By Philip Reeve

Published: 2003

AR Level: 6.6

AR Points: 13.0

Word Count: 77,397

I suggest: 6^th grade +

Not your typical post-apocalyptic world, Mortal Engines is a fast-paced read with plenty of action and adventure. The main characters have wonderful depth, the settings are intriguing, and the plot will keep any reader invested in the series. It’s a good introduction to the steampunk world. What I love most about this book is the way Philip Reeves turns the cities themselves into characters and the humans are more like bacteria living inside of them. It’s something I haven’t seen before or since. I would recommend this series for upper middle grade readers with a taste for fantasy and sci-fi.  

Here’s the description:

London is hunting again. Emerging from its hiding place in the hills, the great Traction City is chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands. Soon London will feed.

In the attack, Tom Natsworthy is flung from the speeding city with a murderous scar-faced girl. They must run for their lives through the wreckage — and face a terrifying new weapon that threatens the future of the world.