Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

As part of high society in turn-of-the century New York, Dacia and Lou lead typical lives. Time is filled with balls, social calls, and finding suitable marriage prospects. However, when they go to Romania to meet their relatives, life changes drastically. They find their Romanian family hides a dark and frightening secret and the family expects Lou and Dacia be a central part of that secret. Will Dacia and Lou have the strength and wit to go against prophecy and a centuries old family tradition?

Silver in the Blood combines mystery, adventure, and magic in one intriguing story. Dacia and Lou are complex characters still finding where they belong in the world. With this book, teen and tween readers will find themselves in a new world, but they will still relate to the characters and their struggles. Jessica Day George creates a magical story that remains appropriate for teen and tween readers.

Recommended ages--11 and up

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Seraphina knows she is not like other children. Living in the basement of the Biltmore Estate, Sera’s father tells her to stay hidden. While Serafina enjoys prowling around the estate at night as the ‘chief rat catcher,’ she dreams of making a friend. Out of obedience to her father, Sera stays hidden and also stays out of the forest. However, when children start disappearing from Biltmore, Serafina breaks both of those rules. She reaches out to Braeden Vanderbilt, nephew of the Estate owners. Together, the two young people work to defeat the evil lurking at Biltmore.

In Serafina and the Black Cloak, alternate history meets fantasy as Serafina works to save the children at Biltmore. Sera is a unique and plucky heroine with her catlike qualities and pure sincerity. I enjoyed her story and look forward to her future adventures. I listened to this book and the reader is excellent. It would also make a fun family read aloud for fans of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl.

Recommended ages--10 and up

Dawn of Spies by Andrew Lane

In this reimagined Robinson Crusoe, a teenage Crusoe and female companion Friday have been rescued from the island and returned to London. The two young people meet Daniel Defoe who offers to buy the story of their adventures. They refuse Defoe’s offer, but follow him out of curiosity. This leads them to the headquarters of Segment W, a spy operation that reports to the crown. Crusoe and Friday find themselves drawn into a life of intrigue as dangerous as the island they escaped.

Lane’s creative retelling of the Robinson Crusoe story will capture the attention of adventure loving readers. The characterization doesn’t really hold with the intended time period, but the story is entertaining. Whether or not readers are familiar with the original Crusoe story, Dawn of Spies is an adventurous tale of intrigue.

Recommended ages--12 and up