The ongoing pandemic has many of us feeling like we’re living in Groundhog Day or Palm Springs, with days blurring together and no end in sight. We’ve gathered a selection of books for young readers that bend space and time, reminiscent of iconic series such as Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time Quintet and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Again Again
After a family catastrophe and a romantic upheaval, Adelaide finds herself catapulted into a summer of possibility confronting secrets, her ideas about love, and the weird grandiosity of the human mind. Lockhart takes her penchant for plot twists to a new level, with a narrative that explores the idea of infinite worlds loosed by paths taken and not taken.
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The Art of Saving the World
For the past 16 years, Hazel Stanczak has been tied to the interdimensional rift that materialized on her family’s farm when she was born. But then the rift “[shakes] loose” and “[leaps] away.” In its wake, Hazel encounters alternate-dimension “skewed versions” of herself, plus an exasperated dragon named Neven, who says that Hazel has been chosen to save the world. A provocative, genre-bending look at exploring identity. Read our q&a with Duyvis here.
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Burn
In an alternate Cold War America, Sarah and her father, outcasts in their town, are forced to hire Kazimir, a dragon, to work on their farm—something only the poorest have to do. But the dragon knows something Sarah doesn’t. With a prophecy in mind involving an assassin, a cult, the FBI, and Sarah—Kazimir is intent on keeping her safe. See our starred review.
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A Peculiar Peril (The Misadventures of Jonathan Lambshead #1)
After Jonathan’s grandfather dies, he inherits the family mansion, soon discovering that the mansion’s basement holds three doors that serve as portals. One door leads to an alt-Earth called Aurora, where an occult dictator leads an army pillaging alt-Europe. When Jonathan learns of his destiny as a member of The Order, he embarks on a quest to protect Earth from dark magic.
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Sal & Gabi Fix the Universe
In the sequel to Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, Sal doesn’t want to live a Mami-free life and has been pulling versions of her from other universes. Unfortunately, Sal’s Papi has been trying to shut down all the wormholes that Sal creates. Meanwhile, Gabi from another universe has gone rogue and is seeking revenge for the destruction of her world. Read our q&a with the author, who was named a spring 2019 Flying Start.
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Time Travel for Love and Profit
When Nephele has a terrible freshman year, she does the only logical thing for a math prodigy like herself: she invents a time travel app so she can go back and do it again (and again, and again). She doesn’t anticipate recognizing her new teacher or the way a boy with violet eyes is able to see her.
