His only friend is the broken automaton his dad was trying to repair before he died.  When Hugo is caught stealing parts from an old man’s toy shop to fix his automaton, he begins an unlikely friendship with the man and his young goddaughter. With the help of a heart-shaped key and a picture of a rocket in the eye of the man in the moon, Hugo and his friends begin to create The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Set in 1930’s Paris, this book tells the story of a lonely young orphan and a disappointed old man who form an unlikely friendship that saves them both. Told in both pictures and words, this award-winning book is highly recommended for all young adults in a public or school library setting.

Teen Interview

"I read this book because I like graphic novels and with all of the pictures in this book I thought it wouldn't be too different to read...  I liked it.  It seems like a huge book, but lots of it is the pictures so it doesn't actually take that long to read... I thought it was cool how he used his drawings to kind of take over telling the story, and then had pictures from the old movies and stuff that he was talking about, too."
--Kyle C., age 13

Kyle mainly reads graphic novels, and has read the steampunk graphic novel Dragonero by Luca Enoch and Stefano Vietti with illustrations by Giuseppe Matteoni.  He reads about 5 graphic novels a month.  Kyle is on Facebook but does not use it very often.  He likes to play online video games (massively multiplayer online [MMO] games) with his friends.

Awards

2008 Caldecott Medal
2007 National Book Award Finalist
2007 New York Time's Top 10 Best Illustrated Children's Book

Learn More

Learn more about Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and his other books on his website.  You can also see clips from some of the old movies mentioned in Hugo, read about the directors and writers who influenced Selznick, watch interviews with Selznick, and watch a slideshow of illustrations from Hugo.

Watch an interview with Brian Selznick below where he discusses the making of Hugo.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret was made into the movie Hugo in 2011.  Watch a preview of the movie below:

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007. Print.
9780439813785; Hardback; $15.00; 533 pages

Also available in paperback and audiobook format.

Joe Golem and the Drowning City by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

Set in an alternate reality where Manhattan is drowning in 30 feet of water, this book tells the story of a young girl named Molly, whose friend and mentor, Felix, is kidnapped by strange creatures in rubber suits.  Molly must fight the forces of evil magic to save Felix and the world with the help of detective Simon Hodge and his assistant, Joe Golem.  This illustrated steampunk novel is recommended for all young adults in a public or school library setting.

Index Card Synopsis:
--1970’s New York City
--Manhattan underwater (the Drowning City)
--Scavengers, water rats—very dangerous
--Felix Orlov: psychic and magician in his 80’s
--Molly McHugh: Felix’s friend and assistant, 14 years old
--Simon Hodge: Detective, part man part automaton
--Joe Golem: Simon’s assistant, super-human strength
--Kidnapping
--Magic
--Battle to save Felix and the world

Learn More

Visit the websites of Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden to learn more about them and find out about what other projects they've been working on.  Friend Mignola on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.  You can also read Golden's blog, follow him on Twitter, or friend him on Facebook.

Continue to follow the adventures of Joe Golem in the short story Joe Golem and the Copper Girl by Mignola and Golden.

Joe Golem and the Drowning City is currently being made into a movie.  Stay tuned here for details on its release.

Mike Mignola is well-known for the comic series Hellboy, which was made into a movie in 2004 with a sequel in 2008.  Watch a preview for the first Hellboy movie below:

One of Christopher Golden's many well-known books is Soulless.  Watch a trailer for the book below:

Mignola, Mike, and Christopher Golden. Joe Golem and the Drowning City: An Illustrated Novel. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2012. Print.
9780312644734; Hardback; $18.00; 288 pages

Also available in audiobook and ebook formats.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

How far would you go to save your father?  When 13-year-old Meg’s father disappears in the middle of conducting secret work for the government, a mysterious stranger from another world offers to help her find him.  With her brother, Charles Wallace, and her friend, Calvin, Meg sets off through space and time to try to rescue her father.  Can they survive the process of traveling by wrinkling time?  Will they be able to locate their father in the vastness of the entire universe?  And will they be able to rescue him from the darkness that is holding him prisoner?


This science fiction adventure novel tells the story of an awkward, out of place young girl who travels through space and time to rescue her father with the help of her brother, her friend, and some other-worldly travelers.  Imaginative and unique, this book is recommended for all young adults in a public or school library setting.

Awards

1963 Newbery Medal
1965 Sequoyah Book Award
1965 Lewis Caroll Shelf Award

Learn More

Learn more about Madeleine L'Engle and her other books on her website.  You can also follow a blog about her work. L'Engle died in 2007 at the age of 88, but her work continues to live on.  In 2003, A Wrinkle in Time was made into a movie.  It is rumored that a new version of the movie will be made in 2013.

Watch a book trailer for A Wrinkle in Time below:

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in the Time Quintet.  Read the rest of the books to find out what happens to Meg, Charles Wallace, Calvin, and their friends, families, and enemies.

Book 2	Book 3
Book 4	Book 5

Note: Book order of the Time Quintet is per Madeleine L'Engle's website and is by chronological order of the storyline, not by publication date.



L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Square Fish, 2007. Print.
9780312367541; Paperback; $7.00; 245 pages

Also available in hardback, audiobook, and ebook formats.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

What are your chances of survival when the entire German army is hunting you?  That’s what Prince Aleksandar is about to find out when his parents are assassinated on the eve of World War I and the assassins want to stop him from inheriting the throne.  In the process of escape, Alek makes an unlikely ally in Deryn, a girl pretending to be a boy so she can serve in the British Air Service.  Can Alek and his small crew escape the German army and keep their identities a secret from the British?  And will Deryn and her fellow British soldiers help them escape or will they turn them in to the Germans as prisoners of war?  And can Deryn keep her real gender a secret even as she begins to develop feelings for Alek?

Set in an alternative steampunk version of World War I, this exciting adventure tells the story of Prince Aleksandar Ferdinand as he attempts to escape the German army and survive the war so he can take the throne as Archduke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  With the help of the British Air Service, and their whale airship, the Leviathan, Alek battles to keep himself and his crew alive and to keep his identity a secret.  Beautiful illustrations throughout the book enhance the story, and a cliffhanger at the end will leave readers eager for the next book in the series.  This book is highly recommended for all young adults in a public or school library setting.

Awards

2010 ALSC Notable Children's Book
2010 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
2009 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel

Teen Interview

"My friend told me to read this series...The illustrations are really cool and I like the story a lot.  We learned about World War I in school but this book makes it way more interesting with the animal ships and the Darwinists and Clankers and stuff...I'm definitely reading Goliath when it comes out."
Jacob H., age 16

"I read the Uglies Series and the Midnighters Series and really liked them so I thought I'd probably like this series too. I don't usually read, like, war type books, but this one was really good. Plus it starts to hint that there's something else going on with Alek and Deryn, so it's not just about war, there's some romance, too. I'm excited to find out what happens with them."
April J., age 15

Jacob and April have both read other steampunk novels.  Jacob has read The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade, and April has read the Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare.  Jacob and April both read a couple of books a month, although April said she reads more in the summer when she has more time to read.  Jacob is on Facebook and Twitter, although he doesn't use Twitter very often.  April is not on any social media and prefers to call, email, or text.

Learn More

Read more about Scott Westerfeld and his many other books on his website.  You can also friend him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.  Learn more about the entire Leviathan Series--listen to audio excerpts, watch interviews, and browse illustrations from the books--on Westerfeld's Leviathan webpage.

To learn more about Keith Thompson, the illustrator of the Leviathan Series, visit his website where you can view a gallery of his artwork or buy some of his art. You can also follow his blog or friend him on Facebook. 

Watch the book trailer for Leviathan below:

Leviathan is the first book in the Leviathan Series.  Read the other books in the series to find out what happens to Alek, Deryn, and their friends and enemies.

Book 2

Book 3 (releases 9/20/12)

Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. Illus. Keith Thompson. New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. Print
9781416971733; Hardback; $20.00; 440 pages

Also available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti has many things working against her in the eyes of Victorian London society: she’s a spinster, she’s part Italian, and she’s smart.  What the elite of London don’t know is that she doesn’t have a soul, which gives her supernatural powers.  As she assists the head of supernatural investigations, the handsome werewolf Lord Maccon, in solving a mystery, she’ll need every bit of her wit and her power to stay alive.  And she’ll need every ounce of her willpower to resist the charms of Lord Maccon, who finds her increasingly enticing…even if she is Soulless.

Set in a steampunk Victorian London, Alexia Tarabotti and Lord Maccon battle human and supernatural forces to solve the mysterious disappearances of rogue vampires and werewolves. This witty story combines elements of Jane Austen with steampunk, science fiction, romance, and fantasy to create a highly entertaining book.  Due to strong sexual references, this book is recommended for older young adults in a public library setting.

Awards

2010 ALA Alex Award
2009 Indie Booksellers Indie Notable

Learn More

Read more about Gail Carriger and her other books on her website.  You can also follow her blog, friend her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.  Find out more about the world of steampunk on Carriger's Steampunk page.

Watch a book trailer for Soulless below:

Soulless is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate Series.  Continue to follow the adventures of Alexia, Lord Maccon, and friends in the next books...

Book 2	Book 3
Book 4	Book 5

Carriger is currently writing a series specifically for young adults that takes place 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate Series.  The first book in the new Finishing School Series, Etiquette & Espionage, is scheduled to release in February, 2013.

"The Finishing School Series is set in the same world as The Parasol Protectorate series, only 25 years earlier, and features a finishing academy located in a giant caterpillar-like dirigible floating over Dartmoor in which young ladies are taught to . . . finish . . . everything . . . and everyone . . . as needed. There will be steampunk etiquette! There will be well-dressed espionage! There will be Victorian fake food. There will be flying mechanical sausage dogs named Bumbersnoot."

--Gail Carriger, posted to her blog on 3/25/2011

Carriger, Gail. Soulless. New York: Orbit, 2009. Print.
9780316056632; Paperback; $8.00; 384 pages

Also available in ebook format.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Junior is an outsider in every way. The kids on the reservation don’t like him because he’s skinny, wears super thick glasses, and just transferred to a white school off the reservation. The kids at the white school don’t like him because he’s an Indian and he lives on the reservation. As Junior navigates these and other obstacles—family, poverty, death, alcoholism—in the process of making a better life for himself, he writes it all down in his Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Set in a Native-American reservation near Spokane, Washington, Junior tells his story of growing up as an outsider in both the Native-American and white worlds with humor, insight, and illustrations. Beautifully written with a colorful cast of characters and an entertaining and poignant storyline, this book is highly recommended for adults and young adults in a public or school library setting.

Awards

2010 California Young Reader Medal
2009 International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Peter Pan Prize
2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Learn More

Learn more about Sherman Alexie and his other books on his website.  You can also follow his blog, friend him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

To learn more about Ellen Forney, the illustrator of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, visit her website where you can browse her illustrations, see what else she's been working on, or send her an email.

Watch Alexie read an excerpt from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and answer questions about the book below:

One of Alexie's most well-known works is the award-winning movie Smoke Signals, which is based on Alexie's collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.  Watch a preview for Smoke Signals below:

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Illus. Ellen Forney. New York: Little Brown, 2009. Print.
9780316013697; Paperback; $10.00, 288 pages

Also available in hardback, ebook, and audiobook formats.