The Novice by Taran Matharu (2015)

Solid fantasy of the classic variety, heavy on both action and politics.

Recommended grade level: 6 and up

Pages:   355 (for ISBN 9781250067128)

Genre(s) and keywords: fantasy

Tone/Style: epic

Pace: moderate

Topics: race relations, women’s rights, class struggle, war, demons, magic, magic schools

Themes: inequality, social justice, perseverance, friendship

Summary: Fletcher is working as a blacksmith’s apprentice when he discovers he has the rare ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, Fletcher must travel with his demon, Ignatius, to an academy for adepts, where the gifted are taught the art of summoning.

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai (Young Readers Edition) (2014)

Inspiring, heartbreaking, and timely, this is must-read nonfiction.

Recommended grade level: 6-12

Pages: 240 (for ISBN 9780316327930)

Genre(s) and keywords: nonfiction, memoir, current events, international, diverse,  Middle East (Pakistan),  Kylie’s favorites

Tone/Style: personal, resolute

Pace: moderate

Topics: women’s rights, education, Al Qaeda, terrorism, war, Islam, assault, politics, activism, survival

Themes: social justice, courage, standing up for beliefs, reaching for dreams

Summary: I Am Malala. This is my story.

Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren’t allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn’t go to school.