Back to school time is here, but never fear. RevolutionSF is here with some reading material to hide in your textbook.

Terrier

Author: Tamora Pierce/ Reading Level: Grade 7 / Suggested Audience: Grade 7 / Target Reader: Girls, but boys will love the roughness.

I have waxed poetic about Tamora Pierce before. Here I go again.

Beka Cooper is a new recruit, for the Provost's Marshals, the police of Tortall, commonly known as the Provost's Dogs. Recruits like Beka are known as puppies.

Beka has been assigned to the poorest and roughest of the city's districts, where she spent some of her childhood. Beka can speak to spirits, such as the the dead who cling to pigeons, or spirits that create dust spinners in corners of streets, collecting the sounds of humanity that passes by them.

Tamora Pierce is a tremendous writer. Beka is a strong, confident heroine who isn't addled by the presence of boys. I like that in a girl. Pierce also presents a realistic world view. She pulls no punches about Beka's profession. There are corrupt Dogs who look the other way, others who are drunk on duty and others who die. Still, there are those, like Beka, who take the job seriously.

Harry Potter fans will love Beka's take charge attitude. They will also find Pierce's refusal to pull punches simlar to that of Rowling.

Secret of Platform 13

Author: Eva Ibbitson / Reading Level: Grade 5 / Suggested Audience: Grade 4 / Target Reader: Fantasy fans

Platform 13 opens every nine years for nine days. During the last opening, the infant crown prince disappeared. This time, the king and queen have organized a rescue party to find the Prince and bring him back. This party discovers, much to their horror, that the prince is a spoiled brat. But Odge the hag has a suspicion there is something else going on.

This book enjoyed a resurgence after Harry took off. Although published three years before Philosopher's / Sorceror's Stone, it shares the plot device of a magical train station platform that links London to another world. It also shares the child protagonist. Ibbitson has been very gracious about the similarities, saying that she would like to shake JK's hand as authors all borrow from each other.

Harry fans will find this novel similar, but with enough differences to make it fresh.

Repossessed

Author: A.M. Jenkins / Reading Level: Grade 8 / Suggested Audience: Grade 9 / Target Reader: Teenagers

Kiriel is a fallen angel tired of supervising the condemned souls in Hell, which is really not as exciting as you think. Kiriel takes possession of a body of a slacker teenage boy, just before it is about to die. Then our demon learns about life from the point of view of a seventeen year old boy.

A.M. Jenkins has written a quick novel that explores adolescence. Older Potter fans find Kiriel's sense of wonder at being immersed in a new world familiar. Younger Harry Potter fans need to read something else.

Recently the great Dave Farnell, RevSF boards producer, suggested I include some classic genre books for young people in my column. These are the suggestions that may jump to the mouths of many a seasoned fan as well as librarians and school teachers. Even though they are old (a cardinal sin for the young), they are worth the time and effort to read. Your local library should have them or head off to the used bookstore for a day of digging.

The Belgariad

Author: David Eddings/ Books: Pawn of the Prophecy / Reading Level: Grade 9 / Suggested Audience: Grade 7 / Target Reader: Epic fantasy fans

Garion's farm boy world is sent spinning out of control when Mr. Wolf, a vagabond storyteller, takes the young boy and his Aunt Pol. Mr. Wolf, is an ancient sorceror and Aunt Pol is his daughter. Garion is surrounded by larger than life characters and harrowing events. He realizes he may be fated to be more than just a farm boy.

The standard fantasy world will be familiar to readers from page one. The reader learns about the quest and the world as Garion does. The characters are rich; some who appear on only one page being completely fleshed out. There is also snappy dialogue to keep the story moving along.

Potter fans will find elements familiar. They will love the young protagonist. If they truly love the series, there is a sequel series The Mallorean, which feels like more of the same. The same holds true with Belgarath the Sorcerer, but Polgara the Sorceress is quite good.