I am continuing my picks of great new fiction books. These books are all good for ages 9 and up. So sit by the warmth of a fire, a cup of cocoa and enjoy one of these delightful and well written books with your family by your side.

Zoobreak,by Gordon Korman, has all of the elements of a great book that will keep you reading to the very end! Griffin is known by his peers as “The Man with the Plan” and that’s just what he has when his friend, Savannah, pleads for him to help her find her lost monkey. They soon discover that the monkey is aboard a ship that’s been made into a zoo and the conditions for the animals are horrible. He comes up with a plan to rescue her monkey, but the story becomes much more complicated when Savannah insists they rescue all 40 animals. This story is exciting, unpredictable, delightful and funny.

Also Known as Harper,by Ann Haywood Leal, is an eloquent story about Harper who loves the written word. She loves to write poetry and is excited to enter a poem in a school contest. But it all turns upside down when her daddy leaves the family and her mama is trying to find work. Meanwhile Harper has to stay home and tend her little brother. This inspiring story showcases the difficulties of life and how the positive spirit and belief in one’s self and family prevails even against all odds.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate,by debut author Jacqueline Kelly, describes life in a rural Texas town in 1899 where 11-year-old Calpurnia loves learning and reading about everything outdoors. The book begins when she is studying the big yellow grasshoppers and believes she’s discovered a new species. Her naturalist grandfather, even though he’s irritable and difficult to be around, begins to warm up to Calpurnia because of her love of insects and plants. As she navigates through 6 brothers and the preconceived idea of the time that her place in the world is to learn how to cook, but not read and explore, the tangible layers of life back then seem to jump off the page and you become a part of “Callie’s” life.

The Voyage of the Frog, by Gary Paulsen, challenges the very thought of survival as 14-year-old David, while sailing in his small sailboat, is swept far off course in a terrible storm. He has just inherited this vessel from his favorite uncle who has just passed away and his intention was not to go out to sea very far.  The storm changes everything because after he barely keeps his boat afloat and the wind has died down, he discovers there’s no radio, little food and water and he has no idea where he is. This page-turner will likely keep you going to the end.

The Extra-Ordinary Princess, by Carolyn Q. Ebbitt, has a very ordinary princess very happy about her position in her family. She’s the last of four sisters and she’s sure that she’ll never have to be queen.  However, when an evil uncle tries to usurp the kingdom by turning her sisters into a tree and 2 swans, she is forced to save her family and the kingdom. Along with her friend, Henry, she is about to test her magical powers against the evil one and her attempts prove to make the story compelling and exciting. The love of family and friends is especially effective here.

Dragon Spear,by Jessica Day George, is the third installment in the series that began with “Dragon Slippers”. This story picks up with Creel preparing for her marriage to Luka. But they first visit their dragon friends on the Far Islands. Trouble enters when an outlying group of dragons kidnap Velika, the dragon queen. Other problems ensue with Luka’s father, the king, as he plans on taking back the islands where the dragons live.

Now for a trilogy of books that are lengthy, involved, intriguing, full of mystery – and exciting. The first book, The Alchemist,by Michael Scott, starts out with twins who work across the street from each other. The boy, Josh, is working at a bookstore when two goons blast into the store, kidnap one of the owners and steal a valuable book but not before Josh rips out 2 pages. These pages turn out to be very important as he finds that both his name and his twin sister’s name is in this manuscript. He also discovers that the owner is actually nearly 700 years old and has discovered the secret to eternal life and now he’s been kidnapped!  And so the adventure begins. The second and third books, The Magician and The Sorceress, continue where the previous book leaves off and all three are rich in intricate plotlines, twists and language.

George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt, by Lucy and Stephen Hawking, continues the adventures with George, only this time he and his friends end up visiting Mars as they attempt to get a robot to work. There are many adventures in this book that are related to science, making it a celebrated subject but don’t be put off by the slow beginning. There are actual interplanetary photos as well as drawings by Garry Parsons.

And lastly, The Dunderheads, by a favorite author of mine – Paul Fleischman, and illustrated by David Roberts, is more of a picture book than a fiction book which also makes it a good quick read. Miss Breakbone just made a very big mistake by calling her students “dunderheads”. The class has had it with this out-of-it teacher when she takes away one of the student’s special cat figurines he was saving to give to his mother. They gather their talents and help retrieve the valuable item as well as teaching their teacher a good lesson! This story, along with the perfectly matched pictures, is hilarious and begs to be read aloud.