Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld; Simon Pulse

“In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.”
Robin’s Note: You may have already read or seen Scott Westerfeld’s more noted books (Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras), and this is his new series, already extremely popular (so you’ll likely have to request it rather than find it on the shelf.)  This one has a definite steampunk flair, if that’s a style that appeals, and the combination of a familiar situation (World War I) tweaked to involve air battles and genetic engineering makes for an innovative setting.  Westerfeld is known for packing in the action and never letting it stop, and this series continues that tradition.  This title also has the added charm of gorgeous illustrations throughout the text, a tradition not seen very often in novels any more, but in this case beautifully rendered.