Adventure Alert!

It's often hard to think up, on the spot, a book to recommend to boys from 5th-8th grade that features adventure and fantasy - something with the appeal of Kenneth Oppel's "Airborn" series (which, by the way has a new sequel Starclimber). That's where the next title comes in handy to know.

Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud (of the "Bartimaeus" trilogy) is about brave ancestors, a dull present, and a boy who wants to liven his life up by avenging the death of his uncle. Along the way he teams up with a spunky heroine and together they push the boundaries of old taboos keeping their clans nestled in a homeland no one ventures beyond. The opening is a bit slow, but once the adventure starts, the pace doesn't let up.