Monkey Town–by Ronald Kidd

Kidd, Ronald.  Monkey Town.  New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006.

Let’s say you’re like Frances: you pretty much spend your days hanging out around town, going to school, helping out your folks sometimes, running around after your annoying little brother, and going to church.  You know, the usual.

Now let’s say what happens in Frances’s hometown happens in yours: your favorite teacher may lose his job and go to jail, you’re suddenly getting national attention from the news media, strangers are flooding the place, the fate of everyone seems to depend on one man, and everything you believe in is turned upside down.  And the amazing thing is, this mess–the infamous Scopes trial–was all planned as a publicity stunt by the pillars of the community, including your own father!  Who can you trust?

“If evolution isn’t true, why did they put it in the textbook?” I asked.
“Some people believe it,” said Mama.
“Who?”
“Nobody around here.  Well, maybe old Mr. Davis, the printer.  He likes to be different.”
“The point is,” said Daddy,” it’s against the law to teach it, at least in Tennessee.  We’re going to use that to put Dayton on the map.”
That got Mama going again.  “By arresting an innocent young man, then bringing in outsiders to run the trial?” she asked.  “What kind of crazy idea is that?”
“It’s not crazy; it’s a stroke of genius,” said Daddy.  “During the trial people all over the country are going to read about how nice Dayton is.  Mark my words, it’ll bring new business to town.”
Mama said, “If you ask me, it’s a bunch of foolishness.”
“This is going to be the biggest thing that ever hit Dayton,” said Daddy.  “Just you wait and see.”

The Golden Compass–by Philip Pullman

Pullman, Philip.  The Golden Compass.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.

Picture this.  Like everyone else, you have a creature, called a daemon, that follows you around all the time, as your constant companion.  While you’re young, it can change into any kind of animal, and as you become an adult, it settles on a permanent form.  It is, as nearly as we have words for in this universe, your soul.  When someone comes between you and your soul…well, you get the picture.  It isn’t pretty.

Children are disappearing.  Your uncle is being held captive for some mysterious, and no doubt dangerous, cause.  Just when you’ve found a job in your dream home, you receive a rare magical object and instructions to keep it a secret.

Are you brave enough to jump into the void?