Most Popular Books by Kenneth Oppel

From the Printz-Honor-winning author of Airborn comes an absorbing YA novel about a teen boy whose scientist parents take in a chimpanzee to be part of the family.For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan -- an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben''s father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben''s parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he''s not the only one his father''s going to scrutinize.It isn''t long before Ben is Zan''s favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more

"Astonishing"—The New York Times Book Review A brilliantly funny, highly illustrated story about how a little ink splot changes a family forever. Perfect for those who love Hoot, Holes, or Frindle! The Rylance family is stuck. Dad''s got writer''s block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project at school--even though he can''t draw. Sarah''s still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. Enter Inkling. Inkling begins life in Mr. Rylance''s sketchbook. But one night the ink of his drawings runs together--and then leaps off the page! This small burst of creativity is about to change everything. Ethan finds him first. Inkling has absorbed a couple chapters of his math book--not good--and the story he''s supposed to be illustrating for school--also not good. But Inkling''s also started drawing the pictures to go with the story--which is amazing! It''s just the help Ethan was looking for! Inkling helps the rest of the family too--for Sarah he''s a puppy. And for Dad he''s a spark of ideas for a new graphic novel. It''s exactly what they all want. It''s not until Inkling goes missing that this family has to face the larger questions of what they--and Inkling--truly need. • A New York Times Notable Book • A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year -- top ten selection • "A true-to-life family, some can''t-put-it-down excitement, a few deep questions, and more than a little bit of magic. This book is everything, and I loved every page." —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medalist for When You Reach Me

Before there were bats like Shade, Marina or even Goth, there was a young chiropter—a small arboreal glider—named Dusk. . . . It is 65 million years ago, during a cataclysmic moment in the earth’s evolution, and Dusk, just months old, has no way of knowing he will play a pivotal role in creating a new world. What he does know is that he is different from the other newborn chiropters. Not content to use his large sails to glide down from the giant sequoia tree, Dusk discovers that if he flaps quickly enough, he can fly. But this strange gift that makes him feel like an outcast from the colony will also make him its saviour. After most of the colony is savagely massacred by the felids—the earth’s first mammalian carnivores—Dusk must lead his fellow chiropters to a new home, and a new life. Against a tableau of disappearing dinosaurs and the ascent of the mammal kingdom, Oppel has created an adventure fantasy that sets the stage for the birth of the bats, the story of the forebears of Shade, the beloved hero of the Silverwing series. As with all Silverwing books, it is impossible to simply read Oppel’s Darkwing; each of us enters a world of convincing characters, warring theologies, incredible natural history and a story that roars through head, heart and imagination. A tale that can be read as a stand- lone or as a prequel, Darkwing will be a welcome new classic for the millions of Kenneth Oppel fans.

Griffin, a young bat, is sucked into the "Underworld," and his father follows to rescue him.

Sailing toward dawn, and I was perched atop the crow''s nest, being the ship''s eyes. We were two nights out of Sydney, and there''d been no weather to speak of so far. I was keeping watch on a dark stack of nimbus clouds off to the northwest, but we were leaving it far behind, and it looked to be smooth going all the way back to Lionsgate City. Like riding a cloud. . . . Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt''s always wanted; convinced he''s lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. It is only after Matt meets the balloonist''s granddaughter that he realizes that the man''s ravings may, in fact, have been true, and that the creatures are completely real and utterly mysterious. In a swashbuckling adventure reminiscent of Jules Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson, Kenneth Oppel, author of the best-selling Silverwing trilogy, creates an imagined world in which the air is populated by transcontinental voyagers, pirates, and beings never before dreamed of by the humans who sail the skies.

"When wasps come to Steve in a dream offering to fix his sick baby brother, he thinks all he has to do is say yes. But yes may not mean what Steve thinks it means."--

Kenneth Oppel''s most explosive YA yet, a thrilling speculative novel about clashing politics, first love and human survival set within the imprisonment of a dome against an invisible enemy.

Originally published in hardcover in 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Devotion turns deadly in this second Gothic thriller from Printz Honor–winner Kenneth Oppel that is “every bit as thrilling and engaging” (VOYA) as This Dark Endeavor. When does obsession become madness? Tragedy has forced sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never dabble in the dark sciences again—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return.

For as long as he can remember, Paul has looked after his younger, weaker brother Sam. But when Sam leaves home to work as a research assistant in Watertown, he disappears into the dark folds of the city''s noxious slum. When Paul goes looking for Sam in Watertown, he learns a dark secret: something in the water is changing the residents of Watertown, transforming them into something inhuman. But can Paul reach Sam before the dark waters get to him first?

When Gabe accidentally awakens the ghost of Rebecca Strand, murdered by a wicked creature, he and his friends become swept up in a thriller that threatens not only them but the whole of humankind ...

"The perfect book right now for young readers searching for hope, strength, inspiration — and just a little horticultural havoc."—New York Times The first book in a can''t-put-it-down, can''t-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that''s part Hatchet, part Alien! The invasion begins--but not as you''d expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout--overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom--and release toxic pollens. They bloom--and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom--everywhere, unstoppable. Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What''s their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They''d better figure it out fast, because it''s starting to rain again....

In the late nineteenth century, a budding romance develops between Rachel and Samuel, two teenagers from rival families of fossil hunters heading out to the badlands in seach of a rare dinosaur skeleton.

Shade, a young bat, searches for his father and struggles to prevent the eviljungle bat Goth from wiping out the sun.

A legendary ghost ship. An incredible treasure. A death-defying adventure. Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy, Matt Cruse is determined to recover the ship and its treasures. But 20,000 feet above the Earth''s surface, pursued by those who have hunted the Hyperion since its disappearance, and surrounded by deadly high-altitude life forms, Matt and his companions soon find themselves fighting not only for the Hyperion—but for their very lives.

"Mr. Cruse, how high would you like to fly?" A smile soared across my face. "As high as I possibly can." Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Before they even set foot aboard the ship, catastrophe strikes: Kate announces she is engaged—and not to Matt. Despite this bombshell, Matt and Kate embark on their journey into space, but soon the ship is surrounded by strange and unsettling life-forms, and the crew is forced to combat devastating mechanical failure. For Matt, Kate, and the entire crew of the Starclimber, what began as an exciting race to the stars has now turned into a battle to save their lives. Award-winning and bestselling author Kenneth Oppel brings us back to a rich world of flight and fantasy in this breathtaking new sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker.

Included in this edition of This Dark Endeavor, enjoy a free edition of Mary Shelley''s classic Frankenstein. The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions. In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling give up on his brother, Victor, his beautiful cousin Elizabeth, and best friend Henry begin a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and, love -- and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Shade is a young bat, the runt of the Silverwing colony. When he gets lost during a perilous migration he must prove his strength to find his flock again. A Smithsonian Notable Book for Children.

Fans left desperate for more at the end of Bloom will dive into this second book of the Overthrow trilogy--where the danger mounts and alien creatures begin to hatch. First the rain brought seeds. Seeds that grew into alien plants that burrowed and strangled and fed. Seth, Anaya, and Petra are strangely immune to the plants'' toxins and found a way to combat them. But just as they have their first success, the rain begins again. This rain brings eggs. That hatch into insects. Not small insects. Bird-sized mosquitos that carry disease. Borer worms that can eat through the foundation of a house. Boat-sized water striders that carry away their prey. But our heroes aren''t able to help this time--they''ve been locked away in a government lab with other kids who are also immune. What is their secret? Could they be...part alien themselves? Whose side are they on? Kenneth Oppel expertly escalates the threats and ratchets up the tension in this can''t-read-it-fast-enough adventure with an alien twist. Readers will be gasping for the next book as soon as they turn the last page...

WITH BONUS MATERIAL: Pages from Victor Frankenstein''s sketchbook and an excerpt from the upcoming sequel, Such Wicked Intent, available August 2012. Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one. The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages, and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library again, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life. The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn. Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Quand une petite goutte d''encre devient l''ami de la famille et transforme les maux en mots ! La famille Rylance est bloquée dans une impasse : Ethan, qui a promis d''illustrer un projet pour l''école, n''a aucune compétence artistique. Papa, un auteur de BD, est en proie au syndrome de la page blanche. Quant à Sarah, la petite soeur, elle ne cesse de se lamenter à propos du chiot qu''elle voudrait avoir. Jusqu''à cette étrange nuit où, l''encre d''un carnet de croquis s''anime, et s''échappe du papier. La goutte d''encre, Splash, est pile ce dont ils avaient besoin ! Mais quand elle est enlevée par l''éditeur machiavélique de Papa, c''est la panique générale. Comment vivre sans elle alors qu''elle était la solution à tous leurs problèmes ?

Convicted murderer David Haines sits on death row. Meanwhile, researcher Dr. Laura Donaldson discovers that Haines’s blood may hold the cure to cancer. When she unwittingly helps Haines escape, she and FBI agent Kevin Sheldrake embark on a terrifying manhunt. It is imperative that Haines be brought back alive—but he’d sooner kill himself than offer his blood to medical science.

The royal chef takes Max the dog, the royal taster, on several international journeys to find a dish for the land''s pickiest king.

Other Worlds, the fourth volume in Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read anthology series for tween boys, features ten thrilling new tales of science fiction and fantasy from some of the biggest names in children’s literature. Prepare yourself for ten trips into the unknown, as ten of your favorite writers—Rick Riordan, who has written an all-new and exclusive Percy Jackson tale, Tom Angleberger of Origami Yoda fame, Newbery medalist Rebecca Stead, Shannon Hale, D. J. MacHale, Eric Nylund, Kenneth Oppel, Neal Shusterman, Shaun Tan, and none other than the late Ray Bradbury—spin tales of fantasy and science fiction the likes of which you have never imagined. Compiled by National Ambassador for Children’s Literature (and Secret Ambassador for the Intergalactic Alliance) Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Other Worlds is sure to boldly take you where no reader has gone before.

Reading is always in, and this free teen e-sampler has something for everyone! Featuring first chapter excerpts from: Everlost by Neal Shusterman Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann Blood Red Road by Moira Young Possession by Elana Johnson Love Story by Jennifer Echols Wildefire by Karsten Knight Clean by Amy Reed This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Giles Barnes and his family have just moved into a very strange house. Creeks, rustles, and fluttering sounds fill his bedroom. His mother says there are no such things as ghosts, but Giles decides to investigate. With help from new friends Tina and Kevin Quark and their ghostometer, the team solves the mystery, and gets rid of the ghosts for good!

When a newborn bat named Shade but sometimes called "Runt" becomes separated from his colony during migration, he grows in ways that prepare him for even greater journeys.