The Fledging of Az Gabrielson by Jay Amory

Az is considered a freak by most of those who know him, because he has no wings. In a futuristic setting, where everyone lives in cities above the clouds, this is notable and it means that Az is the perfect candidate for a special job the government has in mind. Az is sent to the surface, where nothing is supposed to have survived, and discovers an entire civilization essentially working as slaves for the Airborn. Az has some very important decisions to make, as do those he encounters on the surface.

A fast paced adventure with enjoyable characters and a sprinkling of morality mixed in makes this the perfect book for those that have worked through the more popular series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

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by Scott

Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Sava

Mad scientist Professor Pointdexter P Poppycock has created four hyper intelligent dinosaurs to do his evil bidding. Unfortunately, because of their superior intellects they tell Professor Poppycock they are unwilling to hurt people and as result they must part ways. The dinosaurs meet a young boy named Cameron with whom they become fast friends. Soon Professor Poppycock is at it again, but this time with robotic dinosaurs programmed to follow his every command. Of course, Cameron and his dinosaurs are the only ones capable of standing in his way.

This was a surprisingly enjoyable graphic novel. The artwork was good and I really appreciated the artist's use of pastels and soft colors.The humor is slapstick and clearly designed for younger readers, but I still caught myself chuckling from time to time. The story was well-paced and although predicable, it still pulled me in. This book also does a good job of portraying disabled characters in a positive light. Cameron is in a wheel chair, but it in no way hampers his ability to join in on the action, in fact it even ends up helping. Plus the story had dinosaurs, how awesome is that? Recommend this one to fans of dinosaurs, robots and comic hijinx grades 3 to 6.

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by Patrick