The Capture by Karen Lasky

The Capture, first of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, is the story of a young owl named Soren who is captured and taken to a horrible place where young owls from all over the kingdom are basically brainwashed into forgetting who they are and made to work mining "fleck". The story if filled with adventure and suspense and quite a lot of mystery. How did Soren fall from his nest? Did his sister and nest-maid survive? Will Soren and Gylfie escape or will they, too, succumb to the mind-numbing effects of moon-blanking? What is the purpose of the flecks and what is housed in the mysterious "orphanage" library. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to learn more about these amazing creatures.

Recommended for Grades 4-8, this series will appeal to readers who like adventure and suspense with animals as the main characters, such as the Redwall series by Jacques and the NIMH series by O'Brien.

Jimmy Coates, Assassin? by Joe Craig

Jimmy Coates is 11, has an annoying older sister, a best friend who likes to joke around and has no idea that his life, as he knows it, is about to change. Forever. This story is set in an England that has gone haywire--just like all that Jimmy believed--about himself, his family, and his country. I can not wait to see what happens in the next installment.
The book is listed as Grades 4-8, with a reading level from ages 9-12. That said, anyone who enjoys a good romp and a bit of a mystery will zip through this story and be chomping at the bit for more. Who will enjoy this book? Readers who enjoyed Alex Ryder's adventures (by Horowitz) or H.I.V.E (by Walden).