National Network for Equitable Library Service

Percy Jackson meets Tristan Strong in this hilarious, action-packed middle grade contemporary fantasy that follows a young boy as he journeys across China to seal the underworld shut and save the mortal realm. Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths.

Although evil terror nearly brought Uthgar to his demise, Owen was able to save his friend from death, reconcile with his long-lost sister Elsa and free the town from the Evil King. With his family reunited and Uthgar's health improving, The Dwarf King wishes to share a secret known by very few humans or dwarves. However, with this knowledge also comes a new quest and new challenges to ensure humans and dwarves can finally live in peace.

"The Blue Knight" reveals problems in our society related to racism and bullying, which is an important topic that is currently at the forefront of many lives and is being discussed at great lengths around the world. The main character, a teenage boy named Owen, lives in a small village with his mother. He is chastised by everyone he encounters until the day he meets an unusual friend who lives in the mountains nearby. Both outcasts must gain each other's trust and learn self-worth, mutual respect and tolerance.

The dwarves have returned to their home in the mountains and reunited with their rightful King, Uthgar, but with their arrival comes conflict with the humans. Owen is assigned a warrior to further his training, but not only is she a dwarf, she's also female. Owen's world is completely changed forever as a long-lost family member reemerges with hatred for dwarves. When a clash of cultures and struggle for power causes animosity between the two races, Owen must overcome his own misconceptions, create new relationships and help find balance between the two cultures.

Libraries are magical places. But what if they're even more magical than we know? In Cyrille Martinez's library, the books are alive: not just their ideas or their stories, but the books themselves. Meet the Angry Young Book, who has strong opinions about who reads what and why. He's tired of people reading bestsellers, so he places himself on the desks of those who might appreciate him. Meet the Old Historian who mysteriously vanished from the stacks.

Action, intrigue, and magic collide in this epic fantasy following Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an Emperor's Justice, who is a detective, judge, and executioner all in one—but with rebellion and unrest building, these are dangerous times to be a Justice . . . The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman.

In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known. But Willow does not want her daughter to lead the lonely, heavy life of a binder, so she chooses another as her apprentice.

Gwin has lost her husband to war and her children to a plague. Desolate, she nurses her stricken neighbours. But those who survive the plague are cursed with terrible abilities and are cast out. Gwin shelters a young girl, and this act changes her world forever. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1995.

In her mid-twenties, Bettina San Miguel leaves her desert homeland for a northern art colony. There the presence of los lobos draws her into the mythic world of the past, where Celtic spirits followed Irish immigrants and met the resident Indian and Mexican spiritual forces. 2000.

The Kingdom of Al-Rassan is home to three nations. Once mighty, the kingdom has been splintered by rival kings and fanatical religious leaders. Two generals from different peoples share a political exile and the love of a beautiful physician also from Al-Rassan, but a religious war in their homeland pits each against the other. 1995.