The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Todd lives on a New World where people can hear each others thoughts and also hear animal thoughts. They call it the Noise. One day Todd hears a space of silence with no Noise. As he investigates, he finds a girl named Viola. There are no girls or women in Prenticetown. When his guardians Ben and Cillan find out, they tell him he must flee. They send him with supplies and a diary of his mother's and tell him, "You must warn them." As he and Viola race to escape the men of Prenticetown who are chasing them, they find that they are being pursued for other reasons that they don't even realize. They come to town after town where the townspeople are afraid and the army is always following them. Those who shelter them are destroyed. When they finally make it to Haven, where they hope to find safety, they find no one except the Mayor of Prenticetown who has been following them. A sequel is to follow.

Simon Bloom, the Gravity Keeper

Simon Bloom is on his way home when he feels a breeze. The breeze seems to blow him in a certain direction and he ends up in Dunkerhook Woods, a magical place where he finds a magical book - The Teacher's Edition of Physics. Simon takes the book home and finds it is full of formulas - not very interesting until he tries one and finds himself floating around in his bedroom like an astronaut in outer space. He and his friends Owen and Alysha try out some more of the formulas and are having a great time until they discover that others are after the book and their lives are in danger. They must learn the formulas and be able to use them at a moments notice in order to save the book and return it to its rightful owner. This was a funny science fiction story with lots of actual explanations of scientific principals and how they could be applied or what would happen if they were not there. Kids who like science would love this book. The information about the author on the back blurb was very funny and could be used in an introduction to the book. This is his first novel, but I see a series on the way.

STORM: the Infinity Code by E.L. Young

Will and his friend Gaia attend a special school in England. They are both extremely bright. One day Gaia invites Will to join STORM, a group hoping to combat global strife. The group is headed by Andrew, a teen software designer, and millionaire. Another friend Caspian also belongs to the group. After rescuing a plane load of passengers during a solar explosion or CME, the three find out that a new weapon is being developed to create a black hole in space and destroy the new space hotel. Caspian's father has been kidnapped and has asked for Caspian's help with the project. By following him, Will, Gaia, and Andrew go to St. Petersburg, Russia and discover a secret missile launching site. They only have minutes to destroy the launcher before the new weapon explodes. Will discovers that his mother, an astrophysicist, has also been forced to work on the project. The three teenagers manage to destroy the device and Caspian and Roden Cutler, the man behind the plan are captured. This science fiction novel is packed with action and adventure. Will is an expert inventor, coming up with James Bond type gadgets to help with their quest. Gaia is a strong female character who creates bombs. All of the students are gifted. This would appeal to science fiction fans, gifted students, and those interested in science.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In Panem, North America, on Reaping Day, one boy and one girl are chosen from each of the 12 districts to participate in the Hunger Games. The games are televised and everyone must watch the competition to the death. Only one person can win and they must kill all of the others. Katniss's younger sister Primrose is chosen from their district. She is young and inexperienced, so Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Katniss is a hunter, a survivor. She thinks she can survive and perhaps win. The boy who is chosen is Peeta Mellark, the bakers son who has always loved Katniss. Haymitch, the only previous winner from Seam, their home district, is their mentor. He is always drunk, and Katniss and Peeta don't feel like he will be any help to them. As the games develop, Katniss befriends Rue, a 12 year old girl from District 11. Eventually she realizes that Peetah has been helping her and they form an alliance. In the end, they are both chosen as winners, although the Capitol is very angry and tries to kill them. They have fallen in love, but is Katniss really in love or just doing it for the audience? A sequel to follow.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

In a science fiction novel that takes place in the future, Jenna Fox has been in a very severe car accident. She has just awakened from a coma and has no memory. Her parents start showing her movies of her life to help her remember. As her memory starts to return she learns that her body is not her own. She is a robot made of bio-gel, a substance created by her father. Only 10 percent of her brain remains. All the rest of her body is artificial. The bio-gel contains chemical neurotransmitters. They learn from her brain and become smarter. Her memories have all been uploaded from her brain. She and the other two teenagers who were in the car with her have all had their memories stored in computers for future use. The FSEB, which controls all medical procedures, has outlawed the overuse of antibiotics and human organ reproduction. Jenna is illegal. If anyone finds out that she exists, her parents and the scientists who have helped them will be in trouble. Jenna must remain hidden, but she wants her freedom. She wants to be human. She wants friends and the human part of being a terminal being.

This is a great thought provoking science fiction book. It could lead to discussions about what makes us human and how far scientists and doctors should go in saving human life. It would be good to compare to Jules Verne and other classic science fiction novels that were written about things that actually later came to pass, like submarines. Will medical science eventually be able to create human beings from very small particles of actual human beings and what will be the repercussions of these advances? Would you really want to live forever?

Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel

Dusk is the first of his kind - a chiropter that can fly - a bat.  The rest of his colony must climb and glide, but Dusk has wings and can fly like a bird.  He is thought of as an outcast and would not be accepted at all if not for his father, the leader of the colony.  Carnassial is another chiropter who has changed.  He has become carniverous and becomes a predator to the other chiropters.  In this novel showing the evolution of mammals during the extinction of the dinosaurs, the animals find that although they are no longer alike, their various powers give them different leadership abilities.  Dusk becomes a leader because of his ability to fly, see in the dark, and use echolocation.  He leads his colony to safety from the carnivores and finds them a new safe home.

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society where everyone is born Ugly and is made Pretty at 16 years old.  She meets a friend, Shay, who wants to escape to another area, called The Smoke, where people are free and remain ugly forever.  Tally doesn't go with her friend, but when Special Circumstances capture her, she is forced to go to The Smoke to find her friend.  Once she gets there, she wants to stay, but when she destroys her necklace, it notifies Special Circumstances and they attack the camp.  Tally and her friend David escape and rescue Shay and David's mother, but Tally decides to become pretty in order to try out the brain medicine that David's mother has created to change the lesions that are made in the Pretties brains when they are changed.  This is part of a trilogy and Westerfield definitely leaves you wanting more.