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YA Sci-Fi Book Literature

I read a book many years ago and I'm attempting to track it down now to re-read it.

Here's what I remember: The protagonist is a woman who works for some sort of agency (I think it's intergalactic) and she's captured by an enemy race. She makes a comment about having her hair cut short when she's imprisoned because in the enemy's culture that is a way to humiliate or shame women, though it doesn't bother her. The part I remember is from her point of view and she continues to tell the story from what she can see/learn while locked up.

That's the most specific thing I recall, but there is also something about her working with another agent, a man who is either inexperienced or has done something disgraceful, making her unhappy to be stuck with him (the story may flip to his point of view for some chapters?). In the end, he takes their ship and uses it to somehow defeat the enemy, I think by self-destructing the ship to blow up their base or city, killing himself in the process but saving the female agent and presumably everyone else...

Any ideas? I believe it is a young adult novel and it may be out of print. Also, I can't promise it was ever published or available outside the United States. Not a lot to go on, I know, but I'd appreciate any titles anyone can suggest. Thanks!

A children’s sci-fi/fantasy novel that was adapted into a movie or TV series Literature

I think it was about a group of kids who, like many other children in the setting’s recent times, mysteriously gained powers and are on the run from the government.

Their powers are Color-Coded for Your Convenience and it’s later revealed that their powers were caused by an experimental chemical being added to the water supply.

Man moves to Africa (Khartoum I think?) Literature

I remember a book about a man who is dissatisfied with his life, and he sees something about a total eclipse in Khartoum so he decided to move there. There's mentions of something called the singing sand where the desert is cooling after soaking upheat all day and the sand releases this high pitched noise which supposedly drives people mad, so they take off their clothes and run into the desert.

The guy ends up getting involved in some dangerous shit with local intrigue, but I can't remember much more than that. There was one part where a woman is leading him through the cramped pathways between buildings because someone wants to kill them or something.

Would appreciate it ifin anyone could solve this for me.

Girl has pen pals, loves nicknames Literature

I remember this children's book written in a non conventional format, by which I mean the pages were colorful and the dialogue was on notebook paper I think? I think the cover was dark pink. Probably no newer than late 00s. I don't remember the main plot or anything, but there are bits I remember.

The main character had gotten multiple pen pals around the world, and was obsessed with nicknames, so she'd always ask them to give her a nickname based on their country/language. Also, there was a bit where she did a research project on the woman her school is named after. The woman's maiden name was Bottom, which leads the main character to quip that she's glad she got married so she didn't have to say she goes to a school called Bottom.

That's all I remember. What book was this?

Novel with a cartoony cover Literature

I remember some years ago (I can't quite remember how many), I was in a library and found a cover for a book that caught my attention. Unlike most of the other books in the library, the art for the cover was in a rather cartoony artstyle, perhaps vaguely burton-esque but I can't quite remember. As for what was happening on the cover, as I recall it was of a little girl standing in front of a TV (which I believe had a static-y screen) while two people that I'd presume to be her parents stare at her in confusion. The cover intrigued me and I skimmed a couple pages, and surprisingly the book itself seemed like a traditional novel, at least in format. I didn't check it out, but I just remembered it the other day and I was wondering if anybody recalls a book with a cover like that (if you remember something that's similar but not quite the same feel free to tell me about it anyway, I might be misremembering things.)

YA Science Fiction novel, probably. Literature

the main characters are teenagers i think, they somehow end up in the universe that came before the Big Bang, and some or all of them wind up on a planet with carnivorous tree stumps the thing that got them there is either a spaceship or an AI ...maybe both a spaceship and an AI

Anthro cat western picture book Literature

I remember trying to get this book at the library for this reading thing my daycare was doing, but one of the older kids snatched the book from me and claimed it for themselves, saying I was too young to read it.

From what I remember about the book, it was a bout an anthro cat in Mexico (it’s not Skippy Jon Jones) who was like, the town hero or somthing, he was an orange tabby. He had this girl cat that liked him and there was an outlaw in the town as well. He and the outlaw have a fight and the orange cat gets really hurt and the girl cat thinks he’s dead. I think he comes back tho and saves the day.

If anyone can find what this book is, I’d really appreciate it!

About a star Literature

There was a book about a star and I'm pretty sure it was also an animated special as well. It was about a girl and I think her younger brother was involved too. Another distinguishing feature is that in the book, the star had real glitter stuck to it.

ROALD DAHL STORY PERHAPS Literature

I thought this was from the Tales of the Unexpected short story collection by Roald Dahl, but I am not entirely sure. I remember reading a story, it was not scary, about a young boy traveling on a train with his mother. Adults would pass by and talk with him to keep him preoccupied. I thought the story begun with a V, but I do not know. Does this ring any bells for anyone? Please help, thanks.

scifi story involving temporal dislocation Literature

A scifi book about an astronaut who returns from an extended period of time out in space to discover he is temporally out of sync with the rest of the world. He is reacting to things before they happen and saying his parts of the conversation before other people have even come up to talk to him.

Two Girls Who Find A Book In A Basement (???) Literature

This is probably too vague for anyone to recognize, but does anyone know this children's book?

I can't remember the plot but it might have been about two girls around 9-12 who become friend... Or maybe they're not friends but they're classmates. Either way, I recall at least the protagonist going into a basement or shed or something in a forest. There might have been something involving a diary or pieces of paper. My clearest memory is of the ending: the friend moves away and I remember it being a Bittersweet Ending.

The book is probably from the 1990s or 2000s but was released no later than 2009. It's likely aimed at 8-14 year olds.

City of...? Literature

A book about a girl who lives in a "safe" city where children are tied to their parents until a certain age. The girl runs away and meets people who teach An Aesop about freedom and danger which she passes on to the rest of the city after she accidentally releases a danger into the "safe" city. I think the title starts with City of (something).

Alternate Universes, Einstein as a fighter, and more Literature

This book involves some sort of experiment. One test results in a scientist's kid disappearing. It turns out each time the machine runs, it creates a (smaller) copy of the universe; that's where the kid went. The size of each sub-universe depends on the amount of energy put in; it's centered on Sol with everything 'outside' being "not copied" (and this includes stars and star light — the stars might not be copied, but any starlight already in the sphere is allowed to continue on. But once all of the light finishes traveling to earth, the effect is the same as the star going out). Time passes at different rates depending on universe size, so that the Real universe reaches a certain year, but one sub universe may be 5 years ahead in effect, and another is 7.2 years ahead, due to being a little smaller than the first sub universe. One has Einstein fighting a copy of the kid with an energy weapon.

School for powered people Literature

I don't remember much, but the main character had some speed boost + regeneration power and his best friend (a girl) had a power where she could take on the qualities of any metal she's touching. Oh, and the protag becomes the sidekick of a superhero who has a drinking problem?

Weird adult fiction book set in Central Asian/Middle Eastern city--lot of plot centres around museum Literature

I think I was in my mid-teens when I read this (so mid-late 2000s)—unfortunately all I can remember is a mess of details that have not so far helped me to track it down (you should see my google searches lol). It was in English and seemed like a fairly recently published book.

From what I remember the plot itself was quite bizarre/unclear and the overall tone of the book was quite surreal, starting out semi-realistic, but with more (possibly?) supernatural/fantasy elements coming in toward the end.

It started with a Western man (I think) arriving in some Asian city in a presumable contemporary time period. I think he had taken on some sort of role in a museum. The city itself is multicultural, with Westerners, Muslims and a rather enigmatic native people group, who (and this is the detail I remember most clearly) have a major cultural thing about 'hanging up the bones of their ancestors', like, they hang them up in the doorways of their houses, and in various parts of the museum, and its a major taboo for an outsider to enter those forbidden areas.

There is a woman belonging to this native group who is some sort of guide/friend (employee?) of the protagonist, though, like the people group as a whole, her character feels somewhat ambivalent and mysterious.

I remember towards the end of the book is when it began to get really strange—various groups began arriving at the city, including some sort of pseudo-Christian jogging cult who wore tracksuits and "plexiglass crosses", and a group of hippie Middle-Earth cosplayers, led by a guy dressed as Gandalf. The protagonist encounters these sort of giant, mobile (sentient?) water-sacks, which are apparently for the native people, who have to begin some sort of epic pilgrimage through the desert.

I wanna say it was called something like Midnight in Kandahar?? or something? But I really don't know. Thanks in advance for your help!

A book about a long term magic duel in a circus (Found) Literature

There is a book I heard as an audio book a few years back.

The premise was that two mages set up a duel of sorts between their apprentices. One mage had a young boy who he had picked up through an orphanage I think or maybe off the streets. The other mage was using his daughter. The duel was not symmetrical, the boy created the environment of the duel while the girl knew who the other participant was, however it was not really explained what the conditions were. The girls father/master by the start of the duel had done some sort of spell wrong and was now confined to a hat or animal or some thing like that.

The environment the boy created was sort of circus with truly astounding performers. Everything part of the circus was black and white, even the food. The girl joined the circus as one of the acts. Various other odd characters join on and start noticing strange things about the circus. I never got to the end but the last thing I think I remember was that some were realizing that they were not aging and that one or two of them had disappeared.

If I can think of anything else I'll add it on.

No Title Literature

There was a book I read about a decade ago. I think it was about the lady from Bones' niece and a couple of friends? The main character was really big about forensic science, and a bit into the book she and her friends got turned into werewolves or something. It was all on an island, and there were some dogs or wolves the main characters had a kind of bond with.

Weretank Kid, other is Girl with Dragonskin Literature

These are two different books I read as a kid (about 2008-ish).

One had a tech-loving boy growing up in a family of werewolves but he turned into a tank (actual military tank) instead.

Other book series had a girl (I think her name was Ruby?)who came from an old family of dragon-hunters and all their relatives had dragon skin on some part of their body. She had a patch on her elbow. She instead befriended a dragon, who ate treasure like it was chocolate, and went on adventures. In one book, she went to this place in need of an answer and it would take away what you wanted most. Her grandma/aunt lived there and when she went to leave, Ruby said she'd return only for the grandma to now say it was impossible since she wanted to the most.

Anthology of stories about fairies Literature

I read this as a child - probably in the early 2000s, but it was probably published (way?) earlier. I'm assuming the stories were written by various authors, since they didn't use a consistent mythology about fairies.

One story involved a fairy and a young blind girl. In this story, humans could hear fairies, but were unable to see them. Since the girl was blind though, the fairy was able to to befriend and play games with her, without her realizing that he wasn't just another child.

Another involved a fairy who kept playing pranks on a girl, and making her late for school. I know one thing he did, was transform himself into a baby in a baby carriage, and roll out into the road so that she would save the "baby".

Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-Style picture book series Literature

Not actually related to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, but I think set in a similar time period, and also following the daily life of a young girl. I'm pretty sure there were at least two of these books, but I'm not positive.

At one point in one story, someone who I assume was a German immigrant came to town. Even though the townspeople kept trying to help him and offer him stuff, all he would say was "Nein danke." Everyone thought he was asking for nine donkeys, but at the end of the book, they realized he was actually saying "No thank you."

Kids book about a kid dreaming that he was different animals Literature

I have a faint memory of a book I read when I was 5 years old. I believe it was about a boy dreaming himself as different animals. The only parts I remember was him dreaming that he was a "sad dinosaur" and on the last page was something like "waking up, back to me." Not word for word, but it was something similar to that. I know this is very vague, but any help would be appreciated.

all american boys Literature

Children's Totally Radical Choose Your Own Adventure Literature

Looking for a 90's children's full color picture book (of the expensive kind, with hard cover and plastic pages), in which you would solve puzzles in order to decide which page to move on to. One example I remember was that on one page there were a lot of people on a park, and if say, you found the caveman, went to # page, if you couldn't, to # page instead. The protagonist was a blonde teenager in jean shorts, a white shirt, a red vest and cap, and maybe a green skateboard, and went for the name of Roland Rocket-Orlando Cohete or something alike, whose dream was to become an astronaut. One page I vividly remember was that of a docked ship totally bound out in ropes, and the puzzle was to decide in which order to unbind them. Thanks in advance for any help!

Children's book about a sentient ocean wave Literature

I recently recalled a kid's book I once read as a kid but for the life of me can't remember its title. I wonder if any of you guys would remember it?

The basic premise is that this kid who loves being at the ocean manages to take a sentient ocean wave back home with him after a vacation. The book then details the kid and the wave's antics until the wave gets homesick for its ocean home and becomes depressed. I distinctly remember it raging in the kid's bedroom (while the kid watches in horror) and either it or the kid having a nightmare depicted in a full spread illustration of freaky sea monsters.

So...anybody else remember this book or its title? Repeated Google searches for kid's books about ocean waves didn't really turn up anything.

Dog Knows Owner is Dating Ghost Literature

I remember a story about a dog that could tell his owner was dating a ghost, and he tried to bark to warn him, but he couldn't understand him. The dog said something about digging up her bones too.