Candace Schmidt

Many of us were disappointed when our predicted snow failed to materialize last week. So, if you really need a snow fix, try one of these frosty reads!

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This readalike is in response to a patron's book-match request. If you would like personalized reading recommendations, fill out the book-match form and a librarian will email suggested titles to you.

Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead.

If you liked the Abhorsen Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen), you'll also want to try (if you haven't already) some of Garth Nix's other series such as the Keys to the Kingdom and the Seventh Tower.

Also, here are a few other fantasy titles you may enjoy:

The Amulet of Samarkand: Book One of the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (first in a series)
When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey (part of a series)
Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

Just a week ago, people in West Virginia were eagerly awaiting the NCAA semi-final game between WVU and Duke. Bob Huggins, the coach of the WVU Mountaineers - an alumni of both the school and the basketball program knew what a victory would mean for his state. He promised that if they won the title, the whole team would take a bus and visit every nook, cranny and "holler" in the state.

Green Mansions by W. H. Hudson.
Abel, a young European, falls in love with Rima, a lovely and mysterious girl of the jungle, and the two travel through the South American jungle to Rima's distant homeland.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.
Quasimodo, the horribly misshapen bell-ringer of Notre Dame, rescues and defends the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
A young governess falls in love with her master but their love is
threatened when a terrifying mystery is exposed.

An Angel for May by Melvin Burgess.
Tam travels back in time to his small English town at the time of World War II, where his friendship helps a traumatized girl living on a farm just outside the town.

Blossom Culp and the Sleep of Death by Richard Peck.
Blossom, high-school freshman and possessor of "second sight," helps an Egyptian princess, dead for 3500 years, to regain her tomb, and in
addition saves a suffragette school teacher from losing her job in 1914.

Down the Rabbit Hole: an Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams.
Like her idol, Sherlock Holmes, Ingrid uses her intellect to solve a
murder case in her hometown.

Twisted Summer by Willo Davis Roberts.
Fourteen-year-old Cici hopes for a romantic summer at the beach but
instead finds herself trying to solve a murder which had occurred there the previous year.

All of these books are from our young adult collection.

The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.
After the death of his guardian uncle, Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency. The first book in the series is Stormbreaker and there are now six titles in the series.

Acceleration by Graham McNamee.
Stuck working in the Lost and Found of the Toronto Transit Authority for the summer, seventeen-year-old Duncan finds the diary of a serial killer and sets out to stop him.

Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin.
Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide,
sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious
student activities at her boarding school.

Hopefully you will enjoy some these titles, all of which feature a smart female sleuth!

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer.
Enola, the niece of Sherlock Holmes, is drawn into two mysteries, both surrounding missing persons.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett.
When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a
precious Vermeer painting disappears, Petra and Calder combine their
talents to solve an international art scandal.

I am going to suggest some titles based on reviews and also based on comments of other readers. I am also going to take into account what you said you liked about the book. I have asked our library to order some titles by Hillary Frank, so that I can familiarize myself with her work. It is always fun to be introduced to a new author! I hope you will like some of these titles - all from the library's young adult collection.