My favorite books of action driven young adult fiction

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been more than lucky to live a life of adventure from the start. My family did things a little unusually – we lived on a boat, we bought a ranch, we trained (and I still train) horses, we traveled, and through it all, we read. My entire adventuring family always had books, even on that boat when we have very little space. We would all go to the main cabin at night and either escape to a new world in novel or, in my case quite often, a note book. I’ll be forever grateful for these experiences because it was adventure shaped who I am as an author and reader.


I wrote...

Ranger of Kings

By C.J.R. Isely,

Book cover of Ranger of Kings

What is my book about?

Stuck as a lowly village boy, Will finds his life changed forever when he is offered a chance to train as a squire of Alamore. Now he has new friends, new training, and a future as a knight! But not everything is as perfect as it appeared at first.

The country is on the brink of war, tunnels beneath the castle hide enemies of the crown, and Will’s own blood may pull him into a battle he never knew existed. As he trains to be a knight, Will is also discovering that there are secrets he never knew existed and that perhaps fate had little to do with his coming to Alamore. Perhaps it had more to do with these dark truths and the mysterious man known only as the Ranger of Kings.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Blood Red Horse

C.J.R. Isely Why did I love this book?

Though this book is historical fiction rather than fantasy, and I generally am a fantasy fan, K. M. Grant does wonders in this book. It takes place in King Richard’s crusades and, though the book spans several years, you never feel rushed or disconnected from the characters. It does not pick sides but rather has characters on both sides who come together, not in war, but in their love for a small blood-red stallion. As a huge history fan and an equestrian, this book combines medieval times and a knowledge of horses with a talent of weaving stories. It is superb! I cannot say enough about it.

By K. M. Grant,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Blood Red Horse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

Will longs to be a knight, like his older brother Gavin. Then he could ride a charger, fight bravely in the Crusades for King Richard, and win the heart of a fair maiden. All he needs is a horse. And when he chooses one, he chooses well - a small chestnut stallion with a blaze on its forehead. There's something different about Hosanna - but Will doesn't know how important Hosanna will be to him, to his family, even to Saladin.

In the Holy Land, Will learns that being a knight is bloody, brutal and often terrifying. His father is…


Book cover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

C.J.R. Isely Why did I love this book?

J. K. Rowling’s books have always been some of my favorites. She brings the Hogwarts school to life, along with the fantasy characters! This book, though midway through the series, is probably my favorite because she can create villains you hate more than the villains you already thought you hated and she shows Harry’s inner battles vividly.

By J.K. Rowling,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

The fifth adventure in the spellbinding Harry Potter saga - the series that changed the world of books forever Dark times have come to Hogwarts. After the Dementors' attack on his cousin Dudley, Harry Potter knows that Voldemort will stop at nothing to find him. There are many who deny the Dark Lord's return, but Harry is not alone: a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to fight against the Dark forces. Harry must allow Professor Snape to teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort's savage assaults on his mind. But they are growing stronger by the day and…


Book cover of Heir Apparent

C.J.R. Isely Why did I love this book?

Heir Apparent is the perfect mixture of fantasy taking place in the future! Some might argue that it being set in the future makes it more sci-fi but I would disagree as the majority of the story takes place in a medieval fantasy realm that the main character is not actually from. Highly entertaining, this first-person writing has high levels of sarcasm (which I enjoy as I, too, am sarcastic) and, even though it takes place in a video game, there is more than losing a game on the line.

By Vivian Vande Velde,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Heir Apparent as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In Heir Apparent there are as many ways to win as there are to get killed. "A stylish tale [that] addresses both fantasy gaming and censorship." (New York Times Book Review)

From Edgar Award–winning author Vivian Vande Velde comes a rollicking story that puts a high-tech twist on the classic medieval fantasy-adventure.

In the virtual reality game Heir Apparent, there are way too many ways to get killed—and Giannine seems to be finding them all. Which is a shame, because unless she can get the magic ring, locate the stolen treasure, answer the dwarf's dumb riddles, impress the head-chopping statue,…


Book cover of The Spirit of Things

C.J.R. Isely Why did I love this book?

I won’t lie, I am an audiobook fan because I can listen to them as I work. The story in The Spirit of Things, combined with the excellence of Nigel Peever as a narrator, is seriously fantastic! A Human boy raised among elves wants to find his way to finally being accepted. After having a vision, Fulco realizes what just might be his answer – he needs to find a way to possess magic.

By Ben McQueeney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Spirit of Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A land in peril, a traitorous goddess, a human outcast living among the elves. Will he learn to harness his mysterious powers before it is too late?

By the age of seventeen rotations, Fulco has had a tough time growing up in a forest village. Abandoned as a baby and raised by a loving elven family, he is despised by the village elves as humans are deemed a plague upon the land. 

Hoping to gain their approval through sportsmanship, Fulco dreams of winning a position on the elven Portare team. An epic sport where players must ride upon a beast,…


Book cover of First Test

C.J.R. Isely Why did I love this book?

Tamora Pierce can always write great female characters who are strong, compassionate, and all-around role models for young women. In First Test, she introduces Kel, and not only is she all of these things, but she is also more. She doesn’t fall into that perfect imperfect we always see in YA fiction. She is strong, independent (even through romances), and always stands for nobility and those smaller than herself.

By Tamora Pierce,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked First Test as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Kel will not allow this first test to be her last. Her adventure begins in the New York Times bestselling series from the fantasy author who is a legend herself: TAMORA PIERCE.
 
Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing…


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A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,

Book cover of A Theory of Expanded Love

Caitlin Hicks Author Of A Theory of Expanded Love

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My life and work have been profoundly affected by the central circumstance of my existence: I was born into a very large military Catholic family in the United States of America. As a child surrounded by many others in the 60s, I wrote, performed, and directed family plays with my numerous brothers and sisters. Although I fell in love with a Canadian and moved to Canada, my family of origin still exerts considerable personal influence. My central struggle, coming from that place of chaos, order, and conformity, is to have the courage to live an authentic life based on my own experience of connectedness and individuality, to speak and be heard. 

Caitlin's book list on coming-of-age books that explore belonging, identity, family, and beat with an emotional and/or humorous pulse

What is my book about?

Trapped in her enormous, devout Catholic family in 1963, Annie creates a hilarious campaign of lies when the pope dies and their family friend, Cardinal Stefanucci, is unexpectedly on the shortlist to be elected the first American pope.

Driven to elevate her family to the holiest of holy rollers in the parish, Annie is tortured by her own dishonesty. But when “The Hands” visits her in her bed and when her sister finds herself facing a scandal, Annie discovers her parents will do almost anything to uphold their reputation and keep their secrets safe. 

Questioning all she has believed and torn between her own gut instinct and years of Catholic guilt, Annie takes courageous risks to wrest salvation from the tragic sequence of events set in motion by her parents’ betrayal.

A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,


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