Farwalker's Quest

Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel is a great coming of age story for upper elementary or junior high readers.

The story is set in a kind of post-apocalyptic world where much knowledge and technology have been lost after biological warfare rendered everyone blind. People have since recovered their sight, but have created a completely different society where people are selected at a "Namingfest" for different trades which reflect their natural abilities, and take on the last name of their trade. There are many trades, such as Fisher, Reaper, Storian (keeper of history), Finder, Tree-Singer (one who can talk to trees), Heal-touch, Kincaller (good with animals), and others. The Farwalker trade has become extinct at this time, as people have become less and less interested in exploring the world outside their own secluded towns.

The two main characters, Ariel and Zeke, are faced with the task of finding what they are good at, Ariel for the first time, Zeke after having lost the ability to do his trade. Both of them find their new trades to be something unexpected, and even unacceptible to some people. They also find themselves on an unexpected quest and meet a character who is remeniscent of Strider from Lord of the Rings.

There are plenty of tense moments, and a bit of action, but the most important parts of the story take place in the characters minds and hearts as they work through finding their place in the world.

There is also a theme of hope for the furture and a positive outlook on technology, provided people use it right.

The Hollow Kingdom trilogy: by Clare B. Dunkle

The first book is The Hollow Kingdom, the second Close Kin, and the third In the Coils of the Snake. We have them shelved in YA at my store, but upper elementary could also probably read them. They'd certainly be no problem for any kids who have read all the Harry Potter books. These books are beautiful, just as the lovely covers suggest. I'm not sure whether chain bookstores actually carry them or not, though... this post may be in vain. =) I had to order them myself for my store (which I did so I could put the first one on my table of picks -- they're very good). They're fantasy, using some old archetypes of goblins who steal young human girls. The first book has some good twists. They're quite funny as well. I have a feeling that many of the people who like the Twilight series would like these books, although the subject matter isn't the same (and may be appropriate for younger readers), and even the style isn't really all that similar... yeah, I'm not sure why I think they would, but I sort of do. They are less suspenseful and maybe not quite as dark. Shorter, but not necessarily easier reads. Meh. Still very magical and somewhat romantic. The time period and style also reminds me of Sorcery and Cecilia by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia Wrede. People who like that one would probably like these. Maybe Fruits Basket readers, too. And people who like fairy tale retellings, although The Hollow Kingdom is not about any specific fairy tale.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

This is a modern-day meets a hidden fantasy world adventure. The three main characters discover a book filled with secrets about the magical creatures that co-habit our world writen by their great uncle Arthur Spiderwick. Unfortuneately no one in the magicle realm want humans to know about them, and thus both the good and the bad are determined to take the book from the children before they reveal of the knowledge to others. The evil troll Mulgarath, a master of shape-shifting and illusions, is especially determined to get the book and use the information therein to help him take over not only the fairy realm, but the world of humans as well. There is a good deal of suspense, as well as some action, as the children try to escape the goblins and outsmart Mulgarath as well as the cunning and lofty elves, while befriending brownies, pixies, and even a griffon.
Alongside the fantasy adventure, the story deals with the very real issues of a family going through a divorce creating a more serious undertone. However the fantasy plot takes precidence and the everyday issues are not fully developed.
Each of the books works more like a chapter in the story, rather than posessing individual plots, so, although it appears as a series, it is really just one fairly simple story and could easily have been published in one continuous volume. The reading level is probably suitable for mid-elementary.
The illustrations provided throughout are delightfull! I would also highly reccommend the illustrated field guide wich contains more full page color pictures and detailed decriptions of the different creatures we meet in the story.

Ella Enchanted: by Gail Carson Levine

This is a fun Cinderella story with a spunky main character. It's not too 'Fairy-tale Princess'-y, but rather has a more humorous take on the fairy tale world. However, the humor is not like it was in the movie - which had a very different feel than the book.

Levine has a very amusing way of retelling fairy tales and has created her own unique world, or atmosphere for the land in which they take place. Her shorter stories, including The Fairy's Mistake, Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, The Pincess Test, and Cinderellis and the Glass Hill would be a great introduction to her writing. The reading level is probably mid-upper elementary

Vampire Kisses series: by Ellen Schreiber

Not overly dark and creepy, but with a fair ammount of suspense. The characters are easy to relate to, and don’t get annoyingly angsty or stupid. The main character Raven will especially appeal to kids who have always lived outside the 'In crowd'. The focus is more on the typical relationships and inner lives of teenagers than on Vampire lore or a dark underworld. This series is also pretty 'clean' for a teenage romance. Don't read the first book without the seccond one handy becuase it has a real cliff-hanger ending.

There are currently 4 books in the series, and the 5th one is coming out in June.
A manga based on these books has also been published entitled: Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives. The plot does not strictly follow the first book, but the artwork is pretty good and it's an enjoyable addition to (or even introduction to) the series.

The Redwall Series: by Brian Jaques

The setting is roughly medieval. While the characters are animals, they dress and behave more like people. The stories are filled with action and adventure, as well as mystery, and mouthwatering descriptions of grand feasts. There are always several groups of characters we follow who will eventually meet up, usually at an epic battle at the end. Usually someone dies, but not one of the main characters, except in Martin the Warrior, and always for a good cause, never pointlessly. There are villains you love to hate, true heros, and many many loveable characters. The values of honor and friendship, as well has helping those in need are strong themes in these books. While most of the main characters are male, these books are easily enjoyed by both boys and girls. The reading level is probably upper elementary for the most part, but they remain of interest even for adults. The timeline spanns many generations of the inhabitants of Mossflower woods and the fortress called Redwall Abbey. While most of the books could stand alone, they are linked by references to eachother and the appearance of the same characters in more than one book, often once in their youth, and then again later in their old age, and yet again as the heroes of old legends. One could read them in chronological order, but I would highly reccommend starting with either Redwall, or Mossflower.