Banff Library Teen Site - Fiction Reviews

AGE: 12+
LOCATION: J COL
GENRE: Adventure / Science Fiction
RATED: *** Out of this world!
REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff

12 year old Artemis is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. In an attempt to recover the Fowl family's former glory, Artemis captures a fairy and holds her ransom for the legendary fairy gold. If your father were missing, your mother in depressed seclusion, your bodyguard tight-lipped, and your family's criminal reputation on the brink of destruction -- wouldn't you come up with a plan, too?

Artemis finds out too late that his fairy-hostage is a captain of the LEPrecon -- an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police, and a wise-cracking team of trolls, dwarves, and other fairies. If they can't rescue her from Artemis, they risk their hidden underground civilization being exposed to the rest of the human world. Artemis is smart, but is he clever enough to succeed in his plan? The Artemis Fowl series of books is like the movie "Die Hard," but with tough-talking fairies!

See a review of The Artemis Fowl Files in Contemporary Fiction Reviews.

AGE: 12+
LOCATION: Y MEY
GENRE: Historical Fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Rilla, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This is a grand story about a sailor on a ship at sea, who explores many different places and meets lots of people. Jack Faber is an adventurous character who takes the reader on a long journey. Jack Faber has a secret – he’s a girl!

See another opinion in Historical Fiction.

AGE: 15+
LOCATION: FIC BRO or ADVENTURE PB B
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This book is about Robert Langdon being chosen to find and crack the Da Vinci Code. He faces many troubles and problems. Will he be able to do it? I enjoyed this because it is the kind of book that you cannot put down.

AGE: 12 - 15
LOCATION: J CUL
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff

Hamish X is quite a boy. No orphanage has been able to contain him yet – no matter how dreary or nasty. And the Cheese Pirates are quite a crew of ruffians -- no cheese factory has stopped them yet from stealing all the cheese they could need or want… but then again, the cheese pirates haven’t yet met Hamish X. The dreaded Cheesebeard of Snow Monkey Island may have met his match! A very funny epic involving porridge, kites, big boots and LOTS of really stinky cheese.

AGE: 12+
LOCATION: Y PAU
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: ***An exciting venture!
REVIEWER:Jaqcueline, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

It’s all great until 13 year old Brian is lost in the forest after a plane crash! It’s a great book and I loved it!

AGE: 10+
LOCATION: J BOD
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This is about Sir Percival being destined to behold the Grail and heal the wounds of its guardian, the Fisher King. The Fisher King was wounded and cursed by Percival’s father. Now it is up to him to free the Fisher King. Will Percival free him, or be stubborn like his own father? I enjoyed this story because it showed that kindness is all it takes to be loved.

AGE: 12 - 16
LOCATION: Y CAR
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Grace, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

Cammie Morgan is a normal girl on the outside, but she’s a Gallagher girl on the inside. Gallagher Academy is a school for girls with special talents – Gallagher Academy is a top-secret school for spies in training. Soon after summer break, the girls set out on a mission. Cammie Morgan falls for a normal local boy who has no idea about her background. Will she commit herself to him, or will she miss out on this one chance to hook-up with a regular guy?

AGE: 10 - 15
LOCATION: YP PB D
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: ***An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

If you enjoy thrilling stories, this book fits you! The book tells you about Shackleton and his expedition in the polar wilderness, about shark attacks, people lost in the desert, and people stuck in a volcano. It’s very exciting reading.

AGE: 10 - 15
LOCATION: J VIV (audio book)
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This CD is about a young violinist, Katarina, arrives at an orphanage in Venice. The director of music at the orphanage is Vivaldi. With the help of Giovanni, a gondolier, she looks for clues of her past. Will Katarina find what she is looking for? I enjoyed the music on this CD as well as the story.

AGE: 10 - 15
LOCATION: J PAU
GENRE: Adventure fiction
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant

This book is about 14 year old David Alspeth, who is sailing in a yacht called the Frog. David has sailed many times, but one day he gets caught in a storm and becomes lost at sea with no wind, no radio, little water, and only seven cans of food. Now he has to find a way to get back safely on his own. Will David survive? I enjoyed this book because it showed many survival skills.

AGE: 9 - 13
LOCATION: Y CRE
GENRE: Adventure
RATED: *** An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Susan, Banff Public Library staff

13 year old Sophie is going to sail across the ocean. She wishes she could do it alone, but she will be in the company of her uncles and two cousins, Brian and Cody. Brian is a bossy boots and Cody is a careless coaster. Sophie's extended family questions her "belonging" to the clan since she is adopted. Will stormy seas bring the closeness she craves or drive the family members further adrift? Find out the surprise ending when the family finally meets "Bomphie." Will he prove Sophie's outrageous stories?

AGE: 12+
LOCATION: YA PB L
GENRE: Adventure
RATED: ***An exciting venture!
REVIEWER: Susan, Banff Public Library staff

John Spencer dives right into a harrowing adventure when his father's ship, the "Isle of Skye," is shipwrecked off the coast of a Cornish island. Forced to find lodgings with a local family, he becomes friends with their daughter, Mary. Soon, it is increasingly clear that things are not what they appear to be in this quiet seaside community. Are the villagers deliberately drawing the ships in onto "the Tombstones" with false beacons in order to plunder their cargo? Can Mary and her father be trusted to help John find his father and deliver him from a watery prison? This action-packed adventure has some surprising plot twists and turns. A definite "must" for thrill-seekers! First in the High Seas trilogy.



		Adventure Artemis Fowl - Colfer, Eoin AGE: 12+ LOCATION: J COL GENRE: Adventure / Science Fiction RATED: *** Out of this world! REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff 12 year old Artemis is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. In an attempt to recover the Fowl family's former glory, Artemis captures a fairy and holds her ransom for the legendary fairy gold. If your father were missing, your mother in depressed seclusion, your bodyguard tight-lipped, and your family's criminal reputation on the brink of destruction -- wouldn't you come up with a plan, too? Artemis finds out too late that his fairy-hostage is a captain of the LEPrecon -- an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police, and a wise-cracking team of trolls, dwarves, and other fairies. If they can't rescue her from Artemis, they risk their hidden underground civilization being exposed to the rest of the human world. Artemis is smart, but is he clever enough to succeed in his plan? The Artemis Fowl series of books is like the movie "Die Hard," but with tough-talking fairies! See a review of The Artemis Fowl Files in Contemporary Fiction Reviews. Bloody Jack: Being an account of the curious adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship's Boy - Meyer, L. A AGE: 12+ LOCATION: Y MEY GENRE: Historical Fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Rilla, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This is a grand story about a sailor on a ship at sea, who explores many different places and meets lots of people. Jack Faber is an adventurous character who takes the reader on a long journey. Jack Faber has a secret – he’s a girl! See another opinion in Historical Fiction. The Da Vinci Code- Brown, Dan AGE: 15+ LOCATION: FIC BRO or ADVENTURE PB B GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This book is about Robert Langdon being chosen to find and crack the Da Vinci Code. He faces many troubles and problems. Will he be able to do it? I enjoyed this because it is the kind of book that you cannot put down. Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates - Cullen, Sean AGE: 12 - 15 LOCATION: J CUL GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Tonya, Banff Public Library staff Hamish X is quite a boy. No orphanage has been able to contain him yet – no matter how dreary or nasty. And the Cheese Pirates are quite a crew of ruffians -- no cheese factory has stopped them yet from stealing all the cheese they could need or want… but then again, the cheese pirates haven’t yet met Hamish X. The dreaded Cheesebeard of Snow Monkey Island may have met his match! A very funny epic involving porridge, kites, big boots and LOTS of really stinky cheese. Hatchet - Paulsen, Gary AGE: 12+ LOCATION: Y PAU GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: An exciting venture! REVIEWER:Jaqcueline, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant It’s all great until 13 year old Brian is lost in the forest after a plane crash! It’s a great book and I loved it! The Hidden Grail: Sir Percival and the Fisher King - Bodkin, Odds AGE: 10+ LOCATION: J BOD GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This is about Sir Percival being destined to behold the Grail and heal the wounds of its guardian, the Fisher King. The Fisher King was wounded and cursed by Percival’s father. Now it is up to him to free the Fisher King. Will Percival free him, or be stubborn like his own father? I enjoyed this story because it showed that kindness is all it takes to be loved. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You - Carter, Ally AGE: 12 - 16 LOCATION: Y CAR GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Grace, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant Cammie Morgan is a normal girl on the outside, but she’s a Gallagher girl on the inside. Gallagher Academy is a school for girls with special talents – Gallagher Academy is a top-secret school for spies in training. Soon after summer break, the girls set out on a mission. Cammie Morgan falls for a normal local boy who has no idea about her background. Will she commit herself to him, or will she miss out on this one chance to hook-up with a regular guy? True Survival Stories - Dowswell, Paul AGE: 10 - 15 LOCATION: YP PB D GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: *An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant If you enjoy thrilling stories, this book fits you! The book tells you about Shackleton and his expedition in the polar wilderness, about shark attacks, people lost in the desert, and people stuck in a volcano. It’s very exciting reading. Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery: a tale of Venice and violins - (audio book) AGE: 10 - 15 LOCATION: J VIV (audio book) GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This CD is about a young violinist, Katarina, arrives at an orphanage in Venice. The director of music at the orphanage is Vivaldi. With the help of Giovanni, a gondolier, she looks for clues of her past. Will Katarina find what she is looking for? I enjoyed the music on this CD as well as the story. The Voyage of the Frog - Paulsen, Gary AGE: 10 - 15 LOCATION: J PAU GENRE: Adventure fiction RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Isaac, Teen Summer Reading Programme participant This book is about 14 year old David Alspeth, who is sailing in a yacht called the Frog. David has sailed many times, but one day he gets caught in a storm and becomes lost at sea with no wind, no radio, little water, and only seven cans of food. Now he has to find a way to get back safely on his own. Will David survive? I enjoyed this book because it showed many survival skills. The Wanderer - Creech, Sharon AGE: 9 - 13 LOCATION: Y CRE GENRE: Adventure RATED: * An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Susan, Banff Public Library staff 13 year old Sophie is going to sail across the ocean. She wishes she could do it alone, but she will be in the company of her uncles and two cousins, Brian and Cody. Brian is a bossy boots and Cody is a careless coaster. Sophie's extended family questions her "belonging" to the clan since she is adopted. Will stormy seas bring the closeness she craves or drive the family members further adrift? Find out the surprise ending when the family finally meets "Bomphie." Will he prove Sophie's outrageous stories? The Wreckers - Lawrence, Iain AGE: 12+ LOCATION: YA PB L GENRE: Adventure RATED: **An exciting venture! REVIEWER: Susan, Banff Public Library staff John Spencer dives right into a harrowing adventure when his father's ship, the "Isle of Skye," is shipwrecked off the coast of a Cornish island. Forced to find lodgings with a local family, he becomes friends with their daughter, Mary. Soon, it is increasingly clear that things are not what they appear to be in this quiet seaside community. Are the villagers deliberately drawing the ships in onto "the Tombstones" with false beacons in order to plunder their cargo? Can Mary and her father be trusted to help John find his father and deliver him from a watery prison? This action-packed adventure has some surprising plot twists and turns. A definite "must" for thrill-seekers! First in the High Seas* trilogy.		Vampire High by Douglas Rees Stuff for Your Space by Ellen Warwick Harry Houdini by Vicki Cobb


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