Book picks similar to
Ben Archer by Rae Knightly


science-fiction
middle-grade
kids-books
epic-fantasy

Listen to My Heartbeat


Prajnaa
    He did not speak. He just kept looking into my eyes without as much as a blink."And then...?" he said, in his arrogant voice. "You want to be my girlfriend next?"Merge yourself in the world of... Aryan, Trisha, Rohan, Danny and Aysha.An inescapable story of love and tears that gets your heartbeat racing.

Inside the Hollow Tree


Laurel Veil - 2018
    Her one glimmer of light in her gloomy existence is a wise beyond his years, fiver-year-old foster named Jackson, who also lives with them. Falon longs for the day her mom wakes from her coma, so she can leave, take Jackson with her and begin a new life. Whenever Ty, the smart and brave new foster shows up, Falon realizes that the three of them just might get their chance. Little do they know, a better life awaits them, just inside the hollow tree...

Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse -or- Alien Busting Ninja Adventure


M.J. Ware - 2012
    Looking for yummy human tenders, Admiral Nact-bauk invades the local school. Zack and Zoey lead the counterattack armed with rulers, protractors, and dodge balls. They might have a chance, if Nact-bauk didn't gulp down the only teacher brave enough to stand up to him. Even worse, he forces Zoey onboard the alien vessel for dinner--along with a bucket of honey-mustard sauce.Zack will do just about anything to save her. If Principal Blathers won't help, Zack sees no choice but to 'borrow' the principal's car. Chasing the alien saucers, he meets up with a wrinkly WWII hero who thinks he knows the alien's weakness: electric toothbrushes.Wielding only umbrellas and battery-powered dental weapons, things look grim. Even if the pair manage to rescue Zoey, there's the small matter of escaping a spacecraft flying at over two hundred miles an hour.Can you say, Jetpacks?Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse is approximately 17,000 words (similar in length to Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and contains no cursing or strong language.

The Dark Side of Nowhere


Neal Shusterman - 1996
    The kind of day when you just don't feel like yourself. Only for Jason, it's not just a feeling. He really isn't himself.Not any more.Who is he? That's the problem. Jason isn't sure. And it's not just him. Everyone in town is acting weird. His friends. His parents. Everyone. Billington is usually such a normal town. As Jason is about to discover, nothing will ever be normal again.

Time Travelling with a Hamster


Ross Welford - 2015
    Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn’t been for his ‘time machine’…”When Al Chaudhury discovers his late dad’s time machine, he finds that going back to the 1980s requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, burglary, and setting his school on fire. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…

The Coordinate


Marc Jacobs - 2019
    When they are assigned to work together on one last history project, they hardly expect the monotony of high school life to change. Instead, as they decode a series of unexplained clues hidden within their history project itself, Logan and Emma manage to unfold an ancient mystery that has baffled scientists and archeologists, one with powerful implications for the present day. As they embrace the adventure they’ve stumbled upon, and a growing romantic attraction to each other, Logan and Emma find themselves caught up in a dangerous, high-stakes race across the globe to decipher mankind’s past in order to save humanity’s future, not to mention their very own lives, with a mystery that just might reach towards the stars…

Demons of Time: Race to the 7th Sunset


Varun Sayal - 2019
    He has only seven days and a single chance to exact his vengeance. Time Travel meets Demonic Possession in this mythology inspired sci-fi thriller. 3077 BC. Ancient India. As a young child, Tej saw his mother endure brutal torture by Kumbh, a nefarious time-demon, until she was rescued by Rigu, a well-known sage. Twenty years later, Tej's scars have healed, but the fire of revenge burns inside him, unabated. When Rigu reveals that Kumbh has escaped from his time-prison and plans to decimate human life on a global scale, Tej knows that he needs to act. To stop Kumbh, Tej must travel five thousand years into the future to the year 2024 AD and re-capture the demon. He races against time as he has only seven days, after which Kumbh will become invincible. The clock is ticking.

Grow Up (One Up Series Book 2)


Craig Anderson - 2019
    Oh, and his upcoming exams. That was before he caught the attention of a planet of intergalactic trial-by-combat lawyers that use giant mechs to fight their legal battles. Now he has bigger things to worry about. Much, much bigger. The only advantage he has is his trusty games controller, but will it be enough to beat a Level 10 Behemoth? Josh isn’t the only one having a rough day. Gargle was your run-of-the-mill, body swapping, ethereal alien courier. Everything was going great, until he was dropped off on Earth and asked to blend in with a crowd of teenagers. Josh only has to save the world, Gargle has to survive puberty. If you love humour, sci-fi and GameLit then this is the book for you! Note that while this book shares the same universe as Level Up, it has its own cast of characters. Both books can be enjoyed standalone.

Cold Solar


Anthony C. Robinson - 2017
    Written in the spirits of Dark Matter, Tom Clancy, The Hunger Games, and Divergent . Gripping characters are put through hell in a thrilling story of war, romance, betrayal, and secrets. A private corporation lands on Mars before NASA in the 2020’s. The secrets they learn from the Martian rock revolutionize energy and genetics for those exposed to an ancient artifact of unknown origin. On Earth, mismanagement of the world economy led to a global collapse. The corporation, rich from its exploits on Mars, buys out the debt of the world governments and takes total control of the globe. Corporate greed drives Earth to treat her own Martian colonies as slaves for personal gain. These colonies throw off the corporate oppression in a violent revolution. Fast forward to the year 2048 and Bowen, a competition fighter with a twisted sense of sarcastic humor, witnesses his world being ripped in half when the Martian colonists come back bringing a tidal wave of vengeance. In order to survive and stop the horrific violence he learns he must bring a naïve princess of the Martian Empire to safety. Joanna, a cold-hearted warrior and personal guard of the princess, harbors deep hatred for the corporation and the people of Earth who killed everyone she once held dear on Mars. She learns her leaders are not who they say they are and finds herself caught in the middle of a deep conspiracy fabricated to create the war. She senses her confused feelings toward Bowen constantly splitting between wanting to kill him and wanting to kiss him. Vladimir, a boisterous alcoholic with a passion for archery, has his nice vacation in Los Angeles turned into a harrowing fight for survival. With luck, skill, and a lot of vodka, he manages to meet up with others seeking to end the war. His attention keeps getting distracted by a hot computer hacker running surveillance for him and his team. Low spent her whole adult life working as a computer hacker for the corporation. All she’s ever known is punching binary numbers and loyalty to her employers. Upon working an assignment with a crack team thrown together at the last minute she learns she can trust no one in her chain of command. Large powers are committing violent acts to keep the war going, but working together with Bowen, Joanna, and Vladimir, she thinks they might be just enough to set things right. ***An Action Thriller with a mix of Sci-Fi, Mystery, and Romance*** CONTENT Cold Solar contains soft Sci-Fi elements with near future technology. That means it's written with simple scientific principles that anyone can understand and enjoy. It's targeted toward a general audience so there's no lengthy discussions on chemistry or physics. It possesses just enough Sci-Fi to get you right back to the fast-paced plot!

George's Secret Key to the Universe


Lucy Hawking - 2007
    George's parents, who have always been wary of technology, warn him about their new neighbors: Eric is a scientist and his daughter, Annie, seems to be following in his footsteps. But when George befriends them and Cosmos, their super-computer, he finds himself on a wildly fun adventure, while learning about physics, time, and the universe. With Cosmos's help, he can travel to other planets and a black hole. But what would happen if the wrong people got their hands on Cosmos? George, Annie, and Eric aren't about to find out, and what ensues is a funny adventure that clearly explains the mysteries of science. Garry Parsons' energetic illustrations add humor and interest, and his scientific drawings add clarity; there are also eight 4-page full-color inserts of scientific photos.

The Mark of the Dragonfly


Jaleigh Johnson - 2014
    Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

Conquest


John Connolly - 2013
    Humanity has been conquered, but still it fights the invaders. The Resistance grows stronger, for it is the young people of Earth who are best equipped to battle the Illyri. Syl Hellais, conceived among the stars, is the oldest alien child on Earth, the first to reach sixteen years of age. Her father rules the planet. Her future is assured. And Syl has hidden gifts, powers that even she does yet fully understand. But all is not as it seems. The Illyri are at war among themselves, and the sinister Nairene Sisterhood has arrived on Earth, hungry for new blood. When Syl helps a pair of young Resistance fighters to escape execution, she finds herself sentenced to death, pursued by her own kind, and risks breaking the greatest taboo of her race by falling in love with a human. Now the hunter has become the hunted, the predator become prey. And as Syl is about to learn, the real invasion has not yet even begun...

The True Meaning of Smekday


Adam Rex - 2007
    When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens – called Boov – abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.Fully illustrated with “photos,” drawings, newspaper clippings, and comics sequences, this is a hilarious, perceptive, genre-bending novel by a remarkable new talent.

Shadow of the Fae


Valia Lind - 2020
    I was ready for a quiet and normal senior year. But then, I read something I wasn’t supposed to and now every illusion I had about my magic is shattered.Something in my blood allows me to read spells thought to be lost long ago. It’s a power the courts of Faery will fight over…with me as collateral damage.My two-part plan: Stay hidden. Stay alive.Which is how I end up playing bounty hunter to magical items while living in Phoenix, Arizona.When the breathtakingly beautiful and arrogant Fae prince finds me, I’m prepared for him to drag me kicking and screaming back to the Faery Realm.He doesn’t. He decides to help. Or so he claims…Gorgeous and deadly. A dangerous combination. And my only chance at survival.If I don’t outwit the fae and learn to control my magic, I will lose my life. And all those I love will perish with me. Featuring a fierce heroine, a broody prince, and all things magical, Shadow of the Fae is the first book in this fast-paced young adult paranormal romance series from the USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind! ***The Fae Chronicles is set within the world of Hawthorne, and while some small areas intersect, it's not necessary to read that series first to enjoy this one.

Catalyst


J.D.L. Rosell - 2020
    The game is their chessboard.But Sean Marrow is no pawn.The Everlands, the first immersive reality game, has just launched into open beta, and gamers everywhere are paying out the nose to get in. But though Sean Marrow is frothing at the bit for his own chance, there's one small problem: only those 21 and older are allowed in, and he's just 17.But Marrow doesn't take no for an answer. Risking a lifelong ban, he sneaks into a gaming parlor and, with no one the wiser, logs in.The Everlands is everything he'd imagined and more, and he's immediately embroiled in the politics of the world. But as he plunges in deeper, heedless of the real world consequences, he finds he's not the master of his fate - for the gods of the game have their own plans for him.Marrow has never taken a blow lying down, and he doesn't intend to start now. So though the powers-that-be strive to make him a pawn in a greater game, he'll become the catalyst that overturns the order of the Everlands and forges a new one...Previously published as Absalom's Fate, Book 1 of The Everlands.READERS' PRAISE FOR CATALYST★★★★★ "An amazing book. Very fun and easy to read well worth a couple hours of reading by litrpg fans both new and old."★★★★★ "A great fast paced LitRPG that struck all the right notes for me."★★★★★ "A bit litRPG and a little Percy Jackson."