THE PECULIARS
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YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults
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Bank Street Best Book
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Horn Book Recommended Fantasy
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Booklist Starred
On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.
Beyond the Door
Book I in the Time Out of Time Series
Abrams/Amulet Books
Booklist Top Ten Sf-Fantasy Youth 2014
"McQuerry smoothly blends adventure, coming-of-age, and mystery with a mythological world where special academic and problem-solving talents are required assets rather than nerd-bait for bullies. The characters are charming, and the quirky, supernatural good guys are compassionate and forgiving." VOYA
With his love of learning and the game of Scrabble, Timothy James feels like the only person who understands him is his older sister, Sarah, and he’s fairly certain nothing interesting will ever happen to him. But one night, while his parents and sister are away, the door opens and everything changes: mythical creatures appear in his own living room! Soon, a mystery of unparalleled proportions begins to unfold, revealing an age old battle of Light against Dark, and Timothy must embark on a quest to prevent the Dark from controlling the future and changing the past. But he can’t complete the quest alone. Timothy must team up with his sister and the school bully, Jessica to face an ancient evil and in the process, this unlikely trio discover they are each more than meets the eye.
The Telling Stone
Book 2 in the Time Out of Time series
Abrams/Amulet Books
WA State Book Award finalist
Fresh from his last adventure, Timothy returns to the otherworldly market and discovers that the Dark forces have mobilized again. After temporarily halting Balor’s evil army, Timothy, Jessica, and Sarah find that Timothy has received the crown that designates him the new Filidh, keeper of all stories. In order to continue their quest to destroy Balor’s forces, the children must find the powerful Telling Stone. Timothy is gifted a map that has neither a key nor a compass, and despite their best efforts, the gang cannot decipher it. Timothy’s father is given a job opportunity in Scotland during Christmas break, so the family, including Jessica, travels to the land filled with history and tradition. While in Scotland, the children encounter allies, including Julian the fantastical reference librarian. With the good, though, also comes the Dark. During their trip Timothy, Jessica, and Sarah learn more about the Four Treasures. They also fight for their lives and for the future of humanity.