The secret prophecy by Herbie Brennan

364 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 8-12
Rating: Wizard

Edward Michael “Em” Goverton wakes up one morning to find his dad, a university professor, dead. Since his father was recovering from a bout with the flu, this came as total surprise. Things get even weirder when strange men in black suits carrying guns show up at the funeral and then start to follow Em. So he starts digging into his dad’s research on a new biography of Nostradamus. It seems his dad discovered a secret prophecy, one which a mysterious group called the Knights of Themis want their hands on at any cost. Soon Em finds himself enmeshed in a dangerous web of predictions, mystery, and betrayal. He must race against the clock to prevent a catastrophic plot, but whom can he trust? This is sure to please readers hungry for fast paced thriller mysteries. There are codes to break, prophecies to interpret and plenty of twists and turns. Think “Da Vinci Code” for kids. Brennan, author of the popular “Faerie Wars” books, brings us the first installmnt in an exciting new conspiracy series. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)
 

Adaptation by Malinda Lo

386 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Dragon

The sky is falling! – well not really, but flocks of birds are falling to earth after causing planes all over the world to crash and burn. The airports are locked down, curfew is imposed and Reese and David on their way back to San Francisco after a debate tournament are trapped in the Phoenix airport. Their debate coach secures a rental car, but the exit routes are clogged with other travelers desperate to reach home. They finally end up making it as far as rural Nevada where their coach is killed in a carjacking at a gas station. Terrified, Reese and David flee north, but a bird flies into the windshield sending the car tumbling into a ditch. Reese and David wake up in a strange military hospital right in the middle of Area 51. They’ve both been operated on and appear completely healed. They sign non-disclosure statements and are escorted back home. Things get even weirder when Reese notices that her scars aren’t just healed, they’ve disappeared as if the accident never even happened. Her memories are sketchy except for a bizarre reoccurring dream. David is experiencing similar anomalies. Reese meets and falls for the beautiful and alluring Amber Gray, while harboring feelings for  David. This brief romantic  interlude seems random,  but Amber is later revealed to be at the center of the government’s web of secrecy. Disaster, government conspiracies, miraculous medical procedures, create a heart pounding science fiction thriller.