Book picks similar to
The Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire
ebook
science-fiction
mystery
novella
Infernal Devices
K.W. Jeter - 1986
But idle sometime-musician George has little talent for clockwork. And when a shadowy figure tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music and sexual intrigue. A genuine lost classic, a steampunk original whose time has come.
Over the Woodward Wall
A. Deborah Baker - 2020
Everything he does is precise, from the way he washes his face in the morning, to the way he completes his homework – without complaint, without fuss, without prompt.Zib is also an exceptional child, because all children are, in their own way. But where everything Avery does and is can be measured, nothing Zib does can possibly be predicted, except for the fact that she can always be relied upon to be unpredictable.They live on the same street.They live in different worlds.On an unplanned detour from home to school one morning, Avery and Zib find themselves climbing over a stone wall into the Up and Under – an impossible land filled with mystery, adventure and the strangest creatures.And they must find themselves and each other if they are to also find their way out and back to their own lives.
Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: the Last Jedi - The Legends of Luke Skywalker
Ken Liu - 2017
But are the stories of iconic and mysterious Luke Skywalker true, or merely tall tales passed from one corner of the galaxy to another? Is Skywalker really a famous Jedi hero, an elaborate charlatan, or even part droid? The deckhands will have to decide for themselves when they hear The Legends of Luke Skywalker. A collection of myths and tall-tales about the legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, written by Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy award-winning author Ken Liu.
The Frontier Lord
Duncan M. Hamilton - 2015
18,000 words (72 pages)— Appearances can be deceiving… To Rolf, Mirabay is the city of dreams. Called the Jewel of the West, it is the place of kings and heroes and great deeds. The chance to visit is not an opportunity Rolf is willing to miss. At first glance, the city is everything he expects, but with an appearance and accent more suited to the Marches rather than the refined salons and sophisticated ballrooms of the city, he is met with the prejudice reserved for those from the rural provinces. Dreams and preconceptions rarely meet with reality, however and as the city begins to lose its lustre for Rolf, those he thought him an uncouth blow-in from the Marches learn the error of their ways.
Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall
Rae Knightly - 2018
NOW EVERYONE IS AFTER HIM.Twelve-year-old Ben Archer’s life is turned upside-down when UFOs crash near his grandfather’s house. And when a dying extraterrestrial entrusts him with a superpower, he is catapulted into hair-rising adventures across land, ocean and space.Now everyone is after him. The government considers him a cumbersome witness to The Cosmic Fall, a deadly shapeshifter wants his ability, and Ben finds himself in a race against time to unravel the secrets of his new-found power before they catch him.With no choice but to flee, Ben joins forces with the sole survivor of the crash – an alien man called Mesmo. And while the destinies of boy and alien become inextricably linked, one question must be answered if Ben is to survive: why do they all want his alien skill?The Alien Skill Series is a science-fiction adventure story for fans of Percy Jackson, Epic Zero and Crime Travelers. These upper middle-grade books have won the hearts of young and old alike, turning them into a best-selling, award-winning coming-of-age series filled with superpowers, alien contact, hidden enemies and a thought-provoking glimpse into the way we treat our planet. Ideal for young readers (10-12+).– 50,000 books sold in the series – 2,000 reviews on Amazon and Goodreads – The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019 Silver Medal Winner – READER'S FAVORITE ★★★★★"Solid aliens-crash-to-earth tale." (Amazon reviewer) ★★★★★"The entire series is absolutely fantastic!" (Amazon reviewer) ★★★★★"Wouldn’t I just love to have the skill!" (Goodreads reviewer) ★★★★★"Great new series for young and old alike!" (Amazon reviewer) ★★★★★"Fun, suspenseful, and you have to love the characters!" (Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer) ★★★★★"This series will be around for years." (Amazon reviewer) ★★★★★
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead - 2009
Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
Alexandra Bracken - 2015
The Empire is about to unveil the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever seen--the Death Star. The Rebels' only chance to defeat it now lies in the unlikely hands of a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy....
The Brimstone Key
Derek Benz - 2010
That was before they learned about the existence of evil fairies, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. Now they are monster-hunters, celebrated heroes, and allies to the legendary Templar knights---but even heroes have to go to school. When the Griffins enroll at Iron Bridge Academy, a school to train young recruits in the fight against the forces of evil, they find themselves at the center of a whole new adventure. The Clockwork King, a Templar foe from days past, has returned to finish the plan he set in motion decades ago. A plot to steal the souls of changelings---humans infused with fairy blood and supernatural abilities---in order to power his army of clockwork war machines. In The Brimstone Key, authors Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis deftly blend the mystical wonder of steampunk with magic and adventure to create an action-packed thrill ride.
Around the World in Eighty Days
Jules Verne - 1872
Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, he immediately sets off for Dover with his astonished valet Passepartout. Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at hand—whether train or elephant—overcoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.
You'll Like It Here (Everybody Does)
Ruth White - 2011
BUT they also have GROSSLY UNIQUE qualities, such as blue streaks in their hair that pop up randomly and language skills that sound like nothing on this planet. The story takes these alien kids, along with their mother and grandfather, by accident, to a far planet in which the society is not only oppressive but hostile to individual freedom. People are kept submissive through drugs and brainwashing. The Blues, who have spent time in free societies recognize the upside-down-ness of this world. They're almost helpless to do anything, but do what they can, plan their escape, and vow to help others.
The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black
Eden Unger Bowditch - 2011
They take twelve-year-old Jasper and six-year-old Lucy Modest from London, England; nine-year-old Wallace Banneker from New York, United States; twelve-year-old Noah Canto-Sagas from Toronto, Canada; and thirteen-year-old Faye Vigyanveta from New Delhi, India, depositing them all at a strange, isolated farmhouse in Dayton, Ohio, with kindly schoolteacher Miss Brett. But what mysterious invention have all the children, unbeknownst to one another, been working on? Who are the men in black? And are the men in black trying to kidnap them--or protect them? And if they're trying to protect them--from what? An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy is a novel readers will forever treasure.In 1903, five truly brilliant young inventors, the children of the world's most important scientists, went about their lives and their work as they always had.But all that changed the day the men in black arrived.They arrived to take twelve-year-old Jasper Modest and his six-year-old sister, Lucy--he with his remarkable creations and she with her perfect memory--from their London, England home to a place across the ocean they'd never seen before.They arrived to take nine-year-old Wallace Banneker, last in a long line of Africa-descended scientists, from his chemistry, his father, and his New York home to a life he'd never imagined.Twelve-year-old Noah Canto-Sagas, already missing his world-famous and beloved mother, was taken from Toronto, Canada, carrying only his clothes, his violin, and his remarkable mind.And thirteen-year-old Faye Vigyanveta, the genius daughter of India's wealthiest and most accomplished scientists, was removed by force from her life of luxury.From all across the world, they've been taken to mysterious Sole Manner Farm, and a beautiful but isolated schoolhouse in Dayton, Ohio, without a word from their parents as to why. Not even the wonderful schoolteacher they find there, Miss Brett, can explain it. She can give them love and care, but she can't give them answers.Things only get stranger from there. What is the book with no pages Jasper and Lucy find in their mother's underwear drawer, and why do the men in black want it so badly?How is it all the children have been taught the same bizarre poem--and yet no other rhymes or stories their entire lives?And why haven't their parents tried to contact them?Whatever the reasons, to brash, impetuous Faye, the situation is clear: They and their parents have been kidnapped by these terrible men in black, and the only way they're going to escape and rescue their parents is by completing the invention they didn't even know they were all working on--an invention that will change the world forever.But what if the men in black aren't trying to harm the children? What if they're trying to protect them?And if they're trying to protect them--from what?An amazing story about the wonders of science and the still greater wonders of friendship, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or the Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black, the first book of the Young Inventors Guild trilogy, is a truly original novel. Young readers will forever treasure Eden Unger Bowditch's funny, inventive, poignant, and wonderfully fun fiction debut.-
A Conspiracy of Alchemists
Liesel Schwarz - 2013
It is 1903, and the world is divided between light and shadow. On the side of light is a wondrous science that has transformed everyday life by harnessing magical energies to ingenious new technologies. But each advance of science has come at the expense of shadow—the traditional realm of the supernatural. Now two ancient powers are preparing to strike back. Blood-sucking immortal Nightwalkers and their spellcasting Alchemist allies have a plan to cover the whole world in shadow. All they require is the sacrifice of a certain young woman whose past conceals a dangerous secret. But when they come after Elle, they get more than they bargained for. This enterprising young woman, the daughter of a scientific genius, has reserves of bravery and determination that even she scarcely suspects. Now she is about to meet her match in more ways than one: a handsome yet infuriating Warlock named Hugh Marsh, whose agenda is as suspect as his charms are annoyingly irresistible.
The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence
Stan Lee - 2015
He'll have to master strange powers, outrun super-powered mercenaries, and unlock the mysterious powers of the Zodiac.
Sekret
Lindsay Smith - 2014
But if she sometimes manipulates the black market traders by reading their thoughts when she touches their skin, so what? Anything to help her survive.Russia's powerful spy agency, the KGB, is recruiting young people with mind-reading capabilities for their psychic espionage program. Their mission: protect the Soviet space program from American CIA spies. Why shouldn't the KGB use any means necessary to make the young psychic cooperate? Anything to beat the American capitalist scum to the moon.Yulia is a survivor. She won't be controlled by the KGB, who want to harness her abilities for the State with no regard for her own hopes and dreams. She won't let handsome Sergei plan her life as a member of elite Soviet society, or allow brooding Valentin to consume her with his dangerous mind and even more dangerous ideas. And she certainly won't become the next victim of the powerful American spy who can scrub a brain raw—and seems to be targeting Yulia.