Six EPIC Books

In case you guys were looking for suggestions of what to read during Summer here’s a list of books about epic girls! These girls do epic things like hanging out with REAL wolves, ACTUAL trolls, totally LEGIT villains and WEIRD circus folk. They would be ideal for kids reading at a 12 year old level and older. All are available in our libraries and on our eLibrary as well.

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Hey I’m serious: this book is a-mazz-ing. Katherine Rundell has written a few other children’s novels and all of them are highly cool! This book is available in most of our libraries and also on Overdrive.

Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora’s mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.” Goodreads.

 

The Girl who Walked on Air by Emma Carroll

Who doesn’t love a good circus story! This is a really popular book in our collection guaranteed to entertain and thrill you. Copies available in our libraries and also on Overdrive!

“Abandoned as a baby at Chipchase’s Travelling Circus, Louie dreams of becoming a ‘Showstopper’. Yet Mr Chipchase only ever lets her sell tickets. No Death-Defying Stunts for her. So in secret, Louie practises her act- the tightrope- and dreams of being the Girl Who Walked on Air. All she needs is to be given the chance to shine …” Goodreads.

 

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Solan

This is a slightly more serious story about a really clever girl! This heart-warming read is available in our libraries and on Overdrive.

“Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life… until now. Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy … Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.” Goodreads

 

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

You’ll love reading about how Esperanza grows and changes – she’s such a cool character! This book is available in our libraries and on Overdrive too!

“Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances–Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it.” Goodreads.

 

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Here’s a book which is waaay better than the movie! There are copies of Coraline available in most of our libraries and on Overdrive!

Coraline’s often wondered what’s behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her “other” parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes …” Goodreads

 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This story is a well loved book in our collection! Some of the things that happen to Miranda seem to defy the laws of time and space. When You Reach Me is available in most of our libraries and on Overdrive.

“By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter … ” Goodreads.

 

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

City of Ember is the first book in the Ember series and it’s available in most of our libraries and on Overdrive. The main character, Lina, is definitely epic enough to finish this list with!

“Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness…

But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?” Goodreads