Bitopia — Ari Magnusson

Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012! When you run from bullies, you never know where you might wind up... Bitopia is a wonderland of fantastical foliage and mysterious creatures. It's also a place where Venators lurk, vile creatures that relentlessly hunt children. So the children of Bitopia, the only human inhabitants, are forced to live in a high-walled city for protection, a medieval metropolis of cold and shadow where time passes but no one ages, a place of no escape. Like all the other children of Bitopia, Stewart arrives there unexpectedly while fleeing from bullies. And, like all Newcomers, Stewart dreams of finding a way back home. Risking exile from the city and the protection that it offers, Stewart and Cora, his Finder, discover a clue to escaping, one that presents them with a terrible choice: face their greatest fear and risk death, or be trapped in Bitopia forever. A fast-paced epic adventure that addresses a fundamental element of bullying-fear-and provides an example to readers of how to deal with bullying on their own. Ages 10 and up.