junior fiction Archives - The Open Book

Uprising

March 8, 2024 Kym 0

Twelve-year-old Lidia is outside her grandfather’s house when planes fly overhead, bearing the Nazi cross on each wing. Before the bombs hit the ground, Lidia realizes her life is about to change forever. Poland has fallen under German occupation, and her father makes the brave decision to join the Polish army to fight against the Nazis. Lidia wants to follow him into war, but she’s far too young, and she’s needed by her mother and brother. After her family returns to Warsaw, where life has changed irrevocably, Lidia continues to play the piano, finding comfort in Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven. But she also wants to aid the Jewish people held captive in the Warsaw Ghetto. With the help of a friend, Lidia begins to smuggle wheat and food into the ghetto. Still, she feels like she could be doing so much more. She wants to fight. After her brother joins the resistance, Lidia wants only to follow in his footsteps. Soon, she begins to work as a courier, smuggling weapons and messages for the resistance throughout the city. When the Warsaw city uprising begins―one year after the more well-known Warsaw Ghetto uprising by Polish Jews―with gunfire and bombs echoing throughout the streets, Lidia joins the Polish nationalists’ fight, too, and she and her peers fight with everything they’ve got. Life will continue to surprise Lidia, as she and the resistance fighters do their best to defeat the German soldiers. No matter the consequences, they’re willing to defend their freedom and their homes from the Nazi invaders―even with their lives. Drawing on the extraordinary real-life story of Polish teenager Lidia Zakrzewski, bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen presents an inspiring and dramatic account of the Polish resistance fighters who struggled to force out their Nazi occupiers and reclaim their nation’s freedom from tyranny.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads […]

Bound in Strength (The Mejuarian Series #2)

June 4, 2021 Kym 3

For god-like creatures named Mejuarian living on planet Ercutis, their world was near perfect. Mejuarian, a cross between an animal and godly beings, have a splendorous village where everyone gets along. They live in a hierarchical society, and everyone loves their king and queen. A near utopian life that allows all Mejuarian to rise to their most extraordinary levels of consciousness. That is until they discover using systems much like our own, an asteroid is on course to decimate their village and erase their long history. Short notice, they plan to move all inhabitants, along with those bound to them by their magical powers, to the other side of their planet and reside in the lands of their longtime ally and trade partners, the Dragonors.Very upsetting to many Mejuarian mothers and fathers having mewlings is that their ancient tradition of birthing nests on an ancestral altar would be away from their homes. However, all seems to go as planned, and they depart with all twelve ships successfully. One ship dedicated to moving the birth alter intact with nests placed on it trails the fleet. Unfortunately, the Mejuar scientist’s slight miscalculation allowed for the meteor’s early arrival. A shockwave forces the underpowered, overloaded ship carrying the nests to crash land. Before its descent, a piece of the broken altar is dragged into space, and two of its occupantsOn earth, a family torn with grief after the loss or their mother tries to enjoy a day of convalescing by a local lake. Hubert, the local veterinarian with his two children Ren a teen, and Brooklyn, his baby sister, are exploring after a picnic lunch. Ren discovers the charred nests and is curious as to what they are. Hubert also becomes interested in the unusual possible chrysalids. The inquisitive vet takes the nests back to his facility and uses the extent of written and photo journals available to him in 1960. He is unable to identify them and ponders, what are they?
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads […]

Soul Riders (Jorvik Calling #1)

August 4, 2020 Kym 8

Step into the universe of the massively popular online MMORPG game Star Stable, and follow four friends who discover their magic powers and learn that every girl can be a hero in this fantasy trilogy.

Soul Riders tells the heroic tale of four young girls who have been chosen by destiny to save the world from the ancient demon: Garnok and his band of dangerous Dark Riders. Lisa is a teenage girl who is still coming to terms with the tragic loss of her mother in a riding accident and has sworn never to go near a horse again until she met Starshine, a mysterious blue-maned steed who comes to her in dreams. New on the island of Jorvik, Lisa befriends Alex, Linda, and Anne. Under the guidance of mystical druids, they discover they each have a special bond to their horses that gives them magical powers. While trying to balance school, family, and friendships they have to figure out what it means to be a Soul Rider. They are attacked by the Dark Riders and the mysterious Mr. Sands discover that their horses are in danger. Instead of relying on their combined strength, they decide to split up on their quest to find answers and learn to fight back against their enemies. However, will it be too late before they realize their mistake?

Jorvik Calling is the first installment in the epic, fantasy trilogy, Soul Riders, about magic, friendship, and horses bound to thrill all young equestrian fans.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads […]

Return: Dragonborn Series Book 2

June 18, 2020 Kym 0

Two arduous journeys. One physically demanding, the other emotionally exhaustive. The young Dragon King faces both simultaneously and shoulders the burden with the strength and resolve only the King of Shifters can muster.With limited resources and only a month to prepare, Alister Drake, the new King of all shifters, calls on the loyalty, expertise and support of his dedicated Inner Circle to prepare a battle plan. His goal—to return to Theria and wrest the kingdom from Dimitri; murderer, usurper and oppressor of the masses.Haunted, yet inspired, by dreams of his royal parents, Alister believes they are still alive, despite reports of their deaths at the hands of Dimitri thirteen years before.Aware of Alister’s plans to retake the throne of Theria, Dimitri lies in wait with an army of thousands, determined to crush and humiliate the inexperienced boy king. Ruling the land with fear and coercion, Dimitri has no conscience when it comes to harming anyone in his quest for power.Two powerful shifters, both intent on destroying the other. One will stop at nothing to reach his goal with death and destruction. The other will stop at nothing to…Protect the Weak!
-Excerpt taken from Amazon […]

Awakening (Dragonborn Series #1)

May 27, 2020 Kym 0

I soared high in the night sky in the most realistic dream I’d ever had. At least, I think it was a dream.
* * *
On the eve of his thirteenth birthday, Alister Drake believed he was a typical middle-school-aged boy—until he grew four inches overnight. Developing superhuman abilities that rivaled those of characters in books and movies he and his friends cherished, he struggled to understand how his life had turned upside down so suddenly and so completely.

Little did he know how drastically his life was about to change, challenging everything he’d experienced as true and right in the world. Accompanied by his two best friends and led by a teacher who was much more than he seemed, Alister was about to embark on an adventure that surpassed anything he’d read or seen in movies.

Extraordinarily morally centered for his age, surrounded by family and friends he loved unconditionally, Alister stepped into the unknown with one clear goal in mind…

Protect the Weak!
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads. […]

The Four: Destruction of Honor (Mejuarian series #1)

March 11, 2020 Kym 0

The Ercutians, an ancient race of spell casters that abandoned Earth long ago, have abandoned the ways of their elders. Their powerful magic they once used for good has been replaced with destructive spells and incantations, and their once thriving, wonderous lands have turned against them. The destruction of the Ercutian race is imminent.

To heal their lands, and prolong their heritage, a sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, and wizardess combine their mystical powers to become the Great One, known to all as Thire-los. But not all is well within the Great One, for conflicting personalities brood within the single entity, and what was once Great threatens to become tainted, throwing all of Ercutia back into chaos once again.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads. […]

A Night Divided

January 12, 2019 Kym 0

With the sudden rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family divided overnight. She, her mother and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, are unable to return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can’t help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens, watching for any sign of escape. Gerta, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city.
But one day, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side of the wall, pantomiming a peculiar dance. She concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom?
Excerpt taken from back cover. […]

Wonder

August 5, 2017 Kym 0

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a severe facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school.
Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, Auggie wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid- but his new classmates can’t get past his extraordinary face. Wonder begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include the perspectives of his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend and others. These voices converge to portray a community as it struggles with differences, and challenges readers, both young and old, to wonder about the true nature of empathy, compassion, acceptance, friendship, and- ultimately- kindness. Auggie is a hero for the ages, one who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.
Excerpt taken from Wonder The Book website. […]

Orbiting Jupiter

August 5, 2017 Kym 0

“I can’t see Jupiter,” Joseph said. “The moon’s too bright. And I don’t know where she is.”
“It’s where it always is,” I said.
“No, it isn’t.”
He wrapped his arms around himself. When he finally turned, I could see his breath in the moonlight.
“I’m going to find her,” he said. “I’m not going to stay alone. ”
“You’re not alone.”
He shook his head.
“You’re not.”
“I’m alone,” he said.
“You’ve got me,” I said.
He laughed, but not a happy laugh. “Jackie, I’m a whole lifetime ahead of you.”
Excerpt taken from book cover. […]