Cinder by Marissa Meyer

There are a gabillion variations of the Cinderella story. Finding a unique spin on the classic tale isn't easy. Somehow, debut author Marissa Meyer has done that with CINDER (Feiwel & Friends, 2012), where our girl isn't just tough, she's made of steel.

Well, at least, partly.

A century after WWIV, New Beijing is a strange and frightening place. Not only is there a deadly plague popping up all over, but there is that nasty race of people living on the Moon to worry about. Cinder is a cyborg — not human, not android. Living somewhere in between, she's earned a reputation as a master mechanic, something that makes her stepmother and eldest step-sister sneer almost as much as her second-class citizen status.

One day, Prince Kai shows up at Cinder's shop with his broken down nanny-droid. Having heard about her talent with fixing things, he's hoping she can do the repairs. Cinder is intrigued with the charismatic heir to the throne, but knows if he realized she wasn't human, he wouldn't spend the effort to flirt with her. Good motivation to keep her robot-side secret.

When Cinder's beloved step-sister (the younger one) becomes infected with the plague, Cinder is heartbroken. Her stepmother blames Cinder -- but she's not sick, and this seems to interest some important people at the palace, like the scientist in charge of finding a cure. Soon entangled in political intrigue between her homeland and the evil Lunars, Cinder's growing feelings for Prince Kai may be her undoing -- if the secrets of her mysterious past don't ruin her first.

Weaving threads of the traditional Cinderella storyline into this futuristic world, CINDER is a fast-paced read -- equal parts dystopian and sci-fi fairytale. This first installment in THE LUNAR CHRONICLES grabs you and buckles you in for the duration. With book two (SCARLET) not coming out until February, it's going to be a long wait to find out what's next for Cinder as Meyer pulls a ONCE UPON A TIME and mingles classic characters. Worthy of fandom status, the series should appeal to fans eager for another series to fill the gaps left by the conclusion of HUNGER GAMES, MAZE RUNNER and TWILIGHT.

(For ages 12 and up.)

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall

I am a huge Penderwick fan. While I didn't grow up with a host of sisters, my mother did and I tend to imagine her in the Rosalind role. Jeanne Birdsall tells her stories with the voice of a bygone era as well, reminiscent of some of my childhood favorites like ALL OF A KIND FAMILY and books of my mother's generation like BETSY, TACEY AND TIB.

I adored the first two books, THE PENDERWICKS and THE PENDERWICKS ON GARDAM STREET, so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with this third books about the Penderwick sisters and their dear friend Jeffery.

Susan Denaker reads the audio book version of THE PENDERWICKS AT POINT MOUETTE (Knopf, 2011) with tender care, bringing each of the characters to life with a subtle energy and attitude. In this third book, the younger sisters and best friend Jeffrey take a summer trip to Maine with their Aunt Claire while OAP (oldest available Penderwick) Rosalind heads off to the Jersey Shore with her best friend while their newly married father wings away to England for a honeymoon with his new wife and baby Ben.

Staying a the quaint little Maine cottage, appropriately called Birches, on the rocky Maine coast, the kids spend their days exploring the Pine Woods, spying on moose, practicing soccer on the beach and making new friends -- from the interesting and musical neighbor Alec to the brother and sister staying in the Point Mouette Inn.

Skye is not thrilled about spending two months as the OAP, and excessively overcompensates for her fears that something might happen to one of her little sisters on her watch. Jane is her typical romantic and dramatic self, researching love for the latest Sabrina Starr novel she's writing and finding out firsthand how confusing relationships can be. With Jeffrey's help, Batty discovers hidden talents and other secrets are revealed that will change one of their lives forever.

For boys and girls age 8 to 10, this series is fantastic. The characters are authentic and interesting, ones you find yourself missing as soon as the final page is turned.