Great not so widely Known Teen Books

Everyone knows about the "greats" of The Twilight Saga, Or Vampire Academy, basically all the good recent vampire trend style books hit the charts. What though, about the other millions of books? Unfotunately, most of them are not recognized, nor ever really end up getting noticed.

So, what to do about it? Really not much. Word of mouth seems to be the best way to get noticed, and now adays, only the few who read the books can vouch for them. Of course these new trends of vampires, and werewolves outdo everything else. Though I'm not sure why their so big suddenly, as there have been myths of all these "monsters" long before the rest of uscoud even remember.

Some great authors, who I vouch for, are Jane Yolen, Midori Snyder, Diane Duane, and an all time favorite of mine, Tamora Pierce. Some have only a few books, while others, have large amounts. Yolen, has many, in and out of series, Duane has the Young Wizards series, Pierce has the stories of Tortall, and the Magic Circle sets. Sure, fitting into the trend a little, there's magic, and such, but there more to the characters then their trials of who to avoid eating and whose trying to turn who into what, yada yada.

One great quartet of Yolen's is the Pit Dragon series. A young boy steals a dragon egg, raises the dragon to fight in the pits. all of this happening on a distant planet, a convict planet where Earth sent all the "bad guys." The young lead character falls in love with the daughter of the owner of a dragon farm. There a big conspiracy and the owner dies in a disaster, and the disaster leaves the two love birds running to hide in the mountains where other are said not to go. There the beloved dragon is slain, and the duo are forced into caves where they find people who can speak mind to mind as dragons do. All seems well until they see how they aquire this ability and escape, taking some dragons with them. After that you get into the fourth book, but I don't want to spoil it all.

Midori Snyder has the Oran Trilogy. An interesting mix of strong women, magic of the elements, learning to control and know themselves and work together, rebellion, a form of a religion, and saving everything they know. the women all control an element and only together can they save the country and world from the corrupted Fire Queen.

Diane Duane's Young Wizards series is by far complicated, complez, compelling and amazing. Two teens who find out they're wizards, and all wizards are trying to slow the corruption of the world by a power that be that turned bad. These hero's go through some very real trials, a mother who passes from cancer, trips abroad to see that the whole world can be destroyed, the existence of aliens, the workings of a planet itself. All to try and better the world.

Then, on to an ultimate favorite of mine; Tamora Pierce. This author as so many, it could take me hours to explain th wonders of the worlds she creates! I'll start with the Magic Circle crew. Three girls and one young man thrown together becoming a family because of having different sorts of magic than others. Sandra; able to make anything almost with any fabric and take it apart without a single needle if need be. Daja; who can form metals in ways others can't, can hold hot metals, and work directly with fire. Tris; a woman who can control the weather, winds, rains, lightning, etc. Of course, watch out, you can't always mendle in nature witout getting bit! Then there's Briar; the only boy of the group who can work with plants, growing them, killing them if he wanted, anything. They all go through their own trials, but work together just as much.

These aren't the only greats of Pierces. She also has the Tortall heroines. The first Quartet, Alanna, the first lay knight in a looong time. Learning to outshine almost any male around, but still being female and later on in another set, balancing motherhood. Daine, wild magic abounds as she talks to animals, heals them, and even becomes them and helps protect the country and friends she's come to love. Kel, the simpler but no less fierce first girl to follow Alanna's track and her willngness to fight all bullies of the world, whatever the risks to herself. then there's Alanna's roguish daughter Ali, enslaved in a foreign country to turn aid of a noble family and a god, helping pass from an old bitter reign to a nw one, spying all along the way. Through this all, every one of these heroines saves countries, people friends. They have fights, love, and intrigue every step of the way, but no matter, they're everyday wonder women.

With all of these I do see a theme, heroines in all, (with only a few heroes.) Not only are these great girls to look up to for modern girls, but they aren't there just for their looks, but their smarts, wits, and talents. Something all our young women should look up to. Yet, they are still in the shadows of these mesmorizing vampire daters. (Don't get me wrong, I do like a good vampire book.!)