Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

Skandar Smith has spent his entire thirteen years dreaming of becoming a unicorn rider.  He's studied and worried and wished for a life different from his own.  His mother died when he was a baby, and his dad has been an alcoholic who can barely hold a job since then.  His older sister Kenna has spent the last year in a depression after failing the exam to make it to the island where the unicorns live.  Though he feels some guilt at the idea of leaving them behind, he can't imagine living a life without a unicorn.

Unicorns had always been a secret of the island until the number of eggs outgrew the number of available 13-year-olds to try for a bond.  Even with a bond, unicorns are bloodthirsty and powerful.  Unicorns that hatch wild...well, they are terrifying and unstoppable.  The bond between unicorn and rider not only gives the rider magic ability but also makes the unicorn less ferocious and gives it a natural lifespan.  

When he's turned away at the exam door, Skandar can't understand.  How can they just deny him the chance to even try?  But when a stranger shows up at midnight to smuggle him into the next round of the trials, he has to take his chance.  Plus, the stranger is convinced Skandar is the only one who can save the island and the mainland from the Weaver, a rogue magic wielder whose thirst for power could endanger them all.

Now Skandar has his wish, but he has so many secrets to keep, it seems inevitable one will escape.  Will he be able to keep his place in the Eyrie and continue training, or will the Weaver's plot endanger his future?

The series opener from A.F. Steadman is a wild ride and a wonderful reimagining of unicorns.  Instead of ethereal beings of light, they are bloodthirsty carnivores who are difficult to control.  The Eyrie is the perfect magical school for unicorn riders with lots of fun and whimsical details.  (However, I want just one of these magic school books to at least mention the study of language and math.  or do you magically have a mastery of the regular subjects when you get magical powers?)  This is a well-plotted series opener with plenty of twists and false suspicions along the way.  Harry Potter fans will eat this up!  Highly recommended! 

Two Degrees

Akira is happy to recharge her batteries in the California mountains with her dad and her horse, Dodger.  But things quickly go wrong when she sees smoke from a wildfire.  Suddenly her beautiful day turns into a fiery nightmare.   

Owen helps his family run polar bear tours in Manitoba, Canada.  Lately, the bears have been showing up earlier and staying later in the season, which is good for business, but Owen has never really thought about why this is happening.  When he and a friend get stranded miles from town, all the polar bear facts he spouts on the tour become suddenly more applicable.  They have no transportation, no phone, and they are being stalked by a hungry polar bear.

Natalie and her mom have ridden out hurricanes in their Miami home before, but there is something different about this storm.  As the flood waters quickly rise, Natalie is swept away and must fend for herself in a fight for survival in a raging hurricane.

Three harrowing events in three different parts of North America are connected by climate change.  Warmer, drier summers in California lead to increasingly devastating wildfires.  Warmer temperatures in the frozen north mean it's more difficult for polar bears to find and hunt seals.  And warmer air in the ocean means more powerful and frequent hurricanes.  Two degrees seems like such a small change on a hot day, but the change in the global temperature leaves Akira, Owen, and Natalie fighting for their lives.

Alan Gratz's newest book is sure to be a crowd-pleaser with nonstop survival action from the first chapter all the way through to the end.  The many kids who have been affected by climate disasters will relate to the three protagonists in the story.  Gratz likes to connect seemingly unrelated characters in unexpected ways, and this strategy usually works for me.  It felt a little heavy-handed this time, but I don't think young readers will care.  Hand this to Gratz's normal fans and to the I Survived crowd who are ready for the next step.  Highly recommended!